Hello, beloved! 🌟
As we dive into today’s exploration of God’s Word, I want to share with you one of the most beautiful and freeing truths of the Gospel: the security of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Through His perfect work on the cross, we have been adopted into God’s family, set free from sin, and given eternal life. 🕊️💖
Together, we’ll examine:
✅ The assurance of salvation as taught in Paul’s letter to the Romans and Galatians.
✅ The biblical truth of our adoption into God’s family.
✅ The cultural significance of Roman adoption and its finality.
✅ A personal testimony of the dangers of doubting salvation.
✅ The peace and joy that flow from resting in Christ’s finished work.
Let’s immerse ourselves in these eternal truths and let God’s Word renew our minds. ✝️✨
The Assurance of Our Salvation: Secure in Christ 🩸💖
Paul’s letter to the Romans provides a crystal-clear picture of the assurance of salvation. He explains that salvation is not earned through works but freely given by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Let’s explore key passages:
Romans 3:23-24:
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
🕊️ This foundational verse reminds us that all of humanity is in need of salvation, and it is God’s grace—not our own merit—that justifies us.
Romans 5:8-10:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”
💡 Even while we were still in sin, God’s love was so great that Christ died for us. If He saved us while we were enemies, how much more secure is our salvation now that we are His children? 🙌
Romans 8:1:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
🌟 In Christ, there is no condemnation—no sin too great, no failure too deep—that can separate us from His love. We are fully and eternally forgiven. 🕊️
Romans 8:38-39:
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
✨ Paul declares with absolute certainty that nothing—absolutely nothing—can separate us from God’s love. What a powerful truth to rest in! 🙌💖
💡 Reflection: The assurance of salvation is not about what we do or don’t do—it is about what Christ has already done. His finished work on the cross is sufficient to secure us for eternity. Our role is to receive this gift through faith and walk in the newness of life He provides. ✝️
Adopted Into God’s Family: A Divine, Eternal Covenant 🕊️👑
One of the most beautiful pictures of our salvation is found in the concept of adoption. When we are saved, God doesn’t just forgive us—He welcomes us into His family as sons and daughters. Let’s explore this truth through Scripture:
Romans 8:15:
“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
🩸 Adoption replaces fear with intimacy. Through the Spirit, we are empowered to call God “Abba, Father”—a term of deep, personal affection.
Romans 8:16-17:
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…”
✨ As God’s children, we are heirs of His Kingdom, sharing in the inheritance of Christ. This is a privilege beyond measure! 👑
Galatians 4:4-5:
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”
💡 Through Christ, we are redeemed and adopted into God’s eternal family. This is a relationship sealed by His blood and upheld by His promises.
The Finality of Roman Adoption: A Cultural Lens 🇮🇹⚖️
When Paul spoke of adoption, his Roman audience would have understood it as a legally binding and irreversible process. Roman adoption was not casual or temporary; it carried deep significance:
1️⃣ A Permanent Identity: Once adopted, the child was permanently part of the new family. All ties to the old family were severed. The adopted child’s debts were canceled, and they received all the rights and privileges of a natural-born child. 🕊️
2️⃣ Irrevocable Status: Roman law made adoption final. The adopted child could never be disowned or cast out—an incredible picture of God’s eternal commitment to His children. ✝️💖
3️⃣ Heirs with Full Rights: Adoption granted the child equal standing with natural heirs. They became co-heirs to the father’s estate, just as we become joint-heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of God. 👑🌟
💡 Reflection: Understanding adoption in this context makes the spiritual truth even more profound. When God adopts us into His family, it is permanent and final. Nothing can undo the decision He has made to call us His own. 🙌
A Personal Testimony: Witnessing the Cost of Doubting Our Salvation 🕊️✨
Over the past 13 years of following Jesus, I’ve seen men who once stood confidently in their salvation begin to lose that assurance. They doubted whether the blood of Christ was sufficient to cover their sins and began living in fear and uncertainty. 💔
These brothers in Christ started to work for their salvation, believing a different gospel than the one Paul preached. This shift robbed them of the peace and joy that come from wearing the helmet of salvation—the confident knowledge of our eternal destiny. Instead of resting in grace, they lived in doubt, striving to earn what had already been freely given.
I’ve seen this topic—the question of whether salvation can be lost—cause division in the church. I’ve witnessed splits over this issue, with congregations torn apart by fear and confusion. Beloved, this is not the peace and joy that pleases God.
Paul reminds us in Romans 6:1-2, “Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid.” While God’s grace covers all our sins—past, present, and future—He calls us to live in holiness, not as a means of earning salvation but as a response to the freedom we have in Christ.
When Jesus declared from the cross, “It is finished,” He meant it. The penalty for our sins was paid in full. God doesn’t want us to live in fear of losing what He has freely given; He wants us to flee from sin and follow Him in freedom. ✝️🩸
Living in the Assurance of God’s Love and Grace 💖🕊️
Beloved, our salvation is secure not because of our works but because of Christ’s finished work on the cross. God has adopted us into His family, and His love for us is final and unchanging.
Let us live in this assurance, walking in holiness not to earn salvation but as a response to the incredible gift we’ve received. May we fix our eyes on Jesus, rest in His promises, and share this Good News with the world.
A Prayer for Assurance and Adoption 🙏✨
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the assurance of our salvation through Jesus Christ. Thank You for adopting us into Your family, making us co-heirs with Christ, and sealing us with Your Spirit. Help us to rest in Your promises, to live in the joy and peace of knowing we are secure in You. Guard our hearts against fear and doubt, and strengthen us to walk in holiness as a response to Your amazing grace.
In Jesus’ mighty & matchless name, Amen. ✝️🕊️
Love in Christ,
Preacher Burnside
(Psalm 23:1)
🗺️ Burnside International Ministries
📧 Contact: preacherburnside@gmail.com
🌐 Website: www.PreacherBurnside.com
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations…” (Matthew 28:19)