Salvation Assured UNBROKEN CONNECTION WITH GOD
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor. 1:9.
I would like to tell you a parable. More than twenty years ago I fell in love with a beautiful girl. She lived in San Francisco, I lived in Los Angeles. The day came that we met in San Francisco where her parents were putting on the wedding, like parents of good brides do, and when the preacher asked me if I did, I admitted that I did. He pronounced us husband and wife. After the wedding she went home with her parents in San Francisco, and I went back to Los Angeles. Two years later someone came along and asked whether I was married. I said Yes. And they said, "We've never seen your wife." "I haven't either, for two years." "When was that?" "That was the day we were married." "You haven't seen her since? Do you write to her?" "No." "Do you telephone her?" "No." "And you're married?" "Yes, I said 'I do,' and I have a certificate to prove it." (I did tell you this was a parable, please!)
There were people who were baptized years ago, who apparently said I do, and have a baptismal certificate to prove it. But there's no such thing as any relationship continuing without communication.
As we continue the communication, the relationship, with Christ, then we have what is called righteousness. The Bible even calls us righteous. Are we ever righteous? 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For he [God] hath made him to be sin for us." Did He become sin for us? Yes. Did He ever become a sinner? No! Jesus became sin for us, but He never became a sinner. "That we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Does that ever make us righteous, any more that the first part made Him a sinner? No. We are righteous only through Him.
What does "in Him" mean? There's another text that might seem hard to understand. 1 John 5:12: "He that hath the Son hath life." Have you ever pondered what it means to "have the Son"? We say that we have a friend. I have a wife, you have a wife or husband. What does it mean? It means that you have a relationship with that person. When it says, "he that hath the Son," it means having a relationship with Him. We are made righteous so long as we are in Him.
God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor. 1:9.
I would like to tell you a parable. More than twenty years ago I fell in love with a beautiful girl. She lived in San Francisco, I lived in Los Angeles. The day came that we met in San Francisco where her parents were putting on the wedding, like parents of good brides do, and when the preacher asked me if I did, I admitted that I did. He pronounced us husband and wife. After the wedding she went home with her parents in San Francisco, and I went back to Los Angeles. Two years later someone came along and asked whether I was married. I said Yes. And they said, "We've never seen your wife." "I haven't either, for two years." "When was that?" "That was the day we were married." "You haven't seen her since? Do you write to her?" "No." "Do you telephone her?" "No." "And you're married?" "Yes, I said 'I do,' and I have a certificate to prove it." (I did tell you this was a parable, please!)
There were people who were baptized years ago, who apparently said I do, and have a baptismal certificate to prove it. But there's no such thing as any relationship continuing without communication.
As we continue the communication, the relationship, with Christ, then we have what is called righteousness. The Bible even calls us righteous. Are we ever righteous? 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For he [God] hath made him to be sin for us." Did He become sin for us? Yes. Did He ever become a sinner? No! Jesus became sin for us, but He never became a sinner. "That we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Does that ever make us righteous, any more that the first part made Him a sinner? No. We are righteous only through Him.
What does "in Him" mean? There's another text that might seem hard to understand. 1 John 5:12: "He that hath the Son hath life." Have you ever pondered what it means to "have the Son"? We say that we have a friend. I have a wife, you have a wife or husband. What does it mean? It means that you have a relationship with that person. When it says, "he that hath the Son," it means having a relationship with Him. We are made righteous so long as we are in Him.
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