Saved To The Uttermost! - Part Two
Jerry Bouey
Romans 8:1 - Now No Condemnation
Romans 7:19-25 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
The great dilemma of the ages: where do I receive victory in my Christian life? In my flesh I cannot please the Lord nor live the way He wants me to live. On my own, I cannot even fulfill the Law's demands. The battle the Apostle Paul describes in Romans 7 seems well-nigh hopeless, futile, vain - but there is hope! The conflict doesn't end there. The same God who inspired Romans 7 also gave us Romans 8, the Victory Chapter. This chapter is what many theologians refer to as the Jewel of the New Testament. And the truths contained within these verses gleam brightly for all with eyes to see, and ears to hear!
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The key to daily victory is to abide in Christ. When you came to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation from sin, fully trusting in His death, burial and resurrection, your account was credited with the perfect sinless righteousness of Jesus, the only person who has ever fully fulfilled the Old Testament Law. When our Heavenly Father looks down from Heaven at His children, He sees only the righteousness of the spotless Lamb of God, not our blemishes and sin-stains. Right here and now (not just after we die), all God's children are free from condemnation! From the moment I placed personal faith in Jesus Christ, He delivered me from the wrath of God for my sins (eternity in Hell) - because He has already borne my penalty for them when He died on the cross of Calvary. The lightning of God's wrath will never strike the same person twice - either we accept Jesus' payment for our sins, or we bear the penalty ourselves in Hell. If you are reading this and you don't know Jesus as your personal Saviour, I plead with you to accept His payment for your sin. Come unto Jesus for forgiveness and cleansing, and let Him make you a new creature!
The hymn writer, Philip Bliss, said it best in his song Once For All:
For Whom Did Christ Die? He died:
1. For all (1 Timothy 2:6; Isaiah 53:6)
1 Timothy 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
2. For every man (Hebrews 2:9; 1 Timothy 4:10)
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
1 Timothy 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
3. For the world (John 3:16; 4:42; 2 Corinthians 5:19; 1 John 4:14)
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 4:42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
4. For the sins of the world (1 John 2:2)
1 John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
5. For the ungodly (Romans 5:6)
Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
6. For false teachers (2 Peter 2:1)
2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
7. For many (Matthew 20:28)
Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
8. For Israel (John 11:50-51)
John 11:50-51 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
9. For the church (Ephesians 5:25)
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
10. For me (Galatians 2:20)
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Saved To The Uttermost!
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
The Greek word for uttermost is panteles. The root word pan means “all, every.” Teles and the word Jesus used in John 19:30 for “It is finished” come from the same root word meaning “(to set out for a definite point or goal); properly, the point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state).”
Just as everything needed to save us was done at Calvary (ie. by our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, shedding His blood, bearing our sins and suffering God’s wrath in our place) - It is finished! - even so, will all be done in and through us (the process of calling us, justifying us, sanctifying us, glorifying us - in fact, every single thing that our Lord promises to do for us in regards to our salvation) will be done by Jesus. Just as He finished the work of dying for our sins on Calvary, even so will He do all things needed to make us fit to dwell eternally with Him - from the guttermost to the uttermost, as they say.
July 31/2021
Jerry Bouey
There's a refuge to be found in the midst of life's storms,
There's a peace so profound it will guard your heart from harm,
Where is this shelter under the everlasting arms?
It's Jesus.
There's only one Saviour who died to make men free,
One source of Living Water that flows abundantly,
One plan of salvation - Are you thirsty? Come and see.
It's Jesus.
God was manifest in the flesh when He came down to earth,
The Son of God who became a Man through the virgin birth,
One sacrifice for sins forever - His love gives us worth,
It's Jesus.
There's only one sinless Man whose life He gave,
Only one Man who arose victorious over the grave,
There's only one Saviour who can ever save,
It's Jesus.
There's only one fountain of blood that can cleanse from all sin,
Only one Spirit of Life that will dwell within,
True righteousness is found only in Him -
It's Jesus.