Wonderful Jesus!

Tag: Sin

• The Goodness of God

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 16, 2021

  

  Romans 2: 4 – “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” NKJV

  

  If you have been in church any length of time, I am sure that you have heard, “God is good all the time,” and then someone will reply, “And all the time, God is good”! Well, it’s more than just a saying, it’s the absolute truth! I like to add to that, “God is good on purpose, and He is good to me!”

  Let’s look today at verses 3 and 4 of chapter 2, in the Message Bible to get continuity of thought:

  You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.

  Romans 2:3-4 MSG

  I like the sound of that! Last time, I shared about the pointing of fingers, or the judgmental attitudes that we can sometimes adopt in life. In the Message Bible, written by Pastor Eugene Peterson, who is currently with the Lord, we see a down to earth paraphrase of what Paul was trying to get the Roman church to understand. God is not letting us off the hook because He is a good God! Sin is serious business with Him. He doesn’t ignore our sin because He loves us, but His heart of kindness towards us is that we would be drawn to Him and repent.

  When I was growing up, we were constantly reminded that our sin would separate us from God. We were told that we didn’t want to get involved in sin because if we died in it, we would go to hell. We were basically told that God was waiting to get us if we sinned. While it is most definitely true that God hates sin, and sin does separate us from Him, that is only part of the equation. The other part is that He is a loving God, a good God! And when we respond correctly to Him and to sin, we get to experience the loving side of Him.

  Israel Houghton wrote these lyrics in one of his songs: “You’re not mad at me, Your’e not mad at me, You’re madly in love with me!” How wonderful to hear that about God! He truly loves us! But because religion tells us that nothing can separate us from the love of God, we tend to think that we can continuously sin and be alright with God! Isaiah’s words are still true today:

  But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
  And your sins have hidden His face from you,
  So that He will not hear.

  Isaiah 59:2

  This is too important, to make light of it, or to have a casual attitude about it. Sin will keep you from all that you can have through Christ Jesus. Make no mistake, His grace is not a license to sin! But we will get into that a little more further in the letter to the Romans.

  The Jews were God’s special people, and as such, they had come to believe that would always be the case. Look at what Moses wrote:

  “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

  Deuteronomy 7:6

  Even today, the nation of Israel believes that they are God’s chosen people, and rightly so. But here, in this verse and chapter, Paul is letting it be known that God isn’t letting anyone off the hook, Jew or Gentile, just because He is good, or because He loves us! Jew and Gentile alike, must come to a place of repentance before the living God!

  In Paul’s question, he asked if they despised the goodness, forbearance and patience of God. Let’s look at these three words:

  The word “good”, in the Greek has two words it is translated from, “agathos” and “chrestos”. Agathos is the goodness of someone that may result in punishment; while “chrestos” is the goodness of Someone who is always kind. I’m sure you can figure out that “chrestos” is the one that refers to God. He is always kind and He is always good! Many try and take advantage of that kindness, and that is the idea that Paul is conveying when he asks if they despise the goodness of God.

  Our word “forbearance” in the Greek is the word for truce. In the Vine’s, “anoche” means a holding back or delay of punishment. Some people feel that because they didn’t die when they ate of the forbidden fruit, that death wasn’t knocking at their door! One commentator said it like this:

  Paul, in effect, is saying to the Jews: ‘You think that you are safe because God’s judgment has not yet descended upon you. But what God is giving you is not complete freedom to sin; He is giving you the opportunity to repent and to amend your ways.’

  The Letter to the Romans, William Barclay, Logos

  And then we have the word patience. “Makrothumia” means to have patience with people. John Chrysostom explained this word as “the characteristic of someone who has the power to avenge and deliberately does not use it”. In other words, the fact that punishment does not always immediately follow the sin is because of His patience, not His inability to deal with it, or His approval of it.

  I love the way Rick Renner breaks down a verse using the Greek meanings. I’m no Rick Renner, but I want to try and consolidate these meanings for us:

  Do you hold in contempt the abundance of God’s nature which is always kind towards you, or His ability to send down His wrath; yet He delays it, because He is exercising much restraint in not quickly judging your sin; and yet you think He is okay with you? Don’t you know that it is His nature of kindness that causes Him to withhold His wrath from you in hopes that you might repent of your sins and come to Him?

  Romans 2:4-My paraphrase

  Let me put it in everyday terms for us. God’s goodness, that is intended to draw us to repentance, is like a wife who has been caught in adultery by her husband. Although he knows that she has cheated on him, he offers her his complete forgiveness. She then has a choice to make. She can arrogantly throw it in his face and leave the marriage. She can say she’s sorry but continue in her relationship as if he will just forgive her again. Or she can see the goodness and love he has extended towards her, repent of what she has done, and live up to his trust in her.

  Basically, that is how good God’s goodness is to us, only better. Some people see His goodness, as an excuse to continue in their sin; while others recognize the importance of His goodness extended towards them and respond to it with a changed heart. His goodness was never meant to give us the freedom to sin, but to demonstrate how good He is so that we may experience a radical change of life.

  This study is really causing me to be grateful for my salvation. It is also causing me to reflect on my life before Him, making sure I have the right attitude towards God. I don’t think a day goes by when I don’t rejoice in how good He is to me! Yet, as I am studying and blogging, I can’t help but be aware of the simple truth, “but for grace”! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in God, Repentance, Sin, Study of Romans, Wrong Thinking | 6 Comments | Tagged arrogance, God, goodness of God, Jews, patience, Paul, Sin, Study of Romans, wrath of God

• Righteousness Revealed

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on April 12, 2021

  

  Romans 1: 16-17- “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”’ NKJV

  

  When my husband left the military we were without regular health insurance as we were getting re-acclimated to civilian life. Of course, being veterans, we both had veteran’s insurance. When we decided to have a second child, we didn’t want to travel the distance to the VA hospital and decided to take care of the medical bills on our own. An insurance agent was given my name as someone who might be interested in purchasing insurance, so he called me up. As he was trying to convince me that I obviously needed health insurance, since we were paying out of pocket for this baby, I started to become annoyed with him. Finally, after playing nice and him not getting the message, I said, “I may not have health insurance, but I have health assurance!” Then I ended the call!

  The Greek word for salvation “soteria” simply means safety. The message of the gospel is a message of safety for the believer from the snares of the enemy and the wrath of God, for within it, the righteousness of God is revealed.

  Martin Luther felt that the righteous God could only give him what he deserved, punishment for his sins. As a clergyman, he preached the letter of the law, without having any revelation of God or His message. In other words, he didn’t really believe that he was saved. When he finally got the revelation of the righteousness of God, he was freed from the constant bombardment of his sins, his unworthiness, and his need to be punished. After hearing of the experiences that Luther and others have had, many are still walking around with that sense of unworthiness, of being wretched individuals, and just sinners saved by grace. If you are saved by grace, you are no longer a sinner. If you are a sinner, you have not been saved by grace. They are contrary to one another.

  Revelation is important. Paul wrote that the gospel unveils the righteousness of God. Why would the righteousness of God need to be unveiled? Simply put, it had not been made known yet. Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Ephesians:

  How that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets”

  Ephesians 3:3-5 NKJV

  Paul explained that the revelation of the mystery surrounding Christ had been hidden since the beginning of time. And now, by the Spirit of God, revelation was given to him and others that they might share the message of the gospel.

  Martin Luther defined the righteousness of God “as a righteousness valid before God, which many may possess through faith.” This righteousness comes from God and is His way of making a “sinner” right before Him. The Greek word for righteousness is “dikaiosune” which carries more than one meaning within it. It speaks of the character or quality of being right or just and is used to denote an attribute of God.

  In the book of Deuteronomy, God’s righteousness was sung about as a part of the song of Moses:

  He is the Rock, His work is perfect;

  For all His ways are justice,

  A God of truth and without injustice;

  Righteous and upright is He.

  Deuteronomy 32:4 NKJV

  And the psalmist shared this about His righteousness:

  Clouds and darkness surround Him;

  Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

  Psalm 97:2 NKJV

  Both these verses let us know that God is righteous. His very nature and the foundation of His throne is righteousness. As such, He chooses to impart righteousness to those who believe Him.

  Luther was correct in his thinking that a righteous God would punish sin. His righteousness demonstrates that He is neither indifferent to sin nor does He regard it lightly. Which is why Paul continues in this first chapter of speaking of the wrath of God on ungodly and unrighteous individuals:

  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

  Romans 1:18-19 NKJV

  There is a whole list of sins following this verse, from being ungrateful, to being a homosexual, and everything in between and all around it. It is all unrighteousness. Paul didn’t categorize the level or depth of those sins, but said that they would cause the wrath of God to be poured out on those responsible for committing those sins. Paul also wrote that there were other ways to be a part of unrighteousness that didn’t fall into the list. Suppressing the truth is unrighteous, he wrote, yet we see more of that in our world today than we want to admit. Ignoring the truth and ignoring those who promote ungodliness, as well as ignoring that which is right, is just as bad as participating in it.

  “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”

  Romans 1:32 NKJV

  When you know better, better is expected of you! As believers, our conduct should be in line with the character of our Savior. One who cannot help but do right, because He is right! So it is easy to understand how Luther and others walk away with a feeling of hopelessness when thinking about all the ways we can and do sin.

  However, Luther was wrong in thinking that God would leave us there without hope or assistance. Peter stated that we obtained our precious faith by the righteousness of our God and Savior:

  “…to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:”

  2 Peter 1:1b NKJV

  And Paul made a similar point in the book of Philippians:

  “…not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith”

  Philippians 3:9 NKJV

  Luther finally got what God had been trying to get him to see: not our righteousness, but His!

  The last point of our key text that I want to bring out is the fact that revelation from God and righteousness occurs from faith to faith. Nothing about this statement means we get from God once and everything is settled. This righteousness, and the faith to believe it and live in it grows in faith, or assurance in Christ. This assurance is an enjoyment of the righteousness that God provides us with because we have complete confidence that when He said it is so, then it is! Similar to the assurance I felt in regards to my health when the poor excuse for a salesman called me.

  Paul concludes this portion of the letter with the phrase, the just shall live by faith. Since we have been declared free, then we are to live that life of freedom by faith! Our feelings will lie to us and tell us that we don’t feel like we are righteous. The devil will lie to us and tell us we haven’t really been made righteous. Preachers may even declare that we are, but yet we aren’t, because we are still in this body. But the just shall live by faith. God said that He makes us righteous through Jesus, and we are going to have to take Him at His word.

  As we continue in chapter 2, many of the things that have already been mentioned will be explained by Paul in more detail. I’m looking forward to what all I can learn and share in this study. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Christianity, righteousness, Study of Romans | 0 Comments | Tagged Christianity, faith to faith, living by faith, Martin Luther, righteousness, righteousness of God, Romans, Sin, Study of Romans, wrath of God

• Called to Glory!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 29, 2021

  

  2 Peter 1:3-His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of H im who called us to his own glory and excellence” RSV

  

  As believers, we want to experience, need to experience the glory of God. We talk about it, sing about, and preach about it, but for most of us it is as mystical as most things about God. In our text, Peter’s words, in the Revised Standard Version, conveys an important message that I would like to discuss with you.

  Years ago, I was studying on the glory of God. As I was studying, I was also fasting and praying about understanding the glory. I distinctly remember reading Billye Brim’s book “the Blood and the Glory”, and Creflo Dollar’s book, “the Anointing”. One night, I had a dream that I have never forgotten. I was standing in the midst of a thick cloud. I began turning around slowly within this cloud. Then a voice from the midst of the cloud spoke, “I have anointed you.” I woke from the dream and I just sensed the presence of God in our bedroom. Not wanting to disturb my husband, but wanting to commune with God, I went into our living room and bowed before the Father. I still sensed His presence as I had when I woke up. I stayed there in His presence until I could no longer stay awake.

  Glory, according to the Vine’s dictionary is rendered in this way:

  of the nature and acts of God in self-manifestation, i.e., what He essentially is and does, as exhibited in whatever way He reveals Himself in these respects, and particularly in the person of Christ, in whom essentially His “glory” has ever shone forth and ever will do.

  Vine’s Dictionary

  And virtue is rendered as:

  intrinsic eminence, moral goodness, virtue,” of God; the manifestation of His Divine power

  Vine’s Dictionary

  When I think of being called by God, I think of a special assignment that God may have on an individual’s life. For example, God called Abraham out of Ur because He wanted to establish a people to Himself. He called Bezalel in the wilderness to be the designer of the Tabernacle, and gave him the ability to teach. Jeremiah was called to be a prophet to the nations. Peter was called to be the apostle to Jews. I think you get my point!

  Here, in this verse, Peter says that we were called to His own glory and virtue. The many different versions translate this verse using a variety of words, i.e. to, by, through; but for what I believe is the whole point of this mini-series on this verse, this rendition fits my thought the best.

  The writer of Hebrews make this point:

  For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.

  Hebrews 2:10 RSV

  Jesus, the captain of our salvation, is bringing many sons to glory. Since this principle is true, it is easy to understand how Peter could have been stating that we were called to His own glory and virtue. That’s quite a calling when you think about it. God, the Father, and Jesus, our Savior is calling us to experience or live in their glory.

  Consider what the psalmist wrote about God’s glory and man:

  What is man that You are mindful of him, and the so n of [earthborn] man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

  Psalm 8:4-5 AMP

  In the Young’s Literal Translation, it actually reads that man was made a little lower than the Godhead. For most, that’s hard to wrap our brain around, but it is scriptural, so it is truth. God’s original state of man, when He made Adam, was that He crowned mankind with His glory. With the fall of man, that state was lost. But through Jesus, He is bringing us back to glory, which was His original plan for us.

  That’s why Peter’s statement that He called us to His own glory makes perfect sense. Through the years, in a sense of humility, and because the enemy’s hand was in it, we have discounted the truth of what God’s real plan for our lives is. Yes, He wants to save us from hell’s eternal punishment, but that’s a small part of a much bigger picture. In the whole scheme of the gospel message, is a message of reconciling us to rightful place, where we are crowned with the glory of God.

  And His virtue, the manifestation of His divine power, is part of what we are being called to as believers. Remember when the woman with the issue of blood encountered Jesus? In the KJV, Jesus spoke these words:

  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned about in the press, and said, “Who touched my clothes?”‘

  Mark 5:30

  But in the NKJV, the word virtue is translated power:

  And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him…

  Mark 5:30

  As we can see, God’s virtue, is His power. Can you see this? God is calling us to experience His glory and His power! That’s a mind-blowing thought! It doesn’t it seem possible.

  Sin is the reason we fall short of the glory of God.

  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

  Romans 3:23

  But once we have been cleansed of our sin and reconciled to God, we are called to His glory and virtue, or power. Isn’t that what Peter is saying in 2 Peter 1:3? I think so! I think we are a work in progress and we may be in need of more transformation, but it starts with the realization that God’s glory and power is available to us.

  I also believe, that scripture backs this truth up. I don’t expect you to take my word for it, that’s why I gave you several scriptures to share my thinking. I’m still studying this, and that is why I didn’t blog on last Friday. I’m gaining some insight into this verse I never really took time to understand.

  If you are struggling with the principle, join the club. But as I continue to study, I am finding irrefutable truths in God’s word of His plan and desire for us to accept the call to enter into His glory and virtue. If I was the first and only one to come to this conclusion, I would really hesitate to share it. It’s huge! But I am not! Check out Billye Brim’s book that I mentioned earlier. It’ll bless you and whet your appetite for understanding the glory of God. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in 2 Peter 1:3-4, Divine Nature, glory, Jesus, power | 0 Comments | Tagged Adam, angels, Divine Nature, divine power, fall of man, glory, glory of God, lower than Godhead, Peter, Sin, virtue

• Getting It Right!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on March 3, 2021

  Psalm 51:10-11 – Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. NKJV

  

  getting-it-right_.mp3

  Tonight I want to blog about the prayer of repentance. The Webster’s 1868 edition defines the word repentance, in the following manner:

  Real penitence; sorrow or deep contrition for sin, as an offense and dishonor to God, a violation of his holy law, and the basest ingratitude towards a Being of infinite benevolence. This is called evangelical repentance and is accompanied and followed by amendment of life.

  Since this definition fits my purpose, I will say that the prayer of repentance is used to express a sorrow over any sin we have committed that offends or dishonor God or His Word. This prayer can be, and probably is, prayed multiple times throughout our lives.

  Our key text, taken from Psalm 51, happens to be a part of a prayer of repentance that David prayed. David had an affair with Bathsheba. He tried to cover it up, but was unable to do so. First, Bathsheba got pregnant. Then he called her husband back from the battle and tried to get him to go home to her so that they could play the child off as Uriah’s. When that didn’t work, he had Uriah killed in battle. Not only that, God had to send Nathan, the prophet, to him because he hadn’t yet acknowledged his deed for the sin that it was. When David finally came to the place where he was willing to admit that he had sinned, his next step was to go to God and confess it and repent of it! David’s hesitancy to repent, actually paralyzed him in his relationship with God!

  Here’s another example of someone repenting in prayer:

  Now while Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God, a very large assembly of men, women, and children gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept very bitterly. Ezra 10:1 -NKJV

  In this verse, we see Ezra is before God, praying, confessing, and weeping. The prayer of repentance doesn’t always involve weeping, but most definitely can. I won’t say it is a criteria for sincerity because some people are really good at gut wrenching tears that produces nothing more than an emotional drain. However, it is a time of prayer where you can find yourself crying before the Lord.

  I know this is an Old Testament example, and we don’t live under the Old Testament, but it is applicable for tonight’s topic.

  What makes this such a relevant prayer is that we must use this type of prayer to become born again. I don’t know your experience, but I am pretty sure that when you accepted Jesus as Savior, prayer was involved. And I am fairly certain that repentance was involved.

  Here’s a New Testament example for us: the prodigal son. You have probably heard or read this account of the son on more than one occasion, but I will briefly retell it. The son asked his father for his inheritance, even though his father was still alive. The father gives it to him. Then the son leaves home and loses all of his money while partying hard. He finds himself in abject poverty, eating the same food as the pigs he was hired to feed. One day he realizes, if he is going to be a slave for someone it may as well be his father for his father treats his servants so much better. His attitude is one of repentance:

  I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ Luke 15:18-19 – NKJV

  It was the son’s acknowledgment that he had blown it big time, that places this son in a position to receive grace and mercy from his father. Yes, his father forgave him and restored him, but there’s no doubt in my mind that things would have ended differently had he not confessed his sins before his father. This is a beautiful picture of how we are to come to the Father when we blow it. No justification, no pointing fingers, no excuses, just simple acknowledging that we did wrong and sincere repentance of the wrong.

  John wrote this:

  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 – NKJV

  This brings us back to our key verse. David asked God to create in him a new heart. When we pray a prayer of repentance, our greatest desire should be that God give us a new heart. If we are sinners in need of salvation, it is what He wants to do! If we are believers who need to “get it right” He wants to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In either case, forgiveness is waiting for us, we need only ask!

  David also asked that God would renew a steadfast spirit in him. What’s that? A spirit of stability, a spirit of being fixed on obedience to God, a yes to His will spirit! David had that type of spirit before, and he wanted it re-established in his life. So much so, it was more important to him than anything, because he didn’t want to lose the right to be in the presence of the Lord. He knew his sin had separated him from God, and he desperately wanted to see his relationship restored with God.

  David also asked God to not to remove His Holy Spirit from him. That’s deep for an Old Testament individual, and that makes it applicable to New Testament believers. When we sin, we need to get it right! Our heart should be as David’s heart was. God, whatever You do, don’t turn me away, and please don’t remove Your Spirit from my life! Why? Because more than anything, we should want to be right before God and to know that His Spirit is still present in our lives. And that’s why the prayer of repentance is so necessary to pray. Sin blocks our ability to connect with God, but confession of that sin and repentance of that sin gives us unlimited access to Him.

  As I stated in the beginning, we may need to pray this prayer on more than one occasion in our lives. But if we find that we are praying it daily, then we are in need of some different type of praying. I don’t believe necessarily in steps when dealing with God. You may need to pray for an hour about your situation, while someone else may need only a few minutes. Let His Spirit lead you during this time. However long you pray, pray until you know you’ve accomplished the task of truly repenting. And according to our definition, it must bring about a change in your behavior and your life! Wonderful Jesus!

  prayer-for-salvation-1.mp3

  Posted in God, Holy Spirit, Prayer, Repentance, Salvation | 2 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Believer, David, favor, God, Grace, Holy Spirit, obedience, parable, Prayer, Salvation, Sin, Sinner

• 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

• But You Shall Receive Power!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 14, 2020

  Acts 1:8 – “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. KJV

  

  but-you-shall-receive-power_.mp3

  In Luke 24:49, Jesus told His disciples:

  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

  The Holy Spirit executes the power of God. Jesus knew this! He also knew that the assignment He had given to the disciples, to preach the kingdom of God, would require that they walk in power. Therefore, His last instructions to them were to remain in Jerusalem until they received power from on high!

  Many people, mistakenly believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is all about speaking in tongues. Well, it isn’t! Speaking in tongues is the initial evidence of having received the Holy Spirit, but it is not the whole picture. The whole picture is that tongues is evidence of the presence of Holy Ghost power! My wedding ring is not my marriage, but it is the evidence of my marriage! (That may be too simplistic for something so amazing!)

  In the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit was released, wasn’t His introduction to the world. The Holy Spirit has been present, since Genesis, where He hovered over the waters; to produce God’s will upon the creation of the earth. The Holy Spirit was at hand when the Red Sea was parted. The Holy Spirit was present at the conception and resurrection of our Lord. And the Holy Spirit was present on the day of Pentecost. The difference being that when He came on Pentecost, He remained on earth to assist Jesus’ Church in the work of the ministry!

  This time in which we are living is the appointed time, the chairos time, of the Holy Spirit. You can live a godly life in Christ and not be filled with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Your life will be blessed and you will meet Jesus in eternity. I’m not one who believes less of a person because they don’t speak in tongues or more of a person, because they do. I have, unfortunately, noticed in the Body of Christ, that there are many who believe that those of us who speak in tongues are of the devil. I think that is not only wrong, but it is shameful! That’s how the Pharisees acted towards Jesus!

  In order to be a Christian, we must accept the truth of the gospel. Simply stated, we must believe that through the blood of Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we are cleansed. We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, come in the flesh and that He is God. And we must believe there is no other way by which we can be saved. That’s it! Whether we speak in tongues or not, when we meet that first criteria and give our heart to the Lord, we are born again. For any Christian to look upon another Blood bought individual, and to accuse them of belonging to the devil, is pure nonsense!

  As I mentioned already, Jesus felt it necessary that the disciples, who had walked with Him, be filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. If they weren’t of the devil, then neither are the people who are filled today! The disciples were told to tarry, or wait; but after that, there are no other mentions of tarrying for the Holy Spirit. Although, many have tarried and made it a requirement for receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it is not; we just receive Him by faith!

  On the day of Pentecost, which was 50 days after the resurrection of our Lord, the disciples, 120 of them, were together in the Upper Room, praying, worshipping, and waiting for power from on high! As they sat in the meeting, the Holy Spirit came in the room, upon each of them. That’s for the next blog!

  Jesus told them that when they received this power from on high, they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.

  When we think of being a witness, we think of the simplicity of sharing the gospel. It is typically how this verse is read and preached, and it isn’t necessarily incorrect. It just isn’t the whole picture! When Jesus was referring to us being His witnesses, He was also referring to us expanding the kingdom in the same way that He did it, by bringing heaven to earth in the lives of the people.

  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38 – NKJV

  He was a witness that God was real, and that He is the Son of God. As He went about the villages teaching, preaching, healing, casting out demons, and raising the dead, He demonstrated His power over everything in the earth realm.

  Paul said that he didn’t operate in just great preaching and being able to persuade people to his point of view, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)!

  So what witness was Jesus referring to?

  And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Acts 4:33 – NKJV

  Jesus knew that His disciples would have to operate just as He did, in order to witness to the truth that He is alive. Jesus had received the Holy Ghost on the day of His water baptism and the Holy Ghost never left Him. He was man, operating as God, by the power of the Holy Ghost! And so must we!

  The apostles couldn’t get a young man free from demons when Jesus was alive, without His authority. After the Holy Spirit came upon them, they operated in great power.

  And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people…And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women… Acts 5:12-16 – NKJV

  Now that’s some power! Throughout the New Testament, tongues was understood as evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it was the power that gave greater proof and great witness about Jesus!

  Since I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, it has been a great pleasure, and an honor to experience God’s power. It has been an ever greater blessing to realize that the Holy Spirit is alive and well, and is still moving through countless believers, in countless situations, to bring witness to the resurrected Savior and the kingdom of God. Next time, I’ll talk more about the actual baptism of the Holy Spirit! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Baptism, Holy Spirit, Jesus | 2 Comments | Tagged Believer, God, Healing, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Kingdom of God, resurrection, Salvation, Sin, the Blood of Jesus, the devil, trust in God

• You May Not be Blessed!

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 5, 2020

  Psalm 1:1-2 – “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. NKJV

  you-may-not-be-blessed_.mp3

  Sometimes we get a little confused about God’s idea of a blessed person. I have always loved the psalms, as most of us probably do, and Psalm chapter 1 is no exception! What is your idea of being blessed? Is it having a lot of money? Is it having favor with the people around you? Or is it when you are feeling good and everything is going well? Today, I want to look at what God’s word has to say about being blessed!

  The psalmist wrote, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly”. God called us blessed when we don’t seek ungodly advice. When you are having issues with your spouse, don’t ask an unsaved person what to do. It’s not that they can’t give good advice, but we are to seek godly advice, and not just good advice. Chances are, if you ask an ungodly person for advice in your marriage, you could end up divorced. I was talking with a young lady, new in the Lord, who was also newly married. Her husband had cheated on her, and her ungodly friends told her the best way to handle it was to get back at him, by doing the same thing. Seriously? That’s not advice for repairing a marriage, or handling a problem; that’s advice for sure destruction of a marriage! God said that we are blessed when we don’t seek the counsel of the world.

  There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. Proverbs 19:21 -NKJV

  Your unsaved friends and family members, don’t know how God operate, and can’t give you godly advice. Only a person who loves God and understands the importance of His word can share His heart! Their advice is bound to get you off God’s path for your life, and that is why you won’t be blessed!

  The psalmist also wrote that blessed is the man who stands not in the way of sinners. God forbid that we are hindering people from knowing the Lord because of our lifestyle. It should be disturbing, but not unforgivable, when we see a brother or sister in the Lord who is talking the talk, they are not walking! Sinners don’t need a lot of things to discourage them from getting saved. The devil gives them plenty of reasons to resist the Holy Spirit’s tugging at their hearts. But when we participate in the hindering process, the word let’s us know that we are not blessed! Blessed people understand, recognize, and realize that their lives are to reflect the One who blessed them, and as such, they want to draw the sinner to Christ, not hinder them in coming to Him. Can I keep it real? Most sinners are looking for every opportunity to find fault with a believer, and I understand that! Just don’t give them anything that will seal their doubt!

  Blessed is the person who doesn’t sit in the seat of the scornful! This one I will elaborate a little more on. Scorn is the feeling or belief that someone or something is worthless or despicable; contempt. Now, we’re probably not seeing ourselves in this seat, but let’s look at it. God’s word states that when we don’t look down on people, thinking them to be worthless, or holding contempt for them, we are blessed. That leads us to believe, that if we are looking down on people, we are not blessed.

  I once heard a well known pastor call the Democrats, evil Democrats. Really? Now we have become so politically embittered with one another that we are grouping all Democrats and all Republicans in the same boat? That’s contempt! That’s looking down on people! News flash! There are bad people in both political parties, and in the independents. There are good people, also. And even more shocking to some, there are godly people in both parties, irrespective to what we see. God isn’t pleased with us looking at His creation with scorn. He died for the whole world! You can be as passionate about politics as you feel you need to be, but sitting in the seat of the scornful applies to you, me, and every other believer!

  I like what one pastor said, not so long ago! There is only one race of people. The human race. Therefore, we shouldn’t be looking down on anybody because of their skin color! We come in different colors, sizes, and two genders, but we are all a part of the same race. Looking down on an individual because of their color, their nationality, their gender, or their profession, is equally out of order. You may call yourself “blessed by the Best”, but He doesn’t validate scorn on any level.

  One day, I went to visit a woman in the neighborhood who I thought was a friend. She was actually having a birthday party for her child. When I got there, she introduced all of her friends with their “titles”: Attorney This, and Doctor That! And then she turned to me and said, “Oh, and this is Martie!” Was that supposed to be a dig? I do believe it was! I realized she thought that she and her “professional” friends were better than me! You can well imagine that relationship was a bust! When you are the object of scorn, it doesn’t take you long to realize how hurtful that can be!

  Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:34 -NKJV

  How about that? God scorns, looks down on and finds contemptible, the scornful! I’ll take yours over His!

  Receiving ungodly counsel, causing sinners to be hindered, or looking down our nose at others, are not godly characteristics. They are of the devil! We can quote Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but if these things are a part of our lives, then we are not blessed! Not by God’s standards! And you know what, only what He thinks about us is what truly matters. Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in blessings, God’s Blessings, Psalms | 5 Comments | Tagged Attitude, blessed, blessings, counsel, Psalm 1, scornful, Sin, sinners, ungodly

• God’s Requirements

  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on September 1, 2020

  Micah 6:8 – He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? NKJV

  

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  This verse keeps popping up, which leads me to believe that I am supposed to blog about it. If you’ve been following my blogs for a while, you already know this happens to me occasionally.

  God is upset with His people in this chapter of Micah. He tells them that He is bringing charges against them and building a case against them. God asks them, how has He done them wrong? He goes on to remind them of how He brought them out of Egypt and paid a great price to get them out of slavery. He sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to lead them. He reminds them that when Balak wanted to curse them, He wouldn’t allow it. And He reminds them of other victories won on their behalf.

  He asks them another question. How can you show God the respect due Him? What are you going to do, bring me a bunch of offerings? Would he be impressed with thousands of rams or the sacrifice of your children to cancel your sin?No! It’s already been made plain in the law of how God wants His people to live. This includes, to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before their God. Today, I want to look at the first part, to act justly.

  Let’s define the word justly. In the Webster’s Dictionary of 1828, justly is defined as “honestly, fairly, with integrity, properly, accurately, and exactly”. This isn’t the comprehensive definition, but it will work for my purposes.

  Justice can be seen in a lot of ways. I think about where we are today and wonder when did justice get so many definitions. In the word, wrong is wrong and right is right. But in today’s society, wrong can be right, and right can be wrong depending on who you are talking to. That’s man’s way, not God’s. When God says that He requires of us to act justly, He meant what He said.

  No matter how many laws are written based on our Constitution, laws that are contrary to the word of God are not just laws. At one time, the law said that my ancestors were not people, but property. That was an unjust law, and I am grateful it is not in the books any longer. But the spirit of superiority it instilled in many whites couldn’t be removed with the ink of the pen. It has to be removed with prayer and the following of God’s example of what is just.

  When I think of acting justly in today’s society I think of the LGBQT community. Do I agree with the laws written about their rights to marriage and all of that? No! But I do agree that they are human beings and they should not be attacked, mistreated, or abused because of their sexual orientation. Neither do I believe that they are second class citizens. As Christians, I believe we really need to be more Christ-like and hate the sin, and love the sinner! How can we win them over to our loving savior, when we are critical, judgmental, and even hateful when dealing with them.

  I was sitting in a bible study one night when the issue of abortion came up. I made a comment about abortion not being the will of God because a life is taken. One of the young ladies, who was already a professing Christian, jumped up and ran out of the room. I knew my comment had upset her. I went to her and talked with her and prayed with her. After our conversation, she was able to go on without the guilt of having had an abortion. I hate the sin, but I am learning to love those who commit the sin, whether it was before Christ came into their life, or after.

  There are all kinds of ways to act justly. I think of the daughters of Zelophehad in Joshua 17. They had addressed an issue with Moses about inheriting their father’s part in the promised land. Moses thought their “argument” was a good case, and granted them their desire. When Joshua and Eleazar were giving out the land, they approached them. Joshua demonstrated his ability to act justly by fulfilling the promise that Moses had made them, and that actually God had already said yes to. No one pretended that they didn’t know what the women were talking about, or that Moses didn’t realize the thing he had said yes to would be unfair because they couldn’t go to war. No! They acted justly in regards of the daughters of Zelophehad and in giving them the land.

  We are the only Christ, that some people will see. If we can ignore injustice, participate in sin, excuse sin, and live deceitfully before people, why would we think that would attract them to our Heavenly Father? Let me assure you, it doesn’t.

  God requires, expects us, to act justly. He expects us to do the right thing in every situation and at all times. When we don’t, He expects us to own up to it, repent of it, and fix it, or do better the next time.

  Can I just say it plainly, in case it was missed, I am against sin, just like God is. I have the same opinion about it that He has, whether that sin is committed by someone I know or someone I don’t know. However, in acting justly, we have to separate the sin from the sinner and learn to love the people that Jesus gave His life for.

  Lastly, God chose Abraham and had this to say about him:

  Genesis 18:19- “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.”

  God said of Abraham that He knew Abraham, and He knew that Abraham would be just and teach his children to be just. The phrase “justice and judgement” is the same Hebrew word for “act justly”. God is watching us. He is delighted when we “do the right thing” even when it is unpopular, unusual, and considered to be wrong.

  Make a point to act justly. It matters in the big things and in the little things. Not only does it matter, but God requires it of us! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Choices, God, Justice, Serving God | 4 Comments | Tagged abortion, Eleazar, God, integrity, Joshua, Justice, justly, LGBQT, obedience, requirements, Sin, Zelophehad daughters

• Yielding the Sword!

  Posted at 2:44 am by wonderfuljesus8, on August 8, 2020

  Ephesians 6:17 – “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;” NKJV

  yielding-the-sword_.mp3

  I trust you are getting encouraged in your walk with the Lord! The Word of God says that we are more than conquerors; therefore, the weapons against our adversary are fail proof when used in faith! Have you ever watched someone play a video game, or maybe you have played, and the battle called for warriors to use different weapons at different phases of the game? Or maybe you have no knowledge of video games, but understand real warfare. You understand that there are foot soldiers with guns, snipers with rifles, tanks with artillery, planes with bombs, all headed for the enemy to engage him in different ways. All important, all strategic, all deadly, but in different ways! That’s how our spiritual weapons are used; in different phases of the battle, for different attacks, but all are lethal against the adversary! I wrote a blog, this year, “Talk Back to the Enemy” that is a companion blog to today’s entry.

  Paul is writing about the full armor of God in this passage. I won’t address the armor in this blog, but I do want to address the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Typically speaking, a sword is a weapon of defense and the Word is definitely great for defending ourselves against the enemy; but it can also be an offensive weapon used to attack an opponent. Which ever position you find yourself in, even at this moment, the word will work!

  In Matthew, chapter 4, we find Jesus is being led into the wilderness. After forty days and nights of fasting, the devil comes for a visit. He didn’t send a demon this time. This was an assignment he took up.

  The first temptation was at Jesus’ physical need of food. He said to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” This was a real temptation because Jesus was hungry. It was also an attack on Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. Jesus didn’t get into a long discourse with the devil. He simply replied, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” Jesus’ weapon against the devil’s attempt to pull Him into the flesh after a forty day fast was countered with the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God!

  Then we see that the devil took him up into the holy city, and said, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you.'” We can see that Satan came with a counterattack at Jesus, using the Word against Him. That was pretty dumb to use the Word against the Living Word, but he did it. Jesus of course responded with a greater truth, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'” In other words, it is very true that angels would come to His rescue, but He knew it would be silly to test God’s faithfulness on a challenge from Satan.

  Lastly, Satan takes Jesus on an exceedingly high mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Now he is trying to impress Jesus with his goods. He say to Jesus “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” Jesus rebukes Satan by saying, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'”

  After these words of rebuke, the devil leaves, and angels came and ministered to Him. He whipped the devil with the Word and was victorious, not because He was the Son, but because of the effectiveness of the sword of the Spirit! It worked for Jesus, and it will work for us!

  I want to address something that was going on. During this time of temptation, Satan was trying to get Jesus to sin against God. The temptation wasn’t a sin, but had Jesus done either of these things, He would have sinned. When we are tempted, they are just temptations, but when we give in and do a thing, it becomes a sin. Learning to cut the devil off before he has a chance to get us to thinking about his proposal is key in maintaining our victory. The immediate weapon to use against a suggestion to sin, is the Word of God!

  • Consider an individual who is dating. The enemy tells that person some tired lies that he have used throughout the centuries with others. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t, but he’s had enough success that he still uses it. Recently my daughter told me this one that a young person shared with her, “Girl, you have to try it before you buy it!” How many times did my “girlfriends” tell me the same thing, decades ago. The only thing you get to try before you buy it is a car. Are we reducing our bodies to that of an automobile? You buy a house, you buy it first, then you move in; unless you rent to own. See the lie for what it is then use the word against sexual sin.
    • It is written, “Flee sexual immorality! And again it says “that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I am not my own. Or have you not heard how Joseph, when approached by Potiphar’s wife refused her saying that he would not sin against God?” No devil, I will not do this thing for it is written, “You shall not commit adultery or fornication. So get out of here with your lies!”

  • Consider an individual who is struggling to make ends meet. The enemy tells that person, you should not be giving the church all of their money. You have been tithing (for all of two months) and things are worst. You have been giving to support the teens ministry, VBS, or pastoral support, but who is helping you?
    • It is written, “Bring the tithe in the storehouse…and I will open the window of heaven and pour you out a blessing you will not have room to receive. It is also written, “Give and it shall be given to you!” There is no way that I will stop being a financial blessing to my church for God has promised in His word, that the righteous are not forsaken and His seed is not begging for bread!” Now leave me alone!

  These are just examples that are common in the church. And they are lies that I have heard hundreds of times over the years that I have living for the Lord. Lies you have heard personally, or know others who have heard them. The Bible is filled with examples of people who have gone both ways: Eve, Samson and Judas believed the lies, Abraham, Noah, and Joseph did not! You don’t have to give in to the lies of the devil, just yield the sword of the Spirit at him and watch him hightail it out of your presence! Once you see it work, it may very well become your preferred weapon of attack!

  I believe I am finished with the weapons of our warfare blogs. I trust you have enjoyed reading them as much as I have enjoyed writing them. On wonderfuljesus.blog, it is my hope that you will always find encouraging, practical topics to keep you living a victorious life and falling in love with Jesus, over and over again! Wonderful Jesus!

  Posted in Jesus, Satan, Spiritual warfare, the devil, weapons of warfare | 0 Comments | Tagged blessings, God, Jesus, sexual sin, Sin, Spiritual warfare, the devil, Tithing, Vic tory, Victorious Living, weapons of warfare, word of God

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