An attempt to be holy in the flesh will only be met with failure, God works on our spirit, when our spirit is being cleansed by God, then our actions will follow, but if we start with the flesh, forgetting about the spirit, then we are feebly attempting to change the flesh before God cleanses the spirit. It will not last, it is fleshly. We must focus on the spiritual for the change in us to be permanent and real.
John 4:24 " God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."
Our life in the Lord is not to be lived in the flesh but in the Spirit, our flesh is fallen and dying, but the Spirit is what has been changed into a new creation.
Romans 7:14-25 "
14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.
15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good.
17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.
19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.
20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.
21 I find then the [n]principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God [o]in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in [p]the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner [q]of the law of sin which is in my members.
24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from [r]the body of this death?
25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."
Notice that our bodies do not go with us when we die and go to heaven, because God can have no sin in His presence. Our Spirit has been changed into a new creation, but our body remains the old dead man that we battle everyday.
Our body will someday be changed before entering heaven and be reunited with our spirit, but until that happens our bodies cannot come into the presence of God. We must spend less time focusing on our fleshly nature and more time focusing on our spiritual nature, that God be changing us His way, to grow in holiness.
1 John 3:6-7 "No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother."
If God is not working in us though His Holy Spirit, if we are working in the flesh then we cannot be born again. Anyone born of the Holy Spirit knows their inability to be righteous. IT MUST BE A WORK OF CHRIST.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
We are a Work of God
One of the misconceptions by those who think they can lose their salvation, is that they are doing something to keep it. We can do nothing to become born again, except believe in Christ. Then He begins His work in us.
John 6:29 " Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
John 6:29 " Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."
God Does Not Give Us What We Deserve
If You are a born again believer, we can be grateful for this:
Psalm 103:8-12
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."
Here is a great verse for those who think you can lose your salvation as a believer. God does not deal with us according to what we deserve, if He did that, then no one would ever get into heaven.
Psalm 103:8-12
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."
Here is a great verse for those who think you can lose your salvation as a believer. God does not deal with us according to what we deserve, if He did that, then no one would ever get into heaven.
We Don't Get What We Deserve
Psalm 103:8-12
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."
Here is a great verse for those who think you can lose your salvation as a believer. God does not deal with us according to what we deserve, if He did that, then no one would ever get into heaven.
"The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."
Here is a great verse for those who think you can lose your salvation as a believer. God does not deal with us according to what we deserve, if He did that, then no one would ever get into heaven.
Born Again or Lost?
The person who is born again is ashamed of their sin and eventually confesses and forsakes it. A mature believer catches the sin in their thoughts before they ever become an action.
1John 1:9. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The liar who is not born again defends their sin and has no shame over it.
Jeremiah 6:15 ""Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD."
The unsaved person who claims to be born again, will argue and fight that they are not sinning when confronted with their sin. They will justify what they do or claim they are not doing it. Often they will throw out Bible verses out of context, such as; "you don't know my heart."
What they don't understand, because they don't know the bible nor do they know the God of the Bible, is that we know their inner heart by the things that they love.
There is no shame or remorse, only bitterness and anger against anyone who will challenge them. The more the unsaved person defends their sin the harder their hearts become. The longer they do this, the less likely it is for God to reach them.
God said in the OT that He hardened Pharaoh's heart and in the same passage He said that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. God merely did to Pharaoh what He knew would cause him to harden his own heart. Exoduce 9
When someone accuses us of hardening another person's heart by speaking truth to them, we might like to show them the passages about Pharaoh.
We cannot harden another person's heart. They harden their own heart in response to truth, correction and rebuke. No one can make another person do anything, they merely do what is already in their heart in resistance to the principles of God.
The born again believer is ashamed of their sin, even before anyone challenges them. They are tormented in their spirit day and night until they confess the sin, forsaking it is a relief to them. It grows their resolve never to participate in that sin again.
When someone continually returns to the same sin over and over again they are not yet broken over it enough to want to run from it.
Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
1John 1:9. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The liar who is not born again defends their sin and has no shame over it.
Jeremiah 6:15 ""Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; They did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time that I punish them, They shall be cast down," says the LORD."
The unsaved person who claims to be born again, will argue and fight that they are not sinning when confronted with their sin. They will justify what they do or claim they are not doing it. Often they will throw out Bible verses out of context, such as; "you don't know my heart."
What they don't understand, because they don't know the bible nor do they know the God of the Bible, is that we know their inner heart by the things that they love.
There is no shame or remorse, only bitterness and anger against anyone who will challenge them. The more the unsaved person defends their sin the harder their hearts become. The longer they do this, the less likely it is for God to reach them.
God said in the OT that He hardened Pharaoh's heart and in the same passage He said that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. God merely did to Pharaoh what He knew would cause him to harden his own heart. Exoduce 9
When someone accuses us of hardening another person's heart by speaking truth to them, we might like to show them the passages about Pharaoh.
We cannot harden another person's heart. They harden their own heart in response to truth, correction and rebuke. No one can make another person do anything, they merely do what is already in their heart in resistance to the principles of God.
The born again believer is ashamed of their sin, even before anyone challenges them. They are tormented in their spirit day and night until they confess the sin, forsaking it is a relief to them. It grows their resolve never to participate in that sin again.
When someone continually returns to the same sin over and over again they are not yet broken over it enough to want to run from it.
Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise."
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Go With God!
What the world calls love, is not love at all, but hatred. The devil has managed to convince many people that it is love to allow others to self destruct without challenge or intervention. Sadly this is the case for the apostate church, who now have both feet in the world. While they hold a Bible in one hand and all their useless activities in the other, they are feeling mighty secure and special.
When we have done and said all we can do to help someone we love, see that what they are doing is ruining their lives and taking them down a course toward an eternal hell, and they still will not listen, there is only one thing to do, that is to walk away, continue to pray and let God take them through without us.
If we have trusted Christ for our own salvation, we can also trust Him for the salvation of others. He knows their heart, He knows what must be done to drive them to their knees toward sorrow over their sinfulness. To remain in their lives comforting them through their rebellion, only solidifies their high view of their own importance.
Until I came to the end of myself when I was much younger, I had no inclination to change anything. Many people are self righteous, they see no need for change in their bitter angry hearts, because they are getting what they want. They look good on the outside and they are not committing crimes, or strung out on drugs, so they count themselves too good to need Christ, and often above others who have come out of these things.
When God removes what they want, leaving them realizing that they are not in control of their own destiny, then and only then, can they see their need for Christ.
We learn very little when things are easy, we say "no pain no gain", when it comes to exercise for the body, but don't want to equate it to spiritual growth. The only way to grow our spiritual muscle is to lean into the plan of God rather than escape it. Sometimes this means rejection by those who don't see the need for discipline or isolation from those who will not repent.
In these days of apostasy we are likely to be demeaned and rejected for doing what is best for others, God's way. We must ignore the cultural pressures and go with God, He knows best.
When we have done and said all we can do to help someone we love, see that what they are doing is ruining their lives and taking them down a course toward an eternal hell, and they still will not listen, there is only one thing to do, that is to walk away, continue to pray and let God take them through without us.
If we have trusted Christ for our own salvation, we can also trust Him for the salvation of others. He knows their heart, He knows what must be done to drive them to their knees toward sorrow over their sinfulness. To remain in their lives comforting them through their rebellion, only solidifies their high view of their own importance.
Until I came to the end of myself when I was much younger, I had no inclination to change anything. Many people are self righteous, they see no need for change in their bitter angry hearts, because they are getting what they want. They look good on the outside and they are not committing crimes, or strung out on drugs, so they count themselves too good to need Christ, and often above others who have come out of these things.
When God removes what they want, leaving them realizing that they are not in control of their own destiny, then and only then, can they see their need for Christ.
We learn very little when things are easy, we say "no pain no gain", when it comes to exercise for the body, but don't want to equate it to spiritual growth. The only way to grow our spiritual muscle is to lean into the plan of God rather than escape it. Sometimes this means rejection by those who don't see the need for discipline or isolation from those who will not repent.
In these days of apostasy we are likely to be demeaned and rejected for doing what is best for others, God's way. We must ignore the cultural pressures and go with God, He knows best.
Agony Over Sin
One way to know if you are born again and on your way to glory?
When you have a sinful thought, attitude or action, you are grieved over your own heart of sinfulness, the Holy Spirit nags at you relentlessly day and night until you confess the sin to God and go back to make right what you did wrong.
There is a strong sense of having to confess to those you harmed, that they might be relieved of the hurt they felt over it.
Those who do mean things and are not sorry, even justify their sin, perhaps even feeling a sense of glee that they got away with it, are not born again. No child of God can continue in sin without mental and emotional trauma until all is made right.
1 John 3:9 "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit (continue in) sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.:"
When you have a sinful thought, attitude or action, you are grieved over your own heart of sinfulness, the Holy Spirit nags at you relentlessly day and night until you confess the sin to God and go back to make right what you did wrong.
There is a strong sense of having to confess to those you harmed, that they might be relieved of the hurt they felt over it.
Those who do mean things and are not sorry, even justify their sin, perhaps even feeling a sense of glee that they got away with it, are not born again. No child of God can continue in sin without mental and emotional trauma until all is made right.
1 John 3:9 "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit (continue in) sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.:"
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