"Jesus Christ and Him Crucified"

"For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." - (1 Cor. 2:2)
"But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God," - (1 Cor. 1:23-24)
"For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved,, it is the power of God." -(1 Cor. 1:17-18)
"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." -(Gal. 6:14-15)
"As many as desire to make a fair show in the flesh, they constrain you to be circumcised; only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of Christ." -(Gal. 6:12)

"Jesus Christ and Him Crucified" (Christ and His Work on the Cross) is the only thing that separates a man from eternal hell and the lake of fire, the only Way for him to make heaven his home, and the only legal basis through which man can 1) have his sins forgiven (justification), 2) have the Holy Spirit move and operate in his life to give him victory over the sin nature in his daily walk with God (sanctification), and 3) have fellowship with God. It is the foundational doctrine of the Bible from Gen. 1:1 to Rev. 22:21, being called... the faith (Jude 3), one faith (Eph. 4:4), like precious faith (2 Pet. 1:1), mutual faith (Rom. 1:12), the same spirit of faith (2 Cor. 4:13), and the common salvation (Jude 3). This doctrine, through the wiles of Satan, is de-emphasized and rarely preached and taught now our modern era, to the peril of men. The Holy Spirit through Jude warns us to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints." -(Jude 3). Did you know ... that every time Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob built an "altar" and offered a burnt offering unto the LORD, that this typified Christ's working on the Cross? Or that virtually every detail of the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant... pointed to this great work? How about when God instructed Moses, in Numbers 21:8-9, to set up a pole (the Cross) with a bronze snake upon it (Christ made a curse for us), and that every one who had been bitten by a snake (demon spirit), when he gazed upon it (faith), would be healed? Or... when God instructed Moses, in Ex. 17:6, to smite a great Rock (Christ crucified), so that water would gush out of it (The Holy Spirit outpoured) to quench the thirst of the people? Again and again, in type, shadow, form, substance, and instruction, Christ and His Redemptive Work on the Cross is mentioned by the Holy Spirit as a common scarlet thread throughout scriptures; And why IS that? Because it is IMPORTANT TO GOD, and because this is THE.... "GOSPEL" (or "good news"). And how is it good news?

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree (Cross):
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." -(Gal. 3:13-14)

You see, mankind, as the result of the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden, has been under a curse, under slavery to Satan, who works through "the SIN nature". Rom. 3:23 declares that "... all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." And that is a very grave problem, because God, Who is perfectly holy and pure, can only have fellowship with a man who is perfectly holy and pure. That obviously left everyone OUT, except (halellujah!) for One Who CAME, Who was "holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners..." -(Heb. 7:26)... the Man, Christ Jesus! ...That "Lamb of God, Who would take away the sin of the world... on ...THAT'S RIGHT- "THE CROSS". And here is the great beauty of it all: That "... whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting Life ." -(John 3:16). [Notice that it doesn't say "whosoever DOETH a certain thing". It is by FAITH.] And that "everlasting Life" is none other than THE HOLY SPIRIT, Who we receive and Who WE LIVE BY through faith in Christ and the Cross.... alone.

"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the just shall live by his FAITH." (Hab. 2:4)

"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is IN CHRIST JESUS." -(Rom. 3:21-24)

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man whould boast. For we are His workmanship, created IN CHRIST JESUS unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." -(Eph. 2:8-10) (Notice that faith "in Christ Jesus" comes BEFORE -and actually PRODUCES- the good works)

And even though this is a marvellous offer to man, to be saved by grace through faith in the Cross alone, yet sinful man and many professing Christians STILL retain a serious problem of the heart: Through pride, they INSIST on justifying themselves for their sins, and they try to earn favor with God (or to be better spiritually) through their own righteousness!

"And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided Him. And He said unto them, 'Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts':..." -(Lk. 16:14-15)
"For they (those under self-works/"law" for justification), being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." -(Rom. 10:3)

However, GOD insists on a DIFFERENT "Way":

"Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the Way.... " -(John 14:6)
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." -(Rom. 4:5)
"Much more then, being now justified by HIS BLOOD (The Cross), we shall be saved from wrath through Him." -(Rom. 5:9)

You see, this is a very hard thing for a man to do: Admit that he's ungodly (especially when he does a lot of good, sacrificial things!) and then rely upon God and His Way (and Means: The Cross) ALONE to justify him. And this problem persists even after a person gets saved, because he then tends to drift once again towards justifying himself through the things that he does, whether it be prayer, Bible study, fasting, tithing, giving to the poor... you name it! These things are all good and helpful in their proper place, but they WILL NOT make a person closer to God, nor will they give him victory over the sin nature! The modern Church is now FILLED with people- many of them unsaved, but also many of the saved- who do not trust solely in Christ and the Cross, but who justify themselves (at least partly) on the basis of SELF righteousness: the things they do or do not do.

"The true Christian life does not hinge on what the person DOES OR DOES NOT DO, but on WHO HE IS as the result of his OBJECT OF FAITH (which needs to be Christ and the Cross)"


Now some would get very angry at what I just said, and they would reply... "NOOOO! If it doesn't matter what a person does or does not do, then that just gives him a license to SIN! It will promote greasy grace and loose living! HERESY! But actually, the exact opposite occurs, as the Holy Spirit supernaturally changes the person from the inside-out! Then... prayer, Bible study, witnessing, etc. are no longer duty and discipline, but they become a (super)natural out-flowing of who the person IS, from their HEART. This process was prophesied long long ago, and is found in the Word of God:

"And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear Me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me." -(Jer. 32:39-40)
"And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their God." -(Ezek. 11:19-20)
"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
And I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU (see John 14:16-17; Eph. 2:22), and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments, and do them." -(Ezek. 36:26-27)

So... rather than the focus being on "me and what I need to DO", the focus is now placed upon "JESUS and what He has already done on the Cross for me", and how lovely He is! Halellujah! As you can see, these are two vastly different ways of Christian living: The one is... "striving, struggle, and work to maintain your Christian walk (which engenders defeat, lukewarmness and worldliness- albeit religious zeal); The other is... RESTING IN JESUS (which engenders victory, hot spiritual fire, and separation from the world), period! And those in the first category always persecute the ones in the second category, at least partly because of jealousy; Down through the centuries, this has always taken place, ever since "Cain and Abel, "Ishmael and Isaac", etc., down through "the Pharisees and Jesus", and even to the present!

"But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now." -(Gal. 4:29)

The strong tendency for Christians to drift towards works/law/legalism was an issue that Paul the Apostle dealt with in the churches that were under his care. Read this stern warning that he gives to those of the church at Galatia, who had fallen into this error:
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law (self-works); ye are fallen from grace." -(Gal. 5:4)
Paul was basically telling them... "Hey, if you continue on this course, you may end up losing your salvation!" And prior to that, in the same epistle, he tells them that one needs to be "crucified with Christ", that we are not to "frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." -(Gal. 2:21). So from this, we can ascertain that... 1) a Christian can "frustrate the grace of God" in his life by living according to the works of the law, and 2) if he continues on that path, Christ will be of "no effect" to him, causing him to FALL from grace!
So why, pray tell, has the modern Church been so weak, anemic, and powerless? Why is it so filled with sin and scandals? Why is the Holy Spirit not moving, confirming the preached Word with signs and wonders? The answer is very clear, but yet not readily received:
"The CROSS OF CHRIST is NOT being preached, having been replaced by man's own methods, programs, and works of SELF-righteousness. (What must I do?)" Therefore... Christ has become of no effect, and God's grace has been frustrated... quenching the Holy Spirit.
Man needs to stop justifying himself for his sins, humble himself, stop insisting on his own ways, turn from his own ways, and turn back to God's Way, which is... FAITH IN CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS (ie: JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED).
Although, obviously, this has never been a popular Way (Jesus said that narrow is the Way which leads to Life, and few there be who find it- Matt. 7:14), it is God's only prescribed order for victory over (the) SIN (nature).

"For the law of the Spirit of Life IN CHRIST JESUS (ie: Faith in the CROSS) hath made me free from the law of sin and death (ie: the sin nature)." -(Rom. 8:2)

And to deny that we (Christians included) have a sin nature does not discount it's reality and effects; Just as denying that there is no law of gravity will not discount it's reality and effects (If we jump off a cliff, we will fall and die!).

"If we say we have no SIN (nature), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." -(1 Jhn. 1:8)

The whole sixth chapter of Romans deals with the sin nature (or the "evil" nature) and how the Christian is to deal with it. We can just pretend that chapter is not there, like many do (to their peril), or we can honestly look at it and apply it to our lives!
To walk according to the sin nature is to walk after the "flesh", which is to walk after works/ "law"/ legalism as a means to be "good", to be "righteous", and/or to be spiritual and "right with God". This is the default condition of natural man; All that one has to do is to ignore (or to not know about) faith in the Cross, and this in turn will place the emphasis upon "self" and "works". The result will then be (the) SIN (nature) having dominion. The fruit of the sin nature is called "the works of the flesh : adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like." -(Gal. 5:19-21). A person who walks "in the flesh" may not have all of these characteristics manifested, but because he is of this evil tree, there will be certain of these fruits. Of course, the sexual sins (resulting in scandals, etc.) will be the most obvious ones; However, some of the other ones may not be as conspicuous, and may even be discounted by people; Things such as envy, gossip, pride, anger outbursts, etc.. But rest assured though, that GOD does NOT discount them, and they are wicked in His sight!
The sin nature/evil nature/ principle of "SIN", as stated, is present automatically in natural man. Every person is born with it due to the fall of Adam, and as the result of it being passed down to him through Adam's pure blood-line; However, ...

When Christ died on the Cross, was buried, was raised again, and exalted, He started a new PURE Blood-line, a NEW race of people "IN HIM", who identify with Him in His death, burial, resurrection, and exaltation.

IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST:

DEATH (Gal. 2:19-20; 5:24; 6:14; Rom. 6:6; Eph. 2:22; 1 Jhn. 4:13; 3:24; Col. 3:5-9; 1 Cor. 15:31; 1 Pet. 2:24),
BURIAL (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; 3:3; 2:20; Rom. 7:4,6; Gal. 2:19; 1 Cor. 15:36-38; John 12:24-25),
RESURRECTION (Col. 2:12-13; 3:1; Rom. 6:5; Eph. 2:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:17), and
EXALTATION (Mk. 16:19; Eph. 1:19-23; Psa. 110:1-2; Eph. 2:1,6; Col. 2:10; Matt. 28:18; Lk. 10:19-20; Acts 28:3-5).

Those who are of this new race "abide IN CHRIST" (John 15:1-8), live as "A NEW CREATURE" (2 Cor. 5:17); They have a NEW HEART (Ezek. 11:19-20; 36:26-27), and are in "GOD'S EVERLASTING COVENANT" (Heb. 13:20; 8:6-13). Halellujah!!!! And this all takes place by simple child-like faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross, in His shed BLOOD. In God's eyes, the believer is then declared "NOT GUILTY" of his former sins, and is given (or "imputed") GOD'S perfect spotless Righteousness (Much like one puts on a WHITE ROBE).

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with THE GARMENTS OF SALVATION, he has covered me with THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with jewels." -(Isa. 61:10)

And then (halellujah) he is qualified to receive and to be indwelt by the HOLY SPIRIT, Who gives... ABUNDANT LIFE (see Jhn. 10:10)! This is "the gospel" , or "good news": that God can take a repentant believing SINNER, bear his sins on the Cross, forgive his sins, cleanse him by His Blood, and then indwell him by His Holy Spirit. Wow! What a deal!

THE OVER-COMING CHRISTIAN LIFE
Seven times in the book of Revelation, Jesus mentions the rewards that will be given to the "overcomer" (2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26; 3:5; 3:12; and 3:21). Have you ever wondered what this means to be an "overcomer"? It means to live a victorious overcoming Christian life where (the) SIN (nature) does not have dominion over you. Many Christians, including Pastors, believe this is an automatic thing; That once a person is saved at conversion, he automatically (through will-power) should just be able, every time, to say "NO" to sinning. But, if that is so, then why does Jesus say here in Revelation, seven times, ... "to him who overcomes", if it is possible to NOT overcome? That just doesn't make any sense! Nor does it make sense when all one has to do is simply look around at all the Christians and Christian leaders who are strugggling with bondages of sin! So then, operating from a Biblical, common-sense perspective, let us now look at...

THE PROBLEM OF THE SIN NATURE IN A BELIEVER ("CHRISTIAN") :
Upon becoming saved/ born-again/ "a new creature in Christ", the believer receives "the Divine nature" which enables him to have victory over his former sin nature (which is not removed from him, but rather, is made "dormant"- much like grass during the winter.)
The object of our faith (not "tinkering with sin) determines whether that sin nature remains dormant, or whether it springs back to life. If the object of our faith remains on Christ and Him Crucified (His Work on the Cross), then we are "under GRACE", THE HOLY SPIRIT moves in our life, and (the) sin (nature) will not have dominion in our life (because it remains dormant).
But... if the object of our faith becomes "us": our self-effort in keeping some sort of "laws" (whether it be God's law- the ten commandments, or laws that we, our church, a denomination, etc. devise/formulate) as a means of righteousness (to be "good", or to be right with God to please Him), then we are "under LAW", the Holy Spirit is quenched from working in our life, and (the) sin (nature) will once again have dominion in our life. Certain bondages of sin will develop, habitual vices that the Christian cannot overcome.

THE PROCESS OF BEING AN "OVERCOMER" (Rev. 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21): OF DAILY LIVING THE "ABUNDANT LIFE" (John 10:10) BY HAVING VICTORY OVER THE SIN NATURE:
1) Admit that you indeed have a "sin nature" (1 John 1:8) and that you need Christ as your Savior every day. (John 15:4-5)
2) Always remember that you cannot effect righteousness, holiness, goodness, greater spirituality on your own through what you DO. (Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 3:9)
3) Realize that only the HOLY SPIRIT can make and keep you righteous, holy, good, spiritual (Gal. 5:4-5; 2 Cor. 3:5-6); And that......
4) The Holy Spirit functions totally & completely within the finished Work of Christ (ie: the CROSS: His death, burial, resurrection). That is what gives Him the legal right & means to do all that He does (see Rom. 8:1-2).
5) KNOW that the focal point of your faith ("Fight the good fight of FAITH"- 1 Tim. 6:12) must be the CROSS; Not the Holy Spirit, and not in the things that you DO, or else you will be in a state of "spiritual adultery" (see Rom. 7:1-4). You must look to, and depend on (trust) CHRIST to meet your every need!
6) When you fail (sin), you must ask God to forgive you (1 Jhn. 1:9), and then look exclusively to Christ (your Source) and the CROSS (your Means) to overcome the desire to do that thing again.
7) This must be a DAILY thing. (every/each day!). (Lk. 9:23; 14:27)

"FOR SIN (The sin nature) SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU (the sin nature will not have dominion over us if we as believers continue to exercise faith in the Cross of Christ; otherwise, the sin nature most definitely will have dominion over the believer): FOR YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW (means that if we try to live this life by any type of law, no matter how good that law might be in it's own right, we will conlude by the sin nature having dominion over us), BUT UNDER GRACE (The grace of God flows to the believer on an unending basis only as long as the believer exercises faith in Christ and what He did at the Cross; Grace is merely the Goodness of God exercised by and through the Holy Spirit.)."
- (Rom. 6:14)

Now... in closing, I would like to speak to you by commandment of the Holy Spirit:
"You have heard the Truth of the Gospel. Consequently, you have THREE CHOICES and AN ULTIMATUM."

THE THREE CHOICES:

1) To be an all-out, un-saved sinner (cold).
2) To be a "Christian" in name only: trusting in your own works and conformed to "the world" (lukewarm).
3) To be an overcoming on-fire Christian, whose faith is solely in CHRIST AND THE CROSS (hot).

THE ULTIMATUM:

If you do not choose #3, you will avoid persecution, BUT you will be held accountable to GOD (the Judge of your soul), Who will NOT be very pleased with your decision!
I then, as a servant of God, leave you in His Hands.

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God." -(Heb. 10:31)

"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness: Otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off." -(Rom. 11:22)

"God allows Deception"

"And for this cause shall God send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" -(2 Thes. 2:11)
"And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world..." -(Rev. 12:9; 20:2-3)
"But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." -(2 Cor. 11:3)

DECEPTION is the default condition of man as the result of the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Man, in his natural state, ... has blinded eyes, is in spiritual darkness, and is under the power of Satan. -(see Acts 26:18); And in this state, he sees things the opposite of the way God sees them! Here are some examples of this from the Bible:

"Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter." -(Isa. 5:20)
"... that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." -(Luke 16:15)
"... the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." -(1 Sam. 16:7)
"... yea, the time comes, that whoever kills you (Jesus' disciples!) will think that he does God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me. (John 16:2-3)
"And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, 'Art thou he that troubleth Israel?' And he answered, 'I have not troubled Israel, but you, and your father's house, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and you have followed Baalim." (1 Ki. 18:17-18)

Is it not any wonder that the world is in the mess that it's in? When we live a life that is "upside-down" to God's intended reality?! This is nothing but the devastating result of replacing trust in GOD with trust in SELF, of replacing reliance upon GOD with reliance upon SELF; A world in rebellion, and consequently... in darkness and deception, for the problem is ... we have been created to have no spiritual Life in ourselves, independent from God (much like a flashlight needs a battery, yet we still try to use it with a dead one !).

"BUT GOD.... commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, CHRIST DIED FOR US (the CROSS)." -(Rom. 5:8)

Jesus said "... I am the Light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." -(John 8:12)
"The thief (Satan) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have Life, and that they might have it more abundantly." -(John 10:10)

And while JESUS is the Way, ... faith in His Sacrifice on THE CROSS is the Means whereby we have Light/discernment and abundant Life: not only for salvation, but also for daily living.

"The CROSS" (not a wooden beam, but the BLOOD SACRIFICE Jesus paid for us there) must ever be the object of our faith, which then gives the Holy Spirit the latitude to move and operate in our lives (1 Cor. 1:18; Rom. 8:1-2). The Holy Spirit is likened in the Bible unto OIL for a LAMP (see Matt. chpt. 25); Without that oil, the lamp will not have a flame (which is required to provide Light in the darkness).

God is calling a people, a holy remnant, a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, who will receive HIS Way and HIS Means, whereby HE will be glorified upon the earth! And although this call is universal ("For God so loved the world..." - Jhn. 3:16), the choosing is very selective, for God only chooses those who surrender their entire life (and particularly their own righteousness) to Him. This is not complicated, but rather so simple a child can do this (ever heard of "child-like faith"?): We don't have to be "perfect", only willing to "fess-up" to our helplessness without God, and to be molded and changed. Throughout history, very few in relation to the whole of humanity have accepted these terms, including many who are "religious" and go to church!

"For many are called, but few are chosen." -(Matt. 22:14)
"Because straight is the gate and narrow is the Way which leads unto eternal Life, and few there be that find it." -(Matt. 7:14)

There are three main reasons as to why most people reject the narrow Way (which, again, is FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON "THE CROSS"):
1) A wayward HEART that is far from God. (Matt. 15:7-8; Isa. 29:13-14; Ezek. 33:31)
2) Self-righteousness: Trusting in one's own strength, will-power, talents (ie.: "the flesh") to do (or not do) something to be good/holy/right, etc. (John 9:39-41; Rom. 10:2-3; 2:17-24)
3) Self-will: An insistence upon one's own way (or methods) apart from God, which manifests itself in the commandments and doctrines of man. (Isa. 29:13-14; Col. 2:20-22; Matt. 15:9; Titus 1:14)

Whenever a person possesses these characteristics, DECEPTION will automatically be the result as God simply withholds His Light, resulting in spiritual darkness of varying degrees, depending on the individual. This is how both an unlearned ignorant man with a low IQ can be very spiritual, and at the same time a brilliant-minded man with a high IQ can be a complete heathen!

DECEPTION is allowed and even sent by God; And although it is Satan's goal and work to deceive people (in order to steal, to kill, and to destroy), God uses him as His tool to both 1) test one's heart, and then 2) carry out that deception if the person's motives or object of faith is incorrect. This in turn allows calamity to befall them so that they may perchance "come to themselves" (see Lk. 15:17), and realize that without JESUS they are nothing (see John 15:5).

A person's FREE WILL is integrally involved here (This has always been the case, because God wants us to love and serve Him because we want to, not because we have to); And sadly, most people would rather be destroyed and go to hell rather than submit themselves to God! Now some may ask, "Well isn't God forcing people to follow His Way anyhow? Because if they don't, then He just punishes them and sends them to hell." The answer is "No, God isn't forcing anyone to do anything (They can choose not to submit). The problem is that God cannot allow a bunch of independent rebels into His Kingdom, for if He did, It would become the same sort of mess that this present world is now in- because of man's SIN! Man is loathe to admit that sin (or rather the sin "nature") is his problem, yet the truth of the matter is that it IS, and that it has to be dealt with! God HAS dealt with it on His part by sending His Son to be our substitute on the Cross, at a terrible price (Have you ever seen "The Passion of Christ" movie?). He now waits for us to do our part to seal the deal, which is to repent of our sins and to place our entire faith in the Sacrifice of His Son. And again, this is so simple that even an unlearned person or a little child can do this!
For a good Bible study on how that God Himself allows and sends DECEPTION, and that Satan (with His demons) is His tool to accomplish this, please refer to the following scriptures:
GOD ALLOWING DECEPTION: (2 Thes. 2:10-12; Isa. 6:8-11; 29:10-14; Acts 28:24-27; John 12:37-40; Matt. 13:10:16; Ezek. 14:9)
SATAN THE AGENT (OR TOOL): (Rev.12:9; 13:11-18; Gen. 3:1; Rev. 20:3; 2 Cor. 11:3)
DEMON SPIRITS INVOLVED: (Rev. 16:13-14; 1 Ki. 22:19-23)

DECEPTION in the Bible is likened unto blindness, or "darkness", which is actually "an absence of Light". So... the more LIGHT a person has, the greater will be his "discernment". God, Who is pure Light (1 John 1:5), sent His Son Jesus, the "Light of the world" (John 8:12) to us for this purpose:

"To open their eyes , and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is IN ME (in Christ)." -(Acts 26:18)
"(Jesus said) I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life." -(John 8:12)

Light is dispensed only to the followers of Jesus through TRUTH.

"Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on Him, 'If ye continue in My Word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you free." (John 8:31-32)

Jesus, the Truth (Jhn 14:6) sends the Holy Ghost, Who is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:13-14) to reveal (or illuminate) the written Word, which is the Word of Truth (John 17:17; 8:40; Psa. 119:105,142,151; 2 Sam. 7:28; 2 Cor. 6:7; Col. 1:5; 1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:15).
As would be obvious, this is a supernatural method from God, which cannot be manufactured by man. And again... only the followers of Jesus qualify to receive Truth.
"Followers of Jesus" possess certain HEART CHARACTERISTICS, and if a person through his free will chooses to possess these traits, then God (Who looks at the HEART- see 1 Sam. 16:7) will make sure that person is supplied with plenty of LIGHT, whereby he will NOT BE DECEIVED.


HEART CHARACTERISTICS THAT GOD REQUIRES OF US:

1. A willingness to live one's life by "the simplicity which is IN CHRIST", placing one's total faith for morality in Christ and His shed blood on the Cross. (2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Jhn. 3:5; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 3:20-28; Eph. 2:8-10; Gal. 6:14-15)

2. A thirst for God Himself, and to know Him through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. (Jer. 2:13; John 7:37; Isa. 55:1; Rev. 22:17)

3. A willingness to follow Jesus in discipleship, to do His Will no matter the cost. (John 7:17; 8:31-32; Luke 14:26-33)

4. A refusal to hate or to hold unforgiveness toward any person. (1 John 2:9-11; Matt. 18:21-35; Mark 11:25-26)

5. An admission to having "moral imperfections" (a sin nature, albeit dormant) and a daily need for the Savior, Jesus Christ. (1 John 1:8; Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20; Job 15:14; 25:4; Rev. 12:11; Rom. 8:33-34; Gal. 5:16; Lk. 9:23)

6. A willingness to admit to wrong-doing, to confess particular acts of sin, to be sorry for those sins toward God, and to turn from them. (1 John 1:9-10; Prov. 28:13)

7. A receiving and a believing of God's Truth. (2 Thes. 2:10-12; John 3:16; 8:24)

8. A refusal to take pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thes. 2:10-12; 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4; 1 Thes. 5:22; 1 Pet. 2:11; Psa. 101:3)

9. A greater concern for GOD'S approval rather than for PEOPLE'S approval. (John 12:42-43; 5:44)

10. A willingness to DO the Word, and to not just HEAR it. (James 1:22; Rom. 2:13; Matt. 7:21; 1 John 3:7)

11. A humility, to not think too highly of oneself, realizing that without Christ he is nothing. (1 Pet. 5:5-6; Rom. 12:3; Prov. 16:18; 25:27; Eccl. 7:16; Gal. 6:3; John 15:5)

12. A willingness to add to one's faith... virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and Divine love. (2 Pet. 1:5-11)

If God does not see this in a person's heart, He will not give that person Light, and HE WILL BE DECEIVED. This is the plain and simple truth according to the Bible.

We have looked at many aspects of deception, including the reason for it, how it occurs, and the traits of the heart whereby we can avoid it. Within the Word, however, we find a vital key, a "final solution" to absolutely guarantee us not being deceived. That key is "THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST" (see once again 2 Cor. 11:3 at the beginning of this sermon).
What is this?

KEEPING CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS AS THE SOLE OBJECT OF OUR FAITH, ON A DAILY BASIS

This, and this alone, is the foundational Truth which will prompt God to illuminate more Truth for us, causing us to "see".... which in turn, allows us to be "set free" from the bondage of the sin nature (Jhn. 8:31-32,34-36) and to live the "abundant Life" IN CHRIST (Jhn. 10:10).
Notice, if you would, the goal of Paul the Apostle; It was not to rely upon his extensive training and knowledge of the Law (He was considered one of THE foremost religious leaders of his day); Nor was it to try harder to DO something (which really is faith in SELF) . Rather, his great goal was this:

To "... be found 'IN HIM' (to be united with Christ by a living Faith, which has as its Object the Cross of Christ), not having my own righteousness (not having any righteousness which can be called my own), which is of the law (pertains to "law-keeping" or "legalism"), but that which is through the faith of Christ (what He did at the Cross), the righteousness which is of God by faith (a spotless Righteousness made possible by the Cross, and imputed by God to all who exhibit Faith in Christ and the Cross)." -(Phil. 3:9)

To the Lord Jesus Christ be glory for ever and ever! Amen!

"The Two Kinds of Righteousness"

"And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:" - Philip. 3:9

The word "righteousness" is defined by Webster's dictionary as follows:

"Adhering to moral principles; ... justification, rightfulness, integrity, justice, equity, faithfulness, godliness."

According to God and His written Word (the Holy Bible), there are only two kinds of righteousness: ours and God's, and the two cannot be mixed (although many try!). One must be able to attain to God's righteousness, or he cannot dwell in His Presence [which is so holy and pure that He is likened unto "a consuming Fire" (see Heb. 12:29)].
The two kinds of righteousness are described very plainly in the scripture above, but before we look in detail at this scripture, let's focus on ... God's righteousness, and what it entails:

God's righteousness is ensconced in "The 10 Commandments", found in Exodus chapter 20. The 10 Commandments are many times referred to in the Bible as "the law". This basically is God's standard of morality, and that of which most legal systems are based upon in human civilization. To the degree that these commandments are kept is the degree of peace and prosperity in any society. No one person has kept, or can keep, each of these commandments to perfection (no person except for One, Who we shall discuss later), and James 2:10 declares ... "...whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of (it) all." Let us now look at each of these commandments, and see how you have done in "being a good person".
The following is derived from Ray Comfort's "Way of the Master" web site:

____________________________________________________________________

#1. "You shall have no other Gods before Me." (Ex. 20:3)

Have you always put God first in your life? Jesus said to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. So much, that your love for your parents, brothers, sisters, friends, and even your own life is like hatred compared to your love and devotion for God. (Lk. 14:26). Have you ever failed to put Him first in your life? guilty or innocent

#2. "You shall not make for yourself any idol." (Ex. 20:4)

Who is God to you? Is He only a God of love and mercy Who would never judge anyone and never cast anyone into hell? According to the Bible, this is not true, and you've created a god in your own mind that you're more comfortable with. God calls this IDOLATRY. The Bible warns that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. (Eph. 5:5) guilty or innocent

#3. "You shall not take the Name of God in vain." (Ex. 20:7)

Have you ever used God's Name as a curse word, or even in a derogatory manner showing disgust for something? The Name of the God Who gave you life, your family, and everything precious to you? If so, you are a BLASPHEMER, and the Bible says "God will not hold him guiltless who takes the Name of the Lord in vain." Have you ever broken this commandment? guilty or innocent

#4. "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy." (Ex. 20:8)

God commands that we set aside one day in seven to rest from our labors. Have you EVER been guilty of breaking this commandment? guilty or innocent

#5. "Honor your father and mother." (Ex. 20:12)

Have you ALWAYS honored your parents in a way that's pleasing in the sight of God? Ask Him to remind you of the sins of your youth. You may have forgotten them, but God hasn't.
guilty or innocent

#6. "You shall not murder." (Ex. 20:13)

Jesus warned... "Whoever is angry with his brother without cause is in danger of the judgment (Matt. 5:22), and the Bible says, "He who hates his brother IS A MURDERER." (1 Jhn. 3:15). God sees hatred in the heart to be as wicked as murder. We can violate His law by attitude and intent. guilty or innocent

#7. "You shall not commit adultery." (Ex. 20:14)

Jesus warned, "...whoever looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Have you EVER loooked at another person with lust? The Bible says that adulterers will not enter the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor. 6:9). guilty or innocent

#8. "You shall not steal." (Ex. 20:15)

Have you EVER stolen anything? (even if it was something small?) Have you ever taken anything that belonged to someone else? If you have, that makes you a THIEF. guilty or innocent

#9. "You shall not lie." (Ex. 20:16)

Have you EVER told a lie? Then you are.... a LIAR. The Bible warns that ALL liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire (Rev. 21:8). guilty or innocent

#10. "You shall not covet." (Ex. 20:17)

This means we should never desire anything that belongs to someone else. Have you EVER broken this commandment? guilty or innocent

____________________________________________________________________

So how did you do on that test? Perhaps you have observed other people, including the church hypocrites, and have given yourself a pat on the back that you are not nearly as bad as they are! But, unfortunately, you will be judged by GOD's standard (above), and not your own "comparison" method!
Now, as promised, let's look once again at that scripture mentioned at the beginning of this blog, specifically the first type of righteousness that is mentioned.... "...my own righteousness, which is of the law...." What does this mean?? It means our own efforts to keep THE Law (the 10 commandments) or laws that we, our church, or denomination, etc. devise as a means of righteousness (ie.: moral principles to be "good" or to earn favor with God). Let's look at some examples.... LAWS THAT WE MAKE UP: "I must read the Bible x amount of minutes each day. I didn't do that today, so God will frown on that." "Oh, I didn't read my Bible yet today; I'm not as strong spiritually now." "Uh,oh; I didn't PRAY yet today, so I won't have as much victory." "I forgot my tithe this week. God is displeased, I am in sin, and out of favor with Him." "I didn't give God my best today, so I am not as spiritual."
What do all of these things have in common? ..... What I can DO (or don't do), right? Now to some people, this may "blow some circuits" and be a slam to their pride, but... God is not interested in what we can do or (avoid doing)to be good and to be spiritual!

"... we are all as an unclean thing, and ALL OUR RIGHTEOUSNESSES ARE AS FILTHY RAGS..." - (Isa. 64:6)

God is only LOOKING AT WHAT HIS SON -JESUS CHRIST- HAS ALREADY DONE- ON THE CROSS, AND YOUR FAITH IN THAT! Are you getting the picture? There's NOTHING you can do to please God. There's only been ONE Person Who could (and did) keep the 10 commandments perfectly, and that is His Son JESUS CHRIST, IN WHOM THE FATHER'S SOUL IS WELL PLEASED (Matt. 3:17).
We can't keep those 10 commandments, and God already knows that. They were given by God to show man just how sinful he is, "our schoolmaster to bring us unto .... CHRIST." (Gal. 3:24)

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes." - (Rom. 10:4)

And yet, what do most "Christians" try to do? Try to keep those 10 commandments, AND tack on OTHER commandments on top of that, that we make up, or our church, or our denomination- whatever. What an impossible and frustrating way of living! For those of you who do this (and I used to be one of them) you are..... "MISERABLY SAVED" Yes, that's right.
I mean... you can't really be happy with an all-out life of SIN [because you want to sin (could include wanting to YELL AT OR SLAP PEOPLE), but know that you're not allowed to], and you can't be happy with an all-out Life of being a "Jesus fanatic" (oh, because that's too far OUT there!). So you settle for this miserable existence that sinners look at, and say.... "Why would I want to be one of... THOSE?!" And you know something? They're right! No wonder the organized Church in America is such a mess, a laughing-stock of sinners, and a disgrace to God!

THE ORGANIZED CHURCH, FOR THE MOST PART EXCEPT FOR A MINORITY, HAS LEFT THE TRUE GOSPEL: THE MESSAGE OF..... THE CROSS...... FOR DAILY LIVING.

They say, "Yes, Jesus died for me" (correct). But then they say, "Well, that's not sufficient for our daily living, so we need to trust in Christ AND... do this and that. What an insult to God!
According to Galatians 2:21, they "frustrate the grace of God" by tacking on all these "laws"! This effectively "quenches" the Holy Spirit from working in their lives to give them overcoming victory over "the world, the flesh/ SIN, and the devil", because the Holy Spirit of Life is "IN CHRIST JESUS" (Rom. 8:2) (which means THE CROSS OF CHRIST ALONE as our object of faith).
So are we to NOT want to read the Bible, pray, tithe, faithfully attend church, fast, etc.? Of course we are; But not because we have to, but because we want to do it by (the Divine) NATURE as the result of being "IN CHRIST".

"True Christianity is not a state of DOING to become what God wants us to BE. It is a state of BEING which empowers us to DO THAT WHICH WE ALREADY ARE BY FAITH IN CHRIST AND HIS WORK ON THE CROSS."

This is illustrated by Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the Publican:

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess (SELF-righteousness through works).
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner (GOD'S righteousness imputed through faith in the atonement). I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." - (Lk. 18:10-14)

I tell you, we all need to maintain the PUBLICAN mindset, or it is SO EASY to slip into the PHARISEE mode!

Yes, if we love Christ, we will keep His Commandments (John 14:15,21); But we will not be able to keep those commandments as long as we have the wrong object of faith (us keeping the commandments and all these other "laws"), rather than Christ and His work on the Cross!)
This is a subtle, yet astronomically important difference! It can mean the difference in our eternal soul. How can I say that? Because (and I've seen it happen, especially with teen-agers) ... a person gets into this "miserably saved" mode, the life of frustrating the grace of God (which most churches foster by their legalism- intentionally or unintentionally), and then after a while of putting up with this lifestyle- they see their former friends having all this fun out in the world. And there they are, living this life of frustration with no real peace and joy. So what do they do? They say.... "What's the use???; I GIVE UP on Christianity altogether if THIS is what it's all about; IT'S TOO HARD!" So (and this is very tragic) they fall from the grace of God (see Gal. 5:4). Now what just happened there? The Church ruined an eternal soul! God has to weep and be very angry at such a situation!

In closing, let us now look at the second type of righteousness mentioned in our key scripture: "....IN HIM..... that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith."
This, my friend, is a Life of "trusting in Jesus and His work on the Cross", PERIOD. When you do this, God just GIVES you HIS righteousness and.... His Divine Nature. This is where you REST, not STRIVE, a Place where.... you are "dwelling in the secret of the Most High", in "the secret of His Presence ", resting, just resting. A PLACE (oh hallelujah!!!) of Divine Life, of supernatural Power, of Light, of bold access to God in prayer, of VICTORY OVER SIN, of liberty, of abundant Life, drinking of those LIVING WATERS from THE WELLS OF SALVATION, of completeness, where THE LORD is your Portion and you are satisfied, of fulness of joy, of.... peace, a Place free of evil, harm and SICKNESS (yes that's right- you don't HAVE to be sick!), a Place of deliverance, of long life, and honor. (Now that's LIVING, my friend!) A Place, a ... REFUGE where you are a part of God's "everlasting Covenant".

"And I will make with them an EVERLASTING COVENANT, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me." - Jer. 32:40

"And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep My judgments, and do them." - Ezek. 36:27

This "everlasting Covenant" is only through... THE CROSS: (1 Cor. 1:17-18,21,23; 2:2; Gal. 3:22-27; Rom. 6:3-6; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:13-18; Col. 2:14-15).
"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." - (Hab. 2:4)
GOD'S Righteousness (not our's) through faith in Christ and the Cross.... ALONE.

To God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be glory both now and evermore! Amen!

"Finding Your Life By Losing It"

"And He (Jesus) said to them all, 'If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
For whoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" -(Lk. 9:23-25)

Jesus in this text gives what seems to be a great paradox, about how we are to deny ourself and lose our life, by "taking up our cross daily" and "following Him"; And, in return.... we "find" our life? What does this all mean?
I once saw a news reporter on TV (the "60 Minutes" show) interviewing the famous New England Patriots quarterback -Tom Brady- who is quite possibly the best in the NFL. The Patriots had just won their 3rd Superbowl in (I think) four years. And the reporter asked Brady a very simple, yet probing question: "So how does it feel for you, having won your 3rd championship in the NFL?" And his answer startled me; He paused for a moment, and then said... "You know, it's great and everything; But I would have thought that with each championship there would have been a greater high, but that isn't the case. And I've wondered to myself... 'Is this all there is to the pinnacle of success? Is this it?'"
Isn't it amazing, how that any of us can strive and work toward something; And then, even if we accomplish that thing, once the dust has all settled, we find a sort of emptiness and disillusionment , a lack of satisfaction by feeling there is still something MISSING???
Such was the case with SOLOMON from the Bible. He had reached "success" in the world's eyes, having become powerful, wise, and wealthy; There was no lack for him of material goods of any kind. Yet, it did not fulfill him, and this is what he said:... "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do: and behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and no profit under the sun." (Eccl. 2:2).
These are two examples of men who "found" their life, only to "lose" it because it did not bring true meaning and satisfaction. Some people try to overcome this feeling by simply taking on a "new challenge", thinking the attainment of that will bring them true happiness. Others can't handle the let-down, and turn to drugs and/or other vices of every sort. And we all know of certain others who, at the height of professional and worldly success, end their life through suicide (ie; Marylyn Monroe).
According to the Bible, only ONE THING can satisfy a person, giving him peace, and that is... the Presence of God:
"For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness." - (Psa. 107:9)
"...In Thy Presence is fulness of joy; At Thy right Hand there pleasures for evermore." -(Psa. 16:11)
"My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest (peace)." -(Ex. 33:14)

This "Presence of God" is likened unto "Living Waters":
"For My people have forsaken Me, THE FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATERS, and have hewn them out wells, broken wells that can hold no water." -(Jer. 2:13)
"But whosoever drinks of THE WATER THAT I SHALL GIVE him shall never thirst; but THE WATER THAT I SHALL GIVE HIM SHALL BE IN HIM A WELL OF WATER SPRINGING UP INTO EVERLASTING LIFE." -(John 4:14)

There is only one Way to dwell in the Presence of God, and that Way is JESUS. "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes unto the Father (God) but by Me." -(John 14:6)

And while Jesus is the only Way, .......

The CROSS is the only means to enter the Presence of God.
"But God forbid that I should boast, save in the CROSS of our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." -(Gal. 6:14)
"For I determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him CRUCIFIED."
-(1 Cor. 2:2)

Now at this point, most people would say... "Ok, yeah, that's great; Sign me up to be saved: Jesus died for me on the Cross... I believe, it's done, and now living for God should be automatic, and I'm on my way to heaven! Halellujah I'm a Christian, and should be able to 'just say NO' to sinning; that is... if I really love God. "
But wait just a minute... there's one huge obstacle still in the way, for day-t0-day living.....
"SELF". Man, from Adam down through to the present, and even after he receives salvation, still loves his life and wants to save it. This "SELF"-life is called the "flesh", and according to the Bible (Rom. 8:8) "they that are in the flesh cannot please God." And ... "if we live after the flesh we shall die." (Rom. 8:13). The flesh operates in it's own unique way (which of course is not GOD's Way), and that way is SELF-effort of works through some sort of "law" or"laws". Only there's a big problem with that: "The strength of sin is the law." (1 Cor. 15:56), so what end's up happening, is that as we're attempting to keep these laws, "SIN" (or the SIN "nature") is actually stimulated and strengthened (much like dormant grass given water and fertilizer, and then coming "back to life"). And then we end up with ..."what I hate, that I do." (Rom. 7:15), with a "sin/repent, sin/repent, sin/repent" vicious cycle. And by the way... these sins include far more than the obvious and well-publicized incidents of IMMORALITY that we've all heard of (the tele-evangelists, etc.). They also include the ugly sins of gossip, jealousy, hatred, and mean-spiritedness (such as what we find in the example of the "elder brother" in "The Prodigal Son" parable of Luke 15:25-30).
Now some might say... "What do you mean? I'm not under any 'law', I'm under grace, and according to Rom. 6:14, sin doesn't have any dominion over me!". Yes, but...
we can put ourself back under "law", by making ANYthing a "law", even a good thing in and of itself: Such as... "I need to pray x minutes each day." or... "I need to have a disciplined daily study of the Bible." or "I must not listen to hip-hop music." etc.. Of course, the main Law which people try to keep is God's Moral Law- "The Ten Commandments", which actually is un-attainable by our own efforts, but is designed to serve as "'a school-master' to lead us to... CHRIST." (Gal. 3:24).
"For Christ is the END of the law for righteousness to everyone who BELIEVES." -(Rom. 10:4)
The focus of living in the flesh is... "What can I DO to EARN justification with God?" ,
while the focus of living in the Spirit is....
"I TRUST (BELIEVE) in what Christ has ALREADY DONE for me to be justified. So now I desire and do supernaturally (by the help of the Holy Spirit) those things which I'm supposed to do to please God."
The key question is not... "What am I not doing that I am supposed to be doing?", but rather...
"AM I 'IN CHRIST'?"

WE LOSE OUR LIFE BY BEING LOST "IN CHRIST"

To boil this down even further...

WE LOSE OUR LIFE AS WE CONTINUALLY, ON A DAILY BASIS, TRUST IN CHRIST AND WHAT HE HAS DONE ON THE CROSS ON OUR BEHALF, PERIOD.
THIS IS THE "SIMPLICITY THAT IS 'IN CHRIST'" (2 Cor. 11:4)

Life in this Way allows God's Grace to flow to us continually on an uninterrupted basis, and for the Spirit of God (His Presence) to empower us for victory over "the world", "the flesh", and the devil.
"For the law of the Spirit of Life IN CHRIST JESUS has made me free from the law of sin and death." -(Rom. 8:2)
If we try to mix law/works in with this, we FRUSTRATE the Grace of God (Gal. 2:21) and "quench" the Holy Spirit (1 Thes. 5:19)

Unfortunately, this happens all the time in most churches, and as a result, there is little or no moving whatsoever of the Holy Spirit.
Man in the flesh always try to earn righteousness (which is actually "SELF-righteousness"); This fosters pride & self-will = "The way of CAIN"
but
Man in the Spirit simply rests in what Christ has already done on the Cross on his behalf;
This fosters humility & reliance upon God = "The Way of ABEL"

"Now to him that works is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that does not work, but believes Him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." (Rom. 4:4-5)

In closing, let us now break down our key-note scripture passage in detail:

"And He said to them all, if any man will come after Me (the criteria for Discipleship), let him deny himself (nor asceticism as many think, but rather that one denies one's own will-power, self-will, strength, and ability, depending totally on Christ), and take up his Cross (the benefits of the Cross, looking exclusively to what Jesus did there to meet our every need) daily (We must renew our Faith in what Christ has done for us, even on a daily basis, for satan's strategy & effort is always to move us away from the Cross as the object of our Faith, which always spells disaster), and follow Me (Christ can be followed only by the Believer looking to the Cross, understanding what it accomplished, and by that means alone (Rom. 6:3-5,11,14; 8:1-2,11; 1 Cor. 1:17-18,21,23; 2:2; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 2:13-18; Col. 2:14-15).
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it (try to live his life outside of Christ and the Cross), but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it (When we place our faith entirely in Christ and the Cross, looking exclusively to Him, we have just found "more abundant Life." (Jhn. 10:10)

Many today in the modern Church world (and I used to be one of them) sincerely want to please God, but because they are mixing grace and law, they frustrate the grace of God, quench the Spirit, and are not living the abundant Life which Christ has purchased for them with His Own blood. I believe this is the reason for the many moral failures of ministers and laity alike across America. The Message of faith in THE CROSS for daily living must resound from the pulpits regularly (not just once or twice a year, if at all!) in order for the true Church to once again have a viable impact of reform in society.
There is only one true Gospel (means "good news") found in the Bible, and that is ...

God's Presence (the Holy Spirit, Who gives abundant supernatural Life) "IN CHRIST" through faith in THE CROSS ALONE, and not just for initial salvation, but for daily living.

"I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me." - (Gal. 2:20)

[One life lost,... but another Life found.] Halellujah!!!!

To the Lord Jesus Christ be glory both now and for evermore!

"Miserably Saved"

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast." -(Eph. 2:8-9)
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." -(Gal. 2:21)
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by FAITH. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster." -(Gal. 3:24-25)

I don't enjoy being a bearer of bad news, but this thing has to be exposed so that the people who want to be set free... can be... of what I'm about to tell you; There is something very terrible happening today in evangelical churches of America. Sin and scandals are rampant among both ministers and the laity. "The Church" has become a laughingstock among the unsaved, and the Name of Jesus has borne severe reproach, and this has now been going on for a long time. Will the true Church victorious please rise to it's feet?!!!! We are called a "glorious Church without spot or wrinkle" (Eph. 5:27). What is going on here?? Well, that's the bad news. But what I'm about to expose is the reason for that bad news:

Thousands of (if not more)"Christians" are "MISERABLY SAVED".

Yes, you heard me right. But what does it mean to be "miserably saved", and why are people living this way?
To discover what this means, let's examine the symptoms of this terrible disease:

Do you...
- find that reading the Bible, praying, going to church, and fasting feel like "chores", or like a "check-list" to do in order to make sure you're on the "right track"?
- find no real pleasure in studying the Bible, spending time with God, and talking about spiritual things? (and do you get annoyed by people who do?)
- feel sort of condemned and less spiritual if you have not been doing "enough" of those things you know Christians are supposed to do?
- find yourself saying things such as ... "I haven't read my Bible yet today." or... "I need to read my Bible." .... or..... "I haven't spent enough time in prayer." or.... "I have not been praying loud or fervent enough."?
- see very little of the fruit of the Spirit in your life: "love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility, self-control?
- find that God and the supernatural seem distant, and not even very real and relevant at all?
- prefer (and be honest) to watch some sort of worldly movie or tv show or sporting event rather than engage in some spiritual activity like a Bible study or prayer meeting?
- find yourself wanting to do some very evil things that would be pleasurable (and that most unsaved people are doing and having fun), but you're not allowed to?
- find that you just absolutely cannot break out of some terrible habit that you know displeases God, and you are ashamed of it, and you never want any one to know about it?

Well, if you have even most of these symptoms, then join a very large crowd: You are......
"MISERABLY SAVED". Sort of like "Lot" and "those who died in the wilderness" from the old testament. And you know you were saved by "grace through faith" in what Jesus did for you on the Cross, but then..... something happened. You caught a disease, the "miserably saved" disease!

Imagine for a moment that the manner in which you live your life is like a body; And that only "God's Way" can give your body perfect health & wholeness. What happens, then, if some other way gets in there? It's like you've contracted a virus that makes you sick.
This is exactly what happens, many times, to the Christian. "God's Way" is for us to fully trust Christ (called "the Way" in John 14:6) and what He has done for us at the Cross; In other words, the Cross must ever be the Object of our Faith; That being the case, we are "IN CHRIST" and sheltered from the harmful works of the enemy (satan). Also, the Holy Spirit, Who works exclusively within the parameters of the finished Work of Christ, will then mightily help us. Any other method devised by man will not work; This is God's prescribed order of victory (See Rom. 6:3-14; 8:1-2,11; 1 Cor. 1:17-18,21,23; 2:2; Eph. 2:13-18; Col. 2:14-15).
Now most Christians, at salvation, do have their faith anchored in the Cross. "Jesus died for me" is easily understood and believed, and so they receive salvation based upon the sinless Sacrifice of the Son of God and the shedding of His Blood. But... that's just the beginning; A whole life follows of living for God, and that is when the trouble begins. Obviously, victorious Christian living above sin in not automatic, or else there would be no troubles whatsoever, right? Yet we sure know that that is not the case!
God requires one to live his Christian Life the same Way that he got saved: By grace through faith in Jesus and the Cross ALONE for justification from sin and for righteousness. Now... on one hand, this is very easy; But on the other hand it is very difficult. What makes it difficult is that man, through his pride and upbringing in the world and through satan's influence, has a habitual tendency to trust/rely upon SELF to earn his own righteousness; And then to compare himself with others. This, in effect, is an insult to God's sacrifice (Christ offered on the Cross) in that it deems it insufficient. In God's eyes, it is unbelief in His chosen method to obtain Righteousness, instead opting for man's method - whatever that may be.
For every believer, if he is not watchful, there is a tendency to revert back to this old way of living according to self-works.: "Have I prayed enough today?" "I never miss any of the church meetings; I feel pretty good about my spirituality.". This mixing of "works-righteousness" in with "grace through faith" is extremely dangerous for the believer, for it "frustrates" the grace of God in His life (Gal. 2:21), "quenches the Holy Spirit" (1 Thes. 5:19), and lowers him into a state of worldliness and lukewarmness (1 John 2:15-16; Rev. 3:15-17). One can be in such a state and still be saved (just as the unbelievers in the wilderness with Moses were still helped and fed by God); However, the Holy Spirit will be extremely limited to help the individual, resulting in a very difficult manner of living: He will not enjoy the riches of God's grace (on the one hand), and he will also not enjoy the pleasures of sin (on the other hand). Hence the term... "miserably saved". For many people who follow this path, the frustration of such a lifestyle can become too much to bear, causing them to ultimately "give up" and "fall from grace" (which of course is disastrous, for it means that his soul is then lost) (Gal. 5-4). A person who has "fallen from grace" may still go to church, go through religious exercises, yet ...his love and passion for Jesus is gone, he is un-moved and hardened by convicting preaching, continues joyfully in secret sins, and is completely disinterested in spiritual matters of any sort. He may even (and probably will) still profess himself to be a Christian, yet does not possess the power (Holy Spirit) of a true Christian (See 2 Tim. 3:1-5; Titus 1:15-16).
"THE SIN NATURE": Every natural person born into this world has inherited a "sin nature" from Adam's impure blood-line. At salvation, a person is "born again" and receives "the Divine Nature" from JESUS' pure blood-line. And while many believe that the sin nature (also called "SIN" or "THE FLESH") is then eradicated, this is not the case; It remains, but is rendered powerless and inactive/dormant as the believer is "IN CHRIST", sort of like grass lies in a dormant state during winter or drought conditions. Now... the OBJECT OF OUR FAITH (not our tinkering with sin) determines whether that sin nature remains dormant, or whether it springs back to life. If the object of our Faith remains in CHRIST AND THE CROSS, then we are "under GRACE", the Holy Spirit moves in our life, the SIN nature will not have dominion (because it remains "dormant"), and we will not WANT to tinker with sin. But... if the object of our faith becomes US: our self-effort in keeping some sort of "laws" (whether it be GOD'S law: the ten commandments, or laws that we , our church, a denomination, (etc.) devise/formulate) as a means of righteousness (to be "good", or to be right with God to please Him), then we are "under LAW", the Holy Spirit is quenched from working in our life, and (the) SIN (nature) will once again have dominion. Certain bondages of sin will develop, habitual vices that the Christian cannot overcome while in this state. This is illiustrated in the following scripture- Rom. 6:14:
"For sin shall not have dominion over you (The sin nature will not have dominion over us if we as believers continue to exercise faith in the Cross of Christ; otherwise, the sin nature most definitely will have dominion over the believer): for you are not under the law (means that if we try to live this life by any type of law, no matter how good that law might be in its own right, we will conclude by the sin nature having dominion over us), but under grace (the Grace of God flows to the believer on an unending basis only as long as the believer exercises faith in Christ and what He did at the Cross; Grace is merely the Goodness of God exercised by and through the Holy Spirit.)."
So how does one get out of the "miserably saved" mode?
First... he needs to REPENT. Repent of what? UNBELIEF and PRIDE, two things that God hates. Unbelief because he doesn't have faith that God will keep him solely by grace through faith in His prescribed method : The Cross. And PRIDE because he has mixed his way (self-works to earn favor) with God's Way (faith in the Cross alone).
Next... he needs to make THE CROSS OF CHRIST the sole object of his faith, daily recognizing that It alone keeps him in favor with God, because that without It (and the blood that Christ has shed), he is nothing but "the chiefest of sinners". He needs to understand that no religious (or spiritual, or man-made) activity HE does (or how he does it) will have any effect on his "spirituality". CHRIST is now his spirituality, period, and it doesn't matter if he prays a little, a lot, or not at all on any given day. There is no more pressure on him to "perform", to "measure up".

"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for him who believes." - Rom. 10:4

Unfortunately, many people who are in the "miserably saved" lifestyle, and who hear and understand the message of The Cross for daily living, REFUSE it, because there's an "offence" to "The Cross" lifestyle (see Gal. 5:11), with negative social repercussions. They know that a TRUE RADICAL separation from "the world" will be required, putting them at enmity with not only blatant sinners, but also many of their "Christian" friends as well, because... there is also a misconception of what "separation from the world" means in the modern Church. To many professing Christians, this means... "I don't drink, I don't chew, and I don't go with girls who do!"; Or... "I am not involved in immorality, I don't watch "R"-rated movies, I pay my tithes, I pray, I study the Word, I fast, I work in the church, I witness, I PREACH, I am involved with charity... I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ahhh, perhaps we've found a KEY here... The focus of this mind-set focuses upon "I"- rather than upon "CHRIST AND HIS SACRIFICE"!

(Let's allow this to "sink in" for a moment)

IF... by a miracle, a revelation by God, we begin to focus upon the LATTER, we soon begin to realize that WE DO NOT HAVE SUCH STERLING MORAL CHARACTER AFTER ALL! God, Who looks upon the HEART, also sees those ugly things such as PRIDE, TEMPER PROBLEMS, BITTERNESS, MEAN-SPIRITEDNESS, JEALOUSY, GOSSIP, A CRITICAL SPIRIT, etc., etc.. And to Him, those things are just as bad as all those other things that we have BASED OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS UPON!

If, upon reading this, you have not been convicted, then congratulations; Spread the good news of trusting in Christ and the Cross for daily living. But for you who have realized that you do indeed have the "miserably saved" disease, and are sick and tired of being "sick and tired", of living a defeated Christian life with the devil's foot on your neck..... Are you ready to BREAK FREE??! You know in your heart that you want to do it, so now the Holy Ghost is daring you; He just dares you to ... "step out onto the water and walk to Jesus."

Say a prayer to God something like this:

"Father, I have sinned against YOU in Your sight, having placed my faith in something else other than in Your Way. I am sorry for my unbelief and pride; Please forgive me and wash me in the blood of Your Son Jesus. I realize now that I am NOTHING without You, and that there's NOTHING I can do to earn favor with You, except simply to trust in the CROSS, and that this alone places me "IN CHRIST". Help me LORD, to take up my Cross daily in following Your Son Jesus, to never slip back into law and works to try to please You. Give me the courage also to stand my ground among other people who refuse to embrace Your Way. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

At times, it may just be you and Jesus out there on the waters of life; But God will see to it that you have some others with you from "THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE CROSS".

To the Lord Jesus Christ be glory, and power, and dominion both now and for evermore! Amen!