VICTORY IN CHRISTIAN WARFARE
(Second Edition)
CHAPTER 8 Humanity’s Warfare: The First Battle
God says, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 45:22. God’s words apply to Adam and Eve and to all who would ever live on earth. It is a battle cry from God to all humanity that they should enter into their first battle against sin and Satan. This is a battle that every human being needs to fight and win.
How can an individual fight this battle and win? This and subsequent chapters of this book will answer this question, so read on and it will be made clear.
God Appeals to Us
God appeals to all humanity, to all the billions of people on earth, and He says, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3. O the love of God for fallen, sinful humanity! For God says, “I will make a man more precious than fine gold.” Isaiah 13:12.
God also says, “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” Malachi 3:17. “And there shall be no more curse…and they shall see his face…and they shall reign for ever and ever…These sayings are faithful and true.” Revelation 22:3-6.
God says to all humanity, “Come unto me.” Matthew 11:28. “Come. And let him that heareth say” (Revelation 22:17), to others, “Come.” Revelation 22:17. “Say, Come ye, and let us go…to…the LORD, to…God…and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” Isaiah 2:3.
“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as [white as] wool.” Isaiah 1:18.
“Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many” (Proverbs 4:10), they shall be an eternity of years. “My son, forget not my law” (Proverbs 3:1), my law of love, “but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.” Proverbs 3:1, 2. “Cease to do evil; learn to do well.” Isaiah 1:16, 17.
God says that sinners are they who “walk in the vanity” (Ephesians 4:17), the moral depravity, “of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” Ephesians 4:17, 18. Thus, God’s perfect diagnosis of all humanity is that they are ignorant of, and blind to, their own moral depravity.
But praise God that we need not remain blind! For God says, “I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16.
“For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.” Psalm 18:28. “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.” Proverbs 6:23.
“Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners…the way. The meek will he guide…and the meek will he teach his way.” Psalm 25:8, 9. “What man is he that feareth the LORD” (Psalm 25:12), in other words, has reverential awe for the Lord? “Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.” Psalm 25:12.
Now “wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” Proverbs 4:7. “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” Job 28:28.
“Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.” Proverbs 4:1. “Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge” (Proverbs 8:10) of God, “rather than choice gold.” Proverbs 8:10. “Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not.” Proverbs 8:33.
“He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.” Proverbs 15:32. “He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.” Proverbs 10:17. “A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.” Proverbs 15:5. “He that regardeth reproof shall be honoured” (Proverbs 13:18) but “before honour is humility.” Proverbs 15:33.
“Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.” Proverbs 19:20. “Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.” Proverbs 4:13. For “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly [fully] furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
It is God who “openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.” Job 33:16, 17. Note that, as was said before, that the members of the Godhead, namely, The Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, very rarely speak to us by an audible voice. Instead they speak to us in a supernatural form of “communication” (2 Samuel 3:17) that enters into our mind and is perfectly understandable to every individual. We could say that they speak to us by impressing their thoughts upon our mind.
“Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God…and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.” Jeremiah 3:13. “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him [God] a liar, and his word” (1 John 1:10), the word of God which is the Bible, “is not in us.” 1 John 1:10. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” 1 John 1:8.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13. God says, let this be the purpose of your heart, “I press toward the mark [goal] for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14), the high calling of a life of holiness.
Speaking of Himself, God says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son [His sole child], that whosoever believeth in him” (John 3:16), Christ the Son, “should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
This then is God’s battle cry to every human being, that they should enter upon their first battle in their warfare against sin and Satan. We will now look at the series of steps to be taken by the individual in order to win their first battle according to God’s battle plan, the Bible.
God’s reward for those persons who win this first battle is that they will cease being “enemies” (Romans 5:10) of God and instead be “reconciled to God.” Romans 5:10. They will then be in right standing before God because they have received “a new heart” (Ezekiel 36:26) from God. They have had a change of heart from being evil to being good.
To reiterate, think of it as their receiving the gift of a new mind from God, which is “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), so that they change from selfishness to love. Thus, they are prepared by God to successfully fight their second battle, which is their final battle, against sin and Satan.
The Role of Each Member of the Godhead in Our Salvation
The members of the Godhead, namely, the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each play an active role in our salvation for they “will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4. The three divine Persons are interested to see all humanity saved.
Now the Bible, which is the word of God, does not lay out in detail their individual roles, but we can glean some insights from the Bible into their work for the salvation of mankind.
The Unity of the Godhead
Christ, the Son of God, when He was on earth in human flesh, said, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.” John 12:49, 50. Therefore, Christ and the Father are in perfect agreement on all things.
Christ also said, “the Spirit of truth…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 [show] you things to come. He shall glorify me” (John 16:13, 14), in other words, He shall extol and exalt me, “for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew [show] it unto you.” John 16:14. Thus, Christ and the Holy Spirit are also in perfect agreement in all things.
Since Christ only speaks what the Father speaks, and the Holy Spirit only speaks what Christ speaks, it follows that all three members of the Godhead are in perfect harmony with each other. This is what Christ meant when He said, “All things that the Father hath are mine” (John 16:15), including the Father’s words, “therefore said I, that he” (John 16:15), the Holy Spirit, “shall take of mine, and shall shew [show] it unto you.” John 16:15.
All three divine Persons “speak the same thing, and…there be no divisions among…[them]; but…[they are] perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” 1 Corinthians 1:10. Thus we see that the members of the Godhead do not contradict each other at any time.
Our Prayers Go Up to God
“The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities” (Romans 8:26), our moral frailty: “for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he,” Christ, “that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he,” the Holy Spirit, “maketh intercession for the saints,” for those individuals who have truly consecrated themselves to God, “according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26, 27.
All of the prayers on our behalf by the Holy Spirit succeed with Christ. This is the role of the Holy Spirit in communicating our needs to Christ. But this is not to say that we do not need to pray to God ourselves, but only that “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities” (Romans 8:26), helps us in with our moral frailty.
Our own prayers are to be directed to God, the Father, for Christ, when He was on earth in human flesh, said, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven.” Matthew 6:9. These prayers are drawn out of us by the Holy Spirit who impresses us to pray and the prayers come up to Christ on the way to the Father. This is the role of the Holy spirit in our own prayers to the Father through Christ.
“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Romans 8:34. “But this man” (Hebrews 7:24), “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5), “because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” Hebrews 7:24, 25.
Christ is the Intercessor before the Father for all humanity that they might be blessed. “Your Father which is in heaven…he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:45. All these are blessings received by mankind through the merits of Christ.
Especially, does Christ become an Intercessor with the Father for every person who meets the necessary conditions. He pleads His blood before the Father for “forgiveness of [the] sins” (Ephesians 1:7) of such persons, because Christ Himself had borne the guilt of these persons.
Now all of the Holy Spirit’s prayers on our behalf are accepted by Christ and presented to the Father. But, regarding our prayers on our own behalf, God says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18) when I pray to Him. So, not all of our prayers made to God, the Father, are accepted by Christ and presented to the Father on our behalf. The prayers from a wicked heart are rejected by Christ.
In Christ, “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 1 John 2:1. In Christ, the sinner has a Friend in heaven and, in His intercession, Christ claims for the sinner “all [the] spiritual blessings” (Ephesians 1:3) that “the everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20) embraced. This is the role of Christ in asking blessings from the Father on our behalf.
The Father, “he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6), who is Christ. The intercession of Christ is wholly acceptable to the Father because of the righteous life which Christ lived as the Representative of the human race so that He can stand “faultless” (Jude 1:24) before God and because of Christ’s death for the sins of the world.
All of Christ’s prayers succeed with the Father so that His requests are granted by the Father. “For all the promises of God in him,” Christ, “are yea, and in him Amen,” (2 Corinthians 1:20), which is to say, “So be it,” “unto the glory of God by us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20. All the blessings of the gospel are bestowed on mankind because of Christ.
Blessings in Answer to Prayers Come Down from God
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3. “God shall supply all your need,” both physical and spiritual needs, “according to his riches in glory” (Philippians 4:19), according to God’s goodness, “by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19. This is the role of the Father in blessing us through Christ.
The blessings granted by the Father in answer to our prayers, Christ presents to the Holy Spirit who works in the individual in such a way as to cause him or her to be blessed. For “he, the Spirit of truth” (John 16:13), “he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” John 16:8.
This is the role of the Holy Spirit in causing us to be individually convicted of our sins. In addition, the Holy Spirit imparts moral strength which causes persons to be “transformed” (Romans 12:2) into a character identical to Christ’s character of love.
Summary of the Role of the Godhead
To summarise what was said so far, the Holy Spirit originates prayers and sends them to Christ on our behalf and all such prayers succeed with Christ. These prayers which Christ receives are then presented to the Father who accepts all of them and grants us blessings through Christ. Christ communicates these blessings to the Holy Spirit who works to make the blessings effectual in our lives, works to produce the desired effect in our lives.
Our own prayers to God, the Father, are drawn out of us by the Holy Spirit who impresses us to pray and they come up to Christ on the way to the Father. Our prayers are rejected by Christ and are not presented to the Father if there is iniquity (wickedness) in our heart. Otherwise, our prayers are accepted by Christ and presented to the Father with the fragrance of Christ’s merits and thus all such prayers succeed with the Father.
So, the Father grants us blessings through Christ. Christ communicates these blessings to the Holy Spirit who works to make the blessings effectual in our lives. That is, the Spirit works to produce the desired effect in our lives.
Repentance1
By nature, you are a sinner. You cannot change your heart and thus make yourself holy. You cannot have a thought toward God without Christ. You cannot have an inclination to come to Christ unless He sets in motion influences and impresses His Holy Spirit upon the human mind.
If there is anyone on the face of the earth who has any inclination toward God, it is because of the many influences that are set to work by God to be exerted upon his or her mind and heart. Those influences call for your allegiance to God and an appreciation of the great work that God has done to save you from eternal death (annihilation).
God says, “Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities [sins] infinite?” Job 22:5. And the Holy Spirit is constantly speaking to every human being to convict them of their sins.
Now, many in the world, when convicted of their sins by the Holy Spirit, are asking, “How should man be just with God?” Job 9:2. “What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?” Job 15:14. “What shall we do [to be saved from eternal death by God]?” Acts 2:37. God’s answer is, “Repent ye…and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” Acts 3:19.
Thus, the first step to be taken in humanity’s warfare against sin and Satan, the first battle, is to repent of their sins. Repentance is remorse for sins. But we shall not renounce sins unless we see our sinfulness, and until we turn from sin in heart there will be no real change in the heart from selfishness to love.
Many fail to understand the nature of true repentance. That is, many seeing their sins make an outward reformation through fear of the suffering that will come upon them because of their wrongdoing. But this is not repentance in the Bible sense. They lament the suffering but not the sins themselves.
Four examples of this are: (1) A man named “Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright…[and] afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected [by God]: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.” Hebrews 12:16, 17. (2) A man named Balaam who when “the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand…he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face…And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, I have sinned.” Numbers 22:31-34. Balaam only confessed his sin for fear he would otherwise lose his life.
(3) A man named Judas Iscariot who said, “I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.” Matthew 27:4. Judas confessed his sin because of “a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation” (Hebrew 10:27) for betraying Jesus into the hand of Jesus’ murderers. But he had no heartbreaking remorse for denying His Lord and for selling Him for a few pieces of silver.
(4) Pharaoh, king of ancient Egypt, who said, “I have sinned… Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer…And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses [a leader of ancient Israel].” Exodus 9:27-35.
These all lamented the consequences of sin but not the sin itself. Such is not true repentance.
As we begin to see our own sinfulness in the light of God’s holiness and purity, the Holy Spirit, “according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20), works “to give [us] repentance.” Acts 5:31. That is, the Spirit works to give us the gift of repentance from God which causes us to have remorse for our sins.
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” 2 Corinthians 7:10. “The sorrow of the world” (2 Corinthians 7:10) causes us to regret the consequences of our sins but we have no remorse for having committed sins. “Godly sorrow” (2 Corinthians 7:10), on the other hand, is deep remorse for our sins.
In bringing us to repentance which is remorse for our sins, the Holy Spirit draws us to see the infinite love of God in giving Christ to die “for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2. Even one ray of light from God, revealing the purity of Christ and penetrating our understanding, makes every spot of our own defilement painfully distinct, and opens to our view the deformity and defects of the human character.
It makes apparent the unholy desires, the infidelity of the heart, the impurity of the lips. As we view the pure, spotless character of Christ, our acts of disloyalty in making void God’s law of love are exposed to our sight and we are deeply affected and afflicted. God says, “Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe [loathe] yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities [for your wickedness] and for your abominations.” Ezekiel 36:31.
This is the very first step toward reaching God’s ideal for mankind, which is for the individual to “be holy and without blame before him [God] in love.” Ephesians 1:4. For to be “faultless” (Jude 1:24) and, hence, reach God’s ideal is to escape eternal death (annihilation) and instead have eternal life.
Here is where many may err in thinking that they cannot come to Christ unless they first repent. Thus, they fail to receive the very help which Christ desires to give them. Yes, it is true that we must first repent before God will forgive our sins. For only those whose hearts have been made broken and remorseful on account of their own sins will feel the need of a Saviour.
But must repentance be made an obstacle between the sinner and Christ, their Saviour? Must the sinner wait till they have repented before they can come to Jesus? Away with such erroneous thoughts! In no way does the Bible teach that the sinner must repent BEFORE they can accept Christ’s invitation: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
We cannot of ourselves “repent” (Matthew 3:2), it is beyond the reach of our power to accomplish this. But “Him [Christ] hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for [Christ] to give [us] repentance…and forgiveness of sins.” Acts 5:31. We see then that it is virtue that goes forth from Christ that leads anyone to genuine repentance. That is, repentance is only obtained from Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit to awaken our “evil conscience.” Hebrew 10:22. Likewise, we cannot be pardoned by God of our sins without Christ.
Now you might say, “I am not aware of any sins that I have committed” or you might see one, two, or a just a few of your sins. Well, such is “the blindness of…[the] heart.” Ephesians 4:18. Ask God to reveal to you your sins. Ask in sincerity and “God shall reveal even this unto you.” Philippians 3:15. Here we are utterly dependent upon God to reveal to us the abundance of our sins. For God cannot save us until we see and acknowledge our own sins.
If you see your sinfulness, do not wait to make yourself better before you come to Christ. “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” Jeremiah 13:23. So, we cannot expect to become better through our own efforts. Our only help is in God. Do not wait for stronger persuasions, better opportunities, or for a holier temperament. Come to Christ just as you are.
Let us not resist “the work of God” (John 6:29) through the Holy Spirit, but instead say with our “whole heart” (Psalm 9:1), “The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.” Isaiah 50:5.
Confession
The heart of the individual who has received the gift of “repentance” (Acts 5:31) from God will be melted with tenderness and contrition as they comprehend the infinite sacrifice that Christ has made on behalf of mankind. Such an individual will “seek righteousness” (Zephaniah 2:3) through Christ. They will seek for the purity of heart that is in harmony with God’s law of love and the character of Christ.
“A broken and a contrite [remorseful] heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17. The humble and broken heart, subdued by genuine repentance, will in true penitence bring all their sins before God. Our acknowledgement to God that we have done wrong should include the confession of all the specific sins which the Holy Spirit brings to our remembrance.
The confession that comes from the depths of our heart finds its way to the God of infinite pity. And we can say of God in truth, “The LORD is nigh [near] unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite [remorseful] spirit.” Psalm 34:18. In confession, our sins might be of a nature as to be brought before God only. Or they may be wrongs that should be confessed to those persons who have suffered injury through them. Or they may be public sins and should then be publicly confessed. But whatever our sins may be, confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which we are guilty.
God says, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13. True repentance will lead us to confess our sins to God and to turn away from our sins, thus meeting God’s requirements. True repentance will lead us to bear our own guilt ourselves and to acknowledge our guilt without deception or hypocrisy. There will be no excuse for sin or attempt at self-justification.
Why does God say, “Only acknowledge thine iniquity” (Jeremiah 3:13)? God requires this because “every way of a man is right in his own eyes” (Proverbs 21:2) and this spirit of self-justification in a wrong course must be corrected if God is to eradicate sin from the universe. The first step then whereby God will “cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9) is to repent so that we acknowledge that we have done wrong.
When he was in heaven, Satan persisted in justifying himself in his sins and “hardened his heart” (Exodus 8:15) until he reached the point of no return, “till there was no remedy” (2 Chronicles 36:16) for his iniquities (sins). God, therefore, had no choice but to pass the sentence of eternal death (annihilation) upon Satan for his wickedness. Self-justification in an evil course is the spirit of Satan, it is to follow in Satan’s ways.
If we have not humbled ourselves before God in acknowledging our guilt, we have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance by God. If we have not with true humbleness and brokenness of spirit because of our remorse confessed our sins, despising our wickedness, we have never truly sought God for the forgiveness of our sins. And if we have never sought, we have never found the peace of God. Thus, the only reason why we do not have the pardon of our past sins is that we are not willing to comply with conditions which God has laid out in the Bible.
Our confession will not be acceptable to God unless it is accompanied by sincere repentance and reformation. We must decisively make the necessary changes in our life, putting away from us everything that is offensive to God. This will be the sure result of genuine repentance, genuine sorrow, for our sins. For God says to all humanity, “Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for [defend] the widow.” Isaiah 1:16, 17.
“What man is he that desireth [eternal] life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile [deceit]. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” Psalm 34:12-14. “If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.
Surrender
By nature, all humanity is “alienated from the life of God” (Ephesians 4:18) for we are “dead in trespasses and sins.” Ephesians 2:1. “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying [dripping] sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified [soothed] with ointment.” Isaiah 1:5, 6. We are caught in “the snare of the devil,” who is Satan, “taken captive by him at his will.” 2 Timothy 2:26.
In view of our condition, God says of each of us, “I will heal him.” Isaiah 57:19. God desires to heal us, and to set us free from Satan and, therefore, God says, “Turn unto me” (Nehemiah 1:9) “with the whole heart.” Psalm 119:2.
“Neither yield ye your members” (Romans 6:13), the parts of your body, “as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members” (Romans 6:13), the parts of your body, “as instruments of righteousness unto God.” Romans 6:13.
Our healing from the corruption of sin requires an entire transformation, a “renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2) and, hence, we must yield ourselves completely to God. Not only are we to confess our sins, but we are also “with purpose of heart” (Acts 11:23) to turn away from them by choosing not to sin anymore, thus yielding ourselves to God.
God says to all humanity, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” Proverbs 23:26. So, God declares that the whole heart must be yielded to God, or the change by which we are restored to the likeness of Christ’s character of love can never be accomplished in us.
“For the flesh” (Galatians 5:17), the sinful nature “with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24), “lusteth” (Galatians 5:17), that is, wars, “against the [Holy] Spirit, and the [Holy] Spirit [wars] against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17), against the sinful nature, “and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Galatians 5:17.
The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. The yielding of self, the surrendering all to the will of God, requires of us a struggle. But God says, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16), practice the truths brought to light by the Holy Spirit, “and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh [the sinful nature].” Galatians 5:16.
In other words, God says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7. The individual must submit to God before they can be renewed such that they become holy. We must be willing to be made willing to do the will of God. Praise God that we are not left to struggle on our own against our sinful nature but the Holy Spirit helps us in our warfare against self!
Here we need to understand the true force of the will. It is the governing power in the nature of mankind, the power of decision, the power of choice, which God has given to all humanity, and it is theirs to exercise. Everything, even our salvation, depends on the right action of the will.
In choosing not to sin anymore, you can give God your will. That is, you can choose to serve God in living according to God’s law of love. If you do so, it will be true of you that “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. Your whole nature will be brought under the control of “the Spirit of Christ” (Romans 8:9) and your affections will be centred upon Christ, your thoughts will be in harmony with Christ.
How is this so? The answer is that having brought conviction of our sinfulness, and presented before our mind, Christ, the standard of righteousness, the Holy Spirit withdraws the affections from “the things that are in the world” (1 John 2:15) and fills us with a desire for holiness, a desire to be like Christ in character.
Through a right exercise of the will, an entire change may be made in your life. For we cannot change our heart, neither can we of ourselves give to God the affections of our heart. The only thing that lies within our power is the power of choice in that we can choose to serve God. For all humanity is “without strength” (Romans 5:6) to do that which is right.
By yielding up your will to Christ, you ally yourself with His power which is above all the “principalities and powers” (Colossians 2:15) of Satan. Hence, you will have strength from God to hold you steadfast in doing God’s will. This is true surrender to the will of God.
Faith and Acceptance
You cannot atone, which is to say, make amends or give satisfaction to God, for your past sins. You cannot change your heart and make yourself holy. But God promises to do all this, to forgive your sins and cleanse you, through Christ.
Now there are those of whom God says, “ye…repented not…that ye might believe.” Matthew 21:32. Unless we repent, we cannot believe the gospel of Christ. Why? The reason is that without conviction of sin which leads to repentance, we will not feel the need of a Saviour. If we do not feel a need, we will not believe in Christ as our Saviour from the bondage of sin and its penalty. For the pride of “the carnal mind” (Romans 8:7) feels no need of salvation. Those who feel a need for Christ will humble themselves and repent.
Now, “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith” (Romans 12:3) and, therefore, God says, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him” (John 6:29), that you believe in Christ. So, the ability to believe God, our faith in God, is a gift from God. And this faith, this gift from God, is yours if you yield to the Holy Spirit. For “this is the word of the LORD [God]…saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:6. “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit].” 1 Corinthians 12:3.
Therefore, take God at His word, in other words, believe His promise. So then, you have confessed your sins, and in your heart put them away from you. You have resolved to give yourself to God. You will to serve God. Just as surely as you do this, God will fulfill his word to you. “For he [God] is faithful that promised.” Hebrews 10:23. The important thing to grasp here is that you must believe God’s promise. If you believe God’s promise—believe that you are forgiven and cleansed—God supplies the fact and you are healed from your sins. It is so if you believe it.
God says, “I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.“ Mark 11:24. There is a condition to this promise—that we pray according to the will of God. But it is the will of God to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. So we may ask for these blessings, and believe that we receive them, and thank God that we have received them.
It is our God-given privilege to go to Jesus and be cleansed, and to stand before God’s law of love without shame or remorse. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh [the sinful nature], but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1.
Do not wait to feel that you have been forgiven and cleansed. Faith and feeling are two very different things. But say, I believe it because God’s promises can never fail of being fulfilled. What God promises, He will certainly do.
By exercising such faith, you believe in Christ, that He can do for you what you cannot do for yourself, that through Christ you have been forgiven and cleansed of every sin. To disbelieve God is to make God out to be a liar and, hence, God cannot work in us to make effective that in which we do not have any faith. “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace [by God’s unmerited favour and power].” Romans 4:16.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10.
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26. It is by giving ourselves to God and believing His promises, that we become His children, “the children of God.” Galatians 3:26.
Through the simple act of giving ourselves to God and believing His promises, the Holy Spirit has created a new life in your heart and you are “born again.” John 3:3. You are now as a child born into the family of God, and Christ says of the Father, “thou…hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” John 17:23.
You have now received “the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17), the gift of the righteousness of Christ, for Christ is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” Jeremiah 23:6. The moment you as a penitent sinner believe in Christ, you stand without any condemnation in the sight of God because at that instant the righteousness of Christ is yours. In other words, Christ’s perfect love and obedience has been implanted in you for you have now received “a new heart” (Ezekiel 36:26), you have been “renewed in…your mind.” Ephesians 4:23.
In addition, all your past sins are now forgiven, just as a man named Abraham “he believed in the LORD [God]; and he [God] counted it to him [Abraham] for righteousness.” Genesis 15:6. How is this so? Well, because of your repentance and faith in God’s promises, God has accepted Christ’s death for your sins in the place of your death for the sins you have committed. And God now treats you as if you had never sinned.
You are now “accepted [by God] in” (Ephesians 1:6), Christ, “the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6) for you are now among those individuals who have become “partakers of the divine nature.” 2 Peter 1:4. Now God’s decree for you, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith [such] that ye…[are] rooted and grounded in love.” (Ephesians 3:17), has come to pass. For now “the love of God is shed abroad” (Romans 5:5), supernaturally poured, “in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5.
God’s promise that “I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people” (Hebrews 8:10) has become true in your life. For “he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law…Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:8-10.
Thus God has written His law of love in your heart thus enabling you to have a character of love just like God’s own character. Now you may say, in truth, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8.
Now when Christ dwells in your heart by faith, you will be so filled with His love, with the joy of communion with Him, that you will cleave to Him. Moreover, in the contemplation of Christ, self will be forgotten. For you may now say, in truth, “all my springs are in thee” (Psalm 87:7), O God. In other words, love for Christ will be the spring from which flows all our actions.
It is your faith in God’s promises, that is the crowning step to be taken in order to be accepted by God. Repentance is essential, “but without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6.
For God has “given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by [believing] these [promises] ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1. Our faith causes us to be “justified” (Romans 5:1), which is to be declared righteous by God and to be in right standing before God. This is known as “justification by faith.”
Now you have met both conditions required for justification, which are “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21. One or the other is not sufficient for justification; both steps must be taken. And genuine faith is only possible when there is a prior repentance.
As one who has been justified, you have now become a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. You are now among those “whose names are in the book of [eternal] life.” Philippians 4:3.
With respect to our salvation, including “our justification” (Romans 4:25), “all things are of God” (2 Corinthians 5:18) and “Christ is all, and in all” (Colossians 3:11) for those who “have faith in God.” Mark 11:22. Let us, therefore, say with our whole heart, “Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory” (1 Corinthians 15:57), over sin, “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57.
Now that you have given yourself to Jesus, do not draw back, do not take yourself away from Him, but each day say, “I am Christ’s; I have given myself to Him,” and ask Him to give you His Holy Spirit and keep you by His grace. As it is by giving yourself to God, and believing Him, that you become His child, so you are to live in Him. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” Colossians 2:6.
Proof of Discipleship
Those who have been “justified” (Romans 5:1) will give evidence of the change brought about by God in their lives. The proof of their discipleship will be manifested first in an inward change which will then make itself outwardly apparent to others.
Repentance
With respect to the repentance of the justified, God says, “Bring forth therefore fruits meet [fitting] for repentance.” Matthew 3:8. There is no evidence then of genuine repentance unless it works in the reformation of the life. Therefore, it is true of the justified that the things that as a sinner they once hated they now love and the things that the sinful heart loved they now hate. A change then is seen in the character, the habits, the pursuits.
Faith
Those who are justified are those who “believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15) and God says of them that they have “unfeigned faith” (2 Timothy 1:5), they have genuine faith. Now “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” James 2:17. In other words, genuine faith manifests itself outwardly in “good works.” Ephesians 2:10.
Love
The justified have “unfeigned love” (1 Peter 1:22), genuine love, in their hearts. This love is a gift from God for “the love of God is shed abroad [supernaturally poured] in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] which is given unto us.” Romans 5:5.
Love for God
If you are justified by God then it is true of you that it is God “whom having not seen, ye love…whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:8. You “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Matthew 22:37. That is, above all others you have supreme love for God, in that, God takes first place in your affections.
Love for Others
If you are justified by God it is also true of you that you “love thy neighbour as thyself.” Matthew 22:39. Now “love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10. “He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8.
Desires
Those justified by God can truly say of God, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” Psalm 73:25. “As the hart [deer] panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” Psalm 42:1. The whole desire of their heart is to know God.
Purposes
The language of the heart of the justified is such that they say to God, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” Psalm 27:8. Of these, God says, “They seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.” Isaiah 58:2.
Obedience
The language of the heart of the justified is such that they say, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8. The whole purpose of their heart is to heed God’s commandment which says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33.
They render willing obedience to God’s law of love in every respect. Their lives reflect “the fruit of the Spirit [which] is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law [of love].” Galatians 5:22, 23.
Justification is Through Christ
You who have been “justified” (Romans 5:1) by God, Christ has said to you, “Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” Matthew 9:2. “Ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11) for you have received the help of the Holy Spirit in turning away from your sins.
You have become “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4. In you, humanity and divinity are combined as it was in Jesus Christ. Therefore, you as an individual “hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24. For you who are justified, the blessings of heaven have begun here on earth in this life.
“God commendeth [exhibited] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his [Christ’s] blood, we shall be saved from wrath [God’s justifiable anger] through him [Christ].” Romans 5:8, 9. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19. All these blessings have come to you who are justified through the holy life of Jesus Christ and His death for the sins of the whole world.
Only One Way to Salvation
We have now seen how the various components of the solution of the sin problem of mankind, as worked out by Jesus Christ, are made effective in the life of an individual. This same solution was made effective in the lives of Adam and Eve and all those people who lived before the death of Christ and who themselves complied with the necessary conditions.
In their case, they received the blessings of salvation based upon God’s promises to humanity, for it was only at the death of Jesus Christ that the promise of “the blood of the everlasting covenant” (Hebrews 13:20) was made sure for all eternity future. All this is to say, that from the time of Adam and Eve until the second coming of Christ, there has ever been and ever will be only one means of salvation and that is through the grace bestowed on the individual by God.
Winning the First Battle: A Summary
We may summarise the path to be taken for our justification as follows: The first step to be taken is repentance and the second and final step is faith in God’s promises. This then is the way to win humanity’s first battle in the warfare against sin and Satan.
Christ says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 21:6), where, “alpha” is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and “omega” is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. So, we would say with reference to the English alphabet, “Christ is the A and the Z.” God also says that we are to be “looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrews 12:2.
These statements mean that “all things are of God” (2 Corinthians 5:18), which is to say that we are entirely dependent on God for not only material blessings but also for “all spiritual blessings.” Ephesians 1:3. As it pertains to our justification, we are entirely dependent upon God for this from the start to the finish for unless we become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4) we can never be saved.
God With Humanity
You who have been justified, “ye are the temple of God, and…the Spirit of God dwelleth in you.” 1 Corinthians 3:16. It is Jesus Christ, “in whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest [the pledge] of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14. The Holy Spirit now dwells with you.
Christ says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John 14;21. “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we [the Father and I, Christ,] will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14;23. For you who have been justified, both the Father and Christ also now dwell with you.
For “now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes” (Ephesians 2:13), who at one time, “were far off are made nigh [near to God] by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13. “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” Psalm 9:10.
Having the presence of the Godhead—The Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit—dwelling with you is a foretaste of heaven here on earth. It can truly be said of God that “in thy presence is fulness of joy.” Psalm 16:11. Here then is our source of joy, peace, and contentment. Praise God that He has not forsaken the human race but instead has sought to bring them near to Himself in love!
Baptism
A man called John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. John called the nation of Israel to repentance in preparation for the soon coming public ministry of Christ, when Christ was on earth. It was John who began the rite of baptism of individuals which signified the individual’s repentance of their sins and their hope in the Messiah (Christ) who was to come to the earth. Christ Himself was baptised by John only in order to set an example for the human race, for Christ had no sins of His own of which He needed to repent.
God says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:16. The individual who is found in their heart to “believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15) and who is baptized will be saved to eternal life.
Baptism then is a rite of the Christian church, the church Jesus Christ Himself established. Baptism means to be completely submerged under water, just as Jesus Christ was, and then to emerge from the water just like Jesus Christ, for “Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water.” Matthew 3:16.
The act of baptism itself has great significance. For God says, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death” (Romans 6:3-5), if we have like Christ overcome all temptations to sin, “we shall be also [planted together] in the likeness of his resurrection.” Romans 6:5.
“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is [spiritually] dead [to all temptations to sin] is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.” Romans 6:6-8. Thus, figuratively, in baptism we die to sin and rise to live a new life free from sin.
The Godhead—the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit—are all present at our baptism which is a public declaration that we have left the service of Satan and have instead entered into the service of God.
Baptism is the pledge of the individual that they will henceforth so order their life that, when the work of God is complete in their life, they may be able to say in truth, as Christ Himself said, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” John 17:4. Christ glorified God by living in accordance with God’s law of love while He was on earth and, in so doing, Christ accomplished His mission to the world which was to “save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21.
This is not to say, however, that everyone who is physically baptised will be saved, for there is a difference between baptism by water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit when Christ “shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit].” Matthew 3:11. The physical act is meant to signify the spiritual reality of one’s justification by faith, when one is “born again” (John 3:3) by the Holy Spirit.
Unfortunately, some persons undergo the physical act of baptism without any corresponding baptism of the Holy Spirit. Such persons will not be saved unless they come to “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 20:21. In other words, in some cases, baptism testifies to a prior conversion to Christ. Sadly, however, in the remaining cases of baptism, there has been no change in the natural condition of the sinful heart. In such cases, without repentance on their part they will be lost in that they will not be saved by God.
You who are justified by God ought to be baptised according to the word of God, the Bible. Typically, one becomes a member of a Christian denomination by means of baptism. The question then is, “Which of the tens of thousands of Christian denominations should I choose to join by baptism?” The answer is that, most importantly, you want to join a church that teaches true Christianity and not counterfeit Christianity.
You may then ask, “How can I discern between true and counterfeit Christianity?” This book and the subsequent books that I will release in the future will answer this question by giving you discernment to know the difference.
For now, though, I recommend the Seventh-day Adventist Church, of which I myself am a member. However, you should not just accept my recommendation without any rationale for your choice other than that it is the church that I have recommended to you. For God says, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” Romans 14:5.
You must yourself go to God who promises that “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Psalm 32:8. Therefore, join the church to which God leads you. I am convinced though that God will lead you to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
You can find the Seventh-day Adventist Church on the Internet www.adventist.org. It is a worldwide church and is to be found in over 215 countries across the world. If you cannot find a church near you through the church’s website, try a Google search at www.google.com. Otherwise, contact the General Conference using the contact information on the church’s website.
Sanctification, the Final Battle
There is yet another step, another battle to fight, after our justification by faith, in order to reach God’s ideal for humanity. You must be, like Jesus Christ was, “in all points tempted” (Hebrews 4:15) and be found “yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15. Why this testing? God says, “That I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law [of love], or no.” Exodus 16:4.
God had placed all the angels on probation to test them, “That I [God] may prove them, whether they will walk in my law [of love], or no.” Exodus 16:4. However, angelic perfection failed in heaven when some of the angels in heaven fell into sin. Now God designs that all His created intelligences, including the angels and humanity, shall be tested and tried in order to make them secure against all temptations to sin and so ensure the future happiness of the universe.
Therefore, the next phase of our salvation is known as “sanctification” (1 Corinthians 1:30) and it is only accomplished by our faith in Christ and, just like the example of Jesus Christ, by our “striving according to his working” (Colossians 1:29), the Holy Spirit’s working, “which worketh in…[us] mightily.” Colossians 1:29.
This means that from now on you must cooperate with divine power by putting forth your human effort to subdue sin. For, having been justified, you now have two natures which are in constant conflict with each other—the sinful nature with which we were born and the new divine nature—just as Christ had two natures.
God says, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12. It is up to you to decide which of your two natures shall have supremacy.
Sanctification requires that “as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” Colossians 2:6. As you have been enabled by “the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17) you are to “walk in love” (Ephesians 5:2), which is to live in harmony with Christ’s character of love. Only then can you stand complete in Christ, “holy and without blame before him [God] in love.” Ephesians 1:4.
We will take a detailed look in subsequent chapters at sanctification, the second and final battle that the individual must fight and win if they are to gain paradise and immortality.
- Ellen G. White, (egwwritings.org), Steps to Christ, pages 23-65. ↩︎