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Salvation: Our Work, God’s Work, or Both?

Salvation: Our Work, God’s Work, or Both?

I’ve been in discussions with someone who believes that when a person has surrendered their life to Jesus and is maintaining a consistent walk with Him, but is severely challenged by life’s unfairness…

that Jesus lives out His righteousness in us for us, (Gal 2:20; 4:19; 2 Cor 13:5; and Col 1:27).  This is how the Father lived out His life in Jesus for Jesus.  (John 14:10)  It is Jesus who reproduces His character in us for us because we’re like the Ethiopian who can’t change the color of his skin and we’re accustomed to doing evil.  It is solely by faith alone in the righteousness of Jesus….there are no works of any kind involved.  This person believes this is the 3rd Angel’s Message of Rev 14, which is righteousness by faith alone in Jesus.

Does God do this supernaturally; for instance nudging the thought going down the wrong neuro pathway over into the healthier path or altering the law that governs the running of our brain.  It is their belief God does this especially for people so sin damaged and broken, with problems in their life so complicated, that they are so majorly challenged at their present that they can’t deal with the thought there would be works involved.  Because they have worked and worked and failed so many times they are either ready to give up or “go looney” or live a life of misery.  They are too damaged.  They have given their life to Jesus and they are waiting on God, like scripture tells them to do many times in the book of Psalms…..for God to supernaturally intercede in their brain circuits, otherwise if they didn’t have this hope, they are doomed to live a life of misery.

I’ve appear to have discouraged them when referring them to p 33 of your book, Could It Be This Simple, where you say “divine power enables (in this case it was a smoker) us to tolerate the agony of withdrawal and to experience eventual freedom from their cravings”.  I’ve thought God wants to restore our self control (one of the fruit of the Spirit).  Does He do this by supernaturally altering our brain circuitry, which is what it would seem to me if He nudged a thought out of the wrong path into the healthy path.

This person has such a strong desire to know truth, whereby they may be set free.  Can you help in this?  Thank you very much.  

A.M.


Great question and one of vital importance for Christians to experience genuine victorious living. First it is important to recognize the problem and then the solution and then we can understand our role in the solution.

The problem is, because of Adam and Eve, we are born infected with a terminal condition. Some call it sin or sinfulness or iniquity. Others call it fear and selfishness and some call it the survival-of-the-fittest instinct. Regardless of what we call it, we are “born in sin conceived in iniquity” Psalms 51:5. This is a terminal condition, but it is not our individual fault. Imagine two HIV infected people get together and have a baby who is born infected with the HIV virus. What did the baby do wrong? Nothing! Yet it still has a terminal condition that if not remedied will kill it. That is our condition since Adam and Eve sinned. We are born with a condition that needs curing.

Without going into the details of how Christ achieved our remedy to sin lets just agree that whatever was needed for the salvation (healing and saving) of mankind, Christ fully accomplished it at the cross. Consider you have HIV because both your parents were infected when they had you. If someone comes along with a cure, a medicine that will remedy your condition, do you have to know how the remedy was produced or do you have to know how the medicine works inside of you in order to benefit from taking it?  When taken doesn’t the medicine do something inside of you you cannot do for yourself?

Now even though you don’t have to know how the medicine was procured or works, you have to trust the doctor enough to take it, right?  When the patient follows the prescription and takes the medicine can the person say, “I have cured myself. I have worked hard and gotten myself well?” No, they are not saved by works but by the work of the doctors who developed and produced the medicine. Likewise, Christ has accomplished all that is necessary for salvation, but He does not force anyone to accept it. It is freely offered. And for those who are won back to trust by the truth Jesus revealed about God, the Holy Spirit is poured out and takes what Christ has achieved and reproduces it in us. We get new desires, motives, and attitudes, but we never lose control of our free will. The Holy Spirit will cleanse, renew, ennoble, enlighten, lead, and convict, but God nor the Holy Spirit will never actually choose the right for anyone. Each person must exercise their own will and choose yes to God, and then choose yes to His prescription.

If God’s prescription for a person’s life is that they cease using harmful substances, the Holy Spirit will enlighten, convict, and strengthen, but the Holy Spirit will not control the choice. The angels will not rip cigarettes out of someone’s mouth. We must choose for our lives what God has shown us and the Holy Spirit strengthens to follow through with the task.

When mankind fell into sin our situation was terminal. We could not save or cure ourselves nor remedy our situation. No amount of work by any human being could reverse the damage. Therefore, Jesus came and became human. He partook of our nature and our terminal condition.  Our iniquity was laid upon Him (Isaiah 53) and He overcame. He cured the condition! In His own personhood, He eradicated the infection from the species known as homo sapiens, that is, this single cured human being, Jesus, now becomes the source of salvation, the healing medicine, for all who obey him (Hebrews 5:8).

We never become puppets or robots controlled by God, because to do so would destroy our capacity for love. Love can only be freely given. Thus, in order to restore our ability to love, God has to restore our ability to be self-controlled, which is the last fruit of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5, not God-controlled.

So the balance is as follows.

  • The Remedy to sin was fully achieved by Christ and no one else.
     
  • We can do nothing to add to what Christ has done to save mankind, but, each person now must choose to open their heart in trust to receive from the Holy Spirit the benefit of Christ’s victory in their life.
     
  • When we do this a supernatural transformation of character, desire, motive, and attitude takes place.
     
  • In this process there is a daily, ongoing, and constant cooperative work of the individual with the Divine in which the person chooses to continue to follow the direction of the Heavenly Physician until they are one day fully healed and set free to be self-controlled beings operating on the law of love, which has been fully restored into the heart. (Heb 8:10).
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Testimony 46

Over the past couple of years God has been expanding my view of Himself and His character. Along my approximately 40-year journey, I have often had questions, but was hesitant to voice these and step outside the traditionally accepted thinking, for fear of admitting that I may in fact be eternally lost. In the recesses of my thinking has been the thought – if one blindly accepts (which is widely regarded as “real faith”) and does not question, is this really ‘truth?’ I often find it challenging to grapple with very theological ‘speak,’ but Dr. Jennings has a real gift of explaining spiritual concepts with clear practical examples. The weekly discussions are growing my Christian experience and slowly changing my view of how to live as a child of God in today’s complex world. Finally the whole Old Testament sanctuary teaching moved in my mind from fantasy to reality!

Beverly S., South Africa

 

Testimony 39

[This ministry is the] biggest blessing I have ever received! Your DVDs and lessons could not have come at a better time in my life. I have experienced in the past year many difficulties that, if it wasn’t for this wonderful view of God that I have discovered through this ministry, I would not have been able to respond in love and forgiveness. My heart is being transformed everyday by the Calvary-looking God you teach. Hallelujah!! I have tears in my eyes as I write, because my life has taken a complete turn from where I was heading.

I am from Central America. Most of my family is scattered in different parts of the world and all have the same view of God that I had growing up; a distant, exacting, and ready-to-punish-us-with-tragedy type of God. So, I have been translating lessons for my family and, to my surprise, they have also been sharing them with others! I can already see the difference. My brother has often said, “Thank you for sharing, I have never heard it this way!” My other family members are taking an amazing turn from a message of “repent or burn” towards a loving God, pleading to us that we won’t reject him because he loves us eternally.

Bless you for all you do.

Sofia S., Ashfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 65

I have been tuning into your weekly study classes for a while now and wanted express my appreciation for the teachings that ha been a huge blessing in opening up the true message of the word. Viewing scripture under an imposed law theory always, without fail, raised more questions, concerns, and conflicting scripture interpretations that were discouraging at the very least. Looking at scripture through the design law lens has brought more truth to light for me personally and an understanding of our Heavenly Father that places Him “above all others,” where I am now more than thrilled to witness and serve Him.  I “stumbled” across this ministry a year or so ago and would only watch a few minutes at a time. But the more I listened and the longer I paid attention, the more my spiritual eyes were opened to the ever present truths of scripture. The comprehension of the great controversy and it’s origin by the lies perpetrated and perpetuated throughout the Bible on the attack of God’s character and government is truly priceless. Keep up the Good Work! Your servanthood is desperately needed in such a time as this!

Jeff D., Reading, MA, USA

 

Testimony 61

I grew up in a prominent protestant church and had what I like to call religious anxiety. I’ve always had questions about God and Salvation that no one could seem to answer.  I didn’t know how to find resolution. During 2020, at the height of my anxiety, I fell to my knees and begged God to show me truth and light and to give me the hope that I’ve been longing for. Days later, I stumbled upon your online videos and it was like a veil was lifted and EVERYTHING made sense! For the first time in my almost 39 years of life, my religious/spiritual anxiety has lessened. I feel a sense of freedom and peace I’ve NEVER had before… and it’s all because my view of God has changed. Thank you!

Ashleighn C.

 

Testimony 34

I was introduced to Come and Reason Ministries by accident, via a passing comment made in a bible study class we were visiting. I checked this website out and my life was changed. The understanding of the truth of God’s character, and how we apply it, is so right. The tricky part is consistently applying which “lens” to look through. As I began to understand, I started sharing the basics of this understanding with a discussion group I was leading and, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense that never used to. At the same time, I enjoyed an amazing opportunity. I was able to conduct a full bible study at WORK! What an amazing experience! It is such a joy to share the truth about God and to share how it all fits in the war between God and Satan. So many people benefit when we have a correct understanding about how God works and who He really is! Thank you for this transformational understanding. Keep up the good work! God Bless you!

Tony P., CA, USA

 

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

Testimony 13

I borrowed “Healing The Mind” DVDs from a friend and showed them at my home for a small gathering of women friends. Neither of my friends are Adventist, but they both enjoyed and embraced the messages you taught. In fact, one of the ladies prayed out loud in our group and that was the first time she had ever had public prayer.

J.B. ,Dalles, OR, USA

 

Testimony 31

It was very touching to hear the testimony of your class share how viewing God’s true character has changed their lives. My feelings are the same – there is so much freedom in knowing that God LOVES me – regardless of my… just, REGARDLESS! I’m still blown away by the true gospel, the fact that God is not ready to strike us when we fail. He is not arbitrary. He simply loves us and warns of the natural consequences because He can’t stand to see us suffer. I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS GOD!!!

Ceil V.,  UT, USA

 

Testimony 26

Your teachings about our heavenly Father have changed my life. Thank you sooooooo very very much! I know He’s doing some serious healing in my heart and life and I look forward to each new day to learn something new about Him and to just hear you speak about Him. Thank you, forever.

Nancy S.

 

Testimony 64

I’ve been reading the bible and walking with Jesus since I was around 16. I’m 42 now. I’ve mostly been alone in my walk although I went to several churches in different denominations. For the past 3 years God has been showing me His character of agape. It’s been a blessing and changed how I view God and my walk with Jesus. About a year ago I came across the power of love and the principles of design law. These teachings changed how I read scripture and have been such a beautiful blessing. I’m very excited and grateful for these truths. We share these truths of agape, design law and the reality of the principles of the two trees in the garden of Eden with people on Facebook and YouTube. People all over are learning to trust God and His agape design law which makes life possible. Thank you for everything you shared with me. May God continue to bless your ministry and lives.

Bradley M., Hinsdale, NY, USA

 

Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia

 

Testimony 20

I just wanted to personally thank you for your teachings and insight into scripture. I came across your website via my cousin who suggested I look into “Healing the Mind” information. My youngest daughter has been struggling over the last couple of years and it all came to a head this spring. When I started listening to the “Healing the Mind” lectures my own life began to be transformed. I began sharing with all my daughters the concepts you laid out so clearly. I ordered your book and soaked it up. I just want to say “Thank You!” My walk with the Lord has been refreshed and renewed. Your obedience to the Lord is a blessing to so many.

R. K., Anderson, SC, USA

 

Testimony 32

The message [of Come And Reason Ministries is] for all Christians (and those who may become Christians) and not just Adventists or any other group. It is difficult to imagine why any [anyone] with intellectual and spiritual honesty could find fault with the way you explained the healing substitution concepts and the truth about God’s character, though I know some will reject and criticize. On behalf of those in our group near Tacoma, WA, thank you and your staff for all of the hard work and for sharing the Gospel in this manner. God’s message of healing love will be carried to the whole world and then Jesus will come – He promised it.

Terry U., Tacoma, WA, USA

 

Testimony 11

I would love to have a copy of “Healing the Mind” DVDs to have in my therapy office. I enjoy having clients check out materials to enhance their therapy experience. I have sat under Dr. Jennings’ teaching at an American Association of Christian Counselors convention and respect his work greatly.

K.B., LA, USA