Are you saved in your sins or from your sins?

The claim that Jesus saves us from our sins is not very controversial, at least not among Christians. We believe that were it not for the sinless life, sacrificial death, and righteous resurrection of Jesus we would still be "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1).  

But who would dare to claim that what Jesus did for them goes so far as to actually save them from committing sin in this present life. Saved from hell? Yes. Saved from the penalty of our sins? Yes. Saved from the practice of sin? No. "No one is perfect." "We all sin."

Do you know why Jesus was given the name Jesus? He was called Jesus (Joshua), meaning "Lord saves", because he would "save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). That means that Jesus sets his people free from their sins -- not just sin's penalty.

The New Testament describes the lifestyle of God's people as: "blameless", "unblameable", "without offense" and "without blemish" (Luke 1:6; Philippians 2:15; 1 Timothy 3:2, 10; Titus 1:6-7; 2 Peter 3:14; Philippians 1:10; Ephesians 5:25-27). God demands that his children have a holy lifestyle (1 Peter 1:15; 2 Peter 3:11).

One might object, "but isn't God full of grace?" Since God is so generous we should be able to continue to practice sin. This very objection is raised and refuted in the Bible (Romans 6:1-2). Many people have misunderstood the power and purpose of grace. God's grace teaches and enables us to turn our backs on sin in this present age (Titus 2:11-13; 1 Corinthians 15:10).

We are not saved by our works. We are saved by grace. But no one is saved who does not have works (Matthew 7:16-21). Jesus taught his disciples that they would practice good works because of his life flowing into them (John 15:5). Truly, without Jesus we can do nothing. But with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). When we walk in the Spirit we really are free from sin (Galatians 5:22-23).

Jesus came to do more than save you in your sins. He came to save you from your sins! 

Scriptures on the Need for Illumination

Some Scriptures on the need for illumination

We are taught by God

John 6:45, 65

God gives us knowledge of himself

Matthew 11:27 (cf. John 17:3); Matthew 16:16-17; Ephesians 1:17

The Spirit teaches us the things of God

John 16:14-15

Without the Spirit we cannot recognize Jesus as Lord

1 Corinthians 12:3

We cannot recognize any spiritual truth without the Spirit

1 Corinthians 2:12-14

God reveals things to some that he does not reveal to others

Matthew 13:11

God's people hear from him while others do not

John 8:47; 10:26

The Spirit testifies to and convicts the world

John 16:8-11

God opens people's hearts to respond to preaching

Acts 16:14

God's illumination overcomes the darkness in human hearts

2 Corinthians 4:4-6

Are New Testament Prophets Always Positive?

As we drove to the Church that morning, my interpreter, a precious young lady named Joy, turned to me with tears in her eyes. "May I ask you about something," Joy said. "There are many prophecies about terrible destructions and judgment coming on Korea. I am so afraid for my family and myself in light of what prophets are saying. What do you think?"

I replied, "That spirit is not the Holy Spirit. God is not a terrorist."

...In addition to terrorizing the innocent and unlearned, words of warning and impending judgment also have an ability to energize the enemy and add fuel to the fire of destruction he plans against people everywhere. There is a certain naive arrogance that has seeped into the tenor of much of what is being received today as prophecy. Judgment will come when Christ appears. Until that day, our commission is the good news of salvation, deliverance, healing, repentance and forgiveness. Let's make that adjustment in our thinking and our message, especially prophecy.  

                                                                   - Bonnie Chavda 

The New Covenant brings with it many changes for the better. Is the content of prophecy one of those changes? Since we live in the age of grace perhaps God is no longer sending prophets with messages of doom and gloom. That’s what some contend. 

Positive prophecy is really nothing new. In ancient Israel there were positive prophets among the people. These prophets gave the majority report, whereas the true prophets of God often gave bad news and minority reports (such as Micaiah in 1 Chronicles 18; Jeremiah 14:13-15; 23:9, 16-17, 21, 25, 30; 28:1-17; Micah 3:5; Ezekiel 13:10-16; Lamentations 2:14; Ezekiel 22:25). Noah preached a maligned and ignored message of judgment against the whole world – and he was right. Elijah once believed that he was the only true prophet left (1 Kings 18). Many true prophets were killed while false prophets were celebrated. Jesus said, “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).

You may have heard it said that New Testament prophets are unlike Old Testament prophets because they always proclaim a positive message. Does such a claim stand the test of Scripture?

Judgment in the New Testament

On the day of Pentecost thousands were saved. As the fire spread, the Christian community grew fast. In no time the first example of judgment is given. A man and his wife sold a property and then claimed that they were giving all of the proceeds to the church. Peter prophetically discerned their lies.  He even foretold the judgment that would follow. They both died as a consequence of their actions (Acts 5:1-12).

King Herod gave a speech. Some of the crowd said that his voice was not that of a man but of a god. Since Herod did not reject this praise, God sent an angel to judge Herod. Herod died a  sudden and ugly death (Acts 12:21-23).

The church at Corinth had its faults. One of the more serious problems was their abuse of the Lord’s Supper. Paul prophetically pronounced that their so-called Lord’s Supper was the cause for many sicknesses and deaths in the congregation (1 Corinthians 11:29-30).

From the earliest days of Christianity there were false teachers. These teachers were not ignored. Rather, they were confronted (Titus 1:13; Romans 16:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14; 2 John 1:10). God used Paul to bring judgment to false prophets by delivering them over to Satan (1 Timothy 1:20; 1 Corinthians 5:3-5)

Since God continues to bring judgment in this age we should expect true prophets to warn about the coming judgments when fitting. There is simply no Scriptural basis for believing that God has stopped punishing sin.

New Testament Prophecies

Much of what the New Testament has to say concerning the future is about the final judgment. The greatest of all prophets, Jesus, warned that, for most people, the Day of Judgment will be bad news (Matthew 7:14; 20:16; Luke 13:23-30). Christ’s return is good news for some but bad news for most (Matthew 16:27; Revelation 22:12).

Another New Testament prophet shows up in the book of Acts. His name was Agabus.  His first recorded prophecy was that there would be a severe famine (Acts 11:28). He later prophesied that Paul would be arrested (Acts 21:10-11). Argabus was not an exclusively positive prophet. 

Paul was not always positive in his prophecy. When he prepared to leave the Ephesian church he gave a prophetic word. He warned the church that wolves were going to enter the flock and draw some away (Acts 20:28-31). Such a tragic prophecy cannot be characterized as positive.

Jesus continued to prophesy after his resurrection. Revelation chapters 1-3 contain some of these precious prophecies. There are some wonderful words of assurance and hope in those prophecies. But it would not be honest to call them exclusively positive (Revelation 2:4-5, 10, 16, 22-23; 3:1-5; 15-17).

Multiple New Testament prophecies warn us that the last days will not be glorious. These days will be marked by an increase in wickedness (2 Timothy 3:1-9; Jude 1:18; 2 Peter 3:3-7). Jesus compares the days leading up to his return to the situations just prior to the global flood and the judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:26-30). The New Testament prophecies about the end of time (prior to the Second Advent) cannot be described as positive.

Conclusion

The fear of the Lord should be cultivated. Not that we, his children, are afraid of God. But we do need to develop and cherish a healthy reverence for God and his judgments (Matthew 10:28). God still corrects his children when they misbehave (1 Corinthians 11:32; Hebrews 12:17). His goal is to make sure we will  be saved from eternal punishment.

True men and women of God may not always tell you what you want to hear, but they will tell you what you need to hear. Beware of false teachers. Many claim to be prophets and are not. So be careful who’s teaching you heed (2 Timothy 4:3).  True prophets may hurt  you to heal you – just like the Great Physician.



P.S. No true prophet can "adjust" prophecies.
Let's make that adjustment in our thinking and our message, especially prophecy. - Chavda 

^NAS 2 Peter 1:21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2:1 ¶ But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. ² And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; ³ and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. ⁴ ¶ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly thereafter...

Afraid to Take Communion?

I've known several Christians who were afraid to participate in the Lord's Supper. The most common reason for this fear is preaching that emphasized introspection, reverence, and personal purity as prerequisites for "worthy" participation in Holy Communion. The textual basis for such preaching is 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, the most lengthy discussion of the Lord's Supper in all of Scripture. So, let's examine the text, verse by verse, and see what a Christian's attitude toward Communion should be. 

Verse 17 But in giving this instruction, I do not praise you, because you come together not for the better but for the worse.

The Corinthians were getting a strong rebuke. Their behavior was so bad that their meeting did more harm than good! (but at least they gathered)

Verse 18  For, in the first place, when you come together as a church, I hear that divisions exist among you; and in part, I believe it. 

Corinth was a divided church – divided over favorite teachers, taking each other to court, and divided over social class.

God values highly a unified church. That’s why this epistle stresses unity so frequently. In chapter 11 we see an emphasis on unity in the Lord’s Supper. In chapter 12, unity in spiritual gifts. And in 13 – unity in love.

Verse 19  For there must also be factions among you, in order that those who are approved may have become evident among you.

There were faithful and unfaithful believers in the church. That’s why there were divisions/factions.

Verse 20 Therefore when you meet together, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper, 

What they were doing when they celebrated “the Lord’s Supper” was so bad (v 17) that it could not rightly be called the Lord’s Supper. 

Verse 21  for in your eating each one takes his own supper first; and one is hungry and another is drunk. 

Cultic meals were almost always a part of ancient worship. The early Christians ate a fellowship meal and the Lord's Supper together ("after supper" v 25). See also Acts 2:42, 46; 20:7, 11; Jude 12. In Corinthian society some guests got more and better food than others based on their status. The wickedness of the culture came into the church. It was not the Lord’s Supper. It was their supper (20-21). They were getting drunk at the table. But that wasn't Paul's main concern. They were not unified! The rich and poor were separate (perhaps even eating in different rooms, the dining room saved for the rich and the courtyard for the poor). The rich ate well while the poor ate poorly. And the rich may have started eating while the poor were still at work. Some communion that was!

Verse 22 What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God, and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you.

Be ashamed you who shame the poor and despise God's church. You have houses to eat in. Others have nothing. 

Verse 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;

Jesus was betrayed by a disciple – his friend.

Verse 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

This is my body, obviously not to be taken literally. “Broken” (in KJV) may not be in the original. Christ’s physical body was never broken, at least not his bones. But his entire person was broken for us. It “pleased the Lord to crush him.” His suffering was “for you.” We eat to remember him and his suffering.

Verse 25 In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." 

The cup is the New Covenant – a gracious covenant of love. Again, we drink in remembrance of him.

Verse 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.

We eat the Lord’s Supper to proclaim his death until he returns. His death was a profound demonstration of self-giving love. A selfish Lord's Supper is impossible. 

Verse 27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.

Those who participate in the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner are guilty of the body and blood of our Lord.

Verse 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 

Examine yourself before you participate.

Verse 29  For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. 

He who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner brings judgment[1] on himself by not recognizing the body of Christ. An abuse of the body is an abuse of Christ himself (see Paul's encounter with the risen Lord). A true Lord’s Supper recognizes the unity of the body. 1 Corinthians 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath something against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Verse 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 

A community sin brought community judgment. The Spirit must have revealed to Paul that the reason for many sicknesses and death in the Corinthian church was their sinful “Lord’s Supper.” This does not mean that the ones who got sick and died were the same ones who were guilty. Neither does it mean that sickness and death in the church are always a divine judgment (whether pertaining to the Lord's Supper or not). It does remind us that “judgment begins at the house of God.”

Verse 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged.

Judge yourselves or God will judge you.

Verse 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord in order that we may not be condemned along with the world.

Still, when God brings judgment to the church it is so that the church will be spared in the final day of judgment. His chastening is for our good.

Verse 33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 

That’s why you should wait for one another, rather than some of you feasting privately.

Verse 34  If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you may not come together for judgment. And the remaining matters I shall arrange when I come.

If you’re hungry, eat at home. That way your gatherings will not bring God’s judgment.

Christians are a family. We are a close family. There is no room for division in this family.

Do not fear the Lord’s Table – reverence it. Jesus did not come to condemn us. He came to save us. By celebrating the Lord’s Supper we proclaim his sacrificial death – His death for us. We have all sinned, some more recently and grievously than others. He came to change that. He came to change us. That includes you. If you are weary and weighed down with guilt and care, come to the Table. There is grace for you there. There is life for the repentant there. Come to Jesus and live.

[1] KJV has damnation here and translates the same Greek word more helpfully as condemnation in verse 34. These days we tend to think of damnation in only one way – eternal condemnation. That is not what Paul has in mind.

Fee, Gordon. The First Epistle to the Corinthians. 1st ed. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987.

Keener, Craig S. ; InterVarsity Press. The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993.

Morris, Leon L. 1 Corinthians (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. IVP Academic, 2008.