1) God does not save us IN sin; He saves us FROM sin (If we sin, we are to be sorry from the heart, and R-E-P-E-N-T). However.... none of us are morally perfect, but we are promised that as our faith is IN CHRIST & HIS BLOOD, (the) SIN (nature) shall not have dominion over us! (See Psa. 38:18; Prov. 28:13; 1 Jhn. 1:8-10; 2:1; Rom. 6:1-2,14; Rev. 12:10-11)
Our performance of "spiritual disciplines" (such as prayer, Bible study, fasting, etc.), though of great benefit, CANNOT help us to be set apart to live for God in holiness- to be "Sanctified". Nor can "will-power", punishment, psychological counselling, programs, and so forth.
2) In terms of "righteousness" (our manner of behavior to be right morally with God), it is either "SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS" or "THE CROSS". The first is based upon WORKS AND LAW (by us), the second based upon GRACE THRU FAITH (in CHRIST & HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE). The apostle Paul knew, lived, and preached this incessantly (see Phil. 3:9; 1 Cor. 2:2).
3) Daily faith in Christ & "the Cross" (His Blood Sacrifice) for Sanctification gives one God's GRACE AND BLESSINGS. Faith in one's own performance of works for Sanctification is "LAW", and invokes God's WRATH, AND A CURSE (see Gal. 3:10-14)
4) "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith." -(Hab. 2:4)- The "lifted up", "PROUD" soul, will trust in HIS sacrifices for Sanctification, making him "unjust" in God's sight; While the humble soul will place his faith in CHRIST'S Sacrifice (ie" "The Cross), making ...him "just" in God's sight.
The first relies on his "do's and don'ts" ("LAW" and works), invoking the "law of sin and death" and stimulating "the sin nature" to send him on a downward spiral; while the second relies on GOD'S GRACE through FAITH IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, invoking the "law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus", affording him help by the HOLY SPIRIT, and ... See Moresecuring him "abundant Life " (Jhn. 10:10) and overcoming victory over Satan (Rev. 12:10-11)!
MOST will choose the FIRST; The "few" will choose the SECOND (See Matt. 7:13-14).
Which... are YOU ?
5) "GOD" is not religion, rites, rituals, or ceremony. "See now that I, even I , am He, and there is no god with Me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of My Hand." -(Deut. 32:39); NOR is "CHURCH" a physical building, but rather a people one with their Creator through... surrender of self, and by the Blood of Jesus.
"(6) Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and His Redeemer, the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God.
(7) And who, as I , shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them show unto them.
(8) Fear ... See Moreye not, neither be afaid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God beside Me? yea, there is NO God; I know not any." -(Isa. 44:6-8)
(24) Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself;
(25) That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;
(26) That confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers..." -(Isa. 44:24-26)
"(5) I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside Me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me:
(6) That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
(7) I form the light, and create (allow) darkness: I make peace, and create (allow) evil: I ... See Morethe LORD do all these things." -(Isa. 45:5-7)
(12) I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even My Hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded." -(Isa. 45:5-7,12)
6) "Religion" is quite different than "relationship". "RELIGION" blinds a person to God's Truth & reality as God sees it (Matt. 13:12-15; Rom. 10:3; Jn. 9:39-41). How do you know if YOU are "religious"? If you base your righteousness upon WHAT YOU DO (see Rom. 10:3-4; Gal. 3:10-11; 5:4; Phil. 3:8-9).
True Christianity is RELATIONSHIP with God, based upon what you BELIEVE (ie: FAITH); In which you know and fellowship with Him, based upon His GRACE, THROUGH your FAITH.... exclusively in Jesus Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS, every single bit. And then your "good behavior" will be "developed supernaturally" (... See Morecalled "Sanctification") as the HOLY SPIRIT convicts you of your sins (and you... REPENT). It is a life-long process, and no one is "perfect" morally until the day we meet Jesus face to face. However, you must WANT to change and to please God, and according to HIS method, not ours.
I know what I've just said is astounding, and "radical" compared to the popular, modern concept of Christianity, which is based upon "do's and dont's". But this is what the BIBLE teaches (and not the "watered-down" versions", but the King James and New American Standard ones which come the closest to the original Hebrew and Greek.) Our do's and dont's will fall right into line if our faith is correct, in the right Object!
Righteousness is not something to be "earned". In fact, to try to attain your OWN righteousness with God is impossible. It is GOD'S Righteousness we need in order to fellowship with a perfectly Holy God, and this spotless Righteousness is freely "imputed" (given) to us as we exhibit faith in what JESUS did, on the Cross, as our sin substitute! ... See MorePRIDE will try to accomplish the FORMER; HUMILITY will accept the LATTER. "For God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." -(James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5).
7) "The Law" requires MAN to act; It demonstrates man's impotentcy. "Grace" is the result of trusting (faith) in GOD to act; It demonstrates God's Power (The Holy Spirit moving). God HAS acted through the Sacrificial death of His Son Jesus on the Cross. Our faith in THAT activates this awesome Power on our behalf which b...reaks the yoke of Satan! (See Jhn. 3:16; 1:17; Rom. 10:4; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; Col. 2:6; Gal. 2:16; 3:10-14; Rom. 8:1-2; Zech. 4:6-7)
To "walk after the Spirit" is like a man who is "right-handed" (representing the NATURAL way) learning to live "left-handed" (representing the SUPERNATURAL Way). It is totally different than what we are used to. A daily supernatural Life of (grace through) faith... exclusively in CHRIST AND "THE CROSS" (Christ's Blood Sacrifice there). It is a ... See Moreglorious manner of daily living which gives us "abundant Life" (Jhn. 10:10b). It take a while to get onto, but stay on this "Path of Life" (Psa. 16:11), and you will get there!
"But the Path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." -(Prov. 4:18)
8) "The thief (SATAN) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy (through "the law of sin and death" -Rom. 8:2; 7:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:56b), but I (JESUS) am come that they might have Life ("the law of the Spirit of Life 'in Christ Jesus'" -Rom. 8:2; 10:4), and that they might have it more abundantly." -(Jhn. 10:10).
YES we are to keep the "law"; But it can only occur SUPERNATURALLY as the HOLY SPIRIT performs it in us, AS OUR FAITH IS EXCLUSIVELY IN CHRIST'S BLOOD SACRIFICE (IE: "THE CROSS) FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, BOTH TO BE "SAVED", AND ALSO TO..... BE "SANCTIFIED, AND LIVE FOR GOD"!!!! (That second part there being the Key for victorious Christian living!). If ... See Morewe revert back to law-keeping (ANY type of law) in self-effort, this nullifies God's grace, and the Holy Spirit is QUENCHED in our live (see Gal. 2:21; 5:5)!!
I do this and that because I WANT to (from the HEART), not cuz I "have" to; I AVOID this or that because I WANT to (from the HEART), not cuz I "have" to. This.... is what relatively few in Christendom seem to be able to comprehend: The ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT in convicting us; Most think that THEY need to do the convicting of other people, and, of course, it will not (and CANnot) work. (Have you ever SEEN it work?).
It begins with a person from his heart, crying out to the Lord to reveal Himself to them, and to reveal His Truth. Then, wild horses could not stop God from answering that sort of prayer! Turn to Him, friend, with all of your heart, and HE WILL ANSWER. HE LOVES YOU !
9) "He that dwelleth 'in the secret Place' of the Most High shall 'abide under the Shadow' of the Almighty." -(Psa. 91:1); This "secret place" is "IN CHRIST" (Jhn. 15:6) through faith in the Blood of the Lamb (Ex. 12:13,23; Rev. 12:10-11).
Benefits of "dwelling in this Abode" (taken from Psa. 91): (vs. 3)- DELIVERANCE from "the snare of the fowler" (Satan), and from the "noisome pestilence" (calamitous diseases)..... (vs. 4)- His Truth your Shield.....(vss. 5-6)- No fear of terror, harm, pestilence, or destruction...... (vss 7-8) Protection that the wicked do not have....(vs. 10)- No... See More evil or plague coming close to your dwelling.....(vss. 11-12) Protected by God's angels....(vs. 13)- Demons subject to you.... (vs. 14)- Deliverance from being "set on high".... (vs. 15)- Answered prayer; Having the Presence of God in trouble; Being delivered and honored by God.... (vs. 16)- Long life; God's Salvation shown.
OH HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This MARVELLOUS Place, "IN CHRIST", is ...
- a REFUGE (Psa. 142:5; 9:9; 46:1,7; 48:3; 59:16; 62:7-8; 71:7; 94:22; Isa. 4:6; Jer. 16:19; Heb. 6:18).
- a HIDING PLACE (Psa. 32:7; 119:114; 31:20; Isa. 32:2; Col. 3:1-3).... See More
- a SECRET PLACE OF 'HIS PRESENCE' (Psa. 31:20; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 2:22; 1 Jhn. 4:13; 3:24; Jhn. 14:16-17,23,26; 15:26; 16:7-11,13-14; 17:23).
- a "DWELLING PLACE" (Psa. 91:9; 90:1) ....
- .... "IN LIGHT" (Col. 1:12; Eph. 5:8; Jhn. 8:12; Acts 26:18; 1 Jhn. 2:9-10; Ex. 10:23).
- a Place Where THE LORD IS YOUR "PORTION", AND YOU ARE SATISFIED (Lam. 3:24; Psa. 16:5; 73:26; 119:57; 27:4; 107:9; 23:1; Jer. 10:16; Phil. 4:11; 2 Pet. 1:3)
- a Place of GRACE THAT MAKES ONE STRONG & VIGOROUS (2 Tim. 2:1; Psa. 68:35; Eph. 1:19; 3:16; 6:10; Col. 1:11; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Cor. 12:9; Zech. 4:6-7; 10:12).
- a Place PROTECTED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, PRESERVED IN CHRIST JESUS, KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD! (Ex.12:13-23; Rev. 12:10-11; Jude 1; 1 Pet. 1:5)
HALELLUJAH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10) The great Apostle PAUL.. was NOT all that popular in his day! He was whipped, beaten, imprisoned frequently, in perils of robbers, his own countrymen, the heathen, among false brethren, suffered hunger and thirst, homeless at times (2 Cor. 11:23-27). AND YET, in God's perfect will, saying "REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!"
The man, plain and simple, was sold out to be USED BY GOD, regardless if someone liked him,... or not! And you must admit... he WAS! I'm going to make a statement here: If this man would be here today, and did a circuit of preaching in all of our churches here in America, he would be KICKED OUT of most of them! Because his Message would NOT BE ACCEPTED, AND WOULD BE AN OFFENCE! (The offence of "The Cross"). ["Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it." -(Matt. 7:14)] This is because of religion/ legalism, plain and simple. Paul preached "grace through faith", and most churches today preach "law" (You gotta do "this", you gotta avoid "that"... to be pleasing to God.). And no... neither Paul (Rom. 6:1), nor I advocate giving a license to sin as much as we want. That is not the idea. The idea is... how do we DEAL with "the sin issue"? To overcome it. Paul's answer was that yes, we repent of sin, but then to place our faith EXCLUSIVELY in Christ's Blood Sacrifice ("THE CROSS") for ALL Righteousness. Our works then will then be a "by-product" of our correct FAITH. ...and "the Divine Nature" will rule in our lives as THE HOLY SPIRIT in us accomplishes this for us! Another person from the Bible who had tremendous difficulties from people, and unfairly, yet was in God's perfect will.... was JOSEPH (Gen. chpts. 37, 39-47). And of course, the most famous One was JESUS HIMSELF, Who was SINLESS, yet unjustly condemned to death (instigated by religious Pharisees), mocked, humiliated, beaten, and crucified, all... ... See Morefor YOU AND I, THAT WE MIGHT BE RECONCILED TO GOD, AND LIVE. The moral of the story? Just because a person experiences tremendous difficulties because of people, that does not mean that it is because of his sin!
11) The "Message of the Cross" never grows old. It makes our heart pure and KEEPS our heart pure as we daily place our faith SOLELY IN THAT BLOOD SACRIFICE OF CHRIST for HIS Righteousness... imputed to us! (See Psa. 32:1-2; Rom. 10:4; Col. 1:14; 2:13-15).
PRAISE G-O-D, He says "When I see the B-L-O-O-D, I will pass over y-o-u." !!!! Oh don't you SEE it, neighbor? We have NO righteousness of our own to protect us from "the destroyer", "the evil one"... Satan! It is only CHRIST'S BLOOD, and your faith in THAT, which makes you clean, KEEPS you clean, EMPOWERS AND PROTECTS you by........ THE HOLY GHOST!!!! OUR efforts are pitiful and ineffective; Satan just LAUGHS at them!
12) "Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadenth unto Life, and few there be that find it." -(Matt. 7:13-14)
"Jesus saith unto him, I AM the Way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." -(Jhn. 14:6)
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whoseoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." -(Jhn. 3:14-16) (SPEAKS OF "THE CROSS")
(3) Jesus answered and said unto him (Nicodemus), Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God. (6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. -(Jhn. 3:3,6)
(23) 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. (24) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whoswever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it. (25) For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast ... See Moreaway? (26) For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He shall come in his own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels." -(Lk. 9:23-26)
"(37) He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daghter more than Me is not worthy of Me. (38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me. (39) He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for My sake shall find it." -(Matt. 10:37-39)
Now we can SEE WHY that Way and Path IS narrow!: The Way to the Father God is JESUS, the Way to Jesus is through the CROSS, and the Way to the Cross is by the ABNEGATION OF "SELF".
BUT THEN.... you have..... "ABUNDANT LIFE" (John 10:10) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! for you are "in Christ", and "in Him is LIFE, and the Life is the Light of men." -(Jhn. 1:4)!!
HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
"Trusting in the Lord and HIS Sacrifice": (Jer. 17:5-8; Psa. 2:12; Gen. 4:3-7; Phil. 3:9; Rom. 10:3-4)
"(5) Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
(6) For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh. but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
(7) Blessed is the man that TRUSTETH IN THE LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
(8) For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." -(Jer. 17:5-8)
"Kiss (pay homage to) the Son (Jesus), lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM." -(Psa. 2:12)
"(3) And in the process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
(4) And ABEL, HE ALSO BROUGHT OF THE FIRSTLINGS OF HIS FLOCK AND OF THE FAT THEREOF. AND THE LORD HAD RESPECT UNTO ABEL AND TO HIS OFFERING:
(5) But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
(6) And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
(7) If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted (if you bring the correct sacrifice, and thereby place your faith)? and if thou doest not well, sin (a Sin Offering) lieth at the door (a lamb was at the door of the Tabernacle). And unto you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him (the Lord promised Cain dominion over the Earth of that day, if he would only offer up, and place his trust in, the right sacrifice; He promises the same presently to all who trust in Christ.)." -(Gen. 4:3-7)
"And be found IN HIM, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through THE FAITH OF CHRIST, the Righteousness which is of God by faith:"
-(Phil. 3:9)
"(3) For they, being ignorant of God's Righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God.
(4) For CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH."
-(Rom. 10:3-4)
In each of the preceding scripture passages, we see a striking CONTRAST, between what is NOT acceptable to the Lord, and what IS acceptable, and the deciding factor? "TRUST IN HIM AND HIS SACRIFICE". Whether we do NOT... or whether we DO. In God's Eyes, mankind is divided right down the middle between the two, and right smack dab in the center... is THE CROSS OF CHRIST: a "Dividing Line" between heaven and hell for the sinner (Salvation), and between defeat and victory for the saint (Sanctification).
"Trust" is indeed the key issue: Do we trust in "ourSELF (and OUR sacrifices)"? or do we trust in "the LORD" (and HIS Sacrifice)? Where do YOU stand? This, my friend, will indeed decide your eternal destiny, as it does for all of us!
The term "TRUST", from the Webster's Dictionary, has this definition:
1) To have confidence or FAITH in
2) The trait of BELIEVING in the honesty and reliability of a person or plan.
3) Certainty about someone or something.
4) To extend credit to.
5) To allow without fear.
Okay, let's hone in on that FIRST definition, shall we? Because it links us to ANOTHER term frequently used in the Bible: "To have confidence or "FAITH" in." "FAITH" is the key word here. I believe it is then accurate to say that "TRUST" and "FAITH" are synonymous terms, and can be used interchangeably in the Bible when each of these words are used. For example, in the Psalms, when David says "I will put my "trust" in Thee", another way to say that would be... "I will put my"faith" in Thee." Amen? Another example would be in Heb. 11:6, which says... "But without 'faith' it is impossible to please Him (God)." "But without 'TRUST' it is impossible to please Him." See that? "Trust -> Faith", "Faith -> Trust" (interchangeable). I believe though, that the word "FAITH" is more intense, and it's definition magnifies even FURTHER the attribute which God wants us to have toward Him.
In Webster's Dictionary, "FAITH" has these three definitions:
1) Loyalty or allegiance to a cause or a person.
2) Complete confidence in a person or plan, etc.
3) A strong BELIEF in that a supernatural Power that controls human destiny.
Notice the word "BELIEF" in that last definition. We know from many scriptures that God hates... "UNbelief", Amen?
Finally, "FAITH" has THIS definition, from the Bible Itself, in Hebrews 11:1: It is "The substance of things HOPED for, the EVIDENCE of things NOT SEEN."
"Not seen". Jesus said this to doubting Thomas, after Thomas had reached his finger into Jesus' nail-pierced side... "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have 'BELIEVED': Blessed are they that have NOT seen, and yet have BELIEVED." -(Jhn. 20:29)
This ultimately, is the kind of "TRUST", the kind of "BELIEF", the kind of... "FAITH" that God.. is... looking for! Jesus said in Luke 18:8... "When the Son of man cometh, shall He find FAITH on the earth?" This tells us that FAITH is VERY IMPORTANT to God: that people BELIEVE Him, TRUST Him, have FAITH in Him. And... a person's "free will" is involved; Otherwise, Jesus would not have said this, Amen?
But this concept of trust, faith, and belief in God goes even DEEPER than this. God expects faith in a specific PERSON, and a specific THING (or "means") to justify us from our sins (to be "saved"), and sanctify us from the sin NATURE (to "live for God"). That Person, of course, is JESUS. He said in Jhn. 14:6, "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by ME." And the thing (or means)... is the BLOOD of Jesus, which speaks of His sacrificial Death on "The Cross".
"Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." -(Rom. 5:9)
"Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." -(Rom. 3:24-25)
"For if he blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? -(Heb. 9:13-14)
"But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON cleanseth us from all sin." -(1 Jhn. 1:7) [This speaks of on-going daily living of sanctification of "walking in the Light")
How does one "walk in the Light"? By living his life DAILY the same Way that he got saved: Through repentance of sin and... 'FAITH', 'TRUST', 'BELIEF' in "Jesus Christ and Him Crucified". O HALELLUJAH!!!!
"(20) And having made peace through THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
(21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hat He reconciled
(22) In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight:
(23) IF YE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel..." -(Col. 1:20-23)
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:" -(Col. 2:6)
Trust in CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE must be the "foundation", and must "supersede" any other general trust in God. This is the ULTIMATE trust that God is looking for, and much of the Church world is missing this! Many say, "Yes, I trust in God, I trust in God." But then they turn right around and INSULT God by committing "spiritual adultery" by trusting in THEMSELVES to perform some aspect of... "law": Some RULE, some REGIMEN, some METHOD, or TRADITION, or PHILOSOPHY devised by man. And then they wonder... "Where ARE You, God? Why is my life such a MESS?!"
Col. 2:8 says .... "Beware lest any man SPOIL you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of MAN, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." You see, trust in THESE things is really no trust in God at ALL! At the root of it is PRIDE, and independence of God through "self". And once a person is locked into this prison, this mind-set of "religion", it is very hard for him to get out; for demon spirits come in to DECEIVE and to blind that person's spiritual understanding of Truth.
And yet, once that person realizes his dry spiritual state (for the Holy Spirit cannot function in that environment), and his dire need for God, IF HE HUMBLES HIMSELF, he will cry out to God for the Answer, Who will lead that person to... "the Cross"! Then a trust IN CHRIST AND THE BLOOD for all righteousness, a continual listening to that Message, will be like salve to his "eyes"; And things that he had not SEEN before, which had been "blurry", will begin to be made clear to him. It will be like... living daily in a very dimly lit, almost DARK room, and not being able to distinguish the details of the things he is looking at. BUT THEN being led to the OUTSIDE on a bright, sunny day, where he can now see everything with crystal-clear clarity AS HIS EYES GROW "ACCUSTOMED TO THE LIGHT". It will be a gradual process, one of HEALING as the "Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus: THE HOLY SPIRIT, enlightens his understanding and heals him of the corruption of Satan which had him bound.... into "abundant Life" (Jhn. 10:10b). HALLELUJAH!!!
"But if we walk... in the LIGHT... as HE is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the BLOOD OF JESUS cleanses us from all sin."
Jesus Himself is CALLED "the Light of the world" (Jhn. 8:12); As we are "in Him", through faith in Him and His Sacrificial Work on the Cross, we ALSO are IN this "Light", and are called the "CHILDREN" of Light (Jhn. 12:36; Lk. 16:8; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thes. 5:5). And why SHOULD we walk in this Light? Because God is TRUSTworthy. He is WORTHY to be trusted, WORTHY to be believed. You see... this has always been the central issue to God. This is why He thinks so highly of our FAITH in His Word, and why He DETESTS "unbelief" in His Word. Unbelief is a slam against His very CHARACTER.
I believe the Holy Spirit gave me a good analogy of what this would be like for US. It is not a perfect analogy, not a perfect "type"; But it will give you some type of idea of the HURT God feels when His very own created beings do not BELIEVE Him:
Suppose you had a teen-ager (say... 19), and he gets into CRIME. He is told by the judge, "You need to pay this huge fine and to make restitution for your crimes, or I will send you to jail." So you, as his dad, find out about this, and you tell your son: "Hey listen, if you are truly sorry for what you have done, fess up to your crimes, and agree to receive help to turn your life around, I will agree to pay your fine AND make restitution for you, because I LOVE you." Now suppose your son says the following.... ""No, you DON'T really love me. I would sooner go to jail and ROT there, rather than do what you say and have YOU pay that money for me, because that will mean that I OWE you then, which is what you WANT!" Now wouldn't you be extremely hurt and angry if your son replied that way to you, in unbelief of your love and intentions toward him? Sure you would. And it's the SAME WITH GOD.
We are ALL guilty, not just to go to jail and pay a fine, but guilty of DEATH, eternal SEPARATION from our Creator. And God says, "Listen, I have so LOVED you, that I gave my only begotten Son to die on a Cross and shed His spotless Blood to become a CURSE for you, to pay your sin debt IN-FULL. All you gotta do is repent of your sins AND BELIEVE Me, put your TRUST in Me and that Sacrifice. And then CONTINUE to do so; Continue in that.... FAITH. If you endure unto the end in that Faith, you shall be SAVED." And you know something? People, by their actions, SPURN that offer, just like that son did to the father in that analogy! Most would rather languish their own personal "prison", rather than give up their pride along with their sinful ways, and believe GOD! Incredible! And to top it off, many of these people pretend to have accepted God's terms and His offer and call themselves God's children! Yet, they don't believe a thing that His Word SAYS, including the most IMPORTANT thing: "Faith in Christ and the Cross as the sole means of righteousness for daily living."
Behind a lot of it... PEOPLE-pleasing. Jesus Himself, during His ministry, said to these type of people, "How can ye BELIEVE, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" (Jhn. 5:44). The plain and simple fact of the matter, is that they care more about what their RELATIVES AND FRIENDS think about them, than what GOD thinks about them! What an insult to God! Now don't get me wrong... We have ALL done this at some point in our lives. But it is abominable, and we must not STAY there. We must... "REPENT AND BELIEVE GOD"!
Do you KNOW that God is of sufficient Power to perform all that His Word PROMISES to us? Ahhh we serve a BIG God! When we pray, we must ask BIG, asking in.... F-A-I-T-H, believing and trusting in our infinitely capable God! The following are a compilation of some very good scriptures on the awesomeness and faithfulness of God. Enjoy!
Awesomeness of God:
-Isa. 40:12-15,28-29
-Isa 42:8-9
-Isa 43:10-13,25
-Psa. 46:10 (Are you "still" before the LORD? In other words... Are you TRUSTING in Him?)
Faithfulness of God:
-Deut. 7:9
-1 Cor. 1:9
-1 Cor. 10:13
-1 Thes. 5:23-24
-2 Thes. 3:3
-2 Tim. 2:13
-Heb. 11:11
-Rev. 19:11
See that? Faithful and True. THAT'S the kind of God that we serve!!!
Now for some scriptures from the "PSALMS" on "Trusting in the LORD":
-Psa. 4:5; 5:11; 7:1; 9:10; 11:1; 13:5; 16:1; 17:7; 18:2; 18:30; 20:7-8; 25:2; 26:1; 28:7; 31:1,6; 32:10; 33:21; 34:8; 34:22; 36:7; 37:3,5,40; 40:4; 52:8; 55:23; 56:3-4,11; 57:1; 61:4; 62:8; 64:10; 71:1,5; 73:28; 84:12; 86:2; 91:2,4; 112:6-7; 115:11; 118:8-9; 125:1; 141:8; 143:8; 144:2.
Friend, are you placing YOUR trust exclusively in Jesus and in His Sacrifice? Or are you placing your trust in YOU and YOUR sacrifices? If you are doing the latter, things will not come out to a good conclusion. You will one day stand ALONE before the Judge of the whole earth; Your relatives will not be there; Your spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend will not be there; Your friends will not be there. Won't you this moment give your whole life over to Him, while you still have the chance? TODAY is the day of Salvation. Put this decision off not a moment longer! He loves you, and He died for you as God's Sacrifice for you, but there is nothing He can do for you- to save you from yourself and from an angry devil- if you hold on to your stubbornness and foolish pride. If you would like to be saved, or to re-commit your life to Jesus, say this prayer after me, and believe it in your heart:
God, I am so sorry for the things I have said, the things I have done. Please forgive me of all my sins; Wash me and cleanse me in the Blood of Your Son Jesus. I place my trust in Jesus and His Sacrifice for me on the Cross. Right now, I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my LORD; With my heart, I believe that You raised Jesus from the dead. And now, according to Romans 10:9-10, which cannot lie... I-AM-SAVED. Lord, I now give my whole life over to you, no matter what; Do with it as You please. Help me to DAILY keep my faith in Jesus and His Sacrifice for ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
(6) For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh. but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
(7) Blessed is the man that TRUSTETH IN THE LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
(8) For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." -(Jer. 17:5-8)
"Kiss (pay homage to) the Son (Jesus), lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that PUT THEIR TRUST IN HIM." -(Psa. 2:12)
"(3) And in the process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
(4) And ABEL, HE ALSO BROUGHT OF THE FIRSTLINGS OF HIS FLOCK AND OF THE FAT THEREOF. AND THE LORD HAD RESPECT UNTO ABEL AND TO HIS OFFERING:
(5) But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
(6) And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
(7) If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted (if you bring the correct sacrifice, and thereby place your faith)? and if thou doest not well, sin (a Sin Offering) lieth at the door (a lamb was at the door of the Tabernacle). And unto you shall be his desire, and you shall rule over him (the Lord promised Cain dominion over the Earth of that day, if he would only offer up, and place his trust in, the right sacrifice; He promises the same presently to all who trust in Christ.)." -(Gen. 4:3-7)
"And be found IN HIM, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through THE FAITH OF CHRIST, the Righteousness which is of God by faith:"
-(Phil. 3:9)
"(3) For they, being ignorant of God's Righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God.
(4) For CHRIST IS THE END OF THE LAW FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH."
-(Rom. 10:3-4)
In each of the preceding scripture passages, we see a striking CONTRAST, between what is NOT acceptable to the Lord, and what IS acceptable, and the deciding factor? "TRUST IN HIM AND HIS SACRIFICE". Whether we do NOT... or whether we DO. In God's Eyes, mankind is divided right down the middle between the two, and right smack dab in the center... is THE CROSS OF CHRIST: a "Dividing Line" between heaven and hell for the sinner (Salvation), and between defeat and victory for the saint (Sanctification).
"Trust" is indeed the key issue: Do we trust in "ourSELF (and OUR sacrifices)"? or do we trust in "the LORD" (and HIS Sacrifice)? Where do YOU stand? This, my friend, will indeed decide your eternal destiny, as it does for all of us!
The term "TRUST", from the Webster's Dictionary, has this definition:
1) To have confidence or FAITH in
2) The trait of BELIEVING in the honesty and reliability of a person or plan.
3) Certainty about someone or something.
4) To extend credit to.
5) To allow without fear.
Okay, let's hone in on that FIRST definition, shall we? Because it links us to ANOTHER term frequently used in the Bible: "To have confidence or "FAITH" in." "FAITH" is the key word here. I believe it is then accurate to say that "TRUST" and "FAITH" are synonymous terms, and can be used interchangeably in the Bible when each of these words are used. For example, in the Psalms, when David says "I will put my "trust" in Thee", another way to say that would be... "I will put my"faith" in Thee." Amen? Another example would be in Heb. 11:6, which says... "But without 'faith' it is impossible to please Him (God)." "But without 'TRUST' it is impossible to please Him." See that? "Trust -> Faith", "Faith -> Trust" (interchangeable). I believe though, that the word "FAITH" is more intense, and it's definition magnifies even FURTHER the attribute which God wants us to have toward Him.
In Webster's Dictionary, "FAITH" has these three definitions:
1) Loyalty or allegiance to a cause or a person.
2) Complete confidence in a person or plan, etc.
3) A strong BELIEF in that a supernatural Power that controls human destiny.
Notice the word "BELIEF" in that last definition. We know from many scriptures that God hates... "UNbelief", Amen?
Finally, "FAITH" has THIS definition, from the Bible Itself, in Hebrews 11:1: It is "The substance of things HOPED for, the EVIDENCE of things NOT SEEN."
"Not seen". Jesus said this to doubting Thomas, after Thomas had reached his finger into Jesus' nail-pierced side... "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have 'BELIEVED': Blessed are they that have NOT seen, and yet have BELIEVED." -(Jhn. 20:29)
This ultimately, is the kind of "TRUST", the kind of "BELIEF", the kind of... "FAITH" that God.. is... looking for! Jesus said in Luke 18:8... "When the Son of man cometh, shall He find FAITH on the earth?" This tells us that FAITH is VERY IMPORTANT to God: that people BELIEVE Him, TRUST Him, have FAITH in Him. And... a person's "free will" is involved; Otherwise, Jesus would not have said this, Amen?
But this concept of trust, faith, and belief in God goes even DEEPER than this. God expects faith in a specific PERSON, and a specific THING (or "means") to justify us from our sins (to be "saved"), and sanctify us from the sin NATURE (to "live for God"). That Person, of course, is JESUS. He said in Jhn. 14:6, "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by ME." And the thing (or means)... is the BLOOD of Jesus, which speaks of His sacrificial Death on "The Cross".
"Much more then, being now JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." -(Rom. 5:9)
"Being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through FAITH IN HIS BLOOD, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." -(Rom. 3:24-25)
"For if he blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? -(Heb. 9:13-14)
"But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST HIS SON cleanseth us from all sin." -(1 Jhn. 1:7) [This speaks of on-going daily living of sanctification of "walking in the Light")
How does one "walk in the Light"? By living his life DAILY the same Way that he got saved: Through repentance of sin and... 'FAITH', 'TRUST', 'BELIEF' in "Jesus Christ and Him Crucified". O HALELLUJAH!!!!
"(20) And having made peace through THE BLOOD OF HIS CROSS, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
(21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hat He reconciled
(22) In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight:
(23) IF YE CONTINUE IN THE FAITH grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel..." -(Col. 1:20-23)
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him:" -(Col. 2:6)
Trust in CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE must be the "foundation", and must "supersede" any other general trust in God. This is the ULTIMATE trust that God is looking for, and much of the Church world is missing this! Many say, "Yes, I trust in God, I trust in God." But then they turn right around and INSULT God by committing "spiritual adultery" by trusting in THEMSELVES to perform some aspect of... "law": Some RULE, some REGIMEN, some METHOD, or TRADITION, or PHILOSOPHY devised by man. And then they wonder... "Where ARE You, God? Why is my life such a MESS?!"
Col. 2:8 says .... "Beware lest any man SPOIL you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of MAN, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." You see, trust in THESE things is really no trust in God at ALL! At the root of it is PRIDE, and independence of God through "self". And once a person is locked into this prison, this mind-set of "religion", it is very hard for him to get out; for demon spirits come in to DECEIVE and to blind that person's spiritual understanding of Truth.
And yet, once that person realizes his dry spiritual state (for the Holy Spirit cannot function in that environment), and his dire need for God, IF HE HUMBLES HIMSELF, he will cry out to God for the Answer, Who will lead that person to... "the Cross"! Then a trust IN CHRIST AND THE BLOOD for all righteousness, a continual listening to that Message, will be like salve to his "eyes"; And things that he had not SEEN before, which had been "blurry", will begin to be made clear to him. It will be like... living daily in a very dimly lit, almost DARK room, and not being able to distinguish the details of the things he is looking at. BUT THEN being led to the OUTSIDE on a bright, sunny day, where he can now see everything with crystal-clear clarity AS HIS EYES GROW "ACCUSTOMED TO THE LIGHT". It will be a gradual process, one of HEALING as the "Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus: THE HOLY SPIRIT, enlightens his understanding and heals him of the corruption of Satan which had him bound.... into "abundant Life" (Jhn. 10:10b). HALLELUJAH!!!
"But if we walk... in the LIGHT... as HE is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another, and the BLOOD OF JESUS cleanses us from all sin."
Jesus Himself is CALLED "the Light of the world" (Jhn. 8:12); As we are "in Him", through faith in Him and His Sacrificial Work on the Cross, we ALSO are IN this "Light", and are called the "CHILDREN" of Light (Jhn. 12:36; Lk. 16:8; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thes. 5:5). And why SHOULD we walk in this Light? Because God is TRUSTworthy. He is WORTHY to be trusted, WORTHY to be believed. You see... this has always been the central issue to God. This is why He thinks so highly of our FAITH in His Word, and why He DETESTS "unbelief" in His Word. Unbelief is a slam against His very CHARACTER.
I believe the Holy Spirit gave me a good analogy of what this would be like for US. It is not a perfect analogy, not a perfect "type"; But it will give you some type of idea of the HURT God feels when His very own created beings do not BELIEVE Him:
Suppose you had a teen-ager (say... 19), and he gets into CRIME. He is told by the judge, "You need to pay this huge fine and to make restitution for your crimes, or I will send you to jail." So you, as his dad, find out about this, and you tell your son: "Hey listen, if you are truly sorry for what you have done, fess up to your crimes, and agree to receive help to turn your life around, I will agree to pay your fine AND make restitution for you, because I LOVE you." Now suppose your son says the following.... ""No, you DON'T really love me. I would sooner go to jail and ROT there, rather than do what you say and have YOU pay that money for me, because that will mean that I OWE you then, which is what you WANT!" Now wouldn't you be extremely hurt and angry if your son replied that way to you, in unbelief of your love and intentions toward him? Sure you would. And it's the SAME WITH GOD.
We are ALL guilty, not just to go to jail and pay a fine, but guilty of DEATH, eternal SEPARATION from our Creator. And God says, "Listen, I have so LOVED you, that I gave my only begotten Son to die on a Cross and shed His spotless Blood to become a CURSE for you, to pay your sin debt IN-FULL. All you gotta do is repent of your sins AND BELIEVE Me, put your TRUST in Me and that Sacrifice. And then CONTINUE to do so; Continue in that.... FAITH. If you endure unto the end in that Faith, you shall be SAVED." And you know something? People, by their actions, SPURN that offer, just like that son did to the father in that analogy! Most would rather languish their own personal "prison", rather than give up their pride along with their sinful ways, and believe GOD! Incredible! And to top it off, many of these people pretend to have accepted God's terms and His offer and call themselves God's children! Yet, they don't believe a thing that His Word SAYS, including the most IMPORTANT thing: "Faith in Christ and the Cross as the sole means of righteousness for daily living."
Behind a lot of it... PEOPLE-pleasing. Jesus Himself, during His ministry, said to these type of people, "How can ye BELIEVE, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?" (Jhn. 5:44). The plain and simple fact of the matter, is that they care more about what their RELATIVES AND FRIENDS think about them, than what GOD thinks about them! What an insult to God! Now don't get me wrong... We have ALL done this at some point in our lives. But it is abominable, and we must not STAY there. We must... "REPENT AND BELIEVE GOD"!
Do you KNOW that God is of sufficient Power to perform all that His Word PROMISES to us? Ahhh we serve a BIG God! When we pray, we must ask BIG, asking in.... F-A-I-T-H, believing and trusting in our infinitely capable God! The following are a compilation of some very good scriptures on the awesomeness and faithfulness of God. Enjoy!
Awesomeness of God:
-Isa. 40:12-15,28-29
-Isa 42:8-9
-Isa 43:10-13,25
-Psa. 46:10 (Are you "still" before the LORD? In other words... Are you TRUSTING in Him?)
Faithfulness of God:
-Deut. 7:9
-1 Cor. 1:9
-1 Cor. 10:13
-1 Thes. 5:23-24
-2 Thes. 3:3
-2 Tim. 2:13
-Heb. 11:11
-Rev. 19:11
See that? Faithful and True. THAT'S the kind of God that we serve!!!
Now for some scriptures from the "PSALMS" on "Trusting in the LORD":
-Psa. 4:5; 5:11; 7:1; 9:10; 11:1; 13:5; 16:1; 17:7; 18:2; 18:30; 20:7-8; 25:2; 26:1; 28:7; 31:1,6; 32:10; 33:21; 34:8; 34:22; 36:7; 37:3,5,40; 40:4; 52:8; 55:23; 56:3-4,11; 57:1; 61:4; 62:8; 64:10; 71:1,5; 73:28; 84:12; 86:2; 91:2,4; 112:6-7; 115:11; 118:8-9; 125:1; 141:8; 143:8; 144:2.
Friend, are you placing YOUR trust exclusively in Jesus and in His Sacrifice? Or are you placing your trust in YOU and YOUR sacrifices? If you are doing the latter, things will not come out to a good conclusion. You will one day stand ALONE before the Judge of the whole earth; Your relatives will not be there; Your spouse or girlfriend or boyfriend will not be there; Your friends will not be there. Won't you this moment give your whole life over to Him, while you still have the chance? TODAY is the day of Salvation. Put this decision off not a moment longer! He loves you, and He died for you as God's Sacrifice for you, but there is nothing He can do for you- to save you from yourself and from an angry devil- if you hold on to your stubbornness and foolish pride. If you would like to be saved, or to re-commit your life to Jesus, say this prayer after me, and believe it in your heart:
God, I am so sorry for the things I have said, the things I have done. Please forgive me of all my sins; Wash me and cleanse me in the Blood of Your Son Jesus. I place my trust in Jesus and His Sacrifice for me on the Cross. Right now, I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my LORD; With my heart, I believe that You raised Jesus from the dead. And now, according to Romans 10:9-10, which cannot lie... I-AM-SAVED. Lord, I now give my whole life over to you, no matter what; Do with it as You please. Help me to DAILY keep my faith in Jesus and His Sacrifice for ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
"REPLACEMENT, Not RENOVATION": (Jhn. 3:3,6; 2 Cor. 5:17; Mark 8:35; Jhn. 12:24-25; Gal. 2:20)
"(3) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again ('from above'), he cannot see the kingdom of God.
"(6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." -(Jhn. 3:3,6)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new." -(2 Cor. 5:17)
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." -(Mark 8:35)
"(24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
(25) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." -(Jhn. 12:24-25)
... See More
"(28) Then Peter began to say unto Him (Jesus), Lo, we have left all, and have followed Thee.
(29) And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake, and the gospel's.
(30) But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
(31) But many that are first shall be last; and the last first."
- (Mark 10:28-31)
"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)
Contrary to popular opinion among most in this world, man is NOT inherently "good", and cannot simply be "improved" (ie: "renovated"). According to the Bible, man is inherently EVIL from BIRTH, possessing a "sin nature" from the "original sin" of Adam in the garden of Eden, passed down through his corrupt blood to every baby born. This nature is intrinsically "selfish", and filled with pride, the middle letter of that word "prIde" being "I".
"(10) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
(11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
(12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." -(Rom. 3:10-12)
IT NEEDS "REPLACED"!!!
There has only ever been ONE altogether "good" Man, the Man JESUS CHRIST, Who was sent by the Father to die on the Cross to be man's "sin Substitute", to pay the penalty of OUR sins, that we may be justified before a thrice-holy God and be "imputed" "righteous", being given JESUS' spotless Righteousness, through our REPENTANCE OF SINS and faith in Him and His Blood Sacrifice PAID on that Cross.
The thing is.... what to do about that old "sinful self"?
IT CANNOT BE "RENOVATED"; IT MUST....DIE". But how? By surrendering our WHOLE LIFE over to Christ (denotes "surrender" and "whole-heartedness"), and then identifying with Him in His death on the Cross.
"(6) Knowing this, that our 'old man' (old sinful self) is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
(7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
(8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him (have resurrection Life, which is "more abundant Life" -Jhn. 10:10b)." -Rom. 6:6-8
God has incorporated the "death of the old, life of the new" into NATURE ITSELF. A "dead" SEED is planted in the ground; From it, at the scent of water, a new plant springs forth, travelling up through the earth into the air above.
In Autumn, a TREE "dies" (goes into dormancy), it's leaves turning into various colors of crimson, gold, and orange as THEY die and fall to the ground. The tree remains "dead and buried" (so-to-speak) throughout the winter, barren and seemingly lifeless.. Yet, at the appointed time in Spring, the buds on it's limbs miraculously change color, soften, and send forth brand NEW branches, leaves, and FRUIT. And yet again... there is the CATERPILLAR, which spins itself a web to "entomb" itself (signifying it's "death"); And then, miraculously, out of the "tomb" comes a completely DIFFERENT creature: the MOTH. Now if you notice in each of these examples... the seed was not "self-improved", the tree was not "purposing to be different", the caterpillar was not "making itself a better caterpillar". No; in each instance, they were (in a sense) REPLACED:..... OUT with the OLD, In with "the new". Likewise, God expects the same.... with US. True Christianity CANNOT be an "improvement" of the "old" self; That old self must DIE through IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST IN HIS DEATH ON.... "THE CROSS".
"(3) Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?
(4) Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of Life.
(5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death (Paul proclaims the Cross as the instument through which all Blessings come; consequently, the Cross must ever be the object of our Faith, which gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work within our lives), we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection (we can have the "likeness of His Resurrection" i.e: "life this Resurrection Life", only as long as we understand the "likeness of His Death", which refers to the Cross as the means by which all of this is done)." -(Rom. 6:3-5)
Do you see this, friend? Only as "self" is "DEAD with Christ can a person partake of His resurrection/ "abundant" Life. And Christ's "death" speaks of His "Crucifixion". Because OF Christ's Blood Sacrifice on the Cross, HIS Resurrection, and OUR'S to eternal Life was made possible. And this is not just a "physical" Resurrection (which definitely WILL occur); It is also, and MAINLY, a "spiritual" resurrection, in the "here and now", which translates into that ABUNDANT LIFE through the Power of.... the HOLY SPIRIT. And you can HAVE this, every.... DAY! HALLELUJAH!!!!!! Do you BELIEVE it?! You, yes I said YOU, can have GOD'S "Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17) EVERY SINGLE DAY! You do not have to live any LONGER under the jack-booted heel of Satan. He, and his demonic principalities and powers were SPOILED on the Cross of Calvary (See Col. 2:13-15). HALLELUJAH!!!!! And now, because of THAT, God's Power is available to flow through you, like high-voltage ELECTRICITY!
This almost sounds "too good to be true", doesn't it? Is there a "catch"? To be honest, yes there IS, and I already mentioned it: You need to be willing to completely DIE to self and PRIDE, and to surrender EVERYTHING, ALL-THAT-YOU-ARE... WHOLE-HEARTEDLY... to the LORD Jesus Christ ("Lord" denotes complete rulership and authority over another- in this case: JESUS, over... US!). "Lip-service" will not DO. 1 Cor. 6:20 and 7:23 say that we are "bought with a price (the Blood of Jesus)." Now, if one is "bought", that means that Whomever "bought" him has "ownership" of him, correct?
"(18) Forasmuch as you know that you were not REDEEMED (BOUGHT) with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your empty works received by tradition from your fathers;
(19) But WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot." -(1 Pet. 1:18-19)
This "redemption with the precious Blood of Christ" speaks of.... "THE CROSS". It all goes back to the CROSS, friend!
Now BEING a "purchased possession" of Christ, our lives are not our "own". If YOU are a true Christian, your life is not YOUR own, and if you refuse to yield "self" upon the "Altar of the Cross", in identification with Christ's DEATH, you cannot "qualify" for His abundant Life of Power in the Spirit; However, if you ARE, IT IS YOURS!
In a little while, I shall speak at length about the HOLY GHOST POWER OF GOD, that "Resurrection abundant Life" available TO us through the Cross. This is most glorious; However, and as previously mentioned, there must come .... a DEATH, of our "old self", and to FOUR THINGS SPECIFICALLY:
1) To "LAW" as a means of righteousness
2) To "the world" (with it's "lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life"),
3) To (the) SIN (nature)
4) To "philosophies, commandments and doctrines of man.
[A person, from his HEART (which God sees) must be WILLING to give up these things, or God says... "NO DEAL" to "abundant Life". It's "a HEART thing", plain and simple! God can and DOES change a persons "heart", but the person has to "agree" to it. God will not alter his free will.]
Let us now go over each of these things we are to be "dead" to, one-by-one:
1) "LAW" as a means of righteousness:
"LAW" and "SELF" are sort of welded together. Let me explain: "In Christ", through faith in "the CROSS (ie: the Blood SACRIFICE of Christ), "SELF", being "dead", no longer has to strive to do the right things, or avoid the wrong things. Instead, a new "POWER" lives "within" us to accomplish these things: The HOLY SPIRIT, HALLELUJAH!!!
1 John says "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world (Satan and the power of the sin nature)." You see, "LAW" stimulates the sin nature; It is it's "strength" (see 1 Cor. 15:56b). "LAW" says "I need to do THIS, or avoid THAT." This places you right square in a TRAP, my friend! And "SELF" l-o-v-e-s "LAW", because if it is US doing something, it feeds the FLESH, and makes us seem IMPORTANT. "Look at what... I... can accomplish, through MY efforts, MY will-power!". Now let me ask you... Who is getting the glory for that? Is it JESUS? No. To HIM all glory belongs! His glory, Isa. 42:8 declares, He will NOT give to another. If one follows that path, he is led right into "SELF-righteousness and 'religion'"
*** "If a person trusts in what HE does (or avoids) for moral living, he is under "LAW", and is CURSED by God; But if he trusts in what CHRIST has done on the CROSS, he is under "GRACE", and is BLESSED by God." (See Gal. 3:10-14) ***
Here are some important scriptures on being dead to "LAW" as a means of righteousness:
- Rom. 7:4
-Gal. 2:19
-Gal. 5:18
-Eph. 2:14-15
Paul in his epistles used the term "LAW" many times. At times he used it with the definite article a"the" in front of it; During these times he was referring to "the LAW of Moses", which is "the ten commandments". At other times, he just said "LAW", which indicated law IN GENERAL.... "as a means to be righteous" in terms of using "WHAT WE DO OR DON'T DO" as a means of being "good morally". That could BE "the ten commandments", or it could be laws that WE MAKE UP: traditions, programs, rules, regimens, "personal convictions" about music, tv, etc.; Laws which could even include GOOD things like the "spiritual disciplines" of prayer, Bible study, fasting, etc. What ends up happening is that we can turn even those GOOD things into.... "sin". How so? If we turn anything into a "law" for righteousness, to be spiritual, to be... "good". "...for WHATSOEVER IS NOT OF FAITH IS SIN." -(Rom. 14:23b)
The "LAW" in terms of the "ten commandments" was never intended to save us or to even to guide our way for living, because it has no power to do so. It is indeed "good" (Rom. 7:12a), but the problem is that man is "carnal, sold unto sin" (Rom. 7:12b). It was merely meant by God to show us His standard of morality, as a sort of "schoolmaster" to lead us unto CHRIST (Gal. 3:23-24), Who is "the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes IN CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE" (Rom. 10:4; 3:21-28; 5:8-9). Yet, most people mistakenly use the law AS a means of righteousness, which it was never meant to be.
2) Dead to "THE WORLD":
This refers to Satan's system of human behavior which operates by "the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2), called "this present evil world" (Gal. 1:4; 1 Jhn. 5:19). Within this system is an "anti-Christ" spirit (1 Jhn. 4:3; 2:18) which operates in people through an active "sin nature" (which we will discuss shortly); Demonic spirits are definitely involved within this to catch and hold people in bondages. Three main categories characterize "the world": The "Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 Jhn. 2:15-16). These correspond with and mirror perfectly the "tree of the knowlege of good and evil" which Satan through the snake tempted EVE with in Gen. 3:6!
According to Jesus, His true followers are NOT OF "the world" (Jhn. 17:14,16), while "those of the world" SPEAK of the world, and the world hears them" (1 Jhn. 4:5). According to James 4: 4, whoever is a "friend of the world" is at "enmity with God" and is actually an ENEMY of God! Friend, I don't want to be God's enemy; How about YOU! In 2 Cor. 6:17 God tells us to "come OUT from the world and by ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." 2 Cor. 7:1 goes on to tell us to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (to bring to a state of completion; we can do this only by "walking after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1-2), which refers to looking to the Cross, and looking to the Cross exclusively)."
3) Dead to "THE SIN NATURE":
The "sin nature" is actually the "evil nature" inherited through the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden. As he procreated and had children, this nature has passed down through his corrupt blood-line to every succeeding child born into the world. Alot of preachers and professing Christians do not believe that a Christian HAS a sin nature, but the following verses declare otherwise. That we DO have one, but that we can be "dead" to it (ie: put it into "dormancy") through identification with Christ on the CROSS:
Keep in mind, the following verses were written to... CHRISTIANS:
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit (by placing our Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross, through which the Spirit works exclusively) [Rom. 8:1-2], and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." -(Gal. 5:16)
"If we say we have no sin (nature), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." -(1 Jhn. 1:8)
"(1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in (the) sin (nature), that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to (the) sin (nature) live any longer therein?" -(Rom. 6:1-2)
"(6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of (the) sin (nature) might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve (the) sin (nature)." -(Rom. 6:6-7)
"(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto (the) sin (nature), but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (12) Let not (the) sin (nature) reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." -(Rom. 6:11-12)
4) Dead to "PHILOSOPHIES, COMMANDMENTS AND DOCTRINES OF MAN":
This one is certainly a "biggie". Religious man has always been prone to ADD TO THE WORD of God all kinds of philosophies, commandments, and doctrines which God has never even INTENDED, and which actually NEGATE (cancel out) GOD's commandments! These are damnable, because religious authorities (as well as lay people) begin to make "laws" out of them, and then if the people do not perform them, Satan heaps condemnation and discouragement upon those people! This was certainly prevalent, even in the time when Jesus walked this earth in ministry:
"(8) And He (Jesus) answered and said unto them (the Pharisees), Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. (7) Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (8) For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. (9) And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep you own tradition." -(Mark 7:6-9)
According to the Bible, we are to be "dead" to this damnable practice:
"(20) Wherefore if ye be DEAD with Christ from the rudiments (principles) of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not; (22) Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?" -(Col. 2:20-22)
"(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (elements) of the world, and not after Christ. (9) For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are COMPLETE IN HIM, Who is the Head of all principality and power." -(Col 2:8-10)
So... "in Christ" through faith exclusively in His Blood Sacrifice (ie: "the Cross"), we are DEAD to all those things, but ALIVE unto GOD through Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:11) and a servant of RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom. 6:18); [But GOD'S Righteousness, not our's (Phil. 3:9)]. And "in Him" we are now also "risen with Him" (Col. 3:1) and "seated with Him in heavenly places" (Eph. 2:5-6). HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!
Moreover, we can daily live this "resurrection Life" by the Power of the Holy Spirit, having "abundant Life" (Jhn. 10:10b). Ahh do you HAVE this Life, friend? This "Life in the Spirit"? It is a SIMPLE Life, really; One of daily trust in Jesus and His Righteousness through His "finished Work" on the Cross, that Blood Sacrifice. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." -(Col. 2:6). If you sin, you REPENT (1 Jhn. 1:9). And you listen for the Voice of the Holy Spirit every moment, heeding His instructions.. for decisions in your personal life, and in ministry (whether called as a Pastor, Evangelist, etc., or simply in witnessing to others.). You also rely upon His Strength, HIS Power, HIS enablement, "casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you -(1 Pet. 5:7)". There is no more exciting, rewarding life upon this earth; Will there will be troubles? Yes, plenty, along with persecution, mainly from the religious Pharisee type! But fear not, and CLING TO JESUS, and He will see you through, giving you "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17). HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! And in the mean time, look for SOULS TO BE SAVED, for "he that winneth souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30). :)
If, right now, you have read all this and realize... "I am not where I need to be with God. He seems distant to me, I do not HAVE abundant Life, nor am I even persecuted for my faith."... then say this prayer to be saved or even re-dedicated to the Lord:
"Father God, please forgive me of all my sins; Wash me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness, including any selfish pride. Right now, I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my LORD. With my heart, I believe that you raised Jesus from the dead. I give my entire life to you; Help me to keep my faith EACH DAY in your Son Jesus and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for EVERY IOTA of Righteousness. I NEED You, Lord!"
Friend, if you have prayed that prayer and sincerely meant it, GOD WILL MAKE A WAY FOR YOU. He LOVES you!
"(6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." -(Jhn. 3:3,6)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new." -(2 Cor. 5:17)
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." -(Mark 8:35)
"(24) Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
(25) He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal." -(Jhn. 12:24-25)
... See More
"(28) Then Peter began to say unto Him (Jesus), Lo, we have left all, and have followed Thee.
(29) And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My sake, and the gospel's.
(30) But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.
(31) But many that are first shall be last; and the last first."
- (Mark 10:28-31)
"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)
Contrary to popular opinion among most in this world, man is NOT inherently "good", and cannot simply be "improved" (ie: "renovated"). According to the Bible, man is inherently EVIL from BIRTH, possessing a "sin nature" from the "original sin" of Adam in the garden of Eden, passed down through his corrupt blood to every baby born. This nature is intrinsically "selfish", and filled with pride, the middle letter of that word "prIde" being "I".
"(10) As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
(11) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
(12) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." -(Rom. 3:10-12)
IT NEEDS "REPLACED"!!!
There has only ever been ONE altogether "good" Man, the Man JESUS CHRIST, Who was sent by the Father to die on the Cross to be man's "sin Substitute", to pay the penalty of OUR sins, that we may be justified before a thrice-holy God and be "imputed" "righteous", being given JESUS' spotless Righteousness, through our REPENTANCE OF SINS and faith in Him and His Blood Sacrifice PAID on that Cross.
The thing is.... what to do about that old "sinful self"?
IT CANNOT BE "RENOVATED"; IT MUST....DIE". But how? By surrendering our WHOLE LIFE over to Christ (denotes "surrender" and "whole-heartedness"), and then identifying with Him in His death on the Cross.
"(6) Knowing this, that our 'old man' (old sinful self) is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
(7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
(8) Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him (have resurrection Life, which is "more abundant Life" -Jhn. 10:10b)." -Rom. 6:6-8
God has incorporated the "death of the old, life of the new" into NATURE ITSELF. A "dead" SEED is planted in the ground; From it, at the scent of water, a new plant springs forth, travelling up through the earth into the air above.
In Autumn, a TREE "dies" (goes into dormancy), it's leaves turning into various colors of crimson, gold, and orange as THEY die and fall to the ground. The tree remains "dead and buried" (so-to-speak) throughout the winter, barren and seemingly lifeless.. Yet, at the appointed time in Spring, the buds on it's limbs miraculously change color, soften, and send forth brand NEW branches, leaves, and FRUIT. And yet again... there is the CATERPILLAR, which spins itself a web to "entomb" itself (signifying it's "death"); And then, miraculously, out of the "tomb" comes a completely DIFFERENT creature: the MOTH. Now if you notice in each of these examples... the seed was not "self-improved", the tree was not "purposing to be different", the caterpillar was not "making itself a better caterpillar". No; in each instance, they were (in a sense) REPLACED:..... OUT with the OLD, In with "the new". Likewise, God expects the same.... with US. True Christianity CANNOT be an "improvement" of the "old" self; That old self must DIE through IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST IN HIS DEATH ON.... "THE CROSS".
"(3) Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death?
(4) Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of Life.
(5) For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death (Paul proclaims the Cross as the instument through which all Blessings come; consequently, the Cross must ever be the object of our Faith, which gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work within our lives), we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection (we can have the "likeness of His Resurrection" i.e: "life this Resurrection Life", only as long as we understand the "likeness of His Death", which refers to the Cross as the means by which all of this is done)." -(Rom. 6:3-5)
Do you see this, friend? Only as "self" is "DEAD with Christ can a person partake of His resurrection/ "abundant" Life. And Christ's "death" speaks of His "Crucifixion". Because OF Christ's Blood Sacrifice on the Cross, HIS Resurrection, and OUR'S to eternal Life was made possible. And this is not just a "physical" Resurrection (which definitely WILL occur); It is also, and MAINLY, a "spiritual" resurrection, in the "here and now", which translates into that ABUNDANT LIFE through the Power of.... the HOLY SPIRIT. And you can HAVE this, every.... DAY! HALLELUJAH!!!!!! Do you BELIEVE it?! You, yes I said YOU, can have GOD'S "Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17) EVERY SINGLE DAY! You do not have to live any LONGER under the jack-booted heel of Satan. He, and his demonic principalities and powers were SPOILED on the Cross of Calvary (See Col. 2:13-15). HALLELUJAH!!!!! And now, because of THAT, God's Power is available to flow through you, like high-voltage ELECTRICITY!
This almost sounds "too good to be true", doesn't it? Is there a "catch"? To be honest, yes there IS, and I already mentioned it: You need to be willing to completely DIE to self and PRIDE, and to surrender EVERYTHING, ALL-THAT-YOU-ARE... WHOLE-HEARTEDLY... to the LORD Jesus Christ ("Lord" denotes complete rulership and authority over another- in this case: JESUS, over... US!). "Lip-service" will not DO. 1 Cor. 6:20 and 7:23 say that we are "bought with a price (the Blood of Jesus)." Now, if one is "bought", that means that Whomever "bought" him has "ownership" of him, correct?
"(18) Forasmuch as you know that you were not REDEEMED (BOUGHT) with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your empty works received by tradition from your fathers;
(19) But WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot." -(1 Pet. 1:18-19)
This "redemption with the precious Blood of Christ" speaks of.... "THE CROSS". It all goes back to the CROSS, friend!
Now BEING a "purchased possession" of Christ, our lives are not our "own". If YOU are a true Christian, your life is not YOUR own, and if you refuse to yield "self" upon the "Altar of the Cross", in identification with Christ's DEATH, you cannot "qualify" for His abundant Life of Power in the Spirit; However, if you ARE, IT IS YOURS!
In a little while, I shall speak at length about the HOLY GHOST POWER OF GOD, that "Resurrection abundant Life" available TO us through the Cross. This is most glorious; However, and as previously mentioned, there must come .... a DEATH, of our "old self", and to FOUR THINGS SPECIFICALLY:
1) To "LAW" as a means of righteousness
2) To "the world" (with it's "lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life"),
3) To (the) SIN (nature)
4) To "philosophies, commandments and doctrines of man.
[A person, from his HEART (which God sees) must be WILLING to give up these things, or God says... "NO DEAL" to "abundant Life". It's "a HEART thing", plain and simple! God can and DOES change a persons "heart", but the person has to "agree" to it. God will not alter his free will.]
Let us now go over each of these things we are to be "dead" to, one-by-one:
1) "LAW" as a means of righteousness:
"LAW" and "SELF" are sort of welded together. Let me explain: "In Christ", through faith in "the CROSS (ie: the Blood SACRIFICE of Christ), "SELF", being "dead", no longer has to strive to do the right things, or avoid the wrong things. Instead, a new "POWER" lives "within" us to accomplish these things: The HOLY SPIRIT, HALLELUJAH!!!
1 John says "Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world (Satan and the power of the sin nature)." You see, "LAW" stimulates the sin nature; It is it's "strength" (see 1 Cor. 15:56b). "LAW" says "I need to do THIS, or avoid THAT." This places you right square in a TRAP, my friend! And "SELF" l-o-v-e-s "LAW", because if it is US doing something, it feeds the FLESH, and makes us seem IMPORTANT. "Look at what... I... can accomplish, through MY efforts, MY will-power!". Now let me ask you... Who is getting the glory for that? Is it JESUS? No. To HIM all glory belongs! His glory, Isa. 42:8 declares, He will NOT give to another. If one follows that path, he is led right into "SELF-righteousness and 'religion'"
*** "If a person trusts in what HE does (or avoids) for moral living, he is under "LAW", and is CURSED by God; But if he trusts in what CHRIST has done on the CROSS, he is under "GRACE", and is BLESSED by God." (See Gal. 3:10-14) ***
Here are some important scriptures on being dead to "LAW" as a means of righteousness:
- Rom. 7:4
-Gal. 2:19
-Gal. 5:18
-Eph. 2:14-15
Paul in his epistles used the term "LAW" many times. At times he used it with the definite article a"the" in front of it; During these times he was referring to "the LAW of Moses", which is "the ten commandments". At other times, he just said "LAW", which indicated law IN GENERAL.... "as a means to be righteous" in terms of using "WHAT WE DO OR DON'T DO" as a means of being "good morally". That could BE "the ten commandments", or it could be laws that WE MAKE UP: traditions, programs, rules, regimens, "personal convictions" about music, tv, etc.; Laws which could even include GOOD things like the "spiritual disciplines" of prayer, Bible study, fasting, etc. What ends up happening is that we can turn even those GOOD things into.... "sin". How so? If we turn anything into a "law" for righteousness, to be spiritual, to be... "good". "...for WHATSOEVER IS NOT OF FAITH IS SIN." -(Rom. 14:23b)
The "LAW" in terms of the "ten commandments" was never intended to save us or to even to guide our way for living, because it has no power to do so. It is indeed "good" (Rom. 7:12a), but the problem is that man is "carnal, sold unto sin" (Rom. 7:12b). It was merely meant by God to show us His standard of morality, as a sort of "schoolmaster" to lead us unto CHRIST (Gal. 3:23-24), Who is "the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes IN CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE" (Rom. 10:4; 3:21-28; 5:8-9). Yet, most people mistakenly use the law AS a means of righteousness, which it was never meant to be.
2) Dead to "THE WORLD":
This refers to Satan's system of human behavior which operates by "the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2), called "this present evil world" (Gal. 1:4; 1 Jhn. 5:19). Within this system is an "anti-Christ" spirit (1 Jhn. 4:3; 2:18) which operates in people through an active "sin nature" (which we will discuss shortly); Demonic spirits are definitely involved within this to catch and hold people in bondages. Three main categories characterize "the world": The "Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 Jhn. 2:15-16). These correspond with and mirror perfectly the "tree of the knowlege of good and evil" which Satan through the snake tempted EVE with in Gen. 3:6!
According to Jesus, His true followers are NOT OF "the world" (Jhn. 17:14,16), while "those of the world" SPEAK of the world, and the world hears them" (1 Jhn. 4:5). According to James 4: 4, whoever is a "friend of the world" is at "enmity with God" and is actually an ENEMY of God! Friend, I don't want to be God's enemy; How about YOU! In 2 Cor. 6:17 God tells us to "come OUT from the world and by ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you." 2 Cor. 7:1 goes on to tell us to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (to bring to a state of completion; we can do this only by "walking after the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1-2), which refers to looking to the Cross, and looking to the Cross exclusively)."
3) Dead to "THE SIN NATURE":
The "sin nature" is actually the "evil nature" inherited through the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden. As he procreated and had children, this nature has passed down through his corrupt blood-line to every succeeding child born into the world. Alot of preachers and professing Christians do not believe that a Christian HAS a sin nature, but the following verses declare otherwise. That we DO have one, but that we can be "dead" to it (ie: put it into "dormancy") through identification with Christ on the CROSS:
Keep in mind, the following verses were written to... CHRISTIANS:
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit (by placing our Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross, through which the Spirit works exclusively) [Rom. 8:1-2], and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." -(Gal. 5:16)
"If we say we have no sin (nature), we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." -(1 Jhn. 1:8)
"(1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in (the) sin (nature), that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to (the) sin (nature) live any longer therein?" -(Rom. 6:1-2)
"(6) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of (the) sin (nature) might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve (the) sin (nature)." -(Rom. 6:6-7)
"(11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto (the) sin (nature), but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (12) Let not (the) sin (nature) reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof." -(Rom. 6:11-12)
4) Dead to "PHILOSOPHIES, COMMANDMENTS AND DOCTRINES OF MAN":
This one is certainly a "biggie". Religious man has always been prone to ADD TO THE WORD of God all kinds of philosophies, commandments, and doctrines which God has never even INTENDED, and which actually NEGATE (cancel out) GOD's commandments! These are damnable, because religious authorities (as well as lay people) begin to make "laws" out of them, and then if the people do not perform them, Satan heaps condemnation and discouragement upon those people! This was certainly prevalent, even in the time when Jesus walked this earth in ministry:
"(8) And He (Jesus) answered and said unto them (the Pharisees), Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. (7) Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (8) For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. (9) And He said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep you own tradition." -(Mark 7:6-9)
According to the Bible, we are to be "dead" to this damnable practice:
"(20) Wherefore if ye be DEAD with Christ from the rudiments (principles) of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (21) (Touch not; taste not; handle not; (22) Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?" -(Col. 2:20-22)
"(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (elements) of the world, and not after Christ. (9) For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (10) And ye are COMPLETE IN HIM, Who is the Head of all principality and power." -(Col 2:8-10)
So... "in Christ" through faith exclusively in His Blood Sacrifice (ie: "the Cross"), we are DEAD to all those things, but ALIVE unto GOD through Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:11) and a servant of RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom. 6:18); [But GOD'S Righteousness, not our's (Phil. 3:9)]. And "in Him" we are now also "risen with Him" (Col. 3:1) and "seated with Him in heavenly places" (Eph. 2:5-6). HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!
Moreover, we can daily live this "resurrection Life" by the Power of the Holy Spirit, having "abundant Life" (Jhn. 10:10b). Ahh do you HAVE this Life, friend? This "Life in the Spirit"? It is a SIMPLE Life, really; One of daily trust in Jesus and His Righteousness through His "finished Work" on the Cross, that Blood Sacrifice. "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him." -(Col. 2:6). If you sin, you REPENT (1 Jhn. 1:9). And you listen for the Voice of the Holy Spirit every moment, heeding His instructions.. for decisions in your personal life, and in ministry (whether called as a Pastor, Evangelist, etc., or simply in witnessing to others.). You also rely upon His Strength, HIS Power, HIS enablement, "casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you -(1 Pet. 5:7)". There is no more exciting, rewarding life upon this earth; Will there will be troubles? Yes, plenty, along with persecution, mainly from the religious Pharisee type! But fear not, and CLING TO JESUS, and He will see you through, giving you "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17). HALLELUJAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! And in the mean time, look for SOULS TO BE SAVED, for "he that winneth souls is wise" (Prov. 11:30). :)
If, right now, you have read all this and realize... "I am not where I need to be with God. He seems distant to me, I do not HAVE abundant Life, nor am I even persecuted for my faith."... then say this prayer to be saved or even re-dedicated to the Lord:
"Father God, please forgive me of all my sins; Wash me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness, including any selfish pride. Right now, I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my LORD. With my heart, I believe that you raised Jesus from the dead. I give my entire life to you; Help me to keep my faith EACH DAY in your Son Jesus and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for EVERY IOTA of Righteousness. I NEED You, Lord!"
Friend, if you have prayed that prayer and sincerely meant it, GOD WILL MAKE A WAY FOR YOU. He LOVES you!
"David, A Man After God's Own HEART" (1 Sam. 16:7; Acts 13:21-22)
Within man, there is both a "physical" heart, and a "spiritual" "heart". Just as the condition of a person's PHYSICAL heart is essential to his PHYSICAL well-being; Likewise, the condition of his SPIRITUAL heart is essential to his SPIRITUAL well-being. And actually, this "spiritual" heart, or "inner man", is the most important aspect, for it governs the course of a person's whole life, and indeed affects his ETERNAL DESTINY. Have you ever heard the expression, "The real 'you' is on the inside"? Well this is true! Nowadays we see people by the multitudes going to the theaters to see the latest movies. And yet, if one would examine (even casually) the individual lives of the ACTORS in these movies, one would not see a "pretty picture", for the real person BEHIND the "mask" has a life ravaged by ... "SIN" (which is the universal problem of man in general!). Many people we know who do not have acting CAREERS, are actors NONETHELESS in their personal lives. They seem to have split personalities: One person in PRIVATE, and another person IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, to put on a good "show" or "appearance".
God ... cuts "right to the chase", and He sees the REAL person in private. God in the flesh- JESUS- addressed this issue to some "religious actors" of His day: the Pharisees, in Lk. 16:15. "And He said unto them, 'Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but GOD KNOWETH YOUR HEARTS: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God'." The Greek word for "heart" here us "kardia". In a general sense, it signifies "the middle or central or inmost part of anything"; And specifically, as it pertains to us, it refers to "the centre and seat of spiritual life", "the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors". And most crucially, as it pertains to our ETERNAL DESTINY, it is this "HEART" or "INNER MAN", which either BELIEVES (TRUST/ FAITH) or DOUBTS (UNBELIEF) GOD'S WORD! "For with the HEART man BELIEVETH unto righteousness..." -(Rom. 10:10)
Jesus in His earthly ministry spoke at length on the subject of the HEART of man, and how that it is connected with WHAT COMES OUT OF HIS MOUTH (ie: THE WORDS THAT HE SPEAKS). "(18) But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the HEART; and they defile the man. (19) For out of the HEART proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." -(Matt. 15:18-19). *See also Matt. 12:34-36. There are many scriptures which plainly state that God looks at the HEART of man: (1 Chron. 28:9; 29:17; 2 Chron. 6:30; Psa. 7:9; Jer. 11:20; 17:10; 20:12; Jhn. 2:24,25; Acts 1:24; Rom. 8:27; Rev. 2:23). God HATES "a heart that devises wicked imaginations" (Prov. 6:16,18); In fact, this is what prompted God to decide to send the wordwide FLOOD in Noah's day. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his HEART was only evil continually." -(Gen. 6:5)
Along with the HEART being connected to our WORDS, it is also connected to our ACTIONS (or "WORKS") as well (Although one can have correct works WITHOUT the correct "MOTIVES", which God ALSO hates!). "I the LORD search the HEART, I try the 'reins' (Hebrew: "kilyaw"- means "seat of emotion and affection"), even to give every man according to his WAYS, and according to THE FRUIT of HIS DOINGS". -(Jer. 17:10). The HEART of every person, as the result of "the fall of man (Adam)" in the garden of Eden, is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked..." - Jer. 17:9; And consequently, it contains a "SIN nature". According to 1 Jhn. 1:8 (written to CHRISTIANS, by-the-way), if a person says that he HAS NO sin nature, he "deceives himself, and the Truth is not in him.". Upon regeneration, at "the new birth" (see Jhn. 3:3-8), the person is given a "DIVINE nature" (2 Pet. 1:3-4), and this Divine nature governs the person- AS HE KEEPS HIS FAITH IN CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON "THE CROSS" (see Rom. 6:14; 8:1-2; 1 Cor. 1:18; Gal. 2:19-21; 5:1-5,22-24; 6:14-15); Not in "self" and works ("LAW").
This subject of "the Heart" is far more important than most professing Christians realize. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to "KEEP (GUARD) thy HEART with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." This is what DAVID did, and which WE are to do as well!: "(23) Search me, O God, and KNOW MY HEART; try me, and know my thoughts: (24) And see if here be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." -(Psa. 139:23-24). Of course, God already DOES those things with EACH of us, and TRIES to lead us in the right Way: However, the crucial element to this is that DAVID WANTED to please God (denotes "free will"); Thus David's heart, like clay, was "soft and moldeable" for God ("the Potter") to be ABLE to change! This is the key: Is our heart "good ground"? "good soil"? ... for the Holy Spirit and the Word to come in, to germinate, and to produce "a tree of Righteousness" (Isa. 61:3) that will "bear good fruit" (Matt. 3:10; 7:19; 13:3-4,8,18,23)?!
Jesus plainly said that we shall know if a person is of HIM, or of the DEVIL by their "fruit". Does the person have "the works of the flesh"? or "the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit"? (see Gal. 5:19-23). This "fruit" is dependent upon the type of "tree" that a person is: A "good" one, or a "bad one". "(16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." -(Matt. 7:16-18). THREE CRUCIAL ELEMENTS can help you discern if a person is a true Cristian abiding in Christ: #1) his WORDS (Matt. 15:18; 12:34-35), #2) his ACTIONS (Jer. 17:10), and #3) his "CHARACTER FRUIT" (Gal. 5:19-23). Through a COMBINATION OF THESE THINGS, it will be overly obvious which kind of "tree" this person is! Do the WORDS, ACTIONS, and "CHARACTER FRUIT" match that person's profession of being a "Christian"?
Let's look now at "DAVID, A MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART": Now, as would be overly obvious, if a person has read his Bible, he knows that David was FAR from perfect morally. 2 Samuel, chpt. 11 records him committing one of the most dastardly sin acts that anyone could do: Committing adultery with another man's wife, and then to cover it up, having that woman's husband killed in a sneaky manner! And actually, throughout the life of David, there were other times of sins committed, and of unbelief. So WHY then, did God basically "hand-pick-choose" David to be king over Israel? And call him "a man after My Own HEART"? Obviously, God liked what He SAW when He looked at David's heart! Let's look now, scripturally, at the traits which God saw.
David had a HEART.....
#1) ... that was truly repentant over sin with a VERTICAL repentance (HIM toward GOD vertically). David did not blame other people (horizontal) for his sins. He said...
"I have sinned against THE LORD..." -(2 Sam. 12:13)
"Against THEE, THEE ONLY, have I sinned, and one this evil in THY sight..." -(pSA. 51:4)
"I said, LORD, be merciful nto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned AGAINST THEE." -(Psa. 41:4)
See that? Vertical.
#2)... that "feared" the LORD. ("Fear" in terms of a "reverence and fright" of offending/ sinning against a holy all-Powerful God!)
"The secret of the Lord is with them that FEAR Him; and He will shew them His covenant." -(Psa. 25:14)
"Behold, the Eye of the Lord is with them that FEAR Him; upon them that hope in His mercy." -(Psa. 33:18)
* Also see Prov. 8:13; Psa. 34:7,9; 85:9; 103:11,13,17; 111:5; 145:19 147:11)
#3) ... that was "perfect" towards God ("perfect": Hebrew word "tamiym"- "complete, whole, entire, sound, healthful, wholesome, innocent, having integrity; That which is entirely in accord with Truth and fact."). The idea of a heart being "perfect" towards God is that it is sincere and upright before Him, honestly desiring to please Him! David ... HAD that, and God LOOKS for this in an individual!
"For the Eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose HEART IS PERFECT toward Him. -(2 Chron. 16:9)
"(2) I will behave myself wisely in a PERFECT WAY. O when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with A PERFECT HEART. (3) I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me." -(Psa. 101:2-3)
(* See also 1 Ki. 9:4; 11:4; 15:1-3,14; 2 Ki. 20:2-3).
Complementary to this concept of the "PERFECT" heart is the New Testament concept of "the PURE heart". Jesus said "Blessed are the PURE IN HEART, for they shall see God." -(Matt. 5:8). This is of e-x-t-r-e-m-e importance, and I shall deal with this shortly in closing!
#4)... that loved God supremely (WHOLE-hearted devotion to God, above all else!)
"(1) I LOVE THE LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. (2) Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live." -(Psa. 116:1)
"I WILL LOVE THEE, O LORD, my Strength." -(Psa. 18:1)
Indeed, this is THE greatest commandment given by God to man, as stated clearly by Jesus (God in the flesh!):
"(37) ... Thou shalt LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) THIS IS THE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENT." -(Matt. 22:37-38).
Jesus also said very plainly in two scripture passages (Matt. 10:35-39 & Luke 14:25-37), that unless one loves HIM more than any family member, any person,or anything he possesses, that THAT PERSON CANNOT be His disciple! Jesus, in fact, DEMANDS that we either be COLD or HOT, in our devotion toward Him, and if we are "lukewarm" (noncommittal, wishy-washy, HALF-HEARTED), He is NAUSEATED ! (see Rev. 3:14-18
#5) ..... that hungered for GOD'S Righteousness, recognizing that his OWN was not sufficient!
"I will praise the Lord according to HIS Righteousness..." -(Psa 7:17)
"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake." -(Psa. 23:3)
* (see also Psa. 5:8; 11:7; 24:5; 35:24,28; 36:6,10; 40:10; 50:6; 71:2,16,19,24; 85:13; 89:16; 98:2; 119:142; 132:9)... See More
Jesus declared, in Matt. 5:6, "Blessed are they which do HUNGER AND THIRST (HEART motives) AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS: for they shall be filled." Paul the Apostle DESCRIBES this perfect Righteousness of God, and declares exactly HOW it is attained: "And be found 'in Him' (Christ), not having mine 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)
#6) ...... that desired God's TRUTH.
"Lead me in Thy Truth, and teach me..." -(Psa. 25:5)
"O send out Thy Light and Thy Truth: let them lead me; Let them bring me unto Thy holy hill and to Thy tabernacles." -(Psa. 43:3)
"Thou desirest TRUTH IN THE INWARD PARTS; and in THE HIDDEN PART Thou shalt make me to know wisdom." -(Psa. 51:6)
* (see also Psa. 26:3; 40:10; 51:6; 57:10; 61:7; 86:11; 91:4; 119:30,43,142; 145:18)
It is very sobering to note that if a person does NOT desire to love and believe the Truth in their heart, then God will allow that person to be DECEIVED AND DAMNED! (see 2 Thes. 2:10-12).
God the FATHER is called the "GOD of Truth" (Deut. 32:4; Psa. 31:5); The Son- JESUS is called "THE Truth" (Jhn. 14:6); The HOLY SPIRIT is called "the SPIRIT OF Truth (Jhn. 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-14); And the Bible is callled "the WORD of Truth" (Psa. 119:43; 2 Cor. 6:7). Jesus declared to the Roman governor Pilate that "everyone who is 'OF the Truth' heareth My Voice." -(Jhn.. 18:37)
So, in review, a "man after God's own HEART" (which was DAVID'S) has a heart that... 1) is "vertically repentant over sin", 2) fears God, hating and turning away from evil, 3) is "perfect towards God", honestly desiring to please Him in integrity, 4) loves God supremely, wholly above anyone or anything else, 5) hungers for GOD'S Righteousness above his OWN, and 6) desires GOD'S TRUTH. As we can see, there are SIX of these. The number "six" in the Bible is the "number of MAN". "SEVEN" is considered GOD'S number, a number of "COMPLETION". And indeed, there is a SEVENTH "character trait" of a "HEART that God loves":
#7) .... that was PURIFIED BY FAITH. Oh hallelujah!!!!!!
In closing, as I promised, I would now like to "hone in" on the New Testament concept (Matt. 5:8) of having a "PURE" heart (although David understood this well before that time!). The Greek word for "pure" in Matt. 5:8 is "katharos", and it means "clean, free from corrupt desire, from sin and guilt; Free from any MIXTURE of what is false; BLAMELESS, INNOCENT, UNSTAINED WITH THE GUILT OF ANYTHING." And HOW is a heart "purified"? Again, by.... FAITH.
"(8) And God, WHICH KNOWETH THE HEARTS, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; (9) And put no difference between us and them, PURIFYING THEIR HEARTS BY FAITH." -(Acts 15:8-9). See that?
Now, in terms of Righteousness: A heart being made PURE FROM SIN, again, is by FAITH. But in WHAT OBJECT? You see... man within himSELF, in his own plans, schemes, and efforts ("the flesh") cannot change his own sinful heart, CANNOT CONQUER the "sin nature beast" that dwells within Him. BUT GOD, but God, but... G-O-D!!!..... THE LORD JESUS CHRIST changed all that on.... THE CROSS. Hallelujah!!!
David knew that a REDEEMER was coming (and placed his trust in what the animal blood sacrifices typifed- the sacrificial death of that Redeemer, causing his heart to be purified); He also spoke in the Psalms of the marvellous Work that God would do for man's heart!:
"(1) Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit (HEART) there is no guile." -(Psa. 32:1-2)
You see, friend, THE LORD CAN INCLINE OUR HEART TOWARDS HIM (1 Ki. 8:57-58; Psa. 119:36), and moreover, can change our heart totally, as our faith, for (GOD'S) righteousness, is totally in CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE (IE: "THE CROSS"). Hallelujah!!!!
"Therefore if any man be 'IN Christ' he is a NEW CREATURE (a "good tree"): Old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new." -(2 Cor. 5:17)
"But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their INWARD PARTS, and write it in THEIR HEARTS; and will be their God, and they shall be My people." -(Jer. 31:33)
"(26) A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will give you a HEART OF FLESH (soft). (27) And I will PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them." -(Ezek. 36:26-27)
"(3) Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of THE HEART... (5)... our sufficiency is of God; (6) Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament: not of the letter, but OF THE SPIRIT: for the letter ("LAW") killeth, but THE SPIRIT." -(2 Cor. 3:3,5,6) GIVETH LIFE." -(2 Cor. 3:3,5,6)
As long as our faith is "in the Blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:10-11), Jesus Christ... in His Sacrificial Finished Work on "THE CROSS", we are "imputed", "freely given BY HIS GRACE, His perfect, SPOTLESS Righteousness. Oh Hallelujah! And then, the HOLY SPIRIT OF LIFE, given to us by God, WITHIN us, makes us (and KEEPS us) "free from the law of sin and death (see Rom. 8:1-2)! HE (not "us") also "leads us and guides us into all Truth, and glorifies Jesus (see Jhn. 16:13-14)
But it needs to be a DAILY thing (Lk. 9:23), where we "deny our SELF" and "take up our Cross" (speaks of taking up the BENEFITS of His Sacrifice, by FAITH). This... is "the Message of the Cross for SANCTIFICATION/ LIVING FOR GOD: A daily trust in HIS Sacrifice, not in OUR sacrifices! Hebrews 3:14 declares that "...we are made partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end."; The key BEING... "Harden not your HEART" (Heb. 3:13), "through the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb. 3:13). This wonderful and glorious Way of Living, of "abundant Life" (see Jhn. 10:10), whereby one simply trusts in Jesus and His Sacrifice for all Righteousness, "walking after the (Holy) Spirit" (Rom. 8:1), is called "the simplicity that is 'IN CHRIST'" (2 Cor. 11:3). HALLELUJAH, friend you do not have to spend one more day "dry" spiritually. There is an OASIS in the dry desert of life for you, paid for... with THE BLOOD OF JESUS; An OASIS OF HIS Life, "LIVING WATERS" of His Spirit. "...WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take of the Water of Life FREELY." (Rev. 22:17)
And you, yes I said y-o-u, can have a.... "dancing" HEART"!
"...IN THY PRESENCE is FULLNESS OF JOY; At Thy Right Hand are pleasures for evermore." -(Psa. 16:11)
"For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." -(Psa. 107:9)
Remember this: "The Message of the Cross never grows old. It MAKES the heart pure (salvation), and it KEEPS the heart pure (sanctification), as we daily place our faith EXCLUSIVELY in that BLOOD SACRIFICE OF CHRIST for HIS Righteousness.... imputed to us! (Psa. 32:1-2; Rom. 10:4; Col. 1:14; 2:13-15)!"
If you have been dry spiritually and God has seemed distant, say this prayer with me, and you can be instantly restored to fellowship with God "the Fountain of Living Waters" (Jer. 2:13; 17:13; Song of Sol. 4:15):
"Father God, am am sorry for all of my sins; Wash and cleanse my heart from all unrighteousness. Help me to place my trust solely in Jesus and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for all righteousness, every day. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord, and I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. My life is YOUR'S, Lord, from this day forward, and I place YOU above any person, thing, or activity. Please keep me in Your "abundant Life" every day, as I "walk by faith, not by sight". In Jesus' Name.
God ... cuts "right to the chase", and He sees the REAL person in private. God in the flesh- JESUS- addressed this issue to some "religious actors" of His day: the Pharisees, in Lk. 16:15. "And He said unto them, 'Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but GOD KNOWETH YOUR HEARTS: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God'." The Greek word for "heart" here us "kardia". In a general sense, it signifies "the middle or central or inmost part of anything"; And specifically, as it pertains to us, it refers to "the centre and seat of spiritual life", "the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, and endeavors". And most crucially, as it pertains to our ETERNAL DESTINY, it is this "HEART" or "INNER MAN", which either BELIEVES (TRUST/ FAITH) or DOUBTS (UNBELIEF) GOD'S WORD! "For with the HEART man BELIEVETH unto righteousness..." -(Rom. 10:10)
Jesus in His earthly ministry spoke at length on the subject of the HEART of man, and how that it is connected with WHAT COMES OUT OF HIS MOUTH (ie: THE WORDS THAT HE SPEAKS). "(18) But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the HEART; and they defile the man. (19) For out of the HEART proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." -(Matt. 15:18-19). *See also Matt. 12:34-36. There are many scriptures which plainly state that God looks at the HEART of man: (1 Chron. 28:9; 29:17; 2 Chron. 6:30; Psa. 7:9; Jer. 11:20; 17:10; 20:12; Jhn. 2:24,25; Acts 1:24; Rom. 8:27; Rev. 2:23). God HATES "a heart that devises wicked imaginations" (Prov. 6:16,18); In fact, this is what prompted God to decide to send the wordwide FLOOD in Noah's day. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his HEART was only evil continually." -(Gen. 6:5)
Along with the HEART being connected to our WORDS, it is also connected to our ACTIONS (or "WORKS") as well (Although one can have correct works WITHOUT the correct "MOTIVES", which God ALSO hates!). "I the LORD search the HEART, I try the 'reins' (Hebrew: "kilyaw"- means "seat of emotion and affection"), even to give every man according to his WAYS, and according to THE FRUIT of HIS DOINGS". -(Jer. 17:10). The HEART of every person, as the result of "the fall of man (Adam)" in the garden of Eden, is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked..." - Jer. 17:9; And consequently, it contains a "SIN nature". According to 1 Jhn. 1:8 (written to CHRISTIANS, by-the-way), if a person says that he HAS NO sin nature, he "deceives himself, and the Truth is not in him.". Upon regeneration, at "the new birth" (see Jhn. 3:3-8), the person is given a "DIVINE nature" (2 Pet. 1:3-4), and this Divine nature governs the person- AS HE KEEPS HIS FAITH IN CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE ON "THE CROSS" (see Rom. 6:14; 8:1-2; 1 Cor. 1:18; Gal. 2:19-21; 5:1-5,22-24; 6:14-15); Not in "self" and works ("LAW").
This subject of "the Heart" is far more important than most professing Christians realize. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to "KEEP (GUARD) thy HEART with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." This is what DAVID did, and which WE are to do as well!: "(23) Search me, O God, and KNOW MY HEART; try me, and know my thoughts: (24) And see if here be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." -(Psa. 139:23-24). Of course, God already DOES those things with EACH of us, and TRIES to lead us in the right Way: However, the crucial element to this is that DAVID WANTED to please God (denotes "free will"); Thus David's heart, like clay, was "soft and moldeable" for God ("the Potter") to be ABLE to change! This is the key: Is our heart "good ground"? "good soil"? ... for the Holy Spirit and the Word to come in, to germinate, and to produce "a tree of Righteousness" (Isa. 61:3) that will "bear good fruit" (Matt. 3:10; 7:19; 13:3-4,8,18,23)?!
Jesus plainly said that we shall know if a person is of HIM, or of the DEVIL by their "fruit". Does the person have "the works of the flesh"? or "the fruit of the (Holy) Spirit"? (see Gal. 5:19-23). This "fruit" is dependent upon the type of "tree" that a person is: A "good" one, or a "bad one". "(16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit." -(Matt. 7:16-18). THREE CRUCIAL ELEMENTS can help you discern if a person is a true Cristian abiding in Christ: #1) his WORDS (Matt. 15:18; 12:34-35), #2) his ACTIONS (Jer. 17:10), and #3) his "CHARACTER FRUIT" (Gal. 5:19-23). Through a COMBINATION OF THESE THINGS, it will be overly obvious which kind of "tree" this person is! Do the WORDS, ACTIONS, and "CHARACTER FRUIT" match that person's profession of being a "Christian"?
Let's look now at "DAVID, A MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART": Now, as would be overly obvious, if a person has read his Bible, he knows that David was FAR from perfect morally. 2 Samuel, chpt. 11 records him committing one of the most dastardly sin acts that anyone could do: Committing adultery with another man's wife, and then to cover it up, having that woman's husband killed in a sneaky manner! And actually, throughout the life of David, there were other times of sins committed, and of unbelief. So WHY then, did God basically "hand-pick-choose" David to be king over Israel? And call him "a man after My Own HEART"? Obviously, God liked what He SAW when He looked at David's heart! Let's look now, scripturally, at the traits which God saw.
David had a HEART.....
#1) ... that was truly repentant over sin with a VERTICAL repentance (HIM toward GOD vertically). David did not blame other people (horizontal) for his sins. He said...
"I have sinned against THE LORD..." -(2 Sam. 12:13)
"Against THEE, THEE ONLY, have I sinned, and one this evil in THY sight..." -(pSA. 51:4)
"I said, LORD, be merciful nto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned AGAINST THEE." -(Psa. 41:4)
See that? Vertical.
#2)... that "feared" the LORD. ("Fear" in terms of a "reverence and fright" of offending/ sinning against a holy all-Powerful God!)
"The secret of the Lord is with them that FEAR Him; and He will shew them His covenant." -(Psa. 25:14)
"Behold, the Eye of the Lord is with them that FEAR Him; upon them that hope in His mercy." -(Psa. 33:18)
* Also see Prov. 8:13; Psa. 34:7,9; 85:9; 103:11,13,17; 111:5; 145:19 147:11)
#3) ... that was "perfect" towards God ("perfect": Hebrew word "tamiym"- "complete, whole, entire, sound, healthful, wholesome, innocent, having integrity; That which is entirely in accord with Truth and fact."). The idea of a heart being "perfect" towards God is that it is sincere and upright before Him, honestly desiring to please Him! David ... HAD that, and God LOOKS for this in an individual!
"For the Eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew Himself strong in the behalf of them whose HEART IS PERFECT toward Him. -(2 Chron. 16:9)
"(2) I will behave myself wisely in a PERFECT WAY. O when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with A PERFECT HEART. (3) I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me." -(Psa. 101:2-3)
(* See also 1 Ki. 9:4; 11:4; 15:1-3,14; 2 Ki. 20:2-3).
Complementary to this concept of the "PERFECT" heart is the New Testament concept of "the PURE heart". Jesus said "Blessed are the PURE IN HEART, for they shall see God." -(Matt. 5:8). This is of e-x-t-r-e-m-e importance, and I shall deal with this shortly in closing!
#4)... that loved God supremely (WHOLE-hearted devotion to God, above all else!)
"(1) I LOVE THE LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications. (2) Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live." -(Psa. 116:1)
"I WILL LOVE THEE, O LORD, my Strength." -(Psa. 18:1)
Indeed, this is THE greatest commandment given by God to man, as stated clearly by Jesus (God in the flesh!):
"(37) ... Thou shalt LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) THIS IS THE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENT." -(Matt. 22:37-38).
Jesus also said very plainly in two scripture passages (Matt. 10:35-39 & Luke 14:25-37), that unless one loves HIM more than any family member, any person,or anything he possesses, that THAT PERSON CANNOT be His disciple! Jesus, in fact, DEMANDS that we either be COLD or HOT, in our devotion toward Him, and if we are "lukewarm" (noncommittal, wishy-washy, HALF-HEARTED), He is NAUSEATED ! (see Rev. 3:14-18
#5) ..... that hungered for GOD'S Righteousness, recognizing that his OWN was not sufficient!
"I will praise the Lord according to HIS Righteousness..." -(Psa 7:17)
"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake." -(Psa. 23:3)
* (see also Psa. 5:8; 11:7; 24:5; 35:24,28; 36:6,10; 40:10; 50:6; 71:2,16,19,24; 85:13; 89:16; 98:2; 119:142; 132:9)... See More
Jesus declared, in Matt. 5:6, "Blessed are they which do HUNGER AND THIRST (HEART motives) AFTER RIGHTEOUSNESS: for they shall be filled." Paul the Apostle DESCRIBES this perfect Righteousness of God, and declares exactly HOW it is attained: "And be found 'in Him' (Christ), not having mine 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)
#6) ...... that desired God's TRUTH.
"Lead me in Thy Truth, and teach me..." -(Psa. 25:5)
"O send out Thy Light and Thy Truth: let them lead me; Let them bring me unto Thy holy hill and to Thy tabernacles." -(Psa. 43:3)
"Thou desirest TRUTH IN THE INWARD PARTS; and in THE HIDDEN PART Thou shalt make me to know wisdom." -(Psa. 51:6)
* (see also Psa. 26:3; 40:10; 51:6; 57:10; 61:7; 86:11; 91:4; 119:30,43,142; 145:18)
It is very sobering to note that if a person does NOT desire to love and believe the Truth in their heart, then God will allow that person to be DECEIVED AND DAMNED! (see 2 Thes. 2:10-12).
God the FATHER is called the "GOD of Truth" (Deut. 32:4; Psa. 31:5); The Son- JESUS is called "THE Truth" (Jhn. 14:6); The HOLY SPIRIT is called "the SPIRIT OF Truth (Jhn. 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-14); And the Bible is callled "the WORD of Truth" (Psa. 119:43; 2 Cor. 6:7). Jesus declared to the Roman governor Pilate that "everyone who is 'OF the Truth' heareth My Voice." -(Jhn.. 18:37)
So, in review, a "man after God's own HEART" (which was DAVID'S) has a heart that... 1) is "vertically repentant over sin", 2) fears God, hating and turning away from evil, 3) is "perfect towards God", honestly desiring to please Him in integrity, 4) loves God supremely, wholly above anyone or anything else, 5) hungers for GOD'S Righteousness above his OWN, and 6) desires GOD'S TRUTH. As we can see, there are SIX of these. The number "six" in the Bible is the "number of MAN". "SEVEN" is considered GOD'S number, a number of "COMPLETION". And indeed, there is a SEVENTH "character trait" of a "HEART that God loves":
#7) .... that was PURIFIED BY FAITH. Oh hallelujah!!!!!!
In closing, as I promised, I would now like to "hone in" on the New Testament concept (Matt. 5:8) of having a "PURE" heart (although David understood this well before that time!). The Greek word for "pure" in Matt. 5:8 is "katharos", and it means "clean, free from corrupt desire, from sin and guilt; Free from any MIXTURE of what is false; BLAMELESS, INNOCENT, UNSTAINED WITH THE GUILT OF ANYTHING." And HOW is a heart "purified"? Again, by.... FAITH.
"(8) And God, WHICH KNOWETH THE HEARTS, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; (9) And put no difference between us and them, PURIFYING THEIR HEARTS BY FAITH." -(Acts 15:8-9). See that?
Now, in terms of Righteousness: A heart being made PURE FROM SIN, again, is by FAITH. But in WHAT OBJECT? You see... man within himSELF, in his own plans, schemes, and efforts ("the flesh") cannot change his own sinful heart, CANNOT CONQUER the "sin nature beast" that dwells within Him. BUT GOD, but God, but... G-O-D!!!..... THE LORD JESUS CHRIST changed all that on.... THE CROSS. Hallelujah!!!
David knew that a REDEEMER was coming (and placed his trust in what the animal blood sacrifices typifed- the sacrificial death of that Redeemer, causing his heart to be purified); He also spoke in the Psalms of the marvellous Work that God would do for man's heart!:
"(1) Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit (HEART) there is no guile." -(Psa. 32:1-2)
You see, friend, THE LORD CAN INCLINE OUR HEART TOWARDS HIM (1 Ki. 8:57-58; Psa. 119:36), and moreover, can change our heart totally, as our faith, for (GOD'S) righteousness, is totally in CHRIST AND HIS BLOOD SACRIFICE (IE: "THE CROSS"). Hallelujah!!!!
"Therefore if any man be 'IN Christ' he is a NEW CREATURE (a "good tree"): Old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new." -(2 Cor. 5:17)
"But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, saith the Lord, I will put My law in their INWARD PARTS, and write it in THEIR HEARTS; and will be their God, and they shall be My people." -(Jer. 31:33)
"(26) A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will give you a HEART OF FLESH (soft). (27) And I will PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them." -(Ezek. 36:26-27)
"(3) Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of THE HEART... (5)... our sufficiency is of God; (6) Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament: not of the letter, but OF THE SPIRIT: for the letter ("LAW") killeth, but THE SPIRIT." -(2 Cor. 3:3,5,6) GIVETH LIFE." -(2 Cor. 3:3,5,6)
As long as our faith is "in the Blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:10-11), Jesus Christ... in His Sacrificial Finished Work on "THE CROSS", we are "imputed", "freely given BY HIS GRACE, His perfect, SPOTLESS Righteousness. Oh Hallelujah! And then, the HOLY SPIRIT OF LIFE, given to us by God, WITHIN us, makes us (and KEEPS us) "free from the law of sin and death (see Rom. 8:1-2)! HE (not "us") also "leads us and guides us into all Truth, and glorifies Jesus (see Jhn. 16:13-14)
But it needs to be a DAILY thing (Lk. 9:23), where we "deny our SELF" and "take up our Cross" (speaks of taking up the BENEFITS of His Sacrifice, by FAITH). This... is "the Message of the Cross for SANCTIFICATION/ LIVING FOR GOD: A daily trust in HIS Sacrifice, not in OUR sacrifices! Hebrews 3:14 declares that "...we are made partakers of Christ IF we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end."; The key BEING... "Harden not your HEART" (Heb. 3:13), "through the deceitfulness of sin." (Heb. 3:13). This wonderful and glorious Way of Living, of "abundant Life" (see Jhn. 10:10), whereby one simply trusts in Jesus and His Sacrifice for all Righteousness, "walking after the (Holy) Spirit" (Rom. 8:1), is called "the simplicity that is 'IN CHRIST'" (2 Cor. 11:3). HALLELUJAH, friend you do not have to spend one more day "dry" spiritually. There is an OASIS in the dry desert of life for you, paid for... with THE BLOOD OF JESUS; An OASIS OF HIS Life, "LIVING WATERS" of His Spirit. "...WHOSOEVER WILL, let him take of the Water of Life FREELY." (Rev. 22:17)
And you, yes I said y-o-u, can have a.... "dancing" HEART"!
"...IN THY PRESENCE is FULLNESS OF JOY; At Thy Right Hand are pleasures for evermore." -(Psa. 16:11)
"For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." -(Psa. 107:9)
Remember this: "The Message of the Cross never grows old. It MAKES the heart pure (salvation), and it KEEPS the heart pure (sanctification), as we daily place our faith EXCLUSIVELY in that BLOOD SACRIFICE OF CHRIST for HIS Righteousness.... imputed to us! (Psa. 32:1-2; Rom. 10:4; Col. 1:14; 2:13-15)!"
If you have been dry spiritually and God has seemed distant, say this prayer with me, and you can be instantly restored to fellowship with God "the Fountain of Living Waters" (Jer. 2:13; 17:13; Song of Sol. 4:15):
"Father God, am am sorry for all of my sins; Wash and cleanse my heart from all unrighteousness. Help me to place my trust solely in Jesus and His Blood Sacrifice on the Cross for all righteousness, every day. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is my Lord, and I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. My life is YOUR'S, Lord, from this day forward, and I place YOU above any person, thing, or activity. Please keep me in Your "abundant Life" every day, as I "walk by faith, not by sight". In Jesus' Name.
SERMON: "ABUNDANT LIFE IN CHRIST" (Jhn. 10:10; Rom. 8:1-2)
Let's look at the first part of that verse (Jhn. 10:10): "The thief cometh not..." Satan is REAL; He is not some fairy tale, and he is indeed OUT to steal, to kill, and to destroy. That is his JOB, and he does his job verrrry well! However, Satan is not your real problem; It is "yourSELF and SIN". "SIN" gives Satan the legal right... to do you ... HURT. He is your "adversary", as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). I mean, just turn on your tv to the news each day, to see his "handiwork", his DESTRUCTION of peoples' lives. Look around you, in your daily life, on your job, at the people you know, and you can see what Satan DOES as a cruel task-master to hold them in bondage and deteriorate their lives. Again, he is able to do this through a person's.... SIN; More specifically, a sin NATURE. You take any person, anyone at ALL; And it don't matter how nice that person seems to be; If you press the right button, that SIN nature will come squirting out, like ketchup. Let's look for a moment, at that "sin nature ketchup" (so-to-speak). * Turn to Gal. 5:19-21* Okay, notice in verse 21, it says "and such like". And so... there's more, so much more. It is a world of "darkness", and darkness is SATAN'S domain. You really don't wanna BE there, friend. He hates your guts.
Reader, you will be left with two choices. Choice #1) You allow yourself to be DRIVEN by "self", Satan, and sin.... to your DESTRUCTION. Or, choice #2) which is the second part of John 10:10, where Jesus says, "I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE L-I-F-E, AND THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IT M-O-R-E
A-B-U-N-D-A-N-T-L-Y." Oh hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, let's go to that next scripture passage- Romans 8:1-2. Notice that one common phrase in each verse there... "IN CHRIST JESUS". This phrase "IN CHRIST JESUS", or one of it's derivatives ('in Christ", "in Him", "in Whom", "in the Beloved", "in the Light", etc.) is found many, many times in the new testament epistles. It was Paul the Apostle's favorite concept, signifying THIS: Our whole life is enveloped... in HIS (Christ's), through repentance of sin and faith exclusively (EXCLUSIVELY!) in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the CROSS for ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT WE POSSESS. For you see, friend, NONE of us have any righteousness on our part that measures up to the perfect HOLINESS... of GOD. Our works, through trying to keep the "law" of God, His ten commandments, are as... "filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6).
In Rom. 3:23, we find an all-inclusive statement about the condition of mankind: "ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Consequently, all are under the dominion of the sin nature, and... "the thief" - Satan. Ahhh, but there is GOOD NEWS for those who are willing to give up "self" and "pride". ... GOOD NEWS for those who are ... enlightened to the fact that under "law-keeping" (which includes any system of do's and dont's) they cannot measure up to God's standards. For this "good news", turn to Gal. 4:4-7. NO MORE a "servant", but a "son", or a "daughter". Oh hallelujah!!!! You see, under self and satan, you ARE a "servant"; But "IN CHRIST", you are God's child, and privy to all the rights and privileges and BLESSINGS of being a child of... the Owner of the universe!!!. AHHH, DO YOU BELIEVE?!
Turn to Jer. 17:9-10.
Friend, your HEART is the key. I said.... the "HEART". No, not your physical "organ" which pumps your blood. YOUR INNERMOST BEING, WHO YOU "ARE. What makes you "tick", what "motivates" you to do the things that you do.
You see... this is what GOD looks at (see 1 Sam. 16:7; 1 Ki. 8:39; 1 Chron. 28:9; 29:17; Psa. 7:9; Jer. 11:20; 17:10; 20:12; Jhn. 2:24-25; Acts. 1:24; Rom. 8:27; Rev. 2:23). You can fool a lot of PEOPLE; You can even fool yourSELF (your mind and thoughts); But... you cannot fool GOD! He is the One Who "made" you, Who "formed" you in your mother's womb. He has seen your life from day one. No, there is no fooling God, my friend.
Turn to Psa. 139:1-13, and read that passage.
You see that? God KNOWS. He knows A-L-L about you, all those "secret" things you have done, or are doing, which you don't think anyone KNOWS about. But HE does. Wherever you are, wherever you go, GOD shall be there, seeing and knowing. HE is the One you will need to please in order to escape... from.... "the thief". But you can only please Him in one Way. And that Way is by being "IN HIS SON", JESUS, Who said "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life; No man cometh unto the Father, but by ME. " -(Jhn. 14:6). You see, you need to be "in Him", because HE is the only One Who HAS pleased God the Father in every way, because He was... SINLESS. And guess what? You... are not :). Neither am I, or... ANYONE else, for that matter!
THERE ARE NO GOOD WORKS THAT YOU CAN DO TO PLEASE GOD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
So.... just get that mentality out of your mind. You "going to church next Sunday" does not please God; Your "praying" does not please God; Your ..."studying the Bible" cannot please God; Your.... "giving a tithe" does not please God; Your.... "giving money to charitable organizations... does NOT PLEASE GOD. It doesn't? No. Why? Because that's YOUR righteousness. And God is only pleased with His Son JESUS
(* Turn to Matt. 12:18-21).
Ahhh, in His Name shall the Gentiles trust. Do... YOU trust in Him and His Name for ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS?
(* Turn to Philip. 3:9).
Are YOU "in Him" today? Or do you hardly "think" about Him? To be "IN" something means to be "INSIDE" of it. Just like... when you are "IN" your house or apartment. It "envelopes" you; It "surrounds" you, correct? Does CHRIST "surround you? Does He "envelope" you"? This means giving your whole LIFE to Him, friend; He cannot just be an "accessory". He is an "all-or-nothing" God. ....a "hot-or-cold" type of God (see Rev. 3:15-18). Either you are alll the way FOR Him, or all the way AGAINST Him. You need.... to "choose".
FOR vs. AGAINST.
Okay, so Christ is the "Way" or the "Source" of being right with God and having abundant Life, but the CROSS (I said the CROSS) is the "Means". And by the term "Cross", I do not mean "the wooden beams". I mean the "Blood Sacrifice Price" that Jesus paid there to justify AND SANCTIFY you of your sins. Christ's "burial" in the tomb was necessary, and His "resurrection" RATIFIED this Sacrifice.
Read very carefully the following scripture passages:
* Isa. 53 (whole chpt.)
* Jhn. 1:29
* Rev. 12:10-11
Now, this "accuser of the brethren" here, is none other than "the THIEF"- Satan. And HOW is he overcome by us? By... the good things we DO? Or .... by the bad things we AVOID? No, by.... THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, which speaks of our faith in Christ's Blood Sacrifice (IE: "THE CROSS") for A-L-L Righteousness.
And here is a "biggie": This Blood is extremely PRECIOUS to God the Father. it is not a good luck charm, not a formula, not a magic word or principle to keep you on the road to heaven. It signifies that your are God's "possession", meaning you are INDEED "IN His Son, "surrounded" my Him, "enveloped" by Him; Which also means that your heart, your very inner being and motives, belong to HIM, and not... to yourSELF. If you are NOT willing to yield your whole heart over to Him, God then says "no deal"... no... deal. This is a sobering CHOICE, my friend, and I am going to close by giving you two sobering scripture passages:
(13) "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leaadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it." -(Matt. 7:13-14)
(34) And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him DENY HIMSELF, and take up the Cross, and follow Me. (35) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. (36) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul: (37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (38) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." -(Mark 8:34-38)
You... like I said before... are either FOR Him all the Way, with CHRIST being your Lord, and your faith for righteousness being exclusively in His Blood Sacrifice, OR...
You are AGAINST Him all the way, with yourSELF being your OWN lord, and Satan the thief and accuser DRIVING you... to destruction.
Won't you give your entire life this day TOTALLY to Him, my friend, no MATTER what any person thinks? You can never please people totally ANYWAY, right?
Pray this prayer with me if you are willing to commit (or re-commit) your entire life over to the LORD:
"Father, I have sinned against You and You alone. Please forgive me of my sins, wash me and cleanse me in the shed Blood of Your Son Jesus Christ. I now confess with my mouth that JESUS is my LORD, and that He died on the Cross for me. With my heart, I BELIEVE that You raised Him from the dead. I will now CONTINUE to place my trust exclusively in HIS Righteousness through His Blood Sacrifice. Help me to do this each day, that I may "overcome to the end" on Your "narrow Path of Life", until the day that I meet you face to face. In JESUS' Name, Amen.
HE LOVES YOU! GOD BLESS, MY FRIEND!
Reader, you will be left with two choices. Choice #1) You allow yourself to be DRIVEN by "self", Satan, and sin.... to your DESTRUCTION. Or, choice #2) which is the second part of John 10:10, where Jesus says, "I AM COME THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE L-I-F-E, AND THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE IT M-O-R-E
A-B-U-N-D-A-N-T-L-Y." Oh hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, let's go to that next scripture passage- Romans 8:1-2. Notice that one common phrase in each verse there... "IN CHRIST JESUS". This phrase "IN CHRIST JESUS", or one of it's derivatives ('in Christ", "in Him", "in Whom", "in the Beloved", "in the Light", etc.) is found many, many times in the new testament epistles. It was Paul the Apostle's favorite concept, signifying THIS: Our whole life is enveloped... in HIS (Christ's), through repentance of sin and faith exclusively (EXCLUSIVELY!) in Christ and His Blood Sacrifice on the CROSS for ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS THAT WE POSSESS. For you see, friend, NONE of us have any righteousness on our part that measures up to the perfect HOLINESS... of GOD. Our works, through trying to keep the "law" of God, His ten commandments, are as... "filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6).
In Rom. 3:23, we find an all-inclusive statement about the condition of mankind: "ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Consequently, all are under the dominion of the sin nature, and... "the thief" - Satan. Ahhh, but there is GOOD NEWS for those who are willing to give up "self" and "pride". ... GOOD NEWS for those who are ... enlightened to the fact that under "law-keeping" (which includes any system of do's and dont's) they cannot measure up to God's standards. For this "good news", turn to Gal. 4:4-7. NO MORE a "servant", but a "son", or a "daughter". Oh hallelujah!!!! You see, under self and satan, you ARE a "servant"; But "IN CHRIST", you are God's child, and privy to all the rights and privileges and BLESSINGS of being a child of... the Owner of the universe!!!. AHHH, DO YOU BELIEVE?!
Turn to Jer. 17:9-10.
Friend, your HEART is the key. I said.... the "HEART". No, not your physical "organ" which pumps your blood. YOUR INNERMOST BEING, WHO YOU "ARE. What makes you "tick", what "motivates" you to do the things that you do.
You see... this is what GOD looks at (see 1 Sam. 16:7; 1 Ki. 8:39; 1 Chron. 28:9; 29:17; Psa. 7:9; Jer. 11:20; 17:10; 20:12; Jhn. 2:24-25; Acts. 1:24; Rom. 8:27; Rev. 2:23). You can fool a lot of PEOPLE; You can even fool yourSELF (your mind and thoughts); But... you cannot fool GOD! He is the One Who "made" you, Who "formed" you in your mother's womb. He has seen your life from day one. No, there is no fooling God, my friend.
Turn to Psa. 139:1-13, and read that passage.
You see that? God KNOWS. He knows A-L-L about you, all those "secret" things you have done, or are doing, which you don't think anyone KNOWS about. But HE does. Wherever you are, wherever you go, GOD shall be there, seeing and knowing. HE is the One you will need to please in order to escape... from.... "the thief". But you can only please Him in one Way. And that Way is by being "IN HIS SON", JESUS, Who said "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life; No man cometh unto the Father, but by ME. " -(Jhn. 14:6). You see, you need to be "in Him", because HE is the only One Who HAS pleased God the Father in every way, because He was... SINLESS. And guess what? You... are not :). Neither am I, or... ANYONE else, for that matter!
THERE ARE NO GOOD WORKS THAT YOU CAN DO TO PLEASE GOD FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
So.... just get that mentality out of your mind. You "going to church next Sunday" does not please God; Your "praying" does not please God; Your ..."studying the Bible" cannot please God; Your.... "giving a tithe" does not please God; Your.... "giving money to charitable organizations... does NOT PLEASE GOD. It doesn't? No. Why? Because that's YOUR righteousness. And God is only pleased with His Son JESUS
(* Turn to Matt. 12:18-21).
Ahhh, in His Name shall the Gentiles trust. Do... YOU trust in Him and His Name for ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS?
(* Turn to Philip. 3:9).
Are YOU "in Him" today? Or do you hardly "think" about Him? To be "IN" something means to be "INSIDE" of it. Just like... when you are "IN" your house or apartment. It "envelopes" you; It "surrounds" you, correct? Does CHRIST "surround you? Does He "envelope" you"? This means giving your whole LIFE to Him, friend; He cannot just be an "accessory". He is an "all-or-nothing" God. ....a "hot-or-cold" type of God (see Rev. 3:15-18). Either you are alll the way FOR Him, or all the way AGAINST Him. You need.... to "choose".
FOR vs. AGAINST.
Okay, so Christ is the "Way" or the "Source" of being right with God and having abundant Life, but the CROSS (I said the CROSS) is the "Means". And by the term "Cross", I do not mean "the wooden beams". I mean the "Blood Sacrifice Price" that Jesus paid there to justify AND SANCTIFY you of your sins. Christ's "burial" in the tomb was necessary, and His "resurrection" RATIFIED this Sacrifice.
Read very carefully the following scripture passages:
* Isa. 53 (whole chpt.)
* Jhn. 1:29
* Rev. 12:10-11
Now, this "accuser of the brethren" here, is none other than "the THIEF"- Satan. And HOW is he overcome by us? By... the good things we DO? Or .... by the bad things we AVOID? No, by.... THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, which speaks of our faith in Christ's Blood Sacrifice (IE: "THE CROSS") for A-L-L Righteousness.
And here is a "biggie": This Blood is extremely PRECIOUS to God the Father. it is not a good luck charm, not a formula, not a magic word or principle to keep you on the road to heaven. It signifies that your are God's "possession", meaning you are INDEED "IN His Son, "surrounded" my Him, "enveloped" by Him; Which also means that your heart, your very inner being and motives, belong to HIM, and not... to yourSELF. If you are NOT willing to yield your whole heart over to Him, God then says "no deal"... no... deal. This is a sobering CHOICE, my friend, and I am going to close by giving you two sobering scripture passages:
(13) "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leaadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it." -(Matt. 7:13-14)
(34) And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him DENY HIMSELF, and take up the Cross, and follow Me. (35) For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. (36) For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul: (37) Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (38) Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." -(Mark 8:34-38)
You... like I said before... are either FOR Him all the Way, with CHRIST being your Lord, and your faith for righteousness being exclusively in His Blood Sacrifice, OR...
You are AGAINST Him all the way, with yourSELF being your OWN lord, and Satan the thief and accuser DRIVING you... to destruction.
Won't you give your entire life this day TOTALLY to Him, my friend, no MATTER what any person thinks? You can never please people totally ANYWAY, right?
Pray this prayer with me if you are willing to commit (or re-commit) your entire life over to the LORD:
"Father, I have sinned against You and You alone. Please forgive me of my sins, wash me and cleanse me in the shed Blood of Your Son Jesus Christ. I now confess with my mouth that JESUS is my LORD, and that He died on the Cross for me. With my heart, I BELIEVE that You raised Him from the dead. I will now CONTINUE to place my trust exclusively in HIS Righteousness through His Blood Sacrifice. Help me to do this each day, that I may "overcome to the end" on Your "narrow Path of Life", until the day that I meet you face to face. In JESUS' Name, Amen.
HE LOVES YOU! GOD BLESS, MY FRIEND!
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