Judgment Day

Often what I read in my daily Bible study or in a book by a revered theologian is directly related to my blog’s “subject of the week.” It happened this morning. I opened Charles Spurgeon’s The Beatitudes and on the first page he wrote, concerning Jesus, “As Judge, it’ll be His office to divide the blessed from the accursed at the last, and therefore it’s most fitting that in gospel majesty He should declare the principle of that judgment, so that all men may be forewarned.” (He also clarified that the Sermon on the Mount doesn’t teach us how to get saved – that comes by faith alone – but how to conduct ourselves as Christians.)

The Scriptures confirm, “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he’s done while in the body, whether good or evil“ (2 Corinthians 5:10). On Judgment Day “God will evaluate every deed, including every secret thing, whether good or evil“ (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

Judgment Day will be a spectacular event. God granted Daniel a glimpse: “While I was watching, thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days took His seat. His attire was white like snow; the hair of His head was like lamb’s wool… A river of fire was streaming forth and proceeding from His presence. Many thousands stood ready to serve Him. The court convened and the books were opened“ (Daniel 7:9-10).

The Judge of all humankind is the Lord Jesus Christ. He said so Himself: “The Father doesn’t judge anyone, but has assigned all judgment to the Son so that all people will honor the Son just as they honor the Father“ (John 5:22-23). Our Savior more than earned the right to judge on the cross.

It’s only fitting there’ll be a day of reckoning; of divine retribution. Thomas Watson wrote, “Things seem to be carried very unequally in the world; the wicked prosper as if they were rewarded for doing evil; and the godly suffer as if they were punished for being good. Therefore, to vindicate the justice of God, there must be a day wherein there’ll be a righteous distribution of punishments and rewards to men, according to their actions.”

When this’ll happen is a mystery. “As for that day and hour no one knows it – not even the angels in heaven – except the Father alone“ (Matthew 24:36). However, it’ll be impossible to miss. It’ll be LOUD. “The Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God…” (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

Some will go to hell. I won’t try to describe it. I can only imagine it’s the absolute worst place to eternally suffer in. Thus, non-Christians should tremble at the thought of standing before God Almighty and receiving His sentence of damnation.

John MacArthur wrote, “Christ spoke of hell far more than of heaven and always in the most vivid and disturbing terms. Most of what we know about the everlasting doom of sinners came from the lips of the Savior. And none of the biblical descriptions of judgment are more severe or more intense than those given by Jesus.”

MacArthur added, “Yet He always spoke of such things in the most tender and compassionate tones. He pleaded with sinners to turn from their sins, to be reconciled to God, and to take refuge in Him from the coming judgment. He better than anyone knew the high cost of sin and the severity of divine wrath against the sinner, for He’d bear the full force of that wrath on behalf of those He redeemed.”

For those who belong to Him, being in His glorious presence will be a joy unmatched. They’ll have no fear of judgment because the penalty incurred by their sins has already been paid in full. Watson wrote, “At that day Christ their judge will own them by name. Those whom the world scorned, and looked upon as madmen and fools, Jesus will take by the hand and openly acknowledge to be His favorites.”

The elect will hear their Master say to them, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world“ (Matthew 25:34). In fact, believers will assist Christ in settling earthly accounts. “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?“ (1 Corinthians 6:2).

Understand, none of this should make Christians boast. On the contrary, it should humble us dramatically. We should be like Paul who admitted, “I am nothing…” (2 Corinthians 12:11). If a person thinks they deserve heaven, they probably won’t go there. Only those grateful souls who know the immensity of their debt to God and what it took for it to be erased will see paradise.

Foremost, we’ll be judged by how unselfishly we loved God and others. Jesus told the Pharisees who were offended by the woman washing His feet with her tears, “I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much, but the one who is forgiven little loves little“ (Luke 7:47). Scripture teaches, “Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins“ (1 Peter 4:8).

MacArthur wrote, “The future of the unrighteous and of the righteous could hardly be more starkly different. The implication is plain: the time to think deeply about one’s destiny is now. The time to prepare for judgment is now. The day of salvation is now. And those who wait until Christ returns will find it’s already too late… It’s time to get ready.”

Spurgeon pled, “Meet me in heaven! Don’t go down to hell. There’s no coming back again from that abode of misery. Don’t refuse the free pardon, the full salvation which Jesus grants to all who trust Him. Remember, O soul, it may be now or never with you. Let it be now; it’d be horrible that it should be never.”

Resurrection Day

Previously I wrote about death being inevitable. I presented the Biblical truth concerning it as tactfully as possible and emphasized that our physical demise isn’t the end of our existence. Everyone will be resurrected from the grave.

Jesus preached, “I tell you the solemn truth, a time is coming – and is now here – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live… Don’t be amazed at this, because a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice and will come out – the ones who’ve done what is good to the resurrection in life, and the ones who’ve done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation“ (John 5:25,28-29).

For Christians this is wonderful news. Thomas Watson wrote, “At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgement, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity… We’re not as sure to rise out of our beds as we are to rise out of our graves.”

We get our body back! The Bible doesn’t say we’ll have a different body. Rather, the body we had before will be completely refurbished. “…The dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality“ (1 Corinthians 15:52-53). Is this mysterious? Yes. As it should be.

Calvin wrote, “It’s foolish and rash to inquire into hidden things, farther than God permits us to know. Scripture, after telling us that Christ is present with believers, receives them into paradise, and that they’re comforted, while the souls of the reprobate suffer the torments which they’ve merited, goes no further. What teacher or doctor will reveal to us what God has concealed?”

Resurrection Day isn’t wishful thinking. The Scriptures confirm it. “There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous“ (Acts 24:15). John wrote, “I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne“ (Revelation 20:12). In other words, nobody stays deceased. When Gabriel’s trumpet sounds the saints will rejoice. Those who denied Jesus will gnash their teeth at Him.

Our Lord’s defeat of death and walking out of His tomb are crucial events. They give every Christian hope. Paul addressed skeptics accordingly: “Now if Christ is being preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there’s no resurrection of the dead? But if there’s no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ hasn’t been raised, then our preaching is futile, and your faith is empty“ (1 Corinthians 15:13-14).

Some still object, insisting that, in the case of those interred centuries ago or those who’ve been cremated, there’s no body left to resurrect. Yet only a fool underestimates the power of God. The body of the person reading this right now is technically an incredible conglomeration of fundamental atoms and molecules. To think that God Almighty can’t summon those same atoms and molecules together to assemble an even more incredible body than before is unfounded. God is omnipotent.

Watson wrote, “Though the bodies of the saints shall rot and be loathsome in the grave, yet afterwards they shall be made illustrious and glorious. The bodies of the saints, when they arise, shall be comely and beautiful…” R.C. Sproul opined, “God will clothe His people with a new kind of body, one superior to the current model. We will not abide forever as disembodied spirits.” Jesus proclaimed His own will be “…like angels in heaven“ (Matthew 22:30). Imagine that!

Christian apologist Norman Geisler commented, “1 John 3:2 has been used to argue that the resurrection body will differ from a physical body. It reads, “Dear friends, now we’re children of God, and what we’ll be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him like He is.”

Geisler explained, “When John speaks of not knowing what we’ll be he’s referring to our status in heaven, not the nature of the resurrection body. For he’s contrasting it with our status now as ‘sons of God,’ claiming he doesn’t know what higher status we may have in heaven. He does know we’ll be like Christ. Paul said the same thing in Philippians 3:21: God will use His power to ‘transform our lowly bodies so that they’ll be like His glorious body.’“

The Rapture will be spectacular. Spurgeon preached that when Christ returns, “There will be some who’ll be found living, of whom the apostle says, ‘Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord’“ (1 Thessalonians 4:17).

He then added, “We know that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom. But it’s possible that they’ll be refined by some spiritual process that will preclude the necessity of dissolution… How glorious is the thought that Christ has vanquished death, that some men will not die.”

Oh, to be in that number!

J.I. Packer wrote, “My present body is like a student’s old jalopy; care for it as I will, it goes precariously and never very well, and often lets me and my Master down (very frustrating!). But my new body will feel and behave like a Rolls-Royce, and then my service will no longer be spoiled.”

He summed up his urgent message with: “Ask God to show you how Jesus’ life, body and soul was the only fully human life that’s ever been lived, and keep looking at Jesus, as you meet Him in the Gospels, till you can see it. Then the prospect of being like Him will seem to you the noblest and most magnificent destiny possible… But until you see it there’s no hope for you at all.”

We’re All Gonna Die

I’m not being morbid. Just stating the truth. Death’s the one thing everybody has in common with everybody. It doesn’t matter if you’re black, brown, white or yellow. It doesn’t matter whether you’re Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist or Atheist. We’re all gonna die someday. It’s unavoidable.

Everyone can agree death marks the end of our earthly life. But there’s no consensus when it comes to answering the question of “What happens next?” Being somewhat subjective, that query has birthed innumerable opinions over the centuries. Some are positive there’s a literal heaven and hell awaiting. Some aren’t. Some don’t give it much thought at all.

Jewish folks aren’t sure what happens. Most Hindus and Buddhists believe in reincarnation; that we’re repeatedly reborn in a different physical form. Muslims believe they go to heaven or hell depending on how faithfully they obeyed their religion’s laws. Atheists believe they go “poof” and cease to exist. In other words, there’s no universal accord.

The Bible, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, provides a hope-filled answer. “Just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment, so also, after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly await Him He’ll appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation“ (Hebrews 9:27-28). Notice it doesn’t say He bore the sins of all, but of many. Salvation is conditional.

While the Bible doesn’t explicitly say God set the date of each person’s physical death before He created the cosmos, the fact it confirms God’s absolute sovereignty makes it a moot point. “In Christ we’ve been claimed as God’s own possession, since we were predestined according to the one purpose of Him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of His will“ (Ephesians 1:11).

I take that to mean we’re not accidentally born, nor do we accidentally die. God is omniscient. He knows everything. To surmise He has no clue as to when we’ll depart this mortal coil and appear before Him is illogical. I also believe everyone’s eternal destination has been decreed by God and that only those He’s elected go to heaven.

R.C. Sproul wrote, “Though Reformed theology insists God’s election is based on nothing foreseen in the individuals’ lives, this doesn’t mean He makes His choice for no reason at all. It simply means that the reason isn’t something God finds in us. In His inscrutable, mysterious will, God chooses for reasons known only to Himself.”

For those who deem election unfair, Sproul added, “God chooses according to His own pleasure, which is His divine right. His pleasure is described as his good pleasure. If something pleases God, it must be good. There’s no evil pleasure in God.”

Jesus told His followers, “Don’t let your hearts be distressed. You believe in God; believe also in me. There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house. Otherwise, I would’ve told you, because I’m going away to make ready a place for you. And if I go and make ready a place for you, I’ll come again and take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too“ (John 14:1-3)

As I’ve stated before, if an individual doesn’t want to have anything to do with Christ it’d be downright cruel for God to sentence them to spend forever praising, worshiping and serving Him in heaven. They’d be miserable. To them, the afterlife would be utterly hellish.

Another matter most wonder about is “Where will I be after I die?” For Christians the answer is their redeemed soul passes immediately into glory. The Bible says we’ll “be away from the body and at home with the Lord“ (2 Corinthians 5:8). Christ told the repentant thief on the cross beside Him, “I tell you the truth, today you’ll be with me in paradise“ (Luke 23:43). Since we’re not told the thief’s body supernaturally ascended into heaven it’s reasonable to conclude it was his spirit that did.

Thomas Watson commented, “The thief’s body couldn’t be there, for it was laid in the grave; but it was spoken of his soul that it should be immediately after death in heaven. Let none be so vain as to talk of purgatory: a soul purged by Christ’s blood needs no fire of purgatory but goes immediately from a deathbed into a glorified state.”

I understand why no sane person would want to suffer a painful death. But Christians should never be afraid of dying. “There’s now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death“ (Romans 8:1-2). “To live is Christ, and to die is gain“ (Philippians 1:21).

Calvin wrote, “It’s strange to say, any who boast of being Christians, instead of longing for death, are so afraid of it they tremble at the very mention of it as a thing ominous and dreadful… For if we reflect that this, our tabernacle, unstable, defective, corruptible, fading, pining, and putrid, is dissolved, in order that it may be renewed incorruptible in heavenly glory, won’t faith compel us eagerly to desire what nature dreads?”

Don’t get Calvin wrong. He’s not advocating suicide. Not at all. Many false prophets have hoodwinked their misguided followers into thinking they’re doing God a favor by killing themselves. How tragically nonsensical! Believers are to live out their allotted time on this fallen planet and “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature“ (Mark 16:15) – no matter the cost.

James S. Stewart wrote, “As Jesus identifies Himself with my trouble, weakness and defeat, must I not now identify myself with His sacrifice, His power, His victory? In such an act, the transfusion of life becomes possible. He takes my failure, my shame, my misery: I take His strength, His purity, His peace. This is the true ‘substitution,’ and it means the darkness routed, the night gone, and the glory of God risen upon us.”

The Perseverance of the Saints

It’s an enormous stretch for to me to think I’m a “saint.” Yet the Bible says I am. For example, Paul wrote, “To all those loved by God in Rome, called to be saints; Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!“ (Romans 1:7) and “To those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, and called to be saints, with all those in every place who call on the name of our Lord…” (1 Corinthians 1:2).

As if that humbling designation isn’t enough, Peter spoke of our glorious, eternal home with our Lord that’s “reserved in heaven for you, who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time“ (1 Peter 1:4-5).

Irrevocable salvation is truly an unmerited blessing. R.C. Sproul wrote, “More accurate than perseverance is preservation. We persevere because we’re preserved by God. If left to our own strength, none of us would persevere. Only because we’re preserved by grace are we able to persevere at all.”

It’s an assurance confirmed by our good shepherd, Jesus. “My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. My Father, who’s given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them from my Father’s hand. The Father and I are one“ (John 10:27-30).

In other words, if you belong to Christ you’ll belong to Him forever. “You are not your own; you were bought at a price“ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Never forget that your soul’s redemption was expensive. A steeper price has never been paid. Therefore, the saying “Once saved, always saved” is true. John MacArthur commented, “We did nothing to earn our adoption into God’s family, and we can do nothing to lose it either.”

However, some insist Hebrews 6:4-6 proves a Christian can forfeit their salvation. “For it’s impossible in the case of those who’ve once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they’re crucifying the Son of God for themselves all over again and holding Him up to contempt.” The word “if” is the qualifier.

Understand, there’s a difference between falling away and falling. That verse doesn’t say if a believer stumbles and commits a sin they can’t repent, be forgiven and welcomed back into the fold. “Although a righteous person may fall seven times, he gets up again“ (Proverbs 24:16). The Bible is full of saints who failed to remain sinless. Abraham, Noah, and David (just to name a few) all fell short. But to fall isn’t to fall away. If a single sin could negate a believer’s redemption, we’d all be doomed.

Spurgeon preached, “What is falling away? Well, there never has been a case of it yet, and therefore I can’t describe it from observation. I’ll tell you what I suppose it is. To fall away would be for the Holy Spirit entirely to go out of a man and for his grace entirely to cease. That is, to fall away wouldn’t mean to lie dormant, but to cease to be, so that God who’d begun a good work would leave off doing it entirely, take His hand completely away, and say, ‘There! I’ve half saved you; now I’ll damn you.’ That’s what falling away is.”

He continued, “It’s not to sin temporarily. A child may sin against his father and still be alive. Falling away is like cutting the child’s head off clean… Falling away would involve God’s grace changing its living nature, God’s immutability becoming variable, God’s faithfulness becoming changeable, and God Himself being undeified. Falling away would necessitate all these things.”

Only pretend Christians – those lacking the indwelling Holy Spirit – can fall away. For they were never part of Jesus’ herd in the first place. John referred to them when he wrote, “They went out from us, but they didn’t really belong to us, because if they’d belonged to us, they would’ve remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us“ (1 John 2:19).

The elect can’t fall from grace. Thank the Lord.

John Murray said of perseverance, “Have we not in this truth new reason to marvel at the grace of God and the immutability of His love? It’s the indissolubility of the bond of the covenant of God’s grace that undergirds this precious article of faith.”

God vowed to His adopted children: “‘Even if the mountains are removed and the hills displaced, my devotion will not be removed from you, nor will my covenant of friendship be displaced,’ says the LORD, the one who has compassion on you“ (Isaiah 54:10).

Thomas Watson wrote, “Though a Christian has but little grace to trade with, yet he need not fear breaking, because God not only gives him a stock of grace, but will keep his stock for him. Fear not falling away. If anything should hinder the saints’ perseverance, it must be either sin or temptation: but neither of these can.” Augustine opined, “Grace may be shaken with fears and doubts, but it can’t be plucked up by the roots.”

So, the critical question every believer should ask is, “God’s Word says I’m a saint. Do I act like one?” Jesus warned, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven“ (Matthew 7:21).

In the Celebrate Recovery ministry we have a saying – “The only thing worse than suffering a relapse is letting it stop you from getting back up and continuing onward.” I fall. A lot. But my Savior reaches down and pulls me to my feet. Every time. Why? Because I belong to Him.

Growing in Grace and Knowledge

The Bible provides everything Christians need to know. By reading it I’ve learned that, while my belief in Jesus that saves me is an unearned gift from God, it doesn’t mean I have no obligations. I certainly do. I’m to devote my life to obeying my Master’s commandments and thereby “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ“ (2 Peter 3:18).

While new believers are encouraged to “yearn like newborn infants for pure, spiritual milk“ (1 Peter 2:2), we aren’t supposed to be satisfied with being bottle fed for long. We are to steadily mature. The Bible says, “Everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced in the message of righteousness, because he’s an infant. But solid food is for the mature, whose perceptions are trained by practice to discern both good and evil“ (Hebrews 5:13-14).

Paul came down hard on those who prefer to remain in the crib. He wrote to the troubled church in Corinth, “Brothers and sisters, I couldn’t speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, for you weren’t yet ready. In fact, you still aren’t ready, for you’re still influenced by the flesh“ (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

The solid food we should be digesting is found only in God’s Holy Word. Plus, if we don’t attend church where we can learn from preachers God has gifted for presenting Biblical truths, we stay baby Christians. J.I. Packer wrote, “Christianity isn’t instinctive to anyone, nor is it picked up casually without effort. It’s a faith that has to be learned, and therefore taught. Some sort of systematic instruction is essential.”

In other words, out of sheer gratitude every believer should be doing their utmost to grow in grace and knowledge. Peter wrote, “Make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge: to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love“ (1 Peter 1:5-7).

It’s important for us to grow proportionally. Thomas Watson wrote, “To grow in knowledge, but not in meekness, brotherly love, or good works, isn’t the right growth. A thing may swell and not grow; a man may be swelled with knowledge, yet may have no spiritual growth. The right manner of growth is uniform, growing in one grace as well as another.”

Dallas Willard commented, “The ideal of the spiritual life in the Christian understanding is one where all of the essential parts of the human self are effectively organized around God, as they are restored and sustained by Him.”

We know we’re growing when we see Christlike changes occurring in our heart and mind; when we find ourselves glorifying God by obeying the golden rule and performing good works. Jesus said, “My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you’re my disciples“ (John 15:8). That means we’re to be “filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God“ (Philippians 1:11).

We can tell we’re growing in grace when our sinful nature’s influence wanes. Watson wrote, “The more our health grows, the more illness abates; so spiritually the more humility grows, the more the swelling of pride is assuaged, the more purity of heart grows, the more of the fire of lust is abated.” How less often we commit sins and how more often we freely give love away is an accurate measure of our successfully growing in grace and knowledge.

It takes discipline. Lots of it. Jerry Bridges wrote, “Our intention to please God in all our actions is the key to commitment to a life of holiness. If we don’t make a commitment to obedience without exception, we’ll constantly find ourselves making exceptions. We’ll have a ‘just one more time’ syndrome in our lives that undermines our commitment.” Ouch. Guilty as charged.

It isn’t difficult to tell when we’re not growing properly. We relapse into old, sinful behaviors. We become lackadaisical about our spiritual appetite. We start depending on what this fallen world has to offer for our contentment. We forget that “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God“ (1 Corinthians 6:11).

All believers must bear in mind that our spiritual growth might not be as tangible as we’d like. We make a mistake when we judge our growth against that of our Christian peers. We can only know where our heart lies. “There’s one who pretends to be rich and yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor and yet possesses great wealth“ (Proverbs 13:7). The Holy Spirit’s inner transformation progresses on His timetable, not ours.

Watson wrote, “The sight Christians have of their defects in grace, and their thirst after greater measures of grace, make them think they don’t grow when they do… They should seek after the grace they want, but they mustn’t overlook the grace they have. Let Christians be thankful for the least growth. If you don’t grow so much in assurance, bless God if you grow in sincerity; if you don’t grow so much in knowledge, bless God if you grow in humility. They’re as needful for you as any other growth.”

Some say they don’t delve into theology because they’re just not a “reader.” Yet how can we grow if we don’t exercise, stretch and challenge our God-given brain? J.P. Moreland wrote, “If we’re honest with ourselves, we must admit we get into ruts in our thinking and develop habits of thought that can grow stale after a while. This is where renewing the mind comes in. Many people become bored with the Bible precisely because their overall intellectual growth is stagnant. They can’t get new insights from Scripture because they bring the same old categories to Bible study and look to validate their old habits of thought.”

I couldn’t have said it better.

Quiet Joy

Blessed assurance isn’t physically tangible. It’s a feeling. So is inner peace. As is spiritual joy. All three are gifts from God. Yet joy, in my case, seems to be in another category altogether. It’s somewhat foreign to my introverted personality. Probably because my concept of what I think it should be isn’t what it really is.

Webster’s defines joy as “(a) the emotion evoked by well-being, success, good fortune or the prospect of possessing what one desires; (b) the expression or exhibition of such emotion.” Bible dictionaries don’t disagree per se. The Scriptures simply state that joy is a “fruit of the Spirit…” (Galatians 5:22).

Still, I can’t help but equate human joy with loud, uninhibited exuberance, the kind I see in the behavior of sports fans when their team wins a championship. As for me, that manner of response arises from my soul only upon witnessing something overwhelmingly wondrous. For example, the births of my two beautiful children. In other words, it’s rare.

As always, when I encounter a mystery in God’s Word, I turn to my favorite theologians for help. Thomas Watson called joy, “A delightful passion contrary to sorrow, which is a perturbation of mind, whereby the heart is perplexed and cast down. Joy is a sweet and pleasant affection which eases the mind, exhilarates and comforts the spirits.”

Therefore, it appears that worldly rejoicing and spiritual rejoicing aren’t the same. The former’s usually external while the latter’s mostly internal. Jesus told His crestfallen followers, “So you have sorrow now, but I’ll see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you“ (John 16:22). Thus, I assume joy is principally a “heart thing.”

Watson wrote, “Joy is hidden manna, hid from the eye of the world; we still have music which others hear not; the marrow lies within, the best joy is within the heart.” That helps me better understand the verse that reads, “My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know the testing of your faith produces endurance“ (James 1:2-3).

Both God and the devil send temptations/trials our way. Calvin wrote, “But the temptations of God and Satan are very different: Satan tempts that he may destroy, condemn, confound, throw headlong; God, that by proving His people He may make trial of their sincerity, and by exercising their strength confirm it; may mortify, tame and cauterize their flesh, which, if not curbed in this manner, would wanton and exult above measure.”

Now, nobody I know has ever “jumped for joy” when grieving the loss of a loved one or upon being diagnosed with terminal cancer. I doubt the Holy Spirit expects us to. The only joy a person can have in those dire circumstances is knowing that God is good, that He loves His adopted children and that He’s in complete control of everything. As with all things, our joy must be centered on our gracious Savior.

In His prayer for his disciples Jesus said to His Father, “Now I am coming to you, and I’m saying these things in the world, so they may experience my joy completed in themselves“ (John 17:13). John Murray wrote, “Apart from union with Christ we can’t view past, present, or future with anything but dismay and Christless dread. By union with Christ the whole complexion of time and eternity is changed, and the people of God may rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

There’s also joy in knowing justice will be served. “Will not the judge of the whole earth do what is right?“ (Genesis 18:25). The much mistreated and beleaguered Martin Luther summed up that type of joy thusly: “There’s a life after this life in which will be punished and repaid everything that’s not punished and repaid here, for this life is nothing more than an entrance on, and a beginning of, the life which is to come!”

The honesty contained in the book of Job inspires me. If anyone had reason not to be joyful it’d be Job. Yet in the midst of his misery he proclaims, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end He’ll stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!“ (Job 19:25-27). His was a forward-looking joy.

Philip Yancey commented, “For people who are trapped in pain, or in a broken home, or in economic misery, or in fear – for all those people, for all of us, heaven promises a time, far longer and more substantial than the time we spent on earth, of health and wholeness and pleasure and peace. If we don’t believe that then, as Paul plainly stated, there’s little reason to believe at all. Without that hope, there is no hope.”

For Christians knowing and loving Jesus is our joy.

Those who’ve kept up know I often let Spurgeon have the last word. After quoting Jeremiah 31:3, “The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, with lovingkindness I’ve drawn you,” he preached:

“My poor weeping brothers and sisters, inasmuch as you’re now coming to Christ, God has drawn you. It’s proof that He’s loved you from before the foundation of the world. Let your heart leap within you. You’re one of His! Your name was written on the Savior’s hands when they were nailed to the accursed tree…

Rejoice in the Lord and shout for joy all who’ve been drawn of the Father. For this is your proof, your solemn testimony, that you from among men have been chosen in eternal election and that you’ll be kept by the power of God, through faith, to the salvation that’s ready to be revealed.”

My sins are forgiven, and I’m being sanctified. That’s a “quiet joy.”

Peace Beyond All Understanding

The blessed assurance I wrote about grants us peace that defies description. Those who don’t know Jesus can’t grasp it. Those who do know Him cherish it. For it’s a peace that comforts the believer even when chaos and turmoil are closing in on them. “The peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus“ (Philippians 4:7).

Worldly peace is a pipedream. “‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace“ (Jeremiah 8:11). Spiritual peace is twofold: Christians are at peace with God and their conscience. It’s gifted to us by the Trinity. Our Heavenly Father is the “God of peace Himself“ (1 Thessalonians 5:23), His only begotten Son is the “Prince of peace“ (Isaiah 9:6) and peace is one of many “fruits of the Spirit“ (Galatians 5:22).

However, it’s a peace foreign to the ungodly. “‘There’s no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’“ (Isaiah 57:21). Thomas Watson wrote, “They may have a truce, but no peace… The wicked may have something that looks like peace, but it isn’t. They may be fearless and stupid; but there’s a great difference between a stupefied conscience and a pacified conscience… The seeming peace a sinner has isn’t from the knowledge of his happiness, but the ignorance of his danger.”

Universalists who consider repenting of their sins unnecessary due to their belief God unconditionally saves everyone confuse confidence with conceit. They deem themselves fine and dandy. No need to acknowledge Jesus’ atonement. They figure, “Why fret over the wages of iniquity since everybody winds up in heaven?” That’s a foolish thing to presume.

A false peace is one that convinces sinners they can have peace sans living righteously. Scripture warns us not to be a person who “…secretly blesses himself and says, ‘I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit’“ (Deuteronomy 29:19). Everlasting peace can only be obtained by surrendering everything to Christ. “I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God – which is your reasonable service“ (Romans 12:1).

You can’t fake out God. He not only made your heart and mind, He knows what’s in both. Calvin wrote, “How deep and dark the abyss is into which hypocrisy plunges the minds of men, when they indulge so securely as, without hesitation, to oppose their flattery to the judgment of God, as if they were relieving Him from His office as judge. Very different is the anxiety which fills the hearts of believers who sincerely examine themselves.”

False peace is worthless. True peace is priceless. And we can only receive the latter by putting our faith in Jesus who proclaimed, “…in me you may have peace“ (John 16:33). We experience authentic peace when we willingly subject ourselves to Christ’s sovereign rule. “Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end“ (Isaiah 9:7).

I’m not saying every believer enjoys uninterrupted peace in their soul. In the second half of John 16:33 our Lord warned, “In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage – I have conquered the world.” That doesn’t mean we’ve conquered the world, but that our Savior whom we belong to thoroughly has. It’s important for new Christians to realize their life will not suddenly become angst-free.

We still have Satan to contend with. Watson wrote, “Through the fury of temptation, though the devil can’t destroy us, he’ll disturb us. He disputes against our adoption; he makes us question the work of grace in our hearts, and so disturbs the waters of our peace… If Satan can’t make us ungodly, he’ll make us unquiet.”

There’s also God’s discipline to bear in mind. Jerry Bridges wrote, “Used in a spiritual sense, discipline includes all instruction, reproof, correction, and all providentially directed hardships in our lives that are aimed at cultivating spiritual growth and godly character. Though in the physical realm children eventually reach adulthood and are no longer under the discipline of parents, in the spiritual realm we remain under God’s parental discipline as long as we live.”

Don’t forget we live on a fallen, cursed planet. God never promised us a rose garden. Spurgeon preached, “My dear friends, if your faith is only a sunshiny faith, get rid of it! For you may not have many bright days between this and heaven. If your godliness can only walk with Christ when He wears silver slippers, you’d better give it up, for Christ very often walks barefoot… The best position for a Christian is living wholly and directly on God’s grace.”

So, how’s a believer to attain, maintain and retain God’s comforting peace? As with anything spiritual, we pray for it. Jesus taught, “Whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive“ (Matthew 21:22). He wasn’t referring to material things like money, cars or luxuries. He was instructing us on how we can have and treasure genuine peace.

Ironically, to have peace we must continually wrestle with sin. Tertullian said, “Our peace is a war against the devil.” “Therefore, don’t let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires, and don’t present your members to sin as instruments to be used for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments to be used for righteousness. For sin will have no mastery over you, because you’re not under law but under grace“ (Romans 6:12-14).

Most of all, Christians receive solace by looking forward to heaven’s peace that awaits us. Dallas Willard described it as “peace as wholeness, as fullness of function, as the restful but unending creativity involved in a cosmoswide, cooperative pursuit of a created order that continually approaches but never reaches the limitless goodness and greatness of the triune personality of God, its source.”

We’ve been told how to obtain peace. “…He who has ears to hear, let him hear!“ (Mark 4:9).

Blessed Assurance

Sometimes my assurance needs reassuring.

I reckon I speak for the majority of Christians when I admit that, at times, it’s hard for me to believe I’m saved because I repeatedly fail to meet the standards Jesus set for His followers. He said, “If you love me, you’ll obey my commandments“ (John 14:15). The first part isn’t the problem. I sincerely love and adore my Savior. It’s the second half that haunts my conscience. I let Him down by disobeying His commandments too often.

R.C. Sproul wrote, “Assurance can be easily disrupted and rudely shaken. It can be intermittent. It’s particularly vulnerable to sin… We’re faced daily with manifold temptations, some of them grievous in nature and intensity, and we all too often succumb to them. Sin is the great enemy of assurance. When we commit it, we ask ourselves, ‘How can a true Christian do such things?'”

Yet the Bible implies the Reformers’ creed of “once saved, always saved” is true. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption“ (Ephesians 4:30). That’s just one of many reassuring passages for sinners like me to bank on.

The Westminster Confession of Faith declares: “Hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presumptions of being in the favor of God… Yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus, and love Him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in good conscience before Him, may, in this life, be certainly assured that they’re in the state of grace, and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God…”

How do we accurately gauge our affection for Jesus? Ian Hamilton commented, “The depth of our love for the Savior is in direct proportion to the depth of our experience of and appreciation for His forgiving grace.”

The trouble is, we live in a fallen world hellbent on crushing hope. That’s why Christians must stay focused on God’s Word. There we find other God-fearing people who harbored doubts like King David who sang to God, “Your lovingkindness is before my eyes“ (Psalm 26:3), then later cried, “Lord, where are your former lovingkindnesses?“ (89:49). Thus, doubt’s nothing new.

The confession I cited includes the word presumption. How can we distinguish between what’s assurance and what’s merely “wishful thinking”? Again, the Scriptures clarify. Producing good spiritual fruit and exhibiting a humble demeanor is evidence of our salvation. “The effect of righteousness will be quietness and assurance forever“ (Isaiah 32:17).

Thomas Watson wrote, “The more love a Christian receives from God, the more he sees himself a debtor to free grace, and the sense of his debt keeps his heart humble; but presumption is bred of pride. He who presumes disdains; he thinks himself better than others.”

Nevertheless, it’s hard for me to fathom why a perfectly holy God would love, much less adopt, a remarkably unholy sinner like me. The Bible teaches the key to obtaining assurance is what so many of us lack – patience. “The one who maintains his faith will not panic“ (Isaiah 28:16). Can I, who for decades was guilty of withholding my love from God, not wait patiently for His blessed assurance?

The worst presumption a believer can make is that God has broken His promise and disowned them. David confessed to God, “I jumped to conclusions and said, ‘I’m cut off from your presence!’ But you heard my plea for mercy when I cried out to you for help“ (Psalm 31:22). Watson wrote, “If we pour out our sighs to heaven, God will hear every groan; and though He doesn’t show us His face, He will lend us His ear.”

God gave every Christian the gift of faith. He never takes it back.

Calvin wrote, “Though we’re distracted by various thoughts, it doesn’t follow that we’re immediately divested of faith. Though we’re agitated and carried to and fro by distrust, we’re not immediately plunged into the abyss; though we’re shaken, we’re not therefore driven from our place. The invariable issue of the contest is, that faith in the long run surmounts the difficulties by which it was beset and seemed to be endangered.”

Some Christians think it’s possible for a person to get genuinely saved and then, due to committing a particularly egregious or horrific sin, they not only forfeit their salvation but are abandoned with no possibility of redemption. In other words, God’s choosing them before time began came with conditions. Nonsense. Remember, the father welcomed his filthy prodigal son back home.

Reformers have another saying: “If we have it, we never lose it. If we lose it, we never had it.” About backsliding prodigals Spurgeon preached, “He’d been once saved, yet it’s supposed that he’s lost. How then can he now be saved? Is there a supplementary salvation? Is there something that will overtop Christ and be a Christ where Jesus is defeated?” Of course not.

Conversely, be aware of the danger in becoming overly assured. It can lead to presumption and being less wary of our sinful nature. We can never allow ourselves to cease being humbled by God’s incalculable mercy and forgiveness that sent His Son to the cross for our sake. When we sin, we must always repent. Immediately.

Christians should be immensely thankful for the assurances of eternal life God provides. How can we not feel gratitude for being rescued from the punishment our sins deserve? How can we not join with David in obeying the Holy Spirit’s instructions to “Love the LORD, all you faithful followers of His!“ (Psalm 31:23).

Sproul wrote, “The certainty of our assurance rests on an infallible basis. This basis isn’t our infallibility, but that of the One who grants it… Together the promises of God, the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit, the earnest of the Spirit, and the sealing of the Spirit comprise a solid ground for the believer’s full assurance of salvation.” I must not only bear God’s promises in mind but depend on them 24/7.

The Difference Between Salvation & Sanctification

Simply put, salvation is God’s gracious and totally undeserved saving of a sinner’s soul from damnation whereas sanctification is the process of that person being made more Christlike via the work of the Holy Spirit. In other words, salvation’s a done deal while sanctification’s an ongoing transformation. The latter is the subject herein.

Because sanctification is purely spiritual and occurs only by supernatural means it’s no cinch to comprehend. We can’t sanctify ourselves. Plus, it’s not for everybody. It’s limited to God’s elect “who’ve been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ“ (1 Peter 1:2).

Sanctification begins by changing “the inner person of the heart“ (1 Peter 3:4) and then inundates one’s entire being: “May the God of peace Himself make you completely holy“ (1 Thessalonians 5:23). It’s a matter of the reborn creation “being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the One who created it“ (Colossians 3:10).

Sanctification is the most beautiful and wondrous thing that can happen to a person because once it’s underway “God’s seed resides in him“ (1 John 3:9); a seed that’ll never die. Divinely planted, it grows eternally. Thomas Watson wrote, “A believer can’t be more elected or justified than he is, but he may be more sanctified than he is.”

Sanctification can’t be faked. It’s not just behaving better or less sinfully. Paul preached, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control“ (Galatians 5:22-23). Only disciples of Jesus, those who deny themselves and take up their cross daily to follow Him (Luke 9:23), can consistently and indiscriminately display those gracious attributes to everyone.

Dallas Willard wrote about the necessity of sanctification: “Real spiritual need and change is on the inside, in the hidden area of the life that God sees and that we can’t even see in ourselves without His help…. Without the gentle though rigorous process of transformation, initiated and sustained by the graceful presence of God in our world and in our soul, the change of personality and life clearly spelled out in the Bible, and explained and illustrated throughout Christian history, is impossible.”

Furthermore, it’s God’s sovereign will that we become sanctified so His chosen can “become partakers of the divine nature after escaping the worldly corruption that’s produced by evil desire“ (2 Peter 1:4). Sanctification isn’t optional. It’s a requirement and goes hand in hand with justification.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God“ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

All who are in the process of becoming sanctified can readily recall when they weren’t and are profoundly humbled and grateful that it’s underway. “For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another“ (Titus 3:3). Watson wrote, “A sanctified soul can remember when it was estranged from God through ignorance and vanity, and when free grace planted this flower of holiness in it.”

Most importantly, our precious Lord and Savior suffered the most agonizing death imaginable so we can become sanctified. “He gave Himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people who are truly His, who are eager to do good“ (Titus 2:14). Therefore, all Christians should do everything within their power to aid the Holy Spirit in furthering their sanctification.

J.P. Moreland wrote, “A wise life of virtue and knowledge comes to those who, with humility of heart and reverence for God, work hard at using their minds to study, to seek understanding, to capture truth… At the new birth, God implants new capacities in the spirit. These fresh capacities need to be nourished and developed so they can grow.”

So how do we most effectively assist the Holy Spirit in our sanctification? First, by reading God’s Word intently. Jesus prayed to the Father on behalf of His disciples, “Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth“ (John 17:17). Second, do all that’s possible to increase faith. Faith is the foundation of your hope in Christ. As Jesus told one grateful sinner, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace“ (Luke 7:50).

Third, willingly go wherever the indwelling Holy Spirit leads. Jesus promised, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you know Him, because He resides with you and will be in you“ (John 14:16-17).

Fourth, congregate and fellowship with like-minded believers in your church. “The one who associates with the wise grows wise“ (Proverbs 13:20). And lastly, pray for full sanctification. Job cried, “Who can make a clean thing come from an unclean? No one!“ (Job 14:4). He was dead wrong. God can. David prayed, “Create for me a clean heart, O God! Renew a resolute spirit within me!“ (Psalm 51:10). All should pray for the same.

Charles Spurgeon preached, “One of the results of our abiding union with Christ will be the certain exercise of prayer. You will ask. If others neither seek nor knock nor ask, you at any rate will do so. Those who keep away from Jesus don’t pray. Those in whom communion with Christ is suspended feel as if they couldn’t pray. But Jesus says, ‘If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you’ll ask what you desire, and it’ll be done to you‘ (John 15:7).” Be wise. Pray and ask to become sanctified.

God’s Effectual Calling

It’s also known as “irresistible grace.” It’s not something theologians made up. It’s God’s doing. “We know all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose, because those whom He knew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son… And those He predestined, He also called; and those He called, He also justified; and those He justified, He also glorified“ (Romans 8:28-30).

Some wish those verses didn’t exist because God’s effectual calling negates the prideful assumption that accepting Christ is their decision. Now, because Jesus taught “Many are called, but few are chosen“ (Matthew 22:14), we must conclude there are two distinct “calls” – one outward and one inward.

The former is God’s generous offer of redemption to everyone. The “message of the cross“ (1 Corinthians 1:18) explains to all the horrific wages of sin and the affront to God our iniquitous ways are. It also renders folks liable if they dismiss Jesus’ sacrifice as foolishness.

The latter is wholly different in that the Holy Spirit regenerates a sinner’s cold heart, transforming it from stone to flesh, resulting in a “new creation“ (2 Corinthians 5:17) that joyfully accepts the merciful love of Jesus. Thomas Watson explained, “The outward call brings men to a profession of Christ, the inward to a possession of Christ.”

Where does this effectual call originate from? It’s delivered from the mouths of unashamed believers who proclaim the Good News. “Faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ“ (Romans 10:17). Thus, Christians are the appointed heralds of God’s grace.

Of course, the Holy Spirit is always involved. “While Peter was still speaking those words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the message“ (Acts 10:44). Watson summarized, “Ministers knock at the door of men’s hearts, the Spirit comes with a key and opens the door.”

It can be confusing.

R.C. Sproul clarified, “The call referred to in effectual calling isn’t the outward call of the Gospel that can be heard by anyone within range of the preaching. It’s the inward call that penetrates to and pierces the heart, quickening it to spiritual life. Hearing the Gospel enlightens the mind, yet it doesn’t awaken the soul until the Holy Spirit illumines and regenerates it. The move from ear to soul is made by the Holy Spirit. This move is what accomplishes God’s purpose of applying the benefits of Christ’s work to the elect.”

God’s call enables His own to willfully separate themselves from this fallen world and to live righteous lives. “For God didn’t call us to impurity but to holiness“ (1 Thessalonians 4:7). Christians are exhorted and encouraged to “…Live in a way worthy of God who calls you to His own kingdom and His glory“ (1 Thessalonians 2:12).

Receiving God’s inward call should profoundly humble everyone He has elected. Benjamin Warfield wrote, “He who knows it’s God who has chosen him and not he who has chosen God, and that he owes his entire salvation in all its processes and in every one of its stages to this choice of God, would be an ingrate if he didn’t give the glory of his salvation solely to the inexplicable elective love of God.”

Psalm 14:3 is brutally honest about the woeful condition of the human race: “Everyone rejects God; they’re all morally corrupt. None of them does what’s right, not even one!“ Therefore, why does God bother to call anybody? Warfield nailed the answer. It’s due to “the inexplicable elective love of God.” Period.

Besides God’s calling being unfailingly effectual, what do the Scriptures tell us about it?

It energizes. “I pray the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of Him – since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened – so you may know what’s the hope of His calling, what’s the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what’s the incomparable greatness of His power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of His immense strength“ (Ephesians 1:17-19).

It solidifies what our overall goal should be: “Strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ“ (Philippians 3:14). As a bonus, it grants us blessed assurance: “For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable“ (Romans 11:29).

Though nobody is worthy of God’s love, we should nevertheless do all we can to live like someone who’s been miraculously rescued from a housefire. Paul wrote, “I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you’ve been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace“ (Ephesians 4:1-3).

Spurgeon sermonized on Jesus’ encounter with a despised tax collector who was observing Him from a tree. “When Jesus came to that place, He looked up and said to him, ‘Zaccheus, come down quickly, because I must stay at your house today‘” (Luke 19:5).

Spurgeon preached, “Does this not surprise you, poor trembler, you who thought mercy’s day was gone and the bell of your destruction had tolled your death knell? Does this not surprise you, that Christ not only asks you to come to Him, but invites Himself to your table, and what’s more, when you would put Him away, kindly says, ‘I must, I will come in?’ Only think of Christ going after a sinner, crying after a sinner, begging a sinner to let Him save him – and that’s just what Jesus does to His chosen ones.”

How can a Christian not stand in slack-jawed amazement over receiving God’s inward call? John Owen suggested, “Lay down then, your reasonings; take up the love of the Father upon a pure act of believing, and it’ll open your soul to let it out unto the Lord in the communion of love.”