Why True Believers Never Had to Decide for Jesus Christ
Salvation is the most wonderful thing in the world. Salvation does not only belong to the Lord (Ps 3:8; Jon 2:9; Rev 19:1), but salvation is our Lord. To be in union with Christ means that one is in close relationship with God. There is a mutual indwelling (Jn 17:21; Col 1:27). Jesus Christ is in the hearts and minds (souls) of His redeemed people, by the abiding Spirit sent to them (Jn 14:26; 15:26). Christians are “in Christ.” We have been baptized into God’s covenant community, His church (1 Cor 12:13). The Apostle Paul goes so far as to claim that we are seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Eph 2:6).
As the promises of God are unveiled to the assembly of God’s people, the preacher of the Gospel heralds the Word of God to many hearers (Mt 24:14; Mk 16:15). It becomes Good News for those who believe the Word of life they are hearing (Rom 1:16–17; 10:14–17). The Spirit is at work in both the preacher and the elect hearer. The seed of the Word has been implanted into the heart, by the Spirit (Jas 1:21). It is the Spirit and the Word that give life to the dead soul (Jn 6:63; Eph 2:1, 5).
God gives the increase to His Word (Acts 6:7). The Word flourishes in the good soil (Mt 13). Christ, the true Vine is being formed in the regenerate soul (Jn 3:1–8; 15:1). At first, this new life is unseen. The seed must sprout. It must be watered and protected from the enemy. Then, it manifests in the saint, who is being made holy, by the Spirit and the Word (Jn 17:17; 1 Pet 1:16).
It becomes evident that this one has been made alive in Christ (Eph 2:5; Col 2:13) because Christ lives in him or her (Gal 2:20). This is life from the dead. It comes with resurrection power because He who is now in the Christian is greater than He who is in the world. He raised Jesus from the dead, and He will do the same for the saints on the last day (Jn 5:28–29).
Jesus Christ is the Word of God, who is God the eternal Son, enfleshed (Jn 1:1, 14). God’s word is also written (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 1:20–21). It is living and active (Heb 4:12), accomplishing His own purpose and grace, which God granted to us in Christ Jesus, from eternity (2 Tim 1:9). In fact, God has carried out His eternal purposes in Christ (Eph 3:11), who is our great God and Savior (Tit 2:13).
The purpose of Christ Jesus coming, was to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people of His own possession, eager for good deeds (Tit 2:14). Jesus came to save His people from their sins (Mt 1:21), and the Good News is that He (actually) saved us (Tit 3:5). The false teacher claims that Jesus made salvation possible for all people, everywhere. This is unbelief because Jesus Himself is our salvation, not a possibility. He who has the Son has eternal life (Jn 3:36; 1 Jn 5:12).
As our great high priest (Heb 4:14; 9:22), Jesus Christ has not simply entered a shadowy type of temple upon the earth; rather, He has offered Himself to God, as the Lamb of God (Jn 1:29) slain from the foundation of the earth (Rev 5:6, 12). Jesus, who died for us, was resurrected for us, and He has ascended into heaven for us. There, with His acceptable sacrifice of Himself, Jesus has been enthroned and exalted (Ps 110:1), given the name above every other name (Phil 2:9). All authority in heaven, at the right hand of Majesty is His (Heb 1:3; 8:1), along with His authority over all the earth (Mt 28:18).
From His exalted place, at the right hand of God the Father (Ps 110:1; Acts 2:33), together they send the Holy Spirit to gather the elect from every nation (Rev 5:9) and to baptize them (Jn 3:1–8), which causes the elect to be born again of God (1 Pet 1:3), having been implanted with the Word of life (Phil 2:16). The indwelling Spirit is the seal and token of God’s eternal love (Rom 5:5; 9:9, 11; 2 Cor 5:5), for those He predestined to adoption as sons (Rom 8:15, 23; Eph 1:4–5).
Jesus promised He would build His church (Mt 16:18), the true Israel of God (Gal 6:16), both Jews and Gentiles (Gal 3:28), a remnant people, according to His gracious choice (Rom 11:5), which occurred before the foundation of the world, when He wrote each one of their names in the Lamb’s book of life (Rev 13:8; 17:8). These chosen people were given to God the Son (Jn 6:37; 17:2, 6, 24), who redeemed them with His precious blood (1 Pet 1:19), releasing them from their sins (Rev 1:5) and issuing forgiveness, according to the eternal covenant of grace (Mt 26:28; Heb 13:20), cut at the cross of Calvary, where the imputed sins of Christ’s beloved bride were paid-in-full (Col 2:14). He loved His church and gave Himself for her, in love (Rom 5:8; Eph 5:25).
Christian, this is news proclaimed to you, by the Spirit of truth (Jn 16:13). You would know nothing of God’s love for you, were it not implanted in you. God has visited His people (Lk 1:68–69), that is, He has made His abode within our hearts. He is never leaving us, nor will He ever forsake us (Heb 13:5), nor can anything separate us from His love (Rom 8:35–39), which is in Christ Jesus…along with us.
You are never asked to choose Jesus or decide for yourself whether you are going to trust Him for salvation or not. You do believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because He has allotted a measured gift of faith to you, by His grace (Rom 12:3; Eph 2:8–9). If you believe in Jesus, it is because it was God who transferred you into that position of faith that is common to all the saints (1 Cor 1:30; Col 1:13; Jude 3).
Election was by the will of God. Redemption was by the will of God. Regeneration is by the will of God, and all of these spiritual blessings are ours (Eph 1:3), having received them by the will of God (Jn 1:12–13; 1 Cor 1:30), who decided to have mercy on us (Rom 9:15–16) and prepare us for glory (Rom 9:23) — soon revealed to us like everything else that has been written in the Word of truth that you believe because His Spirit was sent to you and is in you, forever.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
January 3, 2021
