The Christian life and wellbeing: Where do we begin?

Welcome to my blog. I am delighted you have taken the time to visit. 

This week starts a series on the Christian life and the wonderful promises of scripture and the benefits to us. Teleios and other authors have shown Christian belief can improve personal wellbeing. This is great! How do we get it?

Well, the answer is neatly outlined in scripture in 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7. Let us spend this series of blogs following and expanding on this great passage, the basis of the Christian life, and good wellbeing.

Here is the passage! 

1 Thessalonians 1:5 - For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. 

1 Thessalonians 1:6 - And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 

1 Thessalonians 1:7 - So that ye were examples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 

In these verses the Apostle Paul reflects warmly on the acceptance of the gospel by the Thessalonians that he presented to them and their progression through the Christian life. The verses are neatly outlined by the following:

• Becoming a Christian Verse 5
• Security of salvation Verse 5
• Accepting God's Word in daily life Verse 6
• Becoming imitators of Paul Verse 6
• Becoming examples to others Verse 7

Let us start today with salvation. This is the obvious starting point for the Christian life as Christ said to enter through the narrow gate to life and to avoid the wide gate to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). To those who proceed through this narrow gate all the benefits of Christianity are available but one must first enter! 

How do we do this?

The basis of salvation is to understand:

• Man sinned.
• God is just, requiring a punishment for sin.
• But out of love God sent His Son, Jesus Christ who by dying on the cross, provided forgiveness of sins in taking man’s deserved punishment.
• Therefore, by faith alone in Christ’s sacrifice for our sins and belief in His resurrection, man can gain eternal life.

 (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 10:9-10, and Romans 3:21-26)

This forgiveness is by faith alone. No work is required. When you believe, confess it to somebody else so you're able to articulate it. A person generally does not really know something until they can tell another person.

So there you have it; it’s that simple! If you have not believed in Christ as your Savior please do so now. Please tell us about it and we will be happy, if you desire, to help you in your beginning journey as a Christian.

What is the next step? Simply to believe it! We will talk about this more next week.

For questions or to view more of our research…

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What is the cure for guilt?

Welcome again to my blog. I am delighted you have taken the time to visit. 

Last week we began a discussion about Christians having a low level of guilt. This week let's discuss potential cures.

The world screams that Christians surely have guilt because of all the restrictions of scripture that must induce this emotion. Guess what? Teleios’ research indicates quite the opposite! We have shown if you know scripture, the great freedom of salvation, and live as a Christian by faith, you won’t feel guilty!

In a survey at a large secular state university, Teleios found about 70% of both evangelical and social Christians noted they felt mild guilt while still reporting high levels of wellbeing. Interestingly, those who reported to be both evangelical and born-again (as opposed to just one or the other) had greater wellbeing. Further, those who reported they were evangelical, born-again and adhered to their faith, none had bad wellbeing and similar guilt levels as other groups. 

Further, we found in a survey in a well taught evangelical church that those with greater knowledge about the Christian faith and who practiced the faith (fellowship, praise, prayer, outreach and Bible study) noted less guilt than those who did not. 

We don't know exactly all the treatments for Christian guilt, but here are a few clues that might help:

• A good relationship with God, NOT! - Understand what your relationship with God is not. It is not based on being saved by Christ and then adding a works oriented system that gives us access to God only if we feel we deserve it. Teleios research indicates this lingering doubt of God’s acceptance and having to work for His approval is the most common cause of Christian guilt. This is not scriptural.
• A true Bible based relationship - Realize on what a relationship with God is really based. Scripture describes a secure position before God by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Therefore, assure yourself that you have trusted by faith, once for all time, your forgiveness of sins to God to salvation (2 Peter 1:10). This belief in God’s forgiveness allows us to have unrestricted access to God by prayer, without fear of rejection (Hebrews 10:20-23). 
• Eternally secure - Be confident in your eternal security. As we have recently covered not only does the Bible tell us we are secure (John 10:28-29; 1 Peter 1:4-6; Romans 8:29ff), but we hold positions that cannot be morphologically or legally undone (please see recent blogs). Indeed God causes us to persevere (2 Timothy 1:12).
• Un-chargeable - No one can bring a charge against us as we are declared just; only Christ can judge (Romans 8:33)!
• Practice your faith - Studying scripture, teaching it to others, good fellowship, praise to God, and prayer allow us to have the knowledge and the right mindset of our standing before God through Christ. When you first know what you should be knowing, and do what you should be doing, the confident knowledge of our salvation follows (Colossians 1:9-14).

Even if you have sinned as a Christian (as we all have), and even if the sin is chronic, the biblical answer is not to feel guilty but to be obedient. We are already forgiven! Otherwise, do what you should be doing and most likely you will not feel guilty.

In summary, base your relationship with God on biblical facts, not your emotions. This is a great concept!

Thanks for joining me. Visit again next week as we start a series on the Christian life and the wonderful promises of scripture and their benefits to us.

For questions or to view more of our research…

Email     teleiosresearch@outlook.com

Website http://teleiosresearch.com/

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Why do I feel guilty?

Welcome again to my blog. I am grateful you have taken the time to visit. 

These last few weeks we have discussed our secure position before God as believers in Jesus Christ. These are powerful promises! Please review them if you have not read those blogs.

Our research has shown that Christians generally have better wellbeing and less depression than non-Christians. Why then are Christians known for feeling guilty?  This week let us discuss the problem and next week we will discuss the solutions.

Teleios conducted 2 surveys: one at a major secular college campus and another in a well instructed evangelical church. Approximately 70% of participants in both surveys felt guilty! Fortunately, the level of guilt was mild. 

All the causes of this affliction are not known. Indeed, in the church-based survey of adults the overwhelming reason for guilt was due to a believer thinking their current sin(s) had somehow separated them from God and hurt their relationship with Christ; they felt badly about it! In my experience, it is very common for almost every person I teach to have felt some level of guilt. 

Why is this the case? Well we do not know all the causes but below are some potentials:

• We inflict it on our selves 
• We induce it in each other

Some churches induce it through legalistic regulations. Indeed, one pastor once sheepishly told me it can be good for motivating people!

Why do Christians feel guilty? Our sins are forgiven! Can you name a verse in the Bible that says we should feel guilty? I certainly cannot.

An example I often tell my students is that I have studied Greek, the original language of the Bible, for 25 years. Until recently I did not even know the Greek word for ‘guilt’ despite all my studies! The Bible does just not discuss it!

Of course, because I told the story several times I learned of some examples. However, the few times it's used is in the New Testament and it is not related to believers’ guilt. We are not to feel guilty!

The problem of guilt can be a big one because it:

• Teaches a lie about God 
• Robs us of our joy of salvation 
• Captures our emotions in incorrect thinking and takes us away from positive role of the Christian life
• Minimizes the actions of the church

So, what is the cure? Let's discuss this next week. Thank you for joining me as always.

For questions or to view more of our research…

Email     teleiosresearch@outlook.com

Website http://teleiosresearch.com/

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God's own possession, what a marvelous praise

Welcome again to my blog. I am grateful you have taken the time to visit. 

We’ve been discussing the results of personal salvation in Christ and why it might be associated with enhanced wellbeing. We have covered what happens at the time of salvation, as taught in the Bible, resulting in a steadfast new and wonderful position of a believer. This week let us discuss the great promise of our eternal possession by God. 

The wonderful story of our being the possession of God starts in Exodus 19:5-6 when God told the Israelites that He intended them to be a kingdom of priests, a holy nation and His peculiar possession. They failed in their commitment to God and sinned against Him. Therefore, they did not become a kingdom of priests or a holy nation. However, God will keep His promise to Israel that the nation would be His eternal possession (Psalm 89; Psalm 132:11-17; Romans 11:26-29).

As we know, the sin of Israel under the law was to show us our need for Christ (Galatians 3:24). He has come and died for our sins, that through Him, those who believe on his death on the cross by faith will have eternal life. As believers, God has enabled us to become a kingdom of priests, a holy nation and His peculiar possession (1 Peter 2:9).

How can Christians do this when the Israelis could not? It is because we have the Holy Spirit given to us as a seal to our redemption and to mark us as His eternal possession (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Christ noted that as His chosen, we are in His hands and cannot be removed. We are also in God’s hands and cannot be removed (John 10:28-30). Several other scriptures also note that we are God’s possession (1 Thessalonians 5:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; Hebrews 10:39).

We have in general, God’s promise that He will secure us in His power unto salvation (2 Timothy 1:12; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). 

We have covered many marvelous promises of our position as a believer that cannot be overturned, either because of legal, morphological reasons or through the direct power of God. These promises include: spiritual baptism, membership in the universal church, sealing by the Holy Spirit, adoption, justification, and now being made God's possession. 

Thank you for joining me this week and please come again next week as we continue to discuss the amazing power of God's word in our lives.

For questions or to view more of our research…

Email     teleiosresearch@outlook.com

Website http://teleiosresearch.com/

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Wow, we are legally without sin!

Justification: Wow, we are legally without sin!

Welcome again to my blog. I am grateful you have taken the time to visit. 

We recently began a series regarding the results of personal salvation in Christ and why it might be associated with enhanced wellbeing as found through our research. We have been describing what happens at the time of salvation, as taught in the Bible, resulting in a new and wonderful position for a believer. 

This week let us discuss justification! There is no other more important result of Christ’s work on the cross than our justification by faith. Let's examine in some detail the meaning of this great promise.

• Meaning of the New Testament word - This word is vital because the complete meaning in Greek of the word, “justification” (δικαιος, dikaios) is not fully conveyed by the English. As you know, Greek is the original language of the New Testament. The word dikaios carried a legal meaning that still exists today in modern Greek. The word reflected then someone who was found innocent in a court of law of all charges against them. Just like now, in ancient times in the Greek and Roman world there was no double jeopardy. This important legal concept means once you have been found innocent you cannot be charged again for the same crime.
• Christ’s work in justification - The Bible indicates that each of us has sinned and “fallen short” of what God requires of us (Romans 3:23). Because God is just, He demands punishment for our misdeeds. However, because He is loving, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment in our place (Romans 3:24-26). 

It's as though Christ acted as a courtroom judge and found us guilty of our sins and gave us the death sentence but afterwards, stood up, removed His judicial robe, came around in front of the judge’s bench and took the punishment for us. This satisfied God's demand for righteousness but also showed His great and gracious love for us.

Importantly, Christ is a sufficient sacrifice for our sins as He is perfect, holy and without sin (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 7:26; 2 Corinthians 5:21).  Therefore, Christ was a sufficient sacrifice to satisfy God's judgment. Accordingly, He died once for all sin, for all time, and He does not need to do this again as did the Old Testament priests (Hebrews 6:1-14; Hebrews 10:10-18).

Our legal position before God was pronounced “innocent” when we trusted Christ for forgiveness of our sins.  We do this only once and our sins are forgiven for all time. Since Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for all our sins for all time, nobody can charge us again. There is no double jeopardy!

WOW! We are secure in our position before God. We can come to him boldly because there are no limits on our access after we believe and become a Christian (Hebrews 10:20-23). What a great promise we have in our justification!

Indeed, God has given us, as Christian believers, a marvelous salvation and a wonderful secure eternity with Him (Romans 10:9-10; 2 Peter 1:4-5). Come back again next week and we'll complete this exciting overview of the results of our salvation.

For questions or to view more of our research…

Email     teleiosresearch@outlook.com

Website http://teleiosresearch.com/

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We are adopted children

Welcome again to my blog. Thank you for visiting. 

We have been discussing the results of personal salvation in Christ and why it might be associated with enhanced wellbeing. The current blog series is describing what happens, as taught in the Bible, at the time of salvation which results in wonderful changes for a believer. We have already discussed several fantastic promises associated with salvation. This week let us consider adoption, another marvelous biblical promise.

Adoption is important in our society because when a family legally adopts a child the new family member gains all the rights and privileges of a natural child. In other words, their new status in the family is permanent and cannot be overturned. What a great promise of security to the child!

Likewise, in the ancient Greek and Roman world, as in our own society (with some differences), adoption provided permanent legal status for a child that could not be overturned. The Apostle Paul states our status as adopted children into God’s family in four separate places in his epistles, indicating the importance of our new position as a believer following accepting Christ as Savior through faith (Romans 8:15 and 23; Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:5). Consequently, we are children of God, adopted into His family with legal protection and a permanent status. What a great promise!

How interesting that Paul describes adoption as one of our positions before God as New Testament Christians. It was not an image used of Old Testament believers. Adoption apparently was not common in the Hebrew world and is noted only in the Old Testament three times, all occurring outside of Israel. God appeared to handle the issue of orphaned children in Israel by the use of a kinsman redeemer as provided in the Hebrew law. 

Israel also is not noted to be adopted until Paul mentions it retroactively to the mixed audience of Greeks and the Jews in Rome (the Jews were probably Hellenized and so would relate to the image) to explain God's relationship to Israel in the Old Testament (Romans 9:4).

Adoption is the fourth of the great promises of our position as a believer because of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross, resulting in either legal or morphological irreversible changes. These changes indicate our eternal security including: spiritual baptism, membership in the universal church, sealing by the Spirit and now adoption as children of God.

Indeed, God has given us a marvelous salvation and the promise of a wonderful secure eternity with Him (Romans 10:9-10). Come back again next week and we'll talk about justification, a supposition from Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. As always, thank you for visiting.

For questions or to view more of our research…

Email     teleiosresearch@outlook.com

Website http://teleiosresearch.com/

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Seal of approval

Welcome again to my blog. Thank you for visiting. 

We recently began discussing the results of personal salvation in Christ and why it might be associated with enhanced wellbeing as found through Teleios research. This blog series is describing what happens, as taught in the Bible, at the time of salvation resulting in a steadfast new and wonderful position of a believer. We have covered already several wonderful promises accompanying salvation. This week let us discuss the Spirit sealing, another fantastic biblical promise!

The Holy Spirit is often misunderstood, but He is a key component in our salvation, resulting position before God and subsequent Christian walk. At Salvation the Holy Spirit is given to us. This is a great promise and is a part of the results of our belief to salvation by faith alone in Christ’s substitutionary work on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9). These are the main points to review about the Spirit at salvation. Read and enjoy!

• Spiritual baptism - We discussed this great promise two weeks ago; that the Holy Spirit regenerates us to a new life in Christ, identifying us with His death and resurrection upon the cross. We are a new creature in Christ (Romans 6:2-9; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10).
• Entry into the church - The Spirit places us in the church universal through which serve Christ.
• The Spirit sealing - This week we learn that the Holy Spirit at salvation is given to us as a seal unto the day of our redemption, the second coming of Christ, when we will live with him eternally (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Corinthians 5:5).

Fortunately, this seal is not talking about a cute aquatic mammal, but it is speaking of a secure seal to bind us to Christ. Seals were used in the ancient world as a legal means to close a document. If a king had created a new law or order, molten wax might be poured on the document to seal it and the king's signet ring pressed into the wax. The king’s symbol in the wax would tell the carrier or the recipient that the contents of the document were the king’s will and breaking the seal inappropriately or ignoring the order was done at a person's own peril. 

We are sealed by our King and it reflects the same legal and unbreakable character as ancient law. Further, the Spirit seals us throughout our whole life on earth until we go home to heaven. Importantly, all those who believed by grace in Christ's forgiveness on the cross are Christians and have the Spirit and the seal (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

What great promises we possess as believers in Christ with a position so eternally secure with a great hope for the future and a steadfast anchor our souls while we are on Earth (Hebrews 6:19; 1 Peter 1:4-5).

Thank you for joining me on this fascinating Journey of who we are as a Christian before God. Please join us again next week to learn more.

For questions or to view more of our research…

Email     teleiosresearch@outlook.com

Website http://teleiosresearch.com/

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