There is Hope

Don’t Be Deceived

1 John 3:4-10, 18 ESV

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother…

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

There are many people today who would have you believe that you can say some words after them in a prayer to God, after which you are congratulated that you are now a child of God, and then you are given the assurance of men that heaven is now guaranteed you when you die, and that nothing can take that away from you, no matter how you live from that time forward.

But, this is not what the Word of God teaches us. What it teaches us is that our salvation is deliverance from slavery (addiction) to sin, not just a free pass so that we can escape hell and go to heaven when we die. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. His Word teaches us, too, that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, for if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, not live with Christ in eternity.

If our new life in Christ Jesus is indistinguishable from our old lifestyle of living in wickedness, sexual immorality, lies, deceptions, immorality, hate, stealing, and/or cheating, etc., then, according to the Word of God, we are still under the control of the flesh and of Satan, and we truly have not been redeemed from our sins. We have not been washed in the blood of Christ and made clean. We are still operating in the flesh, only with a slightly altered heart and mind, but which is still the work of the flesh, not the Spirit.

So, we need to take these words here to heart. If we still make sin our practice after we have professed Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are not truly saved, and heaven is not guaranteed us when we die. We have to know here that scripture does not teach our salvation as a one-time experience, then we live however we want, and one day we get to go to heaven. Our salvation is progressive, and it won’t be complete until Jesus Christ returns for his bride and he takes us home to be with him. It is those who walk according to the Spirit, and who by the Spirit are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, who will live with Christ for eternity.

Whatever We Ask

1 John 3:19-24 ESV

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

If we are walking in (practicing) righteousness, by the Spirit of God, and we are not living to please the flesh, but we are living to please our Lord, and we are walking in obedience to the Word of God, and thus our hearts do not condemn us, we can receive from the Lord whatever we ask of him according to his will, if we do not doubt, and if we ask with the right motives.

And, obeying his commandments means we must believe in Jesus Christ in the way in which God’s word teaches such belief, which requires death to sin and living to righteousness, not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, and by the Spirit putting to death the deeds of the flesh. And, we must love one another with God-like love, which prefers what God prefers, i.e. righteousness, holiness, purity, honesty, morality and integrity, etc. and which does no harm to another. So, this person can’t be practicing hate, abuse, lust, sexual immorality, bitterness, rebellion, lies, and cheating, etc., and expect his prayers to be heard by God and answered.

But, if we are walking in his holiness and righteousness, God will hear and answer our prayers according to his will, and according to his perfect timing, too. We know he is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, so with confidence we can pray for the salvation of human lives, for them to be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so they can receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ.

The Gift of God

1 John 3:1-3 ESV

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Jesus Christ is God’s gift to us, as is his grace and his salvation. We can do nothing in and of ourselves, of our own fleshly works and human efforts to earn or to deserve such a great salvation. We have all sinned. We have all come up short of the glory (praise) of God. We cannot earn God’s divine approval through human effort, especially if we are the ones deciding what we will do for God or what we will forgo or sacrifice all the while we are still holding on to the flesh and the world and the control of our own lives.

But, this is not just about works-based salvation. This is also talking about those who will not let go of the flesh, and who cheapen God’s grace to merely a free pass from punishment of sin which requires nothing of us – no repentance, obedience or submission. For, God’s gift of salvation for us is to deliver us out of slavery to sin and to free us to walk in his righteousness. It is not so we can keep on in our sinful addictions expecting God to be pleased with only minor concessions, while we continue to retain control over our own lives. Being born again of the Spirit of God is a metamorphosis, i.e. a complete transformation from living to the flesh to living to the Spirit.

In other words, we don’t have the power within ourselves and our own flesh to transform our own lives. We can’t just slightly alter them, by ourselves, and call that “God’s grace.” That isn’t grace. That is flesh. For God’s grace instructs us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly passions (lusts) and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await our Lord’s return. God’s grace transforms us and it conforms us to his likeness. It does not leave us still enslaved to sin and practicing immorality and wickedness.

Thus, God’s grace, his gift to us, has the power to change us who are yielded to our Lord, and who have died with him to sin so that we might live with him to his righteousness. No matter how deep into sin anyone might be, God’s grace can reach that person, and can save his soul from hell. But, he must let go of the flesh and yield control of his life over to the Lord, and then the Lord can change his mind and heart to bring it into conformity with the will of God. So, there is hope for the wandering soul to be delivered.

Christ Is Able (To Save)

Tommy Walker

Come ye lost, afraid, forgotten

Let your wandering souls find rest

At your hearts’ door He is knocking

For you His precious blood was shed

He is able, He is able

Christ is able still to save

Come ye sinners, poor and needy

Sing to Him our song of praise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjft25yPqXs

Tuesday, February 27, 2018, 8:15 p.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for these encouraging and hopeful words, that you are able to deliver. Amen!

Our Only Lord

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 1 Co. 10:1-5 ESV

Who might this represent in our world today? These were a people called of God to follow him in obedience, and who made a profession of God as their Lord, but who failed (who fell) due to continued idolatry, sexual immorality, rebellion, unbelief, and disobedience. So, they might represent those today who make a profession of Christ as Savior, but who do not accompany their profession with true belief, which is demonstrated through obedience. Or, they might represent those who have truly believed in Christ, who did follow him, but at some time wandered from that belief and fell back into sin.

Their foundation is truly not in the Rock, Jesus Christ, but their basis for what they believe is a half-truth gospel. This half-truth false grace gospel, thus, facilitates (enables) them continuing in their sin and rebellion against God because it does not require repentance or obedience to Christ and his Word. In fact, it promises its adherents eternal life with God regardless of how they live once they “believe.” Thus, their faith is based in a mixture of lies and truth, and in a collection of the thoughts and opinions of mankind. And, this false grace gospel is spreading like wildfire, i.e. it is escalating.

Those who follow after this half-truth gospel, thus, shrink back from and dodge the truth. They meander aimlessly, following the instincts of their own flesh, and therefore they put their trust in manipulations and distortions of truth. They are still bound in their sins, without hope of heaven, or else they are believers who have wandered off from the straight and narrow. Thus, they actively engage in such things as sexual immorality, perversion, dishonesty, betrayal, and cheating, etc. They will often do so without conscience, too, because they are convinced that they can continue to (persist in, practice) sin, and that they will not be judged for their sin. So, there is no motivation for them to change. They have no fear of God.

Examples for Us

Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.  1 Co. 10:6-11 ESV

Some of these examples are written down for us in the Bible, both in the Old and the New Testament. Some of them are written down for us in our history books. And, some are written down for us in other books or other pieces of literature, some of which are autobiographical. Some are in current books or articles, or even blog posts, where people have described others or themselves who have followed after a mixture of truth and lies, which then resulted in falling away from the truth, and following after the lies. And, this also resulted in their own self-destruction and the demise of families, marriages, and other relationships, as well as kept them from following God.

The Lord led me to write such a book about a month ago, which is my testimony, my story of my life of abuse, first coming from my father, then from my husband, but which also resulted in me going through a time of moral failure, too. And, it is written down as an example to you so that you might not follow in the evil ways in which we walked. But, it is also my story of hope, healing and renewal, and how God lifted me out of that pit of despair, how he restored me, and then how he has used me for his glory in the lives of others. You can read about it here: I Married My Dad.

Pride Before a Fall

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. 1 Co. 10:12-13 ESV

When we are following after the flesh, instead of walking according to the Spirit, while still professing Christ as Savior and Lord of our lives, we may get this false notion that we are progressing in our faith when we are not. And, that is because it is all by human effort, and oftentimes via not yielding to the Spirit at all, that we make what we feel are good strides. Yet, we may still be holding on to the control of our own lives, and we may even be holding on to unconfessed sin, which may be hindering our walks of faith. Still, we are proud of our human efforts, but they end up being our downfall, because we are holding on to a false grace gospel, and we are not truly surrendered to our Lord, which is our only way out from slavery to sin.

Flee Idolatry

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 1 Co. 10:14-22 ESV

Ok, so what’s the message here? It is that, when we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord (owner-master) and Savior of our lives, and we are crucified with him in death to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life, we, thus, participate with him in his death to sin, in his blood and body given for us on that cross so that we could be delivered out of slavery to sin, be forgiven our sins, and have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven. We become one body with him, the body of Christ, the church. We are, in essence, married to Christ, but the marriage won’t be consummated until he returns and takes his bride home to be with him forever.

The problem arose, though, at least here in America, when Christ’s body, without consulting the head, Jesus Christ, made the decision to unite themselves in an unholy union with the US government, thus making the government the head over the body, much of which has now become a corporation, i.e. a man-made business. Although Jesus Christ is still the only true head of his true body, much of his church has prostituted herself to “another lover,” i.e. to the government. Thus, she has made herself a harlot.

But, it is even worse than that, because the real government of the USA is a small group of wealthy and powerful people, a shadow government of the elite of the world, who are presently taking over the world, a large portion of whom are Jews, who are bringing the world under the rule of the beast of Revelation. So, in essence, a large portion of the church has prostituted herself to Satan, and is thus partaking in the table of demons. And, she has united herself with the world of sin, with a false grace gospel, and is marketing Christ’s body just like any other human-based business of men.

And, Jesus is jealous for his church, just like a jealous husband whose wife is now sleeping with another lover. We need to see this for what it is here. The Lord is talking to his church, and to the leaders of these churches which have united themselves with government of the beast, and he is questioning their actions, and he is showing them the truth, but so many are ignoring his messages and his pleas and his callings to come out from this Babylon and to be separate so she does not share in her sins which are piled high to heaven, and so she does not also share in her punishment.

But, since so many are ignoring the Lord and his teachings in scripture on this subject, and they are remaining in union with this unholy government, he is going to send another messenger, only this time it will be to judge, not to warn. He will move out the way, he will stop with the warnings, and he will allow this other messenger now to speak his message in a way which will get everyone’s attention. Yet, the purpose is not to destroy, but to bring his people to their knees and in repentance, so he can restore them to himself, and revive their hearts, and so they will serve him as their only Lord.

Lord Have Mercy

Michel Coeuriot / Michel Jonasz

Jesus, I've forgotten the words that You have spoken

Promises that burned within my heart have now grown dim

With a doubting heart I follow the paths of earthly wisdom

Forgive me for my unbelief

Renew the fire again

Lord have mercy on me…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjPrIVKlvsM

Monday, February 27, 2018, 6:55 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from your Word. Bring it home to our hearts, I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Steadfast is Your Love

Jesus said that if we follow him, that we will be hated as he was hated, and that they will treat us the same way as they treated him. We are taught in scripture that we can expect to be persecuted, too, for righteousness’ sake, and that we are blessed when people revile us and say all manner of evil against us falsely, for the Lord’s sake. We, too, should rejoice that we are counted worthy to share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, because of our faith in him and our testimonies for him and for his gospel.

Yet, when we go through these troubled times, we need wisdom from above regarding how to respond to our trials and persecutions, and to our persecutors. As well, we need for the Lord to teach us his ways, and to lead us in his truth, and to mature us, strengthen us, and to counsel us in what is right, through our difficult circumstances, so that they don’t undo us. And, we need to learn patience, to wait on the Lord, to trust him with our situations, and to not give way to fear, for his love for us is unwavering.

Steadfast is Your Love

An Original Work / February 26, 2018

Based off Psalm 25

O my God, I trust in You.

Help me to know Your ways.

Give me understanding, Lord.

Guide my thoughts each day.

Enemies pursue me, Lord.

They have no fear of You.

Lies, betrayal, traitorous;

Haters, vicious, too.

Steadfast is Your love, O Lord.

Lead me in what is right.

Turn to me, be gracious, Lord.

Ponder now my plight.

O my God, deliver me!

I take refuge in You.

May Your grace preserve me, Lord,

For I wait for You.

Trust Him Only

What do your actions say about you? About your character? Do you say one thing, but yet do another? Do you say nice things to people but then blast them to others behind their backs? Do you tell people you love them, and then treat them with hate? Do you promise faithfulness, and yet remain unfaithful? Do you voice that you love God and yet you do not do what he says? If God speaks truth to your heart, do you remember it? And, then do you act upon it? Or, do you walk away and forget what He said?

Test the Spirits

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 1 John 4:1-3 ESV

We can tell a lot about our own characters (attitudes, beliefs, heart) by what we do, rather than by what we say, for we may lie to others and to ourselves. So, our words may not be a true test of who we really are. But, our actions speak louder than words, and they reveal to us what is truly in our hearts. They reveal our true character, which cannot be denied, if we are honest with ourselves in our own evaluations of our hearts and characters.

For instance, if I proclaim to love God, but then I don’t do, in practice, what his Word says I must do, what that says about me is that I don’t love him, but I just think I do. And, then if I do the opposite of what he says I must do, in practice, that says that I hate him, or at the very least that I have no regard for what he says, for I want to do what I want despite what his words say I must do. It definitely says that I am his enemy, for I oppose his word by my very actions and attitudes.

If I say, too, that I believe the Bible, and that I am a follower of Christ, but then I willfully forget what God’s Word says and I let his words fade to nothing in my heart, and instead I choose to follow after the wisdom of this world, then that says I do not honor, respect, value, revere, love or worship God. It says, instead, that I honor, value, and worship the flesh, including my own flesh. For, that is what I feed rather than feeding on the Word of God, and doing what it says I must do. Although I might claim to be in relationship with Jesus Christ, truly I am in relationship with myself, to please myself above all else, if I ignore God’s words and follow the flesh.

If I claim to worship God, i.e. to adore, respect, love, be devoted to, be faithful to, and dedicated to him, above all else, but I don’t do what he says, I don’t talk about him to others, I don’t sing his praises, and I don’t get excited about his Word and about obeying it (and Him), but instead I am devoted, dedicated, and am passionate about the people or the things of this world, and I sing their praises, or my own, then that tells God that I am not a worshiper of him but of self and of the flesh and the things of this world.

Basically, according to the Word of God (of truth), if I claim to have fellowship with God but by my lifestyle I still live to please the flesh, and to do what I want, despite what God’s Word says how I should live, then I am a liar and a hypocrite. I am still walking in darkness, and not in the light. I am still bound in my sins, not free in the Spirit. The chains are not gone, because I am still holding on to those chains, which is evident by how I live. Thus, I am not reconciled to God, delivered from slavery to sin, but I am God’s enemy, not his friend, if I live to please the flesh and not the Spirit.

Are we Overcomers?

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 1 John 4:4-6 ESV

What have we to overcome? And, how do we overcome them? We have to overcome these spirits (our attitudes, hearts, characters) which are contrary to the Lord, to his Word, to his divine character, and to his will and purposes for our lives. And, our attitudes, hearts, beliefs and characters are revealed for what they really are by how we live our lives day in and day out, i.e. by what we do (our lifestyles), which includes the words we say, although our words can be deceptive, and are not always a true test of who we really are.

The way we overcome these wrong hearts, attitudes, and characters is first of all by being in genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. Many people claim to know Jesus, but they have never had a heart transformation of the Spirit of God. They have never been crucified with Christ in death to sin, and resurrected with Christ to newness of life, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. They are, thus, not truly born again of the Spirit of God, but they are still bound in their sins. So, they need to repent of their sins and turn to God to follow in his ways, and they need to yield their lives over to the Lord and allow his grace to transform their hearts anew.

You may have done that, though, and truly you have been turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that you have received forgiveness of sins. But, since that time you have slipped away from your pure devotion to Christ, and you have fallen back into some of your old destructive patterns. Or, you may be a new believer in Jesus Christ, but you are still dealing with some of those old attitudes and behaviors. The only way you overcome these is through the power of the cross of Christ in your lives, i.e. through dying with Christ to sin and living with Christ to righteousness – all in the power and working of God’s Spirit within you.

Making it Practical

Let me make a few suggestions here. I would suggest that you take an inventory of your actions. Who do you really listen to? Whose opinions do you respect? Whose words do you remember? And, which ones do you tend to follow the most? Who or what are you the most vocal about in the way of showing respect, honor and praise to your friends? Is it sports figures, preachers, movie stars, your spouse or God? What grabs your attention the most? Excites you the most? Gets your dedication and time the most? What are you most likely to see to the finish and to follow through on?

And, on the flip side of that, what or who most gets your lack of time and enthusiasm, devotion, commitment, heart, listening ear, following, faithfulness, vocal adoration, respect, attention, and follow-through? And, coupled with that, what or who gets most of your disregard, disdain, disapproval, and/or disrespect?

After you have answered these questions, and written down your answers, now go back and prayerfully evaluate what these answers say about your character, your relationship with God and with others? They will reveal what is truly in your heart which may need to be cleansed by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then, you may need to turn away from any wrong attitudes, forgive others, confess wrongdoing, tell the truth, and follow the Lord. Pull away, too, from what is leading you into sin, and bathe yourself with God’s Word, and then do what he says – all in the power of God’s Spirit within you.

Love Each Other

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:7-12 ESV

Then, put on love. This love is not human love, but it is God-like love, which prefers what God prefers, i.e. it prefers his righteousness, holiness, purity, faithfulness, honesty, and uprightness, etc. This kind of love does no harm to another. It does not take advantage of others, treat them abusively, or lie to them, manipulate or otherwise try to deceive them. It treats others with kindness, respect, honesty, and humility, etc. And, it treats God with honor, respect, submission, obedience, faithfulness, purity and surrender to his will. It puts God above all others, and it follows him and his counsel. And, it no longer walks in the ways of the flesh and of the world, but it walks in the ways of the Spirit to please God. And, this is where all of us should be.

Only Trust Him  

John Hart Stockton

Come, ev'ry soul by sin oppressed

There's mercy with the Lord,

And He will surely give you rest

By trusting in His Word.

For Jesus shed His precious blood,

Rich blessings to bestow;

Plunge now into the crimson flood

That washes white as snow.

Yes, Jesus is the Truth, the Way,

That leads you into rest;

Believe in Him without delay

And you are fully blest.

Only trust Him, only trust Him,

Only trust Him now;

He will save you, He will save you,

He will save you now.

Monday, February 26, 2018, 6:06 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from your Word today. May we take it to heart, and follow you always.

He Noticed a Man

A Parable

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matt. 22:1-14 NIV

They Rejected Him

The King is God the Father. His Son is Jesus Christ, God the Son. God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to save the world from their sins. First he sent him to the Jews, the nation of Israel, who were God’s chosen people at that time, but largely they rejected him.

Some did believe, and many more since then have believed, but the nation of Israel, as a whole, has still rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and as their Savior. So, God rejected them as his chosen people. But, they are not beyond recovery. They can still be saved from their sins and have eternal life with God if they put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ as their Messiah.

God sent his messengers to the Jews as well as he sent his Only Begotten Son to them, but they refused to believe in Jesus Christ. They mistreated many of them and they killed some of the Lord’s messengers, but most importantly, they killed the Son of God, the author of life, our creator. And, God did judge them for that in 70 AD when he had their city destroyed and their temple burned. And, yet, they continued to persecute and kill the Lord’s followers and his messengers, including in this present day and time. So, a future judgment awaits all those who refuse Jesus Christ, too.

Since the Jewish nation rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, the Lord then sent the message of his salvation to the Gentiles (non-Jews). Yet, many of them, too, have rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Messiah, and many of them, as well, have mistreated and killed the Lord’s servants and messengers, including in this present day and time. But, they also are not beyond recovery. There is still time for them to repent of their sins and to turn to God to walk in obedience to him and to his Word. But, the clock is ticking, and time is running out.

The Gospel Message

So, what is this message that his servants and messengers are bringing to the people, and that many are still refusing and are even persecuting and killing his messengers over? And, what is this wedding banquet about?

The message is that mankind is born into sin, without God, and without hope, due to the sin of the first man Adam. When the first man sinned, that separated the whole human race from fellowship with God. So, God the Father sent his Son Jesus Christ into the world to save the world from their sins and to restore them to fellowship with God. And, God’s plan of salvation for the world did include that Jesus would be put to death on a cross, although he had done no wrong.

For, when Jesus died on that cross, he became sin for us, so that when he died, our sins died with him. When he rose from the dead, he rose victorious over sin, hell, death and Satan, on our behalf. He died, though, in order that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. The righteous requirement of the law is, thus, fulfilled in us who walk (in lifestyle) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh. Because Jesus died, we can live. By faith in him, in death with him to sin, and in living with him to righteousness, we are now delivered from slavery to sin, we can now walk according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh, and we have eternal life with God.

But, our salvation is not yet complete. We are saved, we are being saved, and one day we will be saved when Jesus Christ returns and he takes us, his bride, home to be with him forever. That is when the wedding banquet takes place and our marriage to him is consummated. This is when our salvation will be complete, and we will be forever with our Lord. Amen!

The Right Garment

One day Jesus is going to return for his bride, and there will be a wedding feast, and God will judge all those who refused his Son, and they will be cast into utter darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And, this man not properly dressed for the wedding banquet represents all those who, although invited, and who made an appearance, did not meet the requirements and was cast out. So, what does this look like to not be properly dressed? And, how do we know if we are in or out?

Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and self) and follow (obey) him. He said if we hold on to our old lives (of living for sin and self) we will lose them for eternity. But, if we lose our lives (die with him to sin), for his sake, we will gain eternal life with him. Paul reiterated these words of Jesus when he said that if we walk (in lifestyle) according to the flesh, we will die in our sins, but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the flesh, we will live.

This really is the essence of the gospel message. For, Jesus didn’t die just to forgive us our sins, to free us from punishment, and to promise us heaven when we leave this earth. He died to deliver us out of slavery to sin and to free us to walk in his righteousness. So, if we continue living in sin, and making sin our practice, the Bible teaches we don’t have eternal life with God but a fearful expectation of judgment, even if we did confess him as Lord and as Savior of our lives (See: Gal. 5:19-21; Rom. 8:1-17).

So, the proper garment for being able to participate in the wedding banquet is the garment of Christ’s righteousness. It is being clothed with Christ through genuine faith in him which is crucified with Christ in death to sin and which is resurrected with Christ to newness of life in him, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

The Wrong Garment

Thus, the improper dress is to be clothed in unrighteousness. This means this person is not married to Christ but to himself. He is not godly and holy, honest and living in purity, but he is vile, crude, adulterous, a liar and a deceiver, who celebrates and participates in what is evil. Not only that, but this particular man, since he made an appearance at the wedding feast, appears to represent those who have made a profession of Christ as Savior of their lives but who remained dressed in unrighteousness. He represents those, thus, that fake their Christianity, or who think that God requires nothing of them – no repentance, no submission and no obedience.

So, although he makes a profession of Christ as Savior, he continues living a sinful lifestyle. He is already destroyed, even before the day of judgment. For, he professes one thing while he lives the opposite. He portends to be clothed in Christ’s righteousness, while he daily puts on wickedness, lies, deceit, secret sins, manipulations of truth, and a false persona. He claims his sins are forgiven and that he is this “new man” in Christ, while he still consistently engages himself in impurity, sexual immorality, gossip, greed, cowardly acts, hatred, meanness, pride and the like. The Bible says they who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.

Yet, there is still hope while there is still time, so it is not too late yet, but one day it will be. So, if you have refused Jesus as your Savior, or if you are faking your Christianity or you have bought into lies which tell you that you don’t have to repent or obey the Lord, then I pray that today, while we still have today, that you will yield your life completely to Jesus Christ so that you are clothed in his righteousness and not in the wickedness of this world.

What we wear is what we daily put on, be it the flesh or the Spirit. If daily you put on the flesh, and walk according to the flesh, you will die in your sins, even if you make a profession of faith in Christ. So, repent of your sins today and turn your life to Christ to follow in his ways from this day on.

Lord, I Need You

Songwriters: Christy Nockels / Daniel Carson /

Jesse Reeves / Kristian Stanfill / Matt Maher

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more

Where grace is found is where You are

And where You are, Lord, I am free

Holiness is Christ in me…

My one defense, my righteousness

Oh God, how I need You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuvfMDhTyMA  

Saturday, February 24, 2018, 10:40 p.m. – Thank you, my Jesus!

Hope and Future

Is there such a thing as absolute truth? Are there definite rights and wrongs? Or, is morality completely subjective? Are we to show tolerance (acceptance) of all beliefs and practices? Should we make allowances for sin – sin as defined by God? Or for different religions? And, should we entertain the thinking that there are many paths to God?

Is there a purpose for the things God allows in our lives? Should we expect suffering to be a part of our lives, or should we try to avoid it, run from it, or adopt a belief that suffering should not be a part of the life of a believer? And, does God’s love and grace to us mean he will never discipline or correct us? Or, that he does not require death to sin and living to righteousness?

In Exile

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord. Jer. 29:4-9 NIV

Due to the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, where they disobeyed God, and thus they sinned against him, we are all born with sin natures, separate from God, and without hope. We all fall short of attaining God’s divine approval. Also, Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden, and a curse was put upon them and on the earth, because of their sin. Thus, sickness, hardship, pain, suffering and death also entered into the world.

When we trust in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we are delivered from our bondage to sin and decay, and we are set free to now walk in Christ’s righteousness and holiness. We have been given hope, and we are now in fellowship with our God. But, we still live in flesh bodies which are tempted to sin, and we still live on this earth where sin abounds, and we still will face sickness, hardship, suffering and death. Yet, we are exiles here, strangers on this earth, for now heaven is our eternal home.

But, God placed us here for a purpose. None of us are here by accident. Although we are now exiles, and heaven is our eternal destiny, God has a purpose for our lives while he has us here, and that does involve pain, sorrow, sickness, persecution, and suffering, not just for being a Christian, but because we live in a fallen world. For God allows pain, hardship and suffering in our lives as a means of drawing us to himself, and for teaching us to rely on him and not on ourselves, so suffering can be for our good.

Teaching Lies

Yet, many people surround themselves with teachers who tell them what their itching ears want to hear. They want to believe that suffering is not part of God’s design and purpose for our lives, and that they should just be happy all the time, so rather than allow suffering to do its work in their hearts and lives, to draw them closer to the Lord, many of them medicate themselves with all sorts of stuff, including with sinful practices, to make themselves feel better, but “feel better” is a lie of Satan, for the escapee only ends up feeling much worse, and so he continues to run and to medicate, and to push himself even further away from God.

One of the biggest lies of Satan is that God’s grace to us is more like a pat on the back to make us feel better about ourselves, but that it does not require anything of us – no death to sin, no obedience, no submission to the cross, no yielding to God, and no resisting Satan and fleeing temptation. They teach his forgiveness of sins in such a way in which it alleviates people’s guilty consciences, but it does nothing to deliver them from their addictions to sin, and thus they are still left in their sin, without hope.

We are not to listen to these prophets and teachers who tell us lies, and who tell us that God does not require repentance or obedience or that he will not allow us to go through suffering, hardship and pain. For, it is through the things which we suffer, which includes dying to sin, that we learn to walk in holiness and righteousness, and we draw close to our Lord in fellowship with him. And, it is there, in our suffering, that we draw on the Lord for our strength, and he teaches us his will and his ways so we can walk in them.

Seek and Find

This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” Jer. 29:10-14 NIV

Although the Lord has us in exile right now on this earth, and that does involve suffering, and it does involve daily dying to sin and self, which is another form of suffering, he promises that those who have been trained by his discipline will share in his holiness and that we will reap a harvest of righteousness, if we do not give up. So, there are eternal rewards which we can reap even while we live in exile. Yet, we also have the promise of heaven one day, and of our Lord’s return to take us home to be with him where there will be no more pain, suffering, sorrow and death. Amen!

Ok, so how then should we interpret verse 11 to our lives today? What plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future does God have for his church, his saints, today?

Well, for one, God intended to leave his people in exile for seventy years, for he had things he wanted to teach them during this time, and he wanted them to grow in their walks of faith with him during this time, as well. Yes, he promised to deliver them from their exile one day, but not for a long while. Seventy years today is a lifespan for a lot of people. We have the hope of one day being delivered from this world, too, but we may have to live in it for a very long time.

God’s people had been living in rebellion against him, and they had not been listening to him, which is why he sent them into exile. His plan and his purpose for them while in exile, thus, was that they would now call on him in truth, and that they would seek him with their WHOLE hearts, not with divided hearts and divided loyalties. Then the Lord would be found by them, and then they would be delivered from their captivity. And, then the Lord would restore them, revive them, and bring them back into fellowship with him. And, this is his plan and his purpose for all of us, which is why Jesus died for us on that cross.

In other words, God’s plan for our lives to prosper us and not harm us, and to give us a hope and a future is to deliver us from our bondage to sin (via death to sin), and to free us to walk in his holiness and righteousness. It is that we would humble ourselves, call on him IN TRUTH, and that we would seek him with our whole hearts. This means that our desire is now for him, to please him in all ways, and it is not to keep living in sin, pleasing our flesh. For, Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

So, our Lord allows hardship in our lives. He permits us to face opposing forces, too, to challenge us in our walks of faith. He consents to us going through times of suffering, persecution, and even temptation, in order to strengthen us in our walks of faith, in order that we will draw near to him, and that we will walk in his holiness and righteousness, and not according to the flesh.

Yet, he gives us everything we need to survive, to thrive, to conquer, to be faithful, and to fight off those attacks of the enemy and to walk in holiness and purity. We just have to put that armor on daily, and hold on to the truth, and not give way to the lies of Satan which will try to coddle us in our sins rather than move us to abandon our sins and to follow our Lord in obedience.

Soldiers of Christ Arise  

Charles Wesley

Soldiers of Christ, arise, and put your armor on,

Strong in the strength which God supplies, through His eternal Son.

Strong in the Lord of Hosts, and in His mighty power,

Who in the strength of Jesus trusts is more than conqueror.

Stand then in His great might, with all His strength endued,

But take, to arm you for the fight, the panoply of God;

That, having all things done, and all your conflicts passed,

Ye may o’ercome through Christ alone and stand entire at last.

Leave no unguarded place, no weakness of the soul;

Take every virtue, every grace, and fortify the whole.

From strength to strength go on; wrestle, and fight, and pray;

Tread all the powers of darkness down and win the well-fought day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zkFDS_bEeo   

Saturday, February 24, 2018, 6:00 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for this teaching from your Word. May we all take it to heart and apply its truths to our daily lives. May we resist Satan and draw near to you.

True Intimacy

On Fire

“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.’” Rev. 3:14-16 ESV

When God the Father, via the Holy Spirit, draws us to Jesus Christ, he draws us to be on fire, passionate (zealous) for the Lord and for our new walks of faith in Christ Jesus. He does not draw us to some lukewarm, half-hearted, indifferent faith in him which is apathetic about holiness, righteousness, purity and integrity. If it is him drawing us to Christ, then he persuades us to leave our old lives of sin behind us and to follow him in walks of obedience to him. He moves us to repent of our sins and to turn and follow him.

But humans, in their attempts to conform God and his gospel of salvation to their lifestyles, have snuffed out and suppressed this truth, and they have covered it up with a half-truth, half-hearted, lukewarm gospel message. Thus, they have hidden the truth, and kept it a secret, so that the people of this world, and those within the gatherings of the church, will not know the truth. Thus, people will believe the lie, which leaves them still bound in their sins, without God, without hope, and still on their way to hell.

But, it is the church which is propagating this half-truth half-hearted gospel message, and many are buying into, hook, line and sinker, because it does not require them to change anything about their lifestyles. They can “believe” in Jesus Christ, and be assured (of men) of their eternal security, while still living not much different than they did before they “believed.” This false grace gospel message leads its followers, thus, to feel as though they can use God’s grace as an excuse for continued and willful sin.

But, this is not the gospel of Jesus Christ. He didn’t leave us still bound in (addicted to) our sins. His gospel sets the sinner free from slavery to sin! Amen! He removed our sins and our lies which are used to cover-up our sins, when he took our sins upon him on that cross. He didn’t leave us access to go right back to our same old sinful patterns of behavior. That is not what the cross of Christ is about. Jesus died that we might DIE with him to sin, so that we might LIVE with him to righteousness.

His Counsel

“’For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.’” Rev. 3:17-18 ESV

What our Lord wants from us is for us to honor him, to value him, to respect and revere him, and to treat him right, the way we, who claim to be his followers, ought to. He wants to be treated as though he truly is the love of our lives, and as though we have truly forsaken all others to follow him, and as though he truly has first place in our hearts and lives, but in truth.

He doesn’t want fakery. He doesn’t want pretense. He can see right through all our false expressions of worship of him. He is not impressed by our false displays of loyalty and devotion while we continue to feed our own sinful habits. He can see through all the lies and all the hypocrisies. He is not fooled by them one single bit, although we may be able to fool humans. He knows when we are holding on to sin while claiming to be walking in purity with him. And, that disgusts him, like drinking warm (tepid) water.

So, what he wants from any of us, who may have bought into this false grace gospel, in order to prove our love for him, is that we, by his Spirit, cut these sins out of our lives, so that they no longer rule our hearts. He wants us to surrender to him, and to let him remove from our lives all the lies, the adulteries against him, the “other lovers,” the cutting remarks which pierce his heart, the false accusations against his gospel and against his messengers, and the manipulations, the tricks, and all the cover-ups, etc.

He wants any of us who have been believing that we can be saved and go to heaven when we die, but still be able to hold on to our sins, to humble ourselves before him, to own up to our sins, and to turn from them. If we have been sinning against others and lying about it, covering it up, then we need to uncover those lies and expose them, and then tell the truth about those lies, i.e. tell the truth about those sins. For, he died on that cross not just to forgive us our sins but to transform us – to turn us from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so we can receive forgiveness.

Zealous and Repent

“’Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Rev. 3:19-22 ESV

When God, by his Spirit, cuts out of our lives such wickedness, adulteries, lies, deceptions, immoralities, and our idols, etc., it is painful. It is not fun. But, it is necessary. He said that discipline is painful, but afterwards it results in sharing with him in his holiness and the fruit of his righteousness.

Many people are still living in sin’s ways and are carrying around a weight of sin on their shoulders because they are not willing to repent of their sins, and to come clean, and to confess their wrongdoing and to tell the truth. They will not bring their sins into God’s light, because they love darkness more, because their deeds are evil, so they won’t let go of the evil.

But, just like cheating on a spouse, then lying about it, and refusing to be honest, but holding on to the sin and the lie, thus, breaks that covenant relationship and that fellowship and intimacy that should be between husband and wife, so it is with our relationships with Jesus Christ.

If we confess Christ as Savior and Lord, but have never truly entered into a covenant relationship with him, because what we believed was a lie, and thus we never truly turned from our sin or turned to walk in obedience to Christ, by the Spirit of God, then we have never been in fellowship with him.

But, if we have entered into that covenant relationship with Christ, and we were in sweet fellowship with him, because we truly did die with him to sin and we did live with him to righteousness, but we have since drifted from that, and have wandered back into sin’s deceitfulness, then that intimacy with our Lord has been broken, and that is why he is on the outside.

The only way that intimacy, that fellowship with our Lord (and our spouses) can be there to begin with, or can be restored, is via death to sin, owning up to our sin and the lies, and the cover-ups, turning from our sin, and allowing the Holy Spirit of God to transform our hearts, to change them, to turn us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. This is what it means to be “born again,” to have that heart transformation which puts to death our former lives of sin and which gives us new lives in Christ, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, as we yield to the Lord.

What our Lord wants from us is that we accept that covenant relationship with him into our lives, but on his terms, not on our terms, for on our terms is no covenant relationship at all. He is the one to initiate this covenant relationship, and he is the one who established the “rules of engagement,” so to speak.

He wants us to partake fully in that covenant, like a man or a woman taking wedding vows and then keeping those vows with each other. And, he wants us to eat from him alone, i.e. that he be our only source of spiritual nourishment and that we have no other gods (other lovers) besides him. It is a lot like not sleeping with anyone else but our spouse, i.e. that we not be intimate with any others in the way that is intended only for our relationship with our Lord Jesus, our God. Then he will come in and will have intimacy with us and us with him. And, we will have sweet fellowship with our Lord.

There is Power in the Blood 

Lewis Jones

Would you be free from the burden of sin?

There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;

Would you o’er evil a victory win?

There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Would you be free from your passion and pride?

There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;

Come for a cleansing to Calvary’s tide;

There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Would you be whiter, much whiter than snow?

There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;

Sin stains are lost in its life giving flow.

There’s wonderful power in the blood.

Would you do service for Jesus your King?

There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;

Would you live daily His praises to sing?

There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power

In the blood of the Lamb;

There is power, power, wonder working power

In the precious blood of the Lamb.

Thursday, February 22, 2018, 7:37 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus, for what you taught me today from this passage of scripture on the subject of true intimacy with you.

The Debt of Love

As followers of Jesus Christ, to love or to not love others is not an option that is on the table. We are obligated to love others with God’s love, because he, who is love, lives within us, and because he, who is love, loved us enough to die for us so that we might be forgiven our sins and have eternal life with God. If God forgave us such an enormous debt, and he loved us that much to die for us, how can we, who are flesh, not love others?

Love Each Other

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Rom. 13:8-10 ESV

So, what is love? The kind of love being spoken about here is God-like love, which prefers what God prefers, which is holiness, righteousness, purity, honesty, and faithfulness, and the like. So, if we tell our spouse that we love him (or her), and then we commit adultery against or steal from him (or her), and then we lust after others, too, we are liars, for this is not love. This is hate, which is the opposite of love. For, love does no wrong to others.

Also, if we say we love God, but we practice hating others, which is the opposite of love, and which does harm to them, then we don’t really know or love God. Or, if we are sinning against God in any way, as a matter of course, in lifestyle, the Bible also says we do not love God. It doesn’t mean we will never sin, but that sin should not be what is ruling our lives to where we habitually sin in the same ways without repentance, and without conscience, especially.

Also, if we are the recipients of hate, i.e. of adultery, lies, deception, theft, rape, the murdering of loved ones, or any other crime committed against us, the Bible teaches we must forgive even our enemies, but not just forgive them, but love them in return, by praying for them and doing good to them.

Wake Up!

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. Rom. 13:11 ESV

Who is being addressed here? Who needs to wake up? This is speaking to believers in Jesus Christ. It is speaking to those who have been lulled to sleep by lies, deception (including self-deception), sinful practices, and false teaching, etc. Christians need to wake up from their slumber (spiritual stagnation and laziness). They need to get their minds out of the gutter, and their eyes off of what is wasteful, what hinders their walks of faith, and what is spiritually destructive and counterproductive, i.e. what is of this world.

The reason? Their salvation is nearer to them now than when they first believed. In other words, when we believe in Jesus Christ, with God-given faith, which is divinely persuaded as to the necessity of repentance and obedience to Christ, we die with Christ to sin, and we are resurrected with him to newness of life. But, this is not the end all. This is just the beginning. We are saved at that point, but we are being saved (a process), and we will be saved when Christ returns. Our relationship with Jesus Christ will not be consummated until he returns to take us home to be with him.

I can tell you that “Once Saved Always Saved,” as some people teach it, is not the truth. We don’t just pray some words after someone else whereby we are then congratulated that we are now part of the family of God and that heaven is guaranteed us, and that it can’t be taken away from us, no matter what. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. The word “faith” means to be divinely persuaded. True faith in Christ results in death to sin and living to righteousness. If we, after we say we believe, continue to make sin our practice, and we walk (in lifestyle) according to the flesh, and not according to the Spirit, we don’t have eternal life with God.

Night and Day

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Rom. 13:12-14 ESV

If we are truly in Christ Jesus, by genuine faith in him, and we have died to sin, and we have been born anew of the Spirit of God, the old has gone, and the new has come. The old way of walking in the darkness, in sin, has been done away with, and the new way of walking according to the Spirit, in the truth and in righteousness, is now here. It is where we are or should be.

Thus, we should no longer be those who live in sin, who make sin our practice or who are addicted to sinful behaviors. We should no longer be walking in darkness, but we should be walking in the light of God’s love and grace. We should be saying “NO!” to ungodliness and worldly (fleshly) passions (lusts), and we should be living self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s return. We should be holy as God is holy, i.e. living separate (unlike, different) from the world of sin, because we are being made to be like Christ in true righteousness and holiness.

This is what it means to be born again. We aren’t saved merely so we can be forgiven our sins, escape the punishment for our sin, and have the hope of eternal life with God in heaven when we leave this earth. We are saved out of slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin so that we might live to Christ’s righteousness, i.e. that we might walk in victory over darkness and live in the light of truth.

We should make no provision for the flesh. This means we don’t provide a way for it to take place. We don’t watch TV shows or movies or visit sites on the internet that have sensuality, sexual immorality or sexual perversion, which might draw us into sinful thoughts and behaviors. We know our weaknesses, and we don’t play with fire. We don’t take into our minds and eyes and ears, on purpose, what is immoral, lewd, sexually suggestive, alluring, tempting, etc., and then act surprised when we give in.

I know I am focusing on one specific sin area here, but this passage of scripture is lending itself to focus that direction, but this does include all sins and areas where we are weak and easily tempted. And, if we are not able to fight off the temptation, then we should consider more drastic measures, such as removing TV, the internet or private internet access from our lives, or whatever else might be a hindrance to us living in purity, faithfulness and honesty. The Bible talks about cutting off what leads us into sin and throwing off what hinders our walks of faith, so this CAN BE DONE!

But, this is not a matter of just putting off sinful practices. We have to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. In the power and working of God’s Spirit living within us we not only put off lying, cheating, adultery, hate, lust, slander, and the like, but we put on telling the truth, faithfulness, giving, love, praise, encouragement, and the like. But, this only happens because we have been born again and we are empowered of the Spirit to now walk in holiness and no longer in wickedness, and so our Lord gives us all we need to walk in his love and no longer according to the desires of our flesh.

Only through the power of the cross in our lives in putting sin to death in our lives and giving us new lives in Christ Jesus, born from above, and empowered of the Spirit of God in renewal of mind and heart is this possible. But, it is only possible, too, by us yielding our lives over to Christ and then by us walking in obedience to his Word in putting off the flesh and yielding to the Spirit. We can’t do this in our flesh, in other words. Only via Jesus’ death and resurrection can the chains of sin be removed from our lives and us be able to walk in freedom from sin and to Christ’s holiness.

Power of The Cross

Shelly Johnson

Once in darkness now in light

Once blind now you see

Once a sinner now a saint

Once bound now free.

That's the power of the cross

See the chains fall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTb9i_fdj4E

Wednesday, February 21, 2018, 7:44 a.m. – Thank you, Jesus!

This is an excellent article to read on the subject of the impacts on your spouse of adultery and the lies and deception used as a cover-up for the sin:

http://www.covenanteyes.com/2016/05/24/3-reasons-deception-is-more-destructive-than-porn-for-your-wife/