Through Righteousness

Romans 5:1-2 NASB

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.

What is faith?

Biblical faith is from God, it is gift of God, and it is divine persuasion as to God’s holiness and his righteousness, and of our necessity to turn from our sins and to turn to God to walk in his ways, in his truth, and in his power.

And, what is grace? God’s grace to us is his favor to us, which we do nothing in our flesh to earn or to deserve. It is his gift to us. But, what exactly is the gift? This is where it gets sticky.

His grace to us is not merely an escape from hell and the promise of heaven when we die or when Jesus comes back to take us to be with him forever. It is forgiveness of sins, but it is not the promise of forgiveness of sins without us coming to repentance and to obedience to Christ and to his cross and his Word (Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 6:7-8).

His gift of grace to us, resulting in our salvation from sin, is the power of the cross in our lives to turn away from our sins and to follow Jesus Christ with our lives, in obedience to his commands. It is dying with him to sin so that we might live with him to righteousness. It is not merely forgiveness of sins, but it is deliverance from our slavery (bondage, addiction) to sin, too.

Romans 5:3-5 NASB

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Followers of Jesus

Coming to faith in Jesus Christ means death to our old lives and taking up our cross daily and following Jesus Christ with our lives. When we believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit of God comes to live within us, meaning that we are now God’s temple, his church, his body in which his Spirit dwells. We put off the old self, and we now put on Christ, who IS OUR LIFE. And, because the life of Jesus now lives within us, and we are his body, we also suffer as he suffered that we, too, might learn obedience through our suffering.

Thus, if we are truly following Jesus Christ with our lives, we should not be surprised when we encounter trials, tribulations and persecutions, which try our faith. And, we should not let them undo us, either, for they are for our good, to teach us perseverance, to conform us into the likeness of Christ, to mold our characters to be godly and not fleshly, and to increase our faith.

Romans 5:6-11 NASB

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Not of The Flesh

Again, in our flesh we can do nothing to earn God’s grace and our salvation. We are not saved because of our righteousness, but because of God’s righteousness. Jesus took us from our lives of sin, he transformed our hearts and minds away from sin and to him, and he is the one who has given us new lives in him, created to be like him in true righteousness and holiness.

But, this does not mean nothing is required of us. Or that our salvation is a one-time deal and then we are “in” for life and that nothing can ever take it away from us. And, this goes back to “What is faith?” and “What is grace?” Both are from God, but they have to be received by us. And, the way we receive them is via submission to Christ and to death to sin and to living to his righteousness (Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Eph. 4:17-24).

Romans 5:12-17 NASB

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Sinful from Birth

Because the first man Adam sinned against God, we are all born with sin natures, separate from God, destined to die in our sins, and unable to be acceptable to God in our own flesh. This is why God the Father sent Jesus Christ, God the Son, to die on a cross for our sins, so that he might become sin for us in putting our sin to death with him on that cross.

But, Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, not just to give us a free pass so we can escape hell and go to heaven. He died on that cross and became sin for us, so that he might put sin to death in our lives, and so that we might live with him to him and to his righteousness and to his holiness. He came, not just to forgive us, but to transform us!

Romans 5:18-21 NASB

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Through Righteousness

When we are still bound in our sins, giving way continually to our fleshly desires, without thought of whether or not our actions are pleasing to God, we are destined to spend eternity in hell, in eternal punishment.

So, the purpose of God’s grace to us is to deliver us out of our bondage to sin and to empower and strengthen us in the faith to live godly and holy lives, pleasing to him. The way in which God’s grace reigns through righteousness to eternal life, for us, through Jesus Christ, is not only through his death and his resurrection, but it is through us dying with him to sin and living with him to righteousness, for this is why he died.

So many people have the wrong idea about God’s grace, our salvation from sin, and our eternal life with God. They think that a mere acknowledgment of who Jesus is and to what he did for us is enough to secure them heaven, no matter how they live their lives from this moment on. They think that God requires nothing of them in the way of repentance or obedience and that faith is more like a religion than a relationship.

And, so they claim to have faith in Jesus Christ while they still live not much differently than they did, or even worse than they did before they “believed” in Jesus. And, that is because they have bought into Satan’s lies.

But, the truth of the matter is that God’s grace commands that we say “No!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and that we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we wait for Christ’s soon return. The truth of the matter, too, is that if we walk according to our flesh, we will die in our sins, not have eternal life with God, and that we will reap what we sow. For, if we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction. But, if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (Lu. 9:23-25; Rom. 6:1-23; Tit. 2:11-14; Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8).

So, if you are living to please your flesh while you claim heaven as your eternal destiny, then please know that you are believing a lie. So, believe the truth, instead, for your life and your eternity depend on it.

Broken Cord

An Original Work / August 29, 2018

Your bond is broken

With your Lord and Savior

And, your testimony is

Separate from Him.

Your words not matching

Your actions today.

Repent of your sin and

Bow down and pray.

Live what you testify

In truth always.

Purity’s lacking in

Your life and witness,

For you profess one thing,

But other you do.

Not moral, spiritual.

Still of the flesh.

Not living in truth to

What you confess.

Lying about it

Puts you in a mess.

Living a lie is your practice,

‘tis true of you.

Masquerade righteousness –

None of it true.

Your heart is not given

To your Lord God.

Because of how you live,

You are a fraud.

Turn from your sin and

Give your life to God.

https://vimeo.com/287303934

Sunday, September 23, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus, for dying for us so that we could die with You to sin and live with You to righteousness. Amen!

Give it A Rest

Give it A Rest

An Original Work / September 22, 2018

When we don’t understand,

Trust His plan.

When life doesn’t make sense,

Trust His ways.

When things often confuse,

Trust His care.

When the answers don’t come,

Trust His grace.

When the myst’ries are there,

Say a prayer.

When bewilderment nods,

Overcome.

When complexities scheme,

Know He’s there.

When we can’t trust in man,

Rest in God.

For, we may never know

What’s in store,

Or how God’s working right

To the core.

For, we can’t always see

What’s ahead,

Or how God’s working things

Out, instead.

So, when life’s complications

Get bad,

And, we fear that we now

Have been had,

Trust in Jesus to work

For our best,

And, give anx-i-e-ty

A good rest.

Freedom in Christ

The book of Romans was not originally written as a book, nor did it originally have chapter and verse divisions. It was written as a letter from Paul to the church (the believers in Jesus) in Rome. And, it was intended to be read in whole, not in segments, I would suspect. So, no matter where we are reading in the book of Romans, we need to consider the context of the letter, as a whole, and the context of preceding and succeeding verses, too.

Romans 15:1-4 NASB

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Disputable Differences

The thoughts expressed at the beginning of this chapter are a continuation of the thoughts which were expressed by Paul in chapter 14. The subject matter deals with what Paul called “disputable matters” (NIV). This has to do with things which are neither right nor wrong, righteous nor unrighteous, and neither moral nor immoral. The right and the wrong of it, thus, deals mainly with how we treat others whose opinions are different from ours.

In this case, the “weak” is not a reference to those who are living in sin or who are regularly and consistently giving way to the lusts of the flesh. The “weak,” in this context, has to do with the Jewish Christians who had difficulty accepting that freedom in Christ meant they no longer were restricted by or bound to Jewish laws with regard to what they ate or with regard to the Sabbath and ceremonial laws and religious celebrations.

For some of us, it could have to do with growing up believing we had to go to some building called “church” on a Sunday morning at 11 a.m. and that we had to wear our very best clothes, and that the “sanctuary” was where God’s Spirit dwells, and that it should be treated as “holy ground.” For some people, that is really hard to break away from, because it is so ingrained in them. I believe these people could be regarded as those who are “weak.”

For many of those traditional thoughts originated from the Old Testament Jewish temple, and probably some traditions also came from the Roman Catholic Church, which were carried on even after the Reformation.

Yet, when we study the scriptures, we realize that we, the people, are the church, not the building, for God’s Spirit lives in us. We recognize that Sunday is really no different from any other day in the week, and that we don’t have to go to some specific place to gather with the body of Christ, for we can gather anywhere on any day of the week and at any time of day. And, the church sanctuary is in our hearts, for it is in the hearts of Jesus’ followers where God dwells, not in buildings built by human hands.

So, if you feel you have to dress up on Sundays and go to a specific location at a specific time of day, there is nothing wrong with that. That is your personal preference. But, others have the liberty to meet with the body of Christ on any day of the week, at various locations, at any time of day or night. And, that is biblical. But neither should condemn the other on matters of opinion or personal preference.

What we are to be concerned about is the spiritual development of one another, and that we all walk in accord with God’s Word and in the Spirit of God. If we are concerned for the edification of one another, i.e. for the good of one another, then we should be sharing with one another what is useful for the building up of one another in our walks of faith with Jesus Christ. For, many people are good at holding to traditions while they live fleshly lives in rebellion against their Lord God.

Romans 15:5-7 NASB

Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

With One Voice

The only way in which we are going to be of the same mind with one another, and with one voice glorify our God, is if we, individually, are first and foremost of the same mind with Jesus Christ. And, the only way in which we can be of the same mind with Jesus Christ is first of all through death to sin and living to righteousness, through submission to Jesus Christ as Lord (owner-master) of our lives, and in his power and strength.

And, to be like-minded with Christ means to hate what he hates and to love what he loves. He hates sin. He hates lies and adultery and false accusations, etc. He hates abuse of power and people taking advantage of one another. And, he loves purity, righteousness, faithfulness, morality, kindness and integrity. And, what we truly hate and love will be obvious by how we live our lives, not just by the words which we speak.

As well, in this context, “accepting” one another is never accepting sin. It is not “I’m ok, you’re ok.” This is in the context of matters of opinion where we need to learn to accept one another, not in matters of sin, i.e. where things are clearly stated as wrong and right (in scripture). Jesus Christ doesn’t accept sin. He died to remove sin from our lives, not to placate it. The way in which Jesus Christ accepts us is via his blood shed on a cross for our sins, and via our faith in him, which involves dying with him to sin and living with him to righteousness.

Romans 15:14-16 NASB

And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Admonish One Another

To admonish one another is not light and fluffy. It is not about making everyone feel good while they continue in their sins. It is about warning, rebuking, and cautioning one another about sin and its consequences. And, it is about urging, encouraging and insisting on holy living, purity and godliness for the one who calls himself a Christian. It also involves correcting wrong thinking and appealing to reason and to justice (fairness), too.

We, as followers of Jesus, and as members of his body, are to be doing this with one another. Yet, so many do not. They say only what they feel will be pleasing to others and what will get them liked by them, regardless of whether or not the other person is trapped in sin’s deceitfulness and may be straying from his or her pure devotion to Jesus Christ. And, that puts self above others rather than sacrificing self for the good (purity) of others.

It is not unloving to be bold in what we say, either. It is not unloving to speak the truth in love to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are wandering off into sin’s deceitfulness and are buying into Satan’s lies. We are not called to be “nice.” We are called to be kind, but the kindest thing we can do ever for each other is to speak the truth, but in love. For, it is the truth which will set people free. Lies and silence will only give them permission to continue in their sinful lifestyles, not encourage them to seek God’s face for deliverance.

What you hear me saying over and over again is what the scriptures teach over and over again. Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. He died that we might no longer live for ourselves, but for him who gave his life up for us. His grace to us is not freedom to continue in sin without guilt or remorse. His grace commands that we say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts, and that we live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await Christ’s soon return.

For, if we walk (in lifestyle) according to our flesh, we will die in our sins, not live with Christ for eternity. If we make sin our practice, heaven is not our eternal destiny. If we claim to have fellowship with God, but we walk in sin, we are liars who do not live by the truth. We will reap what we sow. So, please make sure today that you are living for Jesus and not for the flesh.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Hymn lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, pub. 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

*copyright status is public domain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg

Saturday, September 22, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus, that by your grace we are set FREE from our bondage to sin so that we can walk in your holiness.

Saved to Maturity

2 Corinthians 13:1-4 NASB

This is the third time I am coming to you. Every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses. I have previously said when present the second time, and though now absent I say in advance to those who have sinned in the past and to all the rest as well, that if I come again I will not spare anyone, since you are seeking for proof of the Christ who speaks in me, and who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. For indeed He was crucified because of weakness, yet He lives because of the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, yet we will live with Him because of the power of God directed toward you.

He Lives in Power

There is much sin going on within the church, which goes on largely unchecked and unrepented. For, not only is it largely ignored by the church leadership, but the leadership themselves are engrossed in sinful addictions. And, not only are many of our leaders giving way to sinful practices on a consistent basis, in secret, but they are encouraging others to follow suit.

How so? You say. Because so much of our church leadership has gone the way of the world and of the flesh, they have diluted the gospel message and have adopted a false (cheap) grace gospel which they are then passing down to their listeners, which then gives them free license for lasciviousness. For either they teach, or else they imply by what they teach that God requires no repentance, no obedience and no submission to Christ and his cross.

So, there is no distinguishable difference between much of today’s church, at least here in America, and those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ at all. In fact, many who do not profess faith in Jesus live more righteously and morally than those who call themselves followers of Jesus. So, the church should be ashamed of their conduct, but many are not. Instead, they are proud of their worldliness.

And, so our Lord Jesus has been warning them of the consequences of their rebellion against him, and he has been reminding them of what his scriptures teach regarding what will happen to them if they continue down this path and do not repent (see Rev. 2-3). But, the vast majority appear to be not paying attention to these warnings, for they have an overdeveloped sense of superiority and/or of assurance that God will not judge them.

But, God is not weak. Jesus Christ is not weak. Because we serve a loving and compassionate God, who is not willing that any should perish, and that all should come to repentance, judgment has been delayed, for a time, but don’t hang your hat on the idea that it will never come. It will! And, don’t get your mind set that, although you largely ignore your Lord in this life, that heaven is guaranteed you. It isn’t!

2 Corinthians 13:5-10 NASB

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test? But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test. Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete. For this reason I am writing these things while absent, so that when present I need not use severity, in accordance with the authority which the Lord gave me for building up and not for tearing down.

Test Yourselves

So, we are encouraged here that we are to test ourselves to see whether or not we are in the faith. And, the measure of that is the Word of God, but the whole counsel of God, not just a few select verses taken out of context to appease the flesh. For, context is everything!

Romans 10 is written in the context of Romans 6 and 8, as is Romans 7. Paul did not excuse away sin, nor did he allow for it in his own life, for he died with Christ to sin so that he might live with him to righteousness.

The scriptures do not teach that all we have to do is make a verbal confession of faith in Christ and believe in his bodily resurrection with our minds, too, and that we have salvation. They do not teach that our salvation is merely forgiveness of sins or that forgiveness is given to all who merely make an intellectual assent to what Jesus did for us in dying for our sins.

They do not teach that our salvation is a one-time event which takes place in our lives, and then heaven is guaranteed us no matter how we live from that moment forward, and that nothing can take that away from us. For, Jesus’ sheep (his followers) listen to his voice and they follow (obey) him, and it is they who cannot be snatched out of Jesus’ and the Father’s hands.

Our salvation from sin is a process of sanctification in our lives. This process has a beginning, but it is ongoing until the day we die, or we do not have eternal life with God. It is also a process of daily dying to sin and self, of putting on the armor of God, and of walking according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh.

For, if we walk according to the flesh, we will die in our sins. If we claim to have fellowship with God, but we still walk (in lifestyle) in sin, we are liars who do not live by the truth. If we make sin our practice, we do not have the hope of eternal life with God but a fearful expectation of judgment. For, we will reap what we sow. If we sow to please the flesh, from the flesh we will reap destruction, but if we sow to please the Spirit, from the Spirit we will reap eternal life (See: Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9; Gal. 5:19-21; Gal. 6:7-8).

So, test yourselves against those scriptures, and see if you are one who is living to please your flesh, and if you are living in sinful addiction, in willful and continued rebellion against your Lord. If you are, and you do not repent, scripture teaches that you don’t have eternal life with God, no matter what others tell you, or no matter what your profession of Christ may be.

2 Corinthians 13:11-14 NASB

Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.

Be Made Complete

The whole purpose of our salvation, the reason for which Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross, is that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). This is the essence of the gospel of our salvation. If you have to memorize one verse to share the gospel with people, let it be that one. For, that sums it all up.

We are not saved just to escape hell, and so we can go to heaven when we die. That is a BIG FAT LIE! Jesus did not die merely to forgive our sins, and our sins are NOT forgiven if we do not repent, and if we do not turn our hearts and lives over to Jesus Christ, making him LORD of our lives.

God’s grace is not free in the sense that it gives us the freedom to live however we want. It doesn’t. God’s grace frees us from our slavery to sin and it frees us to walk in Christ’s holiness and righteousness, in purity, honesty, morality and in integrity. For, it instructs us to say “NO!” to ungodliness and fleshly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives while we await our Lord’s soon return (See Tit. 2:11-14).

We are not “saved” and then we live our lives and then one day we go to heaven when we die. We are saved to walk in holiness, in righteousness and in purity of devotion to our Lord Jesus, truly making him Lord (owner-master) of our lives. While we walk this earth, we are to grow in our walks of faith and to mature in Christ and in his holiness, becoming like him in his death and in his resurrection.

The peace which he gives us is not absence of conflict, nor do we make compromises with the world of sin in order to make peace with other humans. The peace He gives us, that we are to live in, is peace with God, which is through repentance and dying to sin and living to his righteousness. You will never be at peace in this world if you are still living in sin.

As well, like-mindedness with one another only comes if we are first of all like-minded with Christ. For he is what (who) binds us all together as one. And, to be like-minded with Christ means to prefer what he prefers, which is evident not by our words, but by our lifestyles. And, he prefers what is holy, righteous, pure, moral, upright, honest, and trustworthy, etc.

Lastly, if we want to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit (with God), we have to be walking in obedience to His Word. For, if we regularly give way to the flesh, in rebellion against our Lord, it breaks our fellowship with him much the same way as adultery breaks the bonds of marriage.

I am not saying we must live in absolute sinless perfection, but that we should not be living in open rebellion against our Lord via continued sinful practices, which breaks those bonds of fellowship with our Lord.

So, if that is where you are today, still giving way to your fleshly appetites, I pray you will surrender your all to Jesus Christ today. He is the ONLY ONE who can heal your wounded soul and bring peace, forgiveness and restoration to your life. Truly let him be your Lord (owner-master) today.

No, Not One!

Hymn lyrics by Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1895

Music by George C. Hugg, 1895

There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,

No, not one! No, not one!

None else could heal all our soul’s diseases,

No, not one! No, not one!

No friend like Him is so high and holy,

No, not one! No, not one!

And yet no friend is so meek and lowly,

No, not one! No, not one!

There’s not an hour that He is not near us,

No, not one! No, not one!

No night so dark but His love can cheer us,

No, not one! No, not one!

Jesus knows all about our struggles,

He will guide till the day is done;

There’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus,

No, not one! No, not one!

*copyright status is Public Domain

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

Friday, September 21, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus, for all You’ve done!

Tenacious

Tenacious

An Original Work / September 20, 2018

They’re Liars, deceivers

Who mimic believers,

Controlling the masses

Regardless of classes

Thievery, trickery,

They’re from the enemy

They’re always so charming

It is quite alarming

They’re not to be trusted

For they will get busted

Think they’re invincible

‘Twill be a crucible

Have always excuses

For all their abuses

Recycled behaviors

Pay to them no favors

Although God is gracious

Still they are tenacious

They show they’re not willing

God’s Spirit infilling

For flesh is what matters

And people they flatter

In hopes to deceive them

So they will believe them

Their sins they do cover

So none will discover

Exactly what woos them

And who then did choose them

For, if they are truthful

To them will be hurtful

In self-preservation

Remain in their station

We, The Body

Ephesians 4:11-16 NASB

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Gifts and Ministries

When we believe in Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of our lives, we become members of his body, which is called the church. For, the church is the people who believe in Jesus. It is not a denomination or a building or a corporation or an organization. It is a living organism. And, the stones used to build this building are us, the people, not brick and mortar.

Within us our Lord God dwells. We are his temple. The Holy of Holies exists now within us. Within our lives dwells his sanctuary. We are the Holy City, the heavenly Jerusalem. We are the children of God, the children of promise. Physical Jerusalem is now of Hagar, the slave woman, for she is still in bondage to sin, for the Jewish nation, though not all Jews, rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and as their Messiah (See: Rom. 11; Gal. 3-4).

As the body of Christ, his church, the Lord has given all of us gifts and ministries (our body parts) for the building up of his body in the faith unto maturity in Jesus Christ, as each of us does our part. We all have different gifts, but the same Spirit who is the one who gives us the gifts as he determines. We all have different functions, but the same Lord who is the one who assigns us our roles within the universal body of Christ.

We all need each other. But, the only way in which we will have the unity of the faith that this speaks of is if we are all united with Jesus Christ in mind and in heart. And, to be united with Christ means to love what he loves and to hate what he hates, and to walk in obedience to his commands. It also means that we prefer what he prefers, which is what is holy, pure, upright, godly, moral, honest, righteous, just, fair, kind and loving (as he loves). And, if truly this is what we prefer, we will walk in this purity and holiness.

We all need each other because we need to encourage one another, because we all still live in flesh bodies and we are still subject to temptation and to being deceived. So, God uses each of us with our varied giftedness and our assignments (of God) within the universal (and local) body of Christ to help one another to walk in purity of devotion to Jesus Christ and to not be led astray by the trickery of humans in their deceitful scheming.

Ephesians 4:17-24 NASB

So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

Death and Life

Coming to faith in Jesus Christ means that we are crucified with him in death to sin and that we are resurrected with him to newness of life in him, “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24 NIV). For, Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24). Jesus did not die merely so we could escape hell and have the promise of heaven when we leave this earth, as some would have you believe.

Yet, by the trickery of men (and women), by craftiness in deceitful scheming, many have been led astray and have bought into a false grace gospel which requires no death to sin, no living to righteousness, and no walk of surrender and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ. So, they think if they merely acknowledge Jesus Christ and what he did for us, and if they accept his forgiveness for their sins, that it secures them heaven no matter how they live from that moment forward.

But, Paul made it plain here that that is not the truth of the gospel. He let us know here that the truth, which is found in Christ Jesus, is that we should have been taught death to sin and living to righteousness as required for our eternal salvation.

In other words, when we come to genuine faith in Jesus Christ, which is a gift of God, and which is divine persuasion as to our need to submit to his Lordship, we die with him to sin that we might live with him to righteousness. We forsake our former way of living to sin and self, we are changed in the attitude of our minds with regard to sin and to God, and we put on our new lives in Christ Jesus which are becoming like Jesus.

For, if we do not, we will die in our sins, not live with Christ for eternity. No confession of Christ or baptism or sinner’s prayer will ever guarantee us eternal life with God. We must walk according to the Spirit and no longer according to our sinful flesh. We must die daily to sin and self. We must no longer make the lusts of our flesh what we regularly practice. But, we must live holy lives, godly lives, which are pleasing to our Lord, but all in his power and strength now living within us (See Rom. 8:1-17; 1 Jn. 1:5-9).

Draw Me Close to You 

Donnie McClurkin

Draw me close to You

Never let me go

I lay it all down again

To hear You say that I'm Your friend

You are my desire

And no one else will do…

You're all I want

You're all I've ever needed…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAnwBixzuNo

Wednesday, September 19, 2018 – Thank You, Jesus, that you died that we might die to sin, and that you live that we might live to you and to your righteousness. Thank you that you not only forgive us our sins, but that you free us from our slavery to sin, and that you empower us to walk according to your Spirit in godliness and holiness. Thank you, too, for loving us the way that you do in how you encourage us to walk with you day by day. And, thank you for the body of Christ and how you use us to minister your love and grace to one another for our mutual encouragement. Amen!

You Are the Man!

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 NASB

The Lord is having me to focus on just these two verses today, and he is taking the application of these verses today in a very specific direction, which then parallels over to the story of David and Bathsheba (read 2 Samuel 11-12).

David was God’s chosen king of Israel. And, he was a mighty warrior of God. But, he was also human, and at one period in his life, he sinned greatly against God and other people, too. For, while his servant soldiers were out fighting in battle against the enemy, he remained back home, and it was then that he was tempted. And, he gave into the temptation.

He lusted after a married woman, and then he exercised abuse of power to bring the woman to him so that he could sleep with her. She became pregnant, and in order to cover up his sin with her, he sent for her husband, who was one of his servants, to try to get him to lay with his wife, but he would not. For, he was a man of integrity and did not feel he should have the comforts of being with his wife while his fellow servants were still in battle.

So, then David got Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband) drunk, so that he would go sleep with his wife, but he still would not go. So, next David plotted Uriah’s death. And, Uriah was murdered by David’s command. Then, Bathsheba mourned the death of her husband, but when the time of mourning was over, David took her to be his wife and she bore him a son. “But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Sam. 11:27b).

In the Sight of The Lord

I am going to focus particularly on men today, but this is not to say that women don’t deal with the same issues, they do, just not in as great of numbers as men. But, also the Lord is having me address men in this because they are the leaders of households and the leaders of churches, and so I believe he has a specific message for them that he wants me to convey today.

Also, I believe I am the chosen messenger today to bring this message to them, because so many men today who claim to be Christians have emasculated themselves by making the lusts of their flesh their gods. And, thus, they are not doing the work of the Lord that they should be doing as leaders in the church and in the home, for they are busy following their lusts, instead.

Men, God has called you to be spiritual leaders, much like he called David to be king over his people at that time. He has given you the responsibility to lead your families and your church congregations in the way of the Lord, which is the way of holiness, honesty, integrity, purity, morality, and righteousness. He has called you to be his servants, to humble yourselves, and to lead those under your care by your example; by how you live your life, especially when no one else sees what you are doing.

But, many of you have chosen the way that David took. You have shirked your responsibilities and have left those under your care with the burden of having to do what you should be doing. I believe that is one of the reasons God is using me, a woman, in the way that he is, mainly because the men who should be doing this are not doing it, because they are busy looking at porn, or watching sexually charged movies, or they are busy with their games and their sports or with their careers while God and their spouses and their children and their congregations are neglected.

But, it is not just that you are neglecting your spouses and your children and your church congregations, but that you are treating them like David treated Uriah, his servant, most especially your wives. For many women are being betrayed by their husbands’ addictions to porn, movies, games, sports, and extra-marital affairs (romantic or sexual), and the like.

And, in God’s eyes, lust alone is adultery. And, doing so to your wives, especially over long periods of time, and then lying about it and covering up your sins, is hate, not love, and God says that hate is the same as murder. So, you are murdering your wives by your adulterous ways, and you are murdering your children and your church congregations, too, for not only are you engaging in what is evil in God’s sight, but you are influencing others to do the same.

Nathan and David

Nathan was a prophet of God, and it was his calling to be God’s messenger in taking God’s messages to whomever God wanted to speak. So, God sent Nathan to speak with David about his sin. But, instead of confronting him directly with his sin, he told him a story, which David thought to be something that was really happening, instead of a parable.

Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and ^[a]said,“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his ^[b]bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he ^[c]was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 2 Samuel 12:1-4 NASB

David was enraged when he heard this. He proclaimed that the man who did this deserved to die and that he “must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion” (v. 6). But, then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”

How many times have you gotten angry over things that others did and yet failed to see that you not only are doing the same things but that what you are doing is far worse? The Bible warns against such judging as this, which is hypocritical judging which looks at the speck in others’ eyes while it ignores the log in one’s own eye. We all need to be so careful that we don’t judge hypocritically by getting angry about what others do while we may be doing something much worse.

Nathan then spoke the words of God to David. He reminded him of all that he had done for David and all the many ways in which he had blessed him. And, so he asked him why he despised the Word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight. And, he enumerated all the ways in which David had sinned in secret against God and against other humans. And, then he told him that, though his sin had been done in secret, God was going to judge him before all Israel, out where everyone could see.

When David was confronted with the fact that he was the man in the parable, he was cut to the heart, and he confessed that he had sinned against God. And, Nathan then assured David that God had forgiven him, but still there were going to be natural consequences for his sin, one of which was that his child would die.

You Did in Secret

Sexual sin is usually done in secret. Men (and women, too) watch porn usually when they think no one else can see what they are doing. But, God always sees, and it matters to him what we do. It matters to your spouses what you do, too, although some of you may think it is “no big deal.” But, it is, because you are living in adultery against your spouses when you practice lust and view porn and watch movies with sex in them, et al.

But, again, it is not merely adultery, for it is hate, not love, and hate is the same as murder. For when you lust after others and you view porn or any other sexual material, or when you have private chats with someone of interest, or you are involved in sex-texting or you slander your spouse in order to cover your sin, or you manipulate, lie, deceive, bully, etc. in order to cover your sin, you are murdering your spouse in your heart, and you are putting your marriage to death.

And, if you think your spouse does not know, don’t be so sure of that. Anyone who loves his or her spouse, and who knows his or her spouse, and is tuned in, can tell when things are not right, and they should, if they are tuned in, know when you are lying, too. So, don’t think you are not hurting them if you keep your sins a secret. You are still hurting them and your marriage and your family whether you see the damage you are doing or not.

So, God wants you to see your sin through his eyes today for many of you are in the habit of excusing these sins away and justifying them and thus you lie to yourselves and you believe your own lies. So, the Lord wants to open your eyes today to the truth of what you are doing so that you will repent of your sin. But, know that you may have to face some natural consequences to your sin. Yet, God is calling you today to come forward and to be honest with your spouses about how you have been secretly sinning against them, for the truth will set you free.

But, to the wives of the men who are addicted to lust or who regularly practice sins of lust against their wives and their marriages, I want to encourage you.

Forgive your spouses (husbands or wives) of their sins against you, but not in a way that gives them permission to keep sinning against you. Set biblical boundaries for your marriage relationship, and let your spouses know that you love them, and that you care about them, and that you are there to help them to victory over their sin if they will let you inside and not shut you out. And, then trust God to work in their hearts and lives, and then speak the truth in love to them when God says to speak, for you may be the only voice of reason they will ever hear.

The Lord also wants to encourage you to make HIM your husband and your desire, and to let him satisfy the deep longings of your souls. He wants you to come to him with your suffering and to trust in his love and in his grace. Believe in his sovereignty over your life, and then let him heal your wounded hearts.

Draw Me Close to You  

Donnie McClurkin

Draw me close to You

Never let me go

I lay it all down again

To hear You say that I'm Your friend

You are my desire

And no one else will do…

You're all I want

You're all I've ever needed…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAnwBixzuNo

Tuesday, September 18, 2018 – Help us, Jesus, to obey you in all things.