Consider my servant Job... I once told him: "I perform the thing which I have appointed for you..." This is recorded in Job23:14. You see, nothing,.. and I mean NOTHING, can happen to you that has not been FIRST filtered through My approval so long as you abide in my hand. In the Scriptures, in 1John4:8, it testifies of me that "God is love..." ...I am the very embodiment of love... ...therefore you can rest assured that EVERYTHING that happens to you, so long as you are abiding in my hand, is birthed in love and is done or ALLOWED *only* so that you will benefit in some way. I give you this promise which is also recorded in 1Cor10:13--> "I will never allow you to suffer above what you can tolerate but will with any suffering you endure create a way to alleviate that suffering so that you can bear it." Remember this, though you cannot fathom any benefit from your present suffering... so long as you abide in my hand, everything said here stands true... and I promise, as it is recorded in Rom8:28, that ALL THINGS will *work together for good*... ...so long as you abide in my hand.
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There is a resounding message in those improvised words above which were composed strictly from the words of God contained in Scripture [and from a personal "encounter" with God during a time of tremendous suffering I, myself, went through]. Those "whom abide in Him" are the ones whom can claim all His promises and benefits contained in Scripture. It only makes sense doesn't it? So long as you remain in a shelter you are are protected from the outside elements -right? For instance, if you abandon that shelter, even for a moment, during a strong electrical storm, you cannot benefit from that shelter so long as you are not abiding within it.
Read about "abiding in Him" and what happens if we don't abide in Him:
-->1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.2Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. -John15 (ESV)
So the big question to be answered is: "What does it mean- 'abide/remain in Him'"? That question is answered by John in 1John2:6
--> 6whoever says he abides in him{Jesus} ought to walk in the same way in which he{Jesus} walked.
Note in John10 the place of Sanctuary...
27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of **my hand.** 29My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the **Father’s hand.**
...it is "in His hand" that Christians find a place of sanctuary and providence. Jesus, in John10, gives the analogy of sheep FOLLOWING their Shepherd. This analogy -e.g. "following"- conveys the identical message of "abiding"{John15:1-7}. To sum, it is those whom FOLLOW Jesus... them whom ABIDE (in His hand)... both of these analogies symbolically representative of a life dedicated to loving and imitating Jesus{cp. 1John2:6}... whom benefit from all God's promises contained in Scripture.
Consider for a moment, shall one find any indulgences of sin in God's hand? -Or must one abandon his Hand to find and/or participate in sin? Can one benefit from a shelter which one has abandoned -irrespective of duration- and no longer abides?
There is a TREMENDOUS amount of comfort and incomprehensible peace abiding in His hand{cp. Philippians4:7}... if you are currently suffering and are not presently abiding in His hand... then know this: His hand is ALWAYS open!
----------------------------------------------------
There is a resounding message in those improvised words above which were composed strictly from the words of God contained in Scripture [and from a personal "encounter" with God during a time of tremendous suffering I, myself, went through]. Those "whom abide in Him" are the ones whom can claim all His promises and benefits contained in Scripture. It only makes sense doesn't it? So long as you remain in a shelter you are are protected from the outside elements -right? For instance, if you abandon that shelter, even for a moment, during a strong electrical storm, you cannot benefit from that shelter so long as you are not abiding within it.
Read about "abiding in Him" and what happens if we don't abide in Him:
-->1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.2Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.6If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. -John15 (ESV)
So the big question to be answered is: "What does it mean- 'abide/remain in Him'"? That question is answered by John in 1John2:6
--> 6whoever says he abides in him{Jesus} ought to walk in the same way in which he{Jesus} walked.
Note in John10 the place of Sanctuary...
27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of **my hand.** 29My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the **Father’s hand.**
...it is "in His hand" that Christians find a place of sanctuary and providence. Jesus, in John10, gives the analogy of sheep FOLLOWING their Shepherd. This analogy -e.g. "following"- conveys the identical message of "abiding"{John15:1-7}. To sum, it is those whom FOLLOW Jesus... them whom ABIDE (in His hand)... both of these analogies symbolically representative of a life dedicated to loving and imitating Jesus{cp. 1John2:6}... whom benefit from all God's promises contained in Scripture.
Consider for a moment, shall one find any indulgences of sin in God's hand? -Or must one abandon his Hand to find and/or participate in sin? Can one benefit from a shelter which one has abandoned -irrespective of duration- and no longer abides?
There is a TREMENDOUS amount of comfort and incomprehensible peace abiding in His hand{cp. Philippians4:7}... if you are currently suffering and are not presently abiding in His hand... then know this: His hand is ALWAYS open!
@Steve,
ReplyDeleteExactly what does your comment have to do with my Blog?
Salvation was only a "shadow" topic within my blog and the thief on the cross was NOT even alluded to in the slightest. My blog focuses upon suffering and "sanctuary" -namely where "sanctuary"{rest/peace} is found when suffering--> "Abiding in Him."<--[which also is the place of salvation]
So, what does your comment have to do with my blog?
I will say that I mostly agree with your words; except that salvation is not *absolutely* contingent upon water baptism. Don't get me wrong; YES, a believer MUST diligently pursue water baptism earnestly after coming to faith; the Ethiopian eunuch -whom while still on the road requested to baptized as soon as enough water was available- serves as the example of such earnest diligence... ...but upon RARE circumstances, baptism by water may not be possible...
Take for instance this true story: A woman finally succeeded in getting her husband to attend a worship service... ...at the service the man became convinced that Jesus is God's Son; the man "confessed Jesus 'Lord' and believed that God raised Jesus from the dead"{Rom10:9}. The man was to be baptized after the service... ...however, militant Muslims busted in and put every male on their knees; putting a gun to the back of each one's head- each man was commanded to renounce Jesus or die... ...the new convert was last in line. One by one, each man, including the "Pastor," renounced Christianity... ...except the new convert. He did not renounce his new faith... ...he was killed that instant before receiving water baptism. THAT man, and any in such scenario as to be DENIED *opportunity* to be baptized by water *may* still be saved on account of grace and Rom10:9.
You see, water baptism is a "work" of obedience; if you say that water baptism is ESSENTIAL to salvation then you make salvation contingent upon a work and not grace.
In closing,.. the "one baptism" spoken of in Eph4:5 refers to being baptized by the Spirit{cp. Mark1:8} into the body of Christ- this is God's doing{cp. Acts10:44}; not water.
your brother in Christ,
Scott Christian {aka Jesus Follower}