" Law of Sin and Law of Death "

Pin It

Please do not be careless when reading and studying the word of God.

In Romans 7, in addition to the law of sin there is another law - the law of death.
If we are careless we can easily mistake them for being one in the same.

But actually they are in fact very different.
Sin refers to ones defilements, while death refers to ones impotence.

Willing to do good but being able to do so is the operation of the 'law of sin',
whereas to will to refrain from evil  but not being able to refrain from it is the
operation of the 'law of death'.

Sin leads one to involuntarily do what he does not want to do, whereas 'death' prohibits
one from doing what he wants to do.

We are 'delivered' from the 'law of sin' through 'our death with Christ', and we are
delivered from the 'law of death' through our 'resurrection' with Him.

Romans 7  shows us not only the 'law of sin' and also the 'law of death'.

If we are 'careless' and 'sloppy', we will easily miss these truths.
It is therefore obvious that only those who are very careful and accurate
can study the Bible well.

I say this because I am guilty of it myself, and if I don't approach the Bible
with extreme care when reading I will stumble as well.

I hope this opened your eyes to the 'Law of Sin' and the 'Law of Death'.

Love and Peace..........................

" Complete Salvation "

Pin It

God’s Complete Salvation (2)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Bible Verses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rom 8: 29  Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestinated
to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the
Firstborn among many brothers;  30  And those whom He
predestinated, these He also called; and those whom He called,
these He also justified; and those whom He justified, these He
also glorified.
Phil 3:21  Who will transfigure the body of our humiliation to
be conformed to the body of His glory…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Words of Ministry~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The third stage, the completing stage, is the stage of
consummation. This stage is composed of the redemption
(transfiguration) of our body, conformity to the Lord,
glorification, inheritance of God's kingdom, participation in
Christ's kingship, and the topmost enjoyment of the Lord. In
this stage, God will redeem our fallen and corrupted body (Rom.
8:23) by transfiguring it into the body of Christ's glory (Phil.
3:21). He will conform us to the glorious image of His firstborn
Son (Rom. 8:29), making us wholly and absolutely like Him in our
regenerated spirit, transformed soul, and transfigured body. He
will glorify us (Rom. 8:30), immersing us in His glory (Heb.
2:10) that we may enter into His heavenly kingdom (2 Tim. 4:18;
2 Pet. 1:11), into which He has called us (1 Thes. 2:12). He
will cause us to inherit His kingdom as the topmost portion of
His blessing (James 2:5; Gal. 5:21), even to reign with Christ,
to be His co-kings, participating in His kingship over the
nations (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:4, 6; 2:26-27; 12:5), and sharing
His royal, kingly joy in His divine government (Matt. 25:21,
23).

Thus, our body will be freed from the slavery of corruption of
the old creation into the freedom of the glory of God's new
creation (Rom. 8:21), and our soul will be delivered out of the
realm of trials and sufferings (1 Pet. 1:6; 4:12; 3:14; 5:9)
into a new realm, full of glory (1 Pet. 4:13; 5:10), sharing and
enjoying all the Triune God is, has, and has accomplished,
attained, and obtained. This is the salvation, the salvation of
our souls, which is ready to be revealed to us at the last time,
the grace to be brought to us at the unveiling of Christ in
glory (1 Pet. 1:13; Matt. 16:27; 25:31). This is the end of our
faith. The power of God is able to guard us unto this that we
may obtain it (1 Pet. 1:9). We should eagerly expect such a
marvelous salvation (Rom. 8:23) and prepare ourselves for its
splendid revelation (Rom. 8:19).

" Our Spiritual Inheritance "

Pin It

3.) His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining
to life and godliness.

4.) For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent
promises, so that by them you may be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

                                                                                                          2 Peter 1:3-4 (NASB)



When we have come to know the true God, both our bodies and souls will become
immortal and incorruptible.
We will enter the kingdom of heaven, because while we lived on earth we have 'acknowledged
heavens King'.
As friends of God and coheirs of Christ, 'we will not be controlled by evil desires or tendencies',
nor by any sickness of 'body or soul', because we have become divine.

You may suffer evil as a person, and God allows it because of your humanity;
however, God has promised you a share in 'every one of His attributes'when
you have become deified.

The saying 'know yourself' means that we should recognize and acknowledge the
image in which God has created us, for if we do this, we will in turn be recognized
and acknowledged by our maker.

God showed His love for us in the beginning when He fashioned us in His own image.
If we learn to  'obey' His holy commands and learn to 'imitate' His goodness, we will
be like Him and He will in turn honor us.
God is NOT SELFISH, and has given us a share in His divinity for the sake of His own glory.

God has provided us with such an honor, yet it is completely up to YOU as a person
to take share in your part of His Image by obeying and conforming your life and behavior
into direct obedience to His commands.

God has given us everything we will ever need in the Holy Spirit, we need only to
listen and to obey each and every command.
Search yourself daily that you might come to 'KNOW YOURSELF'.


Read 2 Peter 1:1-14, for yourself and apply its teaching to your own life.
You will in turn inherit the Kingdom of God and His holiness.

Love and Peace...................

"AUTHOR OF SALVATION AND REGENERATION "

Pin It

                                         " THE AUTHOR OF SALVATION "

Lets take a look at - Ezekiel 36:24-28 -
For I will take you from among the nations,
gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.
Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean;
I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;
I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My Statues, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers;
you shall be My people,
and I will be your God.  ( Ezekiel 36:24-28)

Now its gonna take us a while to diesect exactly what God
has revealed to me through these 4 verses.

This is God's divine motive for seeking salvation of wicked
people, 
we will also be able to consider the actual work of CONVERSION in the individual believer.

This is one of the most beautiful and powerful Old Testament
prophecies concerning the new covenant that was to be
inaugurated by the coming of the Messiah.

It also provides us with one of the clearest illustrations of the
doctrines of regeneration and conversion found anywhere in
the scriptures.

For the believer who understands the content of this text,
it has a twofold purpose.
This text teaches us that genuine conversion is the result of a
supernatural work of God,
by which the very heart or nature of a person is changed,
making him responsive to the will of God.

It shows God's ongoing work of Sanctification and a growing
submission to His will marks the life of the truly converted.

Second, this text is an inexhaustible source of joy, consolation,
and comfort.

The first great truth that we will consider from this text is 
that God is both the author and finisher of our salvation.
He initiates it, sees to its perseverance, and brings it to its
ultimate consummation on the day of Christ Jesus.

The sovereignty of God is here brilliantly displayed as the
foundation of the believers hope and the source of his strength.

The certainty of which God speaks is unmistakable.
This is apparent in the following phrase,
Notice the use of the pronoun " I " 
(God is the one who acts)
Followed by an unconditional promise (He will not fail)

"I will take you from the nations."
"I will gather you from the lands."
"I will bring you into your own land."
"I will sprinkle clean water on you."
"I will cleanse you from all your filthiness."
'I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you."
"I will take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
"I will put my Spirit within you. "
"I will cause you to walk in my statues. "

Hers God is not speaking about what He would do if He could
gain our cooperation.
Rather, He speaks as one who " does whatever He pleases"
and who "works all things according to the counsel of His will"
(Ps.115:3; Eph.1:11) Notice God is not telling what He will
do in the life of every Christian,
but He is also Gauranteeing the outcome of His work.

"You shall be clean."
"You will walk in my statues, and you will keep my statues and do them.'
"You will dwell in the land that I gave your fathers.'
"You shall be My people and I will be your God."


HE WHO BEGAN A GOOD WORK IN US WILL FINISH IT"
 The power of God and the salvation of His church !!!!!

This is not a denial of human responsibility in salvation
or of the Christian's great struggle against sin.
There will be great loses as well as victories in our striving
for conformity to Christ.

However it does assure us that God has set out to make for
Himself a people, and by His own power,
He will see it done.
All whom He calls will come to Him, not one will be lost. (John 6:37,39)
Through the blood of Christ, we are justified, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, they are regenerated, sanctified,
and led. (John 3:3-8)
 Although each may grow at a different pace and also to a different degree some may seem to fly to maturity while others
barely crawl, they will all, nevertheless, progress toward the upward call of God in Christ and demonstrate in word and
deed that they are His people and He has become their God. (Philippians 3:14)


MORE TO COME "AUTHOR OF SALVATION"

" WHY DOES GOD SAVE US ? "

Pin It

There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
They have all turned aside;
They have together turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one (Rom.3:10-12)

If God finds no reason in us to save us, they why does He do so ?

" I do not do this for your sake.......but for My holy names
sake," and again, " I will sanctify My great name........and the
nations shall know that I am the Lord."

God has determined to save us people for Himself from the
midst of the nations, and He has determined to do so for His
own glory, for the sake of His own great name,
and for the sake of His praise, that all might know that He
alone is God.

Listen how God declares it through the prophet Jeremiah;

I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned and by which they have transgressed against Me.
Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them;
they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it (Jer.33:8-9)

Here God clearly communicates to us His motive for the salvation of His people: for all the goodness He shows them,
He will gain for Himself praise, glory, and reverence from
those who hear of it.

" ARE YOU REALLY A CHRISTIAN ? "

Pin It

JESUS' MESSAGE.............

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
                                      Matthew 5:3

The Beatitudes do not tell us how to become a Christian.
They tell us what a true Christian looks like.

The message is not: "If you humble yourself, mourn your sins,
submit yourself to God, and get an appetite for righteousness,
then you'll get into heaven".

Salvation by works is not the teaching of the bible,
nor is it the teaching of Jesus.

Here's His message: Many people profess to be Christians,
but the church is a mixture of genuine Christians and people
who deceive themselves.

How do you tell the difference ?  The ones who are saved seek to imitate His life.

Jesus invites us to measure ourselves against the marks of the
Beatitudes,
(1) Do you mourn over your sins?
(2) Do you humble yourself before God?
(3) Do you submit yourself meekly before God?
(4) Do you have an appetite for righteousness?
Use the Beatitudes as a tool for discerning your spiritual condition.

As you do this you may come to the conclusion that you are
not yet a Christian.
But don't worry, there are Christians all around the world that
would say: I used to think I was a Christian.
I was a good person.
I attended church.
Then I started listening to Gods word, and I realized that what
Jesus is describing is not true of me.

If this is Christianity, "I am not yet a Christian."

One of Satan's greatest strategies to keep people out of
heaven is to falsely assure them that they are indeed a Christian.

Only when you know that you're not a Christian are you in a
position to become one.

" DISCIPLESHIP pt4 MAKING AN IMPACT "

Pin It

We're learning more about what it means to be a man of God
who is a growing and developing disciple of Jesus Christ.

In Matthew 5:13-16,  part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus used two powerful word pictures to describe what out lifestyle should look like and the impact He wants us to have
as His followers and members of His body, the church.

We have an incredible opportunity today as Christians to really
impact our culture for Jesus Christ.
Our wives, children, co-workers, our friends and the larger culture
are absolutely crying out for something --- someone -- who's real,
someone whom they can believe in and follow.

I believe that we as Believers have a special "Kingdom moment'
today to make a lasting difference for the Lord.

" PREPARATION "  Jesus gave us two timeless illustrations
for what it means to be ready for maximum impact when He 
said, " You are the salt of the earth................you are the light of the world "  (Matthew 5:13-14)

Jesus used these two common substances to tell us how we,
as born again believers, are to engage our culture and
maximize our culture for Him.

Some people say that the world is going to hell and there is nothuing that we can do out it, well I strongly disagree !!
There is something we can and must do about it ---- for the sake
of our own children and grandchildren,
and for the sake of of the work and the witness of Jesus Christ.


We Need To Be Stimulating And Penetrating As The
Salt Of The Earth....................

If we are going to make a difference, then we must be different.
That is an obvious statement,
and yet it seems there is very little difference between the way
professing Christians live today and the way that the world lives.

But Peter tells us that God  " called us out of darkness into
His marvelous light "  (1Peter 2:9)
And Jesus told us, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness " ( Matthew 6:33 ) Doing this will make us distinctive, just as we will be distinctive when we truly become
salt and light.

When Jesus says "You are the salt of the earth" and "You are the light of the world' the word you is in the emphatic position both times.
The idea is, "You, yes you of all people, are to be salt and light"

Jesus is saying to us today, "You, man of God, be My salt and light."


Next we are going to begin teaching how you can be the "SALT"

THANKS FOR FOLLOWING !!!!!!!!

" We Need a Passion for Impact to be Jesus' Disciple "

Pin It

God has called us as His followers to change the world,
not just to sit behind a desk or take up space.

You do not have to be a corporate executive to make a difference,
because the exciting truth is that any man who is willing to "follow"
Jesus with his "whole heart" can be a disciple who makes a telling
impact for Him.

I personally believe that we often do a disservice when inviting
men to come forward in church to accept Jesus.
We tell them to sit down on the front row -- -- --
and many Christians have been sitting there ever since !!

But the Christian life is a matter of becoming a world changer,
a difference maker,
and I have an exhilarating sense that many Christians are tired of settling for less than the best in their spiritual lives......

Its time for Christians to raise the bar, lift up Christian standard
of Jesus Christ rather than living for lesser things.

We are called to commitment,
so if words like "exciting", "challenging" and "dynamic" do not
describe your walk with Christ, then its time you take a new look
at the way you are walking and where you are going.

Next we will get into Luke 14:25-33,  Where Jesus confronted a
large crowd of followers and "would-be" disciples by spelling out
what it really cost to be His disciple.  (To be Cont.)

" FANS OF JESUS "

Pin It

Fans of Jesus sooner or later find themselves exhausted.

Fans grow tired of trying to maintain an outer appearance
that doesn't match an inner passion.

They find themselves weary of trying to keep all the rules
in hopes of somehow earning Gods favor.

And I want you to know, that Jesus came to free you from
religion.
 To those who have been hauling around a long list of rules.

To those who are pretending to be more than they actually
are.
To those who are weighed down with the fear and guilt of
religion.

To all the fans who are worn out on religion,
Jesus invites you to Follow Him.

Are you tired ?
Worn out ?
Burned out on religion ? Come to me........
Get away with me and you'll recover your life.
I'll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me --- watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of Grace.
I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you'll learn to live
freely and lightly.
                             (Matthew 11:28-30 MSG)

" Preach Not Ourselves But Christ Jesus "

Pin It

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ,
who is the image of God,
should shine unto them.

For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord;
and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
the darkness,
hath shined in our hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ.
                                           2 Corinthians 4:3-6 (KJV)

God uses us believers to spread the gospel (Good News),
and He gives us power to do His work.

Knowing that the power is His, Not ours, should keep us from
pride and motivate us to keep daily contact with God,
our supreme power source.

Our responsibility is to let people see God through us !!

BEWARE.............If you hear someone preaching about
themselves or their own ideas rather than about Christ,
beware --- that is a false teacher.