Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
There is a battle going on. This battle does not start until you are born again. Before that you just walk according to your fleshly nature (Eph. 2:2-3) As soon as you receive what Jesus did for you at Calvary, a war begins. But good news we can win the battle.
First, walking is to regulate one’s life, to conduct one’s self, to make due use of opportunities, to what are you occupying your life in, what are the activities of your life...
We are to walk in newness of life...Rom. 6:4
Walking in the Spirit signifies “by Supernatural power”, in contrast to “after the flesh”, “by natural power”.
We are to set ourselves to act under the guidance & influence of the Holy Spirit.
As we place our faith continually in what Jesus accomplished at Calvary, we are guaranteed to help of the Holy Spirit.
But when we turn to the law or man made laws we are denying the Spirit’s sufficiency to identify us as the people of God & to direct our conduct.
The Spirit is more than adequate to direct our moral behavior. The Spirit is the only sure guide for our behavior.
You will absolutely not gratify the desires of your sinful nature, IF you walk in the Spirit.
There is a battle between the sinful nature & the Spirit. We can be confident in the Spirit’s ability to guide us. Our every choice & every action and outcome of those choices and actions, depends on whether we are walking in the flesh or the Spirit. All aspects of life are to be directed & transformed by the Spirit. The Spirit produces a transformation of our character.
Life by the Spirit involves active obedience to the direction of the Spirit. Complete submission to the control of the Spirit. This is not done by observing the law or a law, but by believing what we have heard about Christ Crucified! Not by flesh, but by the Spirit.
As you place your faith in what Jesus did, you will be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Let not our life be after the wills & motions of the flesh. We can not attempt to reach any kind of perfection by our own doings. The Holy Spirit is the only power to help us live the Christian life.
So today place your faith in what Jesus accomplished at Calvary for you and allow the Holy Spirit to direct and transform your life.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
"Overcame by their testimony"
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
By the word of their testimony... by the utterance of their testimony...
With all the new doctrines that are in the church I see some differences to what is meant by “the word of their testimony”. I hear testimonies like, “the Lord gave me $100.00 dollars”; “the Lord gave me a house”; etc... Don’t get me wrong the Lord does bless us with things, but this is not the testimony that is spoken of here.
The reason I am writing this is because there are many people coming to church and hearing messages about God’s blessings and not about Jesus and what He did at the Cross. When people hear the other message they only look for the blessings of God and that does not produce change in their lives. But when one hears the message of the Cross, their lives are truly changed. It is only the Blood of Jesus that saves, not the things.
What if those things were gone. What if you don’t have a house to live in? What is your testimony then? What if you had to live in your car? What if you lost it all? What if you were like those in Heb. 11:36-39 ...And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise... then what would your testimony be?
People need to hear about Jesus, the Blood, the redemption of Christ, and all that Jesus did. I am not saying that it is wrong to share when God blesses you. But to be an over comer we need to testify personally to what the word of God says about what the Blood of Jesus has done. The work of Jesus at the Cross.
Our testimony is that of redemption through the blood of Jesus, the new life, the new nature that we have in Him. So, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, the testimony of that redemption, we overcome Satan. We have victory over Satan through the blood of Jesus Christ. The fact that we have been redeemed, purchased. "I am a debtor," Paul said, "not to live any longer after the flesh, not to the flesh to live after it, but to the Spirit." "Know ye not that you are a temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you. You have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and Spirit which are His. You are not your own. You have been bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19). The old nature, the old life was worthless. It is dead. We count it dead. We reckon it to be dead that we might live this new life after Christ in the Spirit.
Their testimony evinced their victory over him by virtue of the blood of the Lamb. Hereby they confess themselves worshippers of the slain Lamb. We testify that we are redeemed by the blood. Many talk about God and even bring Him into their sins. But it is by the Blood that we are redeemed and that is our testimony.
Matthew Henry: By the word of their testimony, as the great instrument of war, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,—by a resolute powerful preaching of the everlasting gospel, which is mighty, through God, to pull down strongholds,—and by their courage and patience in sufferings; they loved not their lives unto the death, when the love of life stood in competition with their loyalty to Christ; they loved not their lives so well but they could give them up to death, could lay them down in Christ’s cause; their love to their own lives was overcome by stronger affections of another nature; and this their courage and zeal helped to confound their enemies, to convince many of the spectators, to confirm the souls of the faithful, and so contributed greatly to this victory.
Our testimony a great instrument of war, WOW. Notice “by a resolute powerful preaching of the everlasting gospel”, not by testifying about the house, car, things, you receive, But by the preaching of the “Everlasting Gospel”.
...when the love of life stood in competition with their loyalty to Christ, they would rather die than give up Christ. You can put anything in that place: “when the love of _________...” you fill in the blank. If the love of anything stands in competition to your loyalty to Christ, you must give it up. Is it a job? Is it money? Is it your family? Our testimony must stay “Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. Anyone or anything that would try to change that must go.
Our testimony must be about Jesus and what He did! This is the true Gospel. Not the “gospel of self”, “gospel of _______” you fill in the blank. Their is a push to get Jesus and the Blood out of our testimony. It is OK to talk about God. It is OK to share messages about love, as long as it does not have Jesus and the blood in it. It is OK to pray as long as it is not in Jesus name.
Oh help us Lord to never compromise. Let us always say: “Nothing but the Blood of Jesus”.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
"Accuser of the Brethren"
In the last days there is going to be more and more accusations of the brethren. One day he will be cast out, but until then he will keep bringing charges against you. The charges may be true charges. Maybe you did things in the past that was a sin against God and he is bringing those things up. The charges also can be made up and total lies. Most of the time they are a mixture of both. Like Eve in the garden. Satan likes to mix a little truth with a lot of lies.
Revelation 12:10(Amplified Bible)
...for the accuser of our brethren, he who keeps bringing before our God charges against them day and night, has been cast out!
In the last days there will be troublemakers, slanders, and those who callous and inhuman. They are relentless and will not let a truce come and they will continue to accuse and make accusations to those of God.
Timothy 3:3-5(Amplified Bible)
3[They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.
4[They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.
5 For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].
This is a hard one for me, because at the end it says from such people turn away and some of those people happen to be family members. Sometimes our own family will be the very ones who will bring up our past sins and accuse us. If they have not truly given their lives to the living God, they will not understand God’s forgiveness. How God casts our sins away and remember them no more. (Repentance!)
Isaiah 43:25(King James Version)
25I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Psalm 103:12(King James Version)As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
These people who are doing the accusations have become a law unto themselves.
Romans 2:14-15(King James Version) For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
What are we to do when accusations come?
First we must examine ourselves. Have we sinned? Have we repented? Have we received what Jesus did for us at the Cross? Have we turned from our sin? (this is done only as we place our faith in what Jesus did and we will receive the help of the Holy Spirit to turn away)
We need to be void of offense toward God and toward men.
Acts 24:16(Amplified Bible)
16 Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men.
We need to have a good conscience. (this is not done with works or by anything that we can do ourselves)
Acts 23:1and Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
Matthew Henry’s commentary “Let us therefore take heed that we give him no cause of accusation against us; and that, when we have sinned, we presently go in before the Lord, and accuse and condemn ourselves, and commit our cause to Christ as our Advocate.”
Jesus is our Advocate and we must come to him to have a clear conscience.
We can be over comers. Here is how:
Revelation 12:11(Amplified Bible) And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].
Matthew Henry
By the blood of the Lamb, as the meritorious cause. Christ by dying destroyed him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil. [2.] By the word of their testimony, as the great instrument of war, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,—by a resolute powerful preaching of the everlasting gospel, which is mighty, through God, to pull down strongholds,—and by their courage and patience in sufferings; they loved not their lives unto the death, when the love of life stood in competition with their loyalty to Christ; they loved not their lives so well but they could give them up to death, could lay them down in Christ’s cause; their love to their own lives was overcome by stronger affections of another nature; and this their courage and zeal helped to confound their enemies, to convince many of the spectators, to confirm the souls of the faithful, and so contributed greatly to this victory.
Acts 26:1-29 This is an example of an over comer. Please read. Paul was accused, told his testimony of God’s saving grace. He almost made King Agrippa a believer in the process. Sometimes our testimony will bring others to Christ and that is one thing that Satan does not like.
1 Peter 3:16-17(Amplified Bible)
[And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear (unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives].
17 For [it is] better to suffer [unjustly] for doing right, if that should be God's will, than to suffer [justly] for doing wrong.
Matthew Henry’s commentary, “A good conversation in Christ is a holy life, according to the doctrine and example of Christ. "Look well to your conscience, and to your conversation; and then, though men speak evil of you, and falsely accuse you as evildoers, you will clear yourselves, and bring them to shame.
The most conscientious persons cannot escape the censures and slanders of evil men; they will speak evil of them, as of evildoers, and charge them with crimes which their very souls abhor: Christ and his apostles were so used...
...but thinking themselves at liberty to say and do what they please,” Ps. 12:4.
Psalm 12:4(Amplified Bible)
4 Those who say, With our tongues we prevail; our lips are our own [to command at our will]--who is lord and master over us?
There is so much that could be said, but the main thing is we go to God for forgiveness, repent, turn from our sins and turn to God, then let our Advocate Jesus fight the accusers.
Revelation 12:10(Amplified Bible)
...for the accuser of our brethren, he who keeps bringing before our God charges against them day and night, has been cast out!
In the last days there will be troublemakers, slanders, and those who callous and inhuman. They are relentless and will not let a truce come and they will continue to accuse and make accusations to those of God.
Timothy 3:3-5(Amplified Bible)
3[They will be] without natural [human] affection (callous and inhuman), relentless (admitting of no truce or appeasement); [they will be] slanderers (false accusers, troublemakers), intemperate and loose in morals and conduct, uncontrolled and fierce, haters of good.
4[They will be] treacherous [betrayers], rash, [and] inflated with self-conceit. [They will be] lovers of sensual pleasures and vain amusements more than and rather than lovers of God.
5 For [although] they hold a form of piety (true religion), they deny and reject and are strangers to the power of it [their conduct belies the genuineness of their profession]. Avoid [all] such people [turn away from them].
This is a hard one for me, because at the end it says from such people turn away and some of those people happen to be family members. Sometimes our own family will be the very ones who will bring up our past sins and accuse us. If they have not truly given their lives to the living God, they will not understand God’s forgiveness. How God casts our sins away and remember them no more. (Repentance!)
Isaiah 43:25(King James Version)
25I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Psalm 103:12(King James Version)As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
These people who are doing the accusations have become a law unto themselves.
Romans 2:14-15(King James Version) For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)
What are we to do when accusations come?
First we must examine ourselves. Have we sinned? Have we repented? Have we received what Jesus did for us at the Cross? Have we turned from our sin? (this is done only as we place our faith in what Jesus did and we will receive the help of the Holy Spirit to turn away)
We need to be void of offense toward God and toward men.
Acts 24:16(Amplified Bible)
16 Therefore I always exercise and discipline myself [mortifying my body, deadening my carnal affections, bodily appetites, and worldly desires, endeavoring in all respects] to have a clear (unshaken, blameless) conscience, void of offense toward God and toward men.
We need to have a good conscience. (this is not done with works or by anything that we can do ourselves)
Acts 23:1and Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.
Matthew Henry’s commentary “Let us therefore take heed that we give him no cause of accusation against us; and that, when we have sinned, we presently go in before the Lord, and accuse and condemn ourselves, and commit our cause to Christ as our Advocate.”
Jesus is our Advocate and we must come to him to have a clear conscience.
We can be over comers. Here is how:
Revelation 12:11(Amplified Bible) And they have overcome (conquered) him by means of the blood of the Lamb and by the utterance of their testimony, for they did not love and cling to life even when faced with death [holding their lives cheap till they had to die for their witnessing].
Matthew Henry
By the blood of the Lamb, as the meritorious cause. Christ by dying destroyed him that hath the power of death, that is, the devil. [2.] By the word of their testimony, as the great instrument of war, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,—by a resolute powerful preaching of the everlasting gospel, which is mighty, through God, to pull down strongholds,—and by their courage and patience in sufferings; they loved not their lives unto the death, when the love of life stood in competition with their loyalty to Christ; they loved not their lives so well but they could give them up to death, could lay them down in Christ’s cause; their love to their own lives was overcome by stronger affections of another nature; and this their courage and zeal helped to confound their enemies, to convince many of the spectators, to confirm the souls of the faithful, and so contributed greatly to this victory.
Acts 26:1-29 This is an example of an over comer. Please read. Paul was accused, told his testimony of God’s saving grace. He almost made King Agrippa a believer in the process. Sometimes our testimony will bring others to Christ and that is one thing that Satan does not like.
1 Peter 3:16-17(Amplified Bible)
[And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear (unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives].
17 For [it is] better to suffer [unjustly] for doing right, if that should be God's will, than to suffer [justly] for doing wrong.
Matthew Henry’s commentary, “A good conversation in Christ is a holy life, according to the doctrine and example of Christ. "Look well to your conscience, and to your conversation; and then, though men speak evil of you, and falsely accuse you as evildoers, you will clear yourselves, and bring them to shame.
The most conscientious persons cannot escape the censures and slanders of evil men; they will speak evil of them, as of evildoers, and charge them with crimes which their very souls abhor: Christ and his apostles were so used...
...but thinking themselves at liberty to say and do what they please,” Ps. 12:4.
Psalm 12:4(Amplified Bible)
4 Those who say, With our tongues we prevail; our lips are our own [to command at our will]--who is lord and master over us?
There is so much that could be said, but the main thing is we go to God for forgiveness, repent, turn from our sins and turn to God, then let our Advocate Jesus fight the accusers.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
"Sanctification by Works?"
This is in response to my earlier post. When I said this: “Your works are not contributing to your Justification, but your works manifest the Sanctification that is in progress in you!”
The responses left me feeling that we could work our way to Sanctification. Sanctification is not a part of our works. Works is a part of the Sanctification process in us. The work of the Holy Spirit in us will produce the works that we do. He makes us Holy. We can not make ourselves Holy through our works. We are Sanctified by His blood and the work of the Holy Spirit in us & we are being sanctified daily the same way.
To say we have to work for our sanctification, is like saying we have to work for our salvation. (Eph. 2:8-10) Don’t get me wrong we do works. But it is only as we place our faith in what Jesus did for us at the Cross, that the Holy Spirit works through us and that work in us produces works.
Romans 15:16..being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
(By the Holy Ghost, not by works)
1 Corinthians 1:30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
(God made unto us sanctification, not our works)
1 Corinthians 6:11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. ( we are sanctified in the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of God)
2 Thessalonians 2:13 ...because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: (through sanctification of the Spirit, not through our works)
Hebrews 2:11For both he that sanctifieth...(It is He that Sanctifieth, not our works)
Hebrews 2:11(Amplified Bible) For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy]...(Through the Sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit) (Through the work of the Holy Spirit, not through our works)
Hebrews 9:11-14But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (our works are dead if we think our works can sanctify us. It is through our faith in Christ, not through our faith in our works, that sanctify us)
Hebrews 10:10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.(Not of Works)
Hebrews 13:12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Nothing but the blood!!! Nothing but the blood saved us & nothing but our faith placed in the blood will produce sanctification in our lives. Once we place our faith in the sanctifying blood of Jesus, God gives us Grace and the Help of the Holy Spirit and that will produce our works)
1 Peter 1:2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit...(of the Spirit, not through our works)
Jude 1...to them that are sanctified by God the Father...
Sanctification is a process. We are Sanctified when we receive what Jesus did for us at the Cross. The same way, as we keep looking to the Cross, we are Sanctified. Our sanctification does not depend on our works. Our Sanctification depends on our faith being placed and focused on Jesus, then the Holy Spirit will produce proper works in us. If we are focusing on our works to sanctify us we will fail. I hear Jimmy Swaggart put it in a perfect way, “Proper works never produces proper faith, but proper faith will always produce proper works.” In other words we can not depend on, look to, try really hard to sanctify ourselves. We can not do anything on our own. We must continue everyday to place our faith in what Jesus did and that alone and we will receive help from the Holy Spirit and that WILL produce proper works in us!! (this by in no means are all that can be said about this subject. I just felt I did not want to leave the impression that I was for sanctification by works. We must keep our focus on the Cross and the Cross alone)
The responses left me feeling that we could work our way to Sanctification. Sanctification is not a part of our works. Works is a part of the Sanctification process in us. The work of the Holy Spirit in us will produce the works that we do. He makes us Holy. We can not make ourselves Holy through our works. We are Sanctified by His blood and the work of the Holy Spirit in us & we are being sanctified daily the same way.
To say we have to work for our sanctification, is like saying we have to work for our salvation. (Eph. 2:8-10) Don’t get me wrong we do works. But it is only as we place our faith in what Jesus did for us at the Cross, that the Holy Spirit works through us and that work in us produces works.
Romans 15:16..being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
(By the Holy Ghost, not by works)
1 Corinthians 1:30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
(God made unto us sanctification, not our works)
1 Corinthians 6:11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. ( we are sanctified in the name of the Lord and by the Spirit of God)
2 Thessalonians 2:13 ...because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: (through sanctification of the Spirit, not through our works)
Hebrews 2:11For both he that sanctifieth...(It is He that Sanctifieth, not our works)
Hebrews 2:11(Amplified Bible) For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy]...(Through the Sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit) (Through the work of the Holy Spirit, not through our works)
Hebrews 9:11-14But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (our works are dead if we think our works can sanctify us. It is through our faith in Christ, not through our faith in our works, that sanctify us)
Hebrews 10:10By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.(Not of Works)
Hebrews 13:12Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. (Nothing but the blood!!! Nothing but the blood saved us & nothing but our faith placed in the blood will produce sanctification in our lives. Once we place our faith in the sanctifying blood of Jesus, God gives us Grace and the Help of the Holy Spirit and that will produce our works)
1 Peter 1:2Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit...(of the Spirit, not through our works)
Jude 1...to them that are sanctified by God the Father...
Sanctification is a process. We are Sanctified when we receive what Jesus did for us at the Cross. The same way, as we keep looking to the Cross, we are Sanctified. Our sanctification does not depend on our works. Our Sanctification depends on our faith being placed and focused on Jesus, then the Holy Spirit will produce proper works in us. If we are focusing on our works to sanctify us we will fail. I hear Jimmy Swaggart put it in a perfect way, “Proper works never produces proper faith, but proper faith will always produce proper works.” In other words we can not depend on, look to, try really hard to sanctify ourselves. We can not do anything on our own. We must continue everyday to place our faith in what Jesus did and that alone and we will receive help from the Holy Spirit and that WILL produce proper works in us!! (this by in no means are all that can be said about this subject. I just felt I did not want to leave the impression that I was for sanctification by works. We must keep our focus on the Cross and the Cross alone)
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