Galatians 2:20 (Amplified) says that, "I have been crucified with Christ (in Him I have shared His crucifixion) it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
Your can hardly take in the reality of this scripture that is revealed to us. Ye, I have shared in His crucifixion. This is the legal side of our identification with Christ. You see, God shared with us in His incarnation and He became One with us.
He gave up His place in Heaven and became One with our suffering as lost humanity. Jesus was One with us in His substitution. He shares with us. He shared our sins, our infirmities, and our diseases. He took the place of them on Himself for us. This place of sharing was so real that He Who knew no sin became sin with our sin order to be identified with us on our level. He didn't just have sin reckoned to Him as the High Priest did with the sin offering. Jesus actuallyt became sin.
Our minds seem to lock up when we think of how He actually became sin; but He did. He died spiritually and became separated from God as we had been. It was then righteous for the unrighteous bring humanity back to God.
In this new creation we shared with Jesus, He is the head and we are the body. When He imparted Himself to us, He gave us a new self in place of the old self. The old self, the man of sin and the fallen sinful man who was ruled by darkness and death, has been replaced by a new man who was a God man, a righteous man and a man without any stains and without even a hint of the old man at all. This new man is one who never existed before Jesus was raised from the dead.
When Jesus was raised from the dead, we were raised from the dead. We had died with Him on the cross. When He died for us, He bore the curse of the Law upon Himself and we were redeemed from the curse. When He bore our sin, we were cleansed from sin. When He bore our sickness by His stripes, we were healed.
Jesus became what we were so that we could become what He is. Colossians 3:1-2 (Amplified) says that. "If then you have been raised with Christ (to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead) aim at and seek the (rich eternal treasures) that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." Verse 2 goes on, "And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things) not on the things that are on the earth."
Here, we begin to see how really one with Him we really are in His union with us. What can be more real than John 15:5 which says that, "I am the vine, you are the branches?" We are the fruit bearing part of this relationship. We are the ones who now touch humanity with our hands and love. We are the part of Him that now brings people into eternal life by His Word. We are sharing in His resurrection.
If we share in His resurrection, then we share in His victory over satan as well. Satan knows fully well that at Jesus' resurrection, we were a part of His victory over him and that we triumphed over him when Jesus was raised from the dead for our justification.
Did you notice that we were raised together with Him? Ephesians 2:8 (Amplified) says that, "And He raised up together with Him and made us sit down together (giving us joint seating with Him) in the heavenly sphere (by virtue of our being) in Christ Jesus (the Messiah,the Anointed One)." Verse 37 goes on, "He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in (His) kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus." Verse 8 says that, "For you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through (your) faith. And, this (salvation) is not of yourselves (of your own doing, it came not from your own striving) but it is the gift of God."
We have been jointly seated with Jesus at the right hand of Power and Kingship over sin, death, satan and all that the fall of man stands for. We've been given all power, through and by Jesus. Matthew 28:18 (Amplified) says, "All authority (all power of rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me[Jesus]."
Begin to see who you are now because of Jesus. This new man is one that satan has no legal right to control because Jesus broke all power over him for us when He met the demands of justice and was raised from the dead. We are as free from this life of sin and death as Jesus is free.
The camouflage that the enemy used to keep you from seeing this has been exposed by the entrance of the Word which bring light. 2 Corinthians 4:3-5 (Amplified) says, "But even if our Gospel (the glad tidings) also be hidden (obscured and covered up with a veil that hinders the knowledge of God), it is hidden (only) to those who are spiritually dying and veiled (only) to those who are lost." Verse 4 says, "For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers minds (that they should not discern the truth) preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah) Who is the Image and Likeness of God." Verse 5 says, "For what we preach is not ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves (merely) as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake."
What I'm writing isn't to puff you up or lift you up, but to let you know that by grace, It was Jesus Who lifted you up and not yourself. It was and is by grace that we are now what He made us to be. You are not who you were , but who He has made you to be and not of ourselves lest any man should boast. Shouldn't we honor Him and walk as free men because He went to such great limnits to make us who we are in HIm?
Don't allow the enemy to take from you what Jesus died to give you. Be raised from the place of blindness of the enemy and walk in the light and power of the resurrection with Jesus.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Lesson 1 Trusting In The Word
Genesis 1:1 (Amplified) tells us that, "In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned) and created the heaven and the earth."
This one statement has caused more controversy than any other statement in all of the written history of the world. We have all of Darwin's theories and all of those who refuse to believe. We try the big bang theory and evolution. We've tried to deny the existence of God and have dismissed Him from all our education. But, He's still here.
It seems like the more we try to dismiss Him, the more we ran out of answers. If God didn't create all things, then where did all things come from? Evolution seems to have stopped somewhere because things don't evolve anymore. Skeptics claim that things once evolved, but we don't see any evidence in today's life that they still are evolving.
When we watch the moon walk on television we run into the question of what holds the universe in place. When we see the planet on which we now live standing in space with nothing holding it there, we wonder why. There aren't any cables, pillars or support holding our earth, but it remains in place. If it were close to the sun, then we would all perish and if the earth were farther from the sun then we would perish. If the earth had no gravity, like on the moon, then we couldn't stay on it and yet... here we are.
So far, there's been no evidence that any of the other planets in our solar system can sustain life, yet...here we are. Scientist and agnostics try to prove or disprove that we a Creator and so far they cannot find Him in their telescopes anywhere. Most of mankind declares that "seeing is believing," and that "we can't believe in what we don't see."
Have you ever seen the wind? We see the results of the wind like in Hurricane Katrina. But, we didn't see the wind. We saw the results of the wind, but not the wind itself. Have you ever seen gravity? If you jump from the top of a building, then you will come down. You don't see gravity, but you see the results of it. Have you ever seen oxygen? No, but you continue to breathe it into your body and believe it to exist without ever seeing it.
Most of the things we take for granted are things we don't see. And, yet we refuse to believe in the invisible God Who created them. Proverbs 21:30 (Amplified) tells us that, "There is no (human) wisdom or understanding or counsel (that can prevail) against the Lord." All of our wisdom to disprove Him doesn't make God nonexistent.
The world doesn't want to believe in God because if He is God, then there are things in our lives that have to change. If there is no God, no judge, no Righteous One, then anything goes. In order to live life as we see it and want it to be, we must disprove that God exists.
There are so many things in this world that prove the very existence of a Great Creator. You almost have to work harder at not believing. Even though as believers who say we believe in God stumble at the things of the carnal minds and fleshly bodies can't see. Yet, when it comes of the spiritual things (the things yet unseen), we deny that they exist in today's world.
We deny the Holy Spirit because we can't see Him. We deny healing because we feel things that are more real than the unseen. We refute the gifts of the Spirit because they are supernatural and we can't see them. We see the effects of the Holy Spirit around us all the time, but we don't see Him. Just like the wind causes effects without being seen, so does the Holy Spirit.
We sometimes forget that everything we see around us was created by Something, yet unseen. Everything we see in this natural realm was created out of the Spirit realm that we cannot see. We trust in the natural part of the earth walk of Jesus because He was in a human form. And yet, we deny the supernatural things He did in order to exist in our world.
As Christian people we are a supernatural people. Miracles and supernatural things are a part of who you are now because of Jesus. You can trust the Word of God in your life to do everything He said It would do. When God commanded light to shine; it did. When He commanded the earth and all of the universe to stand in place; it does. When He said He is your Father, your Healer, your Provider, your Life; He is. He is all those things if you will trust His Word.
This one statement has caused more controversy than any other statement in all of the written history of the world. We have all of Darwin's theories and all of those who refuse to believe. We try the big bang theory and evolution. We've tried to deny the existence of God and have dismissed Him from all our education. But, He's still here.
It seems like the more we try to dismiss Him, the more we ran out of answers. If God didn't create all things, then where did all things come from? Evolution seems to have stopped somewhere because things don't evolve anymore. Skeptics claim that things once evolved, but we don't see any evidence in today's life that they still are evolving.
When we watch the moon walk on television we run into the question of what holds the universe in place. When we see the planet on which we now live standing in space with nothing holding it there, we wonder why. There aren't any cables, pillars or support holding our earth, but it remains in place. If it were close to the sun, then we would all perish and if the earth were farther from the sun then we would perish. If the earth had no gravity, like on the moon, then we couldn't stay on it and yet... here we are.
So far, there's been no evidence that any of the other planets in our solar system can sustain life, yet...here we are. Scientist and agnostics try to prove or disprove that we a Creator and so far they cannot find Him in their telescopes anywhere. Most of mankind declares that "seeing is believing," and that "we can't believe in what we don't see."
Have you ever seen the wind? We see the results of the wind like in Hurricane Katrina. But, we didn't see the wind. We saw the results of the wind, but not the wind itself. Have you ever seen gravity? If you jump from the top of a building, then you will come down. You don't see gravity, but you see the results of it. Have you ever seen oxygen? No, but you continue to breathe it into your body and believe it to exist without ever seeing it.
Most of the things we take for granted are things we don't see. And, yet we refuse to believe in the invisible God Who created them. Proverbs 21:30 (Amplified) tells us that, "There is no (human) wisdom or understanding or counsel (that can prevail) against the Lord." All of our wisdom to disprove Him doesn't make God nonexistent.
The world doesn't want to believe in God because if He is God, then there are things in our lives that have to change. If there is no God, no judge, no Righteous One, then anything goes. In order to live life as we see it and want it to be, we must disprove that God exists.
There are so many things in this world that prove the very existence of a Great Creator. You almost have to work harder at not believing. Even though as believers who say we believe in God stumble at the things of the carnal minds and fleshly bodies can't see. Yet, when it comes of the spiritual things (the things yet unseen), we deny that they exist in today's world.
We deny the Holy Spirit because we can't see Him. We deny healing because we feel things that are more real than the unseen. We refute the gifts of the Spirit because they are supernatural and we can't see them. We see the effects of the Holy Spirit around us all the time, but we don't see Him. Just like the wind causes effects without being seen, so does the Holy Spirit.
We sometimes forget that everything we see around us was created by Something, yet unseen. Everything we see in this natural realm was created out of the Spirit realm that we cannot see. We trust in the natural part of the earth walk of Jesus because He was in a human form. And yet, we deny the supernatural things He did in order to exist in our world.
As Christian people we are a supernatural people. Miracles and supernatural things are a part of who you are now because of Jesus. You can trust the Word of God in your life to do everything He said It would do. When God commanded light to shine; it did. When He commanded the earth and all of the universe to stand in place; it does. When He said He is your Father, your Healer, your Provider, your Life; He is. He is all those things if you will trust His Word.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Lesson 17 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that "I and the Father are One."
Jesus came to reveal the relation of the Father and His family to the people. The relationship of God and His people was already established in their minds and sacrifice. This new relationship was so forgotten and so completely different that it was considered blasphemy to even say such a thing.
This new relationship that dares to believe that man could be righteous in the sight of God and that declares God as Father was grounds for stoning under the covenant of the Law. John 19:7 (Amplified) says that, "The Jews answered him (Pilate) 'We have a law and according to that law He should die, because He has claimed and made Himself out to be the Son of God.'"
We who are under grace don't seem to realize just how blessed we are to be under a new covenant that brings us into son ship rights. Because we still don't have a clear picture of our Heavenly Father, we try to walk in and conduct ourselves as if we're under the Law. We declare Him as Father and then approach Him as God (under Law). We still haven't seen the full power of the sacrifice that has cleansed us and made us right with Him.
Under the old covenant, only the High Priest could come into His presence and still live. Through the Blood of Jesus, we now have the right (because we are now One with Him) to come into His presence. This sacrifice of Jesus was so complete in its cleansing, that it made us pure and clean enough that not only can we come into His presence, but He, Himself (God) can now actually live in us.
Only the Blood of Jesus can make us holy, clean, righteous and pure enough to allow God not only to approach us (or we approach Him), but actually live in us. There's not even a stain of sin in us to remind God of who we were. The Blood has completely washed away the very stain of sin and made us to be in right standing with Him.
Now, because of Jesus, our relationship has gone from being outside the covenant of Law and into the covenant of family. He no longer has to deal with us as covenant breakers and sinners, but as family and sons.
Once we understand the difference in our relationship, we will understand the difference in the way God deals with us. Today, our Father deals with us in the same way He dealt with Jesus in His earthly walk. God deals with us like He did with Adam before the fall.
The Father of Spirits and life deals with us so much more than the way all fathers deal with their children. He no longer deals with the thing by outside in, but from the inside out.
Under the old covenant, Jesus said the Pharisees and Scribes were like "white washed sepulchers" that looked clean on the outside, but the inside was full of dead men's bones. He said that if we wash the inside of a cup and made it clean, then the outside will be alright. When God cleaned the inside of you and me, He did it so completely that the outside was even clean before the Father.
This new birth that has taken place because of Jesus, is so complete that we stand in the Father's Presence just like Jesus Himself. 1 John 4:17 (Amplified) says that, "In this (union and communion with Him) love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgement (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is, so are we in this world."
As He is now, we are now, even while we're still in this world. The only way our Father sees us is through Jesus. We are as perfect in the eyes of our Father as Jesus is because Jesus is our righteousness. Our Father only sees Jesus when He looks at us. He sees perfection when He looks at us because of the sacrifice of His own Lamb that was given for us. Jesus, that Lamb, is without spot or blemish.
The Father doesn't have to deal with the old man anymore. We are new wine skins filled with new wine. If we try to contain this new wine (the covenant of grace) with the old wineskin (the covenant of Law), then it will break the new covenant of grace and not preserve the covenant of Law and we lose out on both. Father doesn't discipline us by means of the flesh, but by means of the Spirit. Read these scriptures and let the Father lead you by His Shepherd, the Word. John 14:26 John 15:3 Ephesians 4:10 2 Timothy 3:16-17 John 17:26. The Lord made it clear that the Father now deals with our spirit and not our outer man.
Receive what Jesus gave His life to bring to pass and let our Father of Spirits deal with us as children of His Spirit. Let the Word, which is Spirit, and the Holy Spirit reveal the Father to you. Just as God spoke with, walked with, dealt with Jesus during His earthly walk is exactly how He deals with you and me. If we get into the realm of the flesh (the world's view) by allowing our flesh and feelings to correct us, then we are walking in the deception that the enemy has dealt with since the Garden of Eden.
Let God our Father speak into your spirit and listen to the voice of the Shepherd. Shepherds don't beat, kick, cripple or cause the sheep to be grieved or feel unsafe. Nor does our Good Shepherd "leave us or forsake us."
Learn how to relate to the Father and not walk under burdens of guilt or condemnation and dread of punishment. Learn to walk after the Liberty of grace.
Read Psalms 85 (especially verse 10) and 11 that says, "Mercy and loving-kindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Verse 11 goes on, "Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven."
Jesus came to reveal the relation of the Father and His family to the people. The relationship of God and His people was already established in their minds and sacrifice. This new relationship was so forgotten and so completely different that it was considered blasphemy to even say such a thing.
This new relationship that dares to believe that man could be righteous in the sight of God and that declares God as Father was grounds for stoning under the covenant of the Law. John 19:7 (Amplified) says that, "The Jews answered him (Pilate) 'We have a law and according to that law He should die, because He has claimed and made Himself out to be the Son of God.'"
We who are under grace don't seem to realize just how blessed we are to be under a new covenant that brings us into son ship rights. Because we still don't have a clear picture of our Heavenly Father, we try to walk in and conduct ourselves as if we're under the Law. We declare Him as Father and then approach Him as God (under Law). We still haven't seen the full power of the sacrifice that has cleansed us and made us right with Him.
Under the old covenant, only the High Priest could come into His presence and still live. Through the Blood of Jesus, we now have the right (because we are now One with Him) to come into His presence. This sacrifice of Jesus was so complete in its cleansing, that it made us pure and clean enough that not only can we come into His presence, but He, Himself (God) can now actually live in us.
Only the Blood of Jesus can make us holy, clean, righteous and pure enough to allow God not only to approach us (or we approach Him), but actually live in us. There's not even a stain of sin in us to remind God of who we were. The Blood has completely washed away the very stain of sin and made us to be in right standing with Him.
Now, because of Jesus, our relationship has gone from being outside the covenant of Law and into the covenant of family. He no longer has to deal with us as covenant breakers and sinners, but as family and sons.
Once we understand the difference in our relationship, we will understand the difference in the way God deals with us. Today, our Father deals with us in the same way He dealt with Jesus in His earthly walk. God deals with us like He did with Adam before the fall.
The Father of Spirits and life deals with us so much more than the way all fathers deal with their children. He no longer deals with the thing by outside in, but from the inside out.
Under the old covenant, Jesus said the Pharisees and Scribes were like "white washed sepulchers" that looked clean on the outside, but the inside was full of dead men's bones. He said that if we wash the inside of a cup and made it clean, then the outside will be alright. When God cleaned the inside of you and me, He did it so completely that the outside was even clean before the Father.
This new birth that has taken place because of Jesus, is so complete that we stand in the Father's Presence just like Jesus Himself. 1 John 4:17 (Amplified) says that, "In this (union and communion with Him) love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgement (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is, so are we in this world."
As He is now, we are now, even while we're still in this world. The only way our Father sees us is through Jesus. We are as perfect in the eyes of our Father as Jesus is because Jesus is our righteousness. Our Father only sees Jesus when He looks at us. He sees perfection when He looks at us because of the sacrifice of His own Lamb that was given for us. Jesus, that Lamb, is without spot or blemish.
The Father doesn't have to deal with the old man anymore. We are new wine skins filled with new wine. If we try to contain this new wine (the covenant of grace) with the old wineskin (the covenant of Law), then it will break the new covenant of grace and not preserve the covenant of Law and we lose out on both. Father doesn't discipline us by means of the flesh, but by means of the Spirit. Read these scriptures and let the Father lead you by His Shepherd, the Word. John 14:26 John 15:3 Ephesians 4:10 2 Timothy 3:16-17 John 17:26. The Lord made it clear that the Father now deals with our spirit and not our outer man.
Receive what Jesus gave His life to bring to pass and let our Father of Spirits deal with us as children of His Spirit. Let the Word, which is Spirit, and the Holy Spirit reveal the Father to you. Just as God spoke with, walked with, dealt with Jesus during His earthly walk is exactly how He deals with you and me. If we get into the realm of the flesh (the world's view) by allowing our flesh and feelings to correct us, then we are walking in the deception that the enemy has dealt with since the Garden of Eden.
Let God our Father speak into your spirit and listen to the voice of the Shepherd. Shepherds don't beat, kick, cripple or cause the sheep to be grieved or feel unsafe. Nor does our Good Shepherd "leave us or forsake us."
Learn how to relate to the Father and not walk under burdens of guilt or condemnation and dread of punishment. Learn to walk after the Liberty of grace.
Read Psalms 85 (especially verse 10) and 11 that says, "Mercy and loving-kindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Verse 11 goes on, "Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven."
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Lesson 16 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "The Father and I are One."
Once the truth of this statement becomes revealed in your spirit, your struggles are over. The reason most Christians struggle to understand their Heavenly Father is because they've never understood this scripture.
Jesus said that He and the Father are One, so the view you see of the Father should only be seen by seeing Jesus. Nowhere in the four Gospels or Epistles did Jesus ever refuse anyone who needed Him. As you watched Jesus walk through the pages of your Bible, it's your Father walking in your life. If you are unsure of what His will for you is, then find the place where Jesus dealt with that situation and know it is His will for you.
If you're involved in adultery, then find out how Jesus dealt with the woman who was taken in adultery. Jesus would tell you that He doesn't condemn you just like He told that woman. If the enemy whispers to you saying that the Father still remembers your past, then go to the Word and read how "Old things are past away and all things are become new, And all things are good."
You must learn to walk in the light of grace and not Law. When He changed His position from being God to Father, through Jesus, everything changed for us. You cannot say that you were saved by grace and then try to live by the Law. You can't believe you're righteous by faith in Jesus' righteousness and then set about to establish your own by works. If you've done nothing to become righteous except believe in Jesus, then how can you lose what wasn't yours anyhow? It's still His righteousness that we have and He is still righteous.
Many Christians try to improve on their righteousness by doing good things. If you're the righteousness of God with Jesus' righteousness, then how can you improve on that? Can you become more right-standing that Jesus? If it's God's will that you become One with Him, then how can you be anything besides pure in His eyes since it was His idea anyway?
We need to stop listening to the enemy's lies and begin believing what God says is true. Many well meaning people will tell you many well meaning things. But, if they contradict the Word of the Father, then you must dismiss them.
Jesus taught in Mark 4:24 (Amplified) a parable concerning the sower. In Verse 24 "He said to them, 'Be careful what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you and more (besides) will be given to you who hear.'"
Be careful what you hear! This wasn't a suggestion, but a warning. Only you can guard your heart against the deception and lies of the enemy. I can tell you, but I can't do it for you or make you do it. It's your responsibility.
We've been taught some things over the years that aren't from the Father. They have come in the guise of truth, but weren't the Words of the Father. Do I think that those who taught these things are of the devil? No! I think they believed they were doing right.
We miss the intention of the new covenant when we mix it with the old covenant. Mostly, we've never seen the change. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:5 (Amplified) to, "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial). A workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing (rightly) handling and skillfully teaching the Word of Truth."
The testing by trial Paul's speaking of isn't God testing us, but the enemy to see whether you really believe what you say. The "rightly dividing"of the Word is the cross. That's what divides the Word and the covenant of Jesus. If you don't allow the cross to be the division , then you'll miss the whole change that the Father bought by the blood of Jesus.
If He was just another sacrifice, then why bother? If His Blood didn't change the way God deals with His children, then He may as well have sacrificed another bull. The Blood of Jesus changed the way that God deals with His family, but it didn't seem to change how His family deals with Him.
We act like everything is as it was. If the Father thought that (because of the new birth) you were actually pure enough for Him to tabernacle in you, then what makes you think you're not pure? We're not led by the letter of the Law, but by the Spirit of the Father. If we're still under the Law, then what good would the outpouring of the Spirit be to us? Why not just leave things alone and walk by the letter instead of the Holy Spirit?
If we're to be made new by the Spirit, then why would the Father of Spirits still lead us by the flesh? He did that for over two thousand years and it still could not make man righteous or holy.
God deals with us in the very same way He dealt with Jesus; not by the flesh, but by the Spirit. You never see Him when God wasn't present and walking with Jesus. Thus, Jesus said, "The Father and I are One." In John 17:22 (Amplified), Jesus said, "I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be One (even) as We are One." If He and the Father are One, then We and the Father are One.
In the very same way He dealt with Jesus, God deals with us now. The exception was the cross, but He did that so we wouldn't have to. Everything that the Father put onto Jesus on the cross, was so that we will never need to deal with us that way...ever! Isaiah 54:9 (Amplified) tells us, "For this is like the days of Noah to Me; As I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you."
All of God's anger was poured out on Jesus so that none would be left to pour out on us. Everything Jesus went through on the cross was so God would never again have to deal with us that way. Why do we insist on being treated as though Jesus wasn't enough?
Let God be Father to you. He's the Father of Spirits and will deal with, train, guide and speak to us in our spirit. "Your body is dead unto sin, but your spirit is alive unto God," according to Romans 8:10 (Amplified). What good would it do to chastise a dead man? Only your spirit is alive unto God so only your spirit is capable of hearing and obeying His voice. Romans 8:14 (Amplified) says that, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Are you being led by the Spirit or are you still trying to walk by the dealings and struggles of the flesh? Are you still waiting on God to make it tough, make you sick or give you hard times to teach you something? Or, are you willing to finally be led by His Spirit?
Once the truth of this statement becomes revealed in your spirit, your struggles are over. The reason most Christians struggle to understand their Heavenly Father is because they've never understood this scripture.
Jesus said that He and the Father are One, so the view you see of the Father should only be seen by seeing Jesus. Nowhere in the four Gospels or Epistles did Jesus ever refuse anyone who needed Him. As you watched Jesus walk through the pages of your Bible, it's your Father walking in your life. If you are unsure of what His will for you is, then find the place where Jesus dealt with that situation and know it is His will for you.
If you're involved in adultery, then find out how Jesus dealt with the woman who was taken in adultery. Jesus would tell you that He doesn't condemn you just like He told that woman. If the enemy whispers to you saying that the Father still remembers your past, then go to the Word and read how "Old things are past away and all things are become new, And all things are good."
You must learn to walk in the light of grace and not Law. When He changed His position from being God to Father, through Jesus, everything changed for us. You cannot say that you were saved by grace and then try to live by the Law. You can't believe you're righteous by faith in Jesus' righteousness and then set about to establish your own by works. If you've done nothing to become righteous except believe in Jesus, then how can you lose what wasn't yours anyhow? It's still His righteousness that we have and He is still righteous.
Many Christians try to improve on their righteousness by doing good things. If you're the righteousness of God with Jesus' righteousness, then how can you improve on that? Can you become more right-standing that Jesus? If it's God's will that you become One with Him, then how can you be anything besides pure in His eyes since it was His idea anyway?
We need to stop listening to the enemy's lies and begin believing what God says is true. Many well meaning people will tell you many well meaning things. But, if they contradict the Word of the Father, then you must dismiss them.
Jesus taught in Mark 4:24 (Amplified) a parable concerning the sower. In Verse 24 "He said to them, 'Be careful what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you and more (besides) will be given to you who hear.'"
Be careful what you hear! This wasn't a suggestion, but a warning. Only you can guard your heart against the deception and lies of the enemy. I can tell you, but I can't do it for you or make you do it. It's your responsibility.
We've been taught some things over the years that aren't from the Father. They have come in the guise of truth, but weren't the Words of the Father. Do I think that those who taught these things are of the devil? No! I think they believed they were doing right.
We miss the intention of the new covenant when we mix it with the old covenant. Mostly, we've never seen the change. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:5 (Amplified) to, "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial). A workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing (rightly) handling and skillfully teaching the Word of Truth."
The testing by trial Paul's speaking of isn't God testing us, but the enemy to see whether you really believe what you say. The "rightly dividing"of the Word is the cross. That's what divides the Word and the covenant of Jesus. If you don't allow the cross to be the division , then you'll miss the whole change that the Father bought by the blood of Jesus.
If He was just another sacrifice, then why bother? If His Blood didn't change the way God deals with His children, then He may as well have sacrificed another bull. The Blood of Jesus changed the way that God deals with His family, but it didn't seem to change how His family deals with Him.
We act like everything is as it was. If the Father thought that (because of the new birth) you were actually pure enough for Him to tabernacle in you, then what makes you think you're not pure? We're not led by the letter of the Law, but by the Spirit of the Father. If we're still under the Law, then what good would the outpouring of the Spirit be to us? Why not just leave things alone and walk by the letter instead of the Holy Spirit?
If we're to be made new by the Spirit, then why would the Father of Spirits still lead us by the flesh? He did that for over two thousand years and it still could not make man righteous or holy.
God deals with us in the very same way He dealt with Jesus; not by the flesh, but by the Spirit. You never see Him when God wasn't present and walking with Jesus. Thus, Jesus said, "The Father and I are One." In John 17:22 (Amplified), Jesus said, "I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be One (even) as We are One." If He and the Father are One, then We and the Father are One.
In the very same way He dealt with Jesus, God deals with us now. The exception was the cross, but He did that so we wouldn't have to. Everything that the Father put onto Jesus on the cross, was so that we will never need to deal with us that way...ever! Isaiah 54:9 (Amplified) tells us, "For this is like the days of Noah to Me; As I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you."
All of God's anger was poured out on Jesus so that none would be left to pour out on us. Everything Jesus went through on the cross was so God would never again have to deal with us that way. Why do we insist on being treated as though Jesus wasn't enough?
Let God be Father to you. He's the Father of Spirits and will deal with, train, guide and speak to us in our spirit. "Your body is dead unto sin, but your spirit is alive unto God," according to Romans 8:10 (Amplified). What good would it do to chastise a dead man? Only your spirit is alive unto God so only your spirit is capable of hearing and obeying His voice. Romans 8:14 (Amplified) says that, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Are you being led by the Spirit or are you still trying to walk by the dealings and struggles of the flesh? Are you still waiting on God to make it tough, make you sick or give you hard times to teach you something? Or, are you willing to finally be led by His Spirit?
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Lesson 15 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) said that, "I and the Father are One."
Jesus and the Father are One and the same. When we behold Jesus, we see for the first time, the reality of our Heavenly Father. We see the tenderness and the love of a Father that we can't see in other ways.
I have a friend who was divorced from his first wife. He had two children with this woman and was now separated from the three of them. He's still providing for the two children by paying child support. He's still their father and protector, but he now has a very limited relationship with them. It's not that he doesn't love them anymore or doesn't want the closeness with them, but the circumstances made it all very limited. After several years, he remarried and they had a child together. He could express all the love and closeness with this child that he always desired to have with the other two.
For some reason, his other kids became jealous of the relationship their dad had with the new child. They still called him Father, but the closeness he had with his new family was different. He desired to have the same fellowship with his older children that he had with the youngest one. But, it became increasingly difficult because of the way they viewed him. He'd always been the provider and protector. He'd always loved them and wanted them, but couldn't be with them like he wanted to.
I think this is how our Heavenly Father must feel about us. For so long, we'd been separated from Him and we'd forgotten how to be close to Him. All the while, He had watched over us and provided for us. We still saw Him as protector and provider, but had lost the intimacy that God had always desired.
Jesus bridged the gap between the Father and man and we're in a position of intimacy with the Father now. We'd been separated from God for so very long that it's hard to really see Him in the Image of Father. We still call Him "Father" and know Who He is, but we don't know how to become intimate with Him. We don't see the Love that has always been there and God's desire to be the Father that He's always wanted to be.
Under the old covenant, God made provision and protection and had always had the Love for us that He had since before the divorce in the Garden of Eden. Because of the separation in the Garden, God couldn't be close like a Father.
We beheld God from afar and He had to remain distant from us because of the legality of His Own Word. Now, through Jesus, the legality of God's Word and the debt that separated us has been paid in full. The children of the old covenant and the children of the new covenant have become one united family.
We, as the children of the new family, have to put away the image of an absentee father and allow God to be the Father that He's always wanted to be. What our Father wants more than anything else is to be intimate with His children. He wants to lavish all the Love, the fellowship and the joy of growing up with His children on us. God wants to teach us all the things He did with Adam before the divorce in the Garden. He wants to walk with us in fellowship like He did with Jesus while He was here on earth.
God doesn't want to give us a long list of do's and don'ts. He wants to be a Father Who teaches His children all the pleasures of the life He gave them. We still hold the image of a God of laws to follow. Instead we need to see a Father with a life of sharing the greatness of the things He's prepared for His children.
Every father wants children to share their life with. He wants to teach his sons to hunt, fish and to show them how to be men. He desires to show all his love for his little girls and be their image of what a father and husband should be. He wants to provide the best for them and always be there for them no matter what comes up.
This is the Father we now have because of Jesus. He's our ever present help ion times of need and the One Whose grace is sufficient for all our needs. He's the One Who came to give us life and have it more abundantly and the One Who will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. He's the One Who put all of our past under the Blood of Jesus so we could become One with Him. He's no longer absent as a Father, but He's the One Who will never leave us or forsake us.
Let God become Father and don't keep Him separate from your fellowship. Don't speak to Him only when you need something. Allow Him to be constant in your thoughts and hearts. Give Him the joy of Fatherhood and allow Him to be the One Who gave everything for you.
The greatest joy in the hearts of the Father is the thanks and understanding of His children along with the constant knowing we have Him as our Father. Don't rob Him of His greatest joy which is your life in Him. He waited a long, long time to bring us back to the place where He could be an intimate part of our lives not through sacrifice of bulls and goats that would at least let Him be provider, but the Blood of Jesus that would allow Him to be Father.
There's never been a father who loved his children more than our heavenly Father. This Father gave everything, including His life, to have this privilege of family. Don't ignore the privilege that He died to give us which is the privilege to come into His Presence and stand before Him as His Own children. Let Him hear you say that you love Him and let Him love you as Father.
Jesus and the Father are One and the same. When we behold Jesus, we see for the first time, the reality of our Heavenly Father. We see the tenderness and the love of a Father that we can't see in other ways.
I have a friend who was divorced from his first wife. He had two children with this woman and was now separated from the three of them. He's still providing for the two children by paying child support. He's still their father and protector, but he now has a very limited relationship with them. It's not that he doesn't love them anymore or doesn't want the closeness with them, but the circumstances made it all very limited. After several years, he remarried and they had a child together. He could express all the love and closeness with this child that he always desired to have with the other two.
For some reason, his other kids became jealous of the relationship their dad had with the new child. They still called him Father, but the closeness he had with his new family was different. He desired to have the same fellowship with his older children that he had with the youngest one. But, it became increasingly difficult because of the way they viewed him. He'd always been the provider and protector. He'd always loved them and wanted them, but couldn't be with them like he wanted to.
I think this is how our Heavenly Father must feel about us. For so long, we'd been separated from Him and we'd forgotten how to be close to Him. All the while, He had watched over us and provided for us. We still saw Him as protector and provider, but had lost the intimacy that God had always desired.
Jesus bridged the gap between the Father and man and we're in a position of intimacy with the Father now. We'd been separated from God for so very long that it's hard to really see Him in the Image of Father. We still call Him "Father" and know Who He is, but we don't know how to become intimate with Him. We don't see the Love that has always been there and God's desire to be the Father that He's always wanted to be.
Under the old covenant, God made provision and protection and had always had the Love for us that He had since before the divorce in the Garden of Eden. Because of the separation in the Garden, God couldn't be close like a Father.
We beheld God from afar and He had to remain distant from us because of the legality of His Own Word. Now, through Jesus, the legality of God's Word and the debt that separated us has been paid in full. The children of the old covenant and the children of the new covenant have become one united family.
We, as the children of the new family, have to put away the image of an absentee father and allow God to be the Father that He's always wanted to be. What our Father wants more than anything else is to be intimate with His children. He wants to lavish all the Love, the fellowship and the joy of growing up with His children on us. God wants to teach us all the things He did with Adam before the divorce in the Garden. He wants to walk with us in fellowship like He did with Jesus while He was here on earth.
God doesn't want to give us a long list of do's and don'ts. He wants to be a Father Who teaches His children all the pleasures of the life He gave them. We still hold the image of a God of laws to follow. Instead we need to see a Father with a life of sharing the greatness of the things He's prepared for His children.
Every father wants children to share their life with. He wants to teach his sons to hunt, fish and to show them how to be men. He desires to show all his love for his little girls and be their image of what a father and husband should be. He wants to provide the best for them and always be there for them no matter what comes up.
This is the Father we now have because of Jesus. He's our ever present help ion times of need and the One Whose grace is sufficient for all our needs. He's the One Who came to give us life and have it more abundantly and the One Who will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. He's the One Who put all of our past under the Blood of Jesus so we could become One with Him. He's no longer absent as a Father, but He's the One Who will never leave us or forsake us.
Let God become Father and don't keep Him separate from your fellowship. Don't speak to Him only when you need something. Allow Him to be constant in your thoughts and hearts. Give Him the joy of Fatherhood and allow Him to be the One Who gave everything for you.
The greatest joy in the hearts of the Father is the thanks and understanding of His children along with the constant knowing we have Him as our Father. Don't rob Him of His greatest joy which is your life in Him. He waited a long, long time to bring us back to the place where He could be an intimate part of our lives not through sacrifice of bulls and goats that would at least let Him be provider, but the Blood of Jesus that would allow Him to be Father.
There's never been a father who loved his children more than our heavenly Father. This Father gave everything, including His life, to have this privilege of family. Don't ignore the privilege that He died to give us which is the privilege to come into His Presence and stand before Him as His Own children. Let Him hear you say that you love Him and let Him love you as Father.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Lesson 14 Knowing The Father
In John 10:30 (Amplified) Jesus said that, "I and the Father are One."
We've been on a journey coming to a clear understanding of who our Father really is. On this journey, we've encountered many crossroads that have been placed there and many road signs that gave us wrong directions. In the past, there were many conflicting stories about the Father that led us on the wrong paths. Psalm 23 (Amplified) declares that the Lord is our Shepherd and Verse 3 says that, "He will lead us in paths of righteousness (upright and in right standing with Him) not from our earning it, but for His name's sake."
When we heed the voice of our Lord (Shepherd), we will always end up in the right place. All of the road signs on this path of righteousness will always bring us to our Father's House. Over the years, we've heard many voices and have followed many detours trying to reach the Father's House. We tried walking by Old Testament rules, but they don't lead us to Father, but only pointed the way to God.
Many people have found God, but only those who heard true directions could find the Father. John 12:45-46 (Amplified) says that "Whoever sees Me [Jesus] sees Him Who sent Me." Verse 46 says, "I have come as a Light into the world, so that whoever believes in Me (whoever cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me) may not continue to live in darkness." Verse 16 says that, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit (assuring us) that we are children of God."
Because we know that we're His children and that He's our Father, we should know our relationship with Him has changed. This new covenant that puts us in relationship with the Father changes how He deals with us and how we see and receive from Him.
The only things you see Jesus doing are good things. We never hear Jesus refuse to heal, bless, cleanse, deliver or accept those who came to Him. You never heard Jesus deny anyone who came to Him.
We read about how the Scribes and Pharisees trying to trap Jesus by their teachings about God. But, Jesus always showed the grace of the Father. Under Law, lepers were separated and declared unclean by God. Under the grace of the Father, they were accepted and made whole and clean. Under Law, adulterers were stoned by God, but under grace as the Father, Jesus said that none would condemn the adulterous woman and she should go and sin no more.
Jesus showed us the difference between the God of the old covenant and the Father of the new covenant. He was our walking, talking example of the difference in our relationship with Him.
When we do wrong now as Christians, we receive the Father's grace and mercy and our sins are covered when we ask forgiveness. We try making up for our wrongdoing by punishing ourselves. We feel like we deserve punishment and set ourselves up tp receive our own payment for sin instead of allowing the Father, by faith, deal with it by the blood of Jesus. This kind of attitude is displeasing before the Father.
We try to walk under Law, by atoning for our own sin as Old Testament people when we should be walking in the faith that Jesus paid for our sins and that our Father has met all of our needs through Jesus. Galatians 2:21 (Amplified) says, "(Therefore, I do not treat God's gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose) I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace (unmerited favor) of God. For if justification (righteousness, acquittal from guilt) comes through (observing the ritual of) the Law, then Christ (the Messiah) died groundlessly and to no purpose and in vain (His death was then wholly superfluous)."
In other words, if we try to pay for our wrong doings by chastising ourselves for them and walking in guilt because of how we feel, then we've not walked in faith before our Father by allowing Him to deal with it through the sacrifice He sent to take care of it. Am I saying that it's alright to sin or do wrong? No! But, I am saying that when you do sin, then don't allow self or feelings of guilt draw you back into trying to pay for what Jesus has already paid for. Don't let the things of your flesh (feelings of guilt) pull you back under the Law. Allow the Father's grace deal with it by His Love instead of by works.
The Father declared you clean, justified, righteous and sanctified by the sacrifice of His Lamb. Don't expect to be punished and walk in guilt and condemnation. Repent, accept the truth of the Blood and then above it. Jesus is your righteousness and He's still without sin even if you aren't. Walk in HIM.
We've been on a journey coming to a clear understanding of who our Father really is. On this journey, we've encountered many crossroads that have been placed there and many road signs that gave us wrong directions. In the past, there were many conflicting stories about the Father that led us on the wrong paths. Psalm 23 (Amplified) declares that the Lord is our Shepherd and Verse 3 says that, "He will lead us in paths of righteousness (upright and in right standing with Him) not from our earning it, but for His name's sake."
When we heed the voice of our Lord (Shepherd), we will always end up in the right place. All of the road signs on this path of righteousness will always bring us to our Father's House. Over the years, we've heard many voices and have followed many detours trying to reach the Father's House. We tried walking by Old Testament rules, but they don't lead us to Father, but only pointed the way to God.
Many people have found God, but only those who heard true directions could find the Father. John 12:45-46 (Amplified) says that "Whoever sees Me [Jesus] sees Him Who sent Me." Verse 46 says, "I have come as a Light into the world, so that whoever believes in Me (whoever cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me) may not continue to live in darkness." Verse 16 says that, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit (assuring us) that we are children of God."
Because we know that we're His children and that He's our Father, we should know our relationship with Him has changed. This new covenant that puts us in relationship with the Father changes how He deals with us and how we see and receive from Him.
The only things you see Jesus doing are good things. We never hear Jesus refuse to heal, bless, cleanse, deliver or accept those who came to Him. You never heard Jesus deny anyone who came to Him.
We read about how the Scribes and Pharisees trying to trap Jesus by their teachings about God. But, Jesus always showed the grace of the Father. Under Law, lepers were separated and declared unclean by God. Under the grace of the Father, they were accepted and made whole and clean. Under Law, adulterers were stoned by God, but under grace as the Father, Jesus said that none would condemn the adulterous woman and she should go and sin no more.
Jesus showed us the difference between the God of the old covenant and the Father of the new covenant. He was our walking, talking example of the difference in our relationship with Him.
When we do wrong now as Christians, we receive the Father's grace and mercy and our sins are covered when we ask forgiveness. We try making up for our wrongdoing by punishing ourselves. We feel like we deserve punishment and set ourselves up tp receive our own payment for sin instead of allowing the Father, by faith, deal with it by the blood of Jesus. This kind of attitude is displeasing before the Father.
We try to walk under Law, by atoning for our own sin as Old Testament people when we should be walking in the faith that Jesus paid for our sins and that our Father has met all of our needs through Jesus. Galatians 2:21 (Amplified) says, "(Therefore, I do not treat God's gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose) I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace (unmerited favor) of God. For if justification (righteousness, acquittal from guilt) comes through (observing the ritual of) the Law, then Christ (the Messiah) died groundlessly and to no purpose and in vain (His death was then wholly superfluous)."
In other words, if we try to pay for our wrong doings by chastising ourselves for them and walking in guilt because of how we feel, then we've not walked in faith before our Father by allowing Him to deal with it through the sacrifice He sent to take care of it. Am I saying that it's alright to sin or do wrong? No! But, I am saying that when you do sin, then don't allow self or feelings of guilt draw you back into trying to pay for what Jesus has already paid for. Don't let the things of your flesh (feelings of guilt) pull you back under the Law. Allow the Father's grace deal with it by His Love instead of by works.
The Father declared you clean, justified, righteous and sanctified by the sacrifice of His Lamb. Don't expect to be punished and walk in guilt and condemnation. Repent, accept the truth of the Blood and then above it. Jesus is your righteousness and He's still without sin even if you aren't. Walk in HIM.
Lesson 13 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One."
When you see Jesus, you've seen the Father. Hebrews 1:1-3 (Amplified) tells us that, "In many separate revelations (each of which set forth a portion of the truth) and in different ways God spoke of old to (our forefathers in and by the prophets)." Verse 2 continues, "(But) in the last of these days He has spoken unto us in (the person of a ) Son Whom He appointed Heir and Lawful owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time (He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order)." Verse 3 goes on, "He is the sole expression of the glory of God(the Light Being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine) and He is the perfect imprint and very Image of (God's) nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty Word and power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished the cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High."
According to these few scriptures, we should have a complete and perfect picture of our Father. There shouldn't be any more confusion to the believer as to Who God is in these last days. We still seem to have a tough time believing that God's our answer instead of our problem. If you can see Jesus, then you've seen the Father.
As I've said before, we've had a hard time separating God from God and God as Father. He was the God of the Old Testament and now is the Father of the New Testament. He's still God with all the power and attributes He ever had. He didn't change. He paid the price to change us. He never wanted to be a God Who would punish and destroy. We brought those things on ourselves because of our own sin and rebellion. He, being a just and righteous Judge, had to deal the way He did because of us. The only way to deal differently was to have the price for sin and transgression paid in full. Man couldn't live up to what the Law demanded.
We see in Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) that, "When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High. This just and righteous God, the One Who must punish the sin and guilt by His Own just and righteous integrity, now paid the price with Himself becoming the One sacrifice that could (and would) change His relationship with man." Now, the price has been paid and the claims of justice have been met. Now, His truth could be seen in grace and mercy rather than death and external Laws. Now, He (this great and Just God) could, once more, walk among men like He did in the beginning, as Father.
We missed the exchange He made by observing how He is unchangeable. What we've failed to see is how He didn't change; we did. When God, by His Own self paid the debt that we owed, His justice was met and we were set free. God didn't change. He just changed us by paying off the debt of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit." Verse 2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the law of sin and of death."
Now, because we see God as Father, we see the difference between the two covenants. When we look at Jesus, we see the Father and not just God because whatever Jesus does is what our Father does. All of the old religious teachings about God trying and testing you is foolishness under the ministry of Jesus (Who is Father). For years we've blamed our Father for all the trials and tests and temptations we've encountered. But, if you see the Father's will in your life, then you'll see this isn't true. Jesus Himself taught us how to pray in probably the best known prayer in the world. In Matthew 6:9-13 (Amplified) Jesus prayed "The Lord's Prayer" beginning with, "'Our Father'" and continuing in Verse 13 saying, "'Lead us not into temptation (trials or tests), but deliver us from the evil one.'"
If Jesus, being in the Image of God, would teach us that God isn't the One Who is testing , trying or tempting us, then why would we still hold our Father responsible for all of these things in our lives? James 1:13 (Amplified) tells us, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by (what is) evil and He Himself tempts no one."
What shepherd would purposely lead his sheep into a lion's den? What father would lead his children into a place of harm or evil? What father would purposely put his children in harm's way in order to teach them a lesson? Learn Him as Father.
When you see Jesus, you've seen the Father. Hebrews 1:1-3 (Amplified) tells us that, "In many separate revelations (each of which set forth a portion of the truth) and in different ways God spoke of old to (our forefathers in and by the prophets)." Verse 2 continues, "(But) in the last of these days He has spoken unto us in (the person of a ) Son Whom He appointed Heir and Lawful owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time (He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order)." Verse 3 goes on, "He is the sole expression of the glory of God(the Light Being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine) and He is the perfect imprint and very Image of (God's) nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty Word and power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished the cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High."
According to these few scriptures, we should have a complete and perfect picture of our Father. There shouldn't be any more confusion to the believer as to Who God is in these last days. We still seem to have a tough time believing that God's our answer instead of our problem. If you can see Jesus, then you've seen the Father.
As I've said before, we've had a hard time separating God from God and God as Father. He was the God of the Old Testament and now is the Father of the New Testament. He's still God with all the power and attributes He ever had. He didn't change. He paid the price to change us. He never wanted to be a God Who would punish and destroy. We brought those things on ourselves because of our own sin and rebellion. He, being a just and righteous Judge, had to deal the way He did because of us. The only way to deal differently was to have the price for sin and transgression paid in full. Man couldn't live up to what the Law demanded.
We see in Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) that, "When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High. This just and righteous God, the One Who must punish the sin and guilt by His Own just and righteous integrity, now paid the price with Himself becoming the One sacrifice that could (and would) change His relationship with man." Now, the price has been paid and the claims of justice have been met. Now, His truth could be seen in grace and mercy rather than death and external Laws. Now, He (this great and Just God) could, once more, walk among men like He did in the beginning, as Father.
We missed the exchange He made by observing how He is unchangeable. What we've failed to see is how He didn't change; we did. When God, by His Own self paid the debt that we owed, His justice was met and we were set free. God didn't change. He just changed us by paying off the debt of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit." Verse 2 says, "For the law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the law of sin and of death."
Now, because we see God as Father, we see the difference between the two covenants. When we look at Jesus, we see the Father and not just God because whatever Jesus does is what our Father does. All of the old religious teachings about God trying and testing you is foolishness under the ministry of Jesus (Who is Father). For years we've blamed our Father for all the trials and tests and temptations we've encountered. But, if you see the Father's will in your life, then you'll see this isn't true. Jesus Himself taught us how to pray in probably the best known prayer in the world. In Matthew 6:9-13 (Amplified) Jesus prayed "The Lord's Prayer" beginning with, "'Our Father'" and continuing in Verse 13 saying, "'Lead us not into temptation (trials or tests), but deliver us from the evil one.'"
If Jesus, being in the Image of God, would teach us that God isn't the One Who is testing , trying or tempting us, then why would we still hold our Father responsible for all of these things in our lives? James 1:13 (Amplified) tells us, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by (what is) evil and He Himself tempts no one."
What shepherd would purposely lead his sheep into a lion's den? What father would lead his children into a place of harm or evil? What father would purposely put his children in harm's way in order to teach them a lesson? Learn Him as Father.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Lesson 12 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One."
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that "I and the Father are One."
In John 6:28 -29 (Amplified) Jesus answered one of the most sought after questions in all of Christianity when His disciples wanted to know, just like we today want to know, in Verse 28, "They (His disciples) then said; what are we to do, that we may (habitually) be working the works of God? (what are we to do to carry out what God required?)"
If there was ever a question asked more frequently than this, then I can't imagine what it would be. Believers all over the world have wanted to know the answer to this one question. The answer has been so simple that we missed it altogether. Jesus said in the next verse, Verse 29 , "This is the work (service) that God asks of you; that you believe in the One Whom He has sent (that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger.)"
God was about to change the old covenant for the new one. Those who Jesus was speaking to had lived under the unbending Law of Moses for centuries. All of the requirements of the Law always kept people from being able to fulfill it. Now, they wanted to know how can I please God? Pleasing God under the Law depended on your own efforts and works of obedience. Now, what Jesus was telling them was a completely different set of rules. Just believe!
They couldn't understand that everything was going to change for them in a way that was blasphemous according to their own thinking. God was going to change positions from being God to Father. He would still be Almighty God, but now their relationship with Him would be Father and His Children instead of God and His Chosen people.
This new covenant was to be Family and not just people. All of the things they had to do to be in His favor were all wrapped up in "just believing." Under the old covenant, disobedience could bring death, cursing, and loss of everything according to Deuteronomy 28:15-68 (Amplified). Jesus was changing what was to be required of them and us.
When God's position changed from Law to grace, from God to Father and from works to faith, everything seemed to confuse the people who were under Law. Now, Jesus said, "Just believe."
When we went from having to work for favor from God to being highly favored as family through Jesus, it seemed to be too easy. "Brother Jim," you might ask, "Do you mean that all God is requiring of me today is to just believe?" Yes, that's what I'm saying!
What works could we possibly do to become righteous before God? Romans 3:22 (Amplified) says that, "Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (The Messiah) (and is meant) for all who believe, for there is npo distinction."
So now, God's position has changed from one Who demands righteousness to Father Who imparts righteousness. From a God Who was held back from us because of our sin, to a Father Who would terminate sin and redeem us at His Own cost. Romans 3:24 (Amplified) says that, "(All) are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus."
All we are required to do before God is to believe and receive Jesus and we go from being outsiders of the covenant of Law, to joint-heirs and family with and through faith in Jesus. The favor that we tried to work for, is already been granted by faith in Jesus. The old debt we tried to pay for by sacrifice and punishment, has been removed by simply believing.
Somehow, we can't distinguish the difference between God's changed position of being just God to being God the Father. Even under the laws of the land, Fathers are responsible for their children. If one of my children does wrong, then I'm still responsible until he's a certain age.
When God changed His relationship with us it didn't diminish His power and ability. What it did do was make His power and ability available to us now with no strings attached. We no longer have to perform, cry, beg or make sacrifices. All we're required to do is to believe. All of the power of this Almighty God that created the universe and everything in it, has been made ours by just believing.
Romans 8:14-17 (Amplified) says that, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." Verse 15 continues, "For (the Spirit which) you have now received (is) not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption (the Spirit producing sonship) in (the bliss of) which we cry, Abba (Father) Father!" Verse 16 says, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit (assuring us) that we are children of God." Verse 17 says, "And if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His inheritance with Him) only we are to share His suffering, if we are to share His glory."
In the very next verse, the Word says that whatever we have to go through to walk in this inheritance, is more than worth it. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 (Amplified) that he wasn't ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because it's God's power working unto our salvation. The suffering Paul endured was persecution from religious people, demonic forces and unbelievers.
I'm willing to suffer being misunderstood and being too far out and being called all the other things I've been called in order to fulfill God's requirement of me. Jesus said in John 6:29 (Amplified) to "Believe in the One that He has sent."
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that "I and the Father are One."
In John 6:28 -29 (Amplified) Jesus answered one of the most sought after questions in all of Christianity when His disciples wanted to know, just like we today want to know, in Verse 28, "They (His disciples) then said; what are we to do, that we may (habitually) be working the works of God? (what are we to do to carry out what God required?)"
If there was ever a question asked more frequently than this, then I can't imagine what it would be. Believers all over the world have wanted to know the answer to this one question. The answer has been so simple that we missed it altogether. Jesus said in the next verse, Verse 29 , "This is the work (service) that God asks of you; that you believe in the One Whom He has sent (that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger.)"
God was about to change the old covenant for the new one. Those who Jesus was speaking to had lived under the unbending Law of Moses for centuries. All of the requirements of the Law always kept people from being able to fulfill it. Now, they wanted to know how can I please God? Pleasing God under the Law depended on your own efforts and works of obedience. Now, what Jesus was telling them was a completely different set of rules. Just believe!
They couldn't understand that everything was going to change for them in a way that was blasphemous according to their own thinking. God was going to change positions from being God to Father. He would still be Almighty God, but now their relationship with Him would be Father and His Children instead of God and His Chosen people.
This new covenant was to be Family and not just people. All of the things they had to do to be in His favor were all wrapped up in "just believing." Under the old covenant, disobedience could bring death, cursing, and loss of everything according to Deuteronomy 28:15-68 (Amplified). Jesus was changing what was to be required of them and us.
When God's position changed from Law to grace, from God to Father and from works to faith, everything seemed to confuse the people who were under Law. Now, Jesus said, "Just believe."
When we went from having to work for favor from God to being highly favored as family through Jesus, it seemed to be too easy. "Brother Jim," you might ask, "Do you mean that all God is requiring of me today is to just believe?" Yes, that's what I'm saying!
What works could we possibly do to become righteous before God? Romans 3:22 (Amplified) says that, "Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (The Messiah) (and is meant) for all who believe, for there is npo distinction."
So now, God's position has changed from one Who demands righteousness to Father Who imparts righteousness. From a God Who was held back from us because of our sin, to a Father Who would terminate sin and redeem us at His Own cost. Romans 3:24 (Amplified) says that, "(All) are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus."
All we are required to do before God is to believe and receive Jesus and we go from being outsiders of the covenant of Law, to joint-heirs and family with and through faith in Jesus. The favor that we tried to work for, is already been granted by faith in Jesus. The old debt we tried to pay for by sacrifice and punishment, has been removed by simply believing.
Somehow, we can't distinguish the difference between God's changed position of being just God to being God the Father. Even under the laws of the land, Fathers are responsible for their children. If one of my children does wrong, then I'm still responsible until he's a certain age.
When God changed His relationship with us it didn't diminish His power and ability. What it did do was make His power and ability available to us now with no strings attached. We no longer have to perform, cry, beg or make sacrifices. All we're required to do is to believe. All of the power of this Almighty God that created the universe and everything in it, has been made ours by just believing.
Romans 8:14-17 (Amplified) says that, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." Verse 15 continues, "For (the Spirit which) you have now received (is) not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption (the Spirit producing sonship) in (the bliss of) which we cry, Abba (Father) Father!" Verse 16 says, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit (assuring us) that we are children of God." Verse 17 says, "And if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs also; heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His inheritance with Him) only we are to share His suffering, if we are to share His glory."
In the very next verse, the Word says that whatever we have to go through to walk in this inheritance, is more than worth it. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:16 (Amplified) that he wasn't ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because it's God's power working unto our salvation. The suffering Paul endured was persecution from religious people, demonic forces and unbelievers.
I'm willing to suffer being misunderstood and being too far out and being called all the other things I've been called in order to fulfill God's requirement of me. Jesus said in John 6:29 (Amplified) to "Believe in the One that He has sent."
Friday, October 18, 2013
Lesson 11 Know The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One."
For some unknown reason, such statements that Jesus made like this one haven't been received by Christian people today. Jesus was always making statements about how when you see Him, then you have seen Him Who sent Him.
We still have a clouded image of God as Father. We don't seem to grasp the change that came about through the cross. We read the words, but miss the truth of what was said. We call God Father, but still respond to Him as the God of the old covenant. It's as if we still think we should be punished more for who we were before we were saved. We want to believe we're saved, but then be dealt with as though we weren't.
God paid a terrible price to completely cleanse us to the point of actually becoming one with us. We still see ourselves as somehow unclean in His presence. We allow thoughts of our past (or unclean thoughts now) to put us under condemnation and hold ourselves aloof from the One who declared us clean.
It's the Father's heart that puts us into the place Jesus put us in when He prayed in John 17 (Amplified). The prayer Jesus prayed just before He went to the cross is perhaps the most revealing look into the heart of the Father that we may ever have. The very things He was going to the cross to obtain for us, were the things Jesus was speaking to the Father about in prayer. As you read chapter 17 of the gospel of John, know in your heart that this was God's will for you. His will was that we be made one with Him, that the love Jesus loved with, that we know He loves you the same, and that we know God gave us the very glory that He gave Jesus.
Finally in Verse 27 Jesus said, "I have made Your name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very self, And I will continue to make (You) known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them (felt in their hearts) and that I (Myself) may be in them."
Jesus said He had made God's name known to us. What name would that be that wasn't already known? The name of Father. I have four children in my family and not one of them calls me Jim or Pastor or Mr. Hayes. They all call me Dad. Does that change the titles or other uses of my name? No, of course not. Many call me Pastor and that's a correct title. Many call me Jim and that's also correct. Many call me Mr. Hayes and I find no fault with any of these names or titles. But, only those of blood have the right (and I hope privilege) of calling me Father.
It doesn't mean I care only for my children or don't love the other people. But, only my children have the right to address me as Father. The President has influence throughout the world and many seek his favor, but his influence and favor are felt more strongly with his children than with anyone else on earth. They don't have to struggle to seek his favor because they are his highly favored children. They don't have to seek influence by or from him. They have influence because of who he is. There's nothing that his power can't do in the world that can't be done for them.
All that he is or has is available to his children at all times. When he isn't at home, he provides protection for them. When he is home, he provides time to be in fellowship with them at all times.
Our Father is our ever present help in our time of need. He is the One Who will never leave us or forsake us. He is the One Who has provided, "All our needs according to His riches in glory."
When Jesus said that He had revealed God's character and His very self in John 17:27 (Amplified), He simply said, "When you look at Me, you look at the Father." All that Jesus did was to bring us to the place where we could see the Mighty God in a very different way than we'd ever seen Him before. We don't see Him as an Angry God and not just a covenant keeping partner and not even as Someone Who will favor them. We now see Him as Father.
When you see Jesus, you see Father; not God. You see Love, mercy, forgiveness, grace, provision, protection, deliverance, fellowship and family and don't depend on anything, but Father.
For some unknown reason, such statements that Jesus made like this one haven't been received by Christian people today. Jesus was always making statements about how when you see Him, then you have seen Him Who sent Him.
We still have a clouded image of God as Father. We don't seem to grasp the change that came about through the cross. We read the words, but miss the truth of what was said. We call God Father, but still respond to Him as the God of the old covenant. It's as if we still think we should be punished more for who we were before we were saved. We want to believe we're saved, but then be dealt with as though we weren't.
God paid a terrible price to completely cleanse us to the point of actually becoming one with us. We still see ourselves as somehow unclean in His presence. We allow thoughts of our past (or unclean thoughts now) to put us under condemnation and hold ourselves aloof from the One who declared us clean.
It's the Father's heart that puts us into the place Jesus put us in when He prayed in John 17 (Amplified). The prayer Jesus prayed just before He went to the cross is perhaps the most revealing look into the heart of the Father that we may ever have. The very things He was going to the cross to obtain for us, were the things Jesus was speaking to the Father about in prayer. As you read chapter 17 of the gospel of John, know in your heart that this was God's will for you. His will was that we be made one with Him, that the love Jesus loved with, that we know He loves you the same, and that we know God gave us the very glory that He gave Jesus.
Finally in Verse 27 Jesus said, "I have made Your name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very self, And I will continue to make (You) known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them (felt in their hearts) and that I (Myself) may be in them."
Jesus said He had made God's name known to us. What name would that be that wasn't already known? The name of Father. I have four children in my family and not one of them calls me Jim or Pastor or Mr. Hayes. They all call me Dad. Does that change the titles or other uses of my name? No, of course not. Many call me Pastor and that's a correct title. Many call me Jim and that's also correct. Many call me Mr. Hayes and I find no fault with any of these names or titles. But, only those of blood have the right (and I hope privilege) of calling me Father.
It doesn't mean I care only for my children or don't love the other people. But, only my children have the right to address me as Father. The President has influence throughout the world and many seek his favor, but his influence and favor are felt more strongly with his children than with anyone else on earth. They don't have to struggle to seek his favor because they are his highly favored children. They don't have to seek influence by or from him. They have influence because of who he is. There's nothing that his power can't do in the world that can't be done for them.
All that he is or has is available to his children at all times. When he isn't at home, he provides protection for them. When he is home, he provides time to be in fellowship with them at all times.
Our Father is our ever present help in our time of need. He is the One Who will never leave us or forsake us. He is the One Who has provided, "All our needs according to His riches in glory."
When Jesus said that He had revealed God's character and His very self in John 17:27 (Amplified), He simply said, "When you look at Me, you look at the Father." All that Jesus did was to bring us to the place where we could see the Mighty God in a very different way than we'd ever seen Him before. We don't see Him as an Angry God and not just a covenant keeping partner and not even as Someone Who will favor them. We now see Him as Father.
When you see Jesus, you see Father; not God. You see Love, mercy, forgiveness, grace, provision, protection, deliverance, fellowship and family and don't depend on anything, but Father.
Lesson 10 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One."
When you see Jesus, you see the Father. You don't always just see God, you see God the Father.
There's a big difference in just seeing God than there is in seeing Him as your Father. Since we've now become His family instead of simply people, things have changed in our lives. When God dealt with Adam in the Garden of Eden, His relationship was entirely different than it was after the transgression. It wasn't that God was any different, but man was. God had to deal with man differently because mankind was changed. It wasn't that God didn't want to treat man the same, but now He couldn't according to Isaiah 59:1-2 (Amplified) that says, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened at all, that it can not save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it can not hear." Verse 2 goes on, "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."
So now, because of the sin in the Garden, all of mankind was separated by the enormity of Adam's transgression. Neither God's power nor His heart changed towards man, but now His presence and ability to work for His people must undergo a change.
Romans 8:2 (Amplified) says there is a Law of sin and death and because of the dictates of the Law, death had entered into all of mankind. The Father had to devise a way to keep life covering the death until He could get Jesus into the earth. Since sin always brought death, then it would take a death to pay the price for it. We read in Leviticus 17:11 (Amplified), "For the life (the animal soul) is in the blood, and I have given it for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life (which it represents)."
So now, by reason of the death of the animal sacrifice, the Law of sin and death could by paid by the blood which declared a death. The life of the blood would be payment to extend the life of the people for a time. By accepting the blood of the sacrifice,God could move (at least in a limited way) on behalf of man. But, according to the book of Hebrews4:20 (Amplified), "(In fact) under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins."
Hebrews 10:4 (Amplified) says that, "Because the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take sins away. Because of His great love and mercy, He set in order the Law so as to have input into mankind until He could bring about His plan of total redemption."
We've totally mistaken the love of this awesome God we serve because of the way He was forced to deal with mankind under the Law. We believed that God found some perverse pleasure or disregarded man as being subhuman to a degree and that He always found fault with us. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It was always God's plan to bring us back home into His presence and to lavish all of His love on us.
Now, because of Jesus, we have been bought with sinless blood; the blood of God Himself. Hebrews 18:19 (Amplified) says that, "Now where there is absolute remission (forgiveness and cancellation of the penalty) of these (sins and lawbreaking) there is no longer any offering made to atone for sin." Verse 19 continues, "Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the (Holy of) Hollies (by the power and virtue) in the blood of Jesus."
Now, this great and powerful God has once again become Father. All of the things done under the Law were to bring us to this point of return. Now, because of Jesus, our Father can once again deal with His family without a spot or blemish or stain because of the precious blood of His Lamb, Jesus. The power of this awesome God is now being released in His love and grace on behalf of His family.
God will never again (for those who have received His sacrifice) deal with man the way He did under the Law. All of this dread of punishment and rejection for sin have been met and paid for by Jesus. His blood didn't just cover sin for a long time, but His blood erased the sin completely.
In Colossians 2:15 (Amplified), "(God) disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him (Jesus) and in the cross."
Hebrews 10:35-6 (Amplified) tells us, "Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward." Verse 36 says, "For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God and thus receive and carry away (and enjoy to the full) what is promised."
Our Father has so many things He wishes to do for us, and through us, if we will only allow Him to do it. Don't let the remembrance of past of present sin or shortcomings in your life be a barrier between you and Him. Put your faith in the blood that cleanses you and walk in boldness before your Father just like Jesus did.
Let your conscience be cleansed by His blood and walk in the newness of your mind. Let the mind of Christ be made manifest in you and walk as the new creation that you've become in Him. You're no longer separated from God, but you're His family.
When you see Jesus, you see the Father. You don't always just see God, you see God the Father.
There's a big difference in just seeing God than there is in seeing Him as your Father. Since we've now become His family instead of simply people, things have changed in our lives. When God dealt with Adam in the Garden of Eden, His relationship was entirely different than it was after the transgression. It wasn't that God was any different, but man was. God had to deal with man differently because mankind was changed. It wasn't that God didn't want to treat man the same, but now He couldn't according to Isaiah 59:1-2 (Amplified) that says, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened at all, that it can not save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it can not hear." Verse 2 goes on, "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."
So now, because of the sin in the Garden, all of mankind was separated by the enormity of Adam's transgression. Neither God's power nor His heart changed towards man, but now His presence and ability to work for His people must undergo a change.
Romans 8:2 (Amplified) says there is a Law of sin and death and because of the dictates of the Law, death had entered into all of mankind. The Father had to devise a way to keep life covering the death until He could get Jesus into the earth. Since sin always brought death, then it would take a death to pay the price for it. We read in Leviticus 17:11 (Amplified), "For the life (the animal soul) is in the blood, and I have given it for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement, by reason of the life (which it represents)."
So now, by reason of the death of the animal sacrifice, the Law of sin and death could by paid by the blood which declared a death. The life of the blood would be payment to extend the life of the people for a time. By accepting the blood of the sacrifice,God could move (at least in a limited way) on behalf of man. But, according to the book of Hebrews4:20 (Amplified), "(In fact) under the Law almost everything is purified by means of blood, and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins."
Hebrews 10:4 (Amplified) says that, "Because the blood of bulls and goats is powerless to take sins away. Because of His great love and mercy, He set in order the Law so as to have input into mankind until He could bring about His plan of total redemption."
We've totally mistaken the love of this awesome God we serve because of the way He was forced to deal with mankind under the Law. We believed that God found some perverse pleasure or disregarded man as being subhuman to a degree and that He always found fault with us. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It was always God's plan to bring us back home into His presence and to lavish all of His love on us.
Now, because of Jesus, we have been bought with sinless blood; the blood of God Himself. Hebrews 18:19 (Amplified) says that, "Now where there is absolute remission (forgiveness and cancellation of the penalty) of these (sins and lawbreaking) there is no longer any offering made to atone for sin." Verse 19 continues, "Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the (Holy of) Hollies (by the power and virtue) in the blood of Jesus."
Now, this great and powerful God has once again become Father. All of the things done under the Law were to bring us to this point of return. Now, because of Jesus, our Father can once again deal with His family without a spot or blemish or stain because of the precious blood of His Lamb, Jesus. The power of this awesome God is now being released in His love and grace on behalf of His family.
God will never again (for those who have received His sacrifice) deal with man the way He did under the Law. All of this dread of punishment and rejection for sin have been met and paid for by Jesus. His blood didn't just cover sin for a long time, but His blood erased the sin completely.
In Colossians 2:15 (Amplified), "(God) disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him (Jesus) and in the cross."
Hebrews 10:35-6 (Amplified) tells us, "Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward." Verse 36 says, "For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God and thus receive and carry away (and enjoy to the full) what is promised."
Our Father has so many things He wishes to do for us, and through us, if we will only allow Him to do it. Don't let the remembrance of past of present sin or shortcomings in your life be a barrier between you and Him. Put your faith in the blood that cleanses you and walk in boldness before your Father just like Jesus did.
Let your conscience be cleansed by His blood and walk in the newness of your mind. Let the mind of Christ be made manifest in you and walk as the new creation that you've become in Him. You're no longer separated from God, but you're His family.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Lesson 9 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One."
The plan of the Father, was and still is, to have a family and fellowship with His family. From the time that Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, until now, our Father held only one thought and plan and that was to restore His family back to Him.
Under the old covenant, God had to have blood to cover sin. Leviticus 17:11 (Amplified) says that, "the life (the animal soul) is in the blood, and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life (which it represents)."
Romans 3:24-26 (Amplified) says that, "All are Justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus." Verse 25 continues, "Whom God put forward (before the eyes of all) as a mercy seat and propitiation by His Blood (the cleansing and life giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation to be received through faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment." Verse 26 says, "It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has (true) faith in Jesus."
There had to a be a death (a life given for a life) in order for God to be able be able to receive the people as living in His presence. Without the shedding of the blood, there couldn't be forgiveness of sin. Hebrews 9:22 (Amplified) tells us that, "Since the blood of bulls and goats, could not take away sins (but only covered them for a period of time) there had to be a better and eternal sacrifice to completely cleanse man from sin."
We read in Hebrews 9:24 (Amplified), "For Christ (the Messiah) has not entered into a sactuary made with (human) hands, only a copy, and pattern and type of the true One, but (He has entered) into heaven itself, now to appear in the (very) presence of God on our behalf."
This act of grace, mercy and love on God's behalf, was to cleanse us and bring us back to Himself, clean and whole and righteous (in right standing) in His eyes. By the very Blood of God Himself (in Jesus) He cleansed us. Now, because of this great sacrifice, we are now one with Him again. Now that an eternal sacrifice had been made, the covenant would be one of grace and not Law.
Because Jesus and the Father are One, we actually could see our Father as we watched Jesus in His earthly walk. Jesus told Philip in John 14:7 (Amplified), "If you had known Me (had learned to recognize Me) you would also have known My Father. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him."
This statement is all the more true for the believer today. If you are to know the Father, then you must see Jesus. No longer do we see the God of the old covenant, but the Father in the new covenant. No longer do we see a God Who demands righteousness from a bankrupt people, but a Father Who imparts righteousness to a family. We don't see a God Who demands works to justify, but a Father Who gave His Own blood to take away the sin forever.
This act of the Law was to give life by the blood of animals (which couldn't take away, but only cover sin) only until He could get Jesus into the earth. This power of the blood that was to be made by Jesus didn't cover sin, it completely eradicated all stain of sin. Not just for a season was sin erased like in the old covenant, but forever (the past, the present and the future). There's now no more sacrifice that's acceptable to God except the One made by Jesus. That is why rejecting Jesus is the one thing that will damn a person. Jesus said in John 14:6 (Amplified) that, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me."
The only way into God's righteousness is by the righteousness of the Blood of Jesus. There's no more sacrifice and no more Law that can be completed to enter in, but Jesus. The only sin that is now being reckoned to mankind, is the rejection of the only sacrifice that can cleanse him and bring him into right standing with God.
This covenant of grace is available to all who will believe and accept the Son of God as their sin bearer. No man can pay this bill on his own. Without receiving Jesus, the Law of sin and death is still in effect according to Romans 8:2 (Amplified).
The plan of the Father, was and still is, to have a family and fellowship with His family. From the time that Adam fell in the Garden of Eden, until now, our Father held only one thought and plan and that was to restore His family back to Him.
Under the old covenant, God had to have blood to cover sin. Leviticus 17:11 (Amplified) says that, "the life (the animal soul) is in the blood, and I have given it for you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life (which it represents)."
Romans 3:24-26 (Amplified) says that, "All are Justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus." Verse 25 continues, "Whom God put forward (before the eyes of all) as a mercy seat and propitiation by His Blood (the cleansing and life giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation to be received through faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment." Verse 26 says, "It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time (in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has (true) faith in Jesus."
There had to a be a death (a life given for a life) in order for God to be able be able to receive the people as living in His presence. Without the shedding of the blood, there couldn't be forgiveness of sin. Hebrews 9:22 (Amplified) tells us that, "Since the blood of bulls and goats, could not take away sins (but only covered them for a period of time) there had to be a better and eternal sacrifice to completely cleanse man from sin."
We read in Hebrews 9:24 (Amplified), "For Christ (the Messiah) has not entered into a sactuary made with (human) hands, only a copy, and pattern and type of the true One, but (He has entered) into heaven itself, now to appear in the (very) presence of God on our behalf."
This act of grace, mercy and love on God's behalf, was to cleanse us and bring us back to Himself, clean and whole and righteous (in right standing) in His eyes. By the very Blood of God Himself (in Jesus) He cleansed us. Now, because of this great sacrifice, we are now one with Him again. Now that an eternal sacrifice had been made, the covenant would be one of grace and not Law.
Because Jesus and the Father are One, we actually could see our Father as we watched Jesus in His earthly walk. Jesus told Philip in John 14:7 (Amplified), "If you had known Me (had learned to recognize Me) you would also have known My Father. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him."
This statement is all the more true for the believer today. If you are to know the Father, then you must see Jesus. No longer do we see the God of the old covenant, but the Father in the new covenant. No longer do we see a God Who demands righteousness from a bankrupt people, but a Father Who imparts righteousness to a family. We don't see a God Who demands works to justify, but a Father Who gave His Own blood to take away the sin forever.
This act of the Law was to give life by the blood of animals (which couldn't take away, but only cover sin) only until He could get Jesus into the earth. This power of the blood that was to be made by Jesus didn't cover sin, it completely eradicated all stain of sin. Not just for a season was sin erased like in the old covenant, but forever (the past, the present and the future). There's now no more sacrifice that's acceptable to God except the One made by Jesus. That is why rejecting Jesus is the one thing that will damn a person. Jesus said in John 14:6 (Amplified) that, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me."
The only way into God's righteousness is by the righteousness of the Blood of Jesus. There's no more sacrifice and no more Law that can be completed to enter in, but Jesus. The only sin that is now being reckoned to mankind, is the rejection of the only sacrifice that can cleanse him and bring him into right standing with God.
This covenant of grace is available to all who will believe and accept the Son of God as their sin bearer. No man can pay this bill on his own. Without receiving Jesus, the Law of sin and death is still in effect according to Romans 8:2 (Amplified).
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Lesson 8 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that "I and the father are One. When you have seen Me, you have seen the Father." We've had a difficult time trying to get a true picture of God. Every Christian wants to walk upright before God and every Christian wants His will done in our lives. The problem hasn't been that our heart is wrong, but that our image of God has been wrong.
We've gleaned most of what we know about God by the old covenant of the Law. When we did good, then He did good. And, when we did bad, then He did bad. Nearly all we knew or were taught about God came from the teaching about the Law. What we've neglected to see is that we now have a new covenant of grace. By grace, even when we do wrong, God can still do good because of the new covenant of grace. All of our punishment for wrong doing was placed on Jesus. Isaiah 53:4 (Amplified) says that "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains (of punishment)."
When Jesus went to the cross, He took our entire debt that was due under the Law and fulfilled it completely. Galatians 3:13-14 (Amplified) says that "Christ purchased our freedom (redeeming us) from the curse (doom) of the Law (and its condemnation) by (Himself) becoming a curse for us. For it is written (in the scriptures) cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified)." Verse 14 goes on, "To the end that through (their receiving) Christ Jesus, the blessing (promised) to Abraham might come upon the gentiles, so that we through faith might (all) receive (the realization of) the promise of the (Holy) Spirit."
Every curse that was proclaimed by violating the Law was placed upon Jesus. God , being a Just God, was obligated by His Just and Holy nature was obligated to punish all wrongdoing under the Law. There was no way for Him to circumvent it and still remain true to His Word. Although God didn't like to punish His people, He had to be true to His covenant.
When Jesus came and took our place, this Just and Holy God judged Jesus in our place. He poured out all His wrath and indignation that was due to us upon Jesus. Once His claims of justice had been met and the price for sin had been satisfied (in and on Jesus), we were paid for by His blood.
The wages of sin was death and not only physical death, but spiritual death as well. Our spirits that were separated from God by Adam, had to be restored to life by Jesus' separation on the cross. As Jesus became sin, He was separated from His Father so that we might now be made alive unto Him and united with Him again.
The sin demanded payment and the Law couldn't look the other way. The price must be paid and the ransom must be met. Since all men had the same sin in their blood, there had to be a sinless sacrifice made that could be legally accepted to pay the price. That's why Jesus had to die. Only the blood of God Himself was without sin. Only His Own blood was pure enough to pay the bill that was due.
When Jesus was nailed to the altar of the cross, God's Own blood ran down for us and Jesus Himself carried it to the mercy seat in the heavenlies (actually became the mercy seat). Now in this new covenant, His blood has been accepted by God (on our behalf) for the complete payment that was due from sin according to Hebrews 9:18-28 (Amplified) especially verse 22. In fact, under the Law, almost everything is purified by means of blood. Without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.
Once the blood had been shed and accepted, the price for sin and its punishment had been legally met and the bill was paid. Now, what the Holy Spirit said in Romans 5:1 (Amplified) is true for the believer that, "Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us (grasp the fact that we ) have (the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy) peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)"
This was the Father's plan from the very beginning; to be one with Him.
We've gleaned most of what we know about God by the old covenant of the Law. When we did good, then He did good. And, when we did bad, then He did bad. Nearly all we knew or were taught about God came from the teaching about the Law. What we've neglected to see is that we now have a new covenant of grace. By grace, even when we do wrong, God can still do good because of the new covenant of grace. All of our punishment for wrong doing was placed on Jesus. Isaiah 53:4 (Amplified) says that "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains (of punishment)."
When Jesus went to the cross, He took our entire debt that was due under the Law and fulfilled it completely. Galatians 3:13-14 (Amplified) says that "Christ purchased our freedom (redeeming us) from the curse (doom) of the Law (and its condemnation) by (Himself) becoming a curse for us. For it is written (in the scriptures) cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified)." Verse 14 goes on, "To the end that through (their receiving) Christ Jesus, the blessing (promised) to Abraham might come upon the gentiles, so that we through faith might (all) receive (the realization of) the promise of the (Holy) Spirit."
Every curse that was proclaimed by violating the Law was placed upon Jesus. God , being a Just God, was obligated by His Just and Holy nature was obligated to punish all wrongdoing under the Law. There was no way for Him to circumvent it and still remain true to His Word. Although God didn't like to punish His people, He had to be true to His covenant.
When Jesus came and took our place, this Just and Holy God judged Jesus in our place. He poured out all His wrath and indignation that was due to us upon Jesus. Once His claims of justice had been met and the price for sin had been satisfied (in and on Jesus), we were paid for by His blood.
The wages of sin was death and not only physical death, but spiritual death as well. Our spirits that were separated from God by Adam, had to be restored to life by Jesus' separation on the cross. As Jesus became sin, He was separated from His Father so that we might now be made alive unto Him and united with Him again.
The sin demanded payment and the Law couldn't look the other way. The price must be paid and the ransom must be met. Since all men had the same sin in their blood, there had to be a sinless sacrifice made that could be legally accepted to pay the price. That's why Jesus had to die. Only the blood of God Himself was without sin. Only His Own blood was pure enough to pay the bill that was due.
When Jesus was nailed to the altar of the cross, God's Own blood ran down for us and Jesus Himself carried it to the mercy seat in the heavenlies (actually became the mercy seat). Now in this new covenant, His blood has been accepted by God (on our behalf) for the complete payment that was due from sin according to Hebrews 9:18-28 (Amplified) especially verse 22. In fact, under the Law, almost everything is purified by means of blood. Without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission of the due and merited punishment for sins.
Once the blood had been shed and accepted, the price for sin and its punishment had been legally met and the bill was paid. Now, what the Holy Spirit said in Romans 5:1 (Amplified) is true for the believer that, "Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us (grasp the fact that we ) have (the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy) peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One)"
This was the Father's plan from the very beginning; to be one with Him.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Lesson 7 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are One." He was saying that He was bringing a new vision of Who God is to the world. When Jesus delivered this message to the world, it was a completely new way of seeing the Almighty. All of Israel knew Him as the "Almighty God," but only Jesus knew Him as Father.
Jesus delivered the most well-known prayer in Christianity in Matthew 6:9 (amplified) saying, "Pray, therefore, like this; Our Father Who is in heaven." This must have staggered the ones who heard Him pray in this manner. Until then, they would not have even spoke God's name aloud out of fear of offending the "Most High." Now, they weren't only to pray to Him, but refer to Him as Father.
Today, we refer top Him as Father and still approach Him as God. The old covenant people had no way of knowing that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, our entire world would change.
Today, we refer to God as our Father, but sometimes feel (or at least act) like we're not His children. Mostly, we still see Him in the light of the old covenant instead of the new one.
You may ask what the difference is. Is God still not God even in the old covenant? Yes! He is still the Almighty God even in the old covenant. The difference is how we view Him.
President Obama is probably the most powerful political figure in the world currently. He is President of the greatest nation in all of history. Nations throughout the earth either seek to know him or they hate him. His influence is sought after in nearly every nation.
Obama's two daughters live with him in the White House. Both of these girls know he's the President and both know his importance and position. But, both daughters share a relationship with him that no one else has; they're his daughters.
Do you suppose that when these girls come into his presence they address him as Mr. President? No! They address him as Father or Dad. Many people have his influence as a political figure, but only his children have all of his influence. Do you suppose that those girls have access to more favor than most people do? Being their father doesn't diminish his power as President, but it does put them into such positions as no one else one the planet.
Being our Father doesn't diminish the fact that God is still the Almighty God. But, it does put us in a position with this Almighty God that no one else shares. All of His influence in our lives is different. All His power as God is now directed unto us, as our Father. The power of God is now the protection for His children. The grace that is extended to the world has now become the power that is the glory of heaven extended for the good of His children.
God's influence and power to the world has been extended , but everything that He is has been given to His family. When we understand Who this Awesome God has become to us, doesn't change Who He is, but how He functions on our behalf. We, as God's family, have been blessed with His favor, His Love, His might, His own righteousness and everything that God has. Every promise that God has made is now ours through Jesus.
The world still sees Gos as God and as a distant figure somewhere in space. We see this God as Father Who lives inside of us and not somewhere in space. The world sees a God who they're trying to get approval from, but we see Him as the Father Who has given us His approval to and of us. The world sees a distant God Who cannot be reached, but we see a Father Who tenderly loves and watches over us all the time. The world sees someone they would like to have on their side (if they could arrange it), but we see a Father Who has given everything He is and everything He has to His family.
Who God is hasn't changed...who we are has. He is still the God of all creation, but now this God is our Father. When Jesus brought us into God's family, His prayer in John 17:14-26 (Amplified) was fulfilled and we have become one as "He and the Father are One."
Jesus delivered the most well-known prayer in Christianity in Matthew 6:9 (amplified) saying, "Pray, therefore, like this; Our Father Who is in heaven." This must have staggered the ones who heard Him pray in this manner. Until then, they would not have even spoke God's name aloud out of fear of offending the "Most High." Now, they weren't only to pray to Him, but refer to Him as Father.
Today, we refer top Him as Father and still approach Him as God. The old covenant people had no way of knowing that through the death and resurrection of Jesus, our entire world would change.
Today, we refer to God as our Father, but sometimes feel (or at least act) like we're not His children. Mostly, we still see Him in the light of the old covenant instead of the new one.
You may ask what the difference is. Is God still not God even in the old covenant? Yes! He is still the Almighty God even in the old covenant. The difference is how we view Him.
President Obama is probably the most powerful political figure in the world currently. He is President of the greatest nation in all of history. Nations throughout the earth either seek to know him or they hate him. His influence is sought after in nearly every nation.
Obama's two daughters live with him in the White House. Both of these girls know he's the President and both know his importance and position. But, both daughters share a relationship with him that no one else has; they're his daughters.
Do you suppose that when these girls come into his presence they address him as Mr. President? No! They address him as Father or Dad. Many people have his influence as a political figure, but only his children have all of his influence. Do you suppose that those girls have access to more favor than most people do? Being their father doesn't diminish his power as President, but it does put them into such positions as no one else one the planet.
Being our Father doesn't diminish the fact that God is still the Almighty God. But, it does put us in a position with this Almighty God that no one else shares. All of His influence in our lives is different. All His power as God is now directed unto us, as our Father. The power of God is now the protection for His children. The grace that is extended to the world has now become the power that is the glory of heaven extended for the good of His children.
God's influence and power to the world has been extended , but everything that He is has been given to His family. When we understand Who this Awesome God has become to us, doesn't change Who He is, but how He functions on our behalf. We, as God's family, have been blessed with His favor, His Love, His might, His own righteousness and everything that God has. Every promise that God has made is now ours through Jesus.
The world still sees Gos as God and as a distant figure somewhere in space. We see this God as Father Who lives inside of us and not somewhere in space. The world sees a God who they're trying to get approval from, but we see Him as the Father Who has given us His approval to and of us. The world sees a distant God Who cannot be reached, but we see a Father Who tenderly loves and watches over us all the time. The world sees someone they would like to have on their side (if they could arrange it), but we see a Father Who has given everything He is and everything He has to His family.
Who God is hasn't changed...who we are has. He is still the God of all creation, but now this God is our Father. When Jesus brought us into God's family, His prayer in John 17:14-26 (Amplified) was fulfilled and we have become one as "He and the Father are One."
Friday, October 11, 2013
Lesson 6 Knowing The Father
When Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified), "I and the Father are one," He identified the very nature and will of God for the New Testament people. As the old covenant was about to be fulfilled and the new covenant was about to be revealed, there would be a new realtionship with God now.
Never before did people have a relationship with God like this since the Garden of Eden. They didn't know at that time the things that you and I now know. They couldn't imagine that Jesus would be the Lamb who would cleanse them all of sin and iniquity. Being made righteous (or in right standing) with God was a notion so foreign to them that they couldn't understand what Jesus meant.
Jesus was speaking to old covenant men about the new covenant things. When Jesus said that He and God were one and the same, it was considered blasphemy to them. To say Jesus was the Son of God was blasphemy and was punishable by death according to John 19:7 (Amplified).
The Jewish people had never had a relationship with God that would allow them to ever make such a statement. The only way they could related to Him was by the Law and sacrifice. He had been a Holy God and a just God. His dealings with this people (since Mt. Sinai) had been based on blood, sacrifice, obedience to the Law and being too holy to approach.
Sometimes, we as New Testament people, seem to want this kind of relationship. We seem almost to see God as He dealt with old covenant people rather than how He deals with us now. We seem to have a problem seeing with a clear eye what our relationship is.
Seeing God the way He dealt with the old covenant people has changed the way we will allow Him to deal in our lives. God doesn't need me to clear His reputation, but it hurts my heart to hear His children speak about their Father in fear, distance and ignorance.
We misjudge God when we view Him more from the old covenant than as our Father in the new covenant. Jesus said in John 14:7 (Amplified) that "When you see Me, you have seen the Father." We now have a clear view of the will, the heart and the love of God by seeing Jesus.
Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) makes a statement that should give us a clear picture of God that His will should be obvious to us today. Verse 3 says, "[Jesus] is the sole expression of the glory of God (the light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the Divine) and He is the perfect imprint and very image of (God's) nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty Word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High."
They only way to see God is to see Jesus. If Jesus and the Father are One (and we know they are), then the way to know how our Father deals with us it to watch Jesus. It will dispel all of the foolish things and old wives tales we've been taught throughout the years. If it's not grace and mercy and truth, then it isn't our Father. We've been taught for years that you can never know God's will. But, if Jesus and the Father are one, then we can know God's will by watching Jesus.
If you truly believe that God's will is to chastise you, hold you accountable for some sins, not hear your prayers or hold back His righteousness on your behalf, then you don't know Him. If you believe that God placed Jesus on that cross as our substitute, then you cannot believe that He is still holding anything against you.
Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, according to Luke 22:42 (Amplified)," that if there was another way, then let the cup be removed from Him, but if not, then let God's will be done." It was God's will to put Jesus in our place and to put us in His place. Jesus became what I was so that I could be what He is. Now, because of Jesus, when my Father looks at me, all He sees is Jesus. When He sees me, He now sees me as righteous with Jesus' righteousness according to 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (Amplified). God now deals with me as if I actually Jesus.
We've become the Body of Christ. If God treated us as if Jesus had never died, then the sacrifice wasn't pure and holy and didn't cover us like it was supposed to. Now, you know that isn't true! John 17:22 (Amplified) says that "I have given them the glory and honor which you have given me that they may be one (even) as we are one."
Never before did people have a relationship with God like this since the Garden of Eden. They didn't know at that time the things that you and I now know. They couldn't imagine that Jesus would be the Lamb who would cleanse them all of sin and iniquity. Being made righteous (or in right standing) with God was a notion so foreign to them that they couldn't understand what Jesus meant.
Jesus was speaking to old covenant men about the new covenant things. When Jesus said that He and God were one and the same, it was considered blasphemy to them. To say Jesus was the Son of God was blasphemy and was punishable by death according to John 19:7 (Amplified).
The Jewish people had never had a relationship with God that would allow them to ever make such a statement. The only way they could related to Him was by the Law and sacrifice. He had been a Holy God and a just God. His dealings with this people (since Mt. Sinai) had been based on blood, sacrifice, obedience to the Law and being too holy to approach.
Sometimes, we as New Testament people, seem to want this kind of relationship. We seem almost to see God as He dealt with old covenant people rather than how He deals with us now. We seem to have a problem seeing with a clear eye what our relationship is.
Seeing God the way He dealt with the old covenant people has changed the way we will allow Him to deal in our lives. God doesn't need me to clear His reputation, but it hurts my heart to hear His children speak about their Father in fear, distance and ignorance.
We misjudge God when we view Him more from the old covenant than as our Father in the new covenant. Jesus said in John 14:7 (Amplified) that "When you see Me, you have seen the Father." We now have a clear view of the will, the heart and the love of God by seeing Jesus.
Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) makes a statement that should give us a clear picture of God that His will should be obvious to us today. Verse 3 says, "[Jesus] is the sole expression of the glory of God (the light-being, the out-raying or radiance of the Divine) and He is the perfect imprint and very image of (God's) nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty Word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High."
They only way to see God is to see Jesus. If Jesus and the Father are One (and we know they are), then the way to know how our Father deals with us it to watch Jesus. It will dispel all of the foolish things and old wives tales we've been taught throughout the years. If it's not grace and mercy and truth, then it isn't our Father. We've been taught for years that you can never know God's will. But, if Jesus and the Father are one, then we can know God's will by watching Jesus.
If you truly believe that God's will is to chastise you, hold you accountable for some sins, not hear your prayers or hold back His righteousness on your behalf, then you don't know Him. If you believe that God placed Jesus on that cross as our substitute, then you cannot believe that He is still holding anything against you.
Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, according to Luke 22:42 (Amplified)," that if there was another way, then let the cup be removed from Him, but if not, then let God's will be done." It was God's will to put Jesus in our place and to put us in His place. Jesus became what I was so that I could be what He is. Now, because of Jesus, when my Father looks at me, all He sees is Jesus. When He sees me, He now sees me as righteous with Jesus' righteousness according to 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (Amplified). God now deals with me as if I actually Jesus.
We've become the Body of Christ. If God treated us as if Jesus had never died, then the sacrifice wasn't pure and holy and didn't cover us like it was supposed to. Now, you know that isn't true! John 17:22 (Amplified) says that "I have given them the glory and honor which you have given me that they may be one (even) as we are one."
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Lesson 5 Knowing The Father
In John 14:9 (Amplified) Jesus asked His disciples, "Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and did you not recognize and know me yet, Phillip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, show us the Father?"
Jesus stated very plainly that He and the Father are one and the same and the only way to know God is to know Him. We've walked in confusion about who our Heavenly Father really is for so long a time. We were hindered by the enemy from really knowing the love and grace that came through Jesus and we missed our understanding of God.
We still look upon Him as only God and missed the Father even though we called Him Father. We still believed that God dealt with His children like He did under the old covenant. Because of this, we missed so many blessings of our new covenant Father. Many of these things that grace has provided couldn't come to us because we still looked to the law and not to grace.
I taught a series of messages some time ago on the unclaimed riches of grace. It seemed to fall on deaf ears at the time because God hadn't revealed it yet to all His children. I believe that the time is now right for His family to hear and see the power of His grace.
It sounds so foreign to Christian people today, because of what has been preached, to believe that grace has provided all things for all time. In Galatians 5:4 (Amplified) it's been so clearly defined that it would seem hard to miss it...but we have. Paul says in that verse, "If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from grace (from God's gracious favor and unmerited blessing)." Verse 6 continues, "that only faith in what Jesus done at His resurrection, will establish what God wants to do in our lives."
All of the things that are His promises of our new covenant are obtained by faith in the price Jesus paid for us. From our healing, to our righteousness, is all received by faith in Jesus paying the bill and becoming our substitute.
I don't walk in guilt over who I used to be because of what Jesus did for me. If His blood was not enough to cleanse me, then I have no way of being cleansed. I have to believe by faith that Jesus did it all. If I have been made righteous by His righteousness, then how can I improve on that by my own idea of what it takes to be made righteous before God?
If the old covenant had been able to do this, then would we have even needed a new one? Jesus was the only sacrifice that could make me right with God and by so doing, make God my Father. Before, we were only servants, but now through Jesus, we are family. As family, we are now joint-heirs with Christ and heirs of God according to Romans 8:17 (Amplified).
Many read this scripture about our sharing in His suffering, and receive the wrong idea of what that is. When the Holy Spirit talks about sharing in His suffering. He is not talking about the cross here. Jesus took our place on the cross not for us to share in it, but to deliver us from it. The suffering we share in is to be rejected by those who still believe we have to somehow pay for their own redemption. Jesus was rejected by the self righteous, but received by those of us who believed by faith in what He said and did on the cross.
You and I are still in this world, but we are not of it. Because we aren't of this world, we aren't received by those who are. Jesus said in John 16:18-19 (Amplified) that the world hated Him and because we aren't of this world, it will hate us. As long as we're here, He is here in us. And, as long as we are here, we still convict the world of righteousness. John 3:19 (Amplified) says, "Light has come, and they have loved darkness." Jesus said that we are the light now. We are to be the light of the world and we are to be the salt of the earth.
As long as the Church is here in this world, we are to spread the light of the gospel to all people. Some will respond and some will persecute just like they did with Jesus. This is suffering just as He suffered. You and I cannot suiffer what He did on the cross. If we could, then Jesus wouldn't have had to because we could have paid our own price of redemption by ourselves.
We must come to know the Father by Jesus. Only then , can we know the glory of His grace..
Jesus stated very plainly that He and the Father are one and the same and the only way to know God is to know Him. We've walked in confusion about who our Heavenly Father really is for so long a time. We were hindered by the enemy from really knowing the love and grace that came through Jesus and we missed our understanding of God.
We still look upon Him as only God and missed the Father even though we called Him Father. We still believed that God dealt with His children like He did under the old covenant. Because of this, we missed so many blessings of our new covenant Father. Many of these things that grace has provided couldn't come to us because we still looked to the law and not to grace.
I taught a series of messages some time ago on the unclaimed riches of grace. It seemed to fall on deaf ears at the time because God hadn't revealed it yet to all His children. I believe that the time is now right for His family to hear and see the power of His grace.
It sounds so foreign to Christian people today, because of what has been preached, to believe that grace has provided all things for all time. In Galatians 5:4 (Amplified) it's been so clearly defined that it would seem hard to miss it...but we have. Paul says in that verse, "If you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from grace (from God's gracious favor and unmerited blessing)." Verse 6 continues, "that only faith in what Jesus done at His resurrection, will establish what God wants to do in our lives."
All of the things that are His promises of our new covenant are obtained by faith in the price Jesus paid for us. From our healing, to our righteousness, is all received by faith in Jesus paying the bill and becoming our substitute.
I don't walk in guilt over who I used to be because of what Jesus did for me. If His blood was not enough to cleanse me, then I have no way of being cleansed. I have to believe by faith that Jesus did it all. If I have been made righteous by His righteousness, then how can I improve on that by my own idea of what it takes to be made righteous before God?
If the old covenant had been able to do this, then would we have even needed a new one? Jesus was the only sacrifice that could make me right with God and by so doing, make God my Father. Before, we were only servants, but now through Jesus, we are family. As family, we are now joint-heirs with Christ and heirs of God according to Romans 8:17 (Amplified).
Many read this scripture about our sharing in His suffering, and receive the wrong idea of what that is. When the Holy Spirit talks about sharing in His suffering. He is not talking about the cross here. Jesus took our place on the cross not for us to share in it, but to deliver us from it. The suffering we share in is to be rejected by those who still believe we have to somehow pay for their own redemption. Jesus was rejected by the self righteous, but received by those of us who believed by faith in what He said and did on the cross.
You and I are still in this world, but we are not of it. Because we aren't of this world, we aren't received by those who are. Jesus said in John 16:18-19 (Amplified) that the world hated Him and because we aren't of this world, it will hate us. As long as we're here, He is here in us. And, as long as we are here, we still convict the world of righteousness. John 3:19 (Amplified) says, "Light has come, and they have loved darkness." Jesus said that we are the light now. We are to be the light of the world and we are to be the salt of the earth.
As long as the Church is here in this world, we are to spread the light of the gospel to all people. Some will respond and some will persecute just like they did with Jesus. This is suffering just as He suffered. You and I cannot suiffer what He did on the cross. If we could, then Jesus wouldn't have had to because we could have paid our own price of redemption by ourselves.
We must come to know the Father by Jesus. Only then , can we know the glory of His grace..
Monday, October 7, 2013
Lesson 4 Knowing The Father
Jesus said in John 10:30 (Amplified) that, "I and the Father are one" and revealed the difference between God and Father in this one statement. Before we had viewed our Father by what we had seen and read of the old covenant God. Now, Jesus is revealing Him as Father instead of just God. Is He still God? Of course He is, but His relationship with man has changed now from a distant God to an ever present Father and One who protected from the outside to One who is ever present on the inside.
Our view of who God is has been slanted because the only thing we knew about Him was gleaned from the old covenant. To actually come to know Him as Father, we must see Him under the new covenant of grace and righteousness by Jesus. Jesus said that the Father and I are One, so when we see Jesus, we have seen the Father.
We've somehow connected God with punishment and strict rules that must be kept to keep from destruction. But, law has been swallowed up by grace in the new covenant. The sacrifices of the old covenant have all been met by the Lamb of God in the new covenant. Whatever the law demanded, Jesus met in one awesome sacrifice of Himself. Jesus became the sin offering, the trespass offering, the offering of the first fruits, the Passover, and the offering to be made if we were unclean. Whatever man needed to be made right with God was met by Jesus. Now all the things that were needed to completely fulfill the Law were met by Him.
No matter how man tried to stand upright with God by the Law, he always fell short because of the sin nature that was within him. But, now, Jesus has made us righteous by giving us His own right standing with God. Now, we have the right, through Him, to come into the presence of God and to address Him as Father. Now, it's not God and His people, but the Father and His family.
If we learn to view Him by looking at Jesus, we see Him as He really is. Now, He's not limited in His approach to us by our sin, but made one with us through the sacrifice of Jesus which covered all of our sin and iniquities.
We still walked in the fear that He was going to punish us every time we fell short in our walk. We knew that some of the things we've done (even after we were born again) were wrong and worthy of punishment. And, because we knew we deserved to be punished, we allowed a place for the enemy to move in our lives and we attributed all of the calamity to our Father because we didn't understand Him.
This has been a pattern in the lives of Christians for years. We knew that a just and righteous God had to punish sin. What we didn't understand was that all the punishment fell on Jesus so that you and I could walk free from it.
Now we understand what John meant when he wrote in 1John 4:18 (Amplified) that, "There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors, and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into loves complete perfection)."
By reading this scripture in the light of the Spirit of Grace, we begin to understand that maturity in the Spirit lets us understand how much this great love has done to deliver us. When we're mature enough to believe that love even covered our punishment for wrong, we begin to see our loving Father instead of seeing Him as others have often portrayed Him as a vengeful God.
Isaiah 53:6 (Amplified) tells us, "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains (of punishment) yet we (ignorantly) considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God (as if by leprosy)." You see, His love not only took care of all our trespasses, but also the punishment that was due because of those trespasses.
So, 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says that when we're mature enough to understand the greatness of this love and how even our punishment was taken by Jesus, we can now walk without fear (of punishment) because we now understand that He's not only God but our Father.
Understanding this great love will set you free from fear and close the door of condemnation to the enemy. Now, we are finally coming to the maturity of the love of God our Father.
Our view of who God is has been slanted because the only thing we knew about Him was gleaned from the old covenant. To actually come to know Him as Father, we must see Him under the new covenant of grace and righteousness by Jesus. Jesus said that the Father and I are One, so when we see Jesus, we have seen the Father.
We've somehow connected God with punishment and strict rules that must be kept to keep from destruction. But, law has been swallowed up by grace in the new covenant. The sacrifices of the old covenant have all been met by the Lamb of God in the new covenant. Whatever the law demanded, Jesus met in one awesome sacrifice of Himself. Jesus became the sin offering, the trespass offering, the offering of the first fruits, the Passover, and the offering to be made if we were unclean. Whatever man needed to be made right with God was met by Jesus. Now all the things that were needed to completely fulfill the Law were met by Him.
No matter how man tried to stand upright with God by the Law, he always fell short because of the sin nature that was within him. But, now, Jesus has made us righteous by giving us His own right standing with God. Now, we have the right, through Him, to come into the presence of God and to address Him as Father. Now, it's not God and His people, but the Father and His family.
If we learn to view Him by looking at Jesus, we see Him as He really is. Now, He's not limited in His approach to us by our sin, but made one with us through the sacrifice of Jesus which covered all of our sin and iniquities.
We still walked in the fear that He was going to punish us every time we fell short in our walk. We knew that some of the things we've done (even after we were born again) were wrong and worthy of punishment. And, because we knew we deserved to be punished, we allowed a place for the enemy to move in our lives and we attributed all of the calamity to our Father because we didn't understand Him.
This has been a pattern in the lives of Christians for years. We knew that a just and righteous God had to punish sin. What we didn't understand was that all the punishment fell on Jesus so that you and I could walk free from it.
Now we understand what John meant when he wrote in 1John 4:18 (Amplified) that, "There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors, and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into loves complete perfection)."
By reading this scripture in the light of the Spirit of Grace, we begin to understand that maturity in the Spirit lets us understand how much this great love has done to deliver us. When we're mature enough to believe that love even covered our punishment for wrong, we begin to see our loving Father instead of seeing Him as others have often portrayed Him as a vengeful God.
Isaiah 53:6 (Amplified) tells us, "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains (of punishment) yet we (ignorantly) considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God (as if by leprosy)." You see, His love not only took care of all our trespasses, but also the punishment that was due because of those trespasses.
So, 1John 4:18 (Amplified) says that when we're mature enough to understand the greatness of this love and how even our punishment was taken by Jesus, we can now walk without fear (of punishment) because we now understand that He's not only God but our Father.
Understanding this great love will set you free from fear and close the door of condemnation to the enemy. Now, we are finally coming to the maturity of the love of God our Father.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Lesson 3 Knowing The Father
In John 14:9 (Amplified) Jesus asked, "Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and you do not recognize and know me yet, Phillip? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say then, show us the Father?"
Most of us have wondered about who the Father is and how He operates. We've drawn forgone conclusions about Him and have tried to walk in what we thought was God. Jesus said that "No one has seen the Father, but the Son." But, then He said that "When you see Me, you have seen Him."
We've tried getting a glimpse of God by reading His Word and frequently we've failed to see Him clearly. We have a distorted view of God when we read about His dealings of people in the old covenant. We hear about grace and mercy, then we run into the God of the old covenant. Few have realized that God had to deal differently in the old covenant than He does in the new covenant.
In the old covenant, before men could be born again, God had to deal with mankind by the flesh and not the Spirit. The old covenant men were spiritually dead to God and walked completely in the carnal realm. God couldn't lead them by the Holy Spirit like He does now. Instead, there needed to be laws and sacrifices for man's failures in order to keep them in a place of mercy until Jesus could be brought into the earth. The old covenant really was a covenant of mercy and goodness that kept God from destroying the old covenant people altogether. Romans 6:23 (Amplified) says, "The wages which sin pays is death, but the (bountiful) free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord."
When sin was with the old covenant man, mercy would receive the life and blood of a goat or lamb to cover the sin. Therefore, mercy preserved the life of a sinner time and time again. We wonder at the way God dealt with man and sometimes we allow ourselves to believe that He deals this way still in the new covenant. Because we don't study and listen to the Holy Spirit, we get ourselves in the place of the double minded man in the book of James.
Paul told Timothy in 2Timothy 2:15 (Amplified), "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial) a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing (rightly handling and skillfully teaching) the Word of truth." To rightly divide the truth of God's Word, you must let the cross be the place it divides. The old covenant, through the blood of goats and bulls, could keep men from destruction until the Lamb of God could cleanse them. Now, because of Jesus, God doesn't have to deal with man as in the flesh. Instead, God can now, by the pouring out of His own blood, bring life to those who will believe.
In the beginning, God dealt with Adam by His Spirit, but after the fall God had to deal with him in the flesh or natural man. Once again, when man gets born again, God deals with us by His Spirit and His Word. We have erroneously accepted that because of the old covenant, God still is doing that which He did then. We are still looking for judgment, punishment and anger from God. To rightly divide the Word of truth, you must see the truth of the resurrection of Jesus and the power of His Blood to give us new life with God in the Spirit.
Most of us have wondered about who the Father is and how He operates. We've drawn forgone conclusions about Him and have tried to walk in what we thought was God. Jesus said that "No one has seen the Father, but the Son." But, then He said that "When you see Me, you have seen Him."
We've tried getting a glimpse of God by reading His Word and frequently we've failed to see Him clearly. We have a distorted view of God when we read about His dealings of people in the old covenant. We hear about grace and mercy, then we run into the God of the old covenant. Few have realized that God had to deal differently in the old covenant than He does in the new covenant.
In the old covenant, before men could be born again, God had to deal with mankind by the flesh and not the Spirit. The old covenant men were spiritually dead to God and walked completely in the carnal realm. God couldn't lead them by the Holy Spirit like He does now. Instead, there needed to be laws and sacrifices for man's failures in order to keep them in a place of mercy until Jesus could be brought into the earth. The old covenant really was a covenant of mercy and goodness that kept God from destroying the old covenant people altogether. Romans 6:23 (Amplified) says, "The wages which sin pays is death, but the (bountiful) free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord."
When sin was with the old covenant man, mercy would receive the life and blood of a goat or lamb to cover the sin. Therefore, mercy preserved the life of a sinner time and time again. We wonder at the way God dealt with man and sometimes we allow ourselves to believe that He deals this way still in the new covenant. Because we don't study and listen to the Holy Spirit, we get ourselves in the place of the double minded man in the book of James.
Paul told Timothy in 2Timothy 2:15 (Amplified), "Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial) a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing (rightly handling and skillfully teaching) the Word of truth." To rightly divide the truth of God's Word, you must let the cross be the place it divides. The old covenant, through the blood of goats and bulls, could keep men from destruction until the Lamb of God could cleanse them. Now, because of Jesus, God doesn't have to deal with man as in the flesh. Instead, God can now, by the pouring out of His own blood, bring life to those who will believe.
In the beginning, God dealt with Adam by His Spirit, but after the fall God had to deal with him in the flesh or natural man. Once again, when man gets born again, God deals with us by His Spirit and His Word. We have erroneously accepted that because of the old covenant, God still is doing that which He did then. We are still looking for judgment, punishment and anger from God. To rightly divide the Word of truth, you must see the truth of the resurrection of Jesus and the power of His Blood to give us new life with God in the Spirit.
Lesson 2 Knowing The Father
In John 14:9 (Amplified) Jesus said, "Have I been with you for so long a time, and you do not recognize and know Me yet, Phillip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, show us the Father?"
For so long we have misunderstood the heart of our Father and mostly it's because we were taught incorrectly from the start. We've tried to walk with God with a right heart, but we always seem to fall short of what we believed God demanded from us. We tried to pray, but never had much confidence in getting an answer because we were always conscience of our short-comings. We misunderstood what it meant to "fear the Lord" and were in actuality afraid of God.
To fear the Lord is to respect, reverence and be in awe of Him. We've spent much of our Christian walk trying to be good so God would bless us or have favor towards us. All this time, God had already blessed and given favor and grace to us through Jesus.
As I continue saying to people in our congregation, "God is not your problem, He is your answer." If God is your problem, then you don't have an answer.
I taught a series of messages some time ago about the unclaimed riches of grace. Because we really never understood what grace has provided, we never reached out to receive what was there. The teaching centered in on Ephesians 2:8 (Amplified) which says that we were saved by grace (through faith), but we didn't really understand what it meant to be "saved." Mostly, we decided that being saved meant we were going to heaven when we died.
All that is true, but being saved means so much more than that. We were saved by grace through faith and our faith in what grace provided will determine how much of this "gift of grace" will manifest in our lives. It has already been provided for us, but must be received by faith in it.
Salvation has already been offered to the whole world. Jesus provided the doorway to God by His own sacrifice. He came so we could be free from all of the bondage of everything that transgressed in the Garden of Eden. Still, this awesome gift of grace and salvation must be received by faith.
There is nothing that Jesus died for (or better yet, what He was raised from the dead to bring us) that was held back from the believer. We were justified when He raised from the dead and all of our debt had been paid. For the most part, we seem to still be trying to pay it off by ourselves.
What grace has provided is a note, paid in full, that has set us free so people don't have to think about their pasts. As far as God's concerned, you have no past. 1 Corinthians 5:17-21 (Amplified) needs to be read in the Spirit of God so you will begin to really see Jesus in a new light. We read the words and misunderstood in our minds what the words say and never receive in our spirits the truth of this grace. This scripture must be received by faith in order to make you free from the accusations of your old life.
This scripture if true whether or not we believe it. But, in order to walk in the liberty of it, it must become real to you. Grace has provided much more for us than faith has ever received. Jesus did so many things that we're not walking in and that we still feel we must earn them in some way.
We've been taught that you can never know what God will do. That's not true at all. In
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (Amplified) the Word tell us that, "What eye, ear and the natural mind of man could not understand, the Spirit of God has now revealed them to us as believers." The entire plan of salvation and redemption was hidden in Jesus until the time was right and now is that time to know and receive.
We still stand in fear of failure and punishment for our failures. We still have trouble trusting God with our lives. We still walk in fear of punishment most of the time. The teachings for the Body of Christ have been "do good, get good and do bad, get bad." Jesus took the bad, gave the good and Colossains 2:13-15 (Amplified) says Jesus nailed them to His cross and cancelled them out. And, it tells us that Jesus disarmed the powers that raged against us and made a public example over them.
Pleas, read this scripture over and over again.
For so long we have misunderstood the heart of our Father and mostly it's because we were taught incorrectly from the start. We've tried to walk with God with a right heart, but we always seem to fall short of what we believed God demanded from us. We tried to pray, but never had much confidence in getting an answer because we were always conscience of our short-comings. We misunderstood what it meant to "fear the Lord" and were in actuality afraid of God.
To fear the Lord is to respect, reverence and be in awe of Him. We've spent much of our Christian walk trying to be good so God would bless us or have favor towards us. All this time, God had already blessed and given favor and grace to us through Jesus.
As I continue saying to people in our congregation, "God is not your problem, He is your answer." If God is your problem, then you don't have an answer.
I taught a series of messages some time ago about the unclaimed riches of grace. Because we really never understood what grace has provided, we never reached out to receive what was there. The teaching centered in on Ephesians 2:8 (Amplified) which says that we were saved by grace (through faith), but we didn't really understand what it meant to be "saved." Mostly, we decided that being saved meant we were going to heaven when we died.
All that is true, but being saved means so much more than that. We were saved by grace through faith and our faith in what grace provided will determine how much of this "gift of grace" will manifest in our lives. It has already been provided for us, but must be received by faith in it.
Salvation has already been offered to the whole world. Jesus provided the doorway to God by His own sacrifice. He came so we could be free from all of the bondage of everything that transgressed in the Garden of Eden. Still, this awesome gift of grace and salvation must be received by faith.
There is nothing that Jesus died for (or better yet, what He was raised from the dead to bring us) that was held back from the believer. We were justified when He raised from the dead and all of our debt had been paid. For the most part, we seem to still be trying to pay it off by ourselves.
What grace has provided is a note, paid in full, that has set us free so people don't have to think about their pasts. As far as God's concerned, you have no past. 1 Corinthians 5:17-21 (Amplified) needs to be read in the Spirit of God so you will begin to really see Jesus in a new light. We read the words and misunderstood in our minds what the words say and never receive in our spirits the truth of this grace. This scripture must be received by faith in order to make you free from the accusations of your old life.
This scripture if true whether or not we believe it. But, in order to walk in the liberty of it, it must become real to you. Grace has provided much more for us than faith has ever received. Jesus did so many things that we're not walking in and that we still feel we must earn them in some way.
We've been taught that you can never know what God will do. That's not true at all. In
1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (Amplified) the Word tell us that, "What eye, ear and the natural mind of man could not understand, the Spirit of God has now revealed them to us as believers." The entire plan of salvation and redemption was hidden in Jesus until the time was right and now is that time to know and receive.
We still stand in fear of failure and punishment for our failures. We still have trouble trusting God with our lives. We still walk in fear of punishment most of the time. The teachings for the Body of Christ have been "do good, get good and do bad, get bad." Jesus took the bad, gave the good and Colossains 2:13-15 (Amplified) says Jesus nailed them to His cross and cancelled them out. And, it tells us that Jesus disarmed the powers that raged against us and made a public example over them.
Pleas, read this scripture over and over again.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Lesson 1 Knowing The Father
In John 14:7-9 (Amplified), we read, "If you had known Me (had learned to recognize Me) you would also have known My Father. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him." Verse 8 says, "Phillip said to Him,'Lord, show us the Father (cause us to see the Father-that is all we ask) then we will be satisfied.'" Verse 9 continues, "Jesus replied, 'Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and you do not recognize and know Me yet, Phillip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, show us the Father?'"
For years I've watched God's people struggle for a vision of the Father. They still haven't seen that as they watched Jesus, they are watching the Father. We still walk in condemnation of their past even though they've been set completely free. We still walk trying to be good so that God will bless us. We haven't yet realized that we're blessed because He is good and not because we are good.
We still struggle with sickness and disease as God's chastisement or teaching. We still haven't gotten hold of grace and mercy in Jesus. Most of the time we continue to see our Father under the law of the old covenant instead of the law of grace under the new covenant.
Somehow we've failed to say the same thing that Phillip said, "Show us the Father." We haven't understood the most basic teaching of Jesus from John 10:30 (Amplified), "I and the Father are one."
Jesus said that "No one has seen the Father except the Son, but when you've seen Me, then you've seen the Father." I can't help wondering how we got so mixed up when it comes to Knowing Him. The only way, and the easiest way to know God is to watch Jesus. If Jesus didn't do it, then God doesn't do it. If Jesus didn't make you sick to teach you something, then God won't make you sick to teach you either.
Jesus declared in John 10:10 (Amplified), "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that you may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, 'til if overflows). "It should be very simple to determine just be this scripture who God is. If it steals, kills or destroys, then it's not God.
I never saw Jesus refuse healing to anyone or ever heard Him tell someone that the Father wanted them to keep their sickness. If He didn't to it, then God doesn't do it. I never saw Him turn anyone away who needed help and neither does the Father.
Somehow, we got the whole of the gospel turned upside down. It seems that the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, healing, prosperity, authority, power of His name and deliverance have suddenly come from the devil. And, sickness, poverty, condemnation, hard times, trials, and tests were from our Father. How could we be so blind as to mistake our greatest enemy as being from our Father?
How can we proclaim to be saved by grace, only to be put under the Law? We seemed to have fallen prey to the deception of the enemy as to what Jesus paid for on the cross. Why is it that we're so quick to believe the lie of the devil about a God Who loves us so much that He died in our place? How could we think for even a minute that our Father is the cause of all our problems?
Even when we were unsaved and lost, He loved us at our worst. Jesus says in John 17:23 (Amplified), "I in them, and you in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and (definitely) recognize that you sent Me and that You have loved them (even) as You have loved Me."
If you can even imagine the love that the Father has for Jesus, then you can begin to understand how God is your answer and not your problem. The only way to know God is to know Jesus. If we begin to understand what Jesus did for us, then we can begin to understand and know our Father.
How it must hurt the great heart of God to have His children think of Him as a murderer or a killer of children. To think of Him as the source of all the hell and heartache of His children, that when something terrible happens, we blame Him. If my children thought that of me, then I don't think I could handle it. Here is a Father who went to the greatest length of His love to free us and then we view Him as a terrorist.
We're going to get a view of our Father through these next set of lessons that will reveal the fullness of His goodness and love for us. From now on, we'll see Him in Hi place of grace and love and not judgement and death.
For years I've watched God's people struggle for a vision of the Father. They still haven't seen that as they watched Jesus, they are watching the Father. We still walk in condemnation of their past even though they've been set completely free. We still walk trying to be good so that God will bless us. We haven't yet realized that we're blessed because He is good and not because we are good.
We still struggle with sickness and disease as God's chastisement or teaching. We still haven't gotten hold of grace and mercy in Jesus. Most of the time we continue to see our Father under the law of the old covenant instead of the law of grace under the new covenant.
Somehow we've failed to say the same thing that Phillip said, "Show us the Father." We haven't understood the most basic teaching of Jesus from John 10:30 (Amplified), "I and the Father are one."
Jesus said that "No one has seen the Father except the Son, but when you've seen Me, then you've seen the Father." I can't help wondering how we got so mixed up when it comes to Knowing Him. The only way, and the easiest way to know God is to watch Jesus. If Jesus didn't do it, then God doesn't do it. If Jesus didn't make you sick to teach you something, then God won't make you sick to teach you either.
Jesus declared in John 10:10 (Amplified), "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that you may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, 'til if overflows). "It should be very simple to determine just be this scripture who God is. If it steals, kills or destroys, then it's not God.
I never saw Jesus refuse healing to anyone or ever heard Him tell someone that the Father wanted them to keep their sickness. If He didn't to it, then God doesn't do it. I never saw Him turn anyone away who needed help and neither does the Father.
Somehow, we got the whole of the gospel turned upside down. It seems that the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, healing, prosperity, authority, power of His name and deliverance have suddenly come from the devil. And, sickness, poverty, condemnation, hard times, trials, and tests were from our Father. How could we be so blind as to mistake our greatest enemy as being from our Father?
How can we proclaim to be saved by grace, only to be put under the Law? We seemed to have fallen prey to the deception of the enemy as to what Jesus paid for on the cross. Why is it that we're so quick to believe the lie of the devil about a God Who loves us so much that He died in our place? How could we think for even a minute that our Father is the cause of all our problems?
Even when we were unsaved and lost, He loved us at our worst. Jesus says in John 17:23 (Amplified), "I in them, and you in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and (definitely) recognize that you sent Me and that You have loved them (even) as You have loved Me."
If you can even imagine the love that the Father has for Jesus, then you can begin to understand how God is your answer and not your problem. The only way to know God is to know Jesus. If we begin to understand what Jesus did for us, then we can begin to understand and know our Father.
How it must hurt the great heart of God to have His children think of Him as a murderer or a killer of children. To think of Him as the source of all the hell and heartache of His children, that when something terrible happens, we blame Him. If my children thought that of me, then I don't think I could handle it. Here is a Father who went to the greatest length of His love to free us and then we view Him as a terrorist.
We're going to get a view of our Father through these next set of lessons that will reveal the fullness of His goodness and love for us. From now on, we'll see Him in Hi place of grace and love and not judgement and death.
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