The greatest blessing ever – Part 2

To obtain genuine salvation that cannot be doubted is as simple as ABC. The sinner should Accept His redemption as free – do not try to work it out by human strength or know it by feeling; Believe that it is yours – personalise it; and Confirm it with your mouth and confess that Christ died to redeem you.

For your redemption to be real, you must Abandon sinful practices of the past, so as not to be enticed and entrapped by Satan; Beware of the devil’s wiles; and Come out and separate from the world. To retain the experience of forgiveness and salvation, you must Abide in Christ, Behave like your Redeemer, and Conform to Him in lifestyle of righteousness.

Anyone seeking to obtain God’s righteousness must forsake self-righteousness, which is like a filthy rag before Him. Born in sin, all human beings are bereft of acceptable righteousness before God. The righteousness Christ died and rose again to procure for humanity is what God accepts and demands. This requires exchanging our self-righteous rags, dirt and sinfulness for His righteousness. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”.

Redemption means that Christ takes away our sins and gives us His righteousness. Having obtained that robe, it will be a display of ignorance to be conscious of, or confess sins that God has forgiven. Truth is that when we are justified by faith in His blood, there is no more guilt, condemnation or fear of judgment. Though “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”, we are transformed and “justified freely by his grace” and now possess “his righteousness”.

Every possessor of God’s righteousness continues to live “in Christ” and He in him. As we abide in the Redeemer, we are also expected to walk in Him. The believer’s life is in, for, by, through and with Christ. Saved and circumcised, crucified and risen, the believer is “hid with Christ in God”, and should always live in the consciousness of Christ and not of sin. He also commits himself to regular intake of meditation on “the word of Christ” and His promises of forgiveness, deliverance, healing, power and abiding presence, while constantly praying to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God,” to be released from suffering in sin.

Many people live in bondage to sin and Satan, in spite of God’s provision of redemption and deliverance through Christ. They re-enact the pitiable ignorance displayed by inmates in the Philippian prison, where Paul and Silas were once incarcerated for gospel-preaching. While these servants of God were praying and singing, the Lord intervened by opening the prison doors, not only for His servants, but also for other inmates. It was surprising, however, that even when the Philippian jailor felt they had all escaped and wanted to commit suicide, none of the prisoners walked out free.

The truth is that God “hath delivered us from the power of darkness….” He has delivered us from bondage, defeat and oppression, and released us from sin, Satan, evil spirits, sickness, shame, sorrow and eternal suffering in hell. Having delivered us, He also “translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son.” This translation does not require change of surname before the enjoyment of divine immunity from any sickness, disease or misfortune afflicting members of our family lineage, with whom we share the name. Like Enoch, we are translated into God’s kingdom beyond the reach of powers of darkness, curse and evil arrows of the wicked.

Though we still live on earth with family members, our experiences are different, because we enjoy the blessedness of full redemption. Aside the fact that God “hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” we also have hope of heaven. Heaven is our ultimate goal and pursuit because our names are written there; our Saviour and inheritance are there, where we shall have our final redemption.

Further Reading (King James Version): Colossians 1:12-14; Isaiah 49:24, 25; Colossians 1:14; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:14,15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:23-26; Colossians 1:2,4,27; 2:6,11,20; 3:1,3,16; 4:12; Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 2:6.