Psalms 138:2 (Amplified) says that, "God has exalted His Word above all His name."
Maybe few people have ever understood the importance of knowing God's Word. When you know the Word, you know Jesus. He is the Word made flesh. Certain verses in the Bible are simply quoted without really knowing what they say. Hebrews 10:38-39 (Amplified) for example says, "But the just shall live by faith (My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man's relationship to God and Divine things, and holy fervor born of faith and co-joined with it) and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him." (Hebrews 2:3-4) Verse 39 says, "But out way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery (perdition) and are utterly destroyed, but we are of those who believe (who cleave to and trust in and rely on God through Jesus Christ; the Messiah) and by faith preserve the soul."
Many people quote how "the just shall live by faith," but they don't seem to grasp the truth of it. According to Ephesians 2:5 (Amplified), "Even when we were dead (slain) by (our own) short comings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; (He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him) for it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgement and made partakers of Christ's salvation)."
If the scriptures mean what they say (and they do), then we were literally dead. By faith in the Blood and sacrifice of Jesus, we now have become alive. Leviticus 17:11 (Amplified) says, "For 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) also.
So this life that we're now living is not our life at all, but actually His life that He is living through us. John 10:15 (Amplified) says that, "Even as (truly as) the Father knows Me and I also know the Father and am giving My (very Own) life and am laying it down on behalf of the sheep." This doesn't just mean that He died and gave up His life, but that through His Blood, He gave us His life.
Now, we begin to understand what Paul said in Galatians 2:20 (Amplified) when he said, "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 (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me."
No wonder Paul said that he now lives "by faith in the Son of God" and "It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives (in and through) me." The life is in the blood. This very life that we are now living is not our lives living for Jesus, but actually it is Jesus' life living through us. I don't think we really have understood what the scriptures have said about "eternal life." Only God is eternal. Now, it's His life, living in your dead body. Without Him, we have no life.
No wonder Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 (Amplified) that, "Man shall not live by and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every Word that comes forth from the mouth of God." This Word is Jesus and It is His life in us that's really our life. We have no life. We are dead and it is only Him in us Who is alive. His Blood is His life and by faith in that Blood, we have life.
Without faith in His Blood, we're still dead. No wonder that "the just shall live by faith." If you are the just (or justified by faith) then 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." Verse 25 goes on,"Whom God put forward (before the eyes of all) as a mercy seat and propitiation by His mercy (the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation), (to be received through faith) the just shall live by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His Divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment."
Without faith, you can't live because life is in the Blood of Jesus. Now, only His life is living in us. We still have no life, only His life in us. No wonder Jesus said that "It's not Me, but the Father in Me that does the works." The life in Jesus was God's Own Blood and life;. John 10:30 (Amplified) says that, "The Father and I are One." Jesus and you are one by the Blood and it's not you but the life of Jesus (through faith in Him and the Blood) that is the life in us. Therefore, those who are justified by faith in Him live by faith in Him and His Blood. Without the life that's in His Blood, we are still dead even though we live according to 1Timothy 5:6 (Amplified).
When we really understand what has happened to us when we received Jesus, it makes all the difference in the world. It's not simply going to heaven, but letting heaven come into you. It's not us living for Him, but it's Him living through you. It's the Father in us (by the life of the Blood) that does the work. Paul said in Galatians 2:20 (Amplified) that, "It is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me."
When we learn to trust in the Word, then everything becomes simple. We don't have to try being something that the world thinks is right, but only let God live in and through us like He did in Jesus. All we need to learn is that "Greater is He that is in me, is greater than he who is in the world." Let Jesus live His life through you. All of the other things will (the flesh or mind set) will change. The struggle that we had in our bodies will change and we will begin to live His life.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Lesson 12 Trusting In The Word
In Psalm 128:2 (Amplified) God said that "He had magnified His name above all the heaven; and that He has magnified His Word, above all of His name."
We find in Philippians 2:9-10 (Amplified) that "God has bestowed upon Jesus, a name that is above every name." Verse 10 says, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow; in heaven and on earth and under the earth. " This is the name that has been magnified above even God's name. In Psalm 138:2 (Amplified) this name of "Jesus" is the Word of God.
Jesus was always the Word of God. John 1:14 (Amplified) tells us "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we (actually) saw His glory (His honor, His majesty) such glory as an only begotten Son receives from His Father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth."
This Word was in the beginning with God and the Word was God in Genesis. John 1:1 (Amplified) says that, "When the Christ child was born, we named the baby, (this flesh and blood body) Jesus, but He had already existed with God from the very beginning." When I say that Jesus and the Word are One and the same person, it's a Divine truth. When I talk about learning to trust in the Word, it's actually learning to trust in Jesus. We seem to see Jesus one way and the Word another way. I hear people all the time, talk about taking the Word literally. When they speak of the Word in that way, it's usually in reference to not being credible.
When you realize that Jesus and the Word are One and the same, then how can the Word not be credible? When we see the man Jesus on the cross, the Word was placed there first. In Isaiah 53,53,54 (Amplified) we see that before Jesus was placed on the cross, the Word had already been there. When we read Isaiah, we see the crucifixion only by the Word. Then, we see the Word made flesh in the gospels actually doing what the Word had already done.
The same Jesus we placed our faith in for forgiveness of our sin, is the same Word that bore everything else in that body. The only way man could be saved was for a sinless man to die in his place. Therefore, this Word became flesh and was actually God's Own Word (His Word of truth) that hung on the cross for us. Now that the Word of God has vindicated all who will believe, He has exalted His Word above all His name.
We see God (by His Word) begin to build a man (the man Jesus) by speaking Him into existence one piece at a time. He spoke Him into existence in every book of the old covenant. Every "shadow" of things in the old covenant became the substance of the new covenant. The only way to see Jesus was by the Word.
From the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15 (Amplified) to Malachi 4:2 (Amplified) the "Son of righteousness will arise with healing in His wings and His beams." Once the complete plan of salvation had been spoken and was filled for all time, Mary tells the Angel Gabriel in Luke 1:18 (Amplified), "Let it be done to me according to what you have said." It wasn't only about what the angel said just then, but what had been said of this Child from the beginning.
Now, what the angels said in Luke 1:30-35 (Amplified) was the totality of all the Father spoke from the beginning. Now, this Word became flesh and now we had a name for this Word and we call this Word, Jesus. Everything the Father said concerning our redemption and deliverance would become the sinless sacrifice and die on the cross. Now, we can actually see God's Word as a living, breathing man. We see that they are still One and the same.
In Psalm 2:7 (also quoted in Hebrews 1:5- Hebrews 3:5-6 (Amplified) we read how "The Father has spoken by His Word, the resurrection of the Lord, before He was crucified." It was no wonder that Jesus spoke to Pilate in John 19:11 (Amplified) saying,"You would have no power over Me, had it not been given you from above." The only way Pilate could do as he did towards Jesus is because the Word had already been spoken and exalted and was now the flesh that had to die and become alive again.
As strange as it may sound to us today, Jesus had to trust in the Word for His resurrection by faith. He actually had to put His total existence at the very truth of the Word for His being raised from the dead. All He had to prove at His resurrection, was the Word of God. We sometimes think that because Jesus was the Son of God, He had more going for Him than we do today. His trust in the written Word and His life as the Word made flesh had to come into agreement the same as we do today. His flesh didn't want to go to the cross. Luke 22:42 (Amplified) shows us Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but (always) Yours be done." Jesus has to trust in the Word (the written Word) to raise Him up from the dead.
If Jesus could trust in the Word enough to actually die in my place, become sin in my place, become the curse in my place, be separated from God in my place, and trust the Word enough to believe God would raise Him from the dead, then surely, we should be able to trust Him (as the Word) to do what He (the Word) has said about us.
You are righteous because the Word said so. You are justified because the Word said so. You are a King and a priest because the Word said so. You are actually alive because the Word said so. You are healed because the Word said so. And, this "Word has been exalted even above God's name," according to Psalm 138:2.
We find in Philippians 2:9-10 (Amplified) that "God has bestowed upon Jesus, a name that is above every name." Verse 10 says, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow; in heaven and on earth and under the earth. " This is the name that has been magnified above even God's name. In Psalm 138:2 (Amplified) this name of "Jesus" is the Word of God.
Jesus was always the Word of God. John 1:14 (Amplified) tells us "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we (actually) saw His glory (His honor, His majesty) such glory as an only begotten Son receives from His Father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth."
This Word was in the beginning with God and the Word was God in Genesis. John 1:1 (Amplified) says that, "When the Christ child was born, we named the baby, (this flesh and blood body) Jesus, but He had already existed with God from the very beginning." When I say that Jesus and the Word are One and the same person, it's a Divine truth. When I talk about learning to trust in the Word, it's actually learning to trust in Jesus. We seem to see Jesus one way and the Word another way. I hear people all the time, talk about taking the Word literally. When they speak of the Word in that way, it's usually in reference to not being credible.
When you realize that Jesus and the Word are One and the same, then how can the Word not be credible? When we see the man Jesus on the cross, the Word was placed there first. In Isaiah 53,53,54 (Amplified) we see that before Jesus was placed on the cross, the Word had already been there. When we read Isaiah, we see the crucifixion only by the Word. Then, we see the Word made flesh in the gospels actually doing what the Word had already done.
The same Jesus we placed our faith in for forgiveness of our sin, is the same Word that bore everything else in that body. The only way man could be saved was for a sinless man to die in his place. Therefore, this Word became flesh and was actually God's Own Word (His Word of truth) that hung on the cross for us. Now that the Word of God has vindicated all who will believe, He has exalted His Word above all His name.
We see God (by His Word) begin to build a man (the man Jesus) by speaking Him into existence one piece at a time. He spoke Him into existence in every book of the old covenant. Every "shadow" of things in the old covenant became the substance of the new covenant. The only way to see Jesus was by the Word.
From the seed of the woman in Genesis 3:15 (Amplified) to Malachi 4:2 (Amplified) the "Son of righteousness will arise with healing in His wings and His beams." Once the complete plan of salvation had been spoken and was filled for all time, Mary tells the Angel Gabriel in Luke 1:18 (Amplified), "Let it be done to me according to what you have said." It wasn't only about what the angel said just then, but what had been said of this Child from the beginning.
Now, what the angels said in Luke 1:30-35 (Amplified) was the totality of all the Father spoke from the beginning. Now, this Word became flesh and now we had a name for this Word and we call this Word, Jesus. Everything the Father said concerning our redemption and deliverance would become the sinless sacrifice and die on the cross. Now, we can actually see God's Word as a living, breathing man. We see that they are still One and the same.
In Psalm 2:7 (also quoted in Hebrews 1:5- Hebrews 3:5-6 (Amplified) we read how "The Father has spoken by His Word, the resurrection of the Lord, before He was crucified." It was no wonder that Jesus spoke to Pilate in John 19:11 (Amplified) saying,"You would have no power over Me, had it not been given you from above." The only way Pilate could do as he did towards Jesus is because the Word had already been spoken and exalted and was now the flesh that had to die and become alive again.
As strange as it may sound to us today, Jesus had to trust in the Word for His resurrection by faith. He actually had to put His total existence at the very truth of the Word for His being raised from the dead. All He had to prove at His resurrection, was the Word of God. We sometimes think that because Jesus was the Son of God, He had more going for Him than we do today. His trust in the written Word and His life as the Word made flesh had to come into agreement the same as we do today. His flesh didn't want to go to the cross. Luke 22:42 (Amplified) shows us Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane praying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but (always) Yours be done." Jesus has to trust in the Word (the written Word) to raise Him up from the dead.
If Jesus could trust in the Word enough to actually die in my place, become sin in my place, become the curse in my place, be separated from God in my place, and trust the Word enough to believe God would raise Him from the dead, then surely, we should be able to trust Him (as the Word) to do what He (the Word) has said about us.
You are righteous because the Word said so. You are justified because the Word said so. You are a King and a priest because the Word said so. You are actually alive because the Word said so. You are healed because the Word said so. And, this "Word has been exalted even above God's name," according to Psalm 138:2.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Lesson 11 Trusting In The Word
In Psalm 138:2 (Amplified) the Lord said that "He had magnified His Word above all His name." Since we know that in John 1:14 the Word became flesh, we know that Jesus and the Word of God are One and the same.
When we read the Word, we're listening to the very voice of Jesus Himself. Jesus said that the Words He speaks are "Spirit and Truth." We also know that unless the Holy Spirit breathes life into the Word and we by faith in the Blood allow it to become alive, it's just religious and bondage to the reader.
Through the years, we've allowed the letter of the Law kill or bind us, but the Spirit gives life to the Word. When we read the Word of God by the inspiration and life of the blood and Spirit, it always brings liberty and life.
The reason so many of God's children don't know the Father is because we have only read the dead letter of the Law. We see what it says, but we don't understand what it's telling us. It's hard for humans to believe that old things have passed away and all things have become new. It's hard to believe that our sins and trespasses have been done away with (past, present, and future) by His blood.
We behave like those who were under the Law and try to make restitution for everything that we do wrong. By so doing, we're actually saying that we trust more in our actions to cleanse ourselves, than we do in the Blood of Jesus. We still allow ourselves to walk in condemnation instead of believing what the Word is saying.
Because we won't dare to believe the Word, the Word can't operate in us the way It's supposed to. We don't do these things because we don't love God, but because we don't trust in the Word. If we couldn't pay for our own sins before we were saved, then what makes us think we can make restitution for them after we're saved? If it took the Blood of Jesus to cleanse us before, then it still takes faith in the Blood to keep us clean. Jesus doesn't have to go back on the cross. His Blood ever makes intercession for us at all times.
As with Cain and Abel, when Abel's blood cried out from the ground, Jesus' Blood still speaks and is forever crying out our redemption and forgiveness to the throne of God on our behalf. It's not a thing like under the Law, when it had to be renewed every year, but is eternal in the heavens.
In 2Corinthians 13 we have the character of God written down for us to walk in. In 1John 4:8 the Word tells us that God is Love. It was more than just love that was shed abroad in our hearts, it was God Himself Who was shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. If God is love, and 1John 4:8 says that He is, then 1Corinthians 13 is more than what we have been taught. This isn't only the way Love acts through us to other people, but God acts toward us by His presence in us.
When the Word tells us that love is never taking account of suffered wrong or evil that's done to us, Verse 5 (Amplified) then do you really believe that God would have us to react this way and then react to us differently? 1Corinthians 13 isn't just the Holy Spirit telling us to act, but is in reality telling us how the Father acts toward us too. 1Corinthians 13:7 (Amplified) says that, "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, It's hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and It (or God Himself) endures everything (without weakening). This Love is God Himself." Everything this scripture tells us to do, is what the Father Himself walks in, thinks on and operates in on our behalf. Now, we can come to understand better when Jesus said, "Your sins and iniquities I remember no more." He (Love) really means just what He said. Love never looks at the times we fail, but Love only looks at Jesus (Who never fails) and Love sees you there as one who is perfect in the Blood.
We keep forgetting that it wasn't us who God needed perfection in; it was Jesus. By faith in that perfection, God sees us as perfect now too. If we will only learn to trust in the Word (or in Jesus) for our complete perfection. We can walk by faith in Him without the past, present, or future failures holding us back. We can go on by faith in His righteousness as though we were never in failure or sin.
We can by faith in His Blood and Love, say (even as He said) that the god of this world comes and has nothing on me. Why? Because we're in Him and He is perfect. Turn loose of what the enemy says about you and by faith, trust in what the Word (Jesus) says about you. When you read God's Word, trust in who you are and not who you were.
When we read the Word, we're listening to the very voice of Jesus Himself. Jesus said that the Words He speaks are "Spirit and Truth." We also know that unless the Holy Spirit breathes life into the Word and we by faith in the Blood allow it to become alive, it's just religious and bondage to the reader.
Through the years, we've allowed the letter of the Law kill or bind us, but the Spirit gives life to the Word. When we read the Word of God by the inspiration and life of the blood and Spirit, it always brings liberty and life.
The reason so many of God's children don't know the Father is because we have only read the dead letter of the Law. We see what it says, but we don't understand what it's telling us. It's hard for humans to believe that old things have passed away and all things have become new. It's hard to believe that our sins and trespasses have been done away with (past, present, and future) by His blood.
We behave like those who were under the Law and try to make restitution for everything that we do wrong. By so doing, we're actually saying that we trust more in our actions to cleanse ourselves, than we do in the Blood of Jesus. We still allow ourselves to walk in condemnation instead of believing what the Word is saying.
Because we won't dare to believe the Word, the Word can't operate in us the way It's supposed to. We don't do these things because we don't love God, but because we don't trust in the Word. If we couldn't pay for our own sins before we were saved, then what makes us think we can make restitution for them after we're saved? If it took the Blood of Jesus to cleanse us before, then it still takes faith in the Blood to keep us clean. Jesus doesn't have to go back on the cross. His Blood ever makes intercession for us at all times.
As with Cain and Abel, when Abel's blood cried out from the ground, Jesus' Blood still speaks and is forever crying out our redemption and forgiveness to the throne of God on our behalf. It's not a thing like under the Law, when it had to be renewed every year, but is eternal in the heavens.
In 2Corinthians 13 we have the character of God written down for us to walk in. In 1John 4:8 the Word tells us that God is Love. It was more than just love that was shed abroad in our hearts, it was God Himself Who was shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. If God is love, and 1John 4:8 says that He is, then 1Corinthians 13 is more than what we have been taught. This isn't only the way Love acts through us to other people, but God acts toward us by His presence in us.
When the Word tells us that love is never taking account of suffered wrong or evil that's done to us, Verse 5 (Amplified) then do you really believe that God would have us to react this way and then react to us differently? 1Corinthians 13 isn't just the Holy Spirit telling us to act, but is in reality telling us how the Father acts toward us too. 1Corinthians 13:7 (Amplified) says that, "Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, It's hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and It (or God Himself) endures everything (without weakening). This Love is God Himself." Everything this scripture tells us to do, is what the Father Himself walks in, thinks on and operates in on our behalf. Now, we can come to understand better when Jesus said, "Your sins and iniquities I remember no more." He (Love) really means just what He said. Love never looks at the times we fail, but Love only looks at Jesus (Who never fails) and Love sees you there as one who is perfect in the Blood.
We keep forgetting that it wasn't us who God needed perfection in; it was Jesus. By faith in that perfection, God sees us as perfect now too. If we will only learn to trust in the Word (or in Jesus) for our complete perfection. We can walk by faith in Him without the past, present, or future failures holding us back. We can go on by faith in His righteousness as though we were never in failure or sin.
We can by faith in His Blood and Love, say (even as He said) that the god of this world comes and has nothing on me. Why? Because we're in Him and He is perfect. Turn loose of what the enemy says about you and by faith, trust in what the Word (Jesus) says about you. When you read God's Word, trust in who you are and not who you were.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Lesson 10 Trusting In The Word
When we think of God's Word, we don't always remember that Jesus and the Word of God are One and the same. When we honor the Word, we honor Jesus. Because the Bible is divided into two covenants, we as Christians seem to have a difficult time understanding it. We, as Christian people, Gentiles if you will, weren't ever under the Law of Moses. This Law was given to the Hebrew people and they were under covenant with God; not us. Ephesians 2:12 (Amplified) says that, "(Remember) that you at that time were separated (living apart) from Christ (excluded from all part of Him) utterly estranged and outlawed from the rights of Israel as a nation, and strangers with no share in the sacred compacts of the (Messianic) promise (with no knowledge of or right in God's agreement, His covenants) and you had no hope (no promise); you were in the world without God."
When you read the Word in this way, it makes you wonder how we managed to put ourselves under the Law (which is passed away) that we were never partakers of to begin with. Now that grace has come and the Law is fulfilled in Jesus, how do we become under the Law? Hebrews 8:13 (Amplified) tells us, "When God speaks of a new covenant (or agreement) He makes the first one obsolete (out of use and annulled because of age) is ripe for disappearance and to be dispensed with altogether."
We've allowed ourselves to be under condemnation from our old lives instead of walking in the liberty of our new life. We've allowed ourselves to be saved by our covenant of grace and walk under the condemnation of the old covenant. Some want to say we are using grace in order to still walk in the flesh, but that isn't true for the real child of God. Do we still make mistakes? Of course we do, but the Blood of Jesus still took care of our mistakes.
We try to understand what the Word is telling us to do, but because we don't distinguish between covenants, we still get confused. Even now, we don't seem to realize that it's the Holy Spirit Who is building the Church. Jesus came as the Lamb of God to die in our place. When He rose from the dead and was seated at the right hand of the Father, His part as a man was fulfilled. Now, He has sent the Holy Spirit to reveal to the Church what He has done.
We read in John 16:13-15 (Amplified), "But when He, the Spirit of truth (the truth giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the truth (the whole, full truth). For He will not speak His own message (on His own authority), but He will tell whatever He hears (from the Father, He will give the message that has been given to Him); and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come (that will happen in the future)."
The things that were to happen in the future, is the entire New Testament because the new birth, the forgiveness of sin and righteousness by faith was yet to come. Verse 14 goes on, "He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you." Verse 15 continues, "Everything that the Father has is Mine, that is what I meant when I said that He (the Spirit) will take the things that are Mine, and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."
All of the things that are revealed to today's Church (all of the things of truth), are revealed by the Holy Spirit. This is His dispensation to build the Church. Remember, when Jesus said these things no one knew or understood that there was to be a new covenant. Only the Holy Spirit could disclose the power of the new birth and the covenant of grace through faith and not be works or sacrifice. Only the Holy Spirit could declare a righteousness by faith in the Blood of Jesus. All of the things we now know, Jesus said, the Spirit would show us all things that are to come.
Only by understanding what the Holy Spirit says through the Word can even hope to know this new covenant. Because so many of us received what was taught by man (and not by the Spirit), we've allowed ourselves to be put back under the condemnation of the Law instead of by grace. Hebrews 9:14 (Amplified) says, "How much more surely shall the Blood of Christ, Who by virtue of (His) eternal Spirit (His Own pre-existent, divine personality) has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works, and lifeless observances to serve the (ever) living God?"
Jesus and the Word are One and the same. When you honor the Word, you honor Him. And, when you honor Him, you honor the Father. To dishonor the Word, you dishonor the very sacrifice of Jesus Himself. When we try to pay for our own mistakes and shortcomings by sacrifice, condemnation, guilt, self imposed punishment and other ways, we dishonor the sacrifice of Jesus as though it wasn't enough. This dishonors God and everything that He did through Jesus. We are in a way, telling God that the old covenant was better and that can fix our own mistakes by our sacrifices.
When we declare that "I'm an old sinner saved by grace," we're declaring who we were before Jesus. Once we've received Jesus, we're no longer and "old sinner," but sons and daughters of the Most High God. You're not a sinner any longer, but you're now the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus. 2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says that declaring anything else is dishonoring the very blood of Jesus as though it were not enough to cleanse you. Saying that the blood of Jesus wasn't enough to make you whole, may be the highest form of religious pride that's now in the Church. Hebrews 10:18 (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."
When you read the Word in this way, it makes you wonder how we managed to put ourselves under the Law (which is passed away) that we were never partakers of to begin with. Now that grace has come and the Law is fulfilled in Jesus, how do we become under the Law? Hebrews 8:13 (Amplified) tells us, "When God speaks of a new covenant (or agreement) He makes the first one obsolete (out of use and annulled because of age) is ripe for disappearance and to be dispensed with altogether."
We've allowed ourselves to be under condemnation from our old lives instead of walking in the liberty of our new life. We've allowed ourselves to be saved by our covenant of grace and walk under the condemnation of the old covenant. Some want to say we are using grace in order to still walk in the flesh, but that isn't true for the real child of God. Do we still make mistakes? Of course we do, but the Blood of Jesus still took care of our mistakes.
We try to understand what the Word is telling us to do, but because we don't distinguish between covenants, we still get confused. Even now, we don't seem to realize that it's the Holy Spirit Who is building the Church. Jesus came as the Lamb of God to die in our place. When He rose from the dead and was seated at the right hand of the Father, His part as a man was fulfilled. Now, He has sent the Holy Spirit to reveal to the Church what He has done.
We read in John 16:13-15 (Amplified), "But when He, the Spirit of truth (the truth giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the truth (the whole, full truth). For He will not speak His own message (on His own authority), but He will tell whatever He hears (from the Father, He will give the message that has been given to Him); and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come (that will happen in the future)."
The things that were to happen in the future, is the entire New Testament because the new birth, the forgiveness of sin and righteousness by faith was yet to come. Verse 14 goes on, "He will honor and glorify Me, because He will take of (receive, draw upon) what is Mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you." Verse 15 continues, "Everything that the Father has is Mine, that is what I meant when I said that He (the Spirit) will take the things that are Mine, and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you."
All of the things that are revealed to today's Church (all of the things of truth), are revealed by the Holy Spirit. This is His dispensation to build the Church. Remember, when Jesus said these things no one knew or understood that there was to be a new covenant. Only the Holy Spirit could disclose the power of the new birth and the covenant of grace through faith and not be works or sacrifice. Only the Holy Spirit could declare a righteousness by faith in the Blood of Jesus. All of the things we now know, Jesus said, the Spirit would show us all things that are to come.
Only by understanding what the Holy Spirit says through the Word can even hope to know this new covenant. Because so many of us received what was taught by man (and not by the Spirit), we've allowed ourselves to be put back under the condemnation of the Law instead of by grace. Hebrews 9:14 (Amplified) says, "How much more surely shall the Blood of Christ, Who by virtue of (His) eternal Spirit (His Own pre-existent, divine personality) has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works, and lifeless observances to serve the (ever) living God?"
Jesus and the Word are One and the same. When you honor the Word, you honor Him. And, when you honor Him, you honor the Father. To dishonor the Word, you dishonor the very sacrifice of Jesus Himself. When we try to pay for our own mistakes and shortcomings by sacrifice, condemnation, guilt, self imposed punishment and other ways, we dishonor the sacrifice of Jesus as though it wasn't enough. This dishonors God and everything that He did through Jesus. We are in a way, telling God that the old covenant was better and that can fix our own mistakes by our sacrifices.
When we declare that "I'm an old sinner saved by grace," we're declaring who we were before Jesus. Once we've received Jesus, we're no longer and "old sinner," but sons and daughters of the Most High God. You're not a sinner any longer, but you're now the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus. 2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says that declaring anything else is dishonoring the very blood of Jesus as though it were not enough to cleanse you. Saying that the blood of Jesus wasn't enough to make you whole, may be the highest form of religious pride that's now in the Church. Hebrews 10:18 (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."
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Singer Vince Brown to visit
Come Be Blessed
At
Christian Life Center
12759 NYS Rte 12E
Chaumont, NY 13622
315-649-3050
When we host:
Vincent Brown in concert
On Sunday December 1, 2013
10am-Noon
He will be sharing songs for his CD "One by One" and a special message that God has given him to share with everyone.
Everyone is invited and welcome
Lesson 9 Trusting In The Word
In Psalm 138:2 (Amplified) God made the declaration that He has exalted His Word even above His name. We know that according to the gospel of John 1:14 " the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." So, according to God's Word, Jesus and the Word are One and the same. Revelations 19:13 (Amplified) says that "the title by which He is called is the Word of God."
Jesus made the statement that "He and the Father are One," in John 10:30 (Amplified). When we put our trust in God, then it must be our faith in His Word. We see God in the Old Testament and Jesus in the four gospels and yet another revelation of them both is found in the epistles. Sometimes it's quite a difficult thing to bring them all together under the New Testament or new grace of grace.
We get tangles up in the way that God did things in the old covenant and miss what He did in the new covenant. When Jesus was here in the flesh, He couldn't reveal all that He was to the people at the same time. Remember that Jesus was talking to old covenant people or people who were under the Law about New Testament things. These weren't born again people. The Holy Spirit hadn't been poured out yet and these people didn't have the revelation of Paul's epistles that we have today. Some of the things we see Jesus preaching didn't make sense to them. They stumbled over the things that Jesus told them at that time.
However, we have the knowledge of what He was saying delivered to us by the Holy Spirit. When He talked about the Temple being destroyed and in three days it would be rebuilt, they had no idea that He was talking about the Temple of His body. Even now, some stumble at this idea that the new temple is us. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (Amplified) says, "Do you not discern and understand that you (the whole church of Corinth) (and now all over the earth) are God's Temple (His sanctuary) and that God's Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you (to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually)?"
The people in the four gospels didn't have what we have today. Many of the messages that we deliver to today's Church are derived from sermons we glean from the gospels. Of course, what Jesus said in the gospels was true, but misunderstood. We Jesus spoke about putting new wine into old wine skins, He was speaking to Old Testament people being able to receive what Jesus was saying about the new covenant.
If you can imagine yourself as an old covenant person and someone said that you would now become the temple of God and the Holy Spirit would dwell inside you, then could you absorb that? Suddenly, you were to become the Holy of Holies and God HImself would now live in you. No wonder people stumbled over what Jesus preached. Today, we still stumble over some of the same things they did.
We believe that our sin is forgiven and yet walk in condemnation as though it wasn't. We believe we were made righteous by Jesus' righteousness, but yet we're reluctant to say so. We believe we're God's children, but we're unsure of how our Father sees and deals with us. We see Jesus and the Word and God, yet we still have a difficult time seeing them as One.
It's difficult to believe (even for a believer) that this new covenant is so simple to live in. We keep trying to live for God instead of living from God. We try doing what's right and living uprightly with Him instead of receiving our uprightness or right standing from God and walking in that. We were never righteous and we're still not. "Only He is righteous and we have been made righteous through and in Him," according to 2Corinthians 5:17-21(Amplified).
We're no longer who we were, but are now Who He is. He is our life, He is our righteousness, He is our health and He is our favor with the Father. As long as we will remember that by His grace, and faith in that grace, we have all things. Once we forget that grace and try to obtain things by our own efforts, we missed it again.
Do I mean to just live any way I want? No! But, don't base what He wants to do on your good or bad behavior. Leave it based on His grace. If we let ourselves judge the goodness of God on our behavior, then we're back under the Law.
Jesus made the statement that "He and the Father are One," in John 10:30 (Amplified). When we put our trust in God, then it must be our faith in His Word. We see God in the Old Testament and Jesus in the four gospels and yet another revelation of them both is found in the epistles. Sometimes it's quite a difficult thing to bring them all together under the New Testament or new grace of grace.
We get tangles up in the way that God did things in the old covenant and miss what He did in the new covenant. When Jesus was here in the flesh, He couldn't reveal all that He was to the people at the same time. Remember that Jesus was talking to old covenant people or people who were under the Law about New Testament things. These weren't born again people. The Holy Spirit hadn't been poured out yet and these people didn't have the revelation of Paul's epistles that we have today. Some of the things we see Jesus preaching didn't make sense to them. They stumbled over the things that Jesus told them at that time.
However, we have the knowledge of what He was saying delivered to us by the Holy Spirit. When He talked about the Temple being destroyed and in three days it would be rebuilt, they had no idea that He was talking about the Temple of His body. Even now, some stumble at this idea that the new temple is us. 1 Corinthians 3:16 (Amplified) says, "Do you not discern and understand that you (the whole church of Corinth) (and now all over the earth) are God's Temple (His sanctuary) and that God's Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you (to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually)?"
The people in the four gospels didn't have what we have today. Many of the messages that we deliver to today's Church are derived from sermons we glean from the gospels. Of course, what Jesus said in the gospels was true, but misunderstood. We Jesus spoke about putting new wine into old wine skins, He was speaking to Old Testament people being able to receive what Jesus was saying about the new covenant.
If you can imagine yourself as an old covenant person and someone said that you would now become the temple of God and the Holy Spirit would dwell inside you, then could you absorb that? Suddenly, you were to become the Holy of Holies and God HImself would now live in you. No wonder people stumbled over what Jesus preached. Today, we still stumble over some of the same things they did.
We believe that our sin is forgiven and yet walk in condemnation as though it wasn't. We believe we were made righteous by Jesus' righteousness, but yet we're reluctant to say so. We believe we're God's children, but we're unsure of how our Father sees and deals with us. We see Jesus and the Word and God, yet we still have a difficult time seeing them as One.
It's difficult to believe (even for a believer) that this new covenant is so simple to live in. We keep trying to live for God instead of living from God. We try doing what's right and living uprightly with Him instead of receiving our uprightness or right standing from God and walking in that. We were never righteous and we're still not. "Only He is righteous and we have been made righteous through and in Him," according to 2Corinthians 5:17-21(Amplified).
We're no longer who we were, but are now Who He is. He is our life, He is our righteousness, He is our health and He is our favor with the Father. As long as we will remember that by His grace, and faith in that grace, we have all things. Once we forget that grace and try to obtain things by our own efforts, we missed it again.
Do I mean to just live any way I want? No! But, don't base what He wants to do on your good or bad behavior. Leave it based on His grace. If we let ourselves judge the goodness of God on our behavior, then we're back under the Law.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Lesson 8 Trusting In The Word
Psalms 138:2 (Amplified) says that, "You have exalted above all else Your name and Your Word, and You have magnified Your Word above all Your name."
God has magnified His Word above all His name. Think about this statement for awhile and ask yourself how much do we really believe what the Word says. We realize that His Word has declared us righteous by our faith in His Word.
If I establish my own righteousness by my performance (even if I could), then it will only last until my next mistake. If I was to lose my righteousness by my mistakes, then how could I reinstate it? I can no longer make sacrifices as in the old covenant and I can't send Jesus to the cross again. The how can I walk in right standing with my Father without believing that Jesus is my right standing? Am I righteous one minute and unrighteous in the next? Am I a sinner one time and not a sinner the next? How can I ever have faith in my right standing with God based on my performance? The truth is that I can't. I must trust the fact that Jesus is my righteousness and He doesn't make mistakes. His righteousness will endure forever and if I am in Him, then so will mine.
Does this mean that I can live any way that I want? Of course not. But, if I fail ( and I will at times), then do I need to be born again, again? It means that every mistake I've made or ever will make as a sinner is under the Blood of the perfect Lamb of God and doesn't need to be renewed as in the old covenant.
If a believer can't determine if, or when he's in right standing with the Father, then how can we believe in prayer or anything else He promised to come to pass? We must establish our Christian life on faith and trust in God's Word. How can we ever believe that God's Word of heaven is true if His Word of right standing is in doubt?
Everything in our Christian life is based on trusting what His Word has declared. We say we believe certain things and not others. Is only part of His Word true? And if so, then which part? What can we really believe about our salvation is only some of it is true?
We must return to believing outside the box that the devil has so successfully put us into. We'll never see the mighty things that God has prepared for those who love Him until we begin to trust in what these things are. If we only believe them to happen when we get to heaven, then how will the unbeliever ever see?
According to Romans 8:19 (Amplified), "For (even) the whole creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God's sons to be made known (waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship)." Some believe this will occur at the close of the ages, but all of the curse will be lifted from even nature at the close of the age. If so, there would be no reason for the manifesting of God's sons because they'd already be manifest.
I believe that the time is coming, and even now is beginning, when the church will finally trust in the Word and God's praises will be seen in all the earth. The time of miracles hasn't passed away with the early Church, but is waiting for today's Church to walk in the manifest power of our Lord Jesus. After all, is He not Lord of heaven and earth.
We keep trying to place ourselves under the curse when all the time the curse has been dealt with by Jesus. We're always disqualifying ourselves because of our imperfections instead of identifying with His perfection. We are perfect because He is perfect. Not because of what we do or don't do, but because of what He did.
We need to trust in our Lamb on the altar enough to let go of all else and walk free. Once we learn to trust in Him and not in ourselves. Do we need to stop learning? Of course not. But, learning shouldn't become bondage or Law, but grace. Everything about the promises of God depend on faith in His grace and not our performance.
Do you really think God didn't know what He was doing when He sent Jesus? Do you really think that He thought we would never fail or make mistakes? Of course He knew. And His grace is still sufficient for us. Were it not for grace, we would still be where we were.
God has magnified His Word above all His name. Think about this statement for awhile and ask yourself how much do we really believe what the Word says. We realize that His Word has declared us righteous by our faith in His Word.
If I establish my own righteousness by my performance (even if I could), then it will only last until my next mistake. If I was to lose my righteousness by my mistakes, then how could I reinstate it? I can no longer make sacrifices as in the old covenant and I can't send Jesus to the cross again. The how can I walk in right standing with my Father without believing that Jesus is my right standing? Am I righteous one minute and unrighteous in the next? Am I a sinner one time and not a sinner the next? How can I ever have faith in my right standing with God based on my performance? The truth is that I can't. I must trust the fact that Jesus is my righteousness and He doesn't make mistakes. His righteousness will endure forever and if I am in Him, then so will mine.
Does this mean that I can live any way that I want? Of course not. But, if I fail ( and I will at times), then do I need to be born again, again? It means that every mistake I've made or ever will make as a sinner is under the Blood of the perfect Lamb of God and doesn't need to be renewed as in the old covenant.
If a believer can't determine if, or when he's in right standing with the Father, then how can we believe in prayer or anything else He promised to come to pass? We must establish our Christian life on faith and trust in God's Word. How can we ever believe that God's Word of heaven is true if His Word of right standing is in doubt?
Everything in our Christian life is based on trusting what His Word has declared. We say we believe certain things and not others. Is only part of His Word true? And if so, then which part? What can we really believe about our salvation is only some of it is true?
We must return to believing outside the box that the devil has so successfully put us into. We'll never see the mighty things that God has prepared for those who love Him until we begin to trust in what these things are. If we only believe them to happen when we get to heaven, then how will the unbeliever ever see?
According to Romans 8:19 (Amplified), "For (even) the whole creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God's sons to be made known (waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship)." Some believe this will occur at the close of the ages, but all of the curse will be lifted from even nature at the close of the age. If so, there would be no reason for the manifesting of God's sons because they'd already be manifest.
I believe that the time is coming, and even now is beginning, when the church will finally trust in the Word and God's praises will be seen in all the earth. The time of miracles hasn't passed away with the early Church, but is waiting for today's Church to walk in the manifest power of our Lord Jesus. After all, is He not Lord of heaven and earth.
We keep trying to place ourselves under the curse when all the time the curse has been dealt with by Jesus. We're always disqualifying ourselves because of our imperfections instead of identifying with His perfection. We are perfect because He is perfect. Not because of what we do or don't do, but because of what He did.
We need to trust in our Lamb on the altar enough to let go of all else and walk free. Once we learn to trust in Him and not in ourselves. Do we need to stop learning? Of course not. But, learning shouldn't become bondage or Law, but grace. Everything about the promises of God depend on faith in His grace and not our performance.
Do you really think God didn't know what He was doing when He sent Jesus? Do you really think that He thought we would never fail or make mistakes? Of course He knew. And His grace is still sufficient for us. Were it not for grace, we would still be where we were.
Lesson 7 Trusting In The Word
Psalms 138:2 (Amplified) says, "I will worship toward Your Holy Temple and praise Your name for Your loving kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; For You have exalted above all else Your name and Your Word and You have magnified Your Word above all Your name."
We sometimes don't think about the power of God's Word in our lives today. We believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, but sometimes fail to realize that Jesus is the manifestation of God's Word today. In John 1:14 (Amplified) we read, "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we (actually) saw His glory (His honor, His majesty) such glory as an only begotten Son receives from His Father, full of grace (favor,loving kindness) and truth."
God's Word is full of grace, favor, truth, and loving kindness towards us who believe. If His Word has said it, then He will do it. It's not a matter of getting God to do it, but a matter of us believing, through faith, that in His heart, He's already done it through Jesus (the Word). Everything that Jesus did in His death and resurrection has already been said in God's Word. It's already done. Our healing, righteousness, redemption and all that His Word has declared is done. We have a great reverence for God, but we fail in our doubting and dishonor His Word which is our Lord Jesus.
I don't write this to bring anyone into condemnation, but into faith. We need to honor God by honoring His Word. Remember that "God has magnified His Word above all His name." Everything that Jesus was while He was on this earth, the Word still does. Because we haven't been taught much about the power of His Word in our lives, we put off most of it until we reach heaven. We aren't going to need our Bible when we get to heaven. We need it while we're still on earth.
We won't need to be healed, saved, delivered, fed, clothed or anything else when we get home. There will be no more hospitals, police or death in heaven. Now is when we need to believe in the promise of His Word. Grace has provided everything that the family of God will ever need as long as we are here. Matthew 6:10 (Amplified) tells us, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
We sometimes overlook His will in our daily lives is to provide for us as if we were already in heaven. If His will for us is just like it is in heaven, then heaven has some poor, sick, hungry, lost and destitute people there.
Under our new covenant, Jesus provided (in Himself) everything that was needed to be brought back into full relationship with our Father. We were restored back (by faith in His Word) to where we were before the fall of man in the Garden. Actually, we were brought (through Jesus) to a better place than Adam had. Now we are seated together with Jesus at the right hand of God in all heavenly places. We read in Ephesians 2:6 (Amplified), "And He raised us 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)."
When God said that we have joint seating with Him in the heavenly sphere, He didn't mean when we get to heaven, but when we allow heaven to get in us. When Jesus walked this earth, we saw the heavenly sphere operate here on earth. The same Jesus (the Word of God) still has the same power now as then. There's no difference except our doubt.
We keep saying that the things Jesus did were because He was the Son of God. That's true! But, now because of Jesus, we are sons of God too. Heaven has come to earth. John 3:21 (Amplified) says that, "But he who practices truth (who does what is right) comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are--wrought with God (Divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him)."
All of God's wrath was poured out on Jesus on the cross so that all of Jesus' grace, favor, honor and power (from His place with the Father) could now become ours through faith in Him (the Word). We still strive to become righteous before God when His Word has declared that we're already righteous with His righteousness. We still walk in fear of His retribution when the Word says differently.
We're constantly trying to establish our own righteousness through our works instead of receiving our righteousness by faith in His Word. Romans 10:3 (Amplified) says that, "For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes (which make one acceptable to Him in word, thought and deed) and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness." The previous verse of Romans 10:2 (Amplified) says, "I bear them witness that they have a (certain) zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to (correct and vital) knowledge."
We, as Christians, have set about to do the same thing in so many ways. Since it wasn't your righteousness (but God's) to begin with, then how can we say we have lost out on it? All we were required to do to become righteous was to believe in Jesus. Just because we make mistakes in our lives, doesn't mean that we've stopped believing in Him. If it's His right standing that I am in, then if I make a mistake does that mean He's no longer righteous? Of course not! Because He will always be righteous means that in him, I will always be righteous too.
Once we learn to really trust in His Word (by faith), we can establish our right standing (without fear) and finally begin to walk in what He has prepared for us. We, as they did in Romans 10:2 (Amplified) have a zeal for God, but are still (as they did) trying to establish our own righteousness by religious laws that we impose on ourselves and others.
We sometimes don't think about the power of God's Word in our lives today. We believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, but sometimes fail to realize that Jesus is the manifestation of God's Word today. In John 1:14 (Amplified) we read, "And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we (actually) saw His glory (His honor, His majesty) such glory as an only begotten Son receives from His Father, full of grace (favor,loving kindness) and truth."
God's Word is full of grace, favor, truth, and loving kindness towards us who believe. If His Word has said it, then He will do it. It's not a matter of getting God to do it, but a matter of us believing, through faith, that in His heart, He's already done it through Jesus (the Word). Everything that Jesus did in His death and resurrection has already been said in God's Word. It's already done. Our healing, righteousness, redemption and all that His Word has declared is done. We have a great reverence for God, but we fail in our doubting and dishonor His Word which is our Lord Jesus.
I don't write this to bring anyone into condemnation, but into faith. We need to honor God by honoring His Word. Remember that "God has magnified His Word above all His name." Everything that Jesus was while He was on this earth, the Word still does. Because we haven't been taught much about the power of His Word in our lives, we put off most of it until we reach heaven. We aren't going to need our Bible when we get to heaven. We need it while we're still on earth.
We won't need to be healed, saved, delivered, fed, clothed or anything else when we get home. There will be no more hospitals, police or death in heaven. Now is when we need to believe in the promise of His Word. Grace has provided everything that the family of God will ever need as long as we are here. Matthew 6:10 (Amplified) tells us, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
We sometimes overlook His will in our daily lives is to provide for us as if we were already in heaven. If His will for us is just like it is in heaven, then heaven has some poor, sick, hungry, lost and destitute people there.
Under our new covenant, Jesus provided (in Himself) everything that was needed to be brought back into full relationship with our Father. We were restored back (by faith in His Word) to where we were before the fall of man in the Garden. Actually, we were brought (through Jesus) to a better place than Adam had. Now we are seated together with Jesus at the right hand of God in all heavenly places. We read in Ephesians 2:6 (Amplified), "And He raised us 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)."
When God said that we have joint seating with Him in the heavenly sphere, He didn't mean when we get to heaven, but when we allow heaven to get in us. When Jesus walked this earth, we saw the heavenly sphere operate here on earth. The same Jesus (the Word of God) still has the same power now as then. There's no difference except our doubt.
We keep saying that the things Jesus did were because He was the Son of God. That's true! But, now because of Jesus, we are sons of God too. Heaven has come to earth. John 3:21 (Amplified) says that, "But he who practices truth (who does what is right) comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are--wrought with God (Divinely prompted, done with God's help, in dependence upon Him)."
All of God's wrath was poured out on Jesus on the cross so that all of Jesus' grace, favor, honor and power (from His place with the Father) could now become ours through faith in Him (the Word). We still strive to become righteous before God when His Word has declared that we're already righteous with His righteousness. We still walk in fear of His retribution when the Word says differently.
We're constantly trying to establish our own righteousness through our works instead of receiving our righteousness by faith in His Word. Romans 10:3 (Amplified) says that, "For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes (which make one acceptable to Him in word, thought and deed) and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness." The previous verse of Romans 10:2 (Amplified) says, "I bear them witness that they have a (certain) zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to (correct and vital) knowledge."
We, as Christians, have set about to do the same thing in so many ways. Since it wasn't your righteousness (but God's) to begin with, then how can we say we have lost out on it? All we were required to do to become righteous was to believe in Jesus. Just because we make mistakes in our lives, doesn't mean that we've stopped believing in Him. If it's His right standing that I am in, then if I make a mistake does that mean He's no longer righteous? Of course not! Because He will always be righteous means that in him, I will always be righteous too.
Once we learn to really trust in His Word (by faith), we can establish our right standing (without fear) and finally begin to walk in what He has prepared for us. We, as they did in Romans 10:2 (Amplified) have a zeal for God, but are still (as they did) trying to establish our own righteousness by religious laws that we impose on ourselves and others.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Lesson 6 Trusting In The Word
When God's Word says something, it is settled forever. When He declared our redemption, we were completely redeemed. Everything that we owed, lost, had given up or had stolen was bought back and restored to us by the Kinsman Redeemer.
The year of Jubilee has come and is no longer something that has to be redone every fiftieth year. The Kinsman Redeemer has perfectly redeemed us of everything that was ever lost to mankind. There's no longer a curse that goes with the believer because our Kins-man Redeemer became the curse for us. He didn't just remove the curse, but He became the curse for us. 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,Deuteronomy 21:23) '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 through faith we might (all) receive (the realization of) the promise of the (Holy) Spirit."
If we would only believe in what God's Word has said about Jesus, then we could actually walk above the curse that is still operating (because of unbelief) in the lives of God's people. We've been taught over the years that if we mess up, then the curse will still come. If we were to believe what the Word says, then we wouldn't set ourselves up (through condemnation) to receive the lie of the enemy and receive to ourselves what we've been redeemed from.
When Jesus rose from the dead and was justified by the Father, you were perfectly justified with Him. When Jesus was declared righteous, you were declared righteous. When He brought forth the blessing, you were blessed. When He bore our sin, you were made sinless. When He bore our sickness and disease, we were healed and made whole. The same Man on the same cross that bore our sin, also bore the entire wrath and judgment of God on Himself. All that's left for those who will believe are blessings and favor by God's grace.
All of the debt that was against us has been paid. All of the judgment that against us has been met by Jesus and we were judged in Him. Romans 3:23-24 (Amplified) says, "Since all have sinned and are fallen short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives." Verse 24 says, "(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."
The same Word that declared us forgiven of our sins has declared us righteous and justified by His grace. If we learn to trust in the truth of His resurrection and sacrifice, then we cal also trust in His justification. By receiving what Jesus did on the cross, we (by faith) in what He's done can walk in the release from condemnation and guilt of what we were. Once we trust in His Word, we can actually be free from the lie of the enemy and the conscience of the old man.
Until we learn to trust more in God's Word than we do in the old spirit of condemnation, we will never be comfortable in the presence of our Father. When we walk in the guilt of the old man, we make void the release for the new man. For years we've been placed under the fear that we still had some unconfessed sin that would bring us under God's judgment. And, we believed that if all things didn't get confessed, then we still had to work at being forgiven.
We're always quoting John 3:16, but we don't go onto what this salvation was about concerning sin. The next three verse tell us what the sin is that had to be judged. John 3:17-19 (Amplified) says, "For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, bu that the world might find salvation and be made safe through Him." Verse 18 says, "He who believes in Him (who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him) is not judged (he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation (he incurs no damnation); but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already (he has already received his sentence) because he has not believed in and trusted (He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name)." Verse 19 goes on, "The (basis of the) judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground sentence) lies in this; the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil."
The sin we were forgiven of wasn't receiving Jesus. Once we've received Him (that was the Sin), all of our sins and trespasses were taken by His Sacrifice. Our sin wasn't adultery, cursing, drinking and all of the other things we did. Those were the fruit of the tree. The real sin was the root of the tree; the transgression that came in the Garden. Once that seed was planted by Adam, we had no choice but to bear the fruit. Romans 5:18-19 (Amplified) says, "Well then, as one man's trespass (one mans false step and falling away) led to condemnation for all men." Verse 19 continues, "For just as by one mans disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness and carelessness) the many were constituted sinners, so by One Man's disobedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him)."
By trusting in His Word and not our feelings, we are made right with God through Jesus. We're no longer to be condemned.
The year of Jubilee has come and is no longer something that has to be redone every fiftieth year. The Kinsman Redeemer has perfectly redeemed us of everything that was ever lost to mankind. There's no longer a curse that goes with the believer because our Kins-man Redeemer became the curse for us. He didn't just remove the curse, but He became the curse for us. 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,Deuteronomy 21:23) '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 through faith we might (all) receive (the realization of) the promise of the (Holy) Spirit."
If we would only believe in what God's Word has said about Jesus, then we could actually walk above the curse that is still operating (because of unbelief) in the lives of God's people. We've been taught over the years that if we mess up, then the curse will still come. If we were to believe what the Word says, then we wouldn't set ourselves up (through condemnation) to receive the lie of the enemy and receive to ourselves what we've been redeemed from.
When Jesus rose from the dead and was justified by the Father, you were perfectly justified with Him. When Jesus was declared righteous, you were declared righteous. When He brought forth the blessing, you were blessed. When He bore our sin, you were made sinless. When He bore our sickness and disease, we were healed and made whole. The same Man on the same cross that bore our sin, also bore the entire wrath and judgment of God on Himself. All that's left for those who will believe are blessings and favor by God's grace.
All of the debt that was against us has been paid. All of the judgment that against us has been met by Jesus and we were judged in Him. Romans 3:23-24 (Amplified) says, "Since all have sinned and are fallen short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives." Verse 24 says, "(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."
The same Word that declared us forgiven of our sins has declared us righteous and justified by His grace. If we learn to trust in the truth of His resurrection and sacrifice, then we cal also trust in His justification. By receiving what Jesus did on the cross, we (by faith) in what He's done can walk in the release from condemnation and guilt of what we were. Once we trust in His Word, we can actually be free from the lie of the enemy and the conscience of the old man.
Until we learn to trust more in God's Word than we do in the old spirit of condemnation, we will never be comfortable in the presence of our Father. When we walk in the guilt of the old man, we make void the release for the new man. For years we've been placed under the fear that we still had some unconfessed sin that would bring us under God's judgment. And, we believed that if all things didn't get confessed, then we still had to work at being forgiven.
We're always quoting John 3:16, but we don't go onto what this salvation was about concerning sin. The next three verse tell us what the sin is that had to be judged. John 3:17-19 (Amplified) says, "For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, bu that the world might find salvation and be made safe through Him." Verse 18 says, "He who believes in Him (who clings to, trusts in, relies on Him) is not judged (he who trusts in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation (he incurs no damnation); but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already (he has already received his sentence) because he has not believed in and trusted (He is condemned for refusing to let his trust rest in Christ's name)." Verse 19 goes on, "The (basis of the) judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground sentence) lies in this; the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil."
The sin we were forgiven of wasn't receiving Jesus. Once we've received Him (that was the Sin), all of our sins and trespasses were taken by His Sacrifice. Our sin wasn't adultery, cursing, drinking and all of the other things we did. Those were the fruit of the tree. The real sin was the root of the tree; the transgression that came in the Garden. Once that seed was planted by Adam, we had no choice but to bear the fruit. Romans 5:18-19 (Amplified) says, "Well then, as one man's trespass (one mans false step and falling away) led to condemnation for all men." Verse 19 continues, "For just as by one mans disobedience (failing to hear, heedlessness and carelessness) the many were constituted sinners, so by One Man's disobedience the many will be constituted righteous (made acceptable to God, brought into right standing with Him)."
By trusting in His Word and not our feelings, we are made right with God through Jesus. We're no longer to be condemned.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Lesson 5 Trusting In The Word
Psalms 138:2 (Amplified) says, "I will worship toward Your Holy Temple and praise Your name for Your loving kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your Word and You have magnified Your Word above all Your Name."
According to this scripture, God has based the very integrity of His name on His Word. If His Word is no good, then His name is no good. The very existence of God Himself is based on the truth of His Word.
In bygone years, you could draw up a verbal contract with a man of integrity by nothing more than a handshake and your word. If a man's word was no good, then the man wasn't to be trusted. A man's word was his bond and all that he was, was based on his word. Even a poor man had integrity because he would allow anything else to come to nothing in order to pay his obligations and keep his word.
Somehow, we've lost some of the truth about our fellow man because of laws that permit us to draw back from our word. We can find ways to not live up to the commitment of our word by hiring lawyers to find loopholes in our commitments. By so doing, our word is no longer any good. This always brings doubt and distrust in those we deal with. The very essence of a person was judged by was his word trustworthy.
We've carried this over even to being able to trust God's Word in our lives. We've seen the Word of God as we have seen the word of mere men. Psalms 12:6 (Amplified) says that, "The Words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over." Verse 7 goes on, "You will keep them and preserve them (Your Words) oh Lord; You will guard and keep us from this (evil) generation forever. He watches over His Word to perform It."
If we could only put our whole trust in the power of God's Word, then it would change our entire life forever. We seem to have trusted Him as far as going to heaven when we leave this earth, but then fail to believe in what His Word can do for us while we're still living in the earth. We stumble at the Words in 1 Peter 2:24 (Amplified) that tell us, "He personally bore our sins in His (own) body on the tree (as on an altar and offered Himself on it), that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed."
We even stumble sometimes at the fact that Jesus has borne our sins and made us righteous before God. We still stumble when we don't do everything right as though our mistakes will dissolve His covenant. Even when we miss it, God's Word is still true. We have misgivings in our walk before Him because we aren't yet perfect. If we will only believe in the finished work of Jesus, then we would find that it's the perfection of the Sacrifice He see and not our imperfections.
The healing that Jesus bought for us on the cross is just as true as the sin that He bore for us at the same time. You don't have to be perfect in your walk with God (He knows we're not perfect) in order to be healed. All we're required to do is to simply believe His Word. If we try to wait until we're perfect to receive, then we never will.
The Lamb's perfection is what the Father's looking at. If the Lamb was perfect, then the Man Who offered It was looked upon as perfect. This was true even under the old covenant. The sacrifice was what God saw; not the man. Our Lamb Jesus was so perfect that His Blood and sacrifice so perfectly cleansed you and I so that God Himself can actually live in our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (Amplified) says, "Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received (as a Gift) from God? You are not your own." Verse 20 says, "You were bought with a price (purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His Own). So then, honor God and bring Him glory in your body."
The sacrifice of Jesus didn't just forgive us, it made us new. There's not even a residue of the old self left to condemn us. We are so clean that now the Holy Spirit can actually live in us as the Holy of Hollies. You can't get any more clean than that. We don't dare to believe in this great truth and so we still walk in the condemnation of the past life instead of the glory of the new life. The scripture says to "Honor God, and bring Him glory in your body." By honoring Him in this body, we believe in what His Son did for us. You can't honor Him in this body and still believe that you're somehow unclean.
This condemnation will hold back the healing of this body and bring forth disease that doesn't belong in the temple. We try to do what we think will glorify God instead of believing that what Jesus did is what actually brings Him glory.
According to this scripture, God has based the very integrity of His name on His Word. If His Word is no good, then His name is no good. The very existence of God Himself is based on the truth of His Word.
In bygone years, you could draw up a verbal contract with a man of integrity by nothing more than a handshake and your word. If a man's word was no good, then the man wasn't to be trusted. A man's word was his bond and all that he was, was based on his word. Even a poor man had integrity because he would allow anything else to come to nothing in order to pay his obligations and keep his word.
Somehow, we've lost some of the truth about our fellow man because of laws that permit us to draw back from our word. We can find ways to not live up to the commitment of our word by hiring lawyers to find loopholes in our commitments. By so doing, our word is no longer any good. This always brings doubt and distrust in those we deal with. The very essence of a person was judged by was his word trustworthy.
We've carried this over even to being able to trust God's Word in our lives. We've seen the Word of God as we have seen the word of mere men. Psalms 12:6 (Amplified) says that, "The Words and promises of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times over." Verse 7 goes on, "You will keep them and preserve them (Your Words) oh Lord; You will guard and keep us from this (evil) generation forever. He watches over His Word to perform It."
If we could only put our whole trust in the power of God's Word, then it would change our entire life forever. We seem to have trusted Him as far as going to heaven when we leave this earth, but then fail to believe in what His Word can do for us while we're still living in the earth. We stumble at the Words in 1 Peter 2:24 (Amplified) that tell us, "He personally bore our sins in His (own) body on the tree (as on an altar and offered Himself on it), that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed."
We even stumble sometimes at the fact that Jesus has borne our sins and made us righteous before God. We still stumble when we don't do everything right as though our mistakes will dissolve His covenant. Even when we miss it, God's Word is still true. We have misgivings in our walk before Him because we aren't yet perfect. If we will only believe in the finished work of Jesus, then we would find that it's the perfection of the Sacrifice He see and not our imperfections.
The healing that Jesus bought for us on the cross is just as true as the sin that He bore for us at the same time. You don't have to be perfect in your walk with God (He knows we're not perfect) in order to be healed. All we're required to do is to simply believe His Word. If we try to wait until we're perfect to receive, then we never will.
The Lamb's perfection is what the Father's looking at. If the Lamb was perfect, then the Man Who offered It was looked upon as perfect. This was true even under the old covenant. The sacrifice was what God saw; not the man. Our Lamb Jesus was so perfect that His Blood and sacrifice so perfectly cleansed you and I so that God Himself can actually live in our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (Amplified) says, "Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received (as a Gift) from God? You are not your own." Verse 20 says, "You were bought with a price (purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His Own). So then, honor God and bring Him glory in your body."
The sacrifice of Jesus didn't just forgive us, it made us new. There's not even a residue of the old self left to condemn us. We are so clean that now the Holy Spirit can actually live in us as the Holy of Hollies. You can't get any more clean than that. We don't dare to believe in this great truth and so we still walk in the condemnation of the past life instead of the glory of the new life. The scripture says to "Honor God, and bring Him glory in your body." By honoring Him in this body, we believe in what His Son did for us. You can't honor Him in this body and still believe that you're somehow unclean.
This condemnation will hold back the healing of this body and bring forth disease that doesn't belong in the temple. We try to do what we think will glorify God instead of believing that what Jesus did is what actually brings Him glory.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Lesson 4 Trusting In The Word
The whole purpose of Jesus coming was to show us God as Father. And to reveal to us this new and loving Image of a Father Who would go to any length to bring us back to Him even to the place of paying all the debt that was owed to Himself. It had to be paid to restore us, but we couldn't pay it ourselves. There was only One Who could do it; there was no other way. Mark 14:36 (Amplified) says, "And He was saying, 'Abba, (which means) Father, everything is possible to you. Take away this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You (will).'" The only One Who was without sin and could pay the price for it, was the sinless Son of God.
When Jesus went to the altar of the cross, it wasn't so He could be set free (He was never bound), but that you and I could be set free. Everything that was under the curse of the Law was paid for by Jesus. 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) (Deuteronomy 21:23)." Verse 14 says, "To the end that through (their receiving) Christ Jesus, the blessing (promised) to Abraham might come upon the Gentile, so that through (faith) might (all) receive (the realization of) the promise of the (Holy) Spirit."
Now that He is risen, we (the believer) has access to the promise that God made to Abraham by faith in Jesus. The curse has been fulfilled by Jesus Himself becoming a curse so that we can be blessed. There's no more need to strive to enter into His blessing, but only receive what the Word said about it and then walk in it. The only requirement to entering into the blessing is to believe.
Through Jesus you are already blessed, righteous, redeemed, sanctified, highly favored, and pure through faith in Him Who bore all things for us. All that you need to do is truth in the Word. We keep trying to earn all these things by works to make us righteous enough to deserve them. Every time we fail in our endeavors, we feel like we've been disqualified by God.
The only way to walk upright with the Father is to believe what His Word tells us. If you didn't do anything to earn righteousness, then what makes you think you can do anything to lose it? It was never your righteousness to begin with; it was His. And no matter what you've done, He is still righteous.
Grace is a gift and not something we worked for. A gift needs simply to be received. John 6:28-29 (Amplified) says "They 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 requires?)" Verse 29 goes on, "Jesus replied, 'This is the work (service) that God asks of you; that you believe in the One Who He has sent. (that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger.)'"
That sounds a whole lot easier to do than what we've been doing, doesn't it? All I am required to do to be righteous is to believe in God's Word that Jesus has made me righteous and receive Him as my righteousness. Nothing else in required of me. All my works, and sweat and trying only tells God that I don't believe His Word.
Condemnation of the enemy will try to enter in, but the Word tells us in Romans 8:1 (Amplified) that "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."
If you continue walking in condemnation, then you're not trusting in the Word. We must learn the Word (the true Word of grace) and learn to trust the Word. Your old self will try rising up and condemn you, but we will "not walk after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates (the Word) of the Spirit."
Church, we must come to trust in what the Word says about us instead of what others say. If you've received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then you are already free from the Law of sin and death. Romans 8:3 (Amplified) says that, "For God has done what the Law could not do (its power) being weakened by the flesh, (the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit) sending His Own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin (God) condemned sin in the flesh (subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice)."
When Jesus went to the altar of the cross, it wasn't so He could be set free (He was never bound), but that you and I could be set free. Everything that was under the curse of the Law was paid for by Jesus. 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) (Deuteronomy 21:23)." Verse 14 says, "To the end that through (their receiving) Christ Jesus, the blessing (promised) to Abraham might come upon the Gentile, so that through (faith) might (all) receive (the realization of) the promise of the (Holy) Spirit."
Now that He is risen, we (the believer) has access to the promise that God made to Abraham by faith in Jesus. The curse has been fulfilled by Jesus Himself becoming a curse so that we can be blessed. There's no more need to strive to enter into His blessing, but only receive what the Word said about it and then walk in it. The only requirement to entering into the blessing is to believe.
Through Jesus you are already blessed, righteous, redeemed, sanctified, highly favored, and pure through faith in Him Who bore all things for us. All that you need to do is truth in the Word. We keep trying to earn all these things by works to make us righteous enough to deserve them. Every time we fail in our endeavors, we feel like we've been disqualified by God.
The only way to walk upright with the Father is to believe what His Word tells us. If you didn't do anything to earn righteousness, then what makes you think you can do anything to lose it? It was never your righteousness to begin with; it was His. And no matter what you've done, He is still righteous.
Grace is a gift and not something we worked for. A gift needs simply to be received. John 6:28-29 (Amplified) says "They 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 requires?)" Verse 29 goes on, "Jesus replied, 'This is the work (service) that God asks of you; that you believe in the One Who He has sent. (that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger.)'"
That sounds a whole lot easier to do than what we've been doing, doesn't it? All I am required to do to be righteous is to believe in God's Word that Jesus has made me righteous and receive Him as my righteousness. Nothing else in required of me. All my works, and sweat and trying only tells God that I don't believe His Word.
Condemnation of the enemy will try to enter in, but the Word tells us in Romans 8:1 (Amplified) that "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."
If you continue walking in condemnation, then you're not trusting in the Word. We must learn the Word (the true Word of grace) and learn to trust the Word. Your old self will try rising up and condemn you, but we will "not walk after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates (the Word) of the Spirit."
Church, we must come to trust in what the Word says about us instead of what others say. If you've received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then you are already free from the Law of sin and death. Romans 8:3 (Amplified) says that, "For God has done what the Law could not do (its power) being weakened by the flesh, (the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit) sending His Own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin (God) condemned sin in the flesh (subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice)."
Lesson 3 Trusting In The Word
Psalms 138:2 (Amplified) says that, "I will worship toward your Holy Temple and praise Your name for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your Word and You have magnified Your Word above all Your name!"
The Word of our Father is above all else, its what holds everything in place. If the Word should fail, then God has failed and would cease to be. We, as believers, are taught to trust in His Word for all things. All of the things that happened to us, and for us at the resurrection have to be based on our believing what the Word has said.
We have a problem in believing in righteousness because we remember who we used to be. If we spent more time in trying to believe who we are instead of reminding ourselves who we were, then we'd have more success in our Christian walk. By not believing that we're in right standing with the Father is what holds back our faith for answered prayer and fellowship with Him.
In Isaiah 54:14-15 (Amplified) the Word tells us that, "You shall establish yourself in righteousness (rightness, in conformity with God's will and order) you shall be far from even the thought of oppression or destruction, for you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near you." Verse 15 goes on, "Behold, they may gather together and stir up strife, but it is not from me. Whoever stirs up strife against you shall fall and surrender to you."
The word "establish" in the Hebrew means "to be erect, (i.e. stand perpendicular) hence to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether lit (establish, fix, prepare, apply) or fig. (appoint, render, sure, proper or prosperous) certain(ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten,firm, be fitted, be-fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect,(make)preparation, prepare, (self)provide, make provision, (be-make) ready, right, set (aright, fast,forth) be stable, stablish, stand, tarry and very deed."
This is the righteousness of God for us ion Christ Jesus according to 2 Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) which says, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him, we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness.)"
The only way that a believer can ever hope to be right standing with God, is to believe and receive what the Word has said about it. Our carnal nature will try to tell you that "after what you have done there's no way that you can be righteous." When you don't belive in the Word, you allow yourself to remain in bondage to sin, even though it has been removed.
Many people will try telling you that to declare that you're righteous is prideful. Nothing can be further from the truth. Real pride is declaring yourself a sinner and rejecting the truth of the Word. When you do this, you have exalted yourself (by pride) to be above the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. By trying to be humble, you have declared by pride, that Jesus' righteousness wasn't enough to make you righteous.
It almost sounds backward doesn't it? Romans 10:2-3 (Amplified) bears out what I'm saying when it says that, "I bear them witness that they have a (certain) zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to (correct and vital) knowledge." Verse 3 says, "For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes (which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought and deed) and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness."
In other words, they didn't believe the Word and set about making their own rules as to what righteousness actually is. We set rules on how we dress, the wearing of jewelry, the cutting of our hair, the days of worship and punishment for not conforming to the rules we laid down. By doing these things, not only did we not become righteous, but we actually were kept from receiving the righteousness that was provided.
We've struggled over these last two thousand years over religious views of being right with God. All the time, God made it so simple that we missed it. This same thing is true when it comes to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the speaking of new tongues, the healing of your body, the answer to your prayers the blessing of God in your life, the prosperity of your life, the peace in your heart and most of all, the fellowship with a Father Who loved you enough to dies in our place.
The Word of our Father is above all else, its what holds everything in place. If the Word should fail, then God has failed and would cease to be. We, as believers, are taught to trust in His Word for all things. All of the things that happened to us, and for us at the resurrection have to be based on our believing what the Word has said.
We have a problem in believing in righteousness because we remember who we used to be. If we spent more time in trying to believe who we are instead of reminding ourselves who we were, then we'd have more success in our Christian walk. By not believing that we're in right standing with the Father is what holds back our faith for answered prayer and fellowship with Him.
In Isaiah 54:14-15 (Amplified) the Word tells us that, "You shall establish yourself in righteousness (rightness, in conformity with God's will and order) you shall be far from even the thought of oppression or destruction, for you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near you." Verse 15 goes on, "Behold, they may gather together and stir up strife, but it is not from me. Whoever stirs up strife against you shall fall and surrender to you."
The word "establish" in the Hebrew means "to be erect, (i.e. stand perpendicular) hence to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether lit (establish, fix, prepare, apply) or fig. (appoint, render, sure, proper or prosperous) certain(ty), confirm, direct, faithfulness, fashion, fasten,firm, be fitted, be-fixed, frame, be meet, ordain, order, perfect,(make)preparation, prepare, (self)provide, make provision, (be-make) ready, right, set (aright, fast,forth) be stable, stablish, stand, tarry and very deed."
This is the righteousness of God for us ion Christ Jesus according to 2 Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) which says, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him, we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness.)"
The only way that a believer can ever hope to be right standing with God, is to believe and receive what the Word has said about it. Our carnal nature will try to tell you that "after what you have done there's no way that you can be righteous." When you don't belive in the Word, you allow yourself to remain in bondage to sin, even though it has been removed.
Many people will try telling you that to declare that you're righteous is prideful. Nothing can be further from the truth. Real pride is declaring yourself a sinner and rejecting the truth of the Word. When you do this, you have exalted yourself (by pride) to be above the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. By trying to be humble, you have declared by pride, that Jesus' righteousness wasn't enough to make you righteous.
It almost sounds backward doesn't it? Romans 10:2-3 (Amplified) bears out what I'm saying when it says that, "I bear them witness that they have a (certain) zeal and enthusiasm for God, but it is not enlightened and according to (correct and vital) knowledge." Verse 3 says, "For being ignorant of the righteousness that God ascribes (which makes one acceptable to Him in word, thought and deed) and seeking to establish a righteousness (a means of salvation) of their own, they did not obey or submit themselves to God's righteousness."
In other words, they didn't believe the Word and set about making their own rules as to what righteousness actually is. We set rules on how we dress, the wearing of jewelry, the cutting of our hair, the days of worship and punishment for not conforming to the rules we laid down. By doing these things, not only did we not become righteous, but we actually were kept from receiving the righteousness that was provided.
We've struggled over these last two thousand years over religious views of being right with God. All the time, God made it so simple that we missed it. This same thing is true when it comes to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the speaking of new tongues, the healing of your body, the answer to your prayers the blessing of God in your life, the prosperity of your life, the peace in your heart and most of all, the fellowship with a Father Who loved you enough to dies in our place.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Lesson 2 Trusting In The Word
Genesis 1:1 (Amplified) says that "In the beginning God..."
It doesn't say where God came from or where He originated from. The very first words in the Bible have to have faith to believe. If we can believe something as "In the beginning God," then why would we stagger at the rest of His Word?
Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) tells us that, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality, (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)."
The Word of God is the title deed of the things we hope for. We, as believers, are expected to take the Word of God as proof being needed. That's what faith really is; believing because He said it. You have never seen your salvation, yet you believe in it because He said so. You have never seen the sin that He bore, but the Word is proof; not the way we feel, but faith in God's Word.
When God said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified), "Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away, behold, the fresh and new has come."
When you became born again, according to the above scripture, you became a new being. Did you look different in the reflection of the mirror? Were you taller, younger, older or different ? No! By faith in His Word, we believed what God said and by faith received it. In this same chapter of 2 Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) the Word declared that now you have been made the righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus.
Tell me, did you at this time (or even now for some) feel like you were righteous? Most believers that I know still struggle with being righteous. Although we see it in the Word and even though it's our proof, we still allow our senses (or our feelings) dictate unto us our same sinful nature through condemnation of our carnal mind. We read how Jesus bore our sin, but still walk under guilt of who we were before Jesus.
We read in John 17:21 (Amplified) where Jesus prayed, "'That they may be one, (just) as you, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.'"
Could it be that because we have unbelief in this area (this being one with Them) that the world doesn't see Jesus as He said we should? If we would only believe what the Word says to believe, then would the Jesus we see in the gospels, the One Who gives sight or the One Who walked in God's Own power, be the Church that Jesus said the world would see and be convinced of Jesus?
We have mostly centered in on the scriptures about forgiveness, but we haven't understood what the Father wants to do now that you've been forgiven. We are children of the supernatural because we were made in God's Image and likeness. He is supernatural and so are we.
Mostly, we've put off what the Word says about us until we get to heaven. If we wait until then, then how could John 17:21 (Amplified) be true? We were supposed to walk this now so the world would see and believe. For the most part, the only proof the world see in us is that we go to church on Sunday (at least some do). Apart from that, the world doesn't see much change.
The church still gets divorced, drunk, swears, cheats, lies and do the same things the world does. the world is looking for the supernatural things that the Word said to do and all we give the world is a list of rules they must follow to be like us.
I believe that the Father is raising up a new breed of believer in these last days. He's raising up a Joshua people; those who regardless of what others say, will show forth His power. Can you imagine what it would do for the people who don't know Jesus to see the lame walk, the blind see, the dead raised and demons cast out? Mark 16:17-18 (Amplified) says that "These attesting signs will accompany those who believe; in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues, (languages)." Verse 18 goes on, "they will pick up serpents, and (even) if they drink anything deadly it will not hurt them, they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well."
Is this the same Lord, the same Word, the same Holy Spirit Who said your sins have been forgiven and you are free indeed? Is this not the same Word that declared you to be righteous (whether you feel righteous or not) and declared you saved?
If we learn to trust in all the Word instead of just the parts we like, then we will see the results that the Word has declared they would see. This is revealing the Jesus that the world is longing to see and not a bunch of self-righteous people who are accused of being so judgmental over the sinner. We have failed to show the Jesus that they need. The drunk doesn't need us to tell him he's a drunk. He needs to have someone set him free from alcohol. The sinner doesn't need us to tell him he's a sinner. He already knows that he's a sinner. There doesn't seem to be enough power in what we are doing to set him free.
It's time to learn to trust in the Word, which is supernatural, and to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. If His Word is true for forgiveness, then it's true for everything else too.
It doesn't say where God came from or where He originated from. The very first words in the Bible have to have faith to believe. If we can believe something as "In the beginning God," then why would we stagger at the rest of His Word?
Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) tells us that, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality, (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses)."
The Word of God is the title deed of the things we hope for. We, as believers, are expected to take the Word of God as proof being needed. That's what faith really is; believing because He said it. You have never seen your salvation, yet you believe in it because He said so. You have never seen the sin that He bore, but the Word is proof; not the way we feel, but faith in God's Word.
When God said in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified), "Therefore if any person is (ingrafted) in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old (previous moral and spiritual condition) has passed away, behold, the fresh and new has come."
When you became born again, according to the above scripture, you became a new being. Did you look different in the reflection of the mirror? Were you taller, younger, older or different ? No! By faith in His Word, we believed what God said and by faith received it. In this same chapter of 2 Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) the Word declared that now you have been made the righteousness of God, in Christ Jesus.
Tell me, did you at this time (or even now for some) feel like you were righteous? Most believers that I know still struggle with being righteous. Although we see it in the Word and even though it's our proof, we still allow our senses (or our feelings) dictate unto us our same sinful nature through condemnation of our carnal mind. We read how Jesus bore our sin, but still walk under guilt of who we were before Jesus.
We read in John 17:21 (Amplified) where Jesus prayed, "'That they may be one, (just) as you, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me.'"
Could it be that because we have unbelief in this area (this being one with Them) that the world doesn't see Jesus as He said we should? If we would only believe what the Word says to believe, then would the Jesus we see in the gospels, the One Who gives sight or the One Who walked in God's Own power, be the Church that Jesus said the world would see and be convinced of Jesus?
We have mostly centered in on the scriptures about forgiveness, but we haven't understood what the Father wants to do now that you've been forgiven. We are children of the supernatural because we were made in God's Image and likeness. He is supernatural and so are we.
Mostly, we've put off what the Word says about us until we get to heaven. If we wait until then, then how could John 17:21 (Amplified) be true? We were supposed to walk this now so the world would see and believe. For the most part, the only proof the world see in us is that we go to church on Sunday (at least some do). Apart from that, the world doesn't see much change.
The church still gets divorced, drunk, swears, cheats, lies and do the same things the world does. the world is looking for the supernatural things that the Word said to do and all we give the world is a list of rules they must follow to be like us.
I believe that the Father is raising up a new breed of believer in these last days. He's raising up a Joshua people; those who regardless of what others say, will show forth His power. Can you imagine what it would do for the people who don't know Jesus to see the lame walk, the blind see, the dead raised and demons cast out? Mark 16:17-18 (Amplified) says that "These attesting signs will accompany those who believe; in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues, (languages)." Verse 18 goes on, "they will pick up serpents, and (even) if they drink anything deadly it will not hurt them, they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well."
Is this the same Lord, the same Word, the same Holy Spirit Who said your sins have been forgiven and you are free indeed? Is this not the same Word that declared you to be righteous (whether you feel righteous or not) and declared you saved?
If we learn to trust in all the Word instead of just the parts we like, then we will see the results that the Word has declared they would see. This is revealing the Jesus that the world is longing to see and not a bunch of self-righteous people who are accused of being so judgmental over the sinner. We have failed to show the Jesus that they need. The drunk doesn't need us to tell him he's a drunk. He needs to have someone set him free from alcohol. The sinner doesn't need us to tell him he's a sinner. He already knows that he's a sinner. There doesn't seem to be enough power in what we are doing to set him free.
It's time to learn to trust in the Word, which is supernatural, and to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. If His Word is true for forgiveness, then it's true for everything else too.
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