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Romans 6 Is Freedom from Sin the Same as Freedom to Sin?

5/11/2016

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When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” Revelation 1:17-18
​Romans 6
You do not have to keep sinning. I know so many of us use the excuse that we can’t help it, can’t control ourselves, or are compelled to sin. But the truth is, if we are believers that is just a cop out. We do not have to keep sinning. Self-control is an ability the Holy Spirit gives us, it is a fruit, a result of having Him in us making us over (Galatians 5:22-23). Sin no longer holds the sway over us in any way at all. You were once a sinner, but now you are under God’s overflowing beautiful grace. Jesus gave you a new life. That new life is not about law, sin, and death; it is about grace, righteousness, and life.
To begin Romans chapter 6 in context we need to read the last verses of chapter 5. Romans 5:17-21 reads,
For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
God, our Holy Righteous Lord forgives sin. There is no sin too big for Him, no sins too many for Him. Sin cannot overcome grace because God’s grace is boundless. So does grace give us free reign to sin? Since we do not follow the law, does that mean we can just do whatever we want and then proclaim God’s grace to the world as an excuse for our debauchery?  Chapter 6 verses 1-4 say,
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
 
Jesus didn’t go to the cross as a pretty little picture, He died quite horrifically and painfully in order to put sin to death. When we believed, we died too to our old lives, identities, and nature. Jesus resurrected to end death forever and give us a new life, identity, and nature. When we believed we raised up to a new life. We were re-born. To continue to walk, act, and be the sinful person we used to be just trashes what Jesus did for us on the cross. We are new! We are born again! We are alive! We have the promise of unity with God and the hope of eternal life. We have His Holy Spirit within us working out our sanctification, that is He is making us into Jesus’ image. Verses 5-11 read,
For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
 
To be saved, to call ourselves believers means we call Jesus our Lord. We give him dominion (rule, authority, and power) over us. He is in charge, the king, master, and owner of our lives and hearts. Jesus put sin to death, He even put death to death! (Revelation 20:14). In Revelation 1:17b-18 Jesus said,
“Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”
Do you understand that when Jesus laid down His life and rose from the dead, He made it so we do not have to be under sin’s rule any longer? We don’t have to sin! Sin is a choice, not a compulsion. Verses 12-14 read,
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
 
We are not under the law now, sin does not have to rule over us. There are so many people who call themselves Christians and yet still live as citizens of the world. They give in to sin constantly, they are bitter, wrathful, and hateful. They revel in depravity, drunkenness, and decadence and claim freedom in Christ. But their lives don’t reveal freedom, their lives reveal the chains holding them to sin. Their lives do not show deliverance from sin by Jesus Christ, they show bondage to sin. Who would ever choose to follow such a weak god who cannot liberate a person from the mire of wrongs she lives in? Who would follow a god who makes his followers no different than anyone else on the earth? Just because we are not under the law, does not mean we should flaunt it by sinning and acting like the rest of the world. Verses 15-16 say it this way,
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 
If we keep choosing to sin, we are proclaiming sin as our master. We cannot claim Christ as our Lord and yet obey the basal desires, gratify our every whim, and exalt our selfishness. We are not slaves to sin if we call Jesus Lord and mean it. We are free from the tyranny of self-seeking, self-gratifying, life-killing sin. Freedom in Christ is much more than liberation from the law; it is more profound than escape from wrath and Hell. If Jesus has ahold of your heart, will, desires, and soul, if His Spirit reigns in you, you are free to live in love, conform to His image (be like Him), and be who you are meant to be. You are free to do good, free to glorify (reflect and direct attention to) God, and free to enjoy the world on a level people without Christ cannot imagine. We are free to give our lives completely to God and let Him do with us as He chooses. Verses 17-19 read,
But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
If the idea of being sanctified does not flood you with joy, then perhaps you are still enslaved to sin. Being sanctified, conformed to Christ’s image is wonderful, it is being made into who you were made to be. The more you grow, the more you mature in Christ, the more wonder and joy you find in this life He has given you.
What good did sinning ever bring you? What good did it do you to satisfy your urges, fill your stomach, or vent every capricious thought? It did you no good, and it did no one else any good. Those nights of drunken partying may have been fun in the moment but the celebration of Jesus is so much better, eternal, and purposeful. The old party led to death, the new celebration brings life. Verses 20-23 read,
For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
 
Believer, do not give into the excuses, the lies of sin. You are freed from sin, free to be the righteous child of God you were born to be! You are free to live this amazing life for God. Choose life.
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John Chapter 21 If You Love Jesus, Feed His Sheep and Follow Him

1/9/2015

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John Chapter 21

Seven of the disciples had gone fishing one night at Peter’s prompting. They were out all night and caught nothing. At daybreak, while the men were still out on the water Jesus appeared on the shore. None of them recognized Him at first. He called out to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They told Him they didn’t. He said, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they did as He suggested. They caught so many fish that the net was too heavy to bring in. John suddenly recognized the Lord and he told Peter it was Him.

Peter was stripped down for work, but when He heard it was Jesus, he grabbed his clothes put them on, jumped into the water and swam to shore to be with the Lord. He loved Jesus so much that he couldn’t wait for the boat to get him to His destination. Did Peter remember the night of the storm when he had walked on water with Jesus? Probably.

The others brought the boat and the net full of fish the 100 yards to shore. When they arrived they saw that Jesus had made a charcoal fire and a breakfast of fish and bread for them. He asked them to bring some of the fish they had just caught and add it to the meal as well. So they hauled in the net, which even though it was overfull with 153 fish had not torn.

Jesus said, “Come and have breakfast.” They sat down and Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them. Then He did the same with the fish. I imagine they couldn’t help but think back to the last meal they had eaten with their Lord. I guess their minds wandered to the events of that night and how they had deserted Him. John probably remembered what Jesus had gone through for them. But Jesus was there with them now. He was hosting a meal, reminiscent of the feeding of the 5,000. He was feeding them and He had made their hard night’s work productive when they had found nothing on their own.

Then Jesus and Peter went for a walk together. The charcoal fire probably looked and smelled like the fire in the courtyard of Annas’ home where Peter had denied knowing Jesus. Though clearly Jesus had forgiven him, if Peter was anything like me he had not forgiven himself. Verses 15-17 take up the narrative.

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him. And three times, each time more vehement than the last, Peter declared his love for Jesus. Each time Jesus answered by telling Peter to take care of His sheep. Jesus knew Peter’s sincerity. Jesus knew Peter’s heart. He was giving Peter a chance to know his own heart. Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times in the night before the rooster crowed before Jesus crucifixion. Now dawn had broken, Jesus was alive and Peter professed his love three times. The profession was for Peter to know that he had come to this point. The public declaration redeemed him for himself and those around. (The other disciples were within earshot walking behind them.)  It showed him the change since his sins had been forgiven. The actions, the good works Jesus told Peter to do were so that Peter would glorify Jesus, by doing what Jesus had done and tell the world publicly that He loved Jesus. But telling the lost with words doesn’t work. Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs and feed and tend His sheep.

When you made the decision to follow Jesus, Jesus knew your heart immediately. When you confessed your need for Him and your commitment for Him out loud, it was for you and the church to know your heart. It was proof for you that you were now a public follower of Jesus. It is taking up Jesus cause and acting on it through loving good works that you glorify Jesus and tell the world who He is.

Verses 18-19 read,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Jesus told Peter just how passionately he would demonstrate his love and just how closely he would follow. He told Peter that he would die rather than deny Him again. He would follow Jesus all the way to death. Although not a pleasant thing to hear, Peter needed to hear it. It was a reassurance to Peter to hear Jesus really did know how deeply he loved Him.

Peter, being who he was, exuberant and impetuous noticed John behind them. Peter took his attention off Jesus and himself, pointed to John and said, “Lord, what about this man?” but Jesus said, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (Verse 22). Jesus’ plans for your Brothers and Sisters in Christ are not your concern. He commanded you. He equipped you. You follow Jesus. Let them follow Him. We are supposed to be accountable to one another and encourage and exhort one another but Jesus doesn’t want us to compare ourselves to each other.  He doesn’t want us to focus on others, He wants us to focus on Him and follow Him. We can’t control what someone else does, we can only control what we ourselves do.

Following Jesus means shadowing Him. Walking by His lead, with our eyes and heart on Him. How can we follow Jesus if we are fixating on someone else? If you love Jesus, feed His sheep. If you love Jesus do it with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. With your entire attention on Jesus, you will see your brothers and the world with His Spirit and nature and you will love them like He loves them.

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John 20:24-31 Thomas went from Dogged Unbelief of the Truth to Intense Proclamation of the Truth. Jesus is Lord and God.

1/8/2015

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John Chapter 20 Verses 24-31

Poor Thomas gets a bad rap from the world. He’s is better known to us, even people who haven’t read the scriptures as Doubting Thomas. Yet, him isn’t the gospels that named it that, He is known as Thomas Didymus, or Thomas the Twin. He was one of the more vocal of the Twelve, and showed curiosity and exuberance for Jesus during His ministry. Thomas wanted answers and wasn’t afraid to ask questions or be honest. But Thomas most famous act is declaring that he wouldn’t believe the ther disciples had seen Jesus in the flesh unless he could not only touch Jesus’ wounds but stick his hand into them. Verses 24-29 tell the story.

“Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Thomas isn’t so much different than most of us, or even the rest of the disciples. The others didn’t believe until Jesus revealed Himself to them. They asked for proof too. (Luke 24:39-43). But Thomas wasn’t with them, then. He wanted the same proof they said they had. How many in the world can’t believe the Gospel? How many want scientific proof in order to have faith? Even when they are presented with the science, they can’t believe.

But Thomas had a different reaction when Jesus showed Himself to Him. He answered “My Lord and my God!”  I get the impression Thomas didn’t touch Jesus wounds. He saw Jesus and immediately proclaimed Him to be his Lord and God. Thomas made Jesus his Master and announced Him to be God, His God. He wrapped up salvation in his declaration. His answer was personal, profound, and a 180º from his previous dramatic statement that he wouldn’t believe unless he got to touch and put his hand Jesus wounds.

For Thomas, seeing was believing and believing led to seeing the whole truth at once. But Jesus pronounced a beatitude for us, who were not among the more than 500 people who got to see the Risen Lord during the forty days after the Resurrection. He said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Believer, He is referring to you and me! We are blessed. We can rejoice and be envied. We are gifted and it is special that we believe in Jesus Christ without the benefit of seeing Him the flesh. Peter described that joy and blessing in 1 Peter 1:3-9.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

We have been given this special time, our circumstances, our lives and we can use all that to share the awesome news with others. God saved you, shapes you, and put you where you are at the time you are there, coming in contact with the specific people you do as a gift. You have the hope of your own resurrection and eternity. You are blessed because you believe and you can share that blessing with others. Jesus wants you to too. (John 20:21).

Your salvation and sharing that joy with others is the reason John wrote the gospel. Verses 30-31 read,

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

You weren’t given the gift of belief so you could hide, keep it to yourself, or be stagnant. You were given the gift so you could have life! You are meant to live. You are meant to grow. Jesus made it possible for Thomas to grow from asserting his stubborn unbelief to pronouncing the truth. He changed eleven men with shaky faith into the Church, the Bride of Christ. He changed Saul from a man zealous against Jesus to Paul a missionary zealous for Him. Jesus did everything He did for you, so that you could live and live freely, generously, and richly. He came so you could live out loud with enthusiasm, spirit, and cheerfulness. John 10:9-10 reads,

“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

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John 20:1-23 Jesus Death and Resurrection Changed Everything.

1/7/2015

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John Chapter 20 Verses 1-23

Early Sunday morning before the sun had risen, Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb. When she arrived she was shocked to find the stone that the blocked the entrance had been taken away. I can imagine her dismay. She was mourning Jesus. She was obviously deeply grieved. In her anguish, Mary ran to Peter and John who were also on their way to the tomb. She met them with the news, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” (Verse 2). The two men began running to the tomb, although John reached it first, he waited outside as Peter entered. Verses 6-9 read,

“Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead.”

They believed Mary, that someone had moved His body. They still didn’t understand what Jesus had told them about resurrecting. They must have felt more forlorn at that moment and they went back to their homes wondering who had moved Jesus’ body and why.  What conspiracy theories must have filled them with fear?

Mary went back to the tomb and was crying. When she arrived she saw two angels sitting on the shelf where Jesus’ body had been, one at the feet and one at the head. This is the only instance I can think of where a person was not afraid at the sight of angels. They were seated and she was in the middle of deep grief so maybe she didn’t identify them as angels. Deep emotion can make us blind to circumstances around us. Maybe they didn’t appear as the fierce and mighty creatures they normally do. Perhaps they had put on a human appearance. Instead of having to tell her not to be afraid, they asked her why she was crying.  She answered, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” (Verse 13). Then she turned around and Jesus was standing there, but she didn’t recognize Him. Not only because of her heartache but possibly because Jesus had veiled Himself from her the way He would later with others.  Verses 15-18 read,

“Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.”

Mary was looking for a dead man, but Jesus came to her and showed He is alive. Jesus didn’t allow Mary to stand there clinging to Him, not moving forward. He told her to go tell His brothers He was ascending to His Father and our Father, His God and our God.  For the first time, He referred to the disciples as His brothers. His death had paid the price for the sins of believers and His resurrection had made us sons of God, our God. The pronoun used to distinguish God is ídios. According to Strong’s is means uniquely one's own and is stronger than the simple possessive pronoun. It means private and personal. What an amazing way to describe God Almighty.  It is such an intimate description of God as our Father.

Relationships had changed now, because Jesus had changed them. No longer is God the Father, but your Father. No longer is He God, but your God. Because Jesus died on the cross and paid the price of death required for sins and rose from the dead, God can be your Father and you can be His child. Because Jesus sacrificed Himself and overcame death, you can belong to God, and He to you in a very intimate and personal way.

Later, in the evening the disciples were gathered in a locked room because of fear, when Jesus appeared to them. Now Mary had told them what had happened but what she said was impossible and even if they wanted to believe her, they still didn’t really accept it. Verses 19-23 describe the scene.

“On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

When you are confronted by the truth as were Mary Magdalene, Peter, and John do you believe it? They needed confirmation that He was not in the tomb. When they saw it, they still didn’t understand the depth of what they saw. It was Jesus who had to tell them. It was Jesus who had to reveal Himself to them. And the first thing He did was send them to tell others the good news of peace, peace with God, peace of heart, soul, and mind. He didn’t say, ‘Stay here and revel in this relationship’ or ‘keep this awesomeness to yourself and enjoy me privately.’ He said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” He gave the disciples the Holy Spirit so that they would be able to tell people, not as men, but as sons of God. It is only God who can save, who can give the words, the wisdom, and the faith to believe Him.

When Jesus gave the disciples the Holy Spirit, He also gave them His desire and nature of mercy. He told them to forgive freely. If they withheld mercy from those in need, then mercy would be denied to them. Peace with God requires forgiveness. We have no right not to forgive others when God has forgiven us so much. It is not us who saves, it is God. It is not us who has the right to be merciful or not be merciful. God is rich in mercy. We have His Spirit, therefore we can be rich in mercy too.

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Ephesians 2:1-10 You are walking dead and you don't deserve salvation.

10/25/2014

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Ephesians 2:1-10

Before you believed, you were the walking dead. You had no hope or future. You were not only in danger of being devoured by the monsters of this world, you actually followed them and were like them. Verses 1-3 say,

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Unbeliever, do you say are not a child of wrath and you are basically a good person? What is being good? How many lies can you tell and still be good? How many people can you hurt and still be decent? How many times can you pass the needy and still be virtuous? Are you sure you haven’t tipped those scales toward bad yet?

In God’s Kingdom there are no scales, no one is good enough. Human nature, often called the flesh in the Bible makes us inherently selfish. We want to be happy. In pursuing our happiness we do all kinds of things such as lying, ignoring other’s needs, caring about our own desires more than someone else’s, and even harming ourselves and others. But God didn’t leave us to our flesh. He made a way. Verses 4-5 read,

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—“

God is merciful! What is mercy? It is a term we hear often, especially in the Christian community but have you considered what it means? It means compassionate forgiving treatment toward someone who could be treated harshly. Mercy is kindness toward a desperate person, especially a person whom you have power over. God is rich in mercy. He loves us. He loves you now, no matter how bad you are, or even if you swear He isn’t real. Even if you hate Him, He loves you.

Everyone, believer or not is sinful. But to the person who says, “I believe, Jesus is in charge of my life” He raises him from the dead and makes him alive with Christ. Believer, you are alive with a new heart, mind, and soul. You are no longer without a future. You are no longer walking this earth a dead man. You still struggle with the flesh. You still sin. You still do all those things that focus on the self. But now with The Holy Spirit within you giving you life, you also are able to forgo the self and focus on Jesus, whose focus is on others. You are able to love them in a way you didn’t even know existed when you were dead. God did that for you, not because you were good, not because you work hard, or give to the poor, or act. He saved you because He is graceful.

It is by grace you are saved. So what is grace? I hear you, Christian saying it as if you are repeating your childhood multiplication tables, you rote answer is “unmerited favor.” And it is, but what is that? It is unmerited, undeserved, unjustified, unwarranted, unearned. You did nothing to earn it, deserve it, or even pay it back! Salvation is a gift that was bought with the steep price of Jesus’ blood. That is a big deal.

Imagine you are poor, go back to Charles Dickens’ days and you are a street urchin, you don’t know your parents, you haven’t eaten in 3 days, and you have pneumonia that will kill you unless you get medical attention fast. Now imagine a wealthy kind man sees you and your situation. You say to him, “Help me, Sir, please.” He pulls out of his pocket a diamond bigger than your fist and gives it to you. Then he takes you to his home calls his doctor, treats you, heals you, feeds you, adopts you, and gives you a home. You did nothing at all to deserve that kindness. He saved you. All you can do to repay him is to live well and do for others what he did for you. That is grace.

But God went even further! He didn’t just raise you form death, which would have been enough. He didn’t only call you blameless and forgive every wrong you ever committed or will commit, He made you partners with Christ. You can’t earn Heaven. You can’t work for Salvation. You have nothing to boast about yourself and everything to brag about Christ. He saved you for a reason. Verses 6-7 read,

“and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus”

Salvation is not the only mercy and grace you received at the moment you believed. He continues to lavish you with His amazing love and kindness. While your good works can’t earn you favor, they are what you were created to do. He made you specifically to do great things for Him. Not because you are good or talented but because you were created, chosen, and shaped by God to do them. Verses 8-10 read,

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

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Ephesians 1:15-23 Praise God for suffering! Seriously?

10/24/2014

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Read Ephesians Chapter 1 Verses 15-23

Believers, we have so much to be thankful for. Our Salvation is not fire insurance. In fact it ensures we will go through fires on this present Earth. But it also holds the promise of so much more. Paul told the faithful at Ephesus how he prayed for them and how he wanted them to know and experience what the hope of Jesus Christ entails. It encompasses more blessings than any of us can express. As difficult as the hard times get, the blessings make them easier.

Verse 17-18 reads,

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”

First of all I love when God is represented triunally in a passage. Here is such a case, God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit are in one verse. Because we have Jesus Christ as our Lord we can ask for the Spirit to reveal God to us through wisdom and knowledge. We have the privilege of getting to know God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He reveals Himself to us and the more we seek and pursue Him, the more He will reveal Himself to us.

The Spirit also reveals to us the hope He gives us. Our hope is vast. It is more than Heaven. It is not about walking streets of gold and eating from an endless buffet. It is about completion, perfection, and being with God face to face and knowing Him fully, absolutely, and wholly. Our inheritance is for eternity and it is also for the here and now.

We will be perfected one day soon but we were made righteous already. Every sin was forgiven. Every transgression was wiped out. We may still sin, and we may still fight to overcome our worldliness every single day, but the fact is that our completion has already been achieved. We got credit for Jesus’ perfection already. That gives us all the more reason to continue endeavoring to know God more, to keep striving toward working toward righteousness, and to persist in our transformation through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.

Verses 19-23 read,

“and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. “

In other words, that same power that raised Christ from the dead and gave Him authority over everything is at work in you. That same capacity and force transformed you from death to life, from errant to righteous. You can’t ever make yourself good enough, but The Holy Spirit, God Himself is at work in you. In one moment He made you blameless and now He is changing you, giving you the ultimate makeover and each day He is making you more like Jesus.

The trials we experience, the suffering we face, and the pain we endure all help shape us. God is our potter, we are His vessel. We can actually take joy in the ordeals because we have God with us and in us and because we know that He is using those difficulties to sculpt and mold us for His glory. Romans 5:1-5 describes it like this,

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

So thank God through your tears. Appreciate the tribulations. Remember your hope, not just for eternity but now, right where you are. Ask God to reveal Himself to you through the pain. Take the opportunity to get to know Him deeper. Dioko Agape.

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Ephesians 1:1-14 God chose to adopt you. Believer, you are His heir.

10/23/2014

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Yesterday we completed the book of Isaiah. I found that book to teach me much more than I supposed it would and I enjoyed reading it much more than I thought I could. Today we will begin Ephesians.

Read Ephesians Chapter 1 verses 1-14

Verses 3-10 read,

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

Verse 3 says that God the Father has blessed us (believers) in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. What does this mean? The phrase “heavenly places” is used two more times in this book. Chapter 1 verses 19-23 read,

“and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Christ was raised from the dead and is made authority over all things. He is seated at the right hand of The Father in the heavenly places. Moreover, we have been raised from death as well and we are seated with Him in the heavenly places. Chapter 2 verses 5-7 read,

“even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

That is a big deal! We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. We’ve raised from the dead and made alive together with Christ! We’ve been saved. Our sins have been wiped away. They are gone. And we are seated with Christ over all rule and authority and power and dominion. Just like all things are under Jesus’ feet, they are subject to our authority as well. We are subject to Christ and all things are subject to Him and in turn to us. Think that over.

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. But God chose to adopt us. He chose to adopt us before He even created the earth. (Verse 5). He chose you. He chose me. We too are His children with all the privileges that being heirs of God entails. Why? Why would He choose to do something like that for us? Because He wanted to. Because He loves us and wants to shower us in His love. He doesn’t need our worship, He’s got angels worshipping Him 24/7. He doesn’t need our service. He created the whole world, He is omnipotent. He simply wanted to because He loves you so much and He wanted to share Himself with you. He chose to save you, to forgive you and cover you with His love, blessings, and gifts. And He chose you for a reason and a purpose. He knew you were the person for the job He has for you. He designed you. You see He didn’t only choose you, or me, or your pastor, He chose others too. He chose to make a way for every single person to come to know Him, be adopted and be loved. Verse 10 reads,

“as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

That is God’s desire, His will and His plan, that all things will be united in Him. And as you bask in His immense love as you enjoy the immeasurable power, the beautiful gifts, and the great authority He has given you and you conform to Christ’s image you will glorify Him. In your glory and praise, as you manifest the attributes of Christ, are filled and sealed with His Spirit, and live victoriously for Christ others will see God and hear Him calling them. Others will turn to Christ and accept His miraculous and wonderful grace. Verses 11-14 put it like this,

“In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

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    As I read the Bible every day, I take what God teaches me, what He says, and write it out. I then share that with you. It gives me a deeper understanding of the Word and I hope that it will encourage you as it does me, to put your love and faith into action.

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