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Whether it is a worldwide pandemic or a flat tire, life is hard. Things that are supposed to work as we would expect them to, often don’t. Plans that are made often get canceled or postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. These difficulties are experienced by everyone, including unbelievers. If life as a pagan is difficult, does that mean it gets any easier once you are in a right relationship with God? Does God really “have a wonderful plan for your life”, as is commonly said amongst professing evangelicals?

Last week, we sought to address a couple of passages that are often difficult for some to reconcile with the doctrine of eternal security. What may seem at first glance to be in the favor of the conditionalists (that is, Christians who believe that true saints can later lose their salvation) upon closer examination of the context of the passages in question and understanding the clear teaching of Scripture of true vs. false conversion, show they are not.

The doctrine of eternal security, which teaches that the salvation of believers is forever guaranteed by our Savior and great High Priest Jesus Christ, is a glorious doctrine that gives believers assurance of their faith in Christ and their eternal inheritance.

As Christians, one thing all of us are guaranteed to experience in one form or another in this life is adversity. Regardless of what directly causes the various trials to come our way, we know that God is the one who ultimately causes all things to work together according to His eternal decree.

“Come on! You can do it! You’re almost there!” the bystanders shout as I near the end of a competitive road race. As a distance runner, I know how agonizing the last mile always is, when everything inside of me wants to slow down, catch my breath, and give my battered legs a much-needed break.

The book of Romans has many wonderful and memorable passages, and the “golden chain” of salvation in chapter 8 is undoubtedly one of its key highlights. And what a glorious chain it is…all of it points to God as the sole initiator of our salvation! But, there is also another “chain” of salvation that Paul elaborates on later in his epistle which focuses more on the human side of salvation.

For all of eternity, before He created the universe, the earth, its inhabitants, and the angelic hosts, the Triune God enjoyed perfect contentment within Himself. The Father and the Son enjoy one another with a perfect love that is mediated by the Holy Spirit.

In our last blog, we discussed the miracle of regeneration. To summarize the main point concerning how regeneration relates to the doctrine of irresistible grace, regeneration is the means that God has chosen in our lives to bring about a genuine willingness to be drawn to His saving grace.

When we study our Lord Jesus Christ in the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), one of the first things that stands out for many Christians is the countless miracles that accompanied His life and ministry. Even His birth is accompanied by a great miracle that the Holy Spirit performed in conceiving a child in the womb of a virgin by the name of Mary, and that the Child she bore was none other than Immanuel (“God with us”).

For the past several weeks, we have with due diligence considered what the Bible teaches us concerning atonement and why Christ’s atonement is necessary for our salvation. In the Old Testament, the animal sacrifices that were offered as burnt offerings to atone for sin foreshadowed the bloody and substitutionary nature of Christ’s atonement.