Go – Be – Do: What Does It Mean?

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we
have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which
we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

                                                                     - Romans 5:1,2

Many people have asked what can I do to ensure my salvation and be saved and live with Jesus Christ for eternity? My friends, the answer may surprise you because our Lord and Savior Jesus has placed the bar of salvation low enough that many if not all people on Earth could be saved but many will by their power of choice choose to be lost during the Great Tribulation. Before I get started with this article, I want to point out to everyone what faith in Christ is all about trusting and obeying His Word, and totally submitting to the Holy Spirit’s authority. I am learning along with you how to increase my faith daily in the Lord.

Faith in Jesus Christ

Consider these five statements:

1.   The only way a sinner can receive eternal life is through justification.

2.   Justification is a legal standing in the court of Heaven in which a sinner is viewed as though he has not broken the law (is without sin).  

3.   Justification occurs when a person becomes willing to obey the authority of the Holy Spirit and live a life of faith.

4.   Justification can be illustrated in the following way: Angels record the words, actions and motives of every person. Within the book of records is a faithful record of each sinner’s life. When a sinner becomes willing to obediently submit to the authority of the Holy Spirit and live by faith Jesus justifies that sinner by placing His perfect life over the record of the sinner. As long as the covering of life of Jesus remains intact, that sinner is not under the penalty of sin. He is free of the condemnation with God’s law demands.

5.   An absolute knowledge of God is not required for justification. However, a sinner’s ongoing obedient submission to the Holy Spirit is required for the continuation of justification.

Blessed Assurance

Any sinner can receive the assurance of eternal life right now, this very minute, if he or she agrees to obediently submit to the demands of the Holy Spirit, if you are willing at this very moment to go, to be, and to do all that the Holy Spirit asks of you, rejoice! The assurance of eternal life is yours through a heavenly process called justification. Whenever this transforming moment occurs, a new life of faith begins. Of course, a sinner can return to his sinful ways at any time because the power of choice still remains. (Ezekiel 18) Just because we are willing to submit to the demands of the Holy Spirit today does not mean that we have to submit to His sanctifying demands tomorrow. To a large extent, the internal authority of the Holy Spirit is limited by our desire and cooperation. If a person so desires, He can be permanently turned away.

(Matthew 12:31,32)

How can you tell if the Holy Spirit is pressing us for submission? How can we distinguish between the guilt produced by the Holy Spirit or some kind of false guilt? The urging of the Holy Spirit always conforms to Heaven’s constitution of love. We are to love the Lord with all our heart, mind and soul, and we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The difference between false guilt and guilt imposed by the Holy Spirit becomes easier to differentiate as we learn more about Jesus. Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith. His example helps us understand many things about the properties of life. A growing knowledge of Jesus Christ sets us free of unnecessary guilt and burdens that God has not imposed.

The process of entering into the assurance of eternal life happens in a rather predictable way, although it is not limited to this process. Here’s my experience: The Holy Spirit produced a strong feeling and relentless conviction that I was guilty of sin before God. My guilt and condemnation, weighted often on my mind, because unbeknown to me at the time, the Holy Spirit was trying to motivate me to “get right” with God. Eventually, I recognized my condemnation as a sinner and I wanted pardon for my sins. I desired to know God. I had heard enough to know that people who do wicked things have no hope of a future life and I did not want to miss out on Heaven. I did not know much about God in those days, but I believed God would be pleased with me if I stopped doing things that I knew were wrong. I also knew that it was impossible for me to stop sinning and I wondered how god dwelt with human beings like me. The problem was simple: He wanted me to stop sinning, but I could not stop sinning. How could I be saved and go on sinning? In those days, I did not understand the wonderful offer of justification.

Over time as my spiritual maturity developed, I became willing to go, to be and to do as God directed in my life - no holds barred. I did not become a Christian by invitation. That is, I did not decide to become a Christian by walking down the isle to the front of a church. One day I made the commitment to God to become a Christian. I was at work when I resolved that from now on, I would be a follower of Jesus Christ, no matter what it cost. If I remember correctly, one of my first decisions involved restitution. I understood that God’s grace and forgiveness were not a whitewash for wrongdoing. From my personal Bible study, I concluded that God required me to make restitution to those whom I had defrauded in the past. So, I began to make restitution for past wrongs as best I knew how. This was expensive, and it required a substantial amount of dollars. After reviewing my past and making every wrong right as far as possible, I confessed my sins to God and have had perfect peace about them ever since. I was happy and truly free of guilt, which made me feel closer to God. I resolved, by God’s grace, not to do those things again. Do not be fooled! Sin is always expensive! Sin will take you farther than you want to go and cost you more than you want to pay. During this transforming process in my life, some of my friend fled. They thought I had become a religious fanatic.

By faith, I accepted God’s assurance that he was pleased with my actions. I was happier and felt closer to God, although my understanding of God and His will was very limited. Thirty years later, my peace and joy remain. As long as I continue to obey the demands of the indwelling Holy Spirit, I know Jesus justifies me before the Father as though I am without sin, even though I am a sinner. Because of this, I am at peace with God and have joyful assurance of salvation. Yes, I still sin, but now I understand a few things about dealing with sin. First, accidental or unintentional sin does not bring eternal death. John says, “All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.”

(1 John 5:17) Second, I am prone to sin and rebellion because I am under the curse of sin. Paul noticed the same thing after being a Christian for almost 25 years. He wrote, “But I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.” (Romans 7:23) Last, when I do sin there is a process that I must obediently follow; First, I must acknowledge to the Holy Spirit that I understand the guilt He is imposing in my heart because I have sinned. Next, I have to confess to my neighbor that I have sinned against him and I must provide restitution as far as possible. Last, I must turn to Jesus. John says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) This order of events is well stated in Scripture. (Matthew 5:23-26) If I am faithful in dealing with the sin problem, my willingness to go, to be and to do God’s will is affirmed. Jesus sees the evidence of my faith and He, my Savior and Lord, grants me the covering of His righteousness.  

Justification is possible for three reasons. First, God’s offer of justification is based on nothing but God’s love for man. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16,17) Second, Jesus came to Earth and He lived a perfect life so that He might cover us with His righteous life! “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” (Romans 5:10) Last, Jesus is qualified to justify repentant sinners because He paid our penalty for sin. In other words, sinners cannot be justified as sinless people if the penalty upon sinners has not been removed. Jesus provided the necessary restitution for every sinner. The merits of restitution are transferred to sinners when they submit to the demands of the Holy Spirit. When I became willing to submit to God’s will, Jesus covered my sinful life with His perfect life. (Romans 5:17) Notice, I emphasized the word willing. We are not justified by works. Works are a reflection of the motives and desires of our heart. We can do right for the wrong reasons (legalism) and we can attempt to justify wrong doing (rebellion). Making restitution that prompts appropriate restitution comes from a deeper understanding of what loving our neighbor is all about. 

A parallel between all sinners and Adam and Eve’s Garden of Eden experience provides an excellent illustration. When Adam and Even sinned, they lost the covering of light that covered their bodies. Realizing their shame, they ran and hid from God. They tried to cover their nakedness with some itchy fig leaves, but Jesus used this opportunity to present a wonderful object lesson. Jesus killed a flawless sacrificial lamb and I presume He covered the naked pair with its skin. (Genesis 3:7-21) The parallel for every sinner is that we too, stand naked before God. He knows who we are, where we are, and He knows all of our sins. Any attempt to cover up (or justify) sin is foolish.  Jesus offers “His perfect skin” as the Lamb of God, the spotless wedding garment of His righteousness, to all of us. If we surrender our will to God and daily submit to the demands of the Holy Spirit, Jesus covers our nakedness with His perfect righteous life. Therefore, when the Father sees us wearing a robe of Jesus’ righteousness, we stand before God fully clothed, as though we never sinned! This is the profound beauty of “justification through faith!” (Ephesians 2:8,9) Justification is available to every person who has lived, regardless of religious background.

Just As Though I Have Never Sinned

My joy and peace is full because I know that when the Father looks at me, He sees me though I am without sin. Christ’s perfect life of righteousness can cover the worst sinner. Justification does not require works, deeds or proof that I am a changed man. The thief on the cross does not prove that He was a changed man, but he was granted the righteousness of Jesus that very day. (Ephesians 1:8,9; Luke 23:43) I am sure the thief would have become a different man if he could have lived longer. The profound beauty of justification is that it begins in Heaven the moment we become willing to submit to the authority of the indwelling Spirit. As long as we continue in a submissive attitude (to be, to go, to do) toward God’s authority over our lives, we have the assurance of eternal life.

In closing, this is how my justification and yours begin before God through Christ. Even though the process is simple. It is a miracle How the Holy Spirit transforms a rebellious heart into a submissive heart is a mystery that God alone knows, but it does happen! (John 3; Romans 8) So, if you are missing the joy and peace that comes from “letting go and letting God,” if you have not experienced the full assurance of God’s salvation through justification that Jesus offers, if you have not grasped something about God’s great love for you, review the process and implement those portions that remain unfinished in your life.  If the Holy Spirit is not beating you up with that strong and relentless conviction that you need salvation, perhaps you need to slow down and ask God to speak to your heart. The Spirit will reveal your true condition before God if you open your heart. I have been there, and my testimony is not unusual. Submit to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, confess your sins, and provide restitution where possible and joy and peace will surely follow. Remember always: GO – BE – DO for God and your salvation will be assured for all eternity. Jesus has promised by giving His perfect life for YOU!           

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