The Enlightenment
“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:22-23)
One day, as I was reading my Bible, the above passage was illuminated in my spirit-man. Even though I had received forgiveness of my sins, I was unconsciously trying to earn eternal life. Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
As I read this verse, my eyes were opened and it was instantly clear to me that eternal life is a gift of God in Christ Jesus and not a wage. It can not be earned. I thought in my mind saying, “You see, eternal life and death can not possibly co-habit. It is either one or the other.” And my mind clicked with a resounding yes from my spirit-man. So, I read verse 22 of Romans 6 which says, “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, eternal life.”
Romans 6:22 teaches that I have been set free from sin. So, salvation is not just about the forgiveness of sin but also the deliverance from sin. My sins were washed away and I have been freed from the power of sin. The fruit of my life is now holiness. Therefore, it is now my nature to be holy. Halleluiah! Amen.
Through faith, this truth became a present tense experience for me. O yes, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) And “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17) Wow! This is good news!!
Eternal life was a gift of God and I have received this gift in Christ Jesus. I have it now. It’s not a future gift, it’s a now reality. And “I have passed from death unto life” and not just “I shall pass from death unto life.” Amen.
My heart was filled with indescribable peace. It was in a similar fashion like when I first received the forgiveness of my sins. Peace with God was now a personal testimony. “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:11-12)
The Life of Christ through the Holy Spirit on the insight of me empowers me to yield fruit to holiness. Yeah, Holiness is a fruit and not a root of my faith in Christ. So, the out working of my salvation is a result of me yielding fruits from the life within.
Now then, linking this truth with John 3:16, (For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.) we see that God’s gift (which is Jesus), was purposed to save the perishing soul of anyone who believes and to let that soul have the gift of eternal life which would cause him to pass from death unto life, (setting him free from sin) and to let him yield fruits unto holiness.
A born again believer has received a divine impartation of the gift of eternal life into his spirit. So, being born again is the means by which man’s redemption from the power of the perishing force (i.e. sin) is wrought. Therefore, at salvation, the power of the perishing force was broken and eternal life imparted into the spirit of the believer. Hallelujah! Thank you Lord!!
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13)
Eternal life in Christ is then, the infusion of power from God which makes us become children of God. This is God’s gift to all who put their faith in Christ Jesus. You and I were “created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness”[5] the very instant we received Christ and placed our faith in Him as our Savior.
Because Jesus died in our stead, we died; and as He was raised from the death so are we raised unto newness of life – eternal life (Zoë).
In Romans 5:1-2 the bible says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” God’s glory could once more be a reality in and through my life. God’s presence is now desired and enjoyed. And remember that access into this grace is by faith. For without faith it is impossible to please God.
The simple truths I just shared with you profoundly impacted my thinking and my understanding of salvation. My life was radically transformed. I was set free from the struggles of trying to please God by my own efforts. You know, salvation is God’s plan to get lost souls back into a loving relationship with Himself through the blood of Jesus Christ. Click here to continue reading...