HOW DOES GOD VIEW THE BELIEVER?
by Dr. Ken Matto
How many times have you heard the Christian clich�, "We're just sinners saved by grace?" Okay, show me that saying in Scripture! Can't find it? Why can't you? It doesn't exist in Scripture. It has become one of those unbiblical sayings that sound oh so religious and humble. It is a very misleading statement because Christ did not die on the cross to make us sinners. He died to free us from the effects and penalty of sins. This is probably a subject you never thought of until now. God has a special relationship with His children and He makes no bones about how He views us. The Scriptures give us a beautiful description of how God views us. I want to show the beautiful relationship which exists between God and His children.
There are many Christians who walk under a cloud of condemnation simply because many pastors do not understand our relationship to God "our" Father and pass that ignorance on to the sheep. My goal is to acclimate Christians to the Scriptures. Christians must rediscover the Bible without the folly of theology books telling us what we shall believe. This monograph is written to aid Christians in their understanding about their relationship to God. I would like to look at one of the most significant chapters in Scripture dealing with "How God views His Children." We will discuss Ephesians chapter one and when we have completed this chapter, you may be surprised how God views you if you are a true child of God.
Many Christians are ignorant of how God views them. This is not a slanderous statement but a stark reality owing to the high rate of biblical illiteracy in the church and individual Christians. In today's church psychological teachings are usurping the teaching of pure Scripture. The next time you hear a sermon, listen carefully and you will hear much psychological dogma mixed with Scripture and presented to you as absolute truth and authority. The sad result is that many Christians do not know how wonderfully they stand with God because of their relationship to Christ. I feel sorry for those Christians who are told every Sunday that they are nothing but dirty rotten sinners that should have gone to hell. This kind of teaching from the pulpit on a continual basis tends to tear believers down instead of building them up.
No Christian should fear God in the sense that He is a despotic ruler who waits for us to mess up so He could zap us. God is not a vengeful God toward His children. His wrath is reserved for the unbeliever on judgment day.
(2 Th 1:6-10 KJV) Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; {7} And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, {8} In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: {9} Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; {10} When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
I do not want to convey the mistaken notion that man is inherently good and deserves heaven but as I have already mentioned when we become saved, our relationship to God changes. We are no longer a sinner under Satan's authority but a Saint under God's authority.
If one reads the Scriptures carefully, especially in Genesis 3, we find that because of Adam and Eve's sin, the whole human race was sentenced to hell, yet, God in His sovereign grace has chosen to save millions from hell. Why doesn't He save everyone? I cannot answer and neither can anyone else. The fact remains that if God has saved you, you have a tremendous relationship with Him.
I will take some key words and phrases out of our Scripture passages to help focus our study but I ask that you read the entire chapter. When you come to the words we will study, you will have the definition and will gain a deeper insight of how God views His children.
EPHESIANS 1
(Eph 1:1 KJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
The word "saints" may be translated "dedicated, set apart, sacred or holy." God views each Christian as one who is sacred and holy. This brings us into a special relationship with God. I have seen too many preachers and Christians who have been saved for many years espousing the belief that we are just sinners saved by grace. We need to start viewing ourselves as God views us. Let's do a brief analysis of that saying. The truth is that we were classified as sinners before salvation and this is how God viewed us. Upon salvation we received "positional holiness." If I am just a sinner saved by grace, then I would be in a confusing situation. If I am a sinner, then I am not saved by grace and if I am saved by grace, then I am not a sinner. Remember we are approaching this from God's point of view as written in Scripture. "Sinner saved by grace" cannot be found anywhere in Scripture in reference to God's attitude toward His children.
Let me say here that all Christians do sin but because of Calvary all those sins have been erased and not held against us anymore. Christ's sacrifice paid for every sin that I ever committed or will commit in the future. If just one sin is held against me, then I am destined for hell and was never saved. This is why it is important to know the difference between being a sinner and one who has the ability to sin. The unbeliever is classified as a sinner since everything they do is sin. The Christian is called Saint, and the sooner we start thinking like saints, instead of sinners, we will begin to see our Christian lives blossom.
The abundant life which Christ came to give us is not on the spiritual level of those who still view themselves as sinners, but those who realize that God has elevated their position to saint. If God views us as holy, it is blasphemy against the cross of Christ to continue to view ourselves as sinners. If you believe that line of thought, you are also believing that God's death on that cross was not sufficient to take away your sin. In essence that would mean sin and Satan are stronger than God. With thought patterns like these, no wonder many Christians have stopped growing. Always keep in mind it is what God says that sets truth, not what we feel or believe. Ponder this for a minute, if I am still a sinner then I should consider myself a "holy sinner." These two words are oil and water and no amount of homogenization will ever mix them. If you are saved, God no longer views you as a sinner, so why should you continue believing a statement right out of the pits of the camp of false humility.
(Eph 1:1 KJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
The word "faithful" may also be translated "a believer, a faithful one, trustworthy, or one on whom we may rely." Here God views His children as reliable. The Greek word "pistos" which is also translated: Believer in 1 Tim. 4:2; faithful in Hebrews 2:17; and true in 1 Tim. 3:1. Since God has given us the Holy Spirit, He has entrusted His spiritual riches to us, which is the gospel. God views us as responsible enough to deliver the gospel world wide.
God has also given us the faith to believe in Him, because man with a sin permeated mind could never believe in God on his own. God implants in us the desire to be faithful so His work on earth could be completed to His glory. We may not feel faithful all the time, but again, what has God written in the Bible? Don't take my word for it, use a concordance and a King James Bible and do your own study on our focus words in this chapter.
We must never trust our feelings because many times we may not feel saved. Just because I do not feel saved does not mean I am not. If God says I'm saved, I'm saved! Matter settled! God does not work according to our feelings. The hymn we sing at Christmas which refers to only Christians is, "O Come All ye Faithful."
2 Timothy 2:2 states we shall commit the gospel to "faithful men." The word used here is "pistos." What God seems to be telling us is that He has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to take the true gospel to the ends of the earth. So God views you, YES YOU!, as part of His reliable and responsible army of believers! Put this book down and start thanking Him, but pick it back up again because there is more to come.
(Eph 1:2 KJV) Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Greek word "eirene" is translated "peace" throughout the New Testament except in three places. The first place is Acts 7:26 where it is rendered "one again" which carries the meaning of reunification of two which were separated. The second place is Acts 9:31 where it is rendered "rest" which carries the idea of a state of peace, tranquility with the inducement of a state of security. The third place is Acts 24:2 where it is rendered "quietness" which also carries with it the idea of a place of security and repose. The regular translation of "eirene" into peace carries with it the idea of inner peace resulting from forgiveness.
We see in this one word how God views the believer as being reunited with Him. Sin separated the whole human race from God but the cross of Christ has given reconciliation to every believer. The word also reveals we have a state of security. God views the believer as being secure in Him no matter what the outward circumstances are. God gives His children quietness and sweet repose. Remember the pastoral promise in Psalm 23:2, "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." God gives inward peace in an age of chaos.
(Eph 1:3 KJV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Every spiritual need the believer has on earth was already supplied. The word "blessing" is the Greek word "eulogia" which means "good speaking praise." God has given His praises to those in Christ Jesus. We literally have a divine commendation as we read in Romans 2:29, "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." This verse speaks of the believer as being praised by God because of our relationship to His Son. This is not to imply that God worships man because that would be outright blasphemy. God was well-pleased with Christ and because of Christ, He is well-pleased with the Christian. Nowhere in the Bible do we find that God is pleased with the sinner.
Remember we are beginning to see how God views the believer and we must do this from a biblical perspective. Program your mind to think biblically and you will begin to think as God thinks, to the extent that a human is able to do so.
(Eph 1:4 KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
The word "chosen" comes from the Greek word "eklegomai" which means to "select, choose, elect." Here we read that God has literally hand-picked every Christian. (John 6:37 KJV) "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." Man did not choose God but God chose man. (John 1:12-13 KJV) "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: {13} Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." This may be borne out with many other Scriptures. For a Christian to proclaim "I have accepted the Lord" is a misnomer, since it is God who accepted us, the reprobate sinner. When we begin to realize that it was God who saved us, and it was not by our own action, we will have a better appreciation of our salvation, since we realize we had no part in it.
When we know that God reached down and chose the Christian, we will have more desire to serve Him in whatever capacity He chooses. The normal teaching is that God waits for the sinner to accept or reject Christ. This will never occur since man is spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1-3). If a person is dead, how is it possible to hear, never mind respond. We respond because God opens our spiritual ears, making us aware we are sinners and this is none of man's doing. God has chosen you to be His child. What will you do with the life He has given you?
(Eph 1:4 KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Refer to the section on "saint" because the same root word in the Greek is used for both "saint" and "holy." If God says we are holy, how can we just be sinners?
(Eph 1:4 KJV) According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
These word may be translated "without blemish of sin, disgrace, or unblameable." This phrase shows how unscriptural the phrase "sinner saved by grace" is when describing the Christian, because God is stating He views us as having no blemish of sin. Because of Christ, God sees us as pure, without sin, even though that is not how we see ourselves. Remember, it is not our pre-programmed thoughts that count but it is the Bible which is the final authority. Two good commentaries on this verse are found in Romans 8:33 & Revelation 14:5:
(Rom 8:33 KJV) Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
(Rev 14:4-5 KJV) These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. {5} And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.
God is the one who declares the Christian to be free of sin, and we better start analyzing the pet sayings we adopt. God has declared His children sinless because of Christ. Let me emphasize because we sin after salvation, God does not view us as sinners. I challenge anyone to show me in the Bible where God calls redeemed saints "sinners saved by grace." If we were not declared sinless, we would be on our way to Hell, not Heaven, because it takes only one sin to send us there.
(Eph 1:5 KJV) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
The word predestinated may also be translated "predetermined, foreordain, or decree beforehand". This one word reveals to us that we were already in God's plan eons ago. God chose to save you, and He predetermined your life as He did for Jeremiah, Paul, and John the Baptist:
(Jer 1:5 KJV) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
(Gal 1:15 KJV) But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
(Luke 1:13-17 KJV) But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. {14} And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. {15} For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb. {16} And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. {17} And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
This is where election comes in. Because of Adam's sin the whole human race was condemned to hell, yet God in His mercy predestined millions to be saved. Why He doesn't save everyone is unknown to us but God's holiness must be vindicated since it was man's free will in Eden which caused all that sin and suffering throughout the ages.
Thank God He saves us without our consent, or else none would become saved because we love our sins more than anything.
(John 3:19 KJV) And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
(Rom 3:10-11 KJV) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: {11} There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
If you are a Christian, then God has predestinated you for Heaven, so let us stop arguing doctrine and just thank Him. We have just seen that predestination is a doctrine of Scripture not an invention of John Calvin.
(Eph 1:5 KJV) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
When God saves us he transfers us from the family of Satan to the family of God and gives us full rights as if we were natural children. He makes us an heir of all things and gives us His family name, "Christian." The name "Christian" carries with it the meaning of being attached to or an adherent of Christ.
God shows us we are His children and are in His family with permission to call Him "Father." This means He expects us to pray and speak with Him, to love and understand Him. Since we are His children, we should read His word with joy because it is like receiving a letter from home. Many believers do not understand their relationship between God and themselves. When Christians study the Bible more intently, they will see God's intentions toward them are not hostile but loving.
(Jer 29:11 KJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
(Eph 1:6 KJV) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
The "beloved" in view is the Lord Jesus Christ. The word we are focusing on is "accepted," which may also be translated "to make lovely, endue with special honor, or to bestow grace upon." No matter how we feel we are accepted by Christ because of His sacrifice. Isn't it marvelous how God made us accepted and never to be rejected? When the world rejects us for any reason, we know that we may come to Christ who will never reject us. (Heb 13:5) Since we are accepted we may come with confidence to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16) and speak whatever is on our heart. The unsaved cannot do this because they are not accepted. Let us remember that it is with God we are going to spend eternity, so if the world rejects us, so what, because this world is fleeting away but the believers life is ready to flourish. So have courage because you are accepted!
(Eph 1:7 KJV) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
This is another glorious word in this spiritual catalog. Redemption may also be translated "ransom in full, a buying back, deliverance from guilt and punishment from sin." Never will a believer have to stand in judgment for their sin because the work of Christ was complete on our behalf. We were totally redeemed from all sin and guilt. This applies to past, present, and future because when Christ went to the cross all your sins were in the future. Our redemption was secured by God Himself plus He declares us sinless. It would do good to read Romans 8:33 again. So let the accusers accuse, the mockers mock, the gossipers gossip, because God knows who His children are and once He has declared them redeemed, it is forever.
(Eph 1:7 KJV) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
The word "forgiveness" may also be translated "freedom, pardon, or release from sin." This word states the Christian has absolute pardon from all their sin. Since we have been totally forgiven, we are eternally secure because God sees us as sinless. Being in Christ guarantees our place in Heaven. We are totally free from all spiritual penalties owing to sin. However, there may be physical penalties for sin, such as AIDS for sexual sins or liver disease from drinking et al. You can take comfort that even though our flesh is corrupting, the inner man is being renewed daily. (2 Cor. 4:16)
This is why the believer radiates an inner joy because all the baggage of sin has been removed permanently and figuratively cast behind God's back:
(Isa 38:17 KJV) Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.
This is why the believer is free to do the work of the Lord because sin no longer impedes the believer. However, if there is a besetting sin in a believer's life, this may cause an impediment. A besetting sin will definitely be a hindrance to usefulness in God's kingdom. Just because someone has been placed on the shelf by God does not take away from the fact they are totally forgiven. Total forgiveness does not justify a believer for continuing in the life of sin, he/she must mortify the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13) and it will not be easy.
(Eph 1:11 KJV) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
The word "inheritance" may also be translated "to allot, to obtain, possess." The Christian is guaranteed to inherit heaven and all the spiritual blessings as we previously discovered. If our hope was only in this world, I would definitely be depressed but because God is viewing us as His children, He has given us the greatest inheritance that we could ever ask for or dream of, HIMSELF! Genesis 15:1 states:
(Gen 15:1 KJV) After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
The word "reward" may also be translated "pay or wages." The believers wages will actually be God Himself! Talk about an inheritance which is beyond comprehension. Compare these wages to the wages of sin in Romans 6:23:
(Rom 6:23 KJV) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
We have looked at only eight verses and we saw the marvelous way which God views His children and how He has provided for us. No other group in the world is going to experience what you and I will. Let the pangs of discouragement and fear die as you begin to realize how truly God loves His children. Don't just stop at these verses, purchase a concordance and analyze all the promises of God, and as you do, you will become better acquainted with God and your inner joy will return, if it hasn't by now. Before we leave this study I wish to offer some Scriptures from both the Old and New Testaments furthering our insight on how God views His redeemed children.