As a Christians it is a faithful saying that we truly have been blessed beyond measure. Unfortunately, we can get caught up measuring this "blessedness" by THINGS: material possessions, physical wellness, and good fortune; yet, this is not what I mean, nor what our apostle Paul is talking about when he speaks of the "riches of God's grace". These blessings are completely spiritual in nature and therefore cannot be measured by the physical eye or your bank account, but can by the "eyes of our understanding".
One of the numerous blessings we have blessed with is spoken of in Ephesians. Ephesians, as it concerns our edification builds upon the foundation of what Romans-Galatians sets forth; therefore, advanced education and edification is taking place. The blessings spoken of in Ephesians are
Monday, September 3, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
Forgiveness
Forgiveness. From childhood we are taught it is right to forgive wrongs committed against us, even if that forgiveness isn’t sought. This concept is so ingrained into our lives that instant dread rains down upon our constitution if stubborn selfishness overcomes us. Why forgive? If the entire act creates, when ignored, an instant worry about the function of our own character, is it even necessary? Seriously, who would want to go through life forgiving when a wrong is committed to feeling like a leper in the presence of God when they don’t? I am certainly not willing to live like that. So, why not define forgiveness a little more:
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Light & Darkness
Being made aware of certain events, details, and other random information is a part of our everyday life. Gaining knowledge and exercising knowledge begins as soon as we wake up in the morning. We do this particularly in specific areas of expertise. In other words, in our jobs, while on the job, and doing business. Most of the time we exercise existing knowledge: certain knowledge we have already gained by education or experience; however, at times our occupation demands further training and education. The companies and businesses we work for take the time to train and educate their employees. This includes an array of things such as how to do your job better, how to do a specific part of your job better, or how to do a new aspect of your job that is being implemented. Simply put, learning and receiving, as well as, exercising knowledge is routine at work and in our lives.
At the moment one trusts Christ as their all-sufficient Savior there is training God
At the moment one trusts Christ as their all-sufficient Savior there is training God
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Remarkable, Almost Unfathomable, and Near Unbelievable
Being astounded by our heavenly Father should become a regular part of our lives. His ability to measure up “to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” by His remarkable, almost unfathomable, and near unbelievable declarations, provide a continuance in that astonishment. Our Father has provided numerous “spiritual blessing in Christ” and before we even start being “nourished and cherished” by those marvelous blessings, it is mere genius of our Father to provide “the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” for us to be “baptized into Christ”, so that, we can first and foremost be put “in Christ.” Although this remarkable work has been done and its’ purpose and result is necessary, it truly is
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
My Desire
"This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work." 1 Timothy 3:1
It was over 5 years ago where this verse became a reality in my life. Over 5 years ago I changed my major at the college I was attending from Kinesiology to Ministry, because I no longer desired to attend to man's physical injuries, rather to man's spiritual deadness and infirmities. I did not hear a voice from God to lead me to be a pastor, I did not have an inkling from the holy Spirit, rather God's Word worked effectually in me and produced a desire for not only His word, but the edification of the Body of Christ.
This started my journey. I had never told anyone this,
It was over 5 years ago where this verse became a reality in my life. Over 5 years ago I changed my major at the college I was attending from Kinesiology to Ministry, because I no longer desired to attend to man's physical injuries, rather to man's spiritual deadness and infirmities. I did not hear a voice from God to lead me to be a pastor, I did not have an inkling from the holy Spirit, rather God's Word worked effectually in me and produced a desire for not only His word, but the edification of the Body of Christ.
This started my journey. I had never told anyone this,
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Perceiving Romans 6:15
"What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."
Recently, I have been thoroughly studying "the law". It is unfortunate that on the left side people will say, "good job, when God gave the law it was one of the best things He did!" with zeal and zest I might add. On the right side people will say, "why are you thoroughly studying "the law", don't you know that we are not under it, like the verse says" with zeal and zest as well.
I realized that some justified saints by the time they get to Romans 6:15, are satisfied. I have experienced 3 categories of this satisfaction: 1) They recognize they are justified and do not progress on
Recently, I have been thoroughly studying "the law". It is unfortunate that on the left side people will say, "good job, when God gave the law it was one of the best things He did!" with zeal and zest I might add. On the right side people will say, "why are you thoroughly studying "the law", don't you know that we are not under it, like the verse says" with zeal and zest as well.
I realized that some justified saints by the time they get to Romans 6:15, are satisfied. I have experienced 3 categories of this satisfaction: 1) They recognize they are justified and do not progress on
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Our Father's Perspective on Suffering
I have recently read numerous non-credible blogs and articles on the issue of suffering. Each explained thoughts and quotes of who they recognized as credible sources on the issue of suffering. Most of what I read consisted of corrupt views of where suffering comes. This leads to a corrupt solution of how to not only view but handle suffering. This in turn manifests the lack of power in the lack of comfort that has plagued the majority of the Body of Christ.
The view held is that suffering originates from God Himself; therefore, the solution is God has some intended purpose in each suffering I go through. Each take the liberty of interpreting God's purpose(s) for them or lesson that is to be learned. It can be interpreted that the reason they are going through suffering is because they're in sin and God is trying to weed out of their life. This not only takes the cross out of the picture as the source and means of complete forgiveness, justification, but also the means of destroying sin in the body. God has dealt with your sin once and for all at Calvary, He does not deal with it by making you suffer; this would be extremely contradictory and go against His Word. It also makes God's purpose of "dealing with sin" subjective instead of objective. This is one of the many problems for godly comforting to take place from God's Word and through others understanding suffering, to be able to recognize we all go through sufferings. When this understanding from God's word is working effectually in us, it allows for mutual comfort to take place. A one mind in suffering and comfort is and should be one of the hallmarks of the Body.
This is not the case. Paul teaches that the cause of suffering was a result of two things: 1) sin entering the world through Satan and man's belief in his (Satan's) word, and 2) Gods response to the "unwilling" creature (heavenly places) and cursing of the earth. God however from the beginning never had any intention of leaving the whole creation in the bondage of corruption, so He subjected the creature also in hope. The earnest sure expectation of God to deliver it from the bondage through the end result of glorifying His sons. Therefore, until that time the creature would and could only operate under that bondage of corruption; meaning the end of its' duration would be worse then its start and actually; it would progressively get worse culminating in an act of God's deliverance which will perfectly coincide with the manifestation of His sons in glory. This is what we experience. Suffering is not a result from specific sin in our life for He has dealt with everyone of your sins already, but rather a consequence of the fall that already took place and the subjection of the creature in the bondage of corruption. The sufferings of this present time are due to sin in general. There are many sufferings that are common to all man. The death of a loved one, disease and health issues, natural disasters, car trouble, loss of a job, etc. These things happen to both believers and unbelievers alike. They are the result of the overall curse of God's creation that He subjected it to. All of creation is under it and experiences it usually on a daily basis. The bondage of time every one experiences. Many of the little trials we experience such as car trouble, house problems, your iron breaking are the failure of man-made devices and things, not God's chastisement; yet, so many will interpret these things as God's attempt to teach something through individual interpretation. Why is it that these things happen to both believers and unbelievers, but then when one becomes a Christian some sort of spiritualized interpretation of events is formed? "Well maybe God is showing you this?", "Or maybe God is showing you this?", "Maybe God is trying to stir you up a little bit to get back on track?" Which one is it folks! The interpretation of sufferings is sickening leaving it up to private interpretations (not of God; having a view of sufferings from His Word), either from the person going through the suffering or outsiders.
A lot of this confusion comes from not "rightly dividing" this issue. God simply dealt with suffering differently in the OT with the nation of Israel, compared to how He deals with suffering today with the Body of Christ. In the OT He would sovereignly intervene and physically remove Israel from suffering or He would let them suffer to teach them lessons of their disobedience to the law. This is what He does to children and Israel was just that. Today, however He has sovereignly intervened by the completing of His Word and its' effectual ability to strengthen the inner man, the capacity it never had before due to Israel being under the law, which dealt with their flesh. Now, His word deals with our spirit and soul. The sufferings of this present time happens to all mankind. God's word teaches us this so we think we are special and make a private interpretation of what we are going through as if God is teaching us something. Our Father will teach us from His Word and His Word alone. He has in fact taught us how to view sufferings. God has given us His completely sufficient word to teach us and no where does He instruct us to discern a suffering to show us His will in any way, shape, or form. Rather, God tells us in His word the exact opposite.
Today, God doesn't remove us from sufferings like a Father would remove His children, but rather allows us to go through them in order to prove and make manifest the strength, might, and power of His word working in our inner man. He treats believers today as a Father would treat mature sons and daughters, giving opportunity to manifest there maturity, gained by their Father. The strength of enlarging us so to speak in such a way that not only gets us through the suffering, but in such a way that we become "more than conquerors" by them. A power that produces patience, longsuffering with joyfulness. An attitude that glories and rejoices in tribulations; knowing that God's grace is manifest when we are weak. The might and ability to be troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. It is the capacity to have the treasure of Christ dwelling in our earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
See, when we walk in this evangelical view of suffering and make private interpretations of why is God doing this, we miss out on the opportunity of manifesting the glory and excellency of manifesting the ability of God's word working within us. We miss out on realizing it is not God who is trying to teach us a lesson in the suffering, but rather the suffering comes and God wants to show His power, strength, and might in how one goes through it; how one is enlarged to not only bear it, but to go through it and come out of it as a "more than conqueror" rejoicing because even in the tribulation or suffering God's grace is sufficient.
I understand suffering is hard and understand people have gone through worse things than I, I understand and know trials and tribulations await my life from the fact of God's word explaining the sufferings of this present time, but this does not change the truth of God's word. I understand we are to mourn with those who mourn. I don't believe their shouldn't be crying for a lost loved one or that one can't rejoice when they are crying; however, the private interpretation of sufferings must stop and the faith in God's word to have it unleash its' power and light in the darkest hour needs to be made manifest unto God's glory. I have experienced this a little bit, and get tastes of the capacity and grandeur of God's word and it is excellent and magnificent and every other big word you can think of. It is worthy to boast of and way more worthy to experience than to write a blog about.
We are to have an attitude like the Father's; one that glories in our future glory with Him. When our perspective is after the heart of our Father and we become "like Father, like son" we too will hope every day no matter what each day brings, looking and hoping for the glory that is to be revealed in us, which will deliver the creature from the bondage of corruption. If we are truly persuaded like Romans 8:38, then nothing can separate us from our Father, and we can have the attitude and confident assurance that Romans 8:28-39 is to produce, so that, we can say we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS though HIM THAT LOVED US. If, Christ suffers (not for redemption) today (Romans 8:17) and we are to suffer with Him, and if the creature is waiting for a specific deliverance, and if the whole creation is groaning and travailing, why do we look for some kind of deliverance before the time appointed. If, the Father's goal is to be godlike (godliness), think like He thinks, act like He acts, and co-labour in His business, to be conformed to the image of Christ why do we try to alleviate ourselves from suffering and not rather look ahead for the manifestation of the sons of God when all the groaning will end. Why are we not rather rejoicing, why are we not persuaded that God's Word can do what it says it will do and today that is not to be delivered from the suffering, but with the hope revealed in Romans 8 and those words working in us be able to glory in any situation. This is what suffering looks like today and it is what every believers attitude ought to be. Join with the Father and the Son in having an attitude and hope that stabilizes and does not move, allowing for rejoicing and gain to come from every suffering.
One may be thinking, "easier said then done, Josh, you don't know what it is like to go through suffering" and maybe your right. Usually, a conversation like that leads to an explanation of suffering just for the heck of it and no edification, no mutual comforting, and no rejoicing comes from it; yea, rather a dramatized story so that someone can feel sorry for them. I just pray and what I guess I am saying is that there is no "reckoning of the sufferings of this present time not being worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us"; taking place in the Body; rather desires of healing and a divine intervention to remove us from situations. There is not an overriding issue of glory that drowns out all the sympathy of someone. Suffering has no weight, no value compared to the glory. In fact, the glory is so grand, so excellent that I should not even be writing this blog. There is no comparison, yet why do so many and even I at times give time, dramatize our suffering to get sympathy and not rather point to our hope, point to our glory and have abounding thankfulness in suffering, so much so, that suffering is not the focal point, it is not given time and it become drowned out by our hope. This is the wonderful, beautiful design by our Father, what a beautiful provision to provide a hope that drowns out and doesn't even allow for the comparison with sufferings.
How awesome would it be to hear the mutual comforting and mutual edification between Christians today? To have saints weep with others and be understanding, but able to give Romans 8 HOPE and especially for the one who weeps to take it by faith and be completely comforted and edified that they draw every tear, every heartfelt emotion, every hurt feeling into the perspective of the Father of future glory and rejoice and glory in their suffering. HOW VASTLY DIFFERENT IS THIS THEN ASKING FOR HEALING? We are talking about great power, great might, great genius, great provision from our Father. To have a saint ask another saint to pray for deliverance from a suffering and the one saint know exactly what they mean, that is, for the saint going through the suffering to be able to by faith mind that Christ is suffering today, mind that we have something so much better to have our affection on, know and be persuaded that nothing compares to the glory that will be revealed in us. THIS WOULD BE AWESOME!!!
Look Up,
Josh Strelecki
The view held is that suffering originates from God Himself; therefore, the solution is God has some intended purpose in each suffering I go through. Each take the liberty of interpreting God's purpose(s) for them or lesson that is to be learned. It can be interpreted that the reason they are going through suffering is because they're in sin and God is trying to weed out of their life. This not only takes the cross out of the picture as the source and means of complete forgiveness, justification, but also the means of destroying sin in the body. God has dealt with your sin once and for all at Calvary, He does not deal with it by making you suffer; this would be extremely contradictory and go against His Word. It also makes God's purpose of "dealing with sin" subjective instead of objective. This is one of the many problems for godly comforting to take place from God's Word and through others understanding suffering, to be able to recognize we all go through sufferings. When this understanding from God's word is working effectually in us, it allows for mutual comfort to take place. A one mind in suffering and comfort is and should be one of the hallmarks of the Body.
This is not the case. Paul teaches that the cause of suffering was a result of two things: 1) sin entering the world through Satan and man's belief in his (Satan's) word, and 2) Gods response to the "unwilling" creature (heavenly places) and cursing of the earth. God however from the beginning never had any intention of leaving the whole creation in the bondage of corruption, so He subjected the creature also in hope. The earnest sure expectation of God to deliver it from the bondage through the end result of glorifying His sons. Therefore, until that time the creature would and could only operate under that bondage of corruption; meaning the end of its' duration would be worse then its start and actually; it would progressively get worse culminating in an act of God's deliverance which will perfectly coincide with the manifestation of His sons in glory. This is what we experience. Suffering is not a result from specific sin in our life for He has dealt with everyone of your sins already, but rather a consequence of the fall that already took place and the subjection of the creature in the bondage of corruption. The sufferings of this present time are due to sin in general. There are many sufferings that are common to all man. The death of a loved one, disease and health issues, natural disasters, car trouble, loss of a job, etc. These things happen to both believers and unbelievers alike. They are the result of the overall curse of God's creation that He subjected it to. All of creation is under it and experiences it usually on a daily basis. The bondage of time every one experiences. Many of the little trials we experience such as car trouble, house problems, your iron breaking are the failure of man-made devices and things, not God's chastisement; yet, so many will interpret these things as God's attempt to teach something through individual interpretation. Why is it that these things happen to both believers and unbelievers, but then when one becomes a Christian some sort of spiritualized interpretation of events is formed? "Well maybe God is showing you this?", "Or maybe God is showing you this?", "Maybe God is trying to stir you up a little bit to get back on track?" Which one is it folks! The interpretation of sufferings is sickening leaving it up to private interpretations (not of God; having a view of sufferings from His Word), either from the person going through the suffering or outsiders.
A lot of this confusion comes from not "rightly dividing" this issue. God simply dealt with suffering differently in the OT with the nation of Israel, compared to how He deals with suffering today with the Body of Christ. In the OT He would sovereignly intervene and physically remove Israel from suffering or He would let them suffer to teach them lessons of their disobedience to the law. This is what He does to children and Israel was just that. Today, however He has sovereignly intervened by the completing of His Word and its' effectual ability to strengthen the inner man, the capacity it never had before due to Israel being under the law, which dealt with their flesh. Now, His word deals with our spirit and soul. The sufferings of this present time happens to all mankind. God's word teaches us this so we think we are special and make a private interpretation of what we are going through as if God is teaching us something. Our Father will teach us from His Word and His Word alone. He has in fact taught us how to view sufferings. God has given us His completely sufficient word to teach us and no where does He instruct us to discern a suffering to show us His will in any way, shape, or form. Rather, God tells us in His word the exact opposite.
Today, God doesn't remove us from sufferings like a Father would remove His children, but rather allows us to go through them in order to prove and make manifest the strength, might, and power of His word working in our inner man. He treats believers today as a Father would treat mature sons and daughters, giving opportunity to manifest there maturity, gained by their Father. The strength of enlarging us so to speak in such a way that not only gets us through the suffering, but in such a way that we become "more than conquerors" by them. A power that produces patience, longsuffering with joyfulness. An attitude that glories and rejoices in tribulations; knowing that God's grace is manifest when we are weak. The might and ability to be troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. It is the capacity to have the treasure of Christ dwelling in our earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
See, when we walk in this evangelical view of suffering and make private interpretations of why is God doing this, we miss out on the opportunity of manifesting the glory and excellency of manifesting the ability of God's word working within us. We miss out on realizing it is not God who is trying to teach us a lesson in the suffering, but rather the suffering comes and God wants to show His power, strength, and might in how one goes through it; how one is enlarged to not only bear it, but to go through it and come out of it as a "more than conqueror" rejoicing because even in the tribulation or suffering God's grace is sufficient.
I understand suffering is hard and understand people have gone through worse things than I, I understand and know trials and tribulations await my life from the fact of God's word explaining the sufferings of this present time, but this does not change the truth of God's word. I understand we are to mourn with those who mourn. I don't believe their shouldn't be crying for a lost loved one or that one can't rejoice when they are crying; however, the private interpretation of sufferings must stop and the faith in God's word to have it unleash its' power and light in the darkest hour needs to be made manifest unto God's glory. I have experienced this a little bit, and get tastes of the capacity and grandeur of God's word and it is excellent and magnificent and every other big word you can think of. It is worthy to boast of and way more worthy to experience than to write a blog about.
We are to have an attitude like the Father's; one that glories in our future glory with Him. When our perspective is after the heart of our Father and we become "like Father, like son" we too will hope every day no matter what each day brings, looking and hoping for the glory that is to be revealed in us, which will deliver the creature from the bondage of corruption. If we are truly persuaded like Romans 8:38, then nothing can separate us from our Father, and we can have the attitude and confident assurance that Romans 8:28-39 is to produce, so that, we can say we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS though HIM THAT LOVED US. If, Christ suffers (not for redemption) today (Romans 8:17) and we are to suffer with Him, and if the creature is waiting for a specific deliverance, and if the whole creation is groaning and travailing, why do we look for some kind of deliverance before the time appointed. If, the Father's goal is to be godlike (godliness), think like He thinks, act like He acts, and co-labour in His business, to be conformed to the image of Christ why do we try to alleviate ourselves from suffering and not rather look ahead for the manifestation of the sons of God when all the groaning will end. Why are we not rather rejoicing, why are we not persuaded that God's Word can do what it says it will do and today that is not to be delivered from the suffering, but with the hope revealed in Romans 8 and those words working in us be able to glory in any situation. This is what suffering looks like today and it is what every believers attitude ought to be. Join with the Father and the Son in having an attitude and hope that stabilizes and does not move, allowing for rejoicing and gain to come from every suffering.
One may be thinking, "easier said then done, Josh, you don't know what it is like to go through suffering" and maybe your right. Usually, a conversation like that leads to an explanation of suffering just for the heck of it and no edification, no mutual comforting, and no rejoicing comes from it; yea, rather a dramatized story so that someone can feel sorry for them. I just pray and what I guess I am saying is that there is no "reckoning of the sufferings of this present time not being worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us"; taking place in the Body; rather desires of healing and a divine intervention to remove us from situations. There is not an overriding issue of glory that drowns out all the sympathy of someone. Suffering has no weight, no value compared to the glory. In fact, the glory is so grand, so excellent that I should not even be writing this blog. There is no comparison, yet why do so many and even I at times give time, dramatize our suffering to get sympathy and not rather point to our hope, point to our glory and have abounding thankfulness in suffering, so much so, that suffering is not the focal point, it is not given time and it become drowned out by our hope. This is the wonderful, beautiful design by our Father, what a beautiful provision to provide a hope that drowns out and doesn't even allow for the comparison with sufferings.
How awesome would it be to hear the mutual comforting and mutual edification between Christians today? To have saints weep with others and be understanding, but able to give Romans 8 HOPE and especially for the one who weeps to take it by faith and be completely comforted and edified that they draw every tear, every heartfelt emotion, every hurt feeling into the perspective of the Father of future glory and rejoice and glory in their suffering. HOW VASTLY DIFFERENT IS THIS THEN ASKING FOR HEALING? We are talking about great power, great might, great genius, great provision from our Father. To have a saint ask another saint to pray for deliverance from a suffering and the one saint know exactly what they mean, that is, for the saint going through the suffering to be able to by faith mind that Christ is suffering today, mind that we have something so much better to have our affection on, know and be persuaded that nothing compares to the glory that will be revealed in us. THIS WOULD BE AWESOME!!!
Look Up,
Josh Strelecki
The General Scope of Romans
Romans begins with the revelation of God's wrath and the things man has done and does do (Ecc. 1:9, "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun"), to deserve God's wrath. God reveals through Paul the conception of unrighteousness and ungodliness which itself is unrighteous and ungodly; that is, the mind and heart. These (mind and heart) are the inner capacities placed within every man by God, to know and understand Him for who He His: His glory, eternal power, Godhead, and truth. These however, would be changed by man's God given inner capacities due to their fallen nature being in Adam. They attempt to do everything they can to escape God and His judgment: imagining there is no God and that they and/or the animals are, resulting in God's giving them over. This leads to heinous "things which are not convenient", creating in their minds a curve in God's judgment for themselves. A mentality that would say, "look at those people they are worse than me; therefore, I am justified". These "vain imaginations" along with numerous others lead to the indictment against the world: guilty. God then stands in the gap both physically and sequentially in Romans. The middle section of Romans begins where the problem of mankind's downfall began; first the standing before God, (once in Adam, now in Christ) second the inner man, third the standing and inner man bursting forth outwardly. Justification and sanctification are explained by comprehensible and effectual depths. A new reality, influence, source, and life are not only gained in chapter 3-8, but progressively realized; not by sight but by faith. Romans then progresses on from Romans 8:14 onward with the son of God being taught the Father's business and His dispensing of godliness into those who are willing and honourable living sacrificial vessels. A proper attitude toward God, believers, and unbelievers can be received as well as the capacity to bear fruit unto holiness is manifested. The power to walk in good works already established for the son and be the workmanship of His Father is unmatched; given freely by no works of the son, but by the Father's wisdom and adoption. The power of salvation from initial faith to the just living by faith is put on display from Romans 3-16 giving those diligent students of God's Word the eternal scope of its: foreknowledge, predestination, event, effectual working, and future. Maranatha!!!
Look Up,
Josh
Look Up,
Josh
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Don't Frustrate The Grace of God
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."
- Galatians 2:21
Every believer, ones who solely trusts that Christ has died for their sin, was buried, and raised again, ones who believe Christ was delivered for their offences and raised again for their justification (to be declared righteous), and the ones who God's righteousness is not only unto, but the ones on whom it is upon, should know what it is to frustrate the grace of God. The believer understood through faith that they were sinners in need of God's righteousness, that no matter what good or bad they had done they fell short. The believer came to understand that all their attempts through law keeping and service to others was not the means of their righteousness, but that their righteousness would come from a source outside themselves, who is Christ.
It seems all to common among believers today that fruit, service, and law-keeping are the focus in the life of a believer. The issue of righteousness is lost and almost unsettled in the believers life resulting in a proving of their salvation by trying to produce something they never could: righteousness. They put their flesh suits on, hit the religious treadmill, and start working and exercising the flesh all to prove something they received by faith in the first place.
Righteousness never came by law keeping or the flesh and never will for if it did or if it does Christ is dead in vain. If your trying to prove your saved, stay saved, or think your saved by works, by law keeping, by the flesh then Christ is dead in vain. The believer starts out by believing solely in the crosswork of Christ, and they continue believing in the crosswork of Christ, He remains the issue. It is then when Christ is not dead in vain, but rather the reality of Galatians 2:20, is unleashed in the inner man.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."
I pray to all those that read that "as ye have received Christ Jesus, so walk ye in Him."
In Him,
Josh
- Galatians 2:21
Every believer, ones who solely trusts that Christ has died for their sin, was buried, and raised again, ones who believe Christ was delivered for their offences and raised again for their justification (to be declared righteous), and the ones who God's righteousness is not only unto, but the ones on whom it is upon, should know what it is to frustrate the grace of God. The believer understood through faith that they were sinners in need of God's righteousness, that no matter what good or bad they had done they fell short. The believer came to understand that all their attempts through law keeping and service to others was not the means of their righteousness, but that their righteousness would come from a source outside themselves, who is Christ.
It seems all to common among believers today that fruit, service, and law-keeping are the focus in the life of a believer. The issue of righteousness is lost and almost unsettled in the believers life resulting in a proving of their salvation by trying to produce something they never could: righteousness. They put their flesh suits on, hit the religious treadmill, and start working and exercising the flesh all to prove something they received by faith in the first place.
Righteousness never came by law keeping or the flesh and never will for if it did or if it does Christ is dead in vain. If your trying to prove your saved, stay saved, or think your saved by works, by law keeping, by the flesh then Christ is dead in vain. The believer starts out by believing solely in the crosswork of Christ, and they continue believing in the crosswork of Christ, He remains the issue. It is then when Christ is not dead in vain, but rather the reality of Galatians 2:20, is unleashed in the inner man.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me."
I pray to all those that read that "as ye have received Christ Jesus, so walk ye in Him."
In Him,
Josh
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
LAW and FLESH
"I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me."
-Romans 7:21
I started yesterday my reading and as I always remind the saints at Twin Cities Grace Fellowship, the epistle to the Romans is jammed-packed and every time I read, something always jumps out: new and/or refreshing. The text is absolutely wonderful. Here are a few of my notes I have made on Romans 7; however, I don't include every verse in this blog.
Romans 7:1- “Death breaks the dominion and obligation of the law”
We are dead to the law so that our position of being dead to sin (chapter 6) can be put into practice. The reason why God had to do that is because the law was not designed to accommodate the deadness to sin. The law was designed to put sin into motion (7:5).
v. 4- God had to make us dead to the law so that we can bring forth fruit unto Him. (Gal. 2:19)
You can’t live unto God under the law, if God has to make you dead to the law so that you can live unto Him, God has to make you dead to the law so that you can bring forth fruit unto Him. Then that means you can’t do it under the law. This is the critical thing that we have to learn and realize the reality of.
v. 5, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.”
v. 6, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Newness of spirit is little (s) that means a new system of operation and thinking in your human spirit, instead of the letter of the law there. Instead of having that performance system in your mind and thinking that God is going to bless if you do good and curse if you do evil and having fear for your motivation of serving (law contract). Instead of operating out of that thinking, God says we are dead to sin, dead to law, so that we should serve in newness of spirit, Grace thinking, who you are in Christ, and operating out of that.
v. 7, next objection, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, thou shalt not covet.”
v. 8, “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.”
Example of v. 8
v. 9, “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, SIN REVIVED, AND I DIED.”
Nothing wrong with the law, but our assumptions are wrong!!
v. 13, “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”
v. 14, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” (Heb. 9)
v. 15-25= “Struggle to put His position in Christ under the law.”
The sin he wants to stop he can’t, and the good he wants he can’t.
v. 17, We are to be free from sin and dead to sin. Why then in verse 17, is sin doing anything in us? It comes by the law. The law does not provide the capacity to do the good you wish, but has the flesh operating and sin reviving. Our flesh is dead.
v. 22-23, “For I delight in the law of God after 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.”
***Another law in my members…who wins the war, “and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ***
v. 24, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
He just described functional death and the deliverance is getting yourself from under the law and operating who you are in Christ.
v. 25, “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.”
Reference-chapter 6, in Christ Jesus our Lord we are under grace!!! What we need is a system that doesn’t cater to the flesh because the flesh only serves the law of sin. What we need is a system that doesn’t call upon the flesh and that's what grace does, it's crucifying you in Christ. God puts us under grace, may we not put ourselves under law.
-Romans 7:21
I started yesterday my reading and as I always remind the saints at Twin Cities Grace Fellowship, the epistle to the Romans is jammed-packed and every time I read, something always jumps out: new and/or refreshing. The text is absolutely wonderful. Here are a few of my notes I have made on Romans 7; however, I don't include every verse in this blog.
Romans 7:1- “Death breaks the dominion and obligation of the law”
We are dead to the law so that our position of being dead to sin (chapter 6) can be put into practice. The reason why God had to do that is because the law was not designed to accommodate the deadness to sin. The law was designed to put sin into motion (7:5).
v. 4- God had to make us dead to the law so that we can bring forth fruit unto Him. (Gal. 2:19)
You can’t live unto God under the law, if God has to make you dead to the law so that you can live unto Him, God has to make you dead to the law so that you can bring forth fruit unto Him. Then that means you can’t do it under the law. This is the critical thing that we have to learn and realize the reality of.
v. 5, “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.”
v. 6, “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”
Newness of spirit is little (s) that means a new system of operation and thinking in your human spirit, instead of the letter of the law there. Instead of having that performance system in your mind and thinking that God is going to bless if you do good and curse if you do evil and having fear for your motivation of serving (law contract). Instead of operating out of that thinking, God says we are dead to sin, dead to law, so that we should serve in newness of spirit, Grace thinking, who you are in Christ, and operating out of that.
v. 7, next objection, “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, thou shalt not covet.”
v. 8, “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.”
Example of v. 8
v. 9, “For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, SIN REVIVED, AND I DIED.”
Nothing wrong with the law, but our assumptions are wrong!!
v. 13, “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”
v. 14, “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” (Heb. 9)
v. 15-25= “Struggle to put His position in Christ under the law.”
The sin he wants to stop he can’t, and the good he wants he can’t.
v. 17, We are to be free from sin and dead to sin. Why then in verse 17, is sin doing anything in us? It comes by the law. The law does not provide the capacity to do the good you wish, but has the flesh operating and sin reviving. Our flesh is dead.
v. 22-23, “For I delight in the law of God after 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.”
***Another law in my members…who wins the war, “and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ***
v. 24, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
He just described functional death and the deliverance is getting yourself from under the law and operating who you are in Christ.
v. 25, “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.”
Reference-chapter 6, in Christ Jesus our Lord we are under grace!!! What we need is a system that doesn’t cater to the flesh because the flesh only serves the law of sin. What we need is a system that doesn’t call upon the flesh and that's what grace does, it's crucifying you in Christ. God puts us under grace, may we not put ourselves under law.
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