God's Provision for the Believer

• 6 min. read • grade level: 10

Already the believer has the word that “Whosoever believeth in Him (Christ) shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43⁴³To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)); “And by Him all that believe are justified from all things” (Acts 13:38, 39³⁸Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: ³⁹And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39)). Like the woman in Luke 7, he has heard the word, “Thy sins are forgiven,” —Christ Jesus is thus his own personal Savior.

Another precious gift is his—when he believed the gospel of his salvation, the Holy Spirit as He promised, came to dwell in him—he was sealed (Eph. 1:13¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)), and the Holy Spirit abides in him forever (John 14:16¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (John 14:16)); his body is now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19¹⁹What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)); he is sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30³⁰And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30)), that is, till the Lord comes to take us home to Himself, making our bodies like to His glorious body (Phil. 3:21²¹Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Philippians 3:21)). It is sad that we are often by our behavior, doing things that grieve Him, yet He will not leave us, but we make ourselves so unhappy by our carelessness.

This is a blessing never known to saints before the death and resurrection and ascension of Christ in glory (John 7:39³⁹(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39)).

“Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not the spirit of Thy holiness from me” (Psa. 51:11¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. (Psalm 51:11)), is a prayer suited to the saints of Old Testament times, but not to saints of this day of grace. (Read all the passages cited above). He it is that dwelling in us enables us to take our places as children of God, and with confidence to cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15, 16¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. ¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: (Romans 8:15‑16)). “Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:6⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. (Galatians 4:6).

It is blessedly true, “I write unto you, little children (that is, dear children) (of God), because your sins are forgiven you for His (Christ’s) name sake.” This is eternal forgiveness, as in Hebrews 10:14,¹⁴For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14) and provision is made if we fail to walk aright by Christ living before the Father. “We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” He is the propitiation for our sins. Thus we are eternally secure, and the other Comforter, or Advocate—the Holy Spirit—leads us to confess our sins, to restore to us our happiness which we had lost when we grieved Him.

We have now a new life, Christ in us, but we have the flesh also. Sin is not our master now, we are set free from its power, and we are to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our old man was crucified with Christ, we are now alive in Him before God, though the flesh is in us (Rom. 6:6, 7⁶Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. ⁷For he that is dead is freed from sin. (Romans 6:6‑7)).

If we grow careless, and do not watch and pray, our affection for the Lord grows cold, and this allows the flesh to work again; we grieve the Holy Spirit and become unhappy, but are not unsaved. The “Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous,” maintains us as children before the Father. To be restored to communion and happiness of nearness of our spirits to the Lord, needs self-judgment and confession of our failures, and this faithfully done, will also bring cleansing from all unrighteousness, as well as the sense of forgiveness (1 John 1:9⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)).

This self-judgment is needed, and if real, it strengthens the soul to walk more carefully in dependence on the Lord, and in the sense of our own inability to stand unless held by Him. His forgiving and keeping love strengthens our souls.

In Hebrews 7:25,²⁵Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25) we read, “Wherefore He is able to save them to the uttermost (that is completely) that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” His high priesthood cannot fail, He will carry through to the end every believer without fail, and not one of them will be lost, for this depends entirely on Him. “Because I live ye shall live also,” John 14:19,¹⁹Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19) yet we need the throne of grace, and to this we are invited to come boldly, that we may obtain mercy and find grace for timely help, that is, to keep us from falling, to give us strength for the way as we go on day by day.

We will all be brought through, but, if like Jacob, we struggle along in our own wisdom and strength, we shall have trouble for our portion. If in dependence on Him, there are promises given to sustain us in every difficulty:

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths,” Proverbs 3:5, 6⁵Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5‑6); and again, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee:” therefore “Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength (margin the Rock of Ages)” (Isa. 26:3, 4³Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. ⁴Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: (Isaiah 26:3‑4)). He will guide us all the way.