Psalm 32:1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Romans 4:6-8 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
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The mystery of the salvation of God to us humans is in the fact that salvation is imputed to man without works.
Sounds impossible.
We work very hard at secular things to achieve results.
But the salvation of God is by the will of God.
Romans 9:8-18 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of HIM that calleth;)
It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
For HE saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew MY power in thee, and that MY name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Therefore hath HE mercy on whom HE will have mercy, and whom HE will he hardeneth.
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Now once we are saved, we diligently pursue things of God. And without works, faith is dead.
But before we are saved, very often we are saved not of ourselves or because we sought God, but by the will of God.
Here is a remarkable testimony:
Barbara Preston: I was born again in early 1981.
I had been trying to stop drinking for years but had never been able to succeed no matter how hard I tried.
Then one day I realized that something had happened to me. I didn’t know what had happened. It happened suddenly but somehow I was different.
I told my husband that I was going to go to an AA meeting the next day and stop drinking. He had heard this many times throughout the years so he couldn’t really believe me. But I was sure I would be able now to do this.
I told him something had changed inside of me and I was going to do this. I couldn’t tell him what was different because I didn’t know, myself, at first. I just knew something in me had changed.
Then, right after the above took place, I knew what had happened to me. I had been born again. I knew this because I had such a desire to read the Bible, go to church, listen to Christian radio programs on my way to work, watch TV preachers, and read books about God. At that point in time, if someone said they were going to talk about God, I wanted to hear it.
And that is how I was born again.
Romans 8:31 If God be for us, who can be against us?
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(Comments by Joan Boney: ) After my dad was born again, he wrote me asking me to come visit him and we would go to church.
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John 6:28-29 Then said they unto HIM, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on HIM whom HE hath sent.
We enter into all things of God by hearing and believing.
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Believing in faith is like the following:
If a person runs into your house and screams, "Your house is on fire", and you jump up and run out, you believe what that person has said, and you have acted by faith in what you heard.
And that is how it is with things of God. You read a scripture, and you believe, and your action is according to your belief.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing (God), and hearing by the word of God.
We believe, therefore, we act.
Abraham believed God, therefore he went out, not knowing where he was going, just as God told him to do. (Genesis 12)
Noah believed that God had spoken to him to tell him of the flood that was coming upon all the earth. Therefore Noah built an ark just as God told him to do. (Genesis 6)
You first hear from God, and then you believe it was God that was talking to you, and you act according to what you heard from God.
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Hymn: I know my redeemer lives
(Click forward arrow > to play music:)
1. I know that my Redeemer lives
And ever prays for me;
A token of His love He gives,
A pledge of liberty.
2. I know that my Redeemer lives,
A quick’ning Spirit He;
I know eternal life He gives—
Amazing grace—to me.
3. I find Him lifting up my head;
He brings salvation near;
His presence makes me free indeed,
And He will soon appear.
4. He wills that I should holy be:
What can withstand His will?
The counsel of His grace in me
He surely shall fulfill.
5. Jesus, I hang upon Thy word:
I steadfastly believe
Thou wilt return and claim me, Lord,
And to Thyself receive.
(Click pause symbol, " ... at beginning of hymn, to stop music)
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The following scripture pertains to this hymn:
v. 1 I know that my Redeemer lives
And ever prays for me;
Hebrews 7:25 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.
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v. 2 I know that my Redeemer lives,
A quick’ning Spirit He;
After we are born again, Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit of Jesus to live inside us. (Eph. 1:13)
Here are four of the things the Holy Spirit does for the believer.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 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.
***
v. 3 His presence makes me free indeed,
And He will soon appear.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep (die) in Jesus will God bring with Him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
v. 1 I know that my Redeemer lives
And ever prays for me;
Hebrews 7:25 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.
***
v. 2 I know that my Redeemer lives,
A quick’ning Spirit He;
After we are born again, Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit of Jesus to live inside us. (Eph. 1:13)
Here are four of the things the Holy Spirit does for the believer.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, HE shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 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.
***
v. 3 His presence makes me free indeed,
And He will soon appear.
I Thessalonians 4:13-18 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (dead), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep (die) in Jesus will God bring with Him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (precede) them which are asleep (dead).
For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
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