Anyone Can Know Forgiveness in Christ

So-called Calvinists argue that a person may be forgiven of their sins only if they are chosen by God. Thankfully, that position is simply not biblical. Instead, we see in the Bible that God forgives anyone and everyone who repents of sin and receives Christ by faith. See the following points:

1. The Bible says that God’s will is that all people come to Christ in faith. The Bible clearly expresses God’s desire for all people to be saved, which stands in contrast to the idea that God pre-selects some for salvation and others for damnation:

1 Timothy 2:3-4 “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” This passage shows that God’s will is for all people to be saved from the consequences of their sin, not just a select group. The phrase “all men” indicates an inclusive desire that goes beyond a limited, predetermined group.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Here, Peter emphasizes that God’s will is that no one should perish in hell.

2. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is enough for all people. The Bible teaches that Christ’s death was for all humanity, and not just for a limited group of people:

1 John 2:2 “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” The phrase “the whole world” makes it clear that Christ’s atonement was meant for everyone. This verse opposes the Calvinistic notion of “limited atonement,” which argues that Christ only died for some people.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This verse highlights God’s love for the entire world and offers salvation to “whosoever” believes. The open invitation here shows that anyone who believes, regardless of being part of an elect group or not, can receive salvation.

3. The Bible teaches that anyone may come to Christ. The Bible’s repeated use of the term “whosoever” shows that the offer of salvation is open to anyone who is willing to believe:

Revelation 22:17: “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” This final invitation in the Bible is addressed to “whosoever will,” indicating that anyone who desires can come to Christ and receive eternal life.

Romans 10:13: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The use of “whosoever” here emphasizes the universal availability of salvation. This invitation is consistent with the character of God as one who wants all people to be saved.

4. While the Bible teaches that God knows who will come to Christ, that does not mean that he pre-determines who may come to Christ. Calvinism often argues that God’s foreknowledge equates to Him pre-determining every person’s salvation or damnation. However, scripture indicates that God’s foreknowledge does not mean that he pre-selects only some people to know Christ:

Romans 8:29: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son…” The term “foreknow” here means that God, in His omniscience (perfect knowledge), knows beforehand who will choose to believe in Christ. Predestination in this context refers to those whom God knew would believe, not an arbitrary decision to save some and condemn others.

5. The Bible teaches that we all have a choice. The Bible repeatedly calls on everyone to choose to accept God’s offer of salvation. This implies that individuals have the responsibility to respond to God’s call, rather than being irresistibly drawn:

Joshua 24:15: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” The appeal to “choose” illustrates the presence of human free will. If individuals were “sovereignly elected” without their participation, such a command would be unnecessary.

John 5:40: “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” Jesus here rebukes the Pharisees for refusing to come to Him. This implies that they had the capacity to come, yet chose not to. If they were simply not elected, then there would be no need to reprimand them for their refusal.

And so, we must understand that forgiveness is available to all who repent and come to Christ in faith. And that's a good truth -- because the Bible reveals that "all have sinned." In Romans 6:23, we read "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Learn more about the forgiveness that is available in Christ.

Our Certain Hope for Heaven

When I share the gospel I often ask people if they are certain if they will go to heaven.  They typically answer, “I hope so.” They lack a certain hope. That’s because people who don’t know the biblical way of salvation are usually trusting in their good works to earn their way into heaven. They lack confidence about going to heaven because they lack confidence that their works will be good enough to earn entry into heaven.

Our job is to share the truth that our works can never be good enough for heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). The only work that matters when it comes to heaven is the work that Christ completed on the cross. Only those who come to Christ in repentant faith may know a certain hope of heaven (John 14:6). 

In the opening verses of John 14, the Lord comforted believers with the certainty of heaven. “I go to prepare a place for you,” said Jesus. “I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3).  

Are you looking forward to heaven? Heaven is a perfectly holy place (Psalm 20:6). It is a place without sin or sinners (Revelation 21:8). None of the evil of this world will be there. Heaven is a place of spectacular beauty (Revelation 4:2-3, 21:18-21). None of the ugliness of this world will be there. Heaven is a place of humble worship (Revelation 4:8). None of the pride of this world will be there. And Heaven is a place where God’s people will rest from our earthly labor (Revelation 14:13).  

Heaven is the place where God’s people “shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more” (Revelation 7:16). It is where “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Revelation 21:4). 

Consider your response to the certainty of heaven. Believers are called to “rejoice, because your names are written in heaven" (Luke 10:20). Believers are called to “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2). And believers are called to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). That involves faithfully serving our Lord on this side of heaven.  

Father, help us to find comfort in our certain hope of heaven (Romans 15:13). And help us to humbly tell others how they may also know our certain hope! 

Learn more about the certain hope that we find in Christ.  See bit.ly/CertainHope

Copyright © 2020 Robert W. Hammond.

What Are You Trusting in to Get Into Heaven?

Most people are trusting in their good works.  However, you may be suprised to learn that the Bible clearly states that we cannot earn Heaven through any good works - including the work of baptism.

In Ephesians chapter 2, the apostle Paul writes, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:  Not of works, least any man should boast (Eph. 2:8-9).

No good works - including Baptism - are good enough to get us into Heaven.  Why is that?  In Romans 3:23, the Bible says that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."  God's perfect holiness and justice requires that a penalty be paid for sin.  In fact, in Romans 6:23, the Bibles teaches that "the wages of sin is death."  The good news is that the son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, paid that penalty for us by shedding His bood and dying upon the cross in our place. It is only through repentance and faith in Christ that our sins are forgiven.  Romans 6:23 says, "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  If you will repent and receive Christ as your savior, the Bible says that you can know for certain that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

How may I know that my sins are fogiven?

1.  Understand that Christ died on the cross and paid for all our sins. Jesus Christ was the perfect sacrifice that satisfied God’s demand for justice against our sins. Because Jesus did that for us, eternal life is offered to us as a free gift. God paid the price for our sin Himself!

2.  Turn away from sin and receive Christ as your savior. The Bible teaches that, in order to receive forgiveness of sins, we must repent and place our faith in Christ.  To repent is simply to make a conscious decision to turn away from sin and to turn toward Christ.   Repentence involves a change of mind that produces a change in action.   Repentence normally involves sorrow over our past sins - especially when we realize that Christ died on the cross in our place.   The Bible say, "...there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."  (Luke 15:10)

The Bible says that "...Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16). The word believe in John 3:16 means to place your trust in Christ. If you will place your trust in Jesus Christ as the one who paid for your sins on the cross of Calvary, and in nothing else, God promises you both forgiveness of sin and eternal life. 

Here’s a sample prayer you can pray: 

Dear Lord Jesus Christ, I acknowledge I have sinned against a Holy God and my sins have separated me from Him. I believe that you Jesus, are the Son of God, and I believe you died and paid for my sins on the cross some 2000 years ago, and that you rose from the dead.  Today, I'm choosing to turn away from a life a sin and to turn toward you, Lord.  I trust you alone, Lord Jesus, for my eternal salvation. 

God bless you my friend! If you have made this decision, please contact us and let us know. And please be baptized by immersion in a Bible-believing church such as ours. Get involved, and learn what it is to live the Christian life.