Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: Paul

• Revelation Gifts!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 18, 2020

  Luke 2:25-26,34-35 -And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ…Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” NKJV

  

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  Sticking with the theme of Jesus’ birth, today’s key text is actually not long after His birth. Luke informs us that according to the Law, every male that opened the womb was holy to the Lord. Since Jesus was Mary’s firstborn, He was presented at the temple with the appropriate sacrificial offering. However, on that day, the Lord impressed upon Simeon to go into the temple, and there he saw the Messiah!

  The gifts I will briefly mention today are called the “revelation gifts”, they reveal something to someone. The power gifts are action gifts that causes things to happen, but the revelation gifts reveal something, unknown, to an individual. Let’s take a look at these important gifts.

  In our key text, Simeon came into the temple and beheld Jesus. Then he shared some things by the Spirit. These revelation gifts can be prophetic, but when they manifest, they are gifts unto themselves. Simeon revealed by the Spirit:

  • Jesus was a light for revelation to the Gentiles
  • Jesus was the Glory of the people of Israel
  • Jesus was destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel
  • Jesus was a sign that would be spoken against so that the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed
  • And a sword will pierce Mary’s soul.

  True to the word spoken to Mary that day was the very fulfillment of all that he said.

  The revelation gifts are found in 1 Corinthians 12 and are: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the discerning of spirits. I believe Simeon gave Mary a word of wisdom. Let’s look at what each gift reveal.

  While there are differing opinions on how each of these gifts may or may not operate, I am just sharing from what I have studied through the years. This is not intended to be an in-depth study, just a “wet your appetite” to hope you will want to learn more about the gifts.

  I just want to say, if I have failed to say it already, that all of these gifts are supernatural. They are not operated in the flesh, and if they are, they have become polluted. However, when the Spirit of God manifests these gifts through an individual, they are amazing.

  The gift of word of wisdom. It is important to note that this is a word, meaning the person with this gift isn’t some “ole wise one” that everyone seeks for wisdom. And this wisdom is not to be equated with the wisdom that comes from reading and studying the word, or even age and life’s experience. This wisdom is best described as a word from God, a divine revelation that shares the purpose and plans of God. Some say this is the gift that helps us to know what to do with the word of knowledge, but if I am going off of my key text, as a word of wisdom, I would say it reveals the future.

  This word of wisdom can come in a number of ways. Generally speaking, someone operating as a prophet would be given a word of wisdom for the Church, the Body, or even an individual. But God can, and will use someone who is not considered a prophet.

  In the New Testament, Ananias was given a word about Saul. God revealed to Ananias that He had a work for Saul to do, that Saul was a chosen vessel to Him, and that Saul would bear His name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. And lastly, the Spirit revealed that Saul would suffer much for His Name! Why did God tell Ananias all of this? Well, mainly because He wanted Ananias to go to see Saul and to lay hands on him; but Ananias was concerned about Saul’s background as a persecutor of the believers. Giving Ananias this information caused him to risk it all, so to speak, to do the will of God.

  Then there is the word of knowledge. This gift operates in revealing information about an individual or event. It can also be seen in this same situation with Saul and Ananias. God told Ananias that Saul was praying. He told Ananias that Saul was at Judas’ house on the street called Straight. He told Ananias that Saul had a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him that he might receive his sight. All of this information, God gave to Ananias, that he didn’t have prior knowledge of, so that he confidently go and do God’s bidding.

  The gift of discerning of spirits. This is not occult or New Age stuff. God really does give certain individuals, in the body, the ability to see into the spirit realm. The spirits that you can be allowed to see, by the will of the Spirit, are angelic beings and demonic beings. The discerning of spirits also involve being able to hear in the spirit realm, so your spiritual eyes and ears are open to the spirit realm.

  This is not the gift of discernment. There is no such gift. People say this when they feel they have a “good” read on people personalities or character. Witchcraft or psychological insight that tries to delve into a person’s spirit is forbidden by the Father. That’s not this gift. This is about being able to determine when the demonic realm is really in operation, or when angelic beings are really around, and why they are present.

  Remember in Acts 16 when Paul was followed by a young woman who kept saying that they were servants of the most high God? But then Paul turned around and rebuked the spirit that was talking through her. That was Paul discerning the evil spirit using her. The problem wasn’t with what she was saying, the problem was with who was saying it. As a fortune teller, Paul knew that evil spirit was trying to make it seem as if it was validating Paul and the others, thus, invalidating them. Sometimes the wrong person can say the right thing about you and it will work against you, because of that person. That is what was happening.

  These revelation gifts, as I have mentioned, can come through a prophet. But God can also manifest these gifts in other ways, like dreams and visions. Throughout the New Testament, and even in the Old Testament there are examples of Jesus, and His disciples, and many others, receiving information, supernaturally, about something or someone. These gifts are designed to build our faith, and to assist us in our walk with the Lord.

  I’ve decided not to share personal experiences or the experiences of others for these gifts. I know they have and can be abused. More so than the power gifts. But as I mentioned before, I just wanted to remind you that He has given us revelation gifts. They operate at the will of the Spirit and not of man. They can be amazing, but they are not for entertainment or showmanship. Anyone operating in these gifts, and receiving money to do so, pollutes the gift and brings reproach to the Holy Spirit. Yet, anyone operating in these gifts according to the Spirit of God, glorifies the Father, draw people to Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to use them for His Glory! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christmas, Gifts, God, Holiday Celebrations, Holy Spirit, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Ananias, discerning of spirits, Gifts, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Paul, Prayer, revelation gifts, Saul, supernatural, word of knowledge, word of wisdom

• Keeping It in Perspective!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 4, 2020

  James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. NKJV

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  keeping-it-in-perspective_.mp3

  My past two blogs have been centered around the idea that we foster, that in order to be humble before God, we must somehow decrease that He must increase. In this blog, I want to look at what humility looks like, in the face of success, with some biblical figures we are all familiar with.

  I want to start with Daniel. Those of us who are familiar with the word of God are familiar with Daniel. He is well known as the prophet who told the Gentile kings the interpretations of their dreams. The first time he did so, the king had threatened to kill all the wise men, magicians, and astrologers, which included Daniel, because of a troubling dream. As a matter of fact, the king didn’t even remember the dream, yet, he wanted them to tell him what he dreamed and what it meant. When his astrologers and wise men said that they couldn’t do it, and no one could, he ordered their deaths. Daniel heard about it, and to spare his life and the lives of his friends, they fasted and ask God about the dream. When Daniel reported to the king to share the dream, he said these words:

  Daniel 2:30 – “But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart. NKJV

  Prior to this verse, Daniel had already given the honor to God, who knows the secrets of every heart. He wasn’t looking for anyone to think that he thought he was something special, but had come to share the dream and the interpretation of the dream as God had shown him. What he did was pretty spectacular. The king was so impressed he fell prostrate before Daniel and wanted to make an offering to him. He also placed Daniel in a high position and lavished gifts on him. But Daniel knew who the real interpreter was, and he never forget Him! And God exalted him!

  David was another man who demonstrated what it meant to be humble before the Lord. He was the giant killer who killed his tens of thousands. He was the king who brought unity to Israel. He was the leader of the mighty men. Yet, he understood that even so, it was because of God.

  2 Samuel 7:18-19 – “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God ? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God?” NKJV

  David said that what God had done for him was a small thing in His sight, but David knew it for the great favor that it was. I met a Jewish believer when I was a teenager. Without thinking, I said, “Why is your name David? That’s not a Jewish name!” He said, “Are you kidding me? You don’t know about King David, the great king of Israel?” I went, “Oops!” (What was I thinking)! Even today, he is heralded as the king of Israel. David knew that God had exalted him above his enemies and his own desires. It’s what happens when humility is truly demonstrated.

  Peter also demonstrated humility after having been used mightily of God. The lame man at the gate called Beautiful, and others, were ready to fall at his feet and worship him. Why? Because the man had been lame and begging for all of his life. And with a few words, he was made completely whole. Peter had to put that to a stop!

  Acts 3:11-12 – “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? NKJV

  Peter knew he didn’t heal the man, although the Spirit of God healed the man at Peter’s words. The old Peter might have responded differently, but this anointed Peter, showed much humility. He didn’t take God’s glory, because it didn’t belong to him. Anymore than it belongs to us. You can do wonderful things for God, even be successful, without belittling yourself, and still give Him all the glory!

  Acts 18:24-26 -Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. NKJV

  I asked the Lord for an example and He gave me Apollos. What we may not have paid attention to is the effective ministry that Apollos had amongst the Gentiles. On at least five different occasions Paul referred to Apollos’ ministry, placing it in the same category of his ministry and Peter’s ministry. Yet, when Apollos met Aquila and Priscilla, and they shared about Jesus, he readily listened, changed his message, and continued to preach. That’s humility! He wasn’t concerned about his reputation, or his prominence amongst the Gentiles, just the message of the Messiah. It was of Apollos that Paul wrote that he planted and Apollos watered, but God got the increase!

  I give you Jesus! The Bible states:

  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8 – NKJV

  Never once did He think less of Himself. Yet everything Jesus said and did was a witness to the position of humbleness that He displayed before the Father. He became obedient even to the point of death. He bowed His will to that of the Father, and died for us. In spite of the utter shame the cross held, in spite of the devastation to His physical body, in spite of the lies and being ridiculed, He humbled Himself. And He was highly exalted, and given a name above every name!

  Fellow believers! Each of these individuals humbled themselves before God, whether they said it or not. Each of them honored the Father above themselves. Each of them realized that the success that they had or was having was due to the Father, not to them. They did great exploits for the Father! He used them to do those things, but they gave Him all the honor and all the glory!

  It is possible to be a success in what you do, and give God the honor due Him, without sounding flaky and seeing yourself as a wretch. Paul even referred to himself as the least of all the brethren, which we would probably differ with. Yet, I don’t see that “poor wretched” mentality, I just see that he didn’t think more highly of himself than was necessary. If some of us accomplished what Paul did, we’d want a whole lot more money and fame and service than he received. Looking for the exaltation of others. But Paul was humble in what he did because he did it for Christ, only for Christ! That’s really the bottom line! Keep it all in perspective as to whom we are doing it for, and our hearts will remain humble. Then He will exalt us! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Humility, Jesus, Serving God | 2 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Daniel, David, dreams, glory, Honor, humble, Humility, increasing and decreasing, Jesus, obedience, Paul, Peter, service, success

• See Jesus in You!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 2, 2020

  John 3:30 -He must increase, but I must decrease. NKJV

  

  see-jesus-in-you_.mp3

  In my previous blog, I used this same scripture to share the context of how and why John the Baptist used this phrase. For him, it was the reality of his situation, the end of his ministry. But it has become a cliche, used in the body to express humility. And again, I think it is flawed.

  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

  Psalm 139:14

  David said to the Father in a time of worship that he recognized that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. In the Young’s Literal translation it reads like this:

  I confess Thee, because that [with] wonders I have been distinguished.

  God took care in putting us together. To Him, we are special. He made us as different from each other as we can be. Our fingerprints are ours alone. Even our teeth have their own signature. And while we may share DNA with other people, we are still different. And it’s a beautiful thing!

  So now, here’s my point: Why would God gift us to do different things in the kingdom, make us all different, and then not expect that individuality to shine through when He uses us? Again, I know the sentiment behind the phrase but it is scripturally misleading in how and why God chooses and uses us.

  Let’s look at Biblical examples:

  Galatians 2:8 – (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), NKJV

  In this verse, Paul makes it clear that Peter was sent to the Jews and he was sent to the Gentiles. Both of these men were Jewish, but Paul was a Jewish scholar. It would seem that Paul was more qualified to minister to the Jews, but it was Peter who was sent to them.

  We know from the scriptures that Peter was Jewish to the core. When God gave him the vision on the rooftop, and told him to eat of the unclean animals, even though it was God, Peter was still refusing to eat. His strict ways of Judaism made him the perfect candidate to go to the Jews. His life, upbringing, and biases, equipped him to deal with those of his fellow Jews. He didn’t decrease in who he was to increase in what God had for him. He just allowed God to use him, with all of his weaknesses and strengths, to fulfill the call on his life.

  Paul on the other hand, was perfect for the Gentiles. He was a Roman citizen from his birth. He was a Jew from his birth. He was scholarly and understood both cultures well. But he was passionate about the law. When Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, his life was forever changed. The same passion he used to persecute the church, he used to build it. He didn’t ask to decrease from being who he was. All of him, being used by all of the Holy Spirit, caused the gospel to spread, churches to be planted, and him writing most of the New Testament.

  Again, I know what is meant by using this phrase. We want people to see Jesus, and not us. Hopefully! But why can’t they see Jesus in us? What is so wrong with who we are, that we feel a need to say that we want to disappear while the Spirit take over? Or have we so much religious jargon in our churches, that we don’t bother thinking about what we are saying?

  Let’s talk plain! I have some friends who can sing! Had they met the same talent managers that Whitney Houston met, they’d be famous! I mean, they can sing. And when they get up and say this, (all of You God and none of me), it’s like, really? None of you? You were asked to sing because you have a beautiful voice. If it didn’t matter to God or the audience, we’d ask somebody who could “only make a joyful noise”! No! We ask the gifted and the talented to sing because we enjoy listening to them sing. And when they are anointed, they sound even better!

  When I tune into Jesse DuPlantiss, or Bill Winston, or any minister for that fact, I am listening to the individual as much as I am listening to the Spirit of God. There is no way Jesse is going to preach without telling a joke. No way! So when I listen to him I understand that’s the way God uses him to minister to people. He has a way of making an audience laugh. Sometimes after a hard day, or many trials, a good laugh goes a long way! There is no way Bill Winston is going to minister without sharing about kingdom living. It’s just what he does! He and Jesse are both powerful men of God (whether you like them or not) and yet they are so different. And so are their assignments. And yet they are both preachers, being used by the Holy Spirit, with their own distinct personalities and ways of doing it.

  This is true for every pastor, minister, singer, and person in the Body. When God uses us, He wants to use us. He’s not looking for cookie cutter ministers, singers, musicians, or teachers. He wants to use us in our own unique way.

  When my niece was ministering, I felt like we were just having one of our normal conversations. She was just as down to earth in her presentation: no airs, no pretentiousness. She got up and shared an encouraging word as a person who is comfortable in her own skin. And yet, she still felt like she didn’t want people to see her, but she wanted them to see Jesus! Glad to hear it! It’s admirable. But I saw both her and Jesus, and I heard them both! And it was all good! I still hear her saying, “Just keep swimming!” But I heard the Spirit of God saying, “Don’t ever give up!” God used her where she was at, as she was, and I know the people were blessed and encouraged!

  When you are asked to do something for God, just remember: God is saying that He is ready to use you! He’s not asking you to decrease, or stop being you, so that He can increase. You should not get up and rely on you, and your abilities alone, but in Him and His abilities alone! That’s the right attitude! But it’s still you, and He wants to operate through you! So step forward in faith and say, “Use me, Lord; and then believe that He wants to! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Attitude, Humility, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Christian, David, fearfully and wonderfully made, Galatians, God, Jesus, John the Baptist, Kingdom of God, Paul, Peter, psalm

• His Indescribable Gift!

  Posted at 4:44 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on November 25, 2020

  2 Corinthians 9:15 -Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! NKJV

  

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  It’s the holiday season! Thanksgiving Day kicks the season off! Traditionally speaking, Thanksgiving Day commemorates the support that the Native Americans provided to the first English settlers, that literally saved their lives. However, it has evolved into so much more, as most people take this time to be thankful for their friends, family, and the wonderful things that have happened in their lives. For the believers, it’s another day that we have an opportunity to give Him thanks!

  In this blog, I want to stop and give my personal thanks for His indescribable gift, Jesus! Thank you, Father for Jesus!

  When Paul wrote this particular part of his letter to the Corinthians, he felt a need to remind them of the benefits of being generous supporters to those in need. He had boasted to other churches, according to his writing, about their plans to give this offering, to those in Jerusalem who were struggling. Since he was writing them anyway, he wanted to let them know that he was fully expecting them to do what they said they would do, otherwise, they would all be embarrassed throughout the Church.

  Paul continues to write that when we give of our substance, it causes people to give thanks to God, for the giver, for the gift, and for His blessings in their lives. While at the same time, it’s the giver’s opportunity to demonstrate how blessed he has been by God, causing the giver to give expressions of gratitude. So let’s talk plain!

  Every believer should be a giver. Not just in tithes and offerings to the church, but as a lifestyle. When we are givers, meaning no one has to beg us to give, we are an expression of the abundance of blessings that have come to us. Not only that, with our giving, we say thanks to the Father for giving so much to us, that we have to give to others. This is what being blessed truly looks like! We bless others because He has blessed us!

  I learned the blessing of giving as a young person. I was attending Bible school and was struggling financially, but I had made up my mind that I was going to trust God to provide. One weekend a group of leaders in our church went to visit another church in Georgia and I went with them. As we were leaving Georgia, someone slipped some money in my hand. I really needed that money and I was so thankful to God for providing it. As we traveled back to Tennessee, we saw a young lady on the bank of the highway. We pulled over to offer her help, and I was chosen to go and speak with her. Long story short, she didn’t want us to take her anywhere but she was in a tight spot in life. Worst off than me. I slipped that money in her hand and got back in the car. It was an amazing feeling to help someone who needed it more than I did. I thanked the Lord for Him setting things up so I could be a blessing to someone with a greater need. Whatever my need was, it was supplied. And He hasn’t stopped supplying! Thank you, Lord!

  Paul gets so excited about this circle of blessings and thanksgivings that he ends this section of the letter by saying, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” If we read this too fast, we may think that Paul is thankful for the money, and be that as it may, it isn’t what he is talking about. He is thankful for Jesus!

  Paul uses the word, “anekdiegetos” (an-ek-dee-ay’-gay-tos) which means indescribable or unspeakable. This word is found only in this verse. It is, as if while he was writing about the blessings of being a blessing, he came to a personal place of thanksgiving, and had to stop and give Him thanks! And since in his mind he couldn’t think of an appropriate word at the time, the Spirit of God gave him one! Anekdiegetos! A word that began to be used after the Spirit gave it to Paul!

  I remember a time when I was talking to the Lord in prayer and he taught me a new word. I got to the point when I realized I had said so much that I was speechless, and didn’t know how to proceed. And this word came to my spirit: encapsulate! For some odd reason I not only heard the word, but sensed its meaning. For those of you who already know this word and its meaning, you may not be impressed, but I was. Encapsulate means to express the essential features of (something) succinctly, or to give a good wrap up. So I can identify with how Paul was writing about the power of giving and a new word came to him, anekdiegetos!

  Jesus truly is indescribable. I am in a bible study with a young lady, and as we were talking about Jesus this week, she said that she didn’t realize that Jesus had done so much in so little time on the earth, or that He was so young when He died. In her mind He had lived forever and ever! Precious to hear some of the things people say when they are first learning of our Savior!

  I love Thanksgiving Day! The food, the fellowship with friends and family, the sense of gratefulness that permeates the atmosphere. Although we can’t celebrate it in our usual manner, we will still celebrate! My heart is filled with gratitude for all that He has done since the last celebration: new babies in the family, new jobs, loved ones who recovered from the coronavirus, and His amazing protection over us all. But more important than that, I am thankful for Jesus!

  His amazing love, His sacrifice on the cross, the wonderful miracles He performed and are still performing, the souls that He saved from hell who now know the Father and have access to His amazing love! His abundance of grace and mercy, His patience, His steadfastness, His glory, His comfort…There is so much to be thankful for when we think of Him. Because of all that He has done, and does for us, it should be easy to be people filled with gratitude and people who willingly give.

  As we officially enter the holiday season with this great day of Thanksgiving, let us remember to give not just to those who can return it, but especially to those who can’t! This pandemic has caused many to be without their jobs and some to be without their home. When He presents an opportunity to you to be a blessing, don’t let it pass you by! It truly is more of a blessing to give then it is to receive. And if the opportunity presents, give them Jesus! They will be eternally grateful for this Indescribable Gift! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Giving, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus, Thanksgiving | 0 Comments | Tagged blessing to others, coronavirus, encouragemnt, Giving, hard times, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus, pandemic, Paul, thankfulness, Thanksgiving

• Grace That Grows!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on November 7, 2020

  2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.” NKJV

  

  grace-that-grows_.mp3 (Note: I changed the title after I recorded it!)

  I’ve shared several blogs on the grace of God. If you have kept up with them, you know that I have repeatedly spoken of grace as God’s unmerited favor that cannot be earned and is not deserved. This is all true! Today I want to bring up a very important point about grace, it grows!

  In 2 Peter 3, Peter addresses several tough issues: the delay of the end times, mockers, false teachers, and the return of the Lord. He concludes this chapter by telling the believers that to be forewarned about these issues is to forearmed. Sounds like great advice! The last thing he says is that we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus! This verse captured my interest. So I asked myself, like an student of the word would, “If grace is given freely, because we can’t earn it, nor do we deserve it, how can we grow in it?

  It really goes back to what I have been trying to explain. Grace is powerful! The word of God talks about exceeding riches of grace and yet many believers only understand saving grace, the grace given to us to obtain salvation, and that reservations. Peter writes that we can grow in the grace of God. I believe that what he means is that we are to grow in understanding what grace is, how it operates in our lives, and experiencing it to its fullness. As we grow in grace we can’t help but grow in the knowledge of our God.

  I found an article, written by Bob Hoekstra, Grace for Knowing God. In the article he wrote:

  The more we know about the grace of God, the more we know about one of the great, great truths of our Lord God. He is a God of grace.

  Another word for grow is increase! God is a God of increase! Paul wrote a similar verse about growing in grace:

  2 Corinthians 8:7 -But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us— see that you abound in this grace also. NKJV

  In other words, we grow in everything, we should grow in grace! And in case abound needs explaining, the Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it in this manner:

  1 : to be present in large numbers or in great quantity…2 : to be copiously supplied —used with in or with…

  In our verse, abound is used with the word “in”, taking on the meaning that we are to be copiously supplied with grace. And copiously simply means “yielding something abundantly. This is such an important concept about grace. God wants us to get that His grace, His favor towards us is abundant grace! As we understand it and it expect it, we can experience it in greater abundance!

  Ephesians 1:7-8- In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, NKJV

  Even saving grace comes with abundance. Paul wrote that we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches of His grace. Grace abundantly forgives, and our redemption came with abundance of grace. He continues in the next verse by saying that He made this grace to abound toward us! It was given in great quantity, copiously supplied! However, if we don’t understand the extent of God’s grace, endeavor to know more about it, we cannot grow in it.

  God’s grace is a sufficient grace for all that we need and all that we experience. But God’s grace is also clearly abundant. It takes care of whatever it is released in our lives to do, and to do so lavishly. We spend far too much of our lives and our times, living on pauper grace. Just enough to get by! We think of ourselves as “dirty ole dogs”, “wretched individuals” and “unworthy sinners” when He has poured out abundant grace to us! Grace that loving embrace us into His family!

  Think of it like this, if I may try to naturalize something so supernatural. You were homeless, living on the streets, eating out of trash cans, and didn’t know if you would see tomorrow. Suddenly Bill Gates passes by and is drawn to you, for no particular reason that you know of. He walks over to you, converses with you, and invites you to dinner with him. You’re hungry as all get out, but you won’t eat with him, so you just tell him if he’ll give you a few coins, you’ll find something to eat. He says, no way! I want to take you across the street to the Hilton where I am staying tonight. I will get you a room, so you can sleep, take a warm bath, and put on some new clothes that I will have sent to your room. Then we’ll go to eat and I’ll tell you the great plans I have to help you get reestablished in life. But you refuse his assistance, because you don’t want to cause others to look at him badly, or be seen as taking advantage of his kindness, or you don’t believe that he is doing it out of the joy of giving. Whatever! But you’ll take a few dollars, and tonight eat a little better, but nothing in your life has changed. Pauper grace!

  Saints! Too often that is exactly how we treat God. I say, if God wants to do great things for us, then we should get with the program and let Him! Let Him buy me dinner, put me up in the hotel, give me a job, a car, and a house, too! Anything wants to do, and everything He wants to do, I am onboard! I am free from the drudgery of sin that I once lived in and I am more than ready to experience all that He wants to bestow upon me!! Maybe that’s why grace is on my mind!

  As I have been sheltering in place, I have had a lot of time to connect with God. I read the Bible of a loving, giving, abundant God, and I haven’t always expected abundance of grace in my life. Maybe you can say the same thing, and now you want to live differently! Well, it will start as we learn to grow in grace. As we open our eyes, our hearts, and our minds to His exceedingly abundant grace, I believe that we will begin to see it happen in our lives. I’m ready to grow in grace! How about you? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in favor, God, Grace | 0 Comments | Tagged abound, abundance, favor, Forgiveness, God, Grace, grace of God, Paul, Peter, Salvation, Sin

• Grace Through Jesus!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on November 4, 2020

  Romans 3:24 – being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, NKJV

  

  grace-through-jesus_.mp3

  The topic of grace is an extensive topic. I know that I can’t exhaust it, nor can I completely cover it. But I do want to make the case for grace. It’s free, it’s precious, it’s abundant, and it’s available to every believer!

  My last blog was about grace coming through Jesus. Today, I want to tackle the truth of justification by grace through faith in Jesus. The Vine’s Dictionary explains justification in this manner:

  Justification has three distinct meanings, and seems best described comprehensively as “a concrete expression of righteousness;” it is a declaration that a person or thing is righteous…

  According to this verse, and the definition of justification, we can conclude that we are made righteous before God by His favor which He extended to us through Jesus! We were trapped in our sin with no hope of ever being set free, but God, through grace, and because of His love for us, made us righteous. In the Amplified Bible this scripture reads:

  and are being justified [declared free of the guilt of sin, made acceptable to God, and granted eternal life] as a gift by His [precious, undeserved] grace, through the redemption [the payment for our sin] which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, Romans 3:24 – AMP

  It’s important to note that justification is an important reality to the believer. Each of us came to the Father burdened with sin. Some of us had so much guilt over what we had done, what we should have never done, and what we wish we could do differently. Yet, God’s grace is made available to us to even deal with the guilt of sin. That’s pretty powerful! Paul made this statement:

  Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 1:13-14 – NKJV

  Paul had much to be ashamed of, knowing that he persecuted believers, watched Stephen get stoned to death, and declared war on the believers. And here he is saying, he obtained mercy and exceedingly abundant grace in Christ. This is probably why he could write so poetically about grace because he understood the richness of what he received from God through grace. I know of no scriptures in the Bible, off hand, where Paul repeatedly said, “I’m so sorry for what I did! I can’t believe I was so blind and persecuted people who believed in Jesus!” He saw God’s grace for what it was, a lifeline, and he hung on tightly!

  Paul wrote to the church in Rome. He reminded them that they had been justified by faith, a faith that gave them access to the grace of God:

  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2 -NKJV

  Grace must be accessed. It’s freely given, but we must believe that it is available to us and we have access to it. When we trust Jesus for salvation, grace is activated. Not just grace to be saved, but grace to be made righteous, and much more! This is clearly seen in a familiar verse, that I will share from the Amplified Bible:

  For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. Ephesians 2:8-9 -AMP

  God’s remarkable compassion and favor is what draws us to Christ. It’s His undeserved, gracious gift of grace that brings us to a state or place of salvation. We can’t brag about it as something we have done, because it’s as a result of His favor towards mankind, and it is free! If we don’t gain any other understanding about grace, we must realize that God gives it to us even though we don’t deserve it.

  I’ve talked with people who just won’t except God’s grace. They feel so unworthy of His grace and mercy. They believe they can never be redeemed and there is no hope for them. But this is so wrong, and my heart aches for them. Too many people are living their lives in a state of unworthiness. News flash! At one time we were unworthy.

  Paul wrote in Ephesians 2, that we were just like everybody else was, at one time in our lives. We walked according to the world and the way things were done in the world. We were more concerned about fulfilling the desires of our flesh and our mind; and we were children of wrath and sons of disobedience. Paul went on to say that at one time we were without Christ, without hope, and without God. That’s a pretty miserable place to be!

  But God’s great loved prompted Him to pour out grace and mercy, instead of judgment and punishment. He not only wants to save people, but He also wants to free us of the guilt of sin, declare us righteous and free from the penalty of sin, and favor us with His glory! Embracing grace is the best thing that we can do for ourselves, and when we realize the greatness of it all, it will radically change our perspective and our relationship with God! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in favor, God, Grace, Jesus | 2 Comments | Tagged encouragemnt, Faith, favor of God, freedom, Grace, Jesus, justification, Paul, Salvation, Sin

• The Promise of Grace Fulfilled!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on November 2, 2020

  John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. NKJV

  

  the-promise-of-grace-fulfilled_.mp3

  I’ve been sharing about grace! It’s really been in my spirit and on my mind! In the Old Testament, God showed favor to Abraham and his descendants, His chosen people, through special attention and miraculous interventions. He elevated them, He did ridiculous and mouth opening feats before their very eyes, and caused many to have a fear and respect for His people, all because of His grace. In the New Testament, God demonstrates His Grace towards mankind, all of mankind, in the Person of Jesus Christ! Let’s get into our topic for today!

  The Logos Bible commentary defines grace in this manner:

  The unmerited favour of God, made known through Jesus Christ, and expressed supremely in the redemption and full forgiveness of sinners through faith in Jesus Christ. (Logos)

  This unmerited favor of God, through Jesus Christ, is God’s promise of grace fulfilled. If we take a look at our key verse, we see that Jesus Christ, the Word, made manifest in the flesh, came with grace and truth. He is the embodiment of God’s grace extended to all of mankind. The favor that God extended in the Old Testament, pales to the favor He extended in the person of Jesus! Many find themselves wishing they could “know” the God of the Old Testament in the same way that Abraham, Isaac, Moses, and Elisha did. However, the grace demonstrated to them in the Old Testament was only a glimpse of the grace to be poured out in the New Testament!

  Grace and mercy can be confusing to some believers. Therefore, let me share the difference of the two, in case you need clarity. Mercy is what God extends to mankind, instead of what he deserves for what he did. We are as guilty as can be in regards to sin and its punishment, but instead of giving us what we deserve, He grants us mercy. Grace, however, is what God gives us, even though we did nothing to deserve it, and can do nothing to deserve it.

  I like the way William Barclay, a theologian during the 1900s, wrote about grace in his commentary on the book of John:

  It always has the idea of something completely undeserved. It always has the idea of something that we could never have earned or achieved for ourselves. The fact that God came to earth to live and to die for men and women is not something which humanity deserved; it is an act of pure love on the part of God. The word grace emphasizes at one and the same time our own helpless poverty and God’s limitless kindness.

  Paul, in Ephesians chapter 2, expresses a similar mindset when He writes about the great love that God has for us, even when we were still in our sins. A love that caused Him to extend grace to us, to give us what we did not deserve, because He loves us so much! A love that didn’t wait for us, but a love that drew us to Him. We love Him because He first loved us! 1 John 4:19

  The Greek word for grace is “charis” and it simply means favor. I like the way the Strong’s Dictionary defines grace:

  of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit, favour, gift

  John wrote that when Jesus came, He came full of grace and truth. He came full of divine influence, full of benefits, full of the reflection of God’s purpose and will in the lives of humanity. No other person was an acceptable means of delivering God’s grace to mankind, so He came Himself, in the embodiment of Jesus, to give us access to His riches: salvation, peace, love, joy, hope, prosperity, strength, deliverance, and wisdom to name a few.

  John uses an interesting phrase in verse 16 of the first chapter:

  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 -NKJV

  Grace for grace. I looked the phrase up and it is said to be a poetic phrase reflective of the Greek language and culture. Simply put it means grace that is never ending. I always thought it meant, grace to receive grace, but I like this rendering just as much: never ending grace, full of wonder, full of amazement, mind boggling grace. A poetic sense of sheer loveliness. That’s what God gave us in Jesus!

  It is also said, that this phrase is more accurately rendered: grace instead of grace. How is it possible to receive grace instead of grace? The implication here is that grace varies to meet our needs. The grace I need as a young mother, I don’t need as a mother of teens, I need a new grace! The grace I need when things are well is a different grace than the grace I need when there are challenges in my life. God’s grace is not fixed in place, but it rises triumphantly to deal with every situation! Either way you understand this or interpret this, it’s all good!

  This reminds me of the situation with Paul, when he asked the Lord to take away the thorn in the flesh. It was not sickness, for Paul said it was a messenger of Satan, buffeting him. In other words, he was under extreme attack, yet again, and he asked God to remove it. But God replied:

  “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

  This is a perfect example of grace for grace, or grace instead of grace, as it reads in this commentary. I’ll have to do some more study, but I like the idea rendered, nevertheless!

  Can I just add what I thought it meant? I think I will! Grace for grace to me meant that God gives us the grace to understand His grace, and to receive His grace! We can easily understand that grace is His undeserved and unearned gift for salvation, and somehow find it difficult to believe that He wants to favor us in this life. If we are honest, we can easily justify why God would grant favor to Jesse DuPlantiss, Andrew Wommack, Bill Winston, or even our pastor, thinking that they have earned the right for His favor. If this is how we are thinking, we have already forgotten what favor is: it is unearned or undeserved!

  I have already cut this blog down, so I will stop here! I am so excited about His grace! I’ll just have to continue with some of this next time! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in favor, God, Grace, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged blessings, favor, favor of God, Forgiveness, God’s riches, Grace, grace of God, Jesus, Paul, Salvation

• Put it to the Test!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 17, 2020

  1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 – “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. NKJV

  

  put-it-to-the-test_.mp3

  In this letter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul is full of advice. In actuality, his advice is more accurately called exhortations, or words of encouragement meant to push the believer into becoming more mature. The part that I want to look at today is, “test all things”.

  My husband shares the story of one of our first dates. He and I went to a pizza place to eat. When we placed our drink order, he asked for a beer. I didn’t say anything while the server was present, but afterwards I remarked on the fact that I was surprised he ordered a beer. To be perfectly honest, I told him that if a Christian friend of mine was to walk past us, I would be embarrassed. He said that he didn’t have to have the beer and that he wasn’t a drinker. Years later, when I mentioned this event, he said it was a test to see how I would respond in an uncomfortable situation. I can also honestly say that I never saw him drink beer again, so I can accept his explanation. He put me to the test, and I passed the test! One of many according to him! But I want you to know that I had some tests of my own!

  In life, we will find ourselves in many situations where we will have to put something to the test. During a courtship is a perfect time for testing. Having warm fuzzy feelings for an individual is great, but I can assure you that the feelings don’t last with the wrong person. It’s easy to take people at face value, when you think you are in love, but people can be pretentious. I can’t even begin to tell you how many people got married, only to later say, “I don’t know this person”! That advice was free!

  When looking into the word, there are a few things that we are to test, starting with ourselves! This test, according to the Vine’s is for the sake of “approving”. Paul is basically telling us that we get to give our approval of all things in this life. Many want us to believe that we should just take everything that happens, especially in the church, without having an opinion about them, but I don’t agree! And neither does Paul, for he said to test all things! When it comes to people, however, I think we should definitely understand what things we are testing!

  Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 2 Corinthians 13:5 – NKJV

  Isn’t it interesting that Paul encouraged us to examen ourselves so that we would know if Jesus was really in us! We all feel like we can tell if someone is saved or not. I’m certainly guilty of this opinion. Here, Paul is saying, “examine yourself”. You know if you are the real deal or not, for the proof really is in the pudding. In the faith isn’t talking about how you believe God for things, but if you are a member of His family. Put it to the test! I can tell you one thing, this pandemic is helping us to “examine” ourselves, rather we wanted to or not, to determine if we are in the faith!

  Another thing we can test is our spiritual leadership! Yes we can!

  But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 1 Timothy 3:10 – NKJV

  In the church, almost anybody can be a deacon, it seems, today. Years ago, I was attending a church, when a deacon said from the pulpit that Mary was not a virgin. On that note, I found another place to worship. We can’t just attend church because of our soul ties and connections. If the word isn’t being preached, and the leadership isn’t living a godly life, they have failed the most important test! Put them to the test! Jesus commended one of the churches in Revelation for this very thing:

  “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; Revelation 2:2 – NKJV

  This isn’t being judgmental, it’s testing them. Not with paper and pencil! Not by being judgmental! But watch their life and listen to what they say! If that person can’t hold up to the test of the word, then you should pray about your next steps. I have been blessed through the years to have some really good pastors, but I put them to the test, without them knowing it! So don’t be ridiculous in the testing! Had the congregants tested Jim Jones and people like him, they would have been spared a horrible end!

  Then there are spirits! There are so many spirits that we have to test them and see if they are from God or not!

  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 – NKJV

  Yes! I believe in the gift of prophecy, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t test the spirits of the “prophets” or the spirits behind situations. Try the spirits! If it’s of God, it will stand the test, and if it’s not of God, then it won’t!

  God gives us permission to put Him to the test in the area of tithing:

  Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10 – NKJV

  He is so confident in the blessing of the tithe that He said you could put Him to test with it! Go ahead and start tithing and see if He won’t bless you!

  And then there is the trying of the word! Everything that we are told that the word says, doesn’t necessarily mean that the word says it. This is where studying the word comes into play, to prove if what we are being taught is so:

  Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Acts 17:10-11 – NKJV

  Paul knew he was telling the truth, and yet he was impressed with the Bereans studying the scriptures to see if what he taught was true. I’m skeptical of people who get upset when they know people are checking out what they say in the word. One thing I love about the ministers I know, they get happy when they see or hear others studying the word. I can remember as a kid, that I saw Jim Jones throw the Bible on the floor. Ah! It’s time to leave! Why does this keep coming to my mind tonight? Is someone involved in a ministry that is questionable? If that’s you, put it to the test, and then do what God tells you to do!

  I have to close, but I leave you with the words of Solomon:

  All this I have proved by wisdom… Ecclesiastes 7:23 – NKJV

  Proving all things involves the wisdom of God. Whether you are testing a person’s character because you want to marry them, or testing yourself, wisdom from God will be your top priority. Don’t walk around thinking that you are being used by the devil when you privately “test’ something by the Spirit of God. Notice, I said privately! And as you seek wisdom from Him, He will help you to prove all things! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in encouragement, God’s Requirements, Prophecy, Prophetic, will of God | 0 Comments | Tagged bad leaders, Believer, Berea, blessings, church leaders, Dating, Marriage, Paul, prophecies, relationships, testing, Tithing, will of God, wisdom, word of God

• Can I Get a Witness!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 4, 2020

  Revelation 12:11 -They gained the victory over him on account of the blood of the Lamb and the word of their witness. Love for their own lives didn’t make them afraid to die. CEB

  

  can-i-get-a-witness.mp3

  I’ve been blogging on the spiritual weapons given to us to overcome the devil. This week will be my last week dealing with the subject. What I am realizing is that Jesus gave us so many ways to be victorious, that to live a life of defeat would be a slap in His face!

  Today I want to look at the phrase, “the word of their witness” as our spiritual weapon against the enemy. When I think about this phrase, it brings to mind, “what are we saying about Jesus?” Have you thought about the fact that what you say about Jesus can cause you to be either victorious or defeated?

  John wrote that they overcame the devil by the word of their testimony, or in this version, by the word of their witness. One commentator wrote that every single time we say no to sin, to temptations, to the lies of the devil, we are overcoming him! That’s what the end of this verse is reflective of when it says we overcome by the word of our testimony.

  The way we live as Christians, going back to holiness, will determine how adept we are at overcoming the devil. In the Bible we have two great men of God, who were totally different in their walk with the Lord, yet alike! Peter and Paul!

  Paul is one of my favorite people in the Bible, outside of Jesus! His life, speaks to me. He was a persecutor of the disciples of Jesus, arresting them and consenting to their deaths. Paul was zealous for the Law he had given his life to learn about, but ignorant of the God who sent His Son to die for him. I believe that every time he arrested one of the disciples their lives were a witness to him. He just couldn’t understand why they were so passionate, and some times, so willing to die for this Jesus! After watching Stephen die, I believe his life was changed. This young man had just used the very Law Paul had studied to explain his devotion to Jesus, and as Stephen dies, he cries “Lord, forgive them!” This was on his mind as he traveled on the road to Damascus. Now he was ready to encounter Jesus, and when he did, Paul recognized Him and called Him Lord. The same energy that Paul used to persecute the believers, was the same energy that he used to serve the Lord. He was strong in faith, strong in power, and strong in his teachings. There is no record of him ever straying from Jesus. He was passionate about his faith in Jesus, and he loved not his life, even to the death. Paul’s witness is an encouragement to me to live for Jesus. His life demonstrates that we can live a devoted, separated, victorious life with the Messiah.

  Peter was so enthusiastic in his service for Jesus that he sometimes got ahead of himself! When Jesus asked His disciples what were they saying about who He was, Peter spoke up, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Yet, Jesus rebuked Peter on several occasions, and Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. But Jesus saw Peter’s heart, and restored him, and Peter went on to be used mightily of God. Peter then stumbled in his relationship with the Gentiles, not wanting to eat with them when the Jews were around. It wasn’t that he was a flaky Christian, he just showed a more human side, a fear for what people thought of him. His enthusiasm and passion, sometimes got the best of him, trying to block out his godliness. Yet he still remains a powerful witness that we can all look up to! God knows we aren’t perfect, that we will stumble, and through Peter’s life we have a witness that we can overcome, even when we don’t always get it right!

  Can you imagine the impact these men lives had on the people they came into contact with? By his witness, Paul overcame the devil, and God used him to write most of the New Testament and to take the gospel to the Gentiles! By his witness, Peter impacted the Jewish community for Jesus every time he preached, winning thousands of souls to Jesus at a time. Their witness, in their life, and with their words, caused them to overcome the devil, time and time again!

  I think of the Voice of the Martyrs magazine at this time. The powerful testimonies I have read over the years of these same type of Christians who, in spite of intense persecution, continue, even in the midst of trials to deepen their relationship with Jesus. One such man comes to mind that I read about. I don’t remember his name, but I remember his witness. He was arrested for his faith in the Lord Jesus while living under a communist regime. During his arrest he would witness to the prisoners. One day, the guards took him outside in the wintry weather, naked, as a means of torturing him. However, each time he was brought back inside, he was without sickness, frost bite, or even pain. I believe I also read that the Lord clothed him in warmth while he was outside. His witness was even stronger after the intense persecution and he led many to Christ. I don’t remember the end of his life, but he overcame the devil and his attacks, with his witness!

  We won’t all be a Peter or a Paul, but we can all be a witness. The devil will constantly do things to try and tempt us from our faith in Christ Jesus, but we must be determined that nothing will separate us from God. He will lie to us about God’s character, but we must be diligent in letting our words speak of God’s faithfulness, His goodness, His mercy, and His love. Even in these challenging times with the coronavirus, we must remain true to Him, remembering always, that people are listening to our words and watching our lives.

  We overcome the devil! Jesus made it clear that we do so! He gave His Blood as an overcoming weapon. We have praise to silence the enemy. We have the word of our testimony to testify that God is good and the devil is a liar! We have our holy, consecrated lives that give no place to him. We must live free of any fear of the devil! And now, we just have to live like we know these truths, believe these truths, and operate in these truths. Can I get a witness? Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Jesus, the devil, weapons of warfare, witness | 0 Comments | Tagged Believer, coronavirus, freedom, God, Jesus, king, Paul, Peter, Revelation 12:11, Satan, Spiritual warfare, testimony, the Blood of Jesus, the devil, weapons of warfare, witness

• Free From Bondage

  Posted at 2:43 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 3, 2020

  Romans 8:3 – For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” NKJV

  I thought that I had concluded the matter on being torn between living for God and not quite living for God. I thought I had made the point clear that Paul was not struggling in his flesh. Nor was he writing to say that he understood that we would have struggles in the flesh and that was to be expected. But I may not have been as clear as I originally thought. Or maybe I just feel like I need to say one more thing!

  If we look at Romans 8, reading it without seeing the chapter and verses, we will clearly see that Paul is continuing his thinking from chapter 7. As I have read and reread these chapters I’ve added to my thinking. And I am thinking that maybe, just maybe, Paul addressed this issue in 6-8 because some of them were struggling in their walk with the Lord. Probably some of these Roman Christians had the same problems that some Christians we know seem to have. An inability to live a life of victory!

  So Paul has taken time to explain in Romans 6 that sin should not reign in our lives, for the wages of sin is death. That since we have died to sin, and have been raised to newness of life, that we should no longer live in sin. In Romans 7, Paul shared how before we came to Christ, our life was a struggle because sin had control over us. Even when we wanted to do right, because of our sinful nature, we were powerless to do right. But then he concludes chapter 7, (as we know it) saying that God, through Jesus Christ, broke the power of sin by giving us a new nature! His nature! And sin should no longer have this same hold over our lives that it had prior to us coming to know Jesus as our personal Savior!

  In the first verse of chapter 8, Paul tells us that there is no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus when we are walking according to the Spirit; but if we are walking according to the flesh, then condemnation is obviously our constant friend. It’s not too often I bring a lot of scriptures in to play because I want to make a quick point, but today I will refer to just a couple other scriptures.

  In Galatians 5:19-22, Paul mentions the works of the flesh: adultery, fornication, idolatry, hatred, jealousies, selfish ambitions, drunkenness (to name a few). And it is easy to see that these are unfamiliar sins, but sins that some of us could easily identify with. But Paul is informing us that when we are doing these things, we are in our flesh, and operating as if our nature has not been changed. And when we do it repeatedly, it’s difficult for us to believe that grace has been given to us, and we feel condemned. And to make sure we are thinking alike, the type of condemnation I am referring to is a feeling that someone strongly disapproves of what you do. So in this case, you should feel condemnation. God strongly disapproves of His people acting as if the crucifixion and the Blood of Jesus was a small thing. As if it wasn’t enough! But I can assure that it was!

  However, the word condemnation in verse 1, is the Greek word, “katakrima”, and it means that a sentence has been pronounced and you are judged. But there is no judgment against the people who are walking after the Spirit, only those walking after the flesh! And since that judgment was paid in full by Christ Jesus, Paul is reminding us that His Blood still works!

  Galatians 5:1, a personal favorite of mine, states: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Paul is the author of these words. In writing to the Galatians he tells them that Christ made them free and they should stand in that freedom and not get tangled again in the bondage of sin. Getting tangled in the bondage of sin again is a choice! Getting set free is a privilege. And all too often Christians are found living beneath their privileges!

  This verse brings us right back to Romans 8, verse 2: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Again, reminding us that we are free from the dictates of sin and death through Christ Jesus! That’s why verse 3 basically refers to chapter 7 when it says, “For what the law could no do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

  Many people believe that they can’t live free from sin. This must disappoint the heart of God because His blood is sufficient for us to live free. We just have to believe that we can live free and trust Him to assist us in doing it! You are free if you are a Christian! You just have to take God at His word that you can live it!

  Charle Finney, in his autobiography, wrote about his salvation experience. He was first interested in the Bible because he was studying law and many of the laws referred to the Bible. Then he started attending church and a prayer meeting. But much to his dismay, he was not impressed, for it seemed that the people prayed, but without much expectation to seeing their prayers answered. He discovered that what was in the Bible and what Christians actually lived was not the same. But one day he decide that the Bible would be his point of reference and sought the Lord for salvation. When he received salvation, he was made completely free of his sin. He never looked back. Does God free some and not others? I think He frees all who believe! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Acts 8:3, Believers, Christian, Romans 7:15, Victorious Living | 4 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, condemnation, freedom, Galatians, Jesus, Paul, Romans 7:15, Romans 8:3, Salvation, Sin, Victorious Living

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