Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life
The mission of Life Assurance Miniseries is to proclaim the good news of the new covenant gospel of grace in Christ and to combat the errors of legalism and false religion.
We believe that all have sinned in the past and we all continue to fall short of God’s ideal (Rom. 3:23). God is not willing that any perish but wishes all to come to repentance (2 Pet. 3). He loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (Jn. 3:16).
God’s offer of salvation is for “whoever believes”. Of ourselves we cannot exercise saving faith, but God in His great mercy gives us both grace and faith to receive His gift (Eph. 2:8, 9; Tit. 3:5). When God reaches down in grace and mercy to us and we in repentance and acknowledgement of our sin receive His free gift of salvation, we are born again, born from above, born of the Spirit in our spirit and become new creatures in Christ Jesus (Jn. 3:3-8; 2 Cor. 5:17).
At this point we are counted perfectly righteous-with the very “righteousness of God” (Rom. 3:21, 22). The “righteousness of God” that is imputed to us who believe is far above the “righteousness of the law” and is not even associated with the “righteousness of the law” (Phil. 3:6; Rom. 4:13; 9:31; 10:4, 5; Gal. 2:21; 3:21; Phil. 3:6-9).
God promised that the “more abundant” Christian life would be a life filled with assurance, peace, rest and joy— and as long as we are in this old world, some persecutions (Jn. 10:10; Heb. 3:14; 6:11; 10:22; 11:1; Jn. 14:27; Mt. 11:28, 29; Jn. 15:11; Mk. 10:30).
It makes a monumental difference on where the Christian life is focused. Living with a “law focus” has only two consequences: either one is always under guilt and condemnation for falling short of God’s ideal; or one deceives himself into thinking that he has fully obeyed. Usually when the latter happens the law focused person will set up arbitrary rules that define accepted obedience.1 Then when he feels he has kept the rules well enough he becomes judgmental of others who do not measure up to his understanding of what is required. However, there is a better way!
Look Away!
By contrast, however, the new covenant gospel provides a better way.2 We are not under law; we are dead to the law, and the law no longer plays any function in our salvation. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”3 Rather than look back to the law for sanctified living, as the Galatians did, Christians are to look away from the law and focus their attention on what God has already done for them, what He promises to continue to do for them and what He now declares about them.
The following verses contain so much good news, especially for those of us who have gown up on law; one sometimes has to read a verse several times to comprehend its scope and truthfulness. I encourage you to underline these verses in your Bible.4 Memorize them and they will become your “sword of the Spirit” to vanquish all the fiery temptations of the devil. When you read them in the following paragraph, do not rush from one statement to the next; rather let the truth of each Scripture sink into your soul and spirit. Here is the power of the gospel. Here is the power of the Spirit-filled life. Here is where one finds hilarious joy that is constant in the face of difficulties. Here is the good news that is not only to be received but must be proclaimed. Here is our foundation of faith. Here is the engine that drives Life Assurance Ministries.
The writer of Hebrews says, “There remains therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” He admonishes us to “be diligent to enter that rest.” And he says “we who have believed enter that rest”5 (Heb. 4:3, 9, 11). Christians who believe enter the “rest” of fellowship with God, the “rest” of Eden’s seventh day when all was very good. We now have eternal life (Jn. 6:47). We now know we have eternal life (1 Jn. 5:13). We now have peace with God (Rom. 5:1). We now have been reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10). Our old self (man) was crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6). We are now to consider ourselves to be dead to sin (Rom. 6:11). We are now freed from sin (Rom. 6:18, 22; 1 Jn. 3:8, 9). We are now dead to the law (Rom. 7:4). We now have been released from the law (Rom. 7:6). We now serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:6). There is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1). We have now received the spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15). We now overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us (Rom. 8:37). We are now sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise (Eph. 1:13). We are now saved through faith (Eph. 2:8). We are now the dwelling of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:22). We are now chosen in Christ (Eph. 1:4). We now have redemption through his blood (Eph. 1:7). God is now at work in us to will and to do His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). We are now qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Col. 1:12). We have now been transferred to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Col. 1:13).We now have each received a spiritual gift (Rom. 12; 1 Cor. 12; Eph. 4). The Spirit now helps our weaknesses (Rom. 8:26). We have now been predestined to be like Christ (Rom. 8:29). I invite you to read these Scriptures day after day until you internalize what God’s Word declares about your standing in Christ.
Reframe your faith
Too often we speak flippantly about “believing” as if it were something of little consequence. We rightly interpret faith as “trusting Christ alone for salvation.” However, my goal in concluding this book is to encourage you to expand and reframe your concept of faith not only to include “trusting Christ alone for salvation” but also to include ALL the many promises of God and the things that God now declarers to be true about the believing Christian. If we truly believe every biblical statement in the foregoing paragraph, we will find a new identity. We will discover that we really are new creatures in Christ Jesus. We will find that we now have the very righteousness of God which comes by faith in Christ Jesus because God has declared it so. We turn from the slavery of “do” to the freedom of “done”; from the striving to become to the assurance of God’s declaration.
But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:14-18).
Endnotes
- This is the hallmark of legalism. Take Sabbath keeping for example. Many Sabbatarians believe they are keeping the Sabbath because they measure up to the Sabbath rules that are accepted in their group, church or denomination. If Seventh-day Adventists claim to believe what they say they believe, then they are under obligation to keep all the biblical Sabbath laws, plus those laid down by Ellen White. See Sabbath in Christ, pages 74-76 for a list of the biblical rules for Sabbath keeping and pages 388-392 for a partial list of Sabbath rules laid down by Ellen White.
- The writer of Hebrews shows over and over again how the new covenant is “better” than the old. See Heb. 1:4; 6:9; 7:19, 22; 8:6; 9:23; 10:34; 11:4, 16, 35, 40; 12:24.
- Rom. 10:4.
- I have left the references in the text to make it easier to review these in your Bible.
- In Greek, “believed” is written in such a way that it refers to something that takes place in an instant of time. For a thorough study of this passage, see Sabbath in Christ, “The Rest that Remains”.
- 12. The Good News of Christ - August 27, 2026
- 11. Author’s Summary Remarks - August 19, 2026
- 10. Deceptive Practices Still Used - August 13, 2026