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God's Plan of Salvation : Be Faithful

Note: In Internet Explorer 4+, when your mouse pointer hovers over a scripture, a popup tip will show the scripture from the New American Standard version.

In Rev. 2:10 the Greek word for until is achris, which Strong defines: "(of time) until or (of place) up to." Thus, we find some versions (NAS, NKJ) translate it until and others (KJV) unto. The NIV yields "even to the point of death." It is reasonable to conclude, then, that God requires both that we be faithful until we die and that we be faithful even if it costs us our lives.

Many people think that taking the first five steps saves them, and yet it is clear from Rev. 2:10 that the gift of the "crown of life" is conditional on a walk of life that emulates out Lord Jesus Christ. Our attitude must be one of remaking our lives after our Lord. Philippians 2:5-8: ⁵ "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

Be Transformed

After expounding to the Christians at Rome both the goodness and the severity of God (Rom. 11:22), the apostle Paul begged them (Rom. 12:1-2): ¹ "I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

The vast majority of the New Testament is dedicated, not to telling people how to become Christians, but to telling them how they should behave themselves once they are Christians (1 Tim. 3:15). These words fall on deaf ears as many Christians are mere hearers and not doers of them (James 1:22). Paul was speaking of action on the part of Christians as they make their lives over to be a "living sacrifice," totally dedicated to the service of God.

He goes on to state the way that this is achieved. If we are conformed to the world we cannot be faithful unto/until death. Instead, we are to fight against all that is evil in this world. Nothing short of an all-out declaration of war on our part will suffice. It would be hypocritical to bear allegiance to Jesus Christ, and then live a life disregarding what would please him. Even then we must recognize that it is God that is giving the increase through the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16).

²¹"Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) Here are people who suppose that creed will exempt them from deed, that obeisance will take the place of obedience, and that grace excludes works, including doing the will of God. These people imagine that piously addressing Jesus as Lord will suffice for making Him Lord. But Jesus' verdict is inescapable: no obedience, no kingdom.

⁹"And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation  

 Adapted primarily from David Brown"s "Think on These Things"
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible).

Last updated: Tuesday, September 26, 2006

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