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test fred

by   
12/23/2016 / Career




Is Gods Kingdom Divided Against Itself?


 


Mark 3:24
If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand.

Mark 3:26
And if Satan is divided and rises against himself, he cannot stand; his end has come.


 


 


Mark 3:25
If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand.


 


Matthew 12:25
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.


 


STOP


 


 


 


 


Living Under The Law Produces Pharisee’s


 


 


Pharisee,s older brother in prodigal son


 


 


 


STOP


 


Prison of Sin, Prison of Righteousness


 


 


When you are in a prison you are locked up, unable to free yourself. The same is true when you are in the prison of sin or the prison of righteousness.


 


 


 


 


 


 


STOP+


 


Jesus Preached The Gospel to The Dead Once


 


For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 1 Peter 3:18 NASB


 


For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, becausethey formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 1 Peter 3:18-20 ESV


 


 


STOP


 


 


“Not Under The Law” – What it Means


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


STOP


 


 


Everything is Permissible


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


STOP


 


What Happens When a Person Believes Somethingis True


 


If I believe one candidate offers more hope than the other, I vote for that candidate.


 


If I believe


 


If I believed Noah’s message from God, I would have gotten in the Ark and been saved.


 


If I believed Moses message from God, I would have placed blood on the door posts.


 


 


 


Things many people believe but they do not obey their faith.


 


Most smokers believe smoking causes cancer and leads to premature death.


 


Most alcoholics believe their drinking will lead them into problems.


 


 


STOP


 


 


 


 


 


The Sons Are Free – From The Law


 


When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.” Matt 17:24-27


 


The laws of the Roman Empire in Peter’s day included paying taxes or coming under condemnation. The only ones exempt from the law were the king’s family and any he might designate exempt. In the above verses, Jesus is pointing out that in God’s kingdom as a member of God’s family, we are not subject tothe law as a non-family member would be.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Why Believing the Truth Matters


 


Many people will ask why it is so important to be right.


 


“You Christians, Muslims and Jews and many others all think you are right. Insisting you are right and others are wrong is what leads to all of the wars and killing we see. Let’s just let everyone believe what they want and we will have peace. Everyone’s belief is just as valid as the next guy.”


 


I agree that everyone has the right to believe whatever they want and no one has the right to force their beliefs on anyone. We should treat each other with respect and love one another. The truth is that every belief thinks they are right, including a person who might offer this argument.


 


I understand the logic and compassion behind this argument. People are tired of violence done in the name of religion. They just want it to stop and I agree with them.


 


Earlier I listed a number of beliefs to reveal their contradictory positions. The proponents of each one of these beliefs think they are right, think they have the truth and the others are incorrect, which means they would not have the truth.


 


While the beliefs I listed previously do contradict and cannot all be true due to this fact. Contradictory positions can and often do have things in common too. If you examine the list, all of the beliefs have in common the knowledge of right and wrong, that we should do right and not wrong and the sense that there will be a day of reckoning in some form. All intuitively sense that doing bad will have eventual consequences. For atheists the consequences would be in this life only but for the rest it would be adverse judgment and punishment by God, reincarnation as a lower life form or other. All people sense the injustice in this world, their own guilt and pending judgment to some degree.


 


So, if the intuitive sense of mankind is correct and the TRUTH is that there is going to be a day when the injustice will be corrected in some fashion, the TRUTH becomes very important. The Bible says that there will be a day when God will judge the world in righteousness, a day when Jesus will return as a lion and not as a sacrificial lamb like he did the first time. A day of judgment when all things will be made right. If this is true, a person’s contradictory belief will not change this.


 


 


 


Is There A Second Chance For Those Who do Not Believe?


 


Jesus preached the righteous for the unrighteous to those in prison after he was crucified and before he rose again.


 


1 Peter 3:18-20 (NIV)


18  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19  After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits — 20  to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,


 


What verse says he will not do this again?


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Passover - Blood on the doorposts


 


Two families, one fearing, one in faith,


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Whatever We are Conscious of Grows


 


Heb 10:2


 


 


 


 


 


God Justifies the Ungodly. Do You Qualify?


 


And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, Rom 4:5


 


For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Rom 5:6


 


But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:8


 


Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Rom 8:33


 


It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Rom 3:26


 




How to Have Peace in All Circumstances


 


For years I have prayed for God to change my circumstances. For example, since I was a child I have been insecure about my appearance. I cannot even guess how many times I asked God to change things when I was younger and even at times as I have aged. Even now at 57, insecurity has been my constant companion, sometimes far from my thoughts and at other times very present.Insecurity is fear and it has stolen much from my life. Recently God led me to change my prayer and my life, which I will reveal further in this article.


 


Jesus clearly tells us that the peace he left with us is not as the world gives.


 


Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27


 


God’s peace surpasses all understanding.


 


And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:7


 


It is the peace that Paul and Peter displayed while locked in prison not knowing what would happen next.  It is a peace that makes no sense to the world and a beacon to the lost if displayed by Christians.


 


On the other hand, the world’s peace is based on circumstances. Things are going good and we have peace. Things are going bad and when we need it most, circumstantial peace is nowhere to be found. We are so attuned to this type of peace, we often try and change our circumstances anyway we can.


 


God pointed out to me that when I ask him to change my circumstances, take away the problem as Paul did in 2 Cor 12:8, I am seeking the world’s circumstantial peace and not God’s peace that overcomes all circumstances.


 


Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 2 Cor 12:8


 


Paul wanted his circumstances changed and God would not change them. Instead God told Paul he had everything he needed to overcome the problem in his grace.


 


But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Cor 12:9


 


Later we see this transformation in Paul, where his contentment and peace are no longer dependent on his circumstances.


 


Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  Phil 4:11-12


 


So what do I ask God for in prayer now instead of a change in circumstances? I ask him for the power to rise above and overcome my circumstances. In this particular case, to rise above my insecurity and break free from the fear that has robbed me of so much life.


 


Like Paul, I now believe “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Phil 4:13


 


Now let me ask you, which kind of peace you would prefer if you had a choice?  Do you want the world’s peace that is based on circumstances or do you want God’s peace that surpasses all understanding and overcomes all circumstances?


 


If you choose God’s peace over the worlds, which I hope you do, then tell your Heavenly Father. Pray and ask him to help you and guide you away from seeking the world’s circumstantial peace and into a life filled with his peace that surpasses all understanding. I did in a prayer awhile back and while it has been a rough journey at times because I am so think headed, it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.


 


One of the keys to walking in his peace is found in the second part of John 14:27.


 


Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.


 


The next time satan tempts you towards the sins of fear and worry and your heart feels troubled. Reject the temptation towards fear and worry and say “heart, do not be troubled or afraid”. Doing this consistently lets God and the enemy know,you really believe God when he says you do not need to fear or worry.


 


 


God’s NOT CountingYour Sins Christian


 


There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Rom 8:1


 


I believe that Christians are looking to get out of sin and not into sin. That said, believers can be found trapped in varying depths of sin from very visible outward actions to hidden pride, self-righteousness, worry, doubt or fear.


 


The key to freedom from the sin trap is found exclusively in the realizationthat we are completely forgiven and under grace where sinis not counted, has no dominion over us (Rom 6:14). The knowledge of total forgiveness and that God loves us as much as he loves Jesus (John 17:23), leads us to love as God loves.


 


LOVE BEING THE SPIRIT OF ALL OF GOD’S LAWS, fulfills the letter by default (Rom 13:8-10, Gal 5:14).


 


Jesus fulfilled the letter by walking in the Spirit. Today you can start to break free from the sin trap by walking in the Spirit too, fulfilling the letter by default. By faithbelieve God’s word, He loves you as much as He loves Jesus, you are totally forgiven and under grace where your sin is not counted against you.


 


"I will forgive their iniquity, I will remember their sin no more.”Jer 31:34b


“…that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:19).


but sin is not counted where there is no law (Rom 5:13).


“For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression” (Rom 4:15).


These verses do not say there is no condemnation for those who do not sin. That would give man the glory. No condemnation comes because under grace sin is not counted. All the Glory is God’s.


Also see Rom 2:12, Rom 7:8, Heb 10:17, Luke 7:47, Rom 8:2, 1 John 4:18.


Read in-depth articles about this topic HERE,HERE and HERE.


Contact Michael HERE.


 


 


 


Gentiles Were Never Under the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments


Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the Law, do by nature what the Law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the Law, Rom 2:14


These are the statutes and rules and laws that the LORD made between himself and the people of Israel through Moses on Mount Sinai. Lev 26:46


These are the commandments that the LORD commanded Moses for the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. Lev 27:34


These are the commandments and the rules that the LORD commanded through Moses to the people of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. Numb 36:13


These are the words of the covenant that the LORD commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant that he had made with them at Horeb. Deut 29:1


To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 1 Cor 9:21


All who sin apart from the Law will also perish apart from the Law, and all who sin under the Law will be judged by the Law. Rom 2:12


5Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” 6The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Acts 15:5-11


19“It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” Acts 15 19-21


Greetings.


24We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.


Farewell.


 


How to Become Righteous Without Pursuing Righteousness


This Bible study presents the truth from scripture that Gentiles were never under the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments. This is not to say that if you are a Gentile, it is okay to willfully violate the commandments.


We see a clear differences in the Bible between the Jew and the Gentile.For example, the law of Moses, the Ten Commandments were given exclusively to the Jews. They pursued righteous by trying to keep the law and never attained it.


but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Rom 9:31


On the other hand, the Gentiles (anyone who is not a Jew) never had the law or Moses, so they could not pursue righteousness through law keeping. The only thing they could do was to believe and it worked.


What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; Rom 9:30


God’s elect are those who do not pursue righteousness by the law or their works. The elect are those who believe God and are declared righteous by God.


What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking (righteousness). The elect obtained it (righteousness), but the rest (Jew) were hardened,  Rom 11:7


 


Because they were ignorant of God's righteousness and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Rom 10:3


I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not be conceited: A hardening in part has come to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. Rom 11:25


So here is the question. Are you pursuing righteousness like the Jews?Are you pursuing perfection in thought, word and deed, tightly hanging onto the law by your fingernails? Living under a law that was never given to you, always attempting and never seeming to attaining righteousness with God like the Jews?


Or can you sincerely say and believe when you look at yourself in that mirror: “Ihave attained righteousness by faith in Jesus just as the Gentiles in His day did by simply believing the gospel?


They Gentiles in His day knew for certain they were never under the law of Moses. None of the law given to the Jews through Moses, including The Ten Commandments given to them.They simply believed Jesus and the Apostles when they said believe and you will be made right with God by faith, you will be saved.


For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. Rom 2:14


For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.  To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.  To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 1 Cor 9:19-21


If you are a Jew I can understand because the law was given solely to the Jews. It was not given to the gentiles. The gentiles had no real thought or hope of being right with God, the Jews had made that clear.


Law given to the Jews.



These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.
Leviticus 26:46


These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai. Lev 27:34


These are the commandments and the ordinances which the LORD commanded to the sons of Israel through Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan opposite Jericho. Numbers 36:13


These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb. Deut 29:1


STOP


God is Not Double Minded


God instructs us to use our tongues to bless people and not to curse them. In the same way, God does not bless us and curse us at the same time.


8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,c these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. James 3:10-12


The curse comes from being under the law. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior are no longer under the curse.


10For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”d 12But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— 14so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirite through faith. Gal 3:10-13


17But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. Luke 11:17


Taming the Tongue


1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.


How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,a and set on fire by hell.b 7For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,c these things ought not to be so. 11Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.


Jesus Curses the Fig Tree


18In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.


20When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matt 21: 18-22


 


 


Stop


*IS THIS VERSE TALKING ABOUT THE LAW NOT BEING IN PLACE BEFORE MOSES?


Here is another verse that I believe refers to the fact that the law was not in force prior to Moses. This verse mentions that prior to the foundation of the Lords house being laid, no wages were paid. The Bible says the wages of sin are death.


9Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.  10For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. Zech 8:0-10


 


 


 


 


*Standard atheist/Amazon Reply


 


 


A person can believe whatever we want.  No one can tell another person what is legitimate or sufficient evidence for them to believe one way or the other.


 


 


I did want to clarify my point though. The argument for God’s existence is not from what we do not know (ignorance) as you have stated a few times. The argument for Gods existence comes from what we undeniably do know, what is observed 100% of the time through repeated observation and testing.


 


 


We havepositive, empirically verifiable evidence, collected since the scientific method was first put into practice as our support. Below are just four of many points. These are points we just assume and recognize as reality as we live and make decisions in our daily lives. Denial of these four points is to deny obvious reality.


 


1. We know for a fact through observation and testing that (100% of the time) life never proceeds from non-life. To assume that the first life could come from non-life by accident, luck, chance and time is contrary to all of the empirical data that has been collected. To assume aliens seeded the earth as Dawkins has suggested has no evidential support and  only begs the question, who created the aliens.


 


 


 


2. We know for a fact through observation and testing that(100% of the time) informationonly proceeds from an information rich source like yourself. To assert that the informationwe observe came from non-information and non-life by accident, luck, chance and time is contrary to all of the empirical data that has been collected.


 


 


3) We know for a fact through observation and testing that (100% of the time) messages, codes, languages, instructionsproceed only from a conscious mind.  DNA is not merely a molecule with a pattern; it is a code, a language, and an information storage mechanism. To assume that the complex message we see in DNA came from non-life, non-intelligence and non-information by accident, luck, chance and time is contrary to all of the empirical data that has been collected.


 


 


4) We know for a fact through observation and testing that (100% of the time) design only comes from an intelligent source.  To deny what we know about design, is to ignore all of the empirical data that has and is being observed. Often the visible design of a product can only be known by the designer. While atheists now try and claim that God did a poor job if he exists, they do not know fully the designers intents. You could say my laptop is a poor design because it cannot run NASA. But you would never claim my laptop did not have an intelligent designer.


 


 


The fact that the highly improbable, extraordinary one-time events listed above are never observed to occur by accident, luck, chance, time and eventhrough intelligent scientific intervention, andthat they are not explainable by natural or scientific laws, makes them by definition miraculous events anyway you look at it. Therefore atheists are asserting miracles without a miracle worker. Life from non-life by accident, luck, chance and time as they claim is just as absurd as the miraculous verses in the Bible if and only if God does not exist . The only way they do not make any sense is if God does not exist. With the existence of God, miraculous events like those listed cannot be denied as possible or considered absurd. 


No person observed these initial events and they cannot be observed and tested in the lab, falsified through observation and testing,  yet atheists believe them. Since they cannot be tested and observed, Atheists must to their chagrin, exercise faith if they like it or not to believe these events happened by accident, luck, chance and time. They take this position despite the overwhelming positive, empirically verifiable evidence against such a position, despite the fact that we never observe these things happening today in the same manner.


These four points are so obvious there is no argument against them. I cannot personally deny the reality of what is observed in the positive, empirically verifiable evidence revealed through common observation and years of research by our best scientific minds. Yet atheists will and do. To me, what most clearly reveals the weakness of the atheist’s position is their constant ad hoc attacks,  and theiradamant refusal to even acknowledge that there is any evidence for Gods existence. Instead they remain steadfast in denial of anything that could point to Gods existence. This clearly reveals to me, it is not a matter of the facts, of searching for the truth,it is a matter of the will. I understand this position from experience, but it has nothing to do with seeking the truth.


 


The Bible is the the most critically examined and dissected book of all ages. People have been trying to get rid of the Bible since it was written. Anyone can assert that it is all made up, a myth or all lies, but the truth is there is substantial historical evidence to support it through historical verification, archeology and outside sources.  I have studied it in extreme depth and find it holds up to scrutiny for me as it has an innumerable number of people for thousands of years. As you are aware there are many websites and books that list reasonable explanations to alleged contradictions. Most contradictions come down to not reading in context. Not understanding who a book it is written to and the purpose. Anything read out of context is just a con. Your objections and excuses have all been dealt with by those who believe.  They are nothing new.


 


Denying Gods existence is not new. The Greeks were in pursuit of knowledge and worship of man’s ability as were others. You are aware of these verses in the Bible that are talking about what could be observed then and today. I find these verses in Romans interesting. They are simply pointing out that creation proves the reality of a Creator, creation makes the  necessity of a Creator so obvious, to deny the existence of  a creator is beyond absurd, it is foolish to worship the creation as Atheists do and not reason that there must be a Creator. God’s existence is axiomatic.


 


since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. Rom 1:19-20


 


Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.Rom1:22-23


 


They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator Rom 1:25


The door is always open to you in this life. 


 


 


Wish you the best along with lots of energy and patience for your children. 


 


 


Thanks for the talk.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


*START


Faith Without Works is Dead


 


These verses in James are often used out of context to bring condemnation to believers.


 


14What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? James 2:14


 


 24Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. James 2:24


 


For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. James 2:26


 


1) One thing we know for certain is that these verses cannot be contradicting what we read in the rest of the New Testament. The verses that clearly state we are saved by grace through faith HERE, tremendously outnumber these few verses.


 


2) We also need to understand that James was writing to the Jews in the Jerusalem church who thought that they were right with God simply because they were descendants of Abraham. The Bible tells us that the real descendants of Abraham were those who had faith.


In the book of Galatians Paul is dealing with believers who had been deceived into adding law keeping/works back as a means to salvation.


 


O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected bya the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.


 


For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Gal 3:1-14


 


Read all of Galatians 3 HERE which will bring even more clarity to the matter.


 


3) James uses two examples of what he calls works with Abraham and Rahab. For Abraham he uses the offering of his son which was many years after the Bible tells us Abraham was actually declared righteous simply by believing God.


 


And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Gen 15:6This was many years before he obeyed God and offered Isaac.


 


 


 


 


This is the work James is referring to: Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29


 


Obedience to the faith. Obedience of faith


 


You claim to believe (have faith) parachutes work, the plane you are in is going down and you do not put on the parachute, this would be dead faith. Faith that is alive, is faith that walks out what it claims to believe.


 


If you believe that Jesus is the messiah and you do not place your faith in Jesus, your faith is dead and cannot save you.


 


Dead faith: 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. The demons believe (have faith) that God exists, but since it does not lead them to place their faith in God, they have dead faith.


 


 


 


START


 


Do You Really Believe You Are Forgiven?


 


For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed (FORGIVEN) from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:9


 


In both of the following stories depicting incredible acts of forgiveness, we have a very difficult time seeing ourselves being as forgiving as Joseph or the Father. Could this be because as we read, we project our fallen way of dealing with situations like this onto Joseph and the Father.


 


Joseph story


 


The story of Joseph is one of the clearest Old Testament pictures of Jesus. Joseph was basically put to death by his brother who represented the tribes of Israel.  He Joseph wept because they lied because they did not believe Joseph had really forgiven them.


 


Prodigal son story


 


The problem is if we have forgotten or are unsure about God’s complete forgiveness for us as portrayed in these scriptures, 2 Peter 1:5-7tells us we will lack faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.


 


Luke 7:47 further confirms this truth: Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”


 


 


 


 


 


 


START


Christians like laws so we can judge our progress and others


 


Christian men especially have a hard time with the Bible truth that we are no longer under the Old Covenant law of Moses, including the Ten Commandments. We prefer rules and guidelines to judge ourselves and others. Rules just seem easier for us – do this, do not handle, taste or touch.


 


 


 


START


 


Christians are no longer under the law, they are above the law in Christ


 


   20If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22(which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. Col 2


 


 


 


START


 


Why Jesus Would Never Point Us Back to the Ten Commandments


 


For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Heb 10:1


 


If Jesus was standing around the corner and we could only see his shadow, we could learn several things from observing it. But if Jesus were to come out from behind the corner into full view, we would be crazy to keep our focus on the shadow. The Bible is very clear that the law was a shadow of good things to come. It was the shadow of what is found in Jesus, God’s highest standard, which is Love. Nothing else can fulfill God’s law. Jesus would never point you to the shadow when the reality has arrived. Love not only fulfills God’s written law, it surpasses it.


The following verses and others make it crystal clear that the spirit of all of Gods laws is love. The spirit of a law is the reason or intent that led the author to produce the written law.


For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Gal 5:14).


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


 


 


 


 


 


Christians Are Not Under the Law of Moses, Our Standard is Much Higher


 


 


Symptoms


 


 


Unbelief


 


16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21envy,d drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Gal 5


 


Belief


 


 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal 5


 


 


 


 


Imagine trying to save someone who did not believe you were trying to save them?


 


 


 


Submit Yourselves to God = Place faith and trust in Jesus= humble are those who have.


1What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.


4You adulterous people,a don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in usb ? 6But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:


“God opposes the proud


but shows favor to the humble.”c


7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.


11Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sisterd or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Rom 6:14 Sin no dominion under grace not law.


The law gave sin Dominion, power to kill. Refer to romans 5:12-14. Sin still exists but it can no longer kill us.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Choose Jesus Peace or Circumstantial Peace.


I have lived most of my life, including my years as a Christian, in and out of circumstantial peace. Things are going good in the world and I have peace. However, when things are going bad and I need peace the most, circumstantial peace is nowhere to be found. I wanted peace and somehow thought I could create it with careful planning.


Jesus said: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 ESV


Now when I compare circumstantial peace to Jesus peace, it is obvious which one is vastly superior. But the problem was, I did not want to give up the peace the world offers. I kept doing things the world’s way trying to make it work. I knew that no matter how carefully I built my families security the world’s way, things of this world can change in an moment and leave everything in ruins.


You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isa 26:3


 


The peace Jesus gave us is not as the world gives. It is rugged, reliable and always there when things are going bad. It is a peace the world cannot give us and has nothing to do with circumstances.


The key to God’s peace in found in His righteousness.


 


Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:8 NLT


 


If you understand that God’s laws without exception, have as their spirit “love”. It gives us insight the flood and Sodom’s destruction. From the Bible we learn there is no doubt that evil and wickedness were out of control during this time but we also learn something else very important. If you consider evil like a cancer that had almost devoured the entire human race, you begin to understand why God had to do something. Everyone was going to die at some point, God just brought things to an end quicker which the creator has the full right to do.


The critical point here is that only a handful of people who believed God were left in the time of Noah and Sodom. Everyone else had gone astray into unbelief, soon there would be no one to bring the Messiah through so that man could be saved. God’s desire is that those who will believe have a chance to believe. God’s actions like God’s laws are all based on His love for us as a whole (John 3:16).


God’s destruction of mankind in the flood was to protect a remnant of believers so that when the time was right, Jesus would have a believer to come into the world through.


Those who died in the flood and in Sodom were not under the law so they could not be condemned by the law but they were dead because of Adams one act of disobedience as these verses state.


Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  Yet death reigned (because of Adams one act of disobedience) from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Rom 5:12-14


In Romans Paul says that he did not know sin but by the law. This would mean that those before the law, did not know sin, in the same sense that Paul did not know sin, before he knew the law (Rom 7:7). Jesus went to those who had perished before the law, those who did not know what sin was like Paul, and preached the righteous for the unrighteous, which is the gospel. He preached to them so they too would believe and be saved from death that Adam let into the world.


For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison,  becausethey formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 1 Peter 3:18-20


In a nutshell, Man was under grace for roughly 2,550 years from Adam to when Moses gave the law. The problem God wanted to deal with mainly was the death that had been let in the door by Adams disobedience (Rom 5:17). That is the only thing God warned Adam would happen before his disobedience (Gen 2:17). None of those who died prior to the law of Moses were held accountable for their sins (Rom 5:13), which were many. Where there is no law there is no transgression according to God. They died because of Adams disobedience. Prior to the law of Moses, mankind had gotten to the point of where there were virtually no believers left as evidence by the handful of people saved from the flood and in Sodom. God has stepped in many times in the Old Testament to protect a remnant of believers. If he had not, there would not have been a believer to bring Jesus into the world through when the time was right. Gods actions which may on the surface seem like massive punishment to mankind were actually the love of God, they were the only way to save mankind from completely destroying themselves by cutting themselves off from God forever. The law of Moses came purely to make mankind aware of their sin, stop their mouth from justifying, guard them, teach them and lead them to the savior. (Gal 3:24-25) God brought the law and then the gospel to give every person who would believe a chance to believe. Once we came to the savior who had overcome death for us, the sins we committed under the first covenant were forgiven (Rom 9:15)  and we were removed from being under the law and placed under grace (Rom 6:14). Grace is the same place those from Adam to Noah lived, where sin is still existent, but where there is no law transgressions are not counted against man. What an amazing God we have!


Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  Yet death reigned (because of Adams one act of disobedience) from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Rom 5:12-14


For all who have sinned without the law, WILL ALSO PERISH WITHOUT THE LAW, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. Rom 2:12 


Would you consider the flood and destruction of Sodom God’s punishment for their sins?  Well it cannot bewrath from God for breaking the law since there was no law. “For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.” Rom 4:15


Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. Rom 9:15


 


For apart from the law, sin lies dead. Rom 7:8b ESV


 


 


 


What is Sin?


The breaking of God’s law is sin. The Bible tells us the law is the only way man can recognize and therefore be charged with sin.


In 1 John 3:4 it tells us that sin is the breaking of God’s law.  “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” 1 John 3:4 NIV. Therefore where there is no law, sin is not charged against man. (Grace is a place where there is no law.)


Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” Rom 7:7 b ESV


What is Grace?


The absence of the law.


For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Rom 6:14, (Rom 7:1-6, Gal 2:19, Gal 3:11-12 to name a few) 


For all who have sinned without the law, WILL ALSO PERISH WITHOUT THE LAW, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. Rom 2:12 


Sin has no dominion over us as Romans 6:14 ESV states because “… APART FROM THE LAW, SIN LIES DEAD. Rom 7:8b. 


From Adam to Moses Giving of the 10 Commandments – There Was No Law - Man Was Under God’s Grace – Sin is NOT Counted Where There is NO Law.


12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, BUT SIN IS NOT COUNTED WHERE THERE IS NO LAW.  14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Rom 5:12-14


The above verses make it clear, after Adams disobedience that made all mankind sinners (Rom 5:19), man was NOT under God’s law until Moses gave the Ten Commandments. Sin was very present in the world, but the Bible clearly states that where there is no law sin is not counted against man. Since there are only two options in the Bible, under grace or under law, this is a clear picture of grace given freely by God. This will be the main focus of this article.


Side Note: Rom 5:14 points out that even though man’s sins were not counted against them, everyone still died as they do today. This was to make it abundantly clear that the problem of death came to all, not because of our individual acts of sin, but because of Adams one act of disobedience. To read more about this go here: http://www.faithwriters.com/article-details.php?id=181435 (Rom 5:12-19)


To start it helps to picture who lived from Adam to Moses, apart from the law, under God’s grace. If you are familiar with the Bible you will recognize that there were countless sins committed during this time. Go here: http://biblehub.com/timeline/#ot to see a Biblical timeline.  We are reviewing 4,000 BC to around 1446 BC, 2,554 years, where man lived under grace and their sins were not counted against them.


During this time, the world was in its current fallen state and there was a lot of sin that was not counted against man. Just think of any individual sin we see today and it was there: murder, rape, lies, stealing, adultery, homosexuality, kidnapping and on and on. To name just a few:   Cain kills Able, The Flood and Noah, Tower of Babel, Sodom’s destruction, Abraham marries his sister, lies about his wife twice, Isaac lies about his wife twice, Jacob steals Esau’s blessing, Josephs brothers sell him and lie to their father Jacob and on and on. Sin had gotten so bad in the time of Noah, after only 1,500 years, God basically wiped out mankind, not for their sin which he does hate, butfor their benefit, to save mankind in the end, we will get to that.The fact that we see sin during this time of no law agrees with Paul: Rom 5:13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but SIN IS NOT COUNTED WHERE THERE IS NO LAW. 


We clearly see God’s grace protecting Cain when he killed his brother Able. Gen 4:15 If Cain had been under the law he would have been put to death.


Pointing out the obvious, if there was no law during these 2,554 years, man could not have been righteous, right with God by keeping the law, as some claim must be done today.


Yet the Bible talks about those who are righteous (right with God). During this time period we see revealed a person the Bible calls the Father of Righteousness, Abraham. We also see others God calls righteous, even Abrahams nephew Lot who committed some very sinful things, slept with his daughters, pitched his tent towards Sodom, offered his daughters to the men of Sodom to do as they wished, etc. All of these people committed sins, but since there was no law, sin was not counted against any of them according to Romans 5:13.


I reiterate that Abraham, Lot and Noah or anyone else before the law, could not have been right with God by law keeping, because there was no law.Yet these three men were declared righteous by God. Their Righteousness was credited to them because, by faith they believed God. It is interesting to note that Abraham believed God when God told him he would bless him greatly. This is the same thing God is telling people will happen if they believe now in Christ. When a person believes someone, they heed their advice and direction as we see several of these people doing with God. In other words, it will not help you to believe THAT Jesus is God. You need to put your belief IN Jesus as your savior.


And he (Abraham) believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Gen 15:6 ESV


By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.  By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.  By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Heb 11:4-7


and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 2:Peter 2:7


Note: The term righteous means right with God. In the New Testament, the same Greek word shown HERE is used for the words just, justified, righteous and righteousness.


The righteous (those who believed God) are the only ones God did not wipe out during the flood (Noah and his family) or in Sodom (Lot and his family). Since there was no law from God during this time, we have learned these designations cannot possibly have anything to do with their record of law keeping. They did sin but their sin was not counted against them since they were under grace.


Think about this: The Bible teaches a person who by faith believes God is called righteous;this would mean that those who do not believe God by faith are the one designated as unrighteous.


God Rescues the Righteous


In Noah’s time when man was not under the law, we see that Noah and his family are righteous, the only ones left who believe God. The unrighteous, those who do believe God, perish. If there had been any additional righteous people left on earth, they too would have been in the Ark.


In the time of Sodom where there was no law from God, we have learned “the righteous” means those who believe God. We see Abraham negotiate with God for the righteous. In Gen 18:22-33, Abraham gets God to agree to not destroy Sodom if there are only 10 righteous people in Sodom, ten people who believe God. In the end two angels are sent to remove righteous Lot and his family from Sodom. Obviously there were not ten people left in Sodom who believed God. Lot and his family were the only righteous ones, the only ones who believed God in Sodom. Actually, Lot may have been the only one who believed, but God in his great love for mankind allowed Lots family members to come. God even offered to let the two men betrothed to Lots daughter to escape, but they laughed, did not believe God and did not leave with Lot.


Would you consider the flood and destruction of Sodom God’s punishment for their sins?  Well it cannot bewrath from God for breaking the law since there was no law. “For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.” Rom 4:15


The fact that during this time God was not counting man’s sins against them, is further confirmed by the following verse which states that Jesus death only redeemed those who transgressed the law of first covenant, the Old Covenant law of Moses. The verse is excluding those who lived before the law of Moses, a period of grace when sin was not counted against man. This time is when many great men of God lived. Abraham and Noah for example and even Moses before he gave the law. We know these men are in Heaven from the Bible. The fact that Jesus only redeemed people from sins under the law of Moses, further confirms that prior to the law of Moses, under grace,  sin was not held against man.


Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. Rom 9:15


If you understand that God’s laws without exception, have as their spirit “love”. It gives us insight the flood and Sodom’s destruction. From the Bible we learn there is no doubt that evil and wickedness were out of control during this time but we also learn something else very important. If you consider evil like a cancer that had almost devoured the entire human race, you begin to understand why God had to do something. Everyone was going to die at some point, God just brought things to an end quicker which the creator has the full right to do.


The critical point here is that only a handful of people who believed God were left in the time of Noah and Sodom. Everyone else had gone astray into unbelief, soon there would be no one to bring the Messiah through so that man could be saved. God’s desire is that those who will believe have a chance to believe. God’s actions like God’s laws are all based on His love for us as a whole (John 3:16).


God’s destruction of mankind in the flood was to protect a remnant of believers so that when the time was right, Jesus would have a believer to come into the world through.


Those who died in the flood and in Sodom were not under the law so they could not be condemned by the law but they were dead because of Adams one act of disobedience as these verses state.


Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.  Yet death reigned (because of Adams one act of disobedience) from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Rom 5:12-14


In Romans Paul says that he did not know sin but by the law. This would mean that those before the law, did not know sin, in the same sense that Paul did not know sin, before he knew the law (Rom 7:7). Jesus went to those who had perished before the law, those who did not know what sin was like Paul, and preached the righteous for the unrighteous, which is the gospel. He preached to them so they too would believe and be saved from death that Adam let into the world.


For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, becausethey formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 1 Peter 3:18-20


The truth is grace was always God’s plan for mankind. The spirit of all of God’s laws being love (Read Here) were given to protect mankind from each other’s fallen nature and arouse sin so we could be taught our need for a savior.


So then, the law was our guardian/schoolmaster until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. Gal 3:24


In this verse we see that when the law came it aroused sin and gave it power.


But sin used this command to arouse all kinds of covetous desires within me! If there were no law, sin would not have that power. Rom 7:8 NLT


In the following verse we see that when the law increased sin, the trespass. Grace abounded all the more. This means that even though God’s law increased sin, God’s grace that was already there abounded even more to handle the increased sin.


Now the law came in to increase the trespass (the trespass that was there but men like Paul could not see apart from the law), but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, Rom 5:20 ESV. God made sin obvious to man so he would see his need for a savior. God is amazing and loves us greatly.


I firmly believe that any person who has placed their faith in Jesus for salvation and is born again, is looking for a way out of sin, not for a way into sin. If you are looking for an excuse to sin and think grace may be a license for you to sin, you my friend are not saved. God will not be fooled by imposters who believe that Jesus is the savior but do not believe in Jesus as their savior. To make it clear, I am against sin completely. Sin kills, steals and destroys from those who sin and the victims of sin. It is simply that the Bible does not teach us that we should go back to the law to stop sin. Actually, the Bible teaches us that we do not want to be caught dead under the law. (Review 37 Bible Verses Here) God tells us that grace and the understanding that we are forgiven much is what teaches us to deny ungodliness and to love as God does, thus fulfilling the spirit of the law (Titus 2:12, Luke 7:47, 2 Peter 1:9) The spirit of God’s law is much higher than the letter of God’s law. The spirit of all of God’s laws is love. (Gal 5:14 Rom 13:8-10) The Letter Kills the Spirit Gives Life, How to Stop Sin


In a nutshell, Man was under grace for roughly 2,550 years from Adam to when Moses gave the law. The problem God wanted to deal with mainly was the death that had been let in the door by Adams disobedience (Rom 5:17). That is the only thing God warned Adam would happen before his disobedience (Gen 2:17). None of those who died prior to the law of Moses were held accountable for their sins (Rom 5:13), which were many. Where there is no law there is no transgression according to God. They died because of Adams disobedience. Prior to the law of Moses, mankind had gotten to the point of where there were virtually no believers left as evidence by the handful of people saved from the flood and in Sodom. God has stepped in many times in the Old Testament to protect a remnant of believers. If he had not, there would not have been a believer to bring Jesus into the world through when the time was right. Gods actions which may on the surface seem like massive punishment to mankind were actually the love of God, they were the only way to save mankind from completely destroying themselves by cutting themselves off from God forever. The law of Moses came purely to make mankind aware of their sin, stop their mouth from justifying, guard them, teach them and lead them to the savior. (Gal 3:24-25) God brought the law and then the gospel to give every person who would believe a chance to believe. Once we came to the savior who had overcome death for us, the sins we committed under the first covenant were forgiven (Rom 9:15)  and we were removed from being under the law and placed under grace (Rom 6:14). Grace is the same place those from Adam to Noah lived, where sin is still existent, but where there is no law transgressions are not counted against man. What an amazing God we have!


For apart from the law, sin lies dead. Rom 7:8b ESV


Read many more articles about the New Covenant and who we are in Christ HERE.


 


We Were Made Sinners, so was Jesus, Without Committing a Single Sin


How can we be a sinner without committing even one sin?


For as by the one man’s (Adam) disobedience the many were made sinners, Rom 5:19a


How can Jesus be made sin without committing even one sin?


For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, 2 Cor 5:21a


The difference is we did not have a choice to be made a sinner in a fallen world.


Jesus did have a choice and he chose to be made a sinner to take our place.


I think we can agree, if we had a choice to not be born into a fallen world with a fallen nature,


Jesus is very aware of the fact that all of the descendants of Adam did not have a choice to be born with a fallen nature into a fallen world.  We were all made sinners by Adams one act of disobedience.


 


so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.


 


 


No Righteous Acts Needed to be Righteous Before God


How can man be righteous before God without doing even one righteous act?


The same way Jesus who committed no sin was made sin.


 


How to Have a Perfect Conscience


Blood of bulls and goats could never perfect


Evil Conscience,doing things out of guilt, mary and Martha, what would you think if I offered to pay you for a gift you got me? seared conscience thayers, give out of joy, do nothing out of guilt.


1For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. 2Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? 3But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Heb 10


6These preparations having thus been made, the priests go regularly into the first section, performing their ritual duties, 7but into the second only the high priest goes, and he but once a year, and not without taking blood, which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. 8By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing 9(which is symbolic for the present age).d According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, 10but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation.


Redemption Through the Blood of Christ


11But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come,e then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctifyf for the purification of the flesh, 14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify ourg conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Heb 9


 


 


 


Jesus sacrifice worked so no longer sin conscious.


 


 


The Fall Guy


We are not the bad guys, we are the fall guys.


One of the most deceptive things satan has led religion to do is to give mankind the impression that God is angry with us, and views us as his enemy. Because of this, many havebeen led to believe that God is always watching every step, waiting for us to fall so he can punish us now and with eternity in hell. Many teach that God will save the worst of the worst but after a person places there trust in Jesus, they teach that God is quite willing to throw us out of the lifeboat when we sin. All of these false teachings, lead to fear of punishment and a picture of God the exact opposite of the truth.


I cannot imagine there is one single person reading this article who would choose to be born with a fallen nature into a fallen world where the accuser of the brethren would point out their sins day and night .Yet that is exactly what happened to every human born into this world with the exception of Jesus. No one had a choice to reject our inheritance from Adam.


 


born with an fallen naturIn the beginning God created the universe and all we see. He also created man in his image and called man very good. God had a very close relationship with Adam and gave him the entire earth. He brought a woman as a helpmate named Eve so Adam would not be alone. Adam and Eve were blessed greatly and to this day there has not been a richer couple that has ever lived. Everything was theirs, given to them by God himself.


The truth is, the first man Adam was deceived into not trusting God, not believing God, by the God’s real enemy. His failure to believe God opened the door, allowing Gods real enemy to deceive him.


 


 


 


 


 


 


One Act of Disobedience Forfeited the Inheritance


By one act of disobedience Adam forfeited his inheritance.


By one act of disobedience Esau forfeited his inheritance


that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. Heb 12:16 NASB


Non-believers forfeit their in heritance by not believing.


For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:26


 


 


 


 


Double Minded RighteousnessGuarantee


For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:7-8


Your belief about what makes you right with Godis not only critical for salvation; it isthe key to the Kingdom of God, the key to replacing a life of guilt and shame with a life of peace and joy in Christ.


Old Covenant Way: Mankind Tried to be Right With God by Keeping the Law.


"It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us. Deut 6:25


If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.  All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: Deut 28:1-2


However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you: Deut 28:15


What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law.  Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works…Rom 9:30-32


Mankind failed to keep the law to be right with God.


Guarantee: If you hold an Old Covenant mentality with God of do good and get blessed, do bad and be cursed, you will never walk in the spirit and receive the blessings in this life Jesus died to give you. You will suffer from guilt, shame and reoccurring sin.


New Covenant Way:Mankind IS Righteous, Right with God by Grace and Truth.


…so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Rom 5:19b


 


Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Acts 13:39 NIV


For in the Gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed--a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written. "The righteous will live by faith" (Romans 1:17 ESV).


 


Or do you believe God when he says he replaced the Old Covenant with the New Covenant?


The Fathers will was for Jesus to come and do away with the Old Covenant of law and establish the New Covenant of grace. - When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first (Old Mosaic Covenant of Law) in order to establish the second (New Covenant of Grace). And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Heb 10:8-10


For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. Heb 7:18-19


For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says Heb 8:7-8


In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away. Heb 8:13


For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every  year, make perfect those who draw near. Heb 10:1

The Old Covenant included the Ten Commandments - Now if the ministry of deathcarved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 
2 Cor 3:7


Side by side comparison of the New and Old Covenants HERE.


 


 


 


 


How Jesus Fulfilled the Law While Violating the Letter


 


Islam’s Sharia the Personification of the Law


 


Understanding God’s Immense Love For You


From John 3:16 “for God SO LOVED the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” throughout the entire Bible it talks about how much God love you and has always been for you and not against you.


This knowledge is crucial for all believers to understand.


14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every familyc in heaven and on earth is named,16that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Eph 3:14-19


Here are the laws of the New Covenant that Christians are supposed to obey. The Law of Spirit of Life, Law of Faith, Law of Liberty, Royal Law of Love and Law of Christ.


But now we are released from the law (Law of Moses), having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit (law of spirit of life) and not in the old way of the written code. Rom 7:6


For the LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death (Old Covenant Law of Moses). Rom 8:2


Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law?By a law of works? No, but by the LAW OF FAITH For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.  Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.  Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.Rom 3:27-31 – Those who trust fully in Jesus declare and establish God’s written law, Ten Commandments as perfect, holy and just by admitting they cannot keep such a high standard and turning to God for His saving grace.


But the one who looks into the perfect law, the LAW OF LIBERTY (Law of Spirit of Life) and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:25


This is the Royal law of love. - If you really fulfill the ROYAL LAW according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.  But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law (Royal Law of Love) as transgressors.  For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.  For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under theLAW OF LIBERTY (Law of Spirit of Life)  For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2: 8-13


The whole of God’s law spoken of in James above can only be fulfilled through love. -  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Gal 5:14


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


I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth (grace and truth came through Jesus Christ John 1:17), just as we were commanded by the Father. And now I ask you, dear lady—not as though I were writing you a new commandment,but the one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. 6And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. 2 John 1:4-6


Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Gal 6:2  - This is love again. The spirit/intent of the author of all of God’s laws is love. Love is a much higher standard than the written code.


This is the law of Christ Galatians 6:2 to talking about - For the law of the Spirit of lifehas set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Rom 8:2 (2 Cor3:7  tells us Ten Commandments is ministry of death).


God calls Christians to obey these laws under the New Covenant


For it is an intense joy to me when brethren come and bear witness to your fidelity to the truth—that you live in obedience to the truth(grace and truth came through Jesus Christ John 1:17). I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living in obedience to the truth. 3 John 1:3-4 WNT


through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the OBEDIANCE OF FAITH for the sake of his name among all the nations, Rom 1:5


but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the OBEDIANCE OF FAITH —Rom 16:26


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Christianity is for Rule Breakers NOT Rule Keepers


 


Jesus Was Not Lying


Believe and be saved.


 


 


Everyone Wants Grace but Not Many Want to Give it


We All Want Grace But it is Harder to Give


 


Speckeled sheep


Gen 30


 


 


How to read the Bible


Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. Matt 6:33


 


 


 


 


Two things All Unbelievers Have in Common


They do not believe they need a savior.


They will draw a line somewhere in the sand and say if you have done this or worse, if there is a heaven, they would be to bad to get in.


 


 


 


 


Why Would The Jews be Jealous if we Are Under the Law Too?


 


 


 


God Did Not Give the Law to Punish Mankind


 


 


 


Man Has Always Been Under Grace


1)       Roughly for the first 2,554 years, from Adam to when Moses gave the law, there was no written law. Man was under grace. Rom 5


2)       After Moses gave the law, God provided an undeserved way for man to avoid the curse/consequences of the law. Offer a sacrifice provided by God. If you were poor you could offer fine flour instead of a lamb. Lev 5:11


3)       Jesus came and fulfilled the law for mankind. God again provided an undeserved way for man to avoid the curse/consequences of the law. God provided his son, who was sacrificed as the perfect lamb of God for man’s sins once for all. This is the reality the sacrifices offered 


 


 


 


 


Only one unforgiveable sin, unbelief, therefore not asking for forgiveness as a believer cannot be the unforgiveable sin.


 


 


Deny Your Self-Righteousness and Follow Me


Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himselfand take up his cross and follow me. Matt 16:24


The above verse is often interpreted as denying oneself things in this life to serve God. While this does apply to some extent, as I read this verse today, it was revealed to me the main emphasis is about rejecting self-righteousness in favor of the righteousness of God in Christ.


The main problem with the traditional interpretation is that it makes our salvation about ourselves and not about Jesus. Taken the traditional way the interpretation is one of works and is in direct contradiction with Jesus words and numerous others  in the New Testament  that clearly indicate salvation is through faith by grace only (John 3:16).  This works needed interpretation creates a law.It leads one to believe if you are not doing these things you are not saved. This incorrect reading is then used to condemn and create guilt, leading some to question their salvation. You can also clearly see a problem with the traditional interpretation of Matt 16:24 when these verses are read.


If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—  “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch”  (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?  These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Col 2:20-23


If Matt 16:24 is speaking about denyingour SELF- righteousness, considering it crucifiedand putting on Jesus righteousness, it makes more sense and does not contradict numerous scriptures like Eph 2:8-9.


put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,  and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,  and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Eph 4:22-24


I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Gal 2:20


For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Rom 1:17


For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5:21


So everyone who acknowledges me (Jesus is my righteousness)before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me (my self-righteousness is what I stand on) before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. Matt 10:32-33


 


 


ISIS the Result of the Law


 


 


Grace – We All Want It – We All Have a Hard Time Giving It


 


 


You’re Not Acting Like a Christian


The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Titus 1:5-9


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Don’t be Caught Dead Under the Law


 


For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. Rom 2:12


 


This is an interesting verse. All who have sinned without the law will perish without the law.


But isn’t everyone under the law? Not according to this verse and several others by the way.


 


To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.  Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come. Rom 5: 13-14


 


 


For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Rom 6:14


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Inherited Adams sin Not Fair


 


God Created all of us so those who would believe would have the chance to believe.


 


 


 


The Bible Does Not Teach Mankind Deserves Hell


 


 


Has anyone ever told you that as sinners all we deserve is hell? I have, and while sharing my faith in the past, with good intentions, I have even used the term or something similar. I do understand how people can come to this conclusion. We have all sinned.


 


For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 6:23


 


However, when I search for a specific verse that says we deserve hell, I have not been able to find one. The Bible tells us Satan and his fallen angels deserve hell.


 


…‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matt 25:41


 


Satan knew exactly what he was doing and had a real choice to not rebel against God. God is not giving Satan and any fallen angels the opportunity to repent (change their mind) and believe. The Bible tells us they know God is real and …….. That seems like justice to me.


 


On the other hand, man did not have a choice to be or not be a sinner. We were made sinners by Adams disobedience. Therefore, our sins do not make us sinners, we sin because we are sinners.


I do not see the justice in sending mankind to hell


 


Rom 5:19


 


 


 


Jesus reason for asking God the Father to forgive those who crucified him was because they did not know what they were doing. They were ignorant to the truth unlike satan.


 


Father forgive them they know not what they do.


 


 


 


 


ARE THOSE WHO DO NOT COME SATANS FALLEN ANGELS?


 


Maybe my change of mind has come from how I see God now.


 


 


 


 


 


BEGIN


 


Are You Righteous Before God?


 


23Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Gen 18: 23-24


 


In the above verses, Abraham, the father of righteousness (Rom 4:16), is negotiating with God after being informed of Gods plan to wipe out Sodom. Unfortunately these verses can lead to guilt and condemnation for those who do not understand how a person is righteous, right with God.


 


Maybe it will help


 


 


 


Righteous Abraham & Lot


 


Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” Gen 12:13 ESV


 


and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. Gen 20:20 ESV


 


Behold, I (Lot) have two daughters who have not known any man. Let me bring them out to you, and do to them as you please. Gen 19:8 ESV


 


 


And he (Abraham) believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Gen 15:6


 


Abraham Intercedes for Sodom


22So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”


27Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes.28Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place. Gen 18


 


And he (Abraham) believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Gen 15:6


 


 


 


4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hella and committed them to chainsb of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;c 7and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8(for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials,d and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10and especially those who indulgee in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. 2 Peter 2


 


By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. Heb 11:7


 


 


8We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.1 Tim 1       NIV


 


So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. Gal 3:24


 


Cannot be declared righteous by the works of the law.Only by faith.http://biblehub.net/searchnt.php?q=law+is+not+made+for+the+righteous


 


20No unbelief made him (Abraham) waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.22That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.” 23But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Rom 4


 


 


Abraham lies


 


Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake.” Gen 12:13


 


And he (Abraham) believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Gen 15:6


 


and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, "She is my sister." Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. Gen 20:20


 


END


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


1)When Telling a Lie is Not a Sin


 


Rahab


 


 


2)Grieving the Holy Spirit by Keeping the Law


 


 


 


 


3)When Keeping the Letter, Grieves the Spirit


 


“You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. Lev 19:11 ESV


 


You live in Nazi Germany and you have hidden a Jewish family in your basement. Hitler’s soldiers are banging on your door. They are looking for Jews. You know if they find them, they will be killed.


 


You also know that telling a lie violates the Ten Commandments and you have always tried to obey God’s law. Do you just lie and ask for forgiveness later? What do you do Christian? Will your lie grieve the Holy Spirit?


 


The answer to this question can be found in a few places in the Bible.  The main essence of it can be found in the knowledge that all written laws have a spirit. This can also be called the intent of the laws author. A speed limit law has as its intent or spirit the protection of all involved. It is possible to adhere to a written law while violating the spirit it rests upon.  The Pharisee’s were good at doing this


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Christmas Gift to Share with Unbelievers


 


We Are Not Sinners Because We Sin. We sin because we are sinners. 


 


Adam’s unbelief in God’s warning that he would dieif he ate from the Tree of Knowledge, was the disobedience that made all mankind sinners (prisoners of sin - Gal 3:22 NLT, Psalm 53:3). No person had the option to not INHERIT Adams fallen image. (Gen 5:3)


 


Romans 5:15 -19 contrasts how man was made a sinner and how man can be made righteous. 


 


Here is how man was made a sinner:


…many died by the trespass of the one man (Adam)….Rom 5:15a


The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation…Rom 5:16a


…by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man… Rom 5:17a


one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people…Rom 5:18a


…through the disobedience of the one manthe many were made sinners…Rom 5:19a


Here is how man is made righteous (right with God):


…God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Rom 5:15b


…but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification (righteousness). Rom 5:16b


…how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Rom 5:17b


…so also one righteous act resulted in justification (righteousness) and life for all people. Rom 5:18b


…so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. Rom 5:19b


Our individual sins are not the main issue; they are a symptom of our inheritedsin nature acquired from Adam. Similar to the symptoms of a physical disease, our individual sinsrevealthe problem.Just like you would never expect to cure cancer by solely dealing with the symptoms, solely trying to stopour individual acts of sin will not change our inherited sin nature. As a matter of fact, doing so can actually hide the real problem from our sight and others, making us look good on the outside while being filled with dead man’s bones on the inside.


God gave His law (10 Commandments) to keep us in protective custody from each other’s inherited sin nature (Gal 3:23 NLT) and to arouse sin, making it more apparentreveling our problem (Rom 7:8). The law brought  the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20) so we would turn to God for help.


Understanding this truth helps us understand, since all were made sinners and all have sinned (Rom 3:23), no man can possibly be righteous before God by doingrighteous acts. We cannot change our inherited nature no matter how good we act.


Jesus tells us that only by being Born Again(John 3:7) under JesusHimself can we be maderighteous (right with God).We INHERIT Jesus righteous nature by faith when we believe God. This new naturereplaces Adams sin nature, inherited without our request at birth. It is one hundred percent a gift. 


Knowing that it did not require us to sin to be made a sinner, helps us to understand how we can be made righteous by God apart from being righteous. Adams sin was unbelief. God gives all mankind the free choice to BELIEVE and be set free from an inherited sin nature they never asked for. This is why God did all of the work making salvation so easy to obtain.


Lord, Thank you for helping me to understand that my outward actions of sin thathave gotten me in trouble and I have struggled with all these years, are symptoms that point out the root cause of my problem and my need for your help. I understand that I cannot change my inherited nature, but I now know that you can and are willing to help me. I now believe you really love me and that Jesus came for this purpose, to save me from my inherited fallen nature, making me righteous (right with God the Father) in spite of my failings. I now trust you and believe you are for me and not against me. I choose to accept your saving grace and be born again under Jesus. I choose to follow you and let your will be done in my life. Amen.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


32Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply movede in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35Jesus wept. 36So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”


Jesus Raises Lazarus


38Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” John 11:32-42


 


 


 


Living as if You Are Still Under the Curse?


 


 


And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. Joshua 8:34


 


The Old Covenant or Mosaic Covenant given by Moses, presented a long list of instructions for a person to be blessed or cursed. It was a system based on a person’s own self-righteousness. If you believed God and did as instructed you were blessed. If you failed to believe God, doing what He warned against doing, you were cursed. Today many Christians still believe that the Old Covenant system applies.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


The Core Problem if You Struggle to Act Christian


 


I think we would agree that a believer should look different than an unbeliever. A Christian life’s should display virtue, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love as listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7.


 


So how are you doing in producing these qualities? I think most Christians struggle. We struggle because we make the fundamental mistake of believing these qualities are works of the flesh. When the truth is they are fruits of the spirit.


 


We have what Paul might call Galatian’s disease. 


 


Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Gal 3:3 ESV


 


The Bible tells us the real reason we do not have virtue, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love as listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7 is because we are in unbelief in the area of being completely forgiven.


 


Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:47 ESV


 


For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:9 ESV


 


If we do not have the qualities, or we see a fellow believer who does not have them, the worst thing we can do is to try and manufacture them by pointing out the law, condemning, and forcing behavior change. Doing this just drives sin underground, creating Pharisee’s, pretty on the outside but full of dead man’s bones on the inside. To the self-righteous this approach seems good but this approach does nothing to address what the Bible points out as the core problem. A better approach would be to address the person’s doubt of complete forgiveness even if they claim they know they are forgiven. There are a few possibilities.


 


1)       The personreally does not believe theyhave been totally forgiven.


 


2)       or they have forgotten they are forgiven all together. If we really believed we would love much along with the other fruits listed.


 


 


 


 


 


How Keeping the Letter Can Grieve the Spirit


 


The spirit of any written law (letter of the law), is the original intent the author had for writing the law. The intent of a speed limit law, like most laws, is to protect all involved.The sole reason for the letters existence is to uphold the spirit. The letter is always subservient to the spirit and can never convey the full intent of the spirit. This is why the Bible calls the law a shadow.


 


For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Heb 10:1


 


The spirit is always higher than the letter. The highest and best way to fulfill the letter is to live by the spirit upon which it rests. All of God’s written laws are intended to protect us from one another and harm in general.The spirit, the intent, of all of God’s laws, is clearly revealed in Gal 5:14: For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”


 


It is important to note the following: “When one obeys the letter of the law but not the spirit, one is obeying the literal interpretation of the words (the "letter") of the law, but not necessarily the intent of those who wrote the law.”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_and_spirit_of_the_law


 


In other words, we can obey the written law and while violating the spirit upon which it rests.


 


A simple example could be seen w


 


The spirit of God’s law is love. All of Gods laws are given to protect us. God loved Adam and gave him one law for his protection. Satan fully aware of this fact deceived Adam and used the law to violate the spirit upon which it rested, turning it into a weapon. The Pharisee’s following suit, became very proficient at obeying the letter of the law to a point where they trampled on the intent. This is clearly seen in the story of the good samaritan and the woman caught in adultery. 


 


 


 


Conversely, when one obeys the spirit of the law but not the letter, one is doing what the authors of the law intended, though not necessarily adhering to the literal wording.”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_and_spirit_of_the_law


 


who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor 3:6


 


When a person argues


 


 


From the start we see God’s spirit protecting Adam and Eve by removing them from the Garden so they would not eat from the tree of life and be forever alive in their fallen state. We then see God protecting Cain after he murdered Able. We see Jesus protecting the woman caught in adultery when the Pharisees tried to use the law as a weapon with no thought of the spirit of the law. We also see Gods ways contrasted with the ways of legalistic Pharisees in the story of the good Samaritan. We see it in the story of Rahab as she lied to protect life and was listed in the Bible as having great faith. 


 


 


If all of Gods law rest upon love as Gal 5:14 states, then we can rest assured that Gods laws were never designed hurt us.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Only One Sin


 


In the Old Covenant you will find a long list of do’s and don’ts. If a person did the do’s and not the don’ts, they would not sin and therefore be blessed and not cursed. Deut 28


 


Jesus did away with the Old Covenant of law and the system of blessings and cursesthat went with it,at the cross. He established the New Covenant of grace and truth as our way to relate to our Father.


 


… “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. Heb 10:9


 


He became a curse for us


 


Under the Old, if you believed God you were blessed, if you did not you . Under the New, the only way you can be cursed is if you fail to believe. In other words, unbelief is the only sin.


 


God knew we did not stand a chance with an inherited sin nature. Adam’ssingle act of disobedience is what made us a sinner.Our individual acts of sinare only symptoms of our fallen nature. Jesus came and divisively dealt with the penalty of our sin nature. He fulfilled the law in our place and then on the cross took upon Himself the curse our sin nature deserved.


 


 


 


When we are born again we are back in the same position Adam started in. It all comes down to believing God 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


How to Love Much


 


I must confess that I have not done a great job in my life of loving others, especially unselfishly.


 


 


"For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little." Luke 7:47 NASB


moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 2 Peter 5-7


 


For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:9 NASB


 


 


 


 


 


XXX  How Can I Not Be Blessed


He redeemed us so that the blessing promised to Abraham would come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Gal 3:14 BSB


If it was still about me, I would not be blessed. But it is not about me, it is all about Jesus (Heb 12:2). The cross really did make a difference. The Father loves me as He loves Jesus (John 17:23), and as He is, so am I in this world (1 John 4:17). I am in Him, and His promised blessings are irrevocably mine. I cannot help it or cannot break free from them. It is totally impossible for me to not be blessed.


By Him I am justified (Rom 8:10) Through Him, I am made righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). He has perfected me (Heb 10:14). I have been sanctified and made holy by Him (Heb 10:10).It is absolutely impossible for me to not be blessed now.


It iscompletely impossible for me to not be blessed in my health, marriage, finances and whatever I do. (Eph 1:3) I cannot outrun or avoid God’s blessings. (Matt 25:34) I cannot cancel His promises in my life, I have inherited them fully by His grace, no effort of my own. (Eph 1:18)


I cannot break free from His love, peace and joy. They pursue and overtake me every waking moment. It is utterly impossible for me to not be blessed. I did not on my own deserve His blessings, but in Him I cannot stop them. They are mine eternally and cannot be extinguished in my life.


Oh, the love and grace of God, I cannot escape. I am in Him and He will never let me go or forsake me. (Heb 13:5)All I did was believe. (John 3:16)


 


 


Do You Believe God Wants To Bless You?


I want you to deeply consider thesetwo questions for a moment. Do you really believe that God wants to bless you in your health, healing, finances, job, emotions, etc.?  Or do you have any thought that you are unqualified and undeserving to receive Gods blessings? 


If you feel undeserving and unqualified, consider what you are thinking about that leads you to believe this? Why are you focused on your sin?


Do you believe the cross made a difference? According to the Bible in Hebrews 10:2, if you do, you should no longer be conscience of your sin. So do you really believe that the cross made a difference? That Jesus paid it all? (1 John 2:2) That there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus? (Rom 8:1)


 


 


 


right now at this very moment as a born again believer


Now what about Jesus? Do you believe God the Father wants to bless Him? Of course we do.


 


 


We Don’t Deserve Hell


“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Matt 25:41


 


I am working on something and would appreciate your input. 


 


When do you feel most loved by your spouse, parent or friend? When you do the right thing, feel you deserve it and they show you they love you? Or, when you have messed up and they love you?


When did God show us he loved us? When we least deserved it.


but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8


 


 


 


Self-Occupied or Christ-Occupied?


In other words, sin conscious or righteousness conscious?


 


 


 





Isaiah 54:10


 


Jesus tells disciples wrong for wanting to call down fire.


A savoir is born, peace with man


Prince of peace


Kingdom of God righteous peace and joy


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Faith in My Faith  (FAITH AS A WORK)


 


In the past there have been times when I would question my faith. Often, it was when I wanted God to answer a prayer and it seemed as though he was nowhere to be found. I concluded that I must not have enough faith.Oh Lord, if I only had enough faith.


Today I realize I was actually placing faith in my faith instead of where it belongs, in the finished work of Jesus. I was in effect trying to earn my way with God and had taken a burden upon myself that was never mine to bear.


The Passover is a picture of Jesus. Imagine two Jewish familiesfollowing Mosesinstructions; they place the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. That night, the first family was up all night fearful and worried their first born would be taken, reviewing their lives and actions,concerned they might not have enough faith. The second family simply did what God had instructed and believed. They had a great meal, sung songs of worship and slept in perfect peace all night. The question is which family was protected? The answer is both.


So which family’s actions most honored God’s word?  Obviously the family who took God at His word and believed.Which family resembles your life?


In the offering of a lamb for sin as a sacrifice and Noah’s ark, we see two additional pictures of Jesus. In both cases the only thing required for salvation was to believe God.


The ark


Is your faith in the finished work of Jesus or in your faith, actions and self?


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Lamb of God


The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 ESV


The Old Testament is filled with pictures, shadows and types of Jesus. It is Jesus concealed while the New Testament is Jesus revealed. The Bible is a book that points to Jesus all the way through. The sacrificial lamb is one of the clearest pictures of Jesus.


Under the Old Covenant, a person would bring a spotless lamb as an offering to the priest for their sins. The priest did not examine the person to see if they deserved to be forgiven. He knew why they were there. His attention and focus were solely on the offering.  If the lamb was without spot or blemish, the person went home free.


In Old Testament typology, the priest is a picture of God,we are the person offering the lamb and Jesus is the lamb.


When weaccepted Jesus as our savior, we did so by bringing Jesus as the perfect and spotless offering for our sins to God the Father. God had no need to examine us, just like the Old Testament priest he knew why we were there. His sole focus then and now is our one time offering.  Ifit is the lamb that he provided, we are eternally forgiven for all of our sins.


It is vitally important that we realize Jesus paid for our sins in full. That he alone is our righteousness. It is not about us, it is all about the God given perfect lamb.He alone has made me righteous, right with God. To honor Jesus,  I no longer am sin conscious (Heb 10:2) I am righteousness conscious. Anything less would be blasphemy.


 


 


Are You Getting Good Things From God?


For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11 ESV


Previously when I read verses like Psalm 84:11, I concluded that God would only bless me with good things if my actions and works were upright.


“Tamim” is the Hebrew word used for uprightly and Strong’s defines it as: without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sound, without spot, undefiled. The full definition makes it appearimpossible to receive good things from God. After all who is perfect?


 


 


 


Perfectionism comes from growing up in an unloving and legalistic family.


It is trying to earn love, opposite of grace.


Pharisees were perfectionists


Leads you to see God as unloving and legalistic, ready to punish, no grace.


 


 


 


Through this man the forgivenss of sins is preached to you


 


According to Paul there are only two choices


Accept forgiveness or judge self  unworthy of eternal life.


 


 


 


Spiritual Disease


Not producing peace, love, patience and joy.


Woman with the issue of  blood sick and in poverty until she touched Jesus robe of righteousness.


No More Conscience of Sin


…because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. Heb 10:2 KJV(conscience -4893 Strongs)


In this section of Hebrews, the writer is comparing the all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus to the inability of the sacrifices offered under the Old Covenant to remove a conscience of sin.  He points out that annual animal sacrifices could not provide forgiveness and simply reminded people of their sins.The writer then makes the astounding claim that if those sacrifices had worked, they would have been only offered once and the worshippers would have had no more conscience of sins. Well Jesus one offering worked.


When Hebrews 10:2 was first pointed out to me, it scared me. What would it mean to not have a sin conscience? A conscience that did not think about or worry about sin? It scared me because I had the false idea that if I did not think about my sins, be cautious,  I would fall deep into sin. I thought I needed to be careful and manage things in my life or I might get out of control.


Later I realized the problem.  I had placed myself back under the law, looking at and trusting myself and my actions and not Jesus perfect sacrifice.  By placing myself back under the law to be right with God, all of my flaws showed up with glaring clarity. I had a sin conscience or as Hebrews 10:22 calls it “an evil conscience”.


The solution was to stop looking at myself and replace any thoughts that my salvation was about my actions with the truth that the Bible only teaches one kind of right standing with God, righteousness by faith. Jesus is my righteousness!  This truth fully digested completely disarms satan and stops his attacks.


However, the Law is not of faith; Gal 3:12a NASB


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


How Can God Make Us Righteous?


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. Romans 5:19 ESV


If anyone ever asks you how God can make the sinner righteous? Tell them the same way God made Jesus who knew no sin, to become sin, on our behalf.


 


I mean we all know what we have done in our lives.  If we have already accepted Jesus, we know we should not sin but the reality is we do. Maybe not like we used to, but God’s standard in one and done according to James 2:10. So how can God make us righteous?


I recommend answering that question by asking the following question.How can Jesus who never sinned, become sin for us?


 


 


 


The Bible clearly teaches we were made sinners by Adams disobedience.


 


 


 


Or You Will Die


but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" Gen 3:3 NASB


There are two ways to interpret the above verse. God is making a threat or issuing a warning to Adam. Unfortunately many today see it as a threat.


 


12Therefore, just as (sin - noun) came into the world through one man, and death through (sin – noun), and so death spread to all mene because all (sinned – verb)— 13for (sin – noun) indeed was in the world before the law was given, but (sin – noun) is not counted where there is no law. 14Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose (sinning – verb) was not like the (transgression – noun) of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.


15But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17For 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.


18Therefore, as one trespassf led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousnessg leads to justification and life for all men. 19For 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. 20Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


 


 


 


Jesus Had No Reason to Judge Mans Sins


Jesus knew he was right with the Father and did not need to make self-righteous comparisons.


 


 


 


Apart From The Law Sin is Dead


 for apart from the Law sin is dead. Rom 7:8 NASB


If we were traveling down a highway with no speed limit, the law would have no hold on us no matter how fast we were driving. It is only when the speed limit law is posted that the law has power to condemn us. In the same way the Bible tells us that the only power sin possesses, comes from the law. Satan has no power to condemn us, that is strictly reserved for the letter of God’s law.


The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 1 Cor 15:56 NASB


Paul elaborates on this fact here. I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;Rom 7:9 NASB


We all know the law is good and but we also know that we cannot keep the law. …and everything that does not come from faith is sin. Rom 14:23 NASB


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Keys to Peace


Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)


The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The first key to the Kingdom peace (shalom) Jesus has bequeathed us, is to believe that we are righteous in Christ alone. Until we have firmly established that our righteousness is from Jesus alone, we can never experienceHis peace. 


For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21ESV)


Once we know beyond a doubt that Jesus is our righteousness, the second key is to understand that Jesus left the Kingdom to us as an inheritance…. ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Matt 25:34 ESV) If we are not experiencingHis peace, it is not because we do not have it.


To experience His peace that we certainly have, the third key is to …..Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. (John 14:27 ESV)


How to do it: Just for today, every time you sense your heart being troubled quote from John 14:27“Let not your heart be troubled.” If you are diligent, I believe that like me you will see how many things can trouble our heart. When they arise just quote “Let not your heart be troubled”and watch as Jesus peace flows through you like a river.


Jesus would have used the word shalom for peace. Look up “shalom”, you will find that it is much more than peace. Jesus left the Kingdom to you.


 


 


 


 


 


 


I Am…
Romans 5:1 justified.
1 Corinthians 6:17 united with the Lord, one with Him in spirit.
Ephesians 1:3-8 chosen by God and adopted as His child.
Colossians 1:13-14redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.
Colossians 2:9-10 complete in Christ.
Hebrews 4:14-16 free to boldly approach the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:1-2 free from condemnation.
Romans 8:28 assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.
Romans 8:31-39 unable to be separated from the love of God.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 established anointed and sealed by God.
Colossians 3:1-4 hidden with Christ in God.
Philippians 3:20 a citizen of heaven.
Philippians 4:13 able to do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.Heb 6:14 free from sin as my master, I am not under law but under grace.


Father, help us replace our sin consciousness with the consciousness of Christ’s FINISHED WORK. See Heb 10:2.


 


 


Be More Righteous


For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Rom 10:4 NASB


Have you ever heard someone indicate that the church today needs more righteousness? With good intentions they are saying the church needs to be obedient, work hard, keep the law and thus increase their level of righteousness.  But is it possible to be more righteous than Jesus has already made us?


I submit to you that those who say this have committed the same error as the Galatians.  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?  Gal 3:3 NASB


The Galatians had been deceived into believing they could add to the righteousness they had received from God. Paul calls them fools.


Your (Gods) righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. Psalm 119:142


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Laws Protect


God’s laws are not written to punish or unnecessarily restrict mankind. All of God’s laws are provided to ensure safety for those involved and protect life. If


 


Man’s laws are modeled after God’s laws and


 


 


 


Saved from Self


For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners…5:19 ESV


Adam is the one man this verse and Romans 5:12-21 are speaking about. Adams one act made the entire human race sinners by inheritance. The Bible tells us that a sinner’s inherited nature manifests itself through: lying, stealing, gossiping, sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, idolatry, self-righteousness, jealousy, anger, adultery, judging, hypocrisy and much more.


Paul speaks of his battle with this nature here: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Rom 7:14-20 ESV


Paul asks: Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Rom 7:24 ESV


His answer: …Jesus Christ our Lord! ...Rom 7:25


We inherited our nature as a sinner. God had compassion on us.


 


47 times noun 2 times verb


 


 


 


Double Minded Death


Where we live we often witness a squirrel, chipmunk, deer or other animal displaying double mindedness.  They were crossing the road, get to the middle and now see a car approaching. Often they will hesitate, turn to go back, turn to go forward, hesitate, turn to go back and then it hits them, the car. While most people try and stop or slow down. It is often too late to do so.


Quite a while back God pointed out to me how there double mindedness is what is getting them into trouble.   If they would make a decision and just go forward quickly they would be fine.  If they would go back when they saw the car, they would be fine. Either direction would provide safety.


Indecision is what causes the problem just like it does for us. Our double mindedness actually sabotages our own lives.


 


The Law Drives Sin Underground


Adam and Eve hid from God.


Have you noticed how criminals or humans in general do things in the dark when no one is looking? How about your children or spouse? How about you? 


The obvious reason people sin in the dark is because they know that it is wrong. The more we emphasize laws in our homes, the further it drives our children and spouses away from us and into the dark. The more they do things in the dark, the more guilt, shame and condemnationthey feel which leads to more sin.  Legalismmakes our loved ones withdraw, keep secrets, blame us, resent us and judge others just asthey are judged. itdoes with those who view Godas legalistic.  The law always arouses sin and man’s inherited Adamic nature.


For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. Romans 7:5 ESV


It was God’s love and grace that brought us out of the dark into a close relationship with Jesus. His mission was to do the Fathers will andbring the New Covenant of grace.


…“Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. Heb 10:9 ESV


Grace opens closed doors and gives life, the law brings death.


who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Cor 3:6 ESV


Grace stops the sin cycle. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Rom 6:14 ESV


Lord help me. I know if I view you as legalistic and harsh I will be the same. Help me to show grace to those I love.


 


 


Sin is Not Your Fault


In the book of Romans the Greek words for “sin” or “sins” is used forty nine times. Two times it is a verb and forty seven times the Greek word “HAMARTIA “ isused. This is very significant because the Greek word HAMARTIA is a noun.


Therefore, just as sin (noun) came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin (noun), and so death spread to all men because all sinned (verb)— for sin (noun) indeed was in the world before the law (of Moses) was given,


but sin (noun) is not counted where there is no law.So before the law of Moses, sin was not counted.


Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. Rom 5:12-14 ESV


Paul is showing us that sin the noun was let loose on earth by Adam. Sin the noun is our inherited propensity to sin.


 


 


You Shouldn’t Have


and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:3 ESV


Have you ever noticed how easily children accept gift’s. I have never heard a young child say “you shouldn’t have” or “let me give you the money for it”. But I have heard many adults including myself say these or something similar.


How did you react the last time someone gave you an unexpected gift, or even one on your birthday or Christmas? Maybe you made a statement to the effect that they should not have done this for you. Were you at all reluctant to just accept the gift? Maybe not in words but in your thoughts? Think about how willing you are to accept gifts.


In considering this matter, I realized that when I am offered a gift unexpectedly I become uncomfortable and my thoughts immediately go to being undeserving. I want to pay for the gift so I am not in debt to the giver.


For me this revealed the remnants of self-righteousness that I continue to hold onto. I just want to do it myself. I do not want anyone to do it for me. This is a big problem when it comes to my relationship with God who simply asks me to rest in him.


 


 


 


 


Choked


The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. Matt 13:22 ESV


The Parable of the Sower is found in Matthew 13:3-23; Mark 4:2-20; and Luke 8:4-15. Being involved in evangelism, for many years I believed that this story was speaking solely of the gospel message being presented to non-believers.But today God has opened my eyes to understand that it also applies to believers as we live our lives.


God gave me this clear message as I was in the midst of being distracted, fearful, worried about paying the bills and taking care of the family. Worry, fear and anxiety literally choke out any message in the word of God that we hear.


So what is God’s remedy for anxiety, worry and fear? But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matt 6:33 ESV


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


Sin Condemned in the Flesh


 


Romans 8:3
For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 





 


 


 


 


Can’t Trust Adam


and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man. John 2:25


 


 


Sin is the Enemy, Not Man


 


Sin 49 times in Romans, 47 are nouns


 


 


 

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