A Bible-based family church in Elizabeth, South Australia

It matters that we understand salvation. It is not of works. No amount of good works can save us or make us right with God. Salvation is of the Lord, Jonah 2:9.

We are saved by grace alone, not because of anything we can do. God imputes righteousness unto us without works.

Faith without works is useless. A Christian can be unproductive - such a believer loses rewards and has a poor testimony. James is not talking about adding good works to one's faith to attain salvation. He's not saying if one does not show good works then one cannot be saved.

We did nothing to be saved, Jesus paid for all our sins on the cross. John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Salvation happens the moment we trust Christ as our Saviour. It is purchased by Christ, promised by the Father, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

Absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ.

We are called a purchased possession - owned by God himself - "bought with a price", 1 Corinthians 6:20 .

To trust Christ means to know eternal life. 1 John 5:11-13 ...ye may know that ye have eternal life...

God saved us by grace. John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Never, means never. We are in his eternal grip.

When you believe in Christ you are born again as a child of God (John 3:5-6). You are born into God's family. Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

When we are saved we have an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled which fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of God.

Our eternal security is kept by God’s power, not our power. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit seals us as a mark of ownership and security until the day of redemption. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit guarantees our security. It is God’s guarantee of eternal salvation at the moment of faith in Christ.

The sealing of the Holy Spirit is a pledge from God. Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. Saved - present tense.

Grace is only shown to the undeserving; no believer is, or ever will be deserving of his position in Christ. We do nothing to obtain salvation, to maintain salvation, or to regain salvation.

If I did nothing to obtain salvation, what could I do to lose it?

We must understand the Grace of God. Grace excludes all merit on the part of the one who is the object thereof. Grace is unmerited favor; therefore, to be eternally saved by grace means that God cannot take into account any merit or work of the saved one, either before, at the time, or after he is saved.

At the moment when you first believed in Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, you were given eternal life by God the Father.

The sinning believer loses God's blessing, not salvation. God has promised to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before Himself. Jude 1:24-25 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling... God has sufficient power to keep the saved.

2 Corinthians 5:21 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. The righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers. A great exchange happens. We receive Christ’s righteousness in full at the moment of salvation. By faith alone.

We are made righteous by faith. Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ... Our righteousness is by faith.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Justification comes, not to the one that works, which would make justification a wage or earning, but to the one that believes God by faith. Romans 4:9 …faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

God counts the ungodly as righteous based on faith, not for any works of righteousness we have done. God by His grace pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight.

Salvation is God’s gift. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Salvation is Christ plus nothing!

Eternal life means eternal security. John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Our relationship with God is based on grace - never on our merit. When a person truly trusts Jesus Christ for salvation, he is saved forever. He cannot lose his salvation.

Theology in our Doxology: The Providence of God in It is Well with my Soul. Romans 8:28.

The goal in this series is to remind us of the great heritage that we have inherited from history primarily through the hymns that we are singing.

Theology means, in laymen’s terms, doctrinal truth. Doxology meanwhile is our response, a heartfelt response upon the truths that we know and believe.

Some notes on providence we must consider 1. That everything is under God’s sovereignty 2. That nothing happens without God’s permission 3. That sometimes, God’s providence and outworking can be a mysterious thing for us, but ultimately it is the wisdom of God

Romans 8:28 is a text that summarises for us the providence of God. It can be examined as below.

The Theology of God’s Providence

1. The Certainty Given to us
The emphasis here is that we know. It is on what we are informed of first and foremost. It is Knowledge vs feelings. When we go to church, the primary reason is not for us to be entertained, to feel satisfied, and happy. No, the primary reason why we come in to the church is to impart knowledge of about our Lord. Knowledge about his will. Knowledge about his saving grace. Teaching. Preaching. Informing is very important in Christian faith. So in our worship dear congregation, we are singing things that we know, things that we surely hope for, things that we cling upon because the Lord will be faithful in his words. But it is also Surety vs Uncertainty. Look at the phrasing he did not say, maybe all things work together for good? Or I pray so, or I hope so, perhaps, possibly. The confidence of Paul is present when he says - We know!

2. The Comprehensive / Complete outworking of God for us.
We can look at first - the totality of God’s providence.Paul did not say - many things - some things - several things -no he did say, All things! It is the comprehensive power of God across everything! Secondly, The wisdom of God’s providence. He is as if the great artist painting the greatest picture. He is the greatest story teller and poet writing a masterpiece. There is no plot in any little stories in our life that was not made for his glory and for our God. Thirdly, The purpose of God's providence. The purpose is that we may be ushered back to his presence which is the ultimate good of all!

3. The Comfort given to Us
Firstly, we are reminded here of God’s goodness to his people. CH Spurgeon says, While others are congratulating themselves, I have to sit humbly at the foot of the cross and marvel that I’m saved at all. The mystery of it all is that he saved us - and he showed his love to us! To we who sinned against him. Secondly, We are reminded here of God’s gracious power for his people. We are called, chosen by God. In the same manner that Israel was the chosen nation, did not God say this to us in 1 Peter 2:9 ? The church is the ecclessia - the called out ones. God has called us. Whatever happens to us we have a comfort that God is there orchestrating everything.

A Doxology for God's Providence

Look at how it is presented in the hymn, It is Well with my Soul:

Present in all occasion.
In times of peace. His providence is there. In times of calamity he is surely there for us.

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot Thou hast taught me to say,
“It is well, it is well with my soul!”

Precious in times of affliction
Satan wanted to test us and indict us and wrestle against us. But God’s providence is there to assist us in our helpless condition.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Prominent primarily through our salvation
What else can we ask for? Take everything from us, but not our salvation. This is the greatest comfort in this life that we have been redeemed by God! Burden free.

My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought—
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Is nailed to His Cross, and I bear it no more;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Perfected in our future union
But the greatest hope is that one day, we will see our Lord. May it happen soon that we see him face to face.

O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Discover the role of a shepherd in ancient culture and how it relates to God's care for us. Explore His faithfulness throughout history and in your own life, finding rest, nourishment, and revival in His presence. #GodAsOurShepherd #FindingFaith #RestAndRenewal #DivineProvision #AncientWisdom #RevivingSoul #LifegivingPresence #ReligiousInspiration #PathToRighteousness #SpiritualJourney

Discover the transformative power of Psalm XXIII as a prescription for the challenges we face in life. Explore the personal care and abundant provision of our God, who guides, protects, and provides for His sheep. Experience the comforting and reassuring words of King David as he illustrates the shepherd's guidance in this beloved passage. #PsalmXXIII #ShepherdsGuidance #GodsProvision #TransformativePower #PersonalCare #AbundantBlessings #ReassuringWords #KingDavid #ComfortingPassage #ScripturalInspiration

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In this thought-provoking video, we explore the haunting fate of those who reject mercy and salvation. Discover the consequences of turning away from the Savior and facing eternal damnation. Will you heed the call of grace before it's too late? Don't miss this eye-opening message! #SalvationMatters #EternalConsequences #RejectingMercy #TheSavior #HopelessTragedy #UngodlyJudgment #LostWithoutSavior #RepentanceMatters #EternalRegret #FindingGrace

Discover the importance of surrounding ourselves with wise and godly people to grow in wisdom and faith. Learn how the church and fellowship with believers can empower our spiritual journey. Build strong relationships with like-minded individuals who share a love for God and His Word. Choose your companions wisely and experience the blessings of a godly company. #BlessedCompany #WiseCompanions #ChurchCommunity #GodlyRelationships #ChooseYourCompany #FellowshipMatters #SpiritualGrowth #FaithJourney #SurroundYourself #LoveForGodsWord

Discover the blessed way of the righteous, approved and known by the Lord. Learn how God watches over them and find hope, salvation, and eternal life. Make the decision to change paths and embrace the blessed way through trust in Christ. #BlessingsOfTheRighteous #PathToHope #EternalLife #TrustInChrist #Salvation #GodsApproval #LifeWithPurpose #EmbracingTheRighteousWay #FindingHope #DivineWatching