JC Blog

“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” ( Hebrews 9:27-28 )

There are certain things in life we are assured of, just as we were born, we will also die. It was Ben Franklin who joked “in the world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes". I would suggest, however, that there are a few other things we can also be certain of. Just as mankind is appointed to die and to be brought before God in judgment, so also Jesus was destined to come and bear the burden of sins of the world once for all ( I Peter 3:18, I John 2:2 ). This is amazing news for us. Because this work was finished and complete, He is also appointed to return, not to bear sin again but to bring salvation to those who are eagerly waiting and expecting Him.

This is Christ’s legacy. He dealt with the issue of sin once for all so all that is left to do is to come and gather His people to Himself. As believers we have been redeemed, we have been purchased and we have been given a new born again spirit but we are still waiting for the redemption of our physical bodies. When Jesus Christ returns He will be coming to bring final salvation. This is one of the things in life we can be assured of, Christ is coming back and when He comes, He will bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him!

This is an exciting thing; there is no fear in anticipating that day. Paul told the church at Thessalonica, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” ( I Thessalonians 5:9-11 ). The only question that will matter is; What did you do with Jesus? For those who believe in Him, we will not suffer wrath but we will receive our salvation.

The Apostle John also comforts us with these words, “In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us” ( I John 4:17-19 ). In other words, when we stand before God in judgment we will be wearing the righteousness of Jesus. John said “as He is so are we in the world,” meaning that there is no accusation of sin against us, because Jesus dealt with the issue of sin and we have accepted His payment for it. Through Jesus we have the righteousness we need, to stand before God free from accusation or condemnation. We also have His perfect love to reassure us in this truth.

Jesus told us that anyone who accepts His message of grace and forgiveness will have this salvation without condemnation. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” ( John 5:24 ). The word for condemned is the same word for judgment. Christ came to first to bear sins so that He could come back again to bring salvation for all those who eagerly, constantly and patiently wait and expect Him! It is as certain as death and taxes and it is something to anticipate with great joy!

"Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case—things that accompany salvation. God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them" ( Hebrews 6:9-10 ).

Salvation is accompanied by lots of fringe benefits. In fact salvation is the entrance point for all the good things that God has in store for us. The moment we were born again every promise that was made belonged to us as heirs of this kingdom. Although the warning at the end of Hebrews 5 and beginning of chapter 6 is a strong warning, the entire passage is really focusing on moving into maturity so as not to become complacent with the eternal life that has been given us. As believers we are not in danger of falling away, the writer simply mentioned it because what he wants to say needs a good foundation to understand and his audience was not training themselves to gain spiritual insight as they should have been.

Both knowledge and understanding is one of the many benefits that accompany salvation. John explained how this works, “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth” ( I John 2:20 ). The King James Bible tells us that we have “an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (KJV). The word is translated both as anointing and unction comes from the same word, which Strong’s Concordance defines as “anything smeared on, unguent, ointment, usually prepared by the Hebrews from oil and aromatic herbs. Anointing was the inaugural ceremony for priests. The amazing thing is that John is referring to the Holy Spirit as the ointment covering the believer and granting them the means to possess the knowledge and understanding of God’s truth and walk in all His ways.

John goes on to explain later it the very same chapter, “As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him” ( I John 2:27 ). We have the perfect teacher to lead us into all truths and unlock the scripture to us. When we don’t understand, the Holy Spirit partners with us in bringing revelation knowledge concerning the things we have read or heard. This knowledge and understanding comes from within to illuminate our minds to the truth, this is one of His many functions. Jesus told his disciples shortly before His death that it was advantageous for Him to go back to the Father so He could send the Holy Spirit to us because He knew we needed Him ( John 16:7 ).

Being confident of better things the writer also pauses to remind us that God is not unjust in noticing the labor of love shown the world through them for His name sake. Which is amazing considering that we are Christ’s ambassadors on this earth ( II Corinthians 5:20 ), sent by him and in His name to love a hurting and dying world. He has given us full authority on this earth to act on his behalf, and God certainly notices and does not forget these acts of kindness. Which is why the writer finishes with this thought reminding us to persevere until the very end;, “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised" ( Hebrews 6:11-12 ). Through knowledge, spiritual insight and perseverance we will lay hold of the hope to which we have been called. This is why we take encouragement through these scriptures, chiding us to move forward in our knowledge and understanding of God, because we know the best is yet to come.

Every new believer has at one time or another struggled over this question of losing their salvation. They’ve messed up and assumed that what they’ve done proves they aren’t saved. Of course the devil is right there planting these ideas into their head. But as we have already seen, you cannot lose your salvation, which was a gift. Neither will God take it back from you.

Let’s go back to my camp days again... There was another counselor who had been learning about this in Bible college and started challenging me whether or not you could lose your salvation. To even phrase it like that, I don’t believe he understood this principal either, because it really should be a non-issue among Christians. It is in the scriptures to show us the incredible facets of God’s nature, meaning he gives us a choice because this is the highest form of relationship one can have. Everyone in this kingdom is here by choice, personal choice. It is not a matter of losing it rather returning or renouncing it.

This is why the Lord outlined the guidelines for being mature enough to renounce such a great salvation. He will not hold you accountable unless you are fully aware of the decision. For instance, if when a child, I ran away from home and decided I no longer wanted to be a part of my family, the police would find me and return me to my parents. Even if I told them I wanted to change my name and cut all ties. They wouldn’t allow such a decision from a child, even a teenager because there is no understanding of the long term effects of that decision. However, now that I am an adult, legally I could go down to the courthouse, change my name, renounce my birthright, cut off all association with my family and the courts would grant this decision in my favor. And the Law would back me up. My parents would have nothing to say about it because legally I am an adult and I am responsible and fully aware of the full weight of my decisions.  

The same is true of God, He does not allow this decision to be made by a person unless certain requirements have first been met. Because verse 6 exclaims that they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and publicly shaming him before the world (Hebrews 6:6). Since there was only one sacrifice for sin for all time (Hebrews 8:27; 9:12; 9:28; 10:10; 10:12; 10:14; 10:18), to reject this gift after experiencing it leaves a person in bad shape. There is no other salvation, which is why Peter said it would have been better for the person to never have known the way of righteousness than to know and turn back once again to the pollution of the world (II Peter 2:20-21). As in the previous example, one must be fully aware of the  weight of their decisions to be held accountable, so certain requirements must be met . 

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace" (Hebrews 6:4-6). 

First, the person has to be enlightened. The Greek word is phōtizō, which means to give light, to shine, to enlighten, light up, illumine, to bring to light, render evident. It also denotes causing something to exist and come to light becoming clear to all. To enlighten spiritually with saving knowledge. The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit gives us a working knowledge of God. It’s a revelation, it changes our entire way of thinking because we are new creations.  

Secondly, the person has to have tasted the heavenly gift and shared in the Holy Spirit. This is more than being born again by the regenerating work of Holy Spirit. This is operating in the kingdom. The word used for gift describes spiritual or supernatural gifts. The word for heavenly denotes things that take place in heaven not on earth. The word for tasted is defined as to partake of, enjoy, make trial of, or experience. In other words, the person actively participates in the kingdom by operating in the gifts of the Spirit (I Corinthians 12-14).

Next, the person must have tasted the goodness of the word of God. The Greek word used here is rhēma, the spoken word. The significance of rhēma as distinct from logos (written word) is not referring to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need. It is the ability to take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17) and skillfully use it. This is our defense and offense here on earth. To use it, we must know and have spiritual insight into the scriptures. This comes through maturity and enlightenment by the Holy Spirit over time.

Lastly, the person must have experienced the powers of the coming age. The writer is talking about dynamis power, it is where we get the word for dynamite. It is defined by Strong’s Concordance as inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth. The power for performing miracles. The age being referred to is one of indefinite duration, eternity. This makes sense since the person is fully operating in the kingdom, its gifts and power.

These four things are required before God holds one accountable to make this decision. Notice, if after experiencing all of these things, hardness of heart takes over to the point they decide to renounce God, the reason they cannot be restored once again is because it is impossible for them to be brought back to repentance. If they’d repent, God would restore. But in this state of a reprobate mind the person basically becomes a God-hater.

This is why the writer of Hebrews begins this chapter instructing us to progress in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Because fellowshipping with the Lord protects the heart from the cares and worries of this world. Peter said, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” (I Peter 2:2-3). We should experience the Lord and enjoy Him and progress in our revelation of Him. In this way, we guarantee what has been promised to us through faith in Christ, protecting our hearts from forgetting what has been purchased for us. “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised” (Hebrews 6:11-12).

We've established that you cannot lose your salvation, nor can anyone take it away from you, but Hebrews teaches that it is impossible to be brought back again to repentance once you've fallen away. If it is possible to fall away after being born again, it is important to look at this and understand what the writer is saying. Remember for every Biblical truth there is an equal and opposite truth that appears to contradict. Like our example of the tightrope, these truths pull in an equal and opposite direction to bring balance. In all cases it is not an either or scenario, but both. So understanding both sides of the apparent contradiction will expand your revelation of God's amazing grace and heighten your appreciation of the choice offered to you in Jesus.

Salvation is a choice and every person is offered this choice as a gift of God's grace. The choice is whether or not you accept Jesus as Savior and Lord and place your faith in Him. God does not make you chose Him although He desires it. He did everything possible to offer this to us but when it comes to the bottom line, we have a choice whether or not to accept this gift. John says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God" ( John 1:12-13 ). The only thing required is receiving this free gift.

So, if the only way into the kingdom of God is by choice, then it also makes sense that the only way out of the kingdom is by choice. Remember you cannot lose your salvation, no one can take it from you, God will never leave you or forsake you, but at any point you decide you no longer want to belong in this kingdom, you can renounce it and God honors that decision. God chose us and in return he wants us to chose him This is the highest form of relationship one can have, one of mutual choice.

In Paul’s beautiful expose to the Romans he said, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” ( Romans 8:38-39 ). Nothing external can separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus but notice a person’s free will is not on that list.

This is why the writer of Hebrews advises us to get past the elementary truths of God and to gain knowledge and spiritual insight. Because the more you know about God and his loving nature toward you the less likely you will become complacent in this life concerning the things of God. The less complacent, the less hard of heart and more responsive toward the Holy Spirit and His leading in your life. In other words, the more you have an intimate working knowledge of God, the less likely you will be to fall away because of the snares of this world.

Peter also had something to say about this. "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them." ( II Peter 2:20-21 ).

This concept is mentioned in scripture to show us God’s full nature of grace not to give us an out. His desire from the beginning has always been to have relationship with us, which is why He sent Jesus to restore all things. It is our choice and always remains such. However, there are conditions on falling away or in essence becoming reprobate and renouncing salvation. It is not something one can do easily. Certain guidelines must first be met, in other words, one must be a mature Christian and fully aware of the decision and it’s result.

Join me tomorrow for Part 4 of 4, The Conditions of Becoming Reprobate.

If it is possible to fall away, as this passage in Hebrews suggests, or in effect become again as an unbeliever without the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, this verse seems to contradict others throughout scripture which talk about eternal redemption. So, it is important to first look at eternal redemption, what it is, what has been promised and who it is for; so we understand what the writer is saying in these verses concerning falling away.

Eternal redemption can be defined in this way; it is putting saving faith in the complete and perfect work of Jesus Christ, confessing Him as Lord, accepting the payment and forgiveness for your sins, trusting in Him to do what you cannot do. Once this happens you are saved, period. This is an eternal decision. You cannot lose what has been given to you as a gift.

Jesus made this quite clear. "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” ( John 10:27-30 ).

Paul asked a similar question in Romans 8, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" ( Romans 8:35a ). His response, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" ( Romans 8:38-39 ).

Besides these verses which clearly teach that no outside force can separate us from God, we have several promises from Jesus that show His intention for eternal redemption. First he offers us eternal life ( John 3:16; John 3:36; John 10:10; John 17:3, I John 5:11-13 ). Secondly He told us He would never leave us or forsake us ( Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5, John 14:18, Hebrews 13:5 ). Next, He gave us the Holy Spirit as a deposit to ensure these promises ( Romans 8:15-17; II Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; II Timothy 1:14; Titus 3:4-6 ). Next, He gave us power and authority in this world and over the forces in the world ( Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 10:19; Romans 8:17; Ephesians 2:6; I John 5:4-5 ). Lastly, He wrote our names in the Lamb’s book of Life and keeps a record in heaven of all of those who have placed faith in Him ( Luke 10:20; Revelation 20:12;15 ). These few things only scratch the surface when it comes to the promises that God made to us because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. And if that isn’t enough, He promised Jesus on oath that He would never change his mind regarding these things ( Hebrews 6:17-18; Hebrews 7:21-22 ). So we can have confident hope in the things promised to us regarding eternal life and our redemption.

Another amazing truth is that this offer of salvation is for anyone regardless of what you have done or haven't done. Paul said, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” ( Romans 10:13 ). There was no qualifier to this statement, it is for everyone. All that is required is to ask, believe and receive. It doesn't get any simpler than this.

By considering all of these things, we can see how it is impossible to lose your salvation once you have placed saving faith in Jesus and what He did to bring you into fellowship with God the Father. You cannot lose it, you cannot misplace it and most importantly it cannot be taken away from you.

We've established that you cannot lose your salvation, but Hebrews teaches that it is impossible to be brought back again to repentance once you've fallen away. Join me tomorrow as we look at what falling away means… in Part 3, What Does it Mean to Fall Away? 

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace" ( Hebrews 6:4-6 )

Growing up Baptist, I held tightly to the doctrine 'once saved, always saved'. So you can imagine the ground shaking experience that occurred one summer at camp when my counselor co-worker challenged this idea. He was attending Bible college at the time learning all sorts of things. As he shared this knowledge, confusion about what I had always believed set in. I realize now what he was trying to say, but at that time, I wasn't able to reconcile this truth in full understanding. Even reading a verse such as this, can challenge our core belief system unless we understand several things. However, to comprehend the fullness of God's grace, having insight into a passage of scripture such as this is extremely important.

Every great truth in the Bible, appears to have a contradiction. This is why we get so many divisions among believers who cannot agree and argue these doctrines. However, there are always two sides to every truth and understanding both sides brings balance to each truth in the Bible. Each idea is usually not an either or but both. A good illustration I once heard a speaker use is that of a tightrope. If I was going to cross a gorge on a tightrope I would need anchor point securely fastened on each side of the gorge. I would want the tension and pull to be the exact same so I could walk the entire length of the rope without it losing structure. If they were not both pulling in the opposite direction with the same force. I would never securely make it across.

This is a great picture to understand why it is important to have equal and opposite truths that appear to contradict. Because it gives the pull needed to find balance between both ideas and both truths. Comprehending all facets will bring a deeper understanding of scripture and an intimate working knowledge of God and His infinite grace.

At first glance, this verse seems to be floating in this chapter out of nowhere. The writer is encouraging the reader to progress in their knowledge of truth. Then out of the blue He warns against falling away, noting it is impossible to be brought back again to repentance once this happens. This can be a little disconcerting because life carries us through ebbs and flows without the need to worry about losing one's salvation. So the question naturally becomes, once you are born again, can you lose your salvation?

Tomorrow we will look at this question and find the answer by looking at the promise of salvation. Please join me for part 2, The Basis of Eternal Redemption.

“and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek” ( Hebrews 5:9-10 )

On the cross Jesus said "it is finished" right before he gave up his spirit. With these words, He was signifying that everything He came to do was accomplished, everything written about Him had been fulfilled and the redemption of the entire world was completed. Since there was nothing left to do He ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father taking his rightful place as Lord ( Mark 16:19, Acts 2:33, Romans 8:34, Ephesians 1:20, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 10:12 ).

This is an important truth to understand because Jesus is Lord whether you have personally confessed his Lordship. Not recognizing His position does not change it as fact. Peter stated this very thing at Pentecost, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” ( Acts 2: 32-36 ).

With one marvelous act of obedience on the cross, Jesus was perfectly equipped through this experience to become our High Priest in service to God. With this completed exercise He became both the author and source of eternal salvation to everyone who puts their saving faith in Him.

Everything we know and experience as humans has a beginning and an end. We are bound by time, distance and energy. We set aside periods of rest and recharging by eating, sleeping and drinking. This maintains our body’s health and energy. In light of this, it is hard to wrap our brains around the fact that, Jesus is the source of eternal salvation. Which means that it originated with him, it flows out of him and He is the supply for its power. Jesus told this very truth to the woman at the well in John 4, "Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” ( John 4:13-14 ). Once you participate in this life that Jesus offers He is able to sustain you and keep you forever because Jesus is the wellspring to eternal life and its supply will never be shut off.

This truth rings more clear when we understand that Jesus has been guaranteed this position because God designated Him to be a high priest in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 7 gives much more detail about this. "And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 7:15-18). With Jesus' resurrection from the dead, he broke the power of death, meaning he can never die again ( Romans 6:9, Acts 2:24, Ephesians 1:20-23 ). Since He cannot die again, it also means that He will live forever. "Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" ( Hebrews 7:20-25 ). This is why it is so wonderful that God designated Jesus to be a priest after this order. "For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever" ( Hebrews 7:28 ).

As if this wasn't enough, God promised Jesus by an oath that He would never change his mind, as so Jesus became the author and source of the salvation we so dearly cherish and cling to. "And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever.’” Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant" ( Hebrews 7:21-22 ). Understanding Jesus' role as our high priest, knowing that he is the source of eternal salvation guaranteed by oath from God is an amazing truth that will encourage and bless you throughout your entire life.

Do you ever notice how the good news comes last? Even in conversations we always start with the bad news so that we can end on a good note. We like to have the good news last so that we can focus on that and not worry about the bad new. With Christ, there is always a good news!

In today's passage, Paul mentions the problem so he could introduce the solution. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." ( Romans 6:23 ) This verse is a well know verse. I remember memorizing it as a child. I also remember hearing mention of it every time I heard someone share the gospel. As a child, this is what I heard... 'the wages of sin is death.' But that is simply the bad news. Thankfully Paul did not end the sentence there.

Neither did Jesus. The good news is that there is a gift. The good news or gospel literally means, 'the almost too good to be true news', meaning that this gift is so good, we always look for a catch. But there isn't one. Paul said the 'gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord'. If we focus on what we can earn, then our wages result in death. However if we accept this free gift then the gift brings eternal life instead of death. Isn't that amazing!

I am so glad that Paul ended this chapter with the good news. No longer are we bound under sin or our old nature. But we have been freed of it and introduced to our new nature which was obtained through Christ Jesus as a gift from God. Today, celebrate this free gift and the good news! Amen!

For further information about becoming born again or eternal life, please visit these article:
The Gospel: How To Know Without a Shadow of a Doubt that You Have Eternal Life
Born of Water and of Spirit

Did you know that we were called to be holy? Peter talks about this I Peter, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." ( I Peter 1:15-16 ). Peter is quoting from the Old Testament Law in Leviticus. God had instructed the Israelites to be holy patterned after God and His holiness. Although throughout the scriptures we see how desperately the Israelites failed continuously at this. They could not live holy because it was impossible.

In the same way we are called to be holy. But as New Testament Believers our holiness depends upon Christ not the law. It is not impossible for us, as was the case with the Israelites, because our holiness is not a byproduct of our actions. Our holiness is a side-effect of our new born again spirit. We are holy because God is holy. We are presently holy because we have the Spirit of Christ living inside of us. This might be a new concept but that is what Paul is saying in today's passage. Holiness comes out of your new nature and it exists presently in your born again spirit.

Lets looks further at what Paul said, "But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life." ( Romans 6:22 Amp ). So the reward of holiness is eternal life. Now we know, as born again believers we currently possess eternal life. Jesus said in John 3:36, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life...." Jesus used the present tense form of the word so that we would know, we experience eternal life right here and now by believing in the Son. He also tells us what eternal life is, "... Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." ( John 17:3 ). So eternal life is knowing God the father and Jesus Christ the son and we currently possess this now by believing in the Son. So if we already have the result of holiness, which is eternal life, the we also have to possess holiness. Remember, holiness is not based on actions or work which would be self-righteousness, but it is based upon what was provide for us in our born again spirits. Which we received by believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior.

Jesus has set us free from the sin nature and has given us the holiness that the law ascribed to. We are holy because Christ is Holy. When God looks at us, he sees Christ. Jesus' blood is the filter and cleansing agent that God used to make us right with him. Today may this revelation of your holiness in Christ overtake you. May you see it's results manifest into your live from now on. God bless you!

For further information about becoming born again or eternal life, please visit these article:
The Gospel: How To Know Without a Shadow of a Doubt that You Have Eternal Life
Born of Water and of Spirit

This passage is talking about God's final judgment at the end of the world. If you look at this passage it looks like God will judge you based on your actions and reward according to your works. However, Paul builds the case for Jesus throughout the entire book of Romans. And how we need to be saved by grace and faith in Him along. If we understand that, then verses appear to contract the theme of the book of Romans. However, we know that scripture does not oppose it's self, therefore we view these verses in light of what Paul is saying overall.

This passage, in context of the entire expose to the Romans, Paul maintains that we are saved by grace ( Romans 3:23-24 ), that no one will be declared righteous by observing the law ( Romans 3:19-20 ) and finally, that we will only be justified through faith in what Jesus did for us. ( Romans 3:24-28 ). Therefore, the only action that will be rewarded with eternal life is the action of faith not of works.

We have a choice in this life. The choice we have in this life is the choice of faith in Jesus. Faith is what saves us, not individual good works. We must put our faith in Jesus and that alone is the only thing that God will judge in determining eternal life verses wrath and anger.

What Paul is describing is that faith is an action. James says, that true faith has actions. "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."  Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." ( James 2:17-18 ). Paul is attesting to this, He is saying that for those whose faith is so real, it causes them to continue to do well... 'seeking glory, honor and immortality'... the result is eternal life. On the other hand, for those who reject the truth, the truth of what Jesus did for them, and follow in the ways of the world, then there will be destruction. It all boils down to a choice and the corresponding actions associated with believing that choice.

Today, it is my prayer that as you make this choice to trust Jesus with your life, you will continue on into the fullness of Christ. By knowing Him, the choices you make in life will spur you onto good deeds out flowing from His goodness and love. Paul says, the result is eternal life with our Lord and Savior! Amen!