(Romans 8:28-31)

In theology there is a phrase that we use called, “The Golden Chain of Salvation.” This golden chain looks at the doctrines that encapsulates the main doctrines of man’s salvation. These doctrines are
*The Doctrine of Election.
*The Doctrine of God’s Calling.
*The Doctrine of Justification.
*The Doctrine of Sanctification.
*The Doctrine of Glorification.
*The Doctrine of Assurance.

The Doctrine of Election: This often disregarded, forgotten at best, forsaken at worst, defines the free choice God the Father made in eternity past, prior to the Creation and founding of the earth. This free choice is quite simply, who will be saved based upon the finished Work of Christ and those who will have this works applied to them in time after the creation and founding of the earth.  This doctrine states the facts that God the Father chose who will be saved, and who will be damned.  This doctrine further sates, who will benefit by this free choice and the life, death, burial, and resurrection performed by God the Son. This doctrine further states that those chosen and those to whom Christ’s works will be applied to will be done so by the Work of the Holy Spirit in time. For many reaons many if not most preachers, pastors and other ministers avoid this doctrine and diavow it’s validity.  These “ministers” will answer for this great affront when they face God.

The Doctrine of God’s Calling: The Golden Chain or the doctrines of grace continue with the doctrine of God’s calling of those chosen. This calling takes place in time. Christ teaches that many will be called but few chosen.  This teaching demonstrates that God will call many through the outward call of Gospel preachers.  This outward call goes forth in the preaching of faithful minister.  However, we learn that though many are outwardly called, only few will be chosen.
Every time a faithful minister preaches the facts of the Gospel, everyone that hears this or reads this, receives a call to be saved.  This call goes out to every person, whether they are among the chosen or not. However, we learn from Scripture truth that ONLY the chosen will heed this call.  When ever a missionary preached the death and resurrection of Christ, all are being called, but only the chosen in Christ will heed and respond. This call can go forth in the preaching of faithful ministers, in Gospel tracts, in the personal reading of God’s Word, Road signd, a Christ-ian sharing the faith with, family, friends, and strangers.  Only those that respond in repentance and faith will be those that have been chosen.
Though a person may hear the call a thousand (1000) times, lest the person be among the elect or chosen, this person will never repond…never.

The Doctrine Of Justification:
*This doctrine is the doctrine that gave rise to the Reformation in the fifteen-hundreds (1500″s) under the ministry of Martin Luther.  Humanly speaking, after the close of the New Testament, there is probably no man more important than Martin Luther.  To be sure there were men before Luther and outside the N.T. that God used, but some no greater than Luther.  Men like Augustine, Hus, Wycliffe, Tyndale and others were used by God, but these men, were the forerunners of the great Luther.  There were men that came after Luther or were his contemporaries that must be counted among the greats but they are because of Luther.  Men like Calvin, John Knox, the translaters of the Geneva Bible, the Purtans, Spurgeon, Lloyd Jones. Pink, and many others, but these others would give much thanks to Luther.

The doctrine of Justification states, that those for whom Christ lived, died, and rose again, would have their sins exchanged with Christ’s righteousness.  Paul puts it this way, “Christ became sin for the unrighteous so that the unrighteous or sinful might become righteous in Him.”  Christ became NOT A SINNER BUT SIN ITSELF so that we the sinful might become the RIGHTEOUS IN CHRIST as we stand BEFORE THE FATHER.  In other words, Christ becaome you so that you might become Christ in the view of God…Reader, i Write this with Goosebumps, and much praise and thanks!!!
It is only the elect and those called to benefit from election that will be justified.  This justification takes place in time just as the calling takes place in time.
“The Doctine Of Sanctification: This doctrine is found in Romans: 8 just as the above.  When chapter 8 states that the justified are predestinated to Christ-like, it teaches that the justified will become Christ-like through the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification.  To be clear…there is no sanctification without justification and there is no justification without sanctification period. Justification and sanctification are twins lust like Repentance and belief, like belief and obedience and love. There is no latter without the former and no former without the latter…EVER!!! n If one (1) demonstrates no Sanctification, there has been no justification period.  I am fully aware that many ministers do not teach this but these are not faithful ministers to God’ Word.

“You will know them by their fruits.”  This truth is also summed up in Paul’s Fruits of the Spirit in Galations 5.  Christ said, “If you love me you will keep [M]y Words, and commandments.”  To doubt the real time truth of Sanctification is doubt the Word, and works of Christ.  Christ did not die for the one (1) who will live and lead a life of sin and disobedience. Reader, if you doubt this, you may as well the entirety of God’s Word.  I cannot be plainer. Except to say, if you doubt this, you make God a liar.

The Doctrine of Glorification: This is such a comforting truth and promise.  We will not spend much time here, but God willing we will write at length on this truth in the future. This doctrine simply put tells us that when Christ returns we will be changed physically, and spiritually into His like-ness…in Romans 8, we are told that we are predestinated or the elect, called, justified, sanctified will be changed into Christ’s glorious image. Our vile bodies will be changed into His Glorious body and likeness, this occurs when we see Him as He is.  Oh Praise be to God for this promise and blessed hope.

The Doctrine of Assurance: This promise as spoken of in our prior article is the promise that all who have enjoyed and will enjoy the doctrines of grace or the golden chain of salvation should also, in time and space should enjoy the great promise and hope of our assurance.  This promise finds it’s founding in the above doctrines but also in the Person that ensures thea bove truths, promise(s0 and hope.  To dount any of the above is the doubt the Person in Whom all these promise find their reality and assurance.

The truth that you are saved in Christ is no less truthful than that Christ is in The Father and Father is in Christ.  For Christ tells us that as He is in the Father, and the Father is in Him that we are in Him as He is in the Father and the Father is in Him!!!!!  To dount your eternal placement in Christ is to doubt His in the Father and the Father’s in Christ….do you want to do this, beloved?  Do you want to be charged with this etrernal truth?  To doubt your assurance and place in Christ is not to doubt yourself but Christ’s place in the afther and the Father’s place in Christ…John14-16, 17.

THe only person that should examine their place in Christ is that person who finds no Christ-likeness in his person.  The person who is prayerless should esamine their faith. The only person that should doubt their salvation is the person who loves not God, loves not the brethren, his neighbor, and his enemies.  The only one that should doubt salvation is the one that does not love the Word of God, Reads the Word of God, Studies the Word, and does not seek life’s answers therein. The person that should doubt salvation is the person who does not long for the Lord’s return. The only person that should doubt salvation is the one that does not See Christ as Lord before Christ as Saviour…for it is the Lord Jesus that is the Saviour….Lord is ever before Saviour.

Godspeed.