The very first sermon that ever reached down into the depths of my “gizzard” and would not let me go was presented by a wonderful, gentle, Southern California preacher named Morris Venden, ‘way back in the early 1970’s.  The title of the particular message that dropped me in my tracks was “Going Naked to the Wedding”, as when one is heading toward Judgment, but totally unprepared!

Some 20 years later, It was my good fortune to hear Pastor Venden speak right here on my own East Coast turf.  Afterward, I briefly met with him, thanked him, and told him how he had significantly opened up my theological understanding so many years back, when I was just a spiritual “pup”.

When Pastor Venden spoke that day, he told us that in all his travels, wherever he has brought the Gospel, there’s always been one question that concerns people more than any other.  He said the question he’s been asked most frequently, and the topic of his message that day was, “How Can I Know for Certain That I Will Be Saved?”  Do you wonder how you can be sure you will be in GOD’s Eternal Kingdom?  Pastor Venden said he always responds to that question with a question.  He asks, “Was there ever a time in your life when you gave your heart to Jesus, and surrendered completely to Him?”  And if that answer is Yes, he’ll follow it up with, “Are you doing that every day?”

In your flesh, Jesus lived His pure, righteous, obedient life; then He laid it down for you on the Altar at Calvary; and took it up again on Resurrection Morning, so that you may be born anew with Him, in Him.  The best news at this late hour is that Jesus is living for you today in the very Presence of God and all the Heavenly host.  At this moment, He lives for you as your Advocate in Heaven’s Courts above!  Through His ongoing mediatorial work as your Intercessor, He is able to present your every prayer and petition directly to the Father, and ultimately present you without spot, stain or wrinkle before the Mercy Seat.

You now want to focus your efforts on not hindering Jesus as He begins His good work in you. (Philippians 1:6)   As you unite with the Victor, He replicates His victory in you!  So it’s no longer you who lives, but it’s Jesus Christ Who is abiding in you.  “I am crucified with Christ, and yet I live!  Not I, but Christ Who lives within me.  And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of GOD, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  (Galatians 2:20)

Did you notice how Paul says “by the faith of the Son of GOD?”  I believe Paul is referring here to the calibre of faith, the quality of, the particular brand of unwavering, implicit trust in His Father that Jesus exhibited throughout His walk in our shoes.  Now compare this with John the Revelator’s testimony regarding “the patience of the saints” in Revelation 14:12.  “Here are they that keep the commandments of GOD and the faith of Jesus.”  There it is again – the quality of faith which Jesus brings with Him when He takes up residence in you!

Let’s say that your very favorite suit has acquired a worn, shabby, rumpled look, and has accumulated some nasty stains.  You take your suit to the dry cleaner, where they remove all the spots and stains. They thoroughly clean it and press it smooooth.  When you return to pick up your suit, it’s crisp, clean, and sharply pressed.  Your suit has been fully restored to its newly-bought condition!

As you put it on once more, your focus is no longer to get rid of the spots and wrinkles, because that’s already been done. Your mission now becomes keeping that spankin’-fresh appearance because, unless there’s a serious change in your habits, your spiffy duds will all-too-soon be right back to that old, familiar, “just yanked out of the hamper” look!  (2 Peter 2:22)

In like manner, Jesus’ sacrifice has redeemed you from your shadowy past. Your “old self”, replete with spots, stains, and rumples, has been crucified, dead, and buried in Jesus, and you’re re-born, a New Creation!  (2 Corinthians 5:17)   Since you’ve been set right in Christ and your sin-debt has been canceled, your focus now becomes resisting temptation, side-stepping sin, and keeping your “house” in order.  But there’s always a glitch!  Our Creator, in His great love for His Creation, has blessed you with the gift of free will, although your human nature is carnal, self-seeking, and sinful. (Romans 7:14)   The prophet Jeremiah calls it like this: “Who can understand man’s heart?  It’s devious and deceitful above all else.  Who can trust it?  It is sick. Who can heal it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Listen to the lamentation of Paul: “… but I am of the flesh, sold into bondage to sin.  I don’t understand my actions, because what I do is not what I want to do, but it’s what I detest … and the good, which I want to do, I fail to do; but I practice the very evil that I do not want to do.  Miserable creature that I am; who is there to rescue me out of this body, doomed for death?” (Romans 7:15-24)  That was me!  Have you been there, too?  Paul delivers verse 25 with the greatest news of hope: “Thanks be to GOD, Who delivers me through Jesus Christ, our LORD.”

Nineteenth Century theologian W.W. Prescott penned, ”I have found that it is not enough to believe about Him;  you must believe in Him. The difference may seem small – a mere change in a word – but it is vital.  I can believe about Christ with my mind, but to be saved by Him, I must believe in Him with my whole heart.  I am fully assured that what He has promised, He is also able to perform, and I yield myself that He may perform in me the good thing that He has promised.  This is the basis of my Christian experience … My only fear is lest I should in some way lose my personal fellowship with Him, for I know that as long as that is fully maintained, He will take care of the rest.”   (Victory in Christ – 1895)

Pursuing a growing, trusting, personal relationship with Jesus is the key to maintaining forward progress, as He Himself confirmed in His glorification prayer to His Father. “This is life eternal, that they may know You, the Only True GOD, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent.”  (John 17:3)   The process of learning to know Him, and all that He has done for you, and all that He promises to do for you, will swing wide the door of faith, enabling you to learn to fully trust Him in all things, in all ways, at all times.  Nourished by daily feasting on His Word, and regular, open-hearted prayer, your faith will grow and strengthen exponentially!

We don’t always have a thorough understanding of what GOD’s plan and purposes might be for us today. That’s all the more reason to be daily, hungrily, prayerfully, harvesting the Scriptures, “mining” and absorbing His precious Truths, and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Whom He sent to lead the earnest seeker into all understanding.  Are you an earnest seeker?

Always, always turn to your Bible for reinforcement!  “So, then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of GOD.” (Romans 10:17)   And Ephesians 2:8 nails it down: “For by grace are ye saved, thru faith: and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of GOD.”   It’s the what?  GOD says here that saving faith is a gift!  It’s the same “Gold tried in the fire” faith (Revelation 3:18) which Jesus demonstrated while wearing humanity, that He gifts to you through His indwelling Spirit as you earnestly seek His heart.  So, feed on the Word, seek Him in prayer, listen for His voice, and cultivate a willingness to walk confidently in His counsel.  King David’s supplication in Psalms 119:125 provides the ideal example of how to humbly petition the LORD for a deeper, firmer grasp of His Word and His will for you. “I am Thy servant, give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies.”

You are saved first by your living faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary: then, by your faith in His ability to save you on a continuing, daily basis!  It is He Who now does the “doing”, while you do the “letting”, the trusting, and the leaning on Him. Take this gem to bed with you tonight, and sleep on it: “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)   From this moment on until He appears in the clouds with all His Heavenly Host, it’s your primary job to be certain not to hinder Him as He works His will and His good pleasure in and through you.  (Philippians 2:13)

But there’s more!  Jesus is presently, living for you!  At this very moment in time, it’s His ongoing mediatorial work before the Throne of Grace in Heaven above that is able to present you without spot or blemish, stain, wrinkle, or rumple on the “Day of Covering.”  Take great comfort in Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore He is able to save to the uttermost … those who come to GOD by Him, seeing that He ever liveth to make intercession for them.”  And right here you’ll find an abundance of the Savior’s “blessed assurance!”

Jesus lived for you in flesh and blood and sandals two millennia ago.  But it just gets sweeter, because today He lives for you as your Advocate in Heaven above!  And right up until that glorious Day of Christ’s return, it’s His righteous life which He reproduces in you by His gentle process of sanctification – always at your consent and only with your full cooperation – that “is able to keep you from falling” (Jude 1:24, 25), one step at a time, one day at a time.  On our own, none of us is able to achieve, let alone sustain, such complete victory; but He can and He does, and He will, as you elect to trust Him with your own “Thy will be done!”

The life of Jesus Christ, from the manger, to the Cross, to Glory above, has and still does, and forever will, set you free from sin and its consequences, because He ever, continually lives for you!  Through the incredible gift of His complete life, He has purchased for you full citizenship in His Eternal City, and a clear title to a home in the Earth-Made-New.

Some years back, when cars had real bumpers, a popular bumper sticker was: “GOD Is My Co-Pilot”. Remember that one?  My good neighbor, Clarence, opted to buck that trend with: “If GOD is your Co-pilot, Move over!”  We all like to be in charge. I want to drive, but when I’m at the wheel, I steer a wobbly path, go around circles, bang into things, knock stuff over, and sometimes I hurt people.

Jesus says, “Give Me authority over your affairs.  Let Me take the lead.  Give me the keys and let Me drive.”  I heard His appeal and agreed, I needed to “move over”. Now, Jesus drives and I “ride shotgun!”  My life now is good.  So, how will your life change, should you choose to defer to Him and become His passenger?

First, you’ll have His sanctified GPS to enable you to negotiate a straight path in a crooked world. Through Isaiah, GOD assures us, “Your ears shall hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk ye in it,’ when you turn to the left or to the right.” (Isaiah 30:21)   Proverbs 3:5, 6 counsels us: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”   His Holy Spirit will become your Heavenly Navigator!

Then, in Him you’ll have access to a most-invaluable resource: the thoughts, the ways, the promptings, and the resolve of Christ Himself, as His Spirit guides your steps along the rocky road to the Heavenly New Jerusalem!  Paul, in His letter to the Philippians, writes, “Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus …”  (Philippians 2:5-11)   As His Spirit dwells in you, He bestows upon you His way of thinking and reasoning.  “We have the mind of Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 2:16)

There’s still more!  You will have the assurance of His watch-care and protection, as you seek to please Him and do His will.  “… for He will give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:11, 12)   Please read Psalm 91, all of it  from beginning to end, to thoroughly bolster your confidence in Christ! 

In His great mercy, He places limitations on the severity of the trials you endure, and will always make available an exit strategy; or He will supply you with the power and strength to withstand it!  “GOD keeps faith, and He will not allow you to be tested above your powers; but when the test comes, He will at the same time provide a way out, that you may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13)   Further, you’ll have His Holy Spirit as your Counselor and Comforter.  His promise is that His Spirit will “guide you into all the Truth,” and that “He will tell you of things to come.” (John 16:13; John 14:26)   What a resource for these times!  Incidentally, the word that’s used in the original language for “Counselor” can be Scripturally understood as “Divine Psychiatrist!”  LORD, count me in!

Regarding the Spirit of Christ as your Comforter, just listen to the Psalmist’s testimony in Psalms 34:17, 18, “The righteous cry, and the LORD hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles; The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves those who are of a contrite spirit.”  As the prophet Isaiah firmly testifies: “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed (centered, fixed, focused) on Thee, for he trusts in Thee.”  (Isaiah 26:3)   You’ll want to be faithfully renewing your bond of love and trust with Jesus every day.

It’s often said, “All things work out for good.”  Not quite so!  What GOD’s Word actually teaches is found in Romans 8:28.  It really goes like this: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love GOD, and are called according to His purpose.”  Note the qualifier. His promise applies to “them that love GOD, and are called according to His purpose.”  Know Him, trust Him now!

Have you taken out all the trash and surrendered your life completely to Jesus?  In Acts 3:19, 20, there’s a sequence to follow which will get this done for you.  Open your Bible to Acts 3:19.  First, you must: “repent”, or as some versions say, “turn ye”, or “be ye converted.”  Repentance is complete and genuine, one-way remorse for past sins, combined with the commitment that you’re not going back that way again, ever, whatever the cost!  When making confession to the LORD, you want to cite specific incidents, name names, and yield to Him every single crumb of it, once and forever.  Jesus bought the whole dumpster-load at the Cross, so why on earth will you hold onto any part of it one moment longer?

So, genuinely and sincerely, repent, “that your sins may be blotted out”   1.;   so that you’ll never again have to answer for your “empire of dirt”, as Johnny Cash once referred to his past.  No mas!  As you do this faithfully every day upon awaking, Judgment for you will become a non-issue.  GOD will now send “the times of refreshing” from His Presence.  His Holy Spirit will abide in you, strengthen you, guide you, teach you, cleanse you, refine you, purify you, and protect you from the adversary, like a gnarly junkyard dog!   And, here comes the whole enchilada: “… that I may send Jesus Christ, Whom you’ve heard preached beforehand.” (v.20)  Jesus will return for His own who are clothed in His Righteousness, clean and pure, watching, working, and waiting for Him!

(footnote 1: )  For a more thorough, Biblical explanation of “the blotting out of sin”, please go to the menu at the upper-right-hand corner of this page and scroll down to Thy Way, O God, Is in the Sanctuary.  

All who desire forever-citizenship in the Heavenly Kingdom will receive His assurance of eternal life as they pursue intimate fellowship with Him!  This is how you can be certain, far beyond any question or doubt, that you’ll be among the Redeemed of the ages, accepted of your Father GOD throughout Eternity!

Please do not overlook that the Son of GOD and Son of Man lived  for you, and now lives  for you, and at your invitation will live within you, whereby saving and sanctifying you on a continuing, real-time basis as you cooperate with Him!  Through the gift of His “stainless” life, He has purchased for you full citizenship in the Holy City, and a clear title to your home in the the House of the LORD.

When the crowd strays from God’s path, follow the path, not the crowd!

Here’s a “gangbusters” way to start your day tomorrow, or perhaps even tonight before retiring.  For peace and assurance, read as you’ve never read before, Psalm 23, pausing to meditate on each thought.  Then, tomorrow, start to walk in it, claiming all the wonderful promises found therein!

May King David’s consecration prayer become the deepest desire of your heart: “Create in me a clean heart, O GOD; and renew a right Spirit within me; cast me not away from Thy Presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.” (Psalms 51:10-12)

Finally, claim the promise of Exodus 33:14, “… My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”  Yes, Jesus loves you!  Yes, He died for you, lived for you, and lives in you.  Know now that He’s at this present moment living for you as your Advocate and Intercessor before the Throne of Grace in Heaven!

 

Father GOD: Grant me the courage to surrender wholly to You at this very moment, and to keep it renewed and growing.  Help me to do the “letting”, and to let You to do the “doing”.  May I partake of Your divine nature, that I’ll reflect Your goodness and Your love to those around me.  In the precious, righteous name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I pray. –  Amen