he objective of this study is to establish a
scriptural basis for the doctrines of the church regarding our redemption
from the curses of the law. Those who are ‘in Christ’ should no longer
suffer under the curses of the law or the effects of them. Later studies
reveal the curses we were under, the symptoms they manifest, and the enemy
who tries to entangle us again to the law. This work reveals the ways and
means the enemy uses to oppress Christians. The studies deal with the
children of disobedience who are still under the curse of the law.
To overcome the enemy God's Word
will arms us with the weapons of spiritual warfare. Each Christian needs to
be armed with the knowledge of the truth and faith in Christ’s atonement,
then we can overcome the enemies of God. Do not take the evidence given to
lightly. Any time people minister to the oppressed, their faith will come
under spiritual attack. Therefore, we do not recommend the novice to dive
into the river until someone teaches them how to swim. The studies are a
wealth of information to establish a believer in the finished work of the
Cross. However, it would be unwise for a person to try to minister to the
needy unprepared for the ensuing battle. The time is here to anchor in
God's love, having our faith tested, established in the fundamental
teachings of Christ, and our lives surrendered to the Lord and led by the
Holy Spirit. And this we will do if God permits.
Jesus Christ came into the world
to reconcile sinners to God. There is no real difference to God when it
comes to sin: a person is either forgiven or he is lost. When a person
comes into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ there is an
assurance of redemption through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The person is
‘regenerated’, the meaning of being ‘born again’. When Jesus left, He
commissioned those who believed on Him to continue restoring man’s
relationship with God. God calls every believer to be part of the
reconciliation of the world through the gift of salvation. God reveals the
truth in the Good News as part of the New Covenant. The church is the
vessel chosen to continue the work of Jesus Christ. The church is His
vicarious representative and we have the ministry of reconciliation until
the Lord puts down all rebellion and delivers the kingdom unto God to the
Father.
Everyone is dead in sin until the
rebirth when God makes us alive ‘in Christ’. We are a new creation ‘in
Christ’. When we accept His substitutionary death as our own, God places us
‘in Christ’. We are dead to sin but alive ‘in Christ’. We live in the
power of His resurrection. Not many believers understood how God
accomplished this. We are placed ‘in Christ’ and He becomes our life. The
Lord Jesus Christ becomes our Life but for some He may not be the Lord of
their life. He became our personal Savior. Every one receives salvation
when Jesus accepts them individually, but not every believer knows Jesus as
their Life.
The church is the earthly body of
our Lord Jesus Christ. While He is absent from the body we are to let Him
live His life through us. As children of God we live by faith and by
trusting Christ to live through us; He lives through us in the person of the
Holy Spirit whom we have received. The whole world is waiting for the day
when God reveals His sons and daughters. We are the children of God ‘in
Christ’. Yes, we are the children of God but not every believer realizes
who they are ‘in Christ’. So they do not answer the call of God and use
their gifts to shed the light of the Gospel.
The truth will reveal how God
enables the life of Christ to live through us. The Father's and Son's
presence, power, and authority live through us in the person of the Holy
Spirit. As the Holy Spirit guides our life we will begin to fulfill the
"Great Commission" and do the good works that God has prepared us to walk
into. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are working all things out
for our good, to fulfill God's will and accomplish this ministry of
reconciliation.
This is our hope: Christ in us.
The Holy Spirit in us is the deposit and assurance that we are in Him and
that He is in us. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to lead us, give us direction,
and to reconcile the world to God. We are alive unto God ‘in Christ’
through the Holy Spirit. God calls us to the works He has prepared for us
to walk into; for it is written, ‘faith being without works is dead’. We
are being transformed through the renewal of our mind. God calls us to
service and to grow into the full stature of our Lord Jesus Christ. The
revelation will come from the Holy Spirit as we grow ‘in Christ’. Though we
now see through a shaded glass dimly, when we see Him face to face, we shall
be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. One day we will know Him even
as He knows us.
The church is the Lord’s love: He
takes personal responsibility for His bride. He leads the children of God
by the Holy Spirit and ministers to the lost through them. When we received
the Holy Spirit, He teaches us to discern 'good and evil' so that we can
minister to God’s children. The church is to minister to those who are
walking in darkness.
A lot of believers struggle
because of a lack of knowledge and misdirected faith. A lack of knowledge
is one of the biggest reasons the church is struggling with the Great
Commission. When lies misdirect our faith, the deception is the cause of a
lack of belief in the written Word of God. The truth is that faith requires
an object and too often people put their trust in their faith. The problem
is that the deceived believer’s faith is an intangible. Who can measure or
comprehend the unknowable? So no matter how much a deceived person
believes, there is nothing to bring about the request of our lips. God is
the object of every believer’s faith who is walking in truth. God is;
therefore He does. Only God can bring about the request of our lips, so
faith must come from what God can do and what He has already accomplished.
Only faith in God through a valid relationship can bring about the desired
effect. Therefore, the basis for true faith rests on the historical facts
revealed through the Word of God.
Who Are The Sons And Daughters Of God?
‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of
God, these are sons of God.’ -- Ro. 8:14
The Holy Spirit Bares Witness To Us Of Our
Adoption As Sons
For you did not receive the spirit of
bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by
whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our
spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs; heirs of
God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we
may also be glorified together. -- Ro. 8:15-39
The Entire Creation Is Waiting For
Redemption
For I consider that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits
for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to
futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know
that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until
now. And not only they, but we also who have the first fruits of the
Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for
the adoption, the redemption of our body.
We Are To Persevere In This Hope Of Being
Redeemed
For we were saved in this hope, but hope
that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But
if we hope for what we do not see, then we eagerly wait for it with
perseverance.
The Holy Spirit Intercedes For Us Also
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our
weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but
the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot
be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the
Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the
will of God.
We Overcome Every Enemy In Christ
Who shall bring a charge against God's
elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who
condemns? It is Christ who died, and
furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or
peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day
long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things
we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded
that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor
things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other
created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is
“‘in Christ’” Jesus our Lord.
God Is Causing All Things To Benefit Us As
We Are Transformed
And we know that all things work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to
His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to
the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He
called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also
glorified.
We Are More Than Conquerors In Our Lord
What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely
give us all things?
Yes, we have an enemy, Lucifer!
He has an army waging war against the saints of God and against the Truth.
'Le Satan' is Lucifer's new title as a defeated enemy. Satan lost his power
but God still allows him to roam the earth testing the saints of God. He has
blinded the lost to the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Are we
complacent rendered helpless through deception and Satan’s lies? The true
test of obedience is, ‘Will we be obedient to the Holy Spirit and help
overcome the enemy for the benefit of the lost?'
Through God's plan of salvation we
overcame the devil by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. God the
Father revealed the power of our Lord's victory through His resurrection
from the dead. We overcame the devil through the blood of the Lamb and the
word of our testimony. The believer who accepts the Lord’s death, as their
own death, is dead to sin. Through our Lord's victory He took away the keys
of death and sin from Lucifer.
God prepared this good work for us
to accomplish! This is the work that needs doing now. We are to preach the
Gospel, the Good News, to the lost and proclaim the victory of the Lord of
Lords, and King of Kings. The ministry of reconciliation is an ongoing war
with the enemy of our victory ‘in Christ’. The battle is being fought every
day by the saints of God. The Lord provided us with everything we need for
the assurance of victory over the enemy. The Word arms us with the
knowledge of God and leads us by the Holy Spirit to battle every power and
principality that rises up against the knowledge of God. The battle would
be fruitless if we fought in our strength. "The Battle Is The Lord’s!" We
are not the ones who will actually be battling, the host of heaven does this
for us as we direct the heavenly host against the powers of the enemy.
We Stand In The Strength Of Christ’s Victory
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord
and in the power of His might. Put on the whole
armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly
places. -- Ephesians 6:10-12
When King David was a boy, he
understood that God is Sovereign. It is only through Him we can overcome
that old serpent, the Devil. Those who oppose the will of God and those who
serve the father of all lies is the accuser of God’s children. We see this
in the following Scriptures, ‘Then David said to the Philistine, "You come
to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in
the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you
have defied. "This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will
strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the
carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the
wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in
Israel. "Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with
sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our
hands." --1 Samuel 17:45-47
God Helps Us Overcome Any Obstacle When We
Call Upon Him In Prayer
And they were helped against them, and the
Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them, for
they cried out to God in the battle. He heeded their prayer, because they
put their trust in Him. -- 1 Chronicles 5:20
Thus says the LORD to you: 'Do not be afraid
nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours,
but God's. -- 2 Chr20:15
For You (God) have armed me with strength
for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me. --
Psalms 18:39
He has redeemed my soul in peace from the
battle which was against me, For there were many against me. -- Psalms 55:18
There He broke the arrows of the bow, The
shield and the sword and the battle-ax. Selah -- Ps. 76:3
We Cannot Rely On Our Own Strength, It Will
Not Sustain Us
I returned and saw under the sun that; The
race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the
wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but
time and chance happen to them all. -- Ecc 9:11
The Weapon Of The Gospel To Stand On And
Defeat The Enemy
Therefore take up the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on
the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,
being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all
the saints; and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open
my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an
ADVOCATE in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. --
Eph. 6:13-20
The Spirit of God accomplishes the
will of God through us. We are vessels that convey the Word of God and bring
the hope of the Good News to a dying world. The delegation of authority
comes as a benefit from the Lord's atonement by means of the Throne of
Grace. The Holy Spirit empowers us and leads us to those we are to share
the Good News. For it is written, “'Not by might nor by power, but by My
Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.’” -- Zech. 4:6
Knowledge is not power. Authority
only comes with obedience and discipline, especially when it pertains to the
matters of the Spirit. Any authority or power we have, any position we hope
to attain is vanity if the Holy Spirit is not leading us. God placed us ‘in
Christ’ and chose us for a particular vocation.
Remember, those led by the Spirit
are the sons of God. Yes, in being called sons, God disciplines us until we
reach maturity: The days when we understand and do the will of God. The
Holy Spirit will teach us all things, lead us into all truth, and empower us
for the trials and tribulations we face in life. We have an anointing from
Him that will lead us into all truth, and the truth will set us free.
Little children, it is the last hour; and as
you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have
come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but
they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued
with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of
them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know
all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but
because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he
who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father
and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who
acknowledges the Son has the Father also. Therefore let that abide in you
which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning
abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is
the promise that He has promised us; eternal life. These things I have
written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing
which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that
anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all
things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you
will abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He
appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices
righteousness is born of Him. -- 1 Jn 2:18-29
The benefits of the cross of
Christ, the entire works of salvation, including the healing of the body,
soul, heart and spirit, are the gift of God to the church. There is nothing
in all of God's creation that can separate us from His love. God has called
us to share His love for the world. God commands us to love one another. In
doing so the world will know we are His disciples. Until we know God we can
only love in a human capacity.
Our responsibility is to reach out
to the children of disobedience, the workers of iniquity, the lost, and
suffering. We must fight against every lofty thing that rises itself up
against the knowledge of redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. The battle is
the Lord's and our battle is to overcome our unbelief allowing God’s Word to
renew our mind in the knowledge of Him. We need to exercise the gift of
faith and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches to overcome
that old serpent and his fallen angels. We can do this through the inspired
word of God, the blood of the Lamb, and the word of our testimony. When we
become obedient and disciplined we will see the enemy in the proper
perspective. He is a defeated foe. God only allows Satan to do what God
will let him do.
For I am persuaded that neither
death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present
nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall
be able to separate us from the love of God which is “‘in Christ’” Jesus our
Lord. -- Rom. 8:38-39
The Dispensation Of Grace In The Church Age
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of
Jesus Christ for you Gentiles; if indeed you have heard of the dispensation
of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He
made known to me the mystery (as I wrote before in a few words, 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: that the
Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His
promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according
to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His
power. -- Eph. 3:1-7
God Reconciled The World To Himself Through
Christ
He is the image of the invisible God, the
firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in
heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or
dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him
and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And
He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it
pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to
reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things
in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who
once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has
reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and
blameless, and irreproachable in His sight; if indeed you continue in the
faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the
gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven,
of which I, Paul, became a minister. -- Colossians 1:15-23
The Revelation of the Mystery of Christ’s
Indwelling
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and
fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the
sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister
according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to
fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and
from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God
willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among
the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach,
warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present
every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving
according to His working which works in me mightily. -- Colossians 1:24-29
We Died To Sin Through The New Covenant
For if we have been united together in the
likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that
the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves
of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with
Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ,
having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion
over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but
the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon
yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our
Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you
should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments
of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from
the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin
shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under
grace. -- Romans 6:5-14
The New Covenant Makes Us Slaves To
Righteousness
But now having been set free from sin, and
having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end,
everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- Romans 6:22-23
We Keep The Letter Of The Law By Serving
Through A New Covenant
Therefore, my brethren, you also have become
dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to
another, even to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit
to God. For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins which were
aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But
now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held
by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the
oldness of the letter. -- Romans 7:4-6
In Christ, We Are Dead To The Law And No
Longer Slaves To Sin
But I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin
which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from
this body of death? I thank God; through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then,
with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of
sin. -- Romans 7:23-25
God Came In The Person Of Jesus Christ To
Reconcile Us To Himself
And without controversy great is the mystery
of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen
by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received
up in glory. -- 1 Timothy 3:16
Jesus Became Sin For Us, Reconciling The
World To God
Now all things are of God, who has
reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry
of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to
Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the
word of reconciliation. Therefore we are Advocates for Christ, as though God
were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled
to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him. -- 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
God Revealed His Nature Through The Lord
Jesus Christ
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the
faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware
lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the
tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not
according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and
power. -- Colossians 2:6-10
The Hearts Of Abraham’s Children Are
Circumcised
For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly,
nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who
is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and
not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. -- Rom 2:28-29
God Made A New Covenant To Justify Those Who
Have Faith In Jesus
But now the righteousness of God apart from
the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the
righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on
all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation
by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in
His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just
and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. -- Rom. 3:19-26
Christ Is Our Advocate Before God, He Paid
The Debt For All Of Our Sins
My little children, these things I write to
you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for
our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we
know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know
Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not
in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in
him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought
himself also to walk just as He walked. --1 John 2:1-6
Those Who Believe In Jesus Are Righteous
Now to him who works, the wages are not
counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on
Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, --
Romans 4:4-5
The Promise Of Righteousness Came Through
Faith
For the promise that he would be the heir of
the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the
righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is
made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about
wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore it is
of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be
sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to
those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all --
Romans 4:13-16
Overcome Sin And The Works Of The Flesh By
Grace
For sin shall not have dominion over you,
for you are not under law but under grace. -- Rom. 6:14
But now we have been delivered from the law,
having died to what we were held by, so
that we should serve in the newness of the
Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. -- Rom 7:6
Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no
longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I delight in the law of
God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the
law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will
deliver me from this body of death? I thank God; through Jesus Christ our
Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the
flesh the law of sin.
There is therefore now no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but
according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 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, 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. -- Romans 7:19-8:4
For those who live according to the flesh
set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to
the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death,
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. -- Romans 8:5-6
We Have Been Resurrected With Christ Through
The Gift Of Faith
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of
His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and
raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of
His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have
been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should
walk in them. -- Eph 2:4-10
We Live By Faith Or Remain Under The Curse
Of Law
Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you
and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by
the hearing of faith?; just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted
to him for righteousness." Therefore know that only those who are of faith
are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify
the nations by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying,
"In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith
are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the
law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not
continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do
them." But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is
evident, for "The just shall live by faith." Yet the law is not of faith,
but "The man who does them shall live by them." Christ has redeemed us from
the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written,
"Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham
might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the
promise of the Spirit through faith. -- Gal. 3:5-14
The Early Believers Were Called 'Christians'
In Antioch
And when he had found him, he brought him to
Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and
taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians
in Antioch. -- Acts 11:26
Jesus Christ, Is The Head Of The Church
Let no one defraud you of your reward,
taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those
things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not
holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit
together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase which is from God.
-- Colossians 2:18-19
Our Lord Is The Cornerstone Of The Church
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers
and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the
household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the
whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
in whom you also are being built together for a habitation of God in the
Spirit. -- Ephesians 2:19-22
The Holy Spirit Revealed The Deity Of Jesus
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward
him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world! "This is He of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who is preferred
before me, for He was before me.' "I did not know Him; but that He should be
revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water." And John bore
witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and
He remained upon Him. "I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize
with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and
remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' "And I have
seen and testified that this is the Son of God." -- John 1:29-34
Jesus Is Building His Church Through Divine
Revelation
When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea
Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying,
"Who do men say that I, the Son of Man,
am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others
Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that
I am?" And Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of
the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon
Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father
who is in heaven. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this
rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail
against it. -- Matthew 16:13-18
The Mystery Of Love For Jesus' Church
So husbands ought to love their own wives as
their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated
his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the
church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For
this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I
speak concerning Christ and the church. - Ephesians 5:28-32
Jesus Lives Through Each Member Of The
Church
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself
for me. -- Galatians 2:20
We Become One Body In Christ
For I say, through the grace given to me, to
everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he
ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure
of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do
not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according
to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us
prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our
ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he
who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows
mercy, with cheerfulness. -- Romans 12:3-8
God Separates Us From The World In Christ
Or do you not know that as many of us as
were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we
were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was
raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk
in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of
His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin
might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he
who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe
that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised
from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the
death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He
lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead
indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- Romans
6:3-11
We Are To Live In Christ As Christ Lives
Through Us
For the love of Christ constrains us,
because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died
for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for
Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no
one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to
the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all
things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to
Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of
reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to
Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the
word of reconciliation.- 2 Cor. 5:14-19
Jesus' Sacrifice Set Us Free From The Curse
Of The Law
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the
law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone
who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the
Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith. -- Gal. 3:13-14
In Christ We Are Set Free From Human
Regulation
In Him you were also circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the
flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which
you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who
raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having
forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of
requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken
it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed
principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing
over them in it. Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or
regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things
to come, but the substance is of Christ. Let no one defraud you of your
reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding
into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly
mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished
and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase which
is from God. Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles
of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject
yourselves to regulations; "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,"
which all concern things which perish with the using; according to the
commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of
wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body,
but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. -- Colossians
2:11-23
We Are Part Of One Body Through Baptism Into
Christ
For as the body is one and has many members,
but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is
Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews
or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and have all been made to drink into one
Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should
say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of
the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of
the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye,
where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the
smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body
just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body
be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. -- 1 Co. 12:12-20
We Receive A New Life Through A New Birth
Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to
you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom
of God. -- John 3:5
We Become The Children Of God
Behold what manner of love the Father has
bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the
world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are
children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we
know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as
He is. -- 1 John 3:1-2
We Become Sons Of God
But as many as received Him, to them He gave
the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name:
who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God. -- John 1:12-13
We Are A New Creation In Christ
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk
according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of
God. -- Gal 6:15-16
We Become Part Of Christ’s Body
For we are members of His body, of His flesh
and of His bones. -- Ephesians 5:30
God Places Us In Christ Who Becomes Our
Righteousness
But of Him (God) you are in Christ Jesus,
who became for us wisdom from God; and righteousness and sanctification and
redemption; -- 1 Cor 1:30
We Receive Robes Of Righteousness In Christ
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul
shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of
salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom
decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her
jewels. -- Isaiah 61:10
We Are Individual Members Of A Living Body
Now you are the body of Christ, and members
individually. -- 1 Corinthians 12:27
All Christians Are United As Members Of The
Same Body
For as the body is one and has many members,
but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is
Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews
or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and have all been made to drink into one
Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. -- 1 Co. 12:12-14
The Church Is God's Temple
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected
indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones,
are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is
also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone,
elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to
shame." Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who
are disobedient, "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief
cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." They
stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own
special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out
of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now
the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts
which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the
Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your
good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. -- 1 Pe.
2:4-12
We Are Part Of A Spiritual Temple
For we are God's fellow workers; you are
God's field, you are God's building. -- 1 Corinthians 3:9
The Temple Of God
Do you not know that you are the temple of
God and that the Spirit of God dwells in You? -- 1 Cor. 3:16
The Temple Of The Holy Spirit
Or do you not know that your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are
not your own? -- 1 Corinthians 6:19
The Temple Of The Living God
And what agreement has the temple of God
with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I
will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall
be My people."-- 2 Corinthians 6:16
We Are Described As A Casket Of Jewels
Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one
another, and the LORD listened and heard
them; so a book of remembrance was written
before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name. "They
shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My
jewels. and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."
Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between
one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. -- Malachi 3:16-18
The Church's Blessings
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. 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, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His
good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the
fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven and which are on earth; in Him, in whom also we
have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of
Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who
first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you
also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the
redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. --
Eph. 1:3-14
The Church Is Given Power To Do God’s Will
Therefore I also, after I heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to
give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His
calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe,
according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when
He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly
places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and
every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to
come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over
all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who
fills all in all. -- Ephesians 1:15-23
The Church Is United ‘In Christ' By Blood
And The Holy Spirit
Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles
in the flesh; who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the
Circumcision made in the flesh by hands; that at that time you were without
Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now
in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been made near by the blood
of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has
broken down the middle wall of division between us, having abolished in His
flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in
ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus
making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body
through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and
preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For
through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore,
you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the
chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows
into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together
for a habitation of God in the Spirit. -- Ephesians 2:11-22
Jesus Sets Us Free Through The Truth
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed
Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. "And you shall
know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Therefore if the Son
makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” -- John 8:31-32,36
The Assurance Of Immortality Is In Knowing
Jesus Christ
Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes
to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your
Son also may glorify You, "as You have given Him authority over all flesh,
that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. "And
this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus
Christ whom You have sent. -- John 17:1-3
Our Lord Is The Good Shepherd
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
gives His life for the sheep. "But he who is
a hireling and not the shepherd, one who
does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees;
and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees
because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. "I am the good
shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. "As the Father knows
Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. "And
other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and
they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
"Therefore my Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it
again. "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power
to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have
received from My Father." -- John 10:11-18
A Flock Taken Care Of Eternally
"And do not seek what you should eat or what
you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. "For all these things the
nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these
things. "But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added
to you. "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom. "Sell what you have and give alms; provide
yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that
does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. "For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Lu. 12:29-34
The Penitent Will Come To Christ
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If
anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine
with him, and he with Me. "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me
on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." ' "
– Rev. 3:20-22
We Are The Branches Of The True Vine
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the
vinedresser. "Every branch in Me that does not
bear fruit He takes away; and every branch
that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. "You are already
clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. If you abide in Me,
and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides
in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you
are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for
without Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast
out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into
the fire, and they are burned. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in
you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. "By this My
Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
--John 15:1-8
We Are To Build Our Faith In Jesus Christ
Through Obedience
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of
Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on
the rock: "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
"Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be
like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: "and the rain descended,
he floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And
great was its fall." -- Matthew 7:24-27
We Are To Grow Into The Grace Of God Through
Christ
...but grow in the grace and knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and
forever. Amen. -- 2 Peter 3:18
We Are To Be Thankful For Our Salvation
As you have therefore received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the
faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. -- Col.
2:6-7
God Wants Our Life To Radiate His Life
"Let your light so shine before men, that
they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. --Mat 5:16
For we are His workmanship, created in
Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should
walk in them. -- Eph 2:10
We Are Called To Lay Aside All Human
Obstacles
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded
by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is
set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who
for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. -- Hebrews 12:1-2
We Are Called To Become A Living Sacrifice
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. -- Romans 12:1
Christianity Is A Call For Service To Others
Let them do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good
foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. --
1 Timothy 6:18-19
Christianity Is A Warfare
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on
eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good
confession in the presence of many witnesses. -- 1 Tim 6:12
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may
be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of
wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all,
to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put
on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the
preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith
with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked
one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which
is the word of God; -- Eph. 6:11-17
The Gifts Are Used To Unify The Body By A
Bond Of Peace
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord,
beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one
another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one
hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father
of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But to each one
of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore
He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts
to men." (Now this, "He ascended"; what does it mean but that He also first
descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the
One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all
things.) -- Eph 4:1-10
Jesus Gave Us Pastors To Lead His Church To
Maturity
And He Himself gave some to be apostles,
some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the
equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge
of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro
and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in
the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive, but, speaking
the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head;
Christ; from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every
joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does
its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer
walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having
their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because
of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart;
who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to licentiousness, to
work all uncleanness with greediness. -- Eph 4:11-19
The Scriptures that are referenced
deal with the Lord Jesus Christ’s ministry of reconciliation. As a believer
in Jesus we have a ministry too. Truly understanding God’s will is going to
lead others to seek and find freedom in Christ. Although there are a good
number of theologies out there concerning spiritual conflict, this one is
balanced and easily entreated. Misconceptions about helping the spiritually
oppressed, obsessed or supposedly possessed are scripturally reinforced, and
the myths debunked. The counseling procedure follows a Scriptural outline
for helping others find their freedom. We are in a battle for the mind.
The War was won two thousand years ago yet many people do not comprehend the
victory we have in the Lord Jesus Christ’s atoning work. The material to
help us in our quest for freedom, and our Savior's promise of love, power
and a sound mind, is revealed throughout this outline.
We can do all things in Christ
Jesus. The Holy Spirit enables a great number of people who are timid about
witnessing to understand the dynamics of how they can be effectual warriors
in the years to come. This Bible is a storehouse of wisdom that I recommend
people read daily if they want to grow into their full potential in Christ.
Christian men, women and children
encounter problems because of spiritual conflict. Some of them suffer
needlessly because of an exorcist, prayer warrior, intercessor or pastor who
approached spiritual conflict from the position of a 'power encounter'. The
children of God will find solace in this appealing method of dealing with
demonic influence.
This is not a new topic, but the
approach is new. Spiritual victory is part of the rightful inheritance of
the saints, that is now being restored. This method approaches the
supernatural from our Scriptural position and authority of being in Christ.
The work thoroughly establishes the believer's identity as a vessel of God's
divine power and authority. Upon this precedent, we need to stand firm,
because it is through His delegated authority that we can walk in freedom
through Christ's victory.
The lessons contain further the
help that every believer needs to comprehend, confess and contemplate to
gain their freedom. Three of the keys to the kingdom are laid out for us.
Every person has a spiritual past and is responsible for their own
theology. These keys will help establish what our belief system is based
on, and what is responsible for our mis-belief system.
"The accuser of the brethren" is
exposed. His accusations are as serious as any of his devices, and are
often lies. He accuses with the truth as often as not. However, even if
there are grounds for the accusations, we know how to restore our
relationship with God through Jesus. At this junction, conviction, a clear
conscience before God, is contrasted with condemnation, the total alienation
from God with no hope. Conviction produces hope through our relationship
with Jesus; while condemnation brings about death and separation from God.
The best encouragement we can give or receive is to believe everything God
says about us in His Word. This will set us free.
We are warned not to be ignorant
of the enemy's devices. In his other hand which we can play into if we
don't remain faithful are: 1) self deception; 2) false prophets/teachers,
and, 3) deceiving spirits. In this section, we are given some very special
advice about maintaining an open and strong personal relationship with God,
in light of Scripture and our daily intimate relationship with Christ.
The subtle power of spiritual
abuse in the church is dealt with by looking at the problems arising from
false teachers and prophets. The contrast is made between the true servant
of God, and the perpetrator of iniquitous sin. At this point the spiritual
gift of discernment is revealed by exposing how deceiving spirits are
detected. Discernment is simply and easily understood by us as a 'check in
our spirit', a friend’s terminology. It is an uneasiness about a situation
or circumstance, surrounding an event that is about to take place, has taken
place, or will be taking place. It is as if a spiritual buzzer goes off in
our mind and we lose our peace. It sounds a warning and I personally lose
my God-given peace at these times. Discernment is independent of us and
lets us know before anything is said or done that something is wrong.
Hebrew's 5:14 describes it as the ability to discern good and evil.
Unfortunately, as a body, the church has neglected this gift.
Take Courage! This command from
the Lord came to Joshua before he brought Israel into the Promised Land.
Israel was undefeated when the Lord went before them, however, when
operating upon their own presumptions, they were soundly thrashed. There
were giants in the land.
All men are mere mortals outside
of their relationship with the Lord. The church and Israel have this in
common - outside of our covenant relationship with God, we are without
hope! We have giants in the land too! They are fallen angels, devils,
demons and whatever else people want to call them. They remain at war with
the saints, and blind the world to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. So,
take courage! Our Lord overcame 'the evil one' and took away 'the keys of
death and hell'.
The studies deal with the personal
attributes of fallen angels, and exposes their work effecting the corrupt
nature. We are admonished not to engage them in any way but to ignore them
and rely solely on the truth. After all, the devil is the father of lies,
and should be treated as such. This volume also teaches that to seek after
secret or hidden knowledge is forbidden in the scriptures. The example of
Saul seeking Samuel through the use of a medium, the witch of Endor is
given. To this charlatan's surprise Samuel did come up from Sheol, yet
God's judgment was swift for being so disobedient, as Samuel foretold Saul's
death and Israel's defeat.
We are called to become effective
witnesses, members of the Lord's human resources, and join God in His
ministry through prayer in combating spiritual blindness. This can be done
by the effectual fervent prayer for someone in bondage, upon their
understanding of their new-found freedom in Christ. In this volume we are
given a practical application and approach to rescue those who have been
deceived. However, we are commended to let the Bondage Breaker continue to
set us free in our day-to-day lives. We learn how help others by learning to
surrender areas of our lives we have not yet consecrated to God. In doing
so, we can help others find freedom in Christ. This is a life-long process.
There is nothing new about the
deception of New Age Movement. The problems of legalism, humanism and our
own cultural view of the spirit world is dealt with in a limited manner.
These ploys are just repackaged to lure the self-seeking masses today, and
it is working! The draw into the occult practices and the search for
esoteric knowledge is as old as sin. The theme is always, "I will
ascend!". More often than not these practitioners descend into a realm of
mental, emotional, physical and spiritual problems. All of these problems
are the by-product of sin and are exposed throughout volume.
The effort being made concerning
spiritual warfare involves every believer. Everyone needs to be actively
involved. We have already put on the armor of God according to the
scriptures. The directive from Ephesians, the sixth chapter, assures this;
we have the armor on, since we have already 'put on Christ'. We have
received the truth and His righteousness. Now, we are prepared to learn how
to overcome the adversary (the Devil) through the blood of the Lamb and the
word of our testimony, our spoken words.
The spiritual warfare sections
fill us with of some of the most important information a believer will come
in contact with concerning ministry to the spiritually oppressed. The
reader has a foundation of knowledge and information to augment their
counseling skills. Practical information is given for healing the members
of the church who have suffered abuse because of physical, mental,
emotional, or spiritual experiences.
The reader is confronted about
surrender and of loosing control. We are given a choice. We have a free
will to believe and do God's will according to the revealed Word of God.
Upon knowing God's will, we can be unfaithful and, therefore, disciplined as
children if we choose our path instead of God's Way. It is explained that
God chose us in Christ to do the good works that He has prepared for us. At
some time in our walk with God, we will be in spiritual conflict. This does
not necessarily mean that we sinned; it is normal. The reason for spiritual
conflict is to let us to share with God and Christ in their ministry: to
destroy the works of the devil through God's angels and other resources.
Now, concerning sin, we are taught
that just because we 'occasionally' sin, it does not mean that we belong to
the devil. He may at some point gain some control over our lives, but he
will never own us. If, at some point, a believer has lost control, the last
section will outline the steps to set them free indeed!
The best
advise to follow, for anyone who wants to enjoy a richer walk with God,
would be to allow the Holy Spirit to help them work their way through
repentance and forgiveness. We can be led through an amazing experience
that will confront us if we surrender to God. In it lie the steps to a
clear conscience towards God and fellowship divine. How to overcome every
area of sin is revealed through understanding the implications of the Cross.
![[Under Construction]](http://abundantprofitclub.com/undercon.gif){kind=small}