Salvation Army Doctrine #8

Hi this is breathing welcome to the Salvation Army's words of life.

Welcome back to words of life. I'm Cheryl Guillot I'm Bernie Dick since January 9. We've been in an 11 week series studying the 11 doctrines of the Salvation Army retired officer Col. Dan Skerritt has joined us to discuss these doctrines in light of the culture that we live in today yeah and this week that studies the doctrine that we believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. One thing that we really want to make sure you understand this, we don't believe in faith by works, but certainly faith without works is dead, so just a little plug there so you understand the Salvation Army.

Of course, is an organization that knows how to work there are people that have referred to us as Christianity with its sleeves rolled up, but that doesn't get you into heaven, and that's a difficult thing. This is why we have our doctrines we want people to know that not only are you justified by grace through faith but if you believe you will have the witness in yourself. I mean there will be evidence of your faith that may come out of your witness in the sense you would you'll know right and that has to be lived out every day, every day. It's just not that one time experience that happens of salvation. We live by faith every day, and all these doctrines can be found in one place, Salvation Army.org/doctrine and we will also have these on our words of life page on our website Salvation Army sound cast.org hey and can I say, we'd love to hear some of the questions that you have that might've come up through the series so if you did have a question. Send us an email. The email address is radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or you can call us at 1-800-229-9965. Listen, I promise you share these questions with us. We want to respond.

We want to know if we are actually reaching you the listener or getting to the bottom of the questions you might have. It would be really good for me to also say, if you live in a town where there is a Salvation Army if you live in a city where there is a Salvation Army reach out to someone locally as well.

They'd be glad to speak all welcome to our continuing study of Salvation Army.this application to our daily document number.

We believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believe have the witness and so the sacrifice and atonement of Jesus Christ, his crucifixion and death and resurrection has provided for the forgiveness of our sins and is the basis of our salvation, but there is another result that came from the sacrifice of the blood of Christ upon the cross and that is our justification. That's a big word not something we use in everyday life can talk about being justified. But what happened in the Garden of Eden was we lost the perfect sinless relationship between God and man because of the sin and sins of Adam and Eve were there were once times of meeting and being together in the cool of the day. Sin destroyed our ability to have that relationship and stand before God. We lost our righteousness or our right ability to stand before in with God and the only way for it to be restored is the pardon of our guilt and penalty of sin and to be declared righteous and justified by God. Romans chapter 589 what God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Imagine that he still knows what we are like in the sense Christ died for us. And since we have been made right in God's sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God's condemnation will the new international version of Romans 59 says this since we have been justified by his blood.

The only way we are justified or can be justified that is having the right, privilege, honor, and joy to stand before and in the presence of God is by being justified by God's redeeming undeserved grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his blood sacrifice upon the cross. It's amazing how mankind is continually trying to justify their attitudes or justify their actions. Their feelings just about anything and everything. I'm surprised about how people tried to just above either behavior or relationship to God. One of the many ways that people try to justify themselves as they compare themselves with other people. Isn't it interesting that we often will compare ourselves with someone of less character or devotion and commitment and then declare well I'm better than that but they don't compare the cells with the required standard of Christ. People try to use their education, their vocation or their reputation or their family situation who their mother and father might be. They try to use their finances or other things to justify why they are quote just as good or just as religious or work just as hard or give just the same amount of money as though that is the justification that God is looking for.

The Bible clearly teaches that we have been justified by his blood, and it has nothing to do with ourselves or in ourselves. It is an amazing gift of the grace of God, our righteousness, that is our standing with them before God is only through the blood of Jesus.

You can buy it. You can't earn it.

You can't work for it. You can't inherit it and you can't attend church enough to get it. It must come from the commitment of our faith in Christ and through the sacrifice of Christ's love and blood upon the cross, no matter how many times in ways you can try to justify yourself or your attitude or your relationship with God in Christ and others. We know down inside each of us if we first of all our Christian if we been forgiven of our sins and receive God's forgiveness and then know we've been justified best the meeting behind the second part of Dr. number eight were says that he that believe half the witness in himself. See, we know down inside.

If that witness is there.

You now know right now if the things I'm talking about are just in your head or your ears, or is it in your heart. Is that your experience was a just talk. That's when you know you have to witness within yourself. Each of us knows right now by our faith and forgiveness by the Lord Jesus.

If were justified by God's Holy Spirit, his Holy Spirit confirms with our spirit that we are the children of God.

Romans chapter 8 verse 16 says the spirit that is the Holy Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Amazing power in indwelling spirit of God confirms and we know we know inside ourselves and testify to it that we are his children folks either know you don't you can guess at it God's Holy Spirit will confirm the relationship privilege and honor that was destroyed by adamant Christ is once again restored by God justifying us through the blood of Christ, he does it outside and for us is nothing to do with us. God is seeking us before we even desire to seek him so it awakens us and convicts us. It convinces us of our salvation that enables us to respond and see Christ when we believe that we have the witness of salvation through Christ and faith. We then can have the assurance of our relation ship and fellowship and salvation. When we believe that we have this witness of salvation and grace and faith, we can have the assurance of our faith and salvation and fellowship with Christ. It is the Holy Spirit who confirms within us the seal and truth of our salvation. We can know that our regeneration and justification are based upon biblical promises and not moods or feelings. One of the biggest questions I am often asked is it possible to really know that your saved in the Bible clearly says, for example, in first John chapter 3 in verse 24. Those who obey God's commandments remain in fellowship with him and he with them and we know he lives in us because the spirit he gave us lives in us. He comes in lives in the temple that God has made within us. That's when we know we have the witness in ourselves. So what's our pick and choose for Dr. Nate are you trying to justify yourself you trying to convince yourself of the witness that you have because you have some feeling.

Once we did something once. If you trying to pick your own justification you don't have one. Choose salvation in Christ and he will justify you and give the witness within you that is true by his precious blood of flesh and the Salvation Army's mission doing the most good means helping people with material and spiritual needs to become a part of this mission every time you give to the Salvation Army visit Salvation Army USA.org to offer your support and love to hear from you. Email us radio@uss.salvationarmy.org or call 1-800-229-9965 Bilitis PO Box 29972, Atlanta, GA 30359 tell us how we can help share prayer requests or share your testimony. Would love to use your story on the air. You can also subscribe to our show on iTunes podcast store and be sure to give us a rating to search for the Salvation Army's words of life. Follow us on social media for the latest episodes extended interviews and more. And if you don't have a church home. We invite you to visit your local Salvation Army worship center will be glad to see this is very inviting you to join us next time for the Salvation Army's life