A Christian is not saved because he does things for God; rather, he is one for whom God has done great things to bring about salvation. Eternal salvation is never about what we accomplish for Him, but about what He has accomplished for us through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Jesus is the eternal Son of God (John 1:1, 14), and “in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Col 2:9). In His humanity, Jesus lived a sinless life (1 John 3:5), and willingly went to the cross and died a death He did not deserve (Mark 10:45; John 10:18), and provides the life we can never earn (John 3:16; 10:28; 1 Pet 3:18). At Calvary, Christ bore our sins in His body (1 Pet 2:24), paid the full penalty we deserved (Rom 5:8), and secured the gift of eternal life for all who believe in Him (John 3:16). Once eternal life is received, it is locked in (John 10:28), we are sealed forever (Eph 1:13-14), and it cannot be revoked (Rom 11:29).
Once saved, the humble and obedient believer is called to walk in step with God, glorifying Him and edifying others (1 Cor 10:31; 1 Th 5:11). This new walk is not fueled by personal willpower but by divine enablement (Eph 5:18). God Himself has equipped the believer for such a life by placing him into union with Christ (1 Cor 1:30), granting him new life (2 Cor 5:17), indwelling him with the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9), entrusting him with a spiritual gift (1 Pet 4:10), and providing time and opportunity for growth (2 Pet 3:18). God, in His grace, has supplied all that is necessary for life and godliness, for “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet 1:3). There’s no excuse for failure in the Christian life. None whatsoever.
As the believer advances toward spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1), his growth is marked by walking by faith (2 Cor 5:7) and applying the spiritual resources God has given. The Spirit empowers obedience (Eph 5:18), the Word renews the mind (Rom 12:2), and prayer cultivates dependence (Phil 4:6-7). These are the means of grace through which the believer experiences the fullness of life Christ promised. Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). He came to give, not to get. While eternal life is a free gift received at the moment of faith in Christ (phase one), the abundance He promises is enjoyed in the believer’s daily walk (phase two). As born-again Christians, we step into this fullness when we humbly submit to Him (Jam 4:7), learn and live His Word by faith (2 Tim 3:16-17), and live sacrificially for the good of others (Phil 2:3-4). These blessings belong to phase two of the Christian life—blessings contingent upon obedience and faith—and they overflow in the joy of fellowship with Christ (John 15:10-11). Abundant life is not automatic; it is cultivated in the soil of obedience and watered by daily communion with the Savior. The Christian who is disobedient to God and pursues sinful living brings down God’s discipline (Heb 12:6), and forfeits blessings now and in eternity (1 Cor 3:12-15).
The maturing Christian learns to keep his focus on Christ, drawing strength from Him in every circumstance (Phil 4:13). He understands that the Christian life is not a sprint of self-effort but a steady walk of faith, empowered by God’s Spirit and informed by God’s Word (Gal 5:16, 25). As he lives in fellowship with God, his life begins to bear the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and other virtues that reflect Christ’s character (Gal 5:22-23). These virtues do not develop overnight but are the steady harvest of a heart yielded to God over time (Col 1:10).
This is the ideal Christian life—a life of humility and obedience that glorifies God and edifies others. It is not lived in order to keep salvation, nor to prove oneself worthy of it, but as a grateful response to the unearned grace that saved us in the first place (Col 3:17). It is the life God designed for His children—a life lived by faith, under grace, and in the power of the Spirit, so that in all things He might receive the glory and honor due His name (Rom 11:36). And when such a life is lived, it becomes a visible testimony to the watching world that Jesus truly changes everything. Jesus said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:16).
Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.
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Though Paul lived his life in ongoing submission to God, this did not mean he was sinless. Paul continued to possess a sinful nature and commit personal acts of sin (Rom 7:18-25). Despite his genuine commitment to God and his desire to live righteously, he recognized the ongoing reality of sin’s presence within himself. This is why Paul could say, “I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good” (Rom 7:21). Submission to God is not characterized by sinless perfection but rather by a pattern of growth and dependence on His grace. While it is never God’s will for us to sin (1 John 2:1), the reality remains that we do sin, as “there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins” (Eccl 7:20). When we sin, we grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30) and break fellowship with God. Thankfully, God has provided a way to restore fellowship with Him through confession. According to 1 John 1:9, confessing our sins is the biblical response to personal sin, as it involves acknowledging our failure, agreeing with God about its seriousness, and relying on His promise to faithfully forgive and cleanse us.
David provides a good example of an OT believer who lived in regular submission to God. The Bible describes David as a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14; cf. Acts 13:22). David walked faithfully with the Lord and surrendered to His will. David was an obedient king, for the most part, and subsequent kings were measured by him (1 Ki 3:14; 9:4-5; 11:4-6, 31-34, 38; 14:7-8; 15:1-5; 11-15; 2 Ki 14:1-4; 16:1-3; 18:1-3; 22:1-2). David set the bar for what it meant to be a good king, and this allowed others to have a standard to guide them. However, we should not conclude that David was perfectly obedient and kept the Lord’s will in all matters in his life. He did not. No believer ever does, for there are none who are sinless (Eccl 7:20; 1 John 1:8, 10), except the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 John 3:5).
Despite David’s imperfections and sins, he was still regarded as a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22). His life demonstrates several key areas of faithfulness that are instructive for Christians. David exhibited a deep love and devotion to God, as reflected in his heartfelt expressions throughout the 73 Psalms he wrote (see Psa 3:1; 4:1; 5:1; 6:1; 8:1; 9:1; 11:1; 12:1; 13:1; 14:1; 15:1; 18:1; etc.).
God’s greatest provision was for our eternal salvation, which came through His Son, Jesus, Who died in our place and bore the punishment that rightfully belongs to us (Rom 5:8; 1 Cor 15:3-4; 1 Pet 3:18). When we trust in Christ alone as our Savior, we receive forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7), eternal life (John 10:28), are transferred into “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13), become “children of God” (John 1:12), and are blessed “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3). God’s wonderful grace is amazing! And God, having done the most for us at the cross, will not do less for us after our salvation. Paul wrote, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom 8:31-32). Since God has already demonstrated His maximum love and generosity by giving His Son for our salvation, it only stands to reason that He will certainly provide everything else needed for our well-being, and for a life that glorifies Him and edifies others.
By faith we trust God and rest in His promises. Failure to trust God will result in worry, fear, and an anxious heart that is never at rest. Do our hearts ever become anxious? Of course they do. And does fear ever rise up? Yes, of course it does. Well over a hundred times in the OT & NT believers are told “do no fear” and “do not be afraid” (e.g., Gen 15:1, Deut 1:21; Isa 41:10; Matt 10:28; 1 Pet 3:14). These directives would be superfluous if sinful fear was not a problem for the believer. Sometimes we become like Peter and look at the storm around us (Matt 14:30), become frightened, and sink into what we fear. But when fear rises up, faith must rise higher, always trusting God to keep His Word. When trials come (and they will), we must see them as opportunities to grow in our faith (Jam 1:2-4). The benefit of living by faith is a relaxed mental attitude as the believer focuses on the Lord and His promises. Remember, God always keeps His promises, for “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num 23:19). Yes, He will always keep His Word, for “the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind” (1 Sam 15:29), for “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb 6:18). God has integrity and keeps His Word, and “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Eph 3:20a).
God will provide. The challenge for us, as His children, is to accept His Word as true and apply it to our lives on a regular basis. The walk of faith requires us to have discipline of mind and will, to learn and live God’s Word, and to stay focused on Him and His promises. As God’s children, we are to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). The walk of faith is what He wants, for He says, “My righteous one shall live by faith” (Heb 10:38), and “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). The life of faith is what Pleases God, “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb 11:6). Will there be failure on our part? Yes, more often than most of us would like to admit. But that’s why daily confession is important (1 John 1:9), as we acknowledge our sins to God, trust that He forgives, and then move back into a walk of faith. Let us continually learn and live God’s Word, always trusting the Lord will provide and that He will keep His promises to us. This way of living will glorify God, edify others, and result in a relaxed mental attitude for us as we lean on the Lord.