Last Letters to Christian
The Workmanship of God in Our Salvation
by
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"How blessed is the one whom Thou dost choose, and bring near to Thee, to dwell in Thy courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, Thy holy temple" (Ps. 65:4). You are chosen of God. This is a secret truth you will keep in your most private thoughts and not argue about with other people. Though some folks strongly detest this truth, the Bible speaks clearly for this truth. Man does not fully understand what God means. You will hold this truth to be dear, because you will know that He loved you before you loved Him (1 John 4:19). God draws you by His grace and providence into an intimate fellowship. He becomes the husband of your heart. In spite of your sins, ignorance, and complacent thoughts; He brings you near to His heart and loves on you. The call of God is firm, steady, persistent, patient, and effectual. God's call brings you into His courts revealing His mercy, forgiveness, and acceptance. The Christian experience satisfies the heart beyond conception. "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1). His love subdues our unwillingness and leads us to new depths of abiding with the Lord that are indeed pleasurable. We strongly desire to follow Jesus in obedience, and welcome with more assurance the promise of Heaven. You were born the first time from natural parents which will lead to physical death, but the new birth in Jesus will be permanent. The inner presence of the Lord from being born again will never dwindle, disappear, and die; it is life everlasting. "The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable" (Rom. 11:29). God does not repent of the fact that He chose you, called you, and made for you a presence with Himself in eternity. We go from being heirs of sin and guilt to a place of dignity as the sons of God. We go from rags of sin to riches in the love of God. A holy God is not ashamed to be called our Father and to call us sons. Amen.
We are to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13). This is the grace of God and His providence in action. God is love (1 John 4:8), and He enables us to love Himself, your own self and others, especially the children of God (1 John 5:2). From His love, He puts us on the road leading to the obedience of faith (Rom. 1:5, 16:26). Love is practical. “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Follow the Spirit, Christian, and you will have the comforts of the Spirit. Amen. The performance of our duty to the laws of Christ will not be perfect (1 John 1:8-10), but we must have a conscientious care to perform His commands. We are not to grieve the Spirit (Eph. 4:30) and quench the Spirit (1 Thess. 5:19). I remember when I was younger and struggling with the verse John 14:15. I thought that if I did not keep His commandments, I did not love Him. The devil got a grip on me and just made me feel guilt. It is by grace that we love Jesus. It is by grace that we show a truthful obedience. The principle of love to Christ matures in the true Christian. Since you love Him, you will keep His commandments. We grow by grace and knowledge closer to Jesus. In fear and trembling we discover His presence, and learn to love Him. When we love Him, we keep His commandments; cheerfully, impartially, and with perseverance. We never cease to love Him, and in trust, never regret to follow Him. Our salvation is not based on works but on Jesus (Eph. 2:8-10, Titus 3:5). Our responsibilities are not works. Amen. First, we have the commandments; then we keep them by the working love of the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sent in Jesus' name (John 14:21-26). We grow in faith, being comforted that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil. 1:6). He guides us in paths of righteousness for His name's sake (Ps. 23:3). He providentially guides our thoughts and steps with holy guidance and divine motives. God is faithful. In surrender, we are victorious for the glory of His name, not our name. His name is magnified. Now, live as though you have a holy, loving, and merciful Father above you, a precious and beloved soul within you, and a glory yet to be revealed for an eternity before you. Amen.
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About the Book
The purpose of this book is to share the great work that God does in our souls for eternal life. We are always on a journey, outlined and empowered by the love of God. He provides the spiritual fountain we drink from to be like Christ. For the new creation, we are transformed into the image of Jesus. God builds into our lives the fruit of His own Spirit. The discussion of God’s attributes in these letters allows the comparison to be made between the transfiguration of our hearts, and the reflection of His image. We are not gods, but we can be godly. I include letters on God’s power, wisdom and providence, proving that only God is able to do this heart work. I include letters on the fruit of the Spirit for patience, goodness, faithfulness, freedom and holiness, establishing our reflection of God’s handiwork. In God’s time and way, He brings us to places in our lives where we experience and better understand His goodness.
About the Author
Douglas A. Weigent earned a B.A. degree in biology from Western Washington University and the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in micrology and immunology from the University of Washington. His postdoctoral work was conducted at the University of Minnesota (Hormel Institute) and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. His faculty work was conducted in the departments of Physiology and Biophysics and Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama. Although he has no formal religious education, he has had a strong personal interest in church life and Bible study for many years. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife, Diane, to whom he has been married for 48 years. They have one daughter, Rachel, and one grandson, Christian.