2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
As we are approaching Good Friday and Easter, the whole world remembers the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While that is very important, most Christians fail to see the complete picture that WE TOO were crucified with Him, buried and raised to a new life with Him. Let me remind you once again that when Christ was nailed to the cross 2000 years ago, you and I were crucified with him too. (Gal 2:20; Rom 6:6; Col 3:3; 2 Cor 5:14). But you say, “How can I believe that?” I say, “How do you know that Christ died for your sins? Were you physically there when He died? Did you see it with your eyes?” You accept it as truth by faith and receive the forgiveness of sins. In the same way, by faith, see yourselves hanging on the same cross, inside Jesus. He took you and me into Him when He died. 2 Cor 5:14 says, “If one died for all, therefore all died”.
The good news doesn’t end there. Not only did you die, but you were buried and raised with Him with a New life. You receive this New life when you are born again from your dead spiritual state. This New life is nothing other than the very life of Jesus. To explain this in simple terms, there are 3 things that happen at new birth. 1) You appropriate the forgiveness of sins provided 2000 years – you are washed clean. 2) You are given a ‘brand New spirit’. A divine surgery takes place inside you. God takes out your dead spirit and transplants a brand new spirit or a brand new “you” inside of you. Read 2 Cor 5:17 – It says you are a brand ‘new creation ‘– which means one that never existed before. The old you is gone forever, never to come back again. 3) The spirit of Jesus or the Holy Spirit comes inside of you and becomes one with your new spirit. I Cor 6:17 says, “he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit”. Your spirit and His spirit join to become one spirit. That is why Paul could say that even though he (Paul) is living, yet it is no longer Paul living, but Christ living in Him. Same is the case with all of us.
Dear friends, this is absolute good news! Christ Jesus came inside you to live in you, and to live through you, and guess what, to live AS you! You don’t have to struggle anymore, let Him do His work in you and through you. Christian (Christ-in) life is not about YOU anymore, it is about Christ in you. Christian life is not about ‘you doing’ something for God; rather it is Christ working through you. So what is your role then? – Just be available for Him. Christ needs a body to work in this earth, and He uses your body and personality to do that work. Not only that, His life is dispensed and manifested through your life, to the extent you let Him do so. This is one of the original purposes for which man was created, to be the image or representation of God on this earth. Adam, by not eating from the tree of life, could never accomplish that purpose. Today you and I have the life of Jesus (the tree of Life) which Adam chose not to have. Hallelujah!! There is a world around you waiting to be ministered to, by the Jesus inside you. Will you stop working out of your own flesh and let Him work through you? REST IN HIM! It’s better to do ONE thing which Jesus does through you, than 100 things you do on your own FOR Him.
Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross. Show all posts
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
YOU ARE DEAD!
Let me tell you a secret - The Christian life is not only hard, but is impossible to live. So quit trying to live it. There is only one person who can live it and that is none other than Christ!
He wants to live His life through you. Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” If you have been struggling to live your Christian life, Jesus is asking you to STOP all your religious acrobatics and self-efforts and simply be joined to Him and rest in Him. Let Him live His life through you. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (I Thess 5:24). For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phil 2:14). He is the author and finisher of your faith; He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. Many people think that He is the author but they have to be the finisher, He is the alpha and they are the omega. NO! He began a good work in you and He will perform it until the day of Christ (Phil 1: 6). If we are unfaithful, He still remains faithful (2 Tim 2:13). Verse after verse, do you see that you are not the one supposed to be doing the work, rather it is He who is working in you. Do you see that the Christian life is no longer “I”, but Christ who lives in me? (Gal 2:20)
Gal 2:20 should go deep down in our hearts. It is worth quoting that verse. ‘I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.’
Dear friends, 2000 years ago, when Christ hung on that cross, you were also crucified with Him. You are dead! It is no longer you that is living, but Christ is alive and well and living in you. Christianity is not a behavior modification program or trying to live a holy life. Rather, God took your life and nailed it to the cross with Christ and in exchange He gave His life freely to you! He couldn’t do anything with your life. It had to be put to death on the cross. Yet many people are rededicating their lives to God and trying to do something with their lives for God. Young brother, dear sister, you cannot do it, which is why Christ laid down His life for us, so that He could give His life to us, so that He could live His life through us! As long as we are trying and trying and trying, He cannot live His life through you. When you rest from your works that is when you will see His life manifest through you. This is the secret of victorious Christian living. It is no longer I but Christ who lives in me! You step back and trust Him to live His life through you moment by moment.
Quit trying to please Him with your works, quit trying to score brownie points with Him. The one thing that pleases Him is faith, for without faith it is impossible to please Him – Faith in what Jesus has done and has given us freely, independent of our works! He is already pleased with you! He Loves You! Enter into His Rest!
He wants to live His life through you. Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” If you have been struggling to live your Christian life, Jesus is asking you to STOP all your religious acrobatics and self-efforts and simply be joined to Him and rest in Him. Let Him live His life through you. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (I Thess 5:24). For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phil 2:14). He is the author and finisher of your faith; He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. Many people think that He is the author but they have to be the finisher, He is the alpha and they are the omega. NO! He began a good work in you and He will perform it until the day of Christ (Phil 1: 6). If we are unfaithful, He still remains faithful (2 Tim 2:13). Verse after verse, do you see that you are not the one supposed to be doing the work, rather it is He who is working in you. Do you see that the Christian life is no longer “I”, but Christ who lives in me? (Gal 2:20)
Gal 2:20 should go deep down in our hearts. It is worth quoting that verse. ‘I have been crucified with Christ; and 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 up for me.’
Dear friends, 2000 years ago, when Christ hung on that cross, you were also crucified with Him. You are dead! It is no longer you that is living, but Christ is alive and well and living in you. Christianity is not a behavior modification program or trying to live a holy life. Rather, God took your life and nailed it to the cross with Christ and in exchange He gave His life freely to you! He couldn’t do anything with your life. It had to be put to death on the cross. Yet many people are rededicating their lives to God and trying to do something with their lives for God. Young brother, dear sister, you cannot do it, which is why Christ laid down His life for us, so that He could give His life to us, so that He could live His life through us! As long as we are trying and trying and trying, He cannot live His life through you. When you rest from your works that is when you will see His life manifest through you. This is the secret of victorious Christian living. It is no longer I but Christ who lives in me! You step back and trust Him to live His life through you moment by moment.
Quit trying to please Him with your works, quit trying to score brownie points with Him. The one thing that pleases Him is faith, for without faith it is impossible to please Him – Faith in what Jesus has done and has given us freely, independent of our works! He is already pleased with you! He Loves You! Enter into His Rest!
Friday, January 22, 2010
The Stumbling Block and the Foolishness - Paul White
1 Corinthians 1:23 we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness
It seems that the world has nothing but good things to say about the life and statements of Jesus. They frequently quote Him in everything from motivational books to Hollywood movies. His birth is celebrated the world over, and His life is viewed as a model of virtue and peace. The cross of Christ, however, has never enjoyed the universal appeal that is so often associated with the man, Christ Jesus. The finished work, where Jesus paid the sin debt for the world, is not only ignored, but is often in dispute as to whether or not it even happened.
Paul was unashamed to declare that he preached Christ as crucified. The emphasis placed on “crucified” shows us that there are more ways to preach Jesus. There is certainly nothing wrong with preaching of the birth, life or principles of Jesus, but it is His death that changed the world. His finished work brought peace between God and men, ending the war against sin that had waged for nearly four thousand years.
To the Jew, Paul called the cross a “stumbling block”; to the Gentile, “foolishness”. The Jews had received the Law at the hands of Moses and they felt that the keeping of that Law entitled them to eternal life. The Law demanded works, and the cross declared that the work was finished. Many Jews “stumbled” at the prospect of righteousness apart from works.
Gentiles then and now, often view that finished work as foolish. While the Jew stumbles at the cross because they feel righteous through the Law, the Gentile feels that they need no redeemer. Thus, the prospect of someone dying for them is a foolish one. I have actually had some say to me that they didn’t see the need for Jesus to die for them. Well, I’m glad He died for me!
Both Jew and Gentile share a common problem; both trust in their ability to save them. The Jew trusts the Law while the Gentile trusts their wisdom and intellect. Only when one comes to the saving knowledge of Christ do they see that the cross is the apex of power and wisdom. Paul says that, “the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).
When you hear the cross of Christ preached, you are hearing the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). It is power to us, because we have had its effects at work in our heart. We know what we used to be, but the death of Christ brought death to our old nature, and a new start to our lives. Thanks be to God for that Old Rugged Cross!
See His finished work today as having been done on your behalf. He was cursed so that you could be blessed. He was rejected so that you would always be accepted. He finished it all, so that you could have it all. God bless
It seems that the world has nothing but good things to say about the life and statements of Jesus. They frequently quote Him in everything from motivational books to Hollywood movies. His birth is celebrated the world over, and His life is viewed as a model of virtue and peace. The cross of Christ, however, has never enjoyed the universal appeal that is so often associated with the man, Christ Jesus. The finished work, where Jesus paid the sin debt for the world, is not only ignored, but is often in dispute as to whether or not it even happened.
Paul was unashamed to declare that he preached Christ as crucified. The emphasis placed on “crucified” shows us that there are more ways to preach Jesus. There is certainly nothing wrong with preaching of the birth, life or principles of Jesus, but it is His death that changed the world. His finished work brought peace between God and men, ending the war against sin that had waged for nearly four thousand years.
To the Jew, Paul called the cross a “stumbling block”; to the Gentile, “foolishness”. The Jews had received the Law at the hands of Moses and they felt that the keeping of that Law entitled them to eternal life. The Law demanded works, and the cross declared that the work was finished. Many Jews “stumbled” at the prospect of righteousness apart from works.
Gentiles then and now, often view that finished work as foolish. While the Jew stumbles at the cross because they feel righteous through the Law, the Gentile feels that they need no redeemer. Thus, the prospect of someone dying for them is a foolish one. I have actually had some say to me that they didn’t see the need for Jesus to die for them. Well, I’m glad He died for me!
Both Jew and Gentile share a common problem; both trust in their ability to save them. The Jew trusts the Law while the Gentile trusts their wisdom and intellect. Only when one comes to the saving knowledge of Christ do they see that the cross is the apex of power and wisdom. Paul says that, “the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).
When you hear the cross of Christ preached, you are hearing the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). It is power to us, because we have had its effects at work in our heart. We know what we used to be, but the death of Christ brought death to our old nature, and a new start to our lives. Thanks be to God for that Old Rugged Cross!
See His finished work today as having been done on your behalf. He was cursed so that you could be blessed. He was rejected so that you would always be accepted. He finished it all, so that you could have it all. God bless
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Ultimate Sacrifice Sermon Jam
Future Sins Are Already Forgiven - Steve McVey
from Gracewalk.org
“It can’t be true that my future sins are already forgiven!” This was the protest I heard one day after somebody heard me teach that all of our sins are forgiven. I read her the passage from Colossians 2:13-14. Then I asked her these questions, which I encourage you to answer as you read them.
1. How many of your sins did God know about before you were born? (All of them.)
2. How many of them did He record on your certificate of debt mentioned in the passage in Colossians referenced above? (All of them.)
3. How many of your sins did Jesus pay for on the cross? (All of them.)
4. How many of them were future at that time? (All of them.)
5. How many sins was He referring to when He said, “If is finished”? (All of them.)
6. At the time you were saved, how many of your sins did God forgive?
If you didn’t answer number six by saying, “All of them,” I encourage you to ask yourself if you’re being intellectually honest. Would it make sense that God would see and note all of our sins; that Jesus Christ would bear all of them upon Himself; that He would declare from the cross that payment had been made for all of them and then, after all that, God would only forgive you for some of your sins — namely the ones you had committed up to the point in time at which you were saved? Don’t make the mistake of trying to put God in the “time box.” He won’t fit. He has forgiven you for every sin you will ever commit, past, present and future. The verse clearly says that He has “forgiven us all our transgressions,” not just our past ones.
For many years I believed that in order to stay in a state of forgiveness before God, it was necessary that I ask Him to forgive me for each sin which I committed. This kind of faulty theology raises some serious questions. What happens if I don’t ask Him to forgive me for a specific sin? Does it remain unforgiven until the day I die? What happens then, when I go into eternity with an unforgiven sin? Nobody can go into heaven with unforgiven sin (Imagine being eternally separated from God for calling somebody an idiot in another car on the interstate and forgetting to ask God for forgiveness.).
On the other side of the issue, consider this question: Is there anything that you know is the right thing to do that you aren’t doing? James said, “Therefore, to the one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, it is sin” (James 4:17). Do you see the dilemma? If all our sins aren’t forgiven, then we had better make sure we are living a perfect life because not only do we have to deal with sins which occur when we do wrong things, but we also have to be worried about the right things we haven’t done. This would be enough to give the Christian a nervous breakdown!
"Then, are you saying that since His grace has covered our sin, we can go out and do anything we want?" I hope somebody is asking that because, if so, it shows I've made grace clear here. You're not the first one to ask that question. Read Romans 6:1-4 to see how Paul answered the question when it was asked of him.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Your Sins are Forgiven!! (A Fresh look at the cross)
Luke 7:48 ……Your sins are forgiven
What is the good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ? The good news is that “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN”!!
This statement has become a cliché in the church. To understand this statement, it is necessary to take a fresh look at the cross. What happened at the cross?
Sin separated man from God by the disobedience of one man, Adam. Heb 10:1-4, 11 says that the old covenant, which was a type and shadow of the real thing, had a sacrificial system for the atonement of sins. Because, the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins, it could not make anyone perfect. If perfection could be achieved by that system, then there would be no need to offer the same sacrifice again and again. So people were constantly conscious of their sins. They could never have a perfect or sinless conscience (Heb 9:9; 10:2). The priest had to offer sacrifices for himself and the congregation continually.
Now contrast that with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which is the real thing. He was offered ONCE for the sins of many (Heb 9:28). He entered the most holy place with His own blood. How does the ONE sacrifice of Jesus and His blood compare with that of the sacrifices of the old covenant? (Please pause and think about each of the following points)
1. His ONE sacrifice has PUT AWAY SIN FOREVER (Heb 9:26; 10:12)
2. His blood has provided remission or forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:22)
3. His blood has cleansed our conscience (Heb 9:14; 10:22)
4. We HAVE BEEN sanctified ONCE FOR ALL(Heb 10:10)
5. We HAVE BEEN perfected FOREVER (Heb 10:14; 12:23)
6. Because sins have been remitted, there is no need for another sacrifice (Heb 10:18).
7. Because sins have been taken away by His one sacrifice, He is now SEATED and not standing anymore to offer more sacrifices (Heb 10:11-12).
8. He has obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION (Heb 9:12)
We have received eternal, not momentary, redemption (Heb. 9:12). One sacrifice was made for all sin forever, and we have been perfected forever. Isn’t that awesome news?
So does that mean Christ forgave all our sins (past, present, future sins)? You better believe that Christ has forgiven all your future sins too, because he died for our sins once; 2000 years ago; before we were born or committed any sin. All our sins were future sins when he died. God is not bound by time as we are. When we believe in Jesus and His finished work, we receive the forgiveness for all our sins that He has already provided 2000 years ago. He did this purely by His grace, not because of any of our good deeds or confessions or sin consciousness or introspections. Rather, based on Heb 10:2, we should have no more sin consciousness, because of his perfect sacrifice, which has done a perfect work in the area of sin. We have eternal redemption, which is eternal forgiveness of our sins (Eph 1:7 and Col 1:14). 2 Cor 5:21 says that, He was made sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Beloved, righteousness is a free gift that He has given us - not by our own works (Rom 5:17, 18). Forgiveness of sins and the free gift of righteousness (apart from law/works) is the gospel that Paul preached, that was given to him by direct revelation by Jesus Himself (Acts 13:38; Gal 1:12).
He has taken away not only our sins, but the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2; John 1:29). This is the good news that needs to be shouted from the roof tops. The sin barrier has been removed once for all. God has reconciled the whole world to himself through Christ and is not imputing anyone’s trespasses anymore (2 Cor 5:19). Christ took the punishment for sins of the entire humanity.
Beloved, are you willing to see yourself as God sees you today, forgiven, holy, righteous, sanctified, and perfected because of the PERFECT sacrifice of Jesus? Quit trying to add anything more to his finished work by your religious works. It is an insult to His finished work. He doesn’t even remember your sins anymore (Heb 10:17; Ps 103:12). Jesus said, “It is FINISHED”. Do you believe?
YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN!
What is the good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ? The good news is that “YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN”!!
This statement has become a cliché in the church. To understand this statement, it is necessary to take a fresh look at the cross. What happened at the cross?
Sin separated man from God by the disobedience of one man, Adam. Heb 10:1-4, 11 says that the old covenant, which was a type and shadow of the real thing, had a sacrificial system for the atonement of sins. Because, the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins, it could not make anyone perfect. If perfection could be achieved by that system, then there would be no need to offer the same sacrifice again and again. So people were constantly conscious of their sins. They could never have a perfect or sinless conscience (Heb 9:9; 10:2). The priest had to offer sacrifices for himself and the congregation continually.
Now contrast that with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, which is the real thing. He was offered ONCE for the sins of many (Heb 9:28). He entered the most holy place with His own blood. How does the ONE sacrifice of Jesus and His blood compare with that of the sacrifices of the old covenant? (Please pause and think about each of the following points)
1. His ONE sacrifice has PUT AWAY SIN FOREVER (Heb 9:26; 10:12)
2. His blood has provided remission or forgiveness of sins (Heb 9:22)
3. His blood has cleansed our conscience (Heb 9:14; 10:22)
4. We HAVE BEEN sanctified ONCE FOR ALL(Heb 10:10)
5. We HAVE BEEN perfected FOREVER (Heb 10:14; 12:23)
6. Because sins have been remitted, there is no need for another sacrifice (Heb 10:18).
7. Because sins have been taken away by His one sacrifice, He is now SEATED and not standing anymore to offer more sacrifices (Heb 10:11-12).
8. He has obtained ETERNAL REDEMPTION (Heb 9:12)
We have received eternal, not momentary, redemption (Heb. 9:12). One sacrifice was made for all sin forever, and we have been perfected forever. Isn’t that awesome news?
So does that mean Christ forgave all our sins (past, present, future sins)? You better believe that Christ has forgiven all your future sins too, because he died for our sins once; 2000 years ago; before we were born or committed any sin. All our sins were future sins when he died. God is not bound by time as we are. When we believe in Jesus and His finished work, we receive the forgiveness for all our sins that He has already provided 2000 years ago. He did this purely by His grace, not because of any of our good deeds or confessions or sin consciousness or introspections. Rather, based on Heb 10:2, we should have no more sin consciousness, because of his perfect sacrifice, which has done a perfect work in the area of sin. We have eternal redemption, which is eternal forgiveness of our sins (Eph 1:7 and Col 1:14). 2 Cor 5:21 says that, He was made sin so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. Beloved, righteousness is a free gift that He has given us - not by our own works (Rom 5:17, 18). Forgiveness of sins and the free gift of righteousness (apart from law/works) is the gospel that Paul preached, that was given to him by direct revelation by Jesus Himself (Acts 13:38; Gal 1:12).
He has taken away not only our sins, but the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2; John 1:29). This is the good news that needs to be shouted from the roof tops. The sin barrier has been removed once for all. God has reconciled the whole world to himself through Christ and is not imputing anyone’s trespasses anymore (2 Cor 5:19). Christ took the punishment for sins of the entire humanity.
Beloved, are you willing to see yourself as God sees you today, forgiven, holy, righteous, sanctified, and perfected because of the PERFECT sacrifice of Jesus? Quit trying to add anything more to his finished work by your religious works. It is an insult to His finished work. He doesn’t even remember your sins anymore (Heb 10:17; Ps 103:12). Jesus said, “It is FINISHED”. Do you believe?
YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN!
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