The Mighty One, God the LORD,speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting. (Psalm 50:1)
FAITH: What Happened to You the Moment You First Believed?
Prior to coming to faith in Christ, the Bible describes our position before God as quite perilous. It says
that we were, "... separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12)
But one day in our past, we heard the gospel of truth about our Lord Jesus Christ and were granted faith in Him. (Philippians 1:29) This merciful, gracious, and powerful moment forever changed our standing before God in every conceivable way. In that moment He made us to be new creatures in Christ. The old man, which could never want or have a relationship with God, was replaced with the new man, made to fellowship with Him.
FAITH addresses many of the important changes that took place in you, the moment you first believed, such as:
But one day in our past, we heard the gospel of truth about our Lord Jesus Christ and were granted faith in Him. (Philippians 1:29) This merciful, gracious, and powerful moment forever changed our standing before God in every conceivable way. In that moment He made us to be new creatures in Christ. The old man, which could never want or have a relationship with God, was replaced with the new man, made to fellowship with Him.
FAITH addresses many of the important changes that took place in you, the moment you first believed, such as:
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FAITH examines these issues and more in great detail, leaving you with no doubt as to where you stand before God. It is a frank and
encouraging look at your position in Christ consequent to the moment God changed you forever. Each chapter takes a deep dive into one
glorious aspect of your new life and how it was dramatically and permanently changed by God for your good. Improving on your
understanding of how much you were changed by God, the moment you first believed, will yield joy and thankfulness in your heart to
God. You will be greatly encouraged in your faith, knowing how God transformed you into someone who could come into His presence.
* How do you know you have the kind of faith that will save you?
* How was God's power employed, the moment you first believed?
* How much mercy was required to save you?
* How did your standing before God change the moment you first believed?
* How did you go from death to life?
* How do you know that God loves you in particular?
* How did your domain change?
* How were peace, hope and love all impacted by that moment?
* What does it mean to be "spiritual?"
* Does God accept your worship of Him?
* What kind of life do you now have by faith in Christ?
* From what were you saved?
* What does it mean to be justified in God's sight?
* How has your ability to understand God's word changed?
* How can these truths completely change your outlook on life today?
* What meaning and purpose does suffering now have in your life?
* How was God's power employed, the moment you first believed?
* How much mercy was required to save you?
* How did your standing before God change the moment you first believed?
* How did you go from death to life?
* How do you know that God loves you in particular?
* How did your domain change?
* How were peace, hope and love all impacted by that moment?
* What does it mean to be "spiritual?"
* Does God accept your worship of Him?
* What kind of life do you now have by faith in Christ?
* From what were you saved?
* What does it mean to be justified in God's sight?
* How has your ability to understand God's word changed?
* How can these truths completely change your outlook on life today?
* What meaning and purpose does suffering now have in your life?
"Through Him we have also
obtained access by faith
into this grace in which
we stand, and we rejoice
in the hope of the glory
of God." (Romans 5:2)
Here is a recent blog post which addresses the reasons why I wrote this book. You can go to the blog here.
For the first 10 years of my life as a believer in Jesus Christ, I had little understanding of God's particular love for me and how my
salvation was the result of His power working in me. But then some faithful Brothers in the Lord shared with me the Doctrines of
Grace and my life was changed.
By the grace of God these precious doctrines found their way into my heart, renewed my mind and changed forever the way I would see God and my salvation in Christ. At that time, and for the first time in my life, I understood and believed what the prophet Jonah wrote long ago, "...Salvation is of the Lord." (Jonah 2:9)
Sadly, the time before I understood the Doctrines of Grace was largely wasted, worldly, double-minded and quite shallow in terms of my knowledge of God. My life in many respects did not reflect the changes that had occurred in me. I sometimes wonder if I was a believer at all during those years. Nevertheless, and mercifully, God used them to make me into the person I am now. He did not give me what I deserved. "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10).
About a year ago I began considering the implications of that time in my life, when God showed me from His word the work that He did in saving me, how important those days were and how inconsistent in faith I would have remained without them.
(By this I don't mean to suggest that I have arrived. Please! I make the observation only by comparison to who I was before those days. The nearer anyone draws to the Lord, the more they know how miserably short of God's glory they are. No one knows this about me more than me.)
FAITH: What Happened to You the Moment You First Believed? is the result of this contemplation. It is a summary of some of the many blessings this moment in time brings into a person's life. And the blessings are enormous.
The moment God grants faith in Christ to a person (Philippians 1:29) is an enormous event in someone's life. The blessings that flow from it and the changes brought by it are so staggering, so wonderful, so blessed, so gracious, so merciful, that we are not able to fully comprehend them all this side of heaven, even with God's help.
And the gulf that exists between who we were as unbelievers and who we became as children of God, in the twinkling of an eye, cannot be measured by any standard we know here on earth. The psalmist helps us a little to understand what was required to save us in Psalm 103:11, "For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him."
Sadly, it has also been my observation over the last 20 years that I was not alone in this lack of understanding. For reasons I don't have time to go into now, many in the church lack the comfort and confidence they should have in Christ because they lack understanding about how God saved them and that God saved them by His power alone.
The spiritual realities existent in one's life, as a result of God's powerful work, is pervasive. It touches upon every single area in a person's life, whether they know it or not, believe it or not, understand it or not, apply it or not.
The changes which He wrought in me in that moment were all true during those years I lived in ignorance of them. Consequently they had little impact on my life. They should have transformed me.
Many Christians still need the light of the gospel to shine brighter in their hearts as well, that they might better know the greatness of their salvation in Christ and might be more changed by it.
In this vein, the Apostle Paul prayed that the church would know "... what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power..."(KJV) Ephesians 1:19
My hope, in writing FAITH, is to share some of the great and blessed changes that occur in someone's life, the moment they first believe, that they, by the power and grace of God, would improve in their understanding of the mighty things God did in them, and as a result be transformed by them.
I hope that you grow in your understanding of this truth - that the moment God saved you from your sins, by granting you faith in Jesus Christ, was an epic demonstration of His eternal love, power and grace in your life.
And may, by the grace of God, your improvement in your understanding of these truths, cause you to bow down before your God, echoing the words of the psalmist who wrote,
"Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, [and] for thy truth's sake." (KJV) Psalms 115:1
[FAITH: What Happened to You the Moment You First Believed? will be available some time in December. Please visit www.thesovereigngod.net for more information, download a couple of chapters or visit the Facebook Page for the book.)
By the grace of God these precious doctrines found their way into my heart, renewed my mind and changed forever the way I would see God and my salvation in Christ. At that time, and for the first time in my life, I understood and believed what the prophet Jonah wrote long ago, "...Salvation is of the Lord." (Jonah 2:9)
Sadly, the time before I understood the Doctrines of Grace was largely wasted, worldly, double-minded and quite shallow in terms of my knowledge of God. My life in many respects did not reflect the changes that had occurred in me. I sometimes wonder if I was a believer at all during those years. Nevertheless, and mercifully, God used them to make me into the person I am now. He did not give me what I deserved. "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10).
About a year ago I began considering the implications of that time in my life, when God showed me from His word the work that He did in saving me, how important those days were and how inconsistent in faith I would have remained without them.
(By this I don't mean to suggest that I have arrived. Please! I make the observation only by comparison to who I was before those days. The nearer anyone draws to the Lord, the more they know how miserably short of God's glory they are. No one knows this about me more than me.)
FAITH: What Happened to You the Moment You First Believed? is the result of this contemplation. It is a summary of some of the many blessings this moment in time brings into a person's life. And the blessings are enormous.
The moment God grants faith in Christ to a person (Philippians 1:29) is an enormous event in someone's life. The blessings that flow from it and the changes brought by it are so staggering, so wonderful, so blessed, so gracious, so merciful, that we are not able to fully comprehend them all this side of heaven, even with God's help.
And the gulf that exists between who we were as unbelievers and who we became as children of God, in the twinkling of an eye, cannot be measured by any standard we know here on earth. The psalmist helps us a little to understand what was required to save us in Psalm 103:11, "For as the heaven is high above the earth, [so] great is his mercy toward them that fear him."
Sadly, it has also been my observation over the last 20 years that I was not alone in this lack of understanding. For reasons I don't have time to go into now, many in the church lack the comfort and confidence they should have in Christ because they lack understanding about how God saved them and that God saved them by His power alone.
The spiritual realities existent in one's life, as a result of God's powerful work, is pervasive. It touches upon every single area in a person's life, whether they know it or not, believe it or not, understand it or not, apply it or not.
The changes which He wrought in me in that moment were all true during those years I lived in ignorance of them. Consequently they had little impact on my life. They should have transformed me.
Many Christians still need the light of the gospel to shine brighter in their hearts as well, that they might better know the greatness of their salvation in Christ and might be more changed by it.
In this vein, the Apostle Paul prayed that the church would know "... what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power..."(KJV) Ephesians 1:19
My hope, in writing FAITH, is to share some of the great and blessed changes that occur in someone's life, the moment they first believe, that they, by the power and grace of God, would improve in their understanding of the mighty things God did in them, and as a result be transformed by them.
I hope that you grow in your understanding of this truth - that the moment God saved you from your sins, by granting you faith in Jesus Christ, was an epic demonstration of His eternal love, power and grace in your life.
And may, by the grace of God, your improvement in your understanding of these truths, cause you to bow down before your God, echoing the words of the psalmist who wrote,
"Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, [and] for thy truth's sake." (KJV) Psalms 115:1
[FAITH: What Happened to You the Moment You First Believed? will be available some time in December. Please visit www.thesovereigngod.net for more information, download a couple of chapters or visit the Facebook Page for the book.)
Published by FastPencil Publishing - 267 Pages