"According To His Mercy He Saved Us"     

Titus 3:5

 

     We who believe have been saved eternally by the decree of God and judicially by the blood of Christ. And we have been saved experimentally by the power and grace of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration.

     When the Israelites came to the Red Sea, everyone of those for whom a lamb had been slain in Egypt were delivered across the Red Sea by the mighty power of God. Those for whom no blood was shed did not go through the sea. And I say that everyone of those for whom the Son of God shed his life's blood at Calvary, to remove the penalty of sin, shall also be delivered from the dominion of sin by the power of God the Holy Spirit in regeneration and conversion. Christ did not die for nothing. His death brings forth fruit unto life in those for whom he died (John 12:24).

     Regeneration is as essential to a man's eternal salvation as election, redemption, and justification. "Ye must be born again." A sinner can no more enter the kingdom of heaven without a new nature than he could without blood atonement (John 3:5-7).

     If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, your faith in him is proof that you have been saved by the regenerating power of God the Holy Spirit. Faith is the result of regenerating grace (Eph. 1:18-20; 2:1-9). Wherever there is faith, there is regeneration. And wherever there is regeneration there is faith.

     We were dead in sin. But God called us to life by his sovereign power. Our hearts were hard. But he broke them by his goodness and led us to repentance. We were blind. But God gave us eyes to behold his Son. We were unbelieving. But he gave us faith. We were under the dominion of sin. But omnipotent grace broke the iron fetters of our bondage. We were under the curse of the law, children of wrath. But Christ broke the gates of our prison and set us free. We were under the power of satan. But Christ, by the power of his Spirit, spoiled the strong man's house and took up residence in our hearts as Lord and King. We have been saved, by the purpose of God, the purchase of God, and the power of God.

 

Don Fortner