Charles Stanley, a preacher of The Word of GOD in England, never ceased trying to find possibilities to propagate The Good News of JESUS CHRIST. When he was in York in one occasion, he encountered a large crowd waiting to see the funeral procession of an eminent church dignitary. He joined the crowd, but it soon started to rain and many sought shelter under the roof of a bjg shed.
Stanley took the opportunity and opened his BIBLE. He read these words: Blessed are the dead who die in The LORD JESUS (Revelation 14:13). He then stated that no-one is called blessed simply because he is a member of this or that church. Whether someone belongs to The LORD JESUS CHRIST is the determining factor.
These words caused unrest. But the listeners paid attention again when Stanley explained what it meant to be in The LORD and to die in HIM. He pointed out that faith alone enables someone to lay hold of the salvation offered by GOD through CHRIST JESUS and then to die in peace.
One of the listeners inquired, Did I understand you to say that one can know in this lifetime that he is saved and possesses eternal life after death? That question seemed to interest others too.
In his answer Stanley referred to a series of Bible texts showing that GOD gives HIS children absolute assurance of salvation already here on earth. You may know that you have eternal life, IF AND ONLY IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE NAME OF THE SON OF GOD, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
The first part of the epistle to the Ephesians presents the blessings that GOD intended for HIS children already before the foundation of the world and which have now been granted to us in CHRIST JESUS. For this purpose GOD has made us alive together with CHRIST and made us sit together in the heavenly places in CHRIST JESUS. Ephesians 2:5, 6
Just as the Israelites could reap the blessings of the promised land, only in Canaan, so we also have to be transferred spiritually to the heavenly places, so as to rejoice in the fruit of the land. But we do not have to wait until the wilderness journey is over, as the Israelites did, for we cannot be in two places at once while on earth. Spiritually we have our possession in the heavenly places as believers, while we experimentally are still proceeding through the desert. The spiritual fulfillment of the type goes further than the imagery can depict.
All this is a gift of GOD. We could do nothing for it, and there is no possibility of growing into it. However, once the question arises as to what attitude we take concerning this precious possession, and whether it has any affect on us, growth becomes relevant. Therefore we find instructions and encouragement for the practical life of faith in the second part of tge epistle, so that we walk worthy of the vocation with which we have been called
Are we aware of the riches we have been freely given to us by GOD? (1 Corinthians 2:12)
And how far have we come in appropriating the blessings that we have in CHRIST JESUS for our practical life of faith?
Taken from the daily devotionals, The Good Seed.
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