Just a Sinner Saved by Grace?

 

I read a lot of books, fiction and non-fiction where Christians use the phrase, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace!” It causes me to cringe because, how can someone be a sinner and a Christian?

I get the sentiment behind it. Especially as we witness, letting people know that we too had to recognized that we were sinners in need of a Savior. But once the Blood of Jesus is applied, the sinner becomes redeemed. And the word of God tells us, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy” Psalm 107:2 -NKJV

So I am a Christian, a believer, a saint, a child of God because I am redeemed and that’s what I should say. A sinner, on the other hand, is still being controlled by the enemy. I like how Paul refers to the way I used to be: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1-3 – NKJV

Paul said we were once like that, not that we were still like that and always would be. Paul said “we were dead in our trespasses and sin” and therefore we could rightly be referred to as sinners. Christians, however, have been made alive in Christ!  Therefore, to continue to identify as a sinner, is in essence saying the Blood wasn’t enough to truly change you. Either “old things have passed away and all things have become new” or they have not. And if they have not, then you are still yet a sinner. And if you are still yet a sinner, than you have not been saved by grace.

Christians, are called a lot of things in the word of God: saints, believers, redeemed, child of God..but not sinners. As a a matter of truth, we have been translated out of the kingdom of darkness (sinners land so to speak) and into the Kingdom of His dear Son. Jesus came to set us free from the power of sin. Sinners practice sin. And although we as believers may sin, we should not be practicing sin on a level that makes us sinners.

So I just finally wanted to get it off my chest that I think it’s a trick of the devil to have those whom God have redeemed and called by His name because we are His, continue to call themselves sinners. I’m just saying!! Wonderful Jesus!

 

My Story

I received Christ as my Savior after the death of my mother when I was about 9 years old. She died, and then several months later, both her parents died, and my father died when I was thirteen.

By the time I was sixteen I had many suicidal thoughts and attempts, but during one of those attempts, I met Jesus!! The room filled with Light and I saw a form of a man in all white and light. Then He spoke these words, “No matter what you go through in life, my Love is sufficient!” Then He left! But I knew it was Him and my life was forever changed. When I first read 2 Corinthians 12:9 it was so close to what He had said to me that it only confirmed that I had seen Him: “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”NKJV

Not only did I renew my relationship with Him, but He filled me with His Spirit and I have never looked back. I have not lived a perfect life, but I have lived a stable and dedicated life for the Lord. His Love has truly been sufficient through the things that I have encountered in my life.

If I had to choose a scripture to testify of the life I strive for with Him it would be Galatians 2:20- “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” NKJV

When God told me to start this blog, there was only one title to give it, “Wonderful Jesus!” Because He has truly been wonderful to me, I want the whole world to know it and to experience Him as I have or in a much greater way. Wonderful Jesus!

Black History Heroes

My Black History Heroes

This is the end of Black History Month but I wanted to take a moment and speak of two men who I am often in awe of how God used them.

The first man I want to share about is William Seymour. Seymour was used mightily of God in the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in the early 1900s. It is said that thousands crowded into the mission to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues and to witness or receive one of the miracles that this ministry was noted for.

There is a website, 312 Azusa Street, which was the address of the mission, that can give you far more information than I am able in this single post, but the most amazing miracles took place under his ministry: creative miracles of limbs growing out, fire on the mission like that of the burning bush, people receiving new languages they had never spoken before and going to the mission fields, and too many more to name. If you’ve never read about him, he is someone you should know.

My other favorite person is George Washington Carver known for the more than 300 ways he invented in using the peanut and 100 ways in using the sweet potato. Although this is all fascinating, as is his story from slavery to well known botanist; what inspires me about him is his faith in God.

If you were to read an article about him, you might not find this information; but he said he was often inspired by God as he would look at a plant, seeing what to create and how to do it. Amazing! Every morning he was said to get up and spend time praying and then he would go into his lab and create. Although criticized by some for this “strategy” he was considered not just a great black scientist, but a prominent scientist and inventor. I’m so amazed by his faith and prayer life as I am with Seymour. I hope someday my prayer life will be thought to be equally as inspiring.

Both of these men are someone I am glad I had the privilege of learning about and I believe they are someone you should know! Wonderful Jesus!

Mustard Seed Faith 2

In my previous post, I wrote how I don’t believe that Jesus was referring to size in Matthew 17:20 when He spoke to His disciples about mustard seed faith. Let’s look at that verse again:

Matthew 17:20-So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

I don’t want to leave the impression that I don’t believe in mountain moving faith, because I do. I just think you need more than a “little faith, the size of a mustard seed” to move it.

The Word of God does not share much with us about Jesus being impressed with people, but when it came to great faith, He did not hold back His praise!

Matthew 8:10 – When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

Earlier in this chapter Jesus was asked by a Roman centurion to heal his servant. And Jesus told him that He would come and heal the servant. “The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. ” (Matthew 8:8-9) Jesus marveled at his faith and said it was “great faith” and his servant was healed.

Matthew 15:28 – “Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”
This is another beautiful account of Jesus being impressed with someone’s faith. And it was great faith that got her daughter healed, not a little faith. If you are unfamiliar with the passage, let me paraphrase and you can go back and read it on your own: The woman came to Jesus and wanted Him to heal her daughter. He didn’t acknowledge her presence. She continued to plead with Him, and then He said something that would have totally offended the average person, “But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”-Matthew 15:26
This woman came to Jesus for a healing for her daughter and instead of getting offended she replied that even the dogs get to eat the crumbs which fall from the master’s table. It is then He makes the above statement from verse 28- “great is your faith!”

All you need to do is read Hebrews 11 to see that the people mentioned in the “Faith chapter” had great faith! Mustard seed faith means something other than the size of our faith. If we want to move the mountains in our lives, we are going to have to understand that “little” faith won’t get it done! Wonderful Jesus!!

 

Mustard Seed Faith?

What did Jesus mean about mustard seed faith? While I cannot say with certainty what He meant, I can say with certainty, what He didn’t mean. Traditionally, we have been taught that mustard see faith was having just “a little faith, the size of a mustard seed” to move a great big mountain. Well, I don’t think so!

Matthew 17:20-“So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “move from here to there’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”NKJV

In the Young’s Literal Translation, this verse reads, “And Jesus said to them, ‘Through your want of faith; for verily I say to you, if ye may have faith as a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this mount, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you.”

As I have already mentioned, Jesus is not talking about the size of the seed. In both of the above versions, size isn’t even mentioned  But we have taught faithfully that Jesus is talking about the size of the seed comparing it to the size of our faith. Let’s look at what Jesus thinks about “small” faith:

Matthew 6:30-Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (This doesn’t read as a compliment!)

Matthew 8:26- But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm.” (If they were both fearful and had little faith, no wonder they couldn’t rebuke the storm!)

Matthew 14:31- “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ” (Peter walked on water, but “little faith” caused him to doubt and sink).

Matthew 16:8-But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?” (Again, little faith is not being applauded as a wonderful thing by Jesus.)

These four scriptures of truth, spoken directly by Jesus, confirms that the size of the mustard seed is not what Jesus was referring to in mountain moving faith. Many Christians have been disappointed in the results of their “little faith” not producing mountain moving results. I believe it is time to get rid of this myth in the Body of Christ and that is why it is my first post. More to come!

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me! Blogging is a new experience for me. Actually, I was spending time with the Lord last week when He told me to start a blog. All I know is that I am to obey Him and trust Him with His purposes for the blog. I trust that when you join me on my sight you will be encouraged in your day and strengthened in your journey with Him!

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