Erring Christian

The Erring Christian Series

http://www.erringchristian.com  &  http://www.rahabschurch.com

Evangelical Multi Denominational Christian Fellowship

Saved

Help & Advice for the New Christian

For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Ephesians: 2:8 KJV ... Christ bought us freedom from the curse of the law by becoming for our sake an accursed thing: Galatians: 3:13 KJV ... For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace: Romans: 6:14 KJV ... Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace: Galatians 5:4 KJV ... I will not nullify the grace of God; if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ died for nothing: Galatians 2:21 NEB 

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Intro Rahab's Church

Born-Again

Steps

Bible Prophecy 

Creation v Evolution

Heavy

Utility (Daily Content)

Appendix (Daily Content)

Evangelism

Gospel

Email 

Index in depth at foot 

Growing in The Lord 

The price that was paid for our redemption

Personal note from webmaster 

Second to understanding the terrible price that was paid for my sins by the Lord Jesus and why His supreme sacrifice was necessary, learning more fully of God's Grace came as a tremendous revelation to me. 

I had regularly attended services in the Church of England for some years prior to becoming "Born Again." In the usual way and common to that denomination, I had as a baby been "Christened" and later as a teenager "Confirmed." But I did not know Jesus.

If my memory serves me correctly, I was not made aware at any time that I could know our Lord and Saviour personally and I equated a Christian as someone who goes to church, as such, I was a Christian. Other than that I never gave Christianity much thought.

I was unaware that it was necessary to "Get Saved" in order to establish a relationship with God through Jesus. Consequently, I did not know either that on accepting Jesus, God's grace is not dependant on how good we are. 

Thankfully, I eventually attended a still "Church of England Church" (for some twenty five years) where many who loved the Lord themselves, made that saving knowledge available to me.

From day one I knew their was something very different to what I had previously been used to. Although the services followed the usual (at that time) format, there was within the body an inner ring of beautiful people. Born again Christians. 

Eventually, after being witnessed to myself I asked the Lord (admittedly in private) in to my life. Approximately a fortnight later, things started to happen and I have never been the same since!

Anyway, to quote a well used phrase, "This is not about me, it's about you." By knowing now, at this early stage of your Christian walk (assuming you to be a new child of God) acquiring the knowledge of just what Jesus achieved for you, (leaving eternity with Him aside for the moment) through God's grace, will hopefully save you a lot of doubt in the future. 

I also hope that by taking notice of the points made in "The Know So Christian," you will avoid falling in to traps that myself in particular, and undoubtedly others too, had to experience, and learn the hard way. You could say, our experiences will save you a lot of mental stress if you are willing to take note.

As a new babe in Christ you can look forward to the Holy Spirit's nursing care, but also know if you are doing the Lord's work, (what He actually sets out for you to do) you will be attacked by forces that hate God. 

One of the main forms of attack and one I, together with most Christians have constantly experienced, is the sowing of doubts in our minds regarding our salvation. Without being arrogant and fully realising that our salvation was bought at tremendous cost, it is essential to know:   

Grace = Unmerited, Unearned, Pardon & Forgiveness

On a human level unconditional grace seems just too good to be true. Our natural inclination when we do wrong is to try to make up for it by good works. But we cannot! Jesus has already taken care of our sins and when we sincerely confess our sins, on the strength of scripture, He is faithful and just to forgive them. 

Jesus Christ paid the penalty for all our sins, past, present and future. There is absolutely nothing we can do to justify ourselves. Our salvation is totally and irrevocably dependant on Jesus alone.

The HOME page of the Erring Christian series (not literally 'erring') and if you are of a mind, the Home page of Rahab's Church, deals scripturally with God's wonderful mercy and grace and explains in some depth, just what grace is.

These web pages are built on Biblical fact. However, I would encourage new Christians to check them from the Bible themselves. As with any Biblical teaching from any source, it is never amiss to do so.

Unfortunately it is a sign of the end times that: "Many false prophets will arise and deceive many, even the very elect!" God never lies so ask the Holy Spirit to give you the gift of discernment and reveal to you teaching that is not of God.

Welcome to the Body of Christ!

Help For New Christians

After receiving Jesus Christ as our Saviour & Lord, we are born into God's family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer. This is called regeneration, or the "new birth." This is just the beginning of a wonderful new life in Christ. To deepen this relationship you should get into the habit of talking to God in prayer every day.

Read the Bible patiently allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you. Lay aside questions you can't answer, and one day on reading another part of the Bible you will see the answer you need. 

Worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a good Bible believing church where Christ is preached. 

If you possess a satellite receiver, a great deal of knowledge can be obtained from Christian TV channels especially on facts proving Creationism. I personally recommend "Genesis" & "Revelation" (their own programs preferably, rather than some [not all] of the third party ministries they carry). 

Unfortunately, it is necessarily advisable to exercise prayerful discernment when viewing some prosperity gospel type "Christian" programmes. Although the main thrust of the web page is different, the continuation of this theme can be found in the Creation v Evolution page.

Understanding the Word of God, the Bible 

It's a great help in understanding the Bible if you have a concordance, and a good devotional book. They are inexpensive and indispensable to desired spiritual growth. Erring Christian includes a web page offering daily devotions, a bible concordance, together with many translations of the Bible including original Greek & Hebrew texts. These are free to use and were thankfully made available by other Brother & Sisters in Christ as part of their ministry. To access click: Appendix .

Whilst most teachers would suggest that your first Bible study should be on the Gospel of John, and there is certainly nothing wrong with that, I personally would suggest a study of the book of Romans. This explains in depth what Christ has done, why it was necessary, and how Jesus earned us "unconditional grace" by fulfilling the demands of the law (the Ten Commandments and the many other laws given) in His own person. 

It may be throwing you in at the deep end as it were, but Romans is the source of true doctrine. Romans Chapter eight in particular explains how Jesus' righteousness, not our own, was imputed to us. How can we not love the Saviour that made this possible? Following Romans try Galatians. But as the Holy Spirit that now dwells within you, leads. 

Understand Grace

In addition to a couple of chapters from a book by Hal Lindsey, one of the little booklets that helped open up my eyes to God's Grace, was: "The Know So Christian" by Paul Hutchins. Having mislaid my copy, I was pleased to find the text available on the web. 

A sound knowledge of grace will prepare you for the demonically inspired onslaught that would have you trying to earn your salvation, and condemning you when you invariably fail. To try to justify our redemption by works, is insulting to Almighty God who allowed His only begotten Son to die in unspeakable agony for our sins. If we could justify ourselves by good works, then Christ's death and resurrection was unnecessary. In the words of Oswald Chambers: "Good works are the fruits of salvation, not the means to produce it." 

. The continuation of this theme can be found on the HOME page

Excerpts from the "Know So Christian" By Paul Hutchins 

This text was made available through the Baptist Bible Believers Web Site. Here

GOD is neither unknown nor unknowable. He is beautifully and positively demonstrable, as is plainly indicated in our Lord's Gethsemane prayer, when He says, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." No man at any time has seen GOD in His invisible essence; but the Son, the Lord JESUS CHRIST, has declared Him. No man has at any time seen electricity; but the electric light bulb has declared it. JESUS has said, "He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father."

There is an assurance that comes to a believer's heart that is absolute knowledge. This knowledge may be yours. You may know that you have eternal life NOW. You may, like Paul, know whom you have believed. You may enter into the most vital experience of the universe -- a humble, "know-so" relationship with Himself. I say, "humble," because there are some who feel sincerely that the "know-so" attitude is one of egotism and pride; that to claim to know that one is sure of going to Heaven, is to boast of one's own goodness and personal holiness.

However, that very objection displays a lack of understanding of the truth, and makes it clear that the objector believes that salvation depends upon personal goodness or holiness. Whereas, the Bible clearly teaches that our own righteousness at it's very best, is as filthy rags: "By grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God"

(Ephesians 2:8). Verse nine, which immediately follows, asserts, "Not of works, lest any man should boast."

The "Know-so" attitude of a true believer is not a boastful attitude, but a humble one, for it declares with the Apostle Paul, "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14).

HINDRANCES TO ASSURANCE. 

DEPENDENCE UPON WORKS

Many professing Christians do not have assurance because they are depending upon their own works for salvation. Their thought seems to be that they may purchase everlasting life by right living; and that if, at the judgment, their good deeds over-balance their evil deeds the Father will smile upon them and utter those welcoming words, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." 

But salvation has already been purchased by the price of the precious blood of CHRIST and eternal life is offered as a free gift to all who believe (Romans 6:23; John 3:36).

We cannot therefore purchase that which GOD has already purchased and given unto us. There is nothing that can be added to the perfect and finished work of CHRIST; and we should not insult Him or try to gain His favour by offering our imperfect work as payment therefore.

If our entrance to Heaven were to be attained through our own works, how should we ever know when we had done enough? If we are to save ourselves by church attendance, or penances, or prayers or morality, then CHRIST has died in vain; and we do not need a Saviour, but an example!

For us to expect eternal life by merely refraining from wrongdoing would be about as foolish and as futile as for a farmer to expect an abundant crop of wheat merely because his field was free from weeds, without his having sown any seed. 

A religion offering salvation by good works is a false religion. All the false religions of the world that have any ethical teachings at all, set forth the view that man can do something to merit the mercy of GOD. 

Those Christ less religions teach that if we do good works we may hope to be saved in the end. But Christianity teaches just the opposite. We are to believe on CHRIST and be saved right now; and then because we are saved we do good works, and live righteously and soberly; thus good works are the actual fruit of salvation rather than the raw material from which salvation is manufactured!

Salvation is the foundation of the Christian life. To build a life of good works with a view to being saved in the end would be about as foolish as trying to build a house with the foundation on the roof! 

No, my dear friends, we cannot be saved by our own efforts regardless of how good they may be. And because this is so GOD will never give the witness within to a merely professing Christian.

For true assurance can come only through the witness of the SPIRIT within; and the SPIRIT will never witness to that which is untrue or contrary to the Word of GOD, which says, "for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

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DEPENDENCE UPON A MERE RELIGIOUS PROFESSION

Dependence on their church membership or affiliation with some religious organization, or their natural religious tendencies, has given many personas a false peace as a substitute for the "blessed assurance" that is the actual possession of the true Christian. These persons say prayers, attend church services, sing in choirs, and sometimes lead in young people's meetings, teach Sunday School classes, or even pray in public. Yet, as was the case in my own experience, their religious activities are not the fruit of the SPIRIT, but the tied-on fruit of profession.

Religion is that which every person in the world possesses. For every man even though he may declare that he has no religion of any kind, does have a little philosophy of religion, either all his own or borrowed from another, by which he finds a temporary relief for those stings of conscience which come to him when he does wrong. For what is religion but a philosophy of life, manifesting itself in the inner emotions and outer activities of the soul. The heathen are a religious people, yet surely no one would think of them as Christian.

Christianity is that which is the possession of those only who are believers on the Lord JESUS CHRIST. "Believers were called Christians first at Antioch."

We are not saved by religion, neither are we saved by believing in Christianity; but we are saved by a Person. It is not the Church of Christ, but the Christ of the church. The Bible does not say, "Believe in religion or Christianity and thou shalt be saved," but rather, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). 

You see, dear reader, neither religion nor the church died on the Cross. But it was CHRIST the Son of GOD who suffered there in our stead. He, a Person, died for us as our Substitute (only a person could substitute for another person) and provided for us that marvellous, substitutionary atonement -- He alone is our Saviour! Hence you do not need to become religious, but you do need to accept a Person! 

The moment you see Him with the eye of faith, that moment you become a Christian; and at that moment you may have assurance of salvation. You have become a "know-so" Christian.

Of the many, many conversions recorded in the Book of Acts, only three are given in detail. They are: Saul of Tarsus, the Ethiopian eunuch, and Cornelius the Gentile. Is it not significant that each of these was a very religious man prior to his conversion? May it not be that the HOLY SPIRIT has given us the record of these in detail for the very purpose of revealing to the world the absolute necessity for even the pious and good to have a personal, saving knowledge of JESUS CHRIST.

Due to misleading and preconceived ideas as to just what may be meant by conversion and regeneration, some very earnest souls have feared to trust the promises of GOD for eternal life until they have attained to some particular emotional experience. These ideas which often are the result of listening to the glowing testimonies of Christian friends, have been obstructions on the road to peace for many, over which they have stumbled, being led to seek for an experience rather than for the Lord Himself.

We are all essentially different by nature and GOD does not see fit to give the same manifestation at the time of conversion. Let us therefore exercise great care, lest we be led astray in search of "feeling" in an effort to copy the experiences of our Christian friends. GOD's order is, first faith, then fact, and then feeling. But Satan would lead us to reverse this order; and as a result many sincere souls have given up in despair, unable to attain that for which they sought.

SEEKING FOR PEACE

Through Intellectual Channels Only

Many today are endeavouring to find soul rest and GOD through merely intellectual channels. Failing to do so they either turn atheistic or agnostic and look with pitying disdain upon others who by simple faith in CHRIST and the Bible have found peace of mind and heart. 

They scorn all attempts of the "know-so" Christian to talk spiritual things to them, branding the man of faith as an emotionalist and saying, "I want to see this thing through the door of reason alone." In saying this they merely show their ignorance of GOD's method of dealing with the souls of men.

They seem entirely blind to the fact that there are two realms: the physical and the spiritual; that these go hand in hand rather than contrary to each other, and that each holds its own laws which work with absolute and assured results when set in operation. 

In the material realm many experiments are made; even so in the spiritual. The science of chemistry has its own textbooks with its various formulas clearly outlined. Once a law is established we may rest upon it as authoritative; it will always work. The combination H20 will always mean water.

The science of Christianity (not Christian Science) has its own laws in the spiritual realm. It has its own textbook, the Bible, with its various formulas; and its laws are never-failing. There is the law of sowing and reaping revealed in Galatians 6:7-8: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 

For he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." There is the law of II Corinthians 5:17: "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature." No man who has made this experiment according to the requirements has found it to fail. These laws are as certain as the laws of gravitation. The Bible declares that JESUS CHRIST is GOD's Son and that whosoever believeth in Him hath everlasting life.

Let us keep our eyes upon JESUS. He is the LIGHT of the world, and all the light of those who know Him is but reflected light, even as is that of the moon which shines only by reflected sunlight.

The experiences of some seem to be calm and restful like the deep and silent waters of a placid stream, while others seem continually to be carried from one mountaintop to another. Still others are carried upon the high tides of thrilling and intoxicating emotions. Whatever may be our joys or sorrows, standing like a beacon light on the sea of life to guide us safely to the Father's house is the Word of GOD, saying, "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish" (John 10:28).

Feelings, my friends, are often deceptive; and if we depend upon them we shall be continually doubting; "The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:16). But let us not dictate to Him in what manner He shall speak to us.

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FAILURE TO FOLLOW CHRIST 

No one is quite so miserable as the person who has truly been born again, but who cherishes some favourite sin, or who, like Lot, has been led into a life of compromise by the alluring treasures of the world. Sin may not always be that which is gross and base according to the accepted standard of judgment but it may be some questionable practice or habit, or even some neglect of duty which the SPIRIT has revealed. "He that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him it is sin" (James 4:17).

It will indeed be a great day for us when, at the end of life's race, we shall hear the voice of the Lord saying, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Yet how infinitely sweet even now to have the witness within day by day, when the SPIRIT whispers, "Well done," and when there is no qualm of conscience for acts or thoughts that have grieved or quenched Him. How many there are who rob themselves of the peace of GOD by living unsurrendered lives! Sin is the darkening cloud that casts the shadow of doubt over their Christian experience. For as CHRIST Himself has said, "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness" (John 8:12).

The tragedy of the compromising life is not so alone that it chokes the channel of faith between GOD and man through which should flow the pure stream of assurance; but as it was in the case of David, it gives the enemies of the Lord an occasion to blaspheme. World lings are delighted when they can find some inconsistencies in the lives of Christians, and they often magnify them to unbelievable proportions and show their own inconsistencies by offering them as excuses for the sins which they themselves commit.

Dear thinker, if you are a Christian, let me urge you to lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset you (Hebrews 12:1). The precious witness of the SPIRIT within is too great a prize to lose, as is also your testimony before the world. Let us tear down every idol and in its stead enthrone the Lord JESUS CHRIST. For the glory of abiding peace shineth all about the throne where He holds absolute sway. 

Dear Christian friend, you cannot afford to hold on to one single sin that may be the cause of your fall . . . Sin, if persisted in, may cause premature death: "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus" (I Corinthians 5:5). Most certainly a continuation in sin, will, after you have come to know the Lord JESUS CHRIST as your Saviour, rob you of assurance, and of fellowship with Himself.

Seeking for Peace 

Those who have tried this great experiment have found it workable. It is true! It is scientific! Yet the intelligentsia have closed their eyes to these great facts and are saying, "Show me spiritual truth through my own way of seeing things." They try to climb the mountains of spiritual attainment by digging in the mines of intellectual brilliance. 

They travel the roads of spiritual darkness and complain when the lights of learning fail to reveal to them the way. They turn to look in the opposite direction for the things that are before their very eyes. They are still "searching for truth," when what they need to do is to accept the revealed truth as it is in CHRIST. The water of life is everywhere about them yet they complain of "not a drop to drink. 

How true is the statement of CHRIST that the Father hath "hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto babes." They are hidden from them because they are looking for them in the wrong places. Trying to attain the spiritual by the merely intellectual  method and scorning the means of faith is like trying to run an automobile with a well-filled radiator but with an empty gasoline tank!

The Bible is very plain in its teaching along this line, declaring that "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned" (I Corinthians 2:14). For, "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" (I Corinthians 1:18).

The above statements are unequivocal. The natural man does not and cannot appreciate the truths of the Gospel, nor the way of salvation, without conforming to their requirements. He cannot reason them out, though there is nothing in the world more reasonable than these very truths, made more reasonable as we walk in their light. Otherwise they way be as foolish to us as a chemistry formula to an African chief. "He hath revealed them unto babes," is the declaration of JESUS CHRIST.

When we consider the fact that many of the greatest minds in the world bow in surrender to the truths of Christianity and feast upon the Word of CHRIST; while other minds equally as great, grope in darkness, still worshiping at the shrine of the goddess of Reason and feeding their ego upon the husks of so-called broadmindedness, we realize that it is not because of intellectual difficulties that men do not know GOD; but because they have failed to try the great experiment: "If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know" (John 17a).

(For the unsaved)

All Men Are Sinners

DO YOU ATTEND CHURCH?

And your church? Where do you go? Do you attend regularly? You must go regularly, to be at your best for CHRIST - if there is a CHRIST-honouring, Bible-believing, thoroughly Scriptural Work of GOD in your community. And if you are truly a Know-So Christian, you ought to be a worker there. Does your pastor preach the WORD? Is it the right WORD? Is it the indestructible King James Version? If not, you are sinning against your soul by being there, and against his own lost soul by seeming to approve his ministry! While he might not be lost in the sense of his salvation, he certainly is lost in the sense that he is steering the ship of state without a compass!

Don't be afraid of shocking your friends or family by refusing to listen to "modernistic" sermons which deny the foundational truths of the Bible. Be courteous, but remember that to show the true spirit of CHRIST, you must take a definite stand against false teaching. Have an open mind for the truth, but a closed mind against modernistic errors. Be willing to be branded as "narrow" if it means that you are walking in the straight and narrow way with CHRIST.

Let the joy of the Lord be your strength. Keep yourself dethroned, and CHRIST enthroned. "For we know" that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

SALVATION: AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY

It will not be necessary here to show every reason why a man should become a Christian. No one questions the happiness of the "know-so" Christian, nor the advantages mentally, morally, spiritually, socially, or even physically, that belong to the one who lives the Christian life. But I shall deal directly here with the absolute necessity of turning to CHRIST and serving Him. In doing so I realize that I shall be charged with trying to frighten men into the kingdom of GOD. 

I shall have it said of me that I should "know better" than to expect an intelligent and enlightened age to be interested in a "gospel of fear." But let me frankly say that I do not "know any better," and I do know that there is perhaps nothing more needed today than a message that will show the world its awful condition without CHRIST and the more awful consequences of rejecting Him.

I have heard men say that no genuine conversions every resulted from fear of hell. But I have met many true Christians who were "scared into it" -- although men perhaps do not need to be "scared into it" so much as to be "scared out" of a life of sin. Someone has said that "if there were more preaching of hell in our pulpits there would be less of it lived in our homes." True it is that one cannot fully realize his need of a Saviour who does not believe that there is something from which to be saved. Men ridicule the plea of the evangelist who says to his audience, "Accept CHRIST now for you may die tonight." They advise him to say, "Accept CHRIST now for you must live tomorrow.

Prepare to live, not to die." But I maintain that both messages are necessary. The element of fear is a very essential thing in this reckless modern world. Why do we stop at a railroad crossing, when a train is about to rush by? Why do we call for the doctor when acute appendicitis has attacked us? Why do we make all haste to stop the leak in our fishing boat when we are far from land? Why do we run from a furious wild beast? Simply because we are aware of serious danger to our well-being and we are afraid!

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It is absolutely necessary that you should become a Christian because there is no other way to get rid of your sin. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." So reads I John 1:8. 

It is becoming exceedingly unpopular to use the word "sin" nowadays, and in some circles it has long ago passed into disuse. Nevertheless it is a Scriptural term, and it is plainly stated in Romans 3:23, "All have sinned." Other words are used for sin in the Bible, such as "iniquity," "transgression," "evil," and "unbelief." In this modern world those who seek for more gentle terms use such words as "peccadillo," "mistake," "error," "foible," "disease," "principle of evil," etc.

But regardless of the different names or phrases which are used to describe or minimize the evil acts or thoughts, they all belong to the same big family whose surname is "sin"; and unless we accept CHRIST as our Saviour we shall die in our sins. 

He Himself says that if we do not believe that He is the Son of GOD we shall die in our sin (John 8:24). He alone is the One through whom we obtain forgiveness; for forgiveness is based on the atonement; and it is by the blood which He shed at Calvary that we are cleansed from unrighteousness (I John 1:9).

It takes little or no intelligence to boast that you do not fear the consequences of sin; and that you are not afraid to run the risk of dying without CHRIST. 

My dear friend, I would be faithful to you and warn you that there is a Hell; for the Bible says so. And your unbelief cannot change the fact nor keep you from going there. It is indeed possible that Satan may take the fear of Hell out of you, even as he may blind you to the truths of Grace and Mercy.

HOW WE KNOW WE ARE SAVED

 Absolute Assurance

The Bible is the Word of GOD, and does not need any defence. Its problems have all been fairly met and explained by some of the greatest minds in the world. If in your study you chance upon some seeming error or contradiction, remember that someone, somewhere, has met this same difficulty and found a solution. Inquiry from some reliable Bible school will bring you a satisfactory answer.

To the reader of these pages who takes a belligerent attitude toward the Word and who scorns authority in Christianity, I have only this to say, "When you know JESUS CHRIST as your Saviour, you will bow in glad submission to His Word and stand in amazement as you think how foolish you once were in your unbelief." In the words of another, "You will have no difficulty intellectually with the third chapter of Genesis when you understand experientially the third chapter of John." You will not say with H.G. Wells that "the Bible needs to be rewritten," but you will say with Bryan, "The Bible needs to be re-read.

I have discovered that most of the destructive criticism of the Book comes either from ignorance of its teaching or from fanciful interpretations. If the Bible is not true, then Christianity is a religion rather than the religion, and merely one among many, rather than the only one; then CHRIST was a good man and a great teacher only; of the hereafter there is no certainty and the whole world is free to do as it pleases, with no one to say authoritatively what is right or wrong. If the Bible is not true, man never fell into sin and therefore needs no Saviour; all believers in CHRIST are a deluded lot and to be pitied rather than commended. 

IN CHRIST ALONE THERE IS LIFE

But to those of you who already know Him but are in some doubt as to your security in Him, let me urge you to pay careful attention to what I have to say in the following paragraphs, and especially to those Scripture passages herein quoted. 

For the HOLY SPIRIT will always bless the Word, and will, I am sure, use it to bring the witness to your heart that you are a child of GOD (if you are) so that you can say, without wavering, "It is well with my soul." You have a right to know. It is your privilege as a believer on the Lord JESUS CHRIST.

All Believers Are Justified Justification is an act of GOD whereby the believing sinner is pronounced righteous. CHRIST as our Substitute has taken the penalty for our sin. Isaiah 53:6. Having died in our stead, He has set us free. It is as though "the believer has been in court only to learn that there is nothing laid to his charge" (C.I. Scofield). In Acts 13:39 we read of JESUS, "By Him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."

Because we have broken the law we have stood condemned by it. But such a marvellous redemption has been wrought out for us through our loving Saviour that complete vindication and absolvement from the guilt is ours simply by believing on the One who took what we deserved by way of punishment for sin. A speaker once said this, "Justified is really just-as-if- I'd never sinned!" 

THE SIN QUESTION IS SETTLED

The Christian who is truly sorry for his sins may expect forgiveness at the very moment of confession regardless of whether or not he "feels" forgiven. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9).

We are not to practice sin, and if we are fully surrendered to CHRIST we will not willingly do so. But "if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world" (I John 2:1-2).

 It is as though CHRIST presents us to the Father at the moment we confess our sin and says, "Father, here is one for whom I shed My blood at Calvary. He has come to Me with his wrongdoing, knowing that We have made provision for his sin through My sacrificial death, and even as I shall do in that great day to come, I even now present him faultless before the presence of Thy glory." See Jude 24.

Do you see it, dear reader? Do not fail here! For if you grasp this glorious truth, it will surely cause you to know that you are safe in Him. The following words are used to describe GOD's dealing with sin: "forgiveness," "blotted out," "cleanse," "remember no more," "bore our sin in His own body," "in the depths of the sea," "purged," "made Him to be sin for us," "died for our sins," "washed us from our sins in His own blood," "My blood . . . is shed for many for the remission of sins," etc. etc.

THE BELIEVER HAS ETERNAL LIFE NOW

Eternal existence and eternal life are not one and the same thing. The soul of man will exist forever regardless of whether that man is a Christian. (While there are those that teach annihilation at death for all non-Christians, and are able to wrest the Scriptures to suit this fanciful and subtle conjecture; yet I have failed to see any interpretation of the Bible that proves their point of view to be correct, without such an interpretation having done violence to the laws of language.) 

The unsaved will spend eternity forever separated from the presence of GOD in Hell; while the saved will spend eternity "forever with the Lord." The unsaved would not enjoy Heaven if they went there, because their unregenerate natures would be in constant rebellion against the will of GOD, even as it is so in this present life. Heaven would be worse than Hell for them; and for GOD to permit them to go to Hell in their sin would be more merciful than for Him to force them to go to Heaven.

But we (Christians) do not have to wait till we get to Heaven to get eternal life. We have eternal life now. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (I John 5:13). "He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life" (John 5:24). "God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life" (I John 5:11-12). If therefore we have CHRIST we have eternal life, for the two are inseparable. And we are united to Him -- members of His body, the church, of which He is the HEAD.

Eternal life, my friends, is eternal. We shall not need to fear lest we be saved today and lost tomorrow. As someone has so strikingly said, "We can never drown as long as our HEAD is above water."

THE KEEPING POWER OF CHRIST

Our dependence is not upon ourselves but upon an all-powerful CHRIST who is able to keep us from falling (Jude 24). F.E. Marsh said, near the close of a long and fruitful life, "I have kept the faith because He has kept me in it." In the passage in I Peter 1:3-5 we have these assuring words, "an inheritance . . . reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 

Not only is our inheritance in Heaven reserved and kept for us, but we are kept for it. The same GOD who prepares Heaven for us, also prepares us for Heaven. We have opened our hearts to Him here and He will open His Heaven to us there. Though we may at times fall on the ROCK, by His Grace we shall fall off it.

The Scriptures reveal two judgments for the Christian. The notion of a general judgment at which both Christian and non-Christians are called to account is nowhere to be found in the Bible. The Great White Throne Judgment spoken in Revelation 20 is for the unsaved only, who are judged for their works and are case out into eternal night. In II Corinthians 5:10 we read "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." 

The judgment seat, Dr. Pettingill has pointed out, is the believer's "Bema," a place where rewards are meted out. The participants in Olympic games came before the Bema to receive the prize or prizes which they had won. The context of this verse reveals the fact that Paul here is addressing Christians only; and it is they who shall appear before the Bema for reward for service done in the great Olympics of life.

Their rewards will depend upon the character of their works. Some will, of course, have greater rewards than others, while to some there may be little or no reward. Here let me emphasize that there is a difference between salvation and rewards. Salvation is ours only through the finished work of CHRIST at Calvary; and our acceptance of it determines our entrance into Heaven. While rewards are given to us after we get into Heaven for the works which we as Christians have performed on earth. In other words, our faith in CHRIST brings us salvation, while our Christian work brings us our reward.

But, you say, "What about the Christian sin? Is there no judgment for his sin?" Yes indeed! But while his judgment for works is still future, his judgment for sin is in the past. The former will come to pass at CHRIST's second coming, while the latter has already taken place at His first coming. At the Cross of Calvary GOD the Father judged His Son and laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6; I Peter 2:24. He, CHRIST, was made to be sin for us. II Corinthians 5:21.

He died for us. Romans 5:8. "For us," means, "in our stead." Hence our judgment took place in Him; and the sin question has therefore become the "Son" question. It is no longer what shall we do with sin? But what has He done with it, and what shall we do with Him? The true Christian shall never come into judgment for sin. For by faith he has accepted his punishment in the PERSON of his Substitute.

The words of CHRIST in John 5:24 are perhaps the strongest words of assurance that the believer may find in the Bible: "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." These three truths stand out plainly and to one who has actually believed on "Him that sent Me" there can be no mistaking their meaning: "hath everlasting life," "shall not come into condemnation," "is passed from death unto life."

Think of it! We shall not come into condemnation! And wonders of wonders, this means that we shall not come into judgment. For the word here, "condemnation" is the word "krisis" which is the identical word that is used in Hebrews 9:27 where it says, "It is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment (krisis)." This verse -- Hebrews 9:27 -- is speaking of the unsaved and the judgment of sinners!

Dear fellow Christian! Lay hold of this truth. CHRIST says we shall never come into krisis; and His Word never fails. If you can grasp this overwhelming truth and see that for you there is no "krisis," that you have already passed from death unto life, you will surely be able to cast all doubts to the wind and with a thankful heart lift your eyes to Him who has saved you, and say, "Thank you, O CHRIST; I believe! I know!

THE SEALING of the HOLY SPIRIT

Ephesians 4:30, "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." The "day of redemption" is the day of the coming again of CHRIST for His own. On that day we are to be caught up to meet Him in the air. "So shall we ever be with the Lord." (I Thessalonians 4:17).

If then we are sealed (mark of ownership and guarantee of safety) until the day of redemption or the second coming of CHRIST, and from then on are to be with the Lord forever, surely we may hold the profession of our faith without wavering and rest implicitly in the power of Him who will surely keep His word. For in keeping His word to us His own honour is at stake.

We would have no fear for a priceless gem which we entrusted to the keeping of a reliable banker, if he were to give his word of assurance, "We shall keep your treasure in our safety vault until this time next month, when our new and larger vault will be ready. Then we shall transfer it into this new vault." Even so we are sealed by the HOLY SPIRIT until Christ's return; and then are caught up into that Great Eternal Safety Vault where we shall be with Him forever.

In the face of all these tremendous truths and these never-failing promises of a never-failing GOD, how can we do other than believe that we are safe and secure in Him? Justified in the sight of GOD; all sins forgiven and forgotten; no condemnation or judgment for sin awaiting us; eternal life our eternal possession; an all-powerful CHRIST from whose hand we can never be plucked; sealed by the HOLY SPIRIT -- oh, these great assuring facts stand before us in such majesty and magnitude that in their presence our doubts begin to dwindle and melt away like blocks of ice in the presence of a glowing fire. 

And we lift our hearts with glad thankfulness to the Heavens above and our paean of praise bursts uninhibited from our lips: "Blessed assurance, JESUS is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of GOD, Born of His SPIRIT, washed in His blood."

THE LIFE of the "KNOW-SO" CHRISTIAN

A Life of Good Works

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Ephesians 2:10) When by faith we receive the Lord JESUS CHRIST as our very own and into our lives, we become the temples of the HOLY SPIRIT, and GOD the Father plants within us the Divine nature. We are a new creation. Old things pass away and all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17). The new life within will manifest itself in new living without. While our own works do not save us, yet the Father has ordained and planned for us a life of good works. "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works"

From this verse, just quoted, it is plain that we have been made Christians in order that we should live righteously. Living for CHRIST will be as natural as breathing and will be as much a part of our nature as perfume is that of a rose. While it is true that even the "know-so" Christian will still possess the old and evil nature, yet the new man within is the stronger of the two, and GOD has so arranged it that not a single temptation shall be greater than we are able to bear (I Corinthians 10:13).

Our right-living and victory over sin will be the result of permitting the new-life-within to grow, and, as JESUS said concerning the SPIRIT, to blow "where it listeth." The big notion to do wrong will be accompanied by the bigger notion to do right. The supernatural power of the indwelling CHRIST will manifest itself in us in such a manner asto cause us to live lives of supernatural naturalness.

I once heard of a child of seven years of age who could neither walk, talk, see, nor hear. There was life but no living. GOD forbid that we should ever have that kind of spiritual life. If we truly know the truth, we shall be truly free. The drunkard will be a drunkard no more. The bibulous, carousing inebriate will be changed into a decent sober citizen. The cursing, swearing man will speak the praises of GOD. The faithless will become fa

The thief will be transformed into an honest man. The frivolous, giddy dancing girl will become a happy, cheerful soldier of the Cross. Lasciviousness and salaciousness will be turned to purity and chastity, hate to love, deceitfulness to fairness, worldliness to spirituality. Idols of favourite sins will be torn down and CHRIST Himself will be enthroned within the heart.

Christianity is a life. It is the life of CHRIST within, manifesting Himself through us to those round about us. There will be new living if there is new life. "For," in the words of another, "a religion that makes us feel right but does not make us live right is not the Christian religion." 

IN THE FACE of TRAGEDY

The life of the "know-so" Christian will be one of many and varied experiences. He will know the experiences of joy and sorrow, and may climb often from the depths of anguish to the heights of bliss, only to find that due to some unforeseen tragedy, the morrow may find him walking the lonely valley of bereavement. 

But even in the midst of dire distress, there will always be the sweet Presence of the SPIRIT, and he may know that all is well even when everything seems to go wrong. He will learn that even though Satan may be the ruler of this age, yet GOD is the "Over-ruler" and, for the Christian, can and does make life's tragedies into mountains of blessing. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love GOD, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

The Know-so Christian Will Have a Passion for Souls Of the many privileges that shall be ours along the way, that of soul winning will be the greatest. It is the most natural thing in the world for us to have a passion for the lost. It was so in the life of Paul. In his greatest Epistle, the one to the Romans, he exclaims with triumphant eloquence that he is persuaded that nothing shall be able to separate him from the love of GOD which is in CHRIST JESUS (Romans 8:35-39).

How he lifts us and thrills us with the precious fact of the believer's security in CHRIST! And then while the noble heart of Paul is revelling in the ineffable wonders of assurance of his own salvation, his soul begins to reach out in compassion for those who are lost and without CHRIST. And he bursts forth with that heartrending cry, "I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost; that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:1-3).

Ah, dear fellow-Christians, how can we help but be concerned for our unsaved friends and loved ones? I am sure that if we have absolute certainty of our salvation, we, like Paul, cannot rest unless we continually endeavour to win others. It will not always be easy for us to speak to men about our Lord and their need of Him. 

There will be times when it will seem to us that all the powers of Hell are fighting against us and that a seal has been placed upon our lips. As someone has tersely said, "We are like the Arctic rivers -- frozen at the mouth." But surely we shall be impelled to say, "The love of Christ constraineth me."

For men outside of CHRIST are lost, and GOD has no other way to reach them. I believe there are souls who will never be saved except through our own testimony; and that GOD has laid the responsibility for the salvation of souls upon every Christian!

Moody made it the rule of his life to speak to one person each day about CHRIST! The promise of GOD to give the HOLY SPIRIT to them that obey Him was surely intended for those who are obedient in the matter of witnessing for Him as well as for those who are obedient in other things.

 While all Christians already have the HOLY SPIRIT, yet He manifests Himself more definitely in those who obey. As I think of those Christians I know who are the most happy and who seem to give the surest evidence of a Spirit-filled life, without one single exception they are all making efforts to win others to CHRIST.

The Baptist Bible Believers Web Site who provided this excellent help for Christians, is not in any way connected with the Erring Christian Group. Neither do we presume that all our views are necessarily in accord with their own, & vice versa. God created individuals, not duplicates. We thank them in the name of Christ for making available this great help.

Excerpts from the "Know So Christian" By Paul Hutchins. Made available by: 

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Fifteenth edition,out-of-print and in the public domain. No Evidence of a Current Copyright for the Printed Book Found. During online Internet searches of the Library of Congress database in Washington D.C., performed on 6-6-2005, no evidence of a current copyright was found for this publication. 

Webmaster Footnote: Little of the "Know So Christian" has been edited on this page. However, for the full version of this excellent text, click on the banner above. My original booklet was made available through: Back to the Bible Broadcast, Reading, Berkshire, England. (at that time) Back to the Bible also provide the excellent daily devotionals on: Appendix   

THE JOY of SOUL-WINNING

The expression of joy that shines in the faces of men and women when they have been made happy is one of the things that helps to make this world a cheerful place for us all. There are many things that give inner joy which is bound to show itself on our faces. But again, from my experience, let me say, "The expression of joy on the face of one who has just led a soul to CHRIST seems to me to be more genuine and radiant than that which comes from any other source." Take a look about you, my friends, and behold the truly happy Christians. Who are they? I believe you will observe, as I have already pointed out, that without exception they are all soul-winners.

The "Know-So" Christian Will Love the Bible

To those who know the Saviour best, there is the greatest love for the Book. Someone has said that Bible study is like watching the sky at twilight. The longer we wait and scan the vast sweep above us, the more stars we shall be able to see as they one by one, and later, score upon score of them, burst into view.

True it is that when we wait upon GOD, in meditation upon His Holy Word, He reveals to us the

coruscating stars of truth and grace. As heat is to invisible ink, so is the breath of the SPIRIT to the Word of GOD in the hours of meditation. The know-so Christian will love the Bible. It will be his spiritual food and sustenance. While he may read other literature and study other books for mental pabulum, his one satisfying source of soul inspiration will be the sincere (unadulterated) milk of the Word. I Peter 2:2. His delight will be in the Law of the Lord. Psalm 1:2. 

Like John on the isle of Patmos, who (when he heard the voice from Heaven saying, "Come up hither and I will show you things to come," was immediately in the Spirit, Revelation 4:2; even so, we also shall so love the Book, that whenever we hear it taught or read, or when we read it ourselves, shall be "immediately . . . in the Spirit."

Prayer Life

How astonished must those four disciples have been that morning when upon rising at their usual hour, they found that JESUS had risen much earlier and had gone out in the gray of the dawn to pray. See Mark 1:30-37.

Prayer is the very breath of the soul; and the know-so Christian will soon discover its power, not only in his own life but in the lives of others. Like the Son of Man, he will learn to steal away to the secret place for intercession and communion; like Moses, he will come forth with a shining face. And like Mary he shall find that GOD is more pleased by his fellowship than by his efforts to serve Him.

'Tis not the bustling hours of time, We spend in serving Him, And not the deeds of service done, Nor yet the fame we win; But whether there is fellowship And blest communion sweet; For oft we may do more for Him By sitting at His feet.

Love for Fellow Christians

Some years ago I had been asked to speak to a group of Christian businessmen. At the close of my address, opportunity was offered to the men to tell how they knew they were saved, and to give a verse of Scripture on which their faith was founded. One clean-cut young man who had been converted a few months before, and who had been disturbed by doubts and manifold temptations, declared that the verse the SPIRIT had used to give him assurance was I John 3:14. "We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren." 

He then told how he had continually suffered from doubts until he saw the truth of that verse. Then there had flashed across his mind the fact that he no longer cared for the company of the worldly and foul-mouthed men of the town but that he now yearned for and sought the fellowship of Christians. He loved the brethren!

And how true it is! The child of GOD will hunger for fellowship; and because spiritual fellowship cannot be found in the world, he will seek for it. And seeking he shall find it in the company of those who also love the Lord. In fact, GOD has given to His own the capacity for mutual love. "Herein shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one toward another."

Victory Over Sin

A professed salvation that does not attain to victory over sin has fallen short of the standard. There is no need to dodge the issue. Either we are saved from a love of sin or we are not saved at all. This is perhaps one of the surest tests whereby the merely professing Christians may be distinguished from the possessing Christian. Should there be any one of my readers who feels certain that he is saved and yet does not have victory over sin, who still loves the world, let me say this to him: 

"Dear friend, you have an all powerful CHRIST as your Saviour. If you will yield the battle to Him, He will fill you with the HOLY SPIRIT and give you the victory. He has defeated Satan at the Cross, and if you will let Him He will defeat him in your life. You will then win, not by fighting, but by surrendering." Of course the Christian's life will be far different from that of the worldling. It cannot be otherwise. For he has met the Son of GOD face to face and come to know Him. And no man can see JESUS and ever be the same again.

Are we considered fanatical because we love to do right? Are we to be branded as eccentric because we love a Book that is scorned by its enemies? Are we to be condemned because we look upon our hardships as material from which we may manufacture new furniture for our house of praise? Are we to be mocked for our enthusiasm for the salvation of others? do men wonder how we can hold converse with GOD when they doubt His very existence?

Yea! We are an enigma to the world. But, something has happened to us and we know Him: and knowing Him, we are not ashamed!

Society may change, people may change, but the word of God endureth forever. 

May God  Richly Bess Your Walk With Him

Erring Christian Group

www.erringchristian.com & www.rahabschurch.com