The humanity of Christ illuminates the only human being that ever lived (his entire life) without sin. Without mysticism, spiritualization, or misinterpretation of the scriptures Christ’s humanity refers to him coming down from heaven (as a man of no reputation) into earth’s present conditions during that time.
John 6:38…For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will…
Eph 4:8-10…Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Through a comparison between heaven and earth; and Christ being both God and man… he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth… simply illustrates an enthroned Christ stepping down from His heavenly position and becoming a servant to all the earth.
Phil 2:7…But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men…
Eph 4:9-10...(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended
Love for fallen man is why Christ came down. When Christ descended to earth (became a man) He encountered the worst conditions of life:
1. He was born in a barren land
2. He was born to an enslaved people
3. He was born in a manger
4. He caught a fish to pay taxes
5. He was a man of no reputation (33 yrs.)
6. He lived a lonesome life
7. He was a man of sorrow
8. His Apostles forsook Him at the trial
9. He died alone at Calvary
10. The father turned His back on Him
11. He died as a criminal
12. He died as a slave
13. He died a hideous death of crucifixion
For centuries scripture verses have been taken out of context and formed into traditional fable like stories. These are misleading and harmful to any student of the Bible. The spirit of Christ compelled Noah to preach the truth of righteousness. He preached to the ungodly for 120 yrs.
Gen 6:5-6…And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, and it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
1 Peter 3:19-20…By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
2 Peter 2:5…And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
The Spirits in prison which were sometime disobedient (1 Peter 3:19, 20) had no reference to Satan, demons, or Christ’s descension into hell, but scripturally dealt with Noah’s preaching toward fallen man; the wickedness of man’s heart; and ungodliness upon the earth.
Historically through the Roman church the “Apostles Creed” is the origin of the mystical fable concerning Christ’s descension into Hell.
Christ descended first into the lower parts (worst conditions) of the earth and atonement was made for humanity through His suffering and sacrifice on the cross. On the third day (after His body was placed in a tomb) He resurrected and walked among men for a short time. He then ascended back to heaven (from which He came) and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
When mysticism, spiritualization, or fable like emphasis is placed on Christ “descending into Hell” the magnitude of “His Ascension” is diminished. This is misleading; a hindrance toward Biblical understanding; and contrary to the Glory of Christ.
When Christ ascended back to heaven He provided freedom and liberty in the Spirit; released men from bondages; and delivered them from the captivity of sin and the flesh. His light overcame the powers of darkness. Through the power of His Divine mercy, love, and grace Christ sanctifies and leads men away from an evil world and places them into the security of His own body. By faith and obedience to Christ, a child of God continues to be His property, under His Divine ownership.
Eph 4:8-10…Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive…
1 Cor 6:20…For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Christ’s ascension took him from humanity back to a heavenly position where He now rules and reigns from the right hand of the Father. From this position He also governs the body of Christ, His church, and gives gifts unto men so others can learn, hear, and be taught.
Eph 4:8-10…Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men vs.11…and He gave some; apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
The power of preaching Christ saves man from sin, disobedience, and judgment. God sealed Noah and his family into the ark and saved them from the Flood; likewise this same power baptizes man into Christ; takes away all guilt from sin; and saves him from a judgment to come.
1 Peter 3:20-22…when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God;
Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. The power of the Gospel message ministers Spirit, truth, and righteousness to those who receive. The Gospel was preached so man could be changed and live according to the will of God.
1 Peter 4:6…For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit.(referring to Noah, the Prophets, etc.)
Heb 4:2…For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Referring to Moses and the Children of Israel)
Galatians 3:8…And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed.
The power of God unto salvation has always come through preaching. Hearing, learning, and being taught the Bible in its proper context is among the greatest of God’s gifts in the body of Christ.
Eph 4:8-10…Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men vs.11…and He gave some; apostles; and some prophets; and some evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
John 6:45…It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
The true and only Gospel is:
1 Cor 15:1-4…Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Monday, April 5, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Test your faith...
Is the actual experience and testimony of the child of God different today, than it was during the period of New Testament writings? The answer is "No"...same Christ...same Spirit.
Is the Church, the body of Christ the same today as it was 2010 years ago? "Yes".
Are we likewise members of the same body of Christ as the early Apostles? "Yes"
Were the Apostles Paul, Peter, James, and John different than present day Christian’s or vice versa? No...same Christ...same Spirit.
Can a Christian live without sin in this present world of modern distraction’s unlike distraction’s during the first century? Sinful conduct separates man from Christ. So can a Christian live without sin? Yes!
Should present Christian lifestyle be in line with lives of men who wrote the records of the Christian experience after the death and ascension of Christ? Same Christ...same Spirit!
Should Christianity be the same today as it was in the early Church? "Yes"
What kept men of God during the early church in harmony with Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension? Faith, obedience, and the power of God's Salvation in the heart and life.
Why were men obedient to Christ back then? The same reason they are obedient today...belief is outflow of Calvary in the heart of a believer in Christ.
Was it mere faith; the work of the Spirit; or a combination of both? Faith keeps the Holy Spirit present obedience flows from our faith in Christ.
At present should a Christian’s faith and obedience to Christ be different than a Christian’s faith and obedience was to Christ during the first century? "If it is something is wrong in your heart".
Why were New Testament writer's (after the death of Christ) in subjection to an ascended Christ? Complete subjection to Christ in the Throneroom came from heartfelt faith in an invisible God. Faith comes by hearing about Christ in the Scriptures.
Should a child of God behave differently today, 2010 years since Christ’s ascension? Same Church, same Spirit, same obedience. Holiness is the sacred theme of the Bible.
What compelled New Testament writers to endure temptation? The power of God that made believers "over comers" and "victorious". More than conquerors! Glory!
Why did the writers of New Testament Epistles instruct believers to depart from sin? Sin separates man from Salvation. The Bible teaches men to stay in Christ...their whole life.
What made men over comers to worldly deception and snares that came from the wicked one? A completely sanctified heart which comes only by the experience of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire.
What gave those men of God the ability to resist the Devil? Faith and total trust in Christ and His redemptive work on the cross!
Should we experience and testify to this same victory? Absolutely!
Is the power of Christ given to us today, as it was to them 2010 years ago? Same Christ, same Spirit, same Church.
Is the power of Christ different in 2010 than during the first century? Absolutely not! Christ still performs miracles today. This writer is one of those miracles. So are you if your heart and life has been changed by the power of God's Divine Grace.
Does the power of God’s Grace written about in New Testament Epistles apply to present day Christians? Same Grace! We are not under the Law of Moses whatsoever!
What keeps men of God sensitive, aware, and conscious, to the Holy Spirit’s presence? Full attention on Christ!Consciousness to His saving presence.
Did the Apostles at the Early Church compromise truth revealed in their hearts, to abstain from sin? They were holy men of God! Holy men never compromise the truth.
What compelled them to testify and write about a moral change experienced through the power of a living Christ? Divine revelation, the power of the Holy Spirit's witness.
Is this same power available today? That's the beautiful thing about the body of Christ...it's here "Now" until the Rapture...which is the Churches escape from the Judgement and Wrath of God in the Great Tribulation!
Should our personal experience and testimony be the same as believer’s experienced and testified during and after the First Century? If it's not your heart is not clean! Same Spirit...same Christ..same Grace.
Be truthful with yourself. If you don’t know the answers… study your Bible or contact this Blog for answers. We care! If you do know the answers…put them in action for the cause of Christ. Knowing the terror of the Lord...we persuade men to Christ. Win the lost! Be and example! Glory to Christ who lives!
Did you pass the test?
Is the Church, the body of Christ the same today as it was 2010 years ago? "Yes".
Are we likewise members of the same body of Christ as the early Apostles? "Yes"
Were the Apostles Paul, Peter, James, and John different than present day Christian’s or vice versa? No...same Christ...same Spirit.
Can a Christian live without sin in this present world of modern distraction’s unlike distraction’s during the first century? Sinful conduct separates man from Christ. So can a Christian live without sin? Yes!
Should present Christian lifestyle be in line with lives of men who wrote the records of the Christian experience after the death and ascension of Christ? Same Christ...same Spirit!
Should Christianity be the same today as it was in the early Church? "Yes"
What kept men of God during the early church in harmony with Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension? Faith, obedience, and the power of God's Salvation in the heart and life.
Why were men obedient to Christ back then? The same reason they are obedient today...belief is outflow of Calvary in the heart of a believer in Christ.
Was it mere faith; the work of the Spirit; or a combination of both? Faith keeps the Holy Spirit present obedience flows from our faith in Christ.
At present should a Christian’s faith and obedience to Christ be different than a Christian’s faith and obedience was to Christ during the first century? "If it is something is wrong in your heart".
Why were New Testament writer's (after the death of Christ) in subjection to an ascended Christ? Complete subjection to Christ in the Throneroom came from heartfelt faith in an invisible God. Faith comes by hearing about Christ in the Scriptures.
Should a child of God behave differently today, 2010 years since Christ’s ascension? Same Church, same Spirit, same obedience. Holiness is the sacred theme of the Bible.
What compelled New Testament writers to endure temptation? The power of God that made believers "over comers" and "victorious". More than conquerors! Glory!
Why did the writers of New Testament Epistles instruct believers to depart from sin? Sin separates man from Salvation. The Bible teaches men to stay in Christ...their whole life.
What made men over comers to worldly deception and snares that came from the wicked one? A completely sanctified heart which comes only by the experience of the Baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire.
What gave those men of God the ability to resist the Devil? Faith and total trust in Christ and His redemptive work on the cross!
Should we experience and testify to this same victory? Absolutely!
Is the power of Christ given to us today, as it was to them 2010 years ago? Same Christ, same Spirit, same Church.
Is the power of Christ different in 2010 than during the first century? Absolutely not! Christ still performs miracles today. This writer is one of those miracles. So are you if your heart and life has been changed by the power of God's Divine Grace.
Does the power of God’s Grace written about in New Testament Epistles apply to present day Christians? Same Grace! We are not under the Law of Moses whatsoever!
What keeps men of God sensitive, aware, and conscious, to the Holy Spirit’s presence? Full attention on Christ!Consciousness to His saving presence.
Did the Apostles at the Early Church compromise truth revealed in their hearts, to abstain from sin? They were holy men of God! Holy men never compromise the truth.
What compelled them to testify and write about a moral change experienced through the power of a living Christ? Divine revelation, the power of the Holy Spirit's witness.
Is this same power available today? That's the beautiful thing about the body of Christ...it's here "Now" until the Rapture...which is the Churches escape from the Judgement and Wrath of God in the Great Tribulation!
Should our personal experience and testimony be the same as believer’s experienced and testified during and after the First Century? If it's not your heart is not clean! Same Spirit...same Christ..same Grace.
Be truthful with yourself. If you don’t know the answers… study your Bible or contact this Blog for answers. We care! If you do know the answers…put them in action for the cause of Christ. Knowing the terror of the Lord...we persuade men to Christ. Win the lost! Be and example! Glory to Christ who lives!
Did you pass the test?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Why does God remove our sins away as far is the East is from the West?
Everyone knows the song by Casting Crowns! As for the Biblical science behind how far the East is from the West I will conclude with the following? This Blog was prompted by a dear friend of mine, Dennis Sandker who is 16 years of age. He confirmed and fortified something that God had revealed to me in years past.
The North and South Poles are "points" of an axis. If you go to the North Pole you will eventually begin going south. If you go to the South Pole, you will eventually begin going north...because the Earth is round and has an axis. It goes from North to South from point to point, from axis to axis. If you travel North for a great distance you will eventually begin going South.
This concept is not so with the distance between the East and the West. There is no axis between the East and West. The distance is infinite between how far the East is from the West. There are no points like North Pole and South Pole concerning East to West! The vast distance between the East and the West is an infinite distance. No points to pass or no axis to revolve on! To go East is to infinitely to go East. To go East indefinitely means to never to return to the West! It means to go on and on indefinitely toward the East. That why God remembers ours sins no more. So, that's the vast distance on how far it is from the East to the West!
That's why God (through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for personal forgiveness) removes our sins away as far as the East is from the West! Glory! And remembers them no more!
• Ps 103:11-12...For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
• Jer. 31:34...for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
This is Biblical science that I'm glad to publish at the Churches on Trial! Thanks be to Jesus who makes this Biblical Science so possible for us...Glory to His name! He takes away our sins. He removes sin from our lives and remembers it no more! I appreciate Christ and the Bible as our life experience manual. There is much to be learned from the Bible! There is much to be lived in the Bible! The Bible points us to Christ! I’m glad the Bible is the basis for our faith. I'm glad God is a merciful God! He takes away our sins and remembers them no more. Glory!
The North and South Poles are "points" of an axis. If you go to the North Pole you will eventually begin going south. If you go to the South Pole, you will eventually begin going north...because the Earth is round and has an axis. It goes from North to South from point to point, from axis to axis. If you travel North for a great distance you will eventually begin going South.
This concept is not so with the distance between the East and the West. There is no axis between the East and West. The distance is infinite between how far the East is from the West. There are no points like North Pole and South Pole concerning East to West! The vast distance between the East and the West is an infinite distance. No points to pass or no axis to revolve on! To go East is to infinitely to go East. To go East indefinitely means to never to return to the West! It means to go on and on indefinitely toward the East. That why God remembers ours sins no more. So, that's the vast distance on how far it is from the East to the West!
That's why God (through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for personal forgiveness) removes our sins away as far as the East is from the West! Glory! And remembers them no more!
• Ps 103:11-12...For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
• Jer. 31:34...for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
This is Biblical science that I'm glad to publish at the Churches on Trial! Thanks be to Jesus who makes this Biblical Science so possible for us...Glory to His name! He takes away our sins. He removes sin from our lives and remembers it no more! I appreciate Christ and the Bible as our life experience manual. There is much to be learned from the Bible! There is much to be lived in the Bible! The Bible points us to Christ! I’m glad the Bible is the basis for our faith. I'm glad God is a merciful God! He takes away our sins and remembers them no more. Glory!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Falling away from Christ or turning against Him...which is worse?
Falling away from Christ is a very bad way of life for the child of God to experience! Falling away from Christ can become a very bad habit for some. It sears (or scars) the conscience of a believer! Falling away from Christ is not to be taken lightly. Falling away from God is a habit that self can find to be pleasurable or satisfying... for a moment...then comes sin's consequences that can lead to damnation. Falling away is also a habit that causes a man more grief with the Spirit of God than ever imagined. Falling away from faith in Christ is place of separation from communion with God through the ministration of the Spirit.
1 Tim 4:1-2...Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Falling away is a place where condemnation from sin is revealed to the human conscience and self can find no other place (outside of Christ) for satisfaction, peace, or contentment. There is no contentment or peace whatsoever, that can be found in the heart of man when man is separated from God through unbelief. Falling away from Christ can lead man to a place of deeper deception and a permanent disobedience toward God. Falling away from Christ over and over again can lead men to a place of, "turning against God" where a root of bitterness and resentment toward God controls the heart. Turning against God is far worse than falling away or departing from the faith. Turning against God is defiance against; willful rebellion; and rejection of truth. Very dangerous? Very, very dangerous!
2 Peter 2:20-21...For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
I admit a Christian can get knocked down by the Devil and God who is rich in mercy and love will lift him back up! I admit that men can fall away from the faith and then come back into a place of belief and trust in Christ. I also admit that men can fall into various temptations, sin against God, and go right back to a penitent state, believe, and find forgiveness again over and over. But...what kind of life do you call this? I repeat, "What kind of life do you call this?" Can you classify this as a life of victory in Jesus? Or do you have a right to call it a life of peace and contentment found in Christ? Not so! Did you know that falling away from the faith in Christ over and over again can cause men to turn against God? So far away...that they can't get back...The Bible does teach that men can get so far away and willfully turn against God to a point where they cannot return. Read the following verse closely.
Heb 6:4-6...For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
There's a big difference between, "falling away from; and turning against God". The difference is the heart of man from falling away over and over gets hardened to the truth. Hardness of heart takes man further into unbelief and disobedience to God. Each time man falls, and continues to fall... over and over again... the hardened heart becomes more scarred and calloused each time, and gets further and further away from the knowledge of truth. The conscience of man also gets further and further away from an accountability to God. Soon, the conscience of man is no longer in touch with God and only controlled by self. God is smothered out of the picture and no longer in control whatsoever. Dangerous position for any man to be in. Wouldn't you agree? No peace! No contentment! Constant sorrow! Very calloused! No sensitivity to a life of obedience to Christ. A rebel against God! Hardened to the truth!
Heb 3:12-13...Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
The Holy Spirit tells the believer in Christ that he's right in the eyes of God and has to live right! Why? The child of God has a Divine Nature! This is the God given power for a child of God to do right! The Bible clearly teaches that any believer in Christ can have... and can live a life of victory every day of their life. God gives the believer power to do so! With constant peace! With constant joy! With constant victory! Why? Because of the great blessing the Holy Spirit's presence your hearts and in your lives. With a constant consciousness to the presence of Christ at Calvary and Christ in the Throneroom who controls the saint. The ministry of the Holy Spirit constantly brings Christ to mind and testifies the person of Christ in every situation in life. I admit the world we live in says something different! That's why the Bible teaches to "love not" the world. The affections of a child of God are not to be earthly!
1 John 2:15-17...Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever
Col 3:2-3...Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
GLORY! My heart sings, "Oh, victory in Jesus my Saviour forever, He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming Blood!" Come over to the Upper Room and I'll sing it to you on Thursday's and Sundays at 7:00PM. We love Christ and teach from the Bible that men can live with a constant victory "without sin"... in an evil and adulterous world that we live in. Glory!
1 Tim 4:1-2...Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
Falling away is a place where condemnation from sin is revealed to the human conscience and self can find no other place (outside of Christ) for satisfaction, peace, or contentment. There is no contentment or peace whatsoever, that can be found in the heart of man when man is separated from God through unbelief. Falling away from Christ can lead man to a place of deeper deception and a permanent disobedience toward God. Falling away from Christ over and over again can lead men to a place of, "turning against God" where a root of bitterness and resentment toward God controls the heart. Turning against God is far worse than falling away or departing from the faith. Turning against God is defiance against; willful rebellion; and rejection of truth. Very dangerous? Very, very dangerous!
2 Peter 2:20-21...For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
I admit a Christian can get knocked down by the Devil and God who is rich in mercy and love will lift him back up! I admit that men can fall away from the faith and then come back into a place of belief and trust in Christ. I also admit that men can fall into various temptations, sin against God, and go right back to a penitent state, believe, and find forgiveness again over and over. But...what kind of life do you call this? I repeat, "What kind of life do you call this?" Can you classify this as a life of victory in Jesus? Or do you have a right to call it a life of peace and contentment found in Christ? Not so! Did you know that falling away from the faith in Christ over and over again can cause men to turn against God? So far away...that they can't get back...The Bible does teach that men can get so far away and willfully turn against God to a point where they cannot return. Read the following verse closely.
Heb 6:4-6...For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
There's a big difference between, "falling away from; and turning against God". The difference is the heart of man from falling away over and over gets hardened to the truth. Hardness of heart takes man further into unbelief and disobedience to God. Each time man falls, and continues to fall... over and over again... the hardened heart becomes more scarred and calloused each time, and gets further and further away from the knowledge of truth. The conscience of man also gets further and further away from an accountability to God. Soon, the conscience of man is no longer in touch with God and only controlled by self. God is smothered out of the picture and no longer in control whatsoever. Dangerous position for any man to be in. Wouldn't you agree? No peace! No contentment! Constant sorrow! Very calloused! No sensitivity to a life of obedience to Christ. A rebel against God! Hardened to the truth!
Heb 3:12-13...Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
The Holy Spirit tells the believer in Christ that he's right in the eyes of God and has to live right! Why? The child of God has a Divine Nature! This is the God given power for a child of God to do right! The Bible clearly teaches that any believer in Christ can have... and can live a life of victory every day of their life. God gives the believer power to do so! With constant peace! With constant joy! With constant victory! Why? Because of the great blessing the Holy Spirit's presence your hearts and in your lives. With a constant consciousness to the presence of Christ at Calvary and Christ in the Throneroom who controls the saint. The ministry of the Holy Spirit constantly brings Christ to mind and testifies the person of Christ in every situation in life. I admit the world we live in says something different! That's why the Bible teaches to "love not" the world. The affections of a child of God are not to be earthly!
1 John 2:15-17...Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever
Col 3:2-3...Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
GLORY! My heart sings, "Oh, victory in Jesus my Saviour forever, He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming Blood!" Come over to the Upper Room and I'll sing it to you on Thursday's and Sundays at 7:00PM. We love Christ and teach from the Bible that men can live with a constant victory "without sin"... in an evil and adulterous world that we live in. Glory!
Friday, March 26, 2010
Our greater and more perfect Tabernacle in Heaven...
Matt 27:50-51...Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom;
In the above account recorded by Matthew you will find the sacrifice of Christ on the cross at Calvary was God's last and final sin offering for the sins of humanity. According to the Law of Moses the Jewish people offered sacrifice to the Levite Priest to make atonement for the families of the Jewish people. Th Levitical priest would enter into the Holy of Holies once a year to offer atoning sacrifice for the sins of Jewish families.
When the veil was rent twain in the Temple (torn in half by God) the Levite priest was no longer necessary to make atonement for the sins of the Jewish people. Why? How? Christ purchased the Church with His own blood. A new dispensation began! The Law of Moses was done away with and Divine Grace brought forth the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church. The New Testament we now live under is better and greater Testament than the Law of Moses given to Israel. After Jesus died on the cross at Calvary He became our High Priest and entered into the Holy of Holies in Heaven to obtain eternal redemption for us today.
Heb 9:11-12...But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:24...For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
How blessed we are to be under Grace today and not under the Law! How blessed we are to have the Law written in our hearts through the blessing of the Holy Spirit's presence in our hearts and lives! What used to be written in the tables of stone is now written in the tables of our hearts by Christ Himself! Glory! We are a living book written by Christ Himself. Glory!
2 Cor 3:3-5...Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Divine Grace is perhaps God's greatest blessing that any man can recieve in this life. Grace comes through the power of the Gospel message that we hear! To be under the Grace of God consists of the action of God within the heart and soul of a believer in Christ! Grace is not what man does to reach God. Grace is what changes man into a new creature... forgiven and morally right in the eyes of God. Faith and trust in the blood of Jesus Christ brings personal forgiveness and the ability fo man to live holy. Grace gives man a holy heart. Unlike the Law of Moses where man always "strived" to reach God...Grace's Divine effect takes man's stiving out of the picture. Grace is the effectual work of God based on Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Faith is based on the word of God!
Thank you Chuck Staton for your input (last night at the Upper Room) about where man's faith comes from. I also thank God in Christ for the nice service last night, as we touched on the basis of faith, where faith comes from, how faith is grown, how faith is erred from, how faith is increased, how faith is built through knowledge, and how to fight the good fight of faith. Glory! Here was the opening verse brought to my attention by Brother Chuck Staton.
Rom 12:3...For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
I'm glad we Christian's today are not under Law but under Grace which is a better covenant. Glory to Christ! Who blesses us richly from the Throneroom. Glory! Christ lives! What the Law could not do because it was weak through the flesh...Grace "now" does through the power of a living Christ! Glory! Christ not only died for our sins but He ever liveth to make intercession for us in the Holy of Holies in Heaven. Christ is our High priest right now! Glory!
Heb 7:25-26... Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens:
Heb 3:1...Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
For this reason God tore the veil in the Earthly and Jewish Temple in half at the time of Christ's death. This is why we have the Church today that Christ purchased with his shed blood on the cross at Calvary! This is why we're under Grace today and not under the Law of Moses! This is why Christian's have the Holy Spirit's presence in their hearts and lives! What a blessing! Grace makes me happy! Goodbye sin..hello holiness and right living. Thank you Jesus. GLORY!
In the above account recorded by Matthew you will find the sacrifice of Christ on the cross at Calvary was God's last and final sin offering for the sins of humanity. According to the Law of Moses the Jewish people offered sacrifice to the Levite Priest to make atonement for the families of the Jewish people. Th Levitical priest would enter into the Holy of Holies once a year to offer atoning sacrifice for the sins of Jewish families.
When the veil was rent twain in the Temple (torn in half by God) the Levite priest was no longer necessary to make atonement for the sins of the Jewish people. Why? How? Christ purchased the Church with His own blood. A new dispensation began! The Law of Moses was done away with and Divine Grace brought forth the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church. The New Testament we now live under is better and greater Testament than the Law of Moses given to Israel. After Jesus died on the cross at Calvary He became our High Priest and entered into the Holy of Holies in Heaven to obtain eternal redemption for us today.
Heb 9:11-12...But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:24...For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
How blessed we are to be under Grace today and not under the Law! How blessed we are to have the Law written in our hearts through the blessing of the Holy Spirit's presence in our hearts and lives! What used to be written in the tables of stone is now written in the tables of our hearts by Christ Himself! Glory! We are a living book written by Christ Himself. Glory!
2 Cor 3:3-5...Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
Divine Grace is perhaps God's greatest blessing that any man can recieve in this life. Grace comes through the power of the Gospel message that we hear! To be under the Grace of God consists of the action of God within the heart and soul of a believer in Christ! Grace is not what man does to reach God. Grace is what changes man into a new creature... forgiven and morally right in the eyes of God. Faith and trust in the blood of Jesus Christ brings personal forgiveness and the ability fo man to live holy. Grace gives man a holy heart. Unlike the Law of Moses where man always "strived" to reach God...Grace's Divine effect takes man's stiving out of the picture. Grace is the effectual work of God based on Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Faith is based on the word of God!
Thank you Chuck Staton for your input (last night at the Upper Room) about where man's faith comes from. I also thank God in Christ for the nice service last night, as we touched on the basis of faith, where faith comes from, how faith is grown, how faith is erred from, how faith is increased, how faith is built through knowledge, and how to fight the good fight of faith. Glory! Here was the opening verse brought to my attention by Brother Chuck Staton.
Rom 12:3...For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
I'm glad we Christian's today are not under Law but under Grace which is a better covenant. Glory to Christ! Who blesses us richly from the Throneroom. Glory! Christ lives! What the Law could not do because it was weak through the flesh...Grace "now" does through the power of a living Christ! Glory! Christ not only died for our sins but He ever liveth to make intercession for us in the Holy of Holies in Heaven. Christ is our High priest right now! Glory!
Heb 7:25-26... Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens:
Heb 3:1...Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
For this reason God tore the veil in the Earthly and Jewish Temple in half at the time of Christ's death. This is why we have the Church today that Christ purchased with his shed blood on the cross at Calvary! This is why we're under Grace today and not under the Law of Moses! This is why Christian's have the Holy Spirit's presence in their hearts and lives! What a blessing! Grace makes me happy! Goodbye sin..hello holiness and right living. Thank you Jesus. GLORY!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The believer's confession of Christ was different during the Earthly ministry of Christ than in the Church today...
(Pt.1)... Israel’s “Confession” of Christ in the Kingdom Age during Christ’s Earthly ministry…
Matt 10:32-39…Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Public confession showed Israel’s recognition and acceptance of the Messiahship of Christ. Remember, John the Baptist, Christ, the 12 disciples, and the 70 ordained of Christ, preached the Kingdom of Heaven message to Israel only. This message was forbidden by Christ to be preached to a Gentile or to a Samaritan. Why? The Kingdom of Heaven was promised strictly to the nation of Israel according to all Old Testament promises.
Acceptance of Christ as the promised Messiah allowed Israel to have a divine nature. The Divine nature made any man eligible to receive God’s promised Kingdom on Earth. After Israel received John’s baptism of repentance they became eligible to worship Christ as Messiah. Why? They obeyed the council of God which simply put is, “Israel obeyed the authority of the Torah!” Israel’s obedience to the Law of God opened their hearts to Christ and made them eligible to enter into the promised Earthly Kingdom. Both the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven messages were preached to Israel simultaneously. The Kingdom of God was an inner work of God, invisible and spiritual which thus made gave the believer in Christ a Divine nature. The Divine nature is what made Israel eligible to receive the Kingdom of Heaven or God’s promised Kingdom on earth.
Israel’s confession of Christ was based on an acceptance of Christ’s Messiahship according to the Law of God. Public confession of Christ showed Israel’s repentance from their disobedience to the Torah (Law of Moses). Israel’s error was made by practicing traditional Talmudic teachings (Rabbi’s interpretations of the Torah) that had made the authority of the Law of God of none affect. Jesus preached against the teachings of the Talmud.
Israel’s hearing of the Kingdom message and obedience to the authority of the Torah led the penitent Jewish believer to a recognition and acceptance of the Messiahship of Christ. The public confession from these converted Israelites brought deep rooted opposition from the family, from the social life, and from the hypocritical religious Jews that rejected the true authority behind the Torah and Christ as their promised Messiah and King of the Earth.
For those who accepted Christ as the promised Messiah they had to be willing to lose everything they had in society for the cause of Christ. To love God above all things was obedience to the first commandment. Tragically, Jewish people hated their own Jewish kinsmen who accepted and confessed the Messiahship of Christ.
Matt 10:32-39…Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
(Pt.2)...“Confession” of Christ in the Church now during the Grace Age…This confession is made by both Jew and Gentile…because they’re saved by Grace…
…Rom 10:9-10…That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
After the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ a new and better dispensation with a greater blessing than the Law of Moses had been given to humanity. It’s called the, “Grace dispensation where the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit resides in the hearts and lives of believer’s in Christ.” In the Grace Age Christ as King does not rule physically on Earth as He did during the Kingdom Age of His Earthly ministry to Israel. Today, in the Church, Christ as King rules spiritually from the Throneroom in Heaven where He’s exalted with all power in Heaven and on Earth.
Since Christ died on the cross and arose from the grave... this present Grace Dispensation birthed the Church, the body of Christ where children of God are created and made nigh to God by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness for our sins is only found through personal trust in Christ’s death on the cross and the effect that the Cross has on our personal hearts and lives.
The confession of a believer in the Church today is so different under Grace than it was in the Kingdom Age during Christ’s earthly ministry. Under Grace today… men “do not” confess Christ to be saved like they did in the Kingdom Age during Christ’s Earthly ministry! Men of God today “confess” Christ because of a work of God’s Grace they receive within the believing heart.
The effectiveness of Calvary through the precious blood that Christ shed is personally given to each individual believer that repents, and believes. This effectiveness of Calvary has power to change man morally and give him a good confession about the power and holiness of Christ in the heart and life of each individual believer. The effectiveness of Calvary by the Grace of God is for both Jew and Gentile…not just Jew only as it was in the ministry of Christ. God’s righteousness is bestowed upon the heart of any believer because of the effectiveness of Calvary within the human soul for personal forgiveness of sins. The believer in Christ knows every sin is forgiven and that heart is cleansed from sin by the divine power of the Grace of God.
Therefore a confession of Christ is made with the mouth of a believing Christian because that heart and that life… are made right… by the Divine power of God’s Grace.
…Rom 10:9-10…That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
Matt 10:32-39…Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Public confession showed Israel’s recognition and acceptance of the Messiahship of Christ. Remember, John the Baptist, Christ, the 12 disciples, and the 70 ordained of Christ, preached the Kingdom of Heaven message to Israel only. This message was forbidden by Christ to be preached to a Gentile or to a Samaritan. Why? The Kingdom of Heaven was promised strictly to the nation of Israel according to all Old Testament promises.
Acceptance of Christ as the promised Messiah allowed Israel to have a divine nature. The Divine nature made any man eligible to receive God’s promised Kingdom on Earth. After Israel received John’s baptism of repentance they became eligible to worship Christ as Messiah. Why? They obeyed the council of God which simply put is, “Israel obeyed the authority of the Torah!” Israel’s obedience to the Law of God opened their hearts to Christ and made them eligible to enter into the promised Earthly Kingdom. Both the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven messages were preached to Israel simultaneously. The Kingdom of God was an inner work of God, invisible and spiritual which thus made gave the believer in Christ a Divine nature. The Divine nature is what made Israel eligible to receive the Kingdom of Heaven or God’s promised Kingdom on earth.
Israel’s confession of Christ was based on an acceptance of Christ’s Messiahship according to the Law of God. Public confession of Christ showed Israel’s repentance from their disobedience to the Torah (Law of Moses). Israel’s error was made by practicing traditional Talmudic teachings (Rabbi’s interpretations of the Torah) that had made the authority of the Law of God of none affect. Jesus preached against the teachings of the Talmud.
Israel’s hearing of the Kingdom message and obedience to the authority of the Torah led the penitent Jewish believer to a recognition and acceptance of the Messiahship of Christ. The public confession from these converted Israelites brought deep rooted opposition from the family, from the social life, and from the hypocritical religious Jews that rejected the true authority behind the Torah and Christ as their promised Messiah and King of the Earth.
For those who accepted Christ as the promised Messiah they had to be willing to lose everything they had in society for the cause of Christ. To love God above all things was obedience to the first commandment. Tragically, Jewish people hated their own Jewish kinsmen who accepted and confessed the Messiahship of Christ.
Matt 10:32-39…Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
(Pt.2)...“Confession” of Christ in the Church now during the Grace Age…This confession is made by both Jew and Gentile…because they’re saved by Grace…
…Rom 10:9-10…That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
After the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ a new and better dispensation with a greater blessing than the Law of Moses had been given to humanity. It’s called the, “Grace dispensation where the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit resides in the hearts and lives of believer’s in Christ.” In the Grace Age Christ as King does not rule physically on Earth as He did during the Kingdom Age of His Earthly ministry to Israel. Today, in the Church, Christ as King rules spiritually from the Throneroom in Heaven where He’s exalted with all power in Heaven and on Earth.
Since Christ died on the cross and arose from the grave... this present Grace Dispensation birthed the Church, the body of Christ where children of God are created and made nigh to God by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness for our sins is only found through personal trust in Christ’s death on the cross and the effect that the Cross has on our personal hearts and lives.
The confession of a believer in the Church today is so different under Grace than it was in the Kingdom Age during Christ’s earthly ministry. Under Grace today… men “do not” confess Christ to be saved like they did in the Kingdom Age during Christ’s Earthly ministry! Men of God today “confess” Christ because of a work of God’s Grace they receive within the believing heart.
The effectiveness of Calvary through the precious blood that Christ shed is personally given to each individual believer that repents, and believes. This effectiveness of Calvary has power to change man morally and give him a good confession about the power and holiness of Christ in the heart and life of each individual believer. The effectiveness of Calvary by the Grace of God is for both Jew and Gentile…not just Jew only as it was in the ministry of Christ. God’s righteousness is bestowed upon the heart of any believer because of the effectiveness of Calvary within the human soul for personal forgiveness of sins. The believer in Christ knows every sin is forgiven and that heart is cleansed from sin by the divine power of the Grace of God.
Therefore a confession of Christ is made with the mouth of a believing Christian because that heart and that life… are made right… by the Divine power of God’s Grace.
…Rom 10:9-10…That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation
Monday, March 22, 2010
What does human reasoning, human intellect, and human works have to do with God's plan of Salvation
Nothing!
As hard as it may seem within your human reasoning...man's works cannot gain favor in the eyes of God...outside of Christ. Human works are in no way necessary for salvation of the human soul. Why? Human works leave out the work of God. Man's reasoning and human intellect can lead man away from the truth of the Word of God. To be honest...human reasoning and human intellect can cause man to miss the Divine Grace of God. The human intellect has nothing to do with salvation of the human soul...whatsoever. Philosophy (not Christianity) is based on human intellect and reasoning. Philosophy has nothing to do with the Spirit of God whatsoever! No matter how good you think or how good of works you do ...without Divine Grace in your heart and without God given righteousness you cannot gain one single ounce of credit from God by your works or your intelligence. Only Christ can put man in right standing with God.
Did you know God's Grace is what cleanses the human heart from sin and disobedience to God. Did you know God's Grace is what changes the moral character of man...not man himself. God's Grace is what God does in the heart of a believer. Grace is the action of God! Actually, God's Grace is a Divine operation that morally changes the human soul, the human make-up, and the human character. Grace gives fallen man a divine nature. Grace changes the unsaved man into a child of God that is holy and right in the eyes of God. No believer can achieve the Grace of God by works, intelligence, or human reason. No believer can gradually advance toward the Grace of God by good deeds or human effort. Human effort defies the Grace of God and forms religion! Grace is a Divine operation performed by God upon the heart and life of a believer in Christ. Grace is reflected in the life of a believer in Christ through the holy life. How? The believer morally changed by by the Grace of God. This is what the Bible teaches about God's Grace.
Did you know that it is the Grace of God that keeps the Holy Spirit present in the life of a child of God? Did you know that the Grace Covenant started after the death and resurrection of Christ? Before Christ died and during His earthly ministry...men and women lived under the covenant of the Law of Moses. Yes, my brothers and sisters Grace is what ushered in the Church the body of Christ we now live in today in 2010! The four Gospels only teach the Grace of God through the Gospel message, "after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ!" This great truth is taught in the books of Mat. 28:19, Mark 16:16, Luke 24:44-49...but only at the end of the books...not during the earthly ministry! After Calvary, after His burial, and after His resurrection did Christ command that the Gospel be preached. The Gospel is actually the, "Great Commission" given to both Jew and Gentile. The gospel allowed the Grace of God to save, redeem, justify, and sanctify all humanity (Jew and Gentile) through the death of a Saviour on the cross and the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit.
I like Christ's own words when he predicted His holy presence and universal contact in our lives that would come from Him after He was exalted to the Throneroom.
Matt 28:20...Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
The Grace of God gets beyond human reasoning, human intellect, and human works. Divine Grace gets beyond the action of man. Why? Divine Grace is the action of God in the heart and live of a Christian! Glory!
As hard as it may seem within your human reasoning...man's works cannot gain favor in the eyes of God...outside of Christ. Human works are in no way necessary for salvation of the human soul. Why? Human works leave out the work of God. Man's reasoning and human intellect can lead man away from the truth of the Word of God. To be honest...human reasoning and human intellect can cause man to miss the Divine Grace of God. The human intellect has nothing to do with salvation of the human soul...whatsoever. Philosophy (not Christianity) is based on human intellect and reasoning. Philosophy has nothing to do with the Spirit of God whatsoever! No matter how good you think or how good of works you do ...without Divine Grace in your heart and without God given righteousness you cannot gain one single ounce of credit from God by your works or your intelligence. Only Christ can put man in right standing with God.
Did you know God's Grace is what cleanses the human heart from sin and disobedience to God. Did you know God's Grace is what changes the moral character of man...not man himself. God's Grace is what God does in the heart of a believer. Grace is the action of God! Actually, God's Grace is a Divine operation that morally changes the human soul, the human make-up, and the human character. Grace gives fallen man a divine nature. Grace changes the unsaved man into a child of God that is holy and right in the eyes of God. No believer can achieve the Grace of God by works, intelligence, or human reason. No believer can gradually advance toward the Grace of God by good deeds or human effort. Human effort defies the Grace of God and forms religion! Grace is a Divine operation performed by God upon the heart and life of a believer in Christ. Grace is reflected in the life of a believer in Christ through the holy life. How? The believer morally changed by by the Grace of God. This is what the Bible teaches about God's Grace.
Did you know that it is the Grace of God that keeps the Holy Spirit present in the life of a child of God? Did you know that the Grace Covenant started after the death and resurrection of Christ? Before Christ died and during His earthly ministry...men and women lived under the covenant of the Law of Moses. Yes, my brothers and sisters Grace is what ushered in the Church the body of Christ we now live in today in 2010! The four Gospels only teach the Grace of God through the Gospel message, "after the death, burial and resurrection of Christ!" This great truth is taught in the books of Mat. 28:19, Mark 16:16, Luke 24:44-49...but only at the end of the books...not during the earthly ministry! After Calvary, after His burial, and after His resurrection did Christ command that the Gospel be preached. The Gospel is actually the, "Great Commission" given to both Jew and Gentile. The gospel allowed the Grace of God to save, redeem, justify, and sanctify all humanity (Jew and Gentile) through the death of a Saviour on the cross and the omnipresence of the Holy Spirit.
I like Christ's own words when he predicted His holy presence and universal contact in our lives that would come from Him after He was exalted to the Throneroom.
Matt 28:20...Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
The Grace of God gets beyond human reasoning, human intellect, and human works. Divine Grace gets beyond the action of man. Why? Divine Grace is the action of God in the heart and live of a Christian! Glory!
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