John 1:17 (Amplified) says, "For while the Law was given through Moses, Grace (unearned, undeserved favor) and Spiritual Blessing and Truth came through Jesus Christ."
Psalm 85:10-11 (Amplified) says, "Mercy and Loving-Kindness and Truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from Heaven."
John 6:28-29 (Amplified) says, "Then they 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?" This is the same question we ask today, "What must we do to do His works and what does God expect of me?" Jesus answers in Verse 29, "This is the work, service that God asks of you; that you believe in the One Whom He has sent (that you cleave to, trust in, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger)."
Everything I've been writing about in these lessons, is something to believe and not something we must do. The Body of Christ is divided by so many teachings today, that we can't seem to understand Jesus answered this for us, in His one statement. He said, "This is the work God asks of you; that you believe in Me." Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) says, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed), of things we hope for, being 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."
We either ignore the Promises of God and believe they're "For when we leave this life" or we invent excuses why they're not being manifested in our lives. We speak about healing, like it's the lottery and "My number didn't win." We're divided about righteousness and sanctification, and believe they're unattainable in this life. We've established man-made rituals and laws, that must be performed in order to "qualify" for things from God.
We've tried earning and deserving things that God has freely given to us, through Christ Jesus. We've decided that "These things must not be God's will for our lives," because we don't see them working in our own lives or the lives of others. Many have spoken to me about these lessons on Grace and Truth, saying, "These things aren't for everyone" or "These things are for only a few people God has chosen."
Tradition and opinion have caused God's Word to be of no effect in the lives of most of His children. We either believe that "God is hard to please" or "It didn't work for that person, so he must be in sin." We try making the Word work for us, according to our own ideas. We don't allow the Word to work by simple faith. We've labeled some people as "Faith people," some as "Word people," some as "Fanatics" and some as "Cult people" simply because they believe in a different way or in a way that others don't understand.
There's no "Formula" for healing, prosperity, peace or any other Promise of God. We're still trying to "make it work," instead of letting it work. One is by our own man-made religion and ideas, while the other is by faith in God's Grace. The above scripture tells us that, "Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ and through Jesus Christ." All that is need to make it work, is found in John 6:29 where Jesus said, "This is the work that God asks of you, that you believe in the One Whom God sent."
Paul writes in 2Corinthians 1:18-22 (Amplified), "As surely as God is Trustworthy and Faithful and means what He says, our speech and message to you have not been Yes that might mean No. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus (the Messiah) Who has been preached among you by us (by myself and Silvanus, and Timothy), was not Yes and No, but in Him it is always the Divine Yes. For as many as are the Promises of God, they all find their Yes answer in Him, Christ. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it), to God through Him, in His Person and by His Agency to the Glory of God." Verse 21-22 go on, "But it is God Who confirms and makes us steadfast and establishes us in joint fellowship with you in Christ, and has consecrated and anointed us with enduing us with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. He has also appropriated and acknowledge us as His by putting His Seal upon us and giving us His Holy Spirit in our hearts as the security deposit and guarantee of the fulfillment of His Promise."
The only way these scriptures make a difference in your life, is by Grace and Truth that is in Christ Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, Paul declares to us above, that "All of God's Promise to us through Jesus, are Yes and Amen to the Glory of God." We don't "make God honor His Promises," He has already fulfilled and honored them through Jesus. We need only to declare they are "Yes and Amen" by faith. Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) says, "Now faith is the assurance, confirmation, title deed of the things we do not see and the conviction of their reality."
God isn't "moved by the majority," like a democracy. He is Sovereign and moves only by faith in His Word. If one man believes, even though someone else doesn't, then God will honor His Promise to the one who does believe. John 3:16 tells us that, "God loved the whole world and gave Jesus for our deliverance." The Promise was "Yes and Amen," to "whosoever believes."
God's Promise of healing, the removal of transgression and the chastisement our peace, found in Isaiah 53:4-5, was placed on Jesus for us. These Eternal Promises were made ours, through the One Sacrifice of Jesus. There's nothing I must do, in order to make them true. I'm only required to honor God's Promise of Grace, by Truth and accept it as True in my life. God made us more Promises in Jesus.
The Lord says in Isaiah 54:17 (Amplified), "But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced; This is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me, this is that which I impart to them as their justification, says the Lord."
The above Promises are "Yes and Amen to the Glory of God" and must be received by Grace through faith. Everyone who has received Jesus as his/her Lord and Savior, has received these Promises as the new creation child of God, but many still don't accept these Promises in the natural body they live in. They are already ours by birth, but we continue trying to earn them, by works.
These Promises include salvation, according to Ephesians 2:8 (Amplified) which says, "For it is by FREE GRACE (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through your faith. And this salvation is not of yourselves, of your own doing, it came not through your own striving, but it is the Gift of God." Grace and Truth came through Jesus. We must only believe God's Promise that, "All who call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved."
The Promise of salvation is "Yes and Amen" to all who believe and accept God at His Truth. Why is it, that we can believe only certain things and not others? We cannot prove our salvation by seeing it, because it came into our spirit. We've tried dressing a certain way, observing days, and eating only certain meats just like those under the Law, in order to "prove" our salvation. I've discovered that I can wear my cowboy boots, hat, and Levis, and still be saved. Some might not believe that, but God never told me to wear a suit.
I can walk naturally Super-natural by His Truth, by having faith in His Promises and receiving the Grace He gave to me to have faith. I don't need to accept what the majority thinks about this. I only have to accept what my Heavenly Father says. Most of the Israelites disagreed with Joshua and Caleb, but God didn't stop His Promise because of their unbelief. God fulfilled His Promise to those who did believe. If you will simply accept His Yes and Amen to His Promises, then God will honor His Word for you, even though others disagree.
We still deny God's Promise of righteousness through Christ Jesus, instead of accepting our Gift of righteousness by His Promise. You are already righteous, by receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but refusing to believe in this Promised Gift has hindered our fellowship with the Father. In Isaiah 61:1-2 (Amplified) God reveals His Great Promise, saying, "To grant consolation and joy to those who mourn in Zion, to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem of beauty) instead of ashes, to give the oil of joy instead of mourning; the garment expressive of praise instead of a heavy burdened and failing spirit-that they may be called oaks of righteousness (lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice and right standing with God) the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified."
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