Ques. Please explain Acts 20:28 about the blood. W. I. C.
Ans. Acts 20:28 should read the last part thus: "Feed the Church of God, which He hath purchased with the blood of His own." It brings before us God's love in giving His Son up to death.
Ques. Please explain Heb. 12:14. M. C.
Ans. In 1 Peter 1:23, the believers are born again of incorruptible seed, that is, a new kind of life in every believer, its nature is holiness. In 2 Peter 1:4, that nature is being developed by faith laying hold of the exceeding great and precious promises. The Epistle to the Hebrews does not give us these truths, but in it we look for the fruits of that life. In chapter 6 we see what accompanies salvation. Verses 9, 10 give us the outcome of the new life. In Heb. 12:10, chastening is used to make us partakers of God's own holiness. Verses 12-14 are exhortations of what to pursue, for if we had no new life, we could not see the Lord. We need diligence in divine things, or we miss much blessing.
Ques. Will you please tell me how I can be sure that I am a Christian? A.
Ans. A Christian is one that has, found out that he was a lost guilty sinner, and that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and has believed on Him as his own personal Savior. He has believed that Jesus in dying for sinners, has died for his sins, and He is now raised from the dead, thus God shows Himself satisfied, and has said, "All that believe on Him are justified from all things" (Acts 13:38, 39).
1. Have you realized that you were a guilty lost sinner and without strength (Rom. 5:6) to make yourself better?
2. Have you cast yourself before God and owned it? (Rom. 3:19.)
3. Have you believed on the Lord Jesus as your own Savior who died for your sins? (1 Cor. 15:3.)
4. Have you believed the word that says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life?" (John 3:36.)
If you have, then you are sure that you are saved, because God says so (Eph. 2:8).
You are sure that you are a child of God, because God says so (Gal. 3:26; Born. 8:17).
Now you can call God your Father because He says He is (1 John 3:1; Gal. 4:6).
The Holy Spirit dwells in you, witnessing that you are a child of God (Bora. 8:15, 16).
This gives you strength not to heed the flesh in you that has such evil thoughts, and teaches you not to look within, but look off unto Jesus and occupy yourself with things pleasing to Him (Rom. 8:2).
So you can be sure that you are saved forever (Heb. 10:14).
If Thou halt my discharge procured,
And freely in my room endured
The whole of wrath divine:
Payment God will not twice demand,
First at my bleeding Surety's hand,
And then again at mine.