Struggling With Sin? You do not want too. You want to stop. You still fail. What to do?
As a believer in eternal security from the very moment of belief on Christ’s finished work (Ephesians 1:13-14), there has been a drastic change in our Spirit, in our inner person which has been born again. Made a New Creature and MADE the very righteousness of God IN CHRIST. This NEW US which Apostle Paul calls THE SPIRIT is real.
Are we perfect in the Spirit? God says YES. How about our minds though? Our minds still need renewing by the Word of God. Our mind is where our beliefs are. The new us at our core being has been changed but we still have ‘wrong old thoughts and wrong old beliefs’ about many things. By reading the Word of God we start seeing who Christ has transformed us into. Now FREE FOREVER from our debt of sins we ‘change our mind’ (the very definition of the Bible English word REPENT) about many things as we read the Bible and see God’s truth as the Holy Spirit COMFORTS us.
These changes in beliefs work outwardly into our lives effortlessly as by believing right will result in how see things and determine decisions and how we respond to others in love. Our inner beliefs allow God to work through us and so we do the good works Christ has set before us to accomplish.
Salvation happens in a moment. Our core being made eternal by belief on Christ’s FINISHED WORK (John 3:14-18, 1 Cor. 15:1-4, Eph. 1:13-14) but our sanctification is an ongoing process in our life as we change our mind by the truth of the Word of God that the Holy Spirit guides to BELIEVE.
We need to focus on God’s Grace and not our failures in sin.
When we focus on not sinning it is the same as following The Law and the Bible is clear that the result is we will sin more, not less. It is the opposite of how the world thinks. The world view is all about our performance. Do good to be good. Keep in mind that it is Satan who is the ruler of this world.
“Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 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. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.” (Romans 7:12-14 KJV)
“Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED in his sight: for by the law is the KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.” (Romans 3:20 KJV)
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence MIGHT ABOUND. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5:20)
“The sting of death is sin; and the STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW.” (1 Corinthians 15:56 KJV)
As believers, we are not under the Old Covenant of Law following by self righteous efforts. We are under the New Covenant which has replaced the Old Covenant. We are under the GRACE OF GOD through Jesus Christ. So when you fall into sin, God wants us to be focusing on a Christ conscious, not a sin conscious. This means that when you struggle with sin (we all will), God wants you to be conscious that in Christ you have forgiveness of sins through His blood. ALL your sins were already paid IN FULL by Christ on the cross 2000 years ago. God foreknew every sin you will commit in your life, before you were born. And Jesus paid for them ALL.
God wants us to be conscious that “…the was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
When we are Christ-conscious, we will have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5:1 KJV)
We believe that we are the righteousness of God in Christ.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Cor. 5:21 KJV)
So when you STRUGGLE with sin and feel a failure, don’t be overly conscious of your failure and feel bad or condemned. Instead, be conscious of who you are in Christ, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and continue your walk with God!
Confess your sins to God which means to AGREE that you sinned. Sorry you sinned, ask God to help you overcome the temptation in the future. Focus on His love for you and His grace and you will find yourself sinning less.
WE NEED TO ENTER GOD’S REST. THAT IS WHAT BELIEVERS SHOULD FEAR.
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” (Hebrews 4:1 KJV)
I once had a person telling me that the Jews killed Christ and made Him die on that cross. The reality though, which many may not want to think about, is that it really was ME and YOU that made it so Jesus had to shed His blood in such a horrible manner to save us from our debt of sins against God; to save us from perishing. Such an enormous sacrifice in love for us has Christ bestowed upon us! The greatest act of love in all of human history and that is a fact! ‘Jesus paid it all. All to Him I Owe’, as the song goes. We know the depth of desperation we find ourselves in. We believe. We are grateful. We are thankful. Yet…YET!, we still blow it and sin after accepting Christ. It is a powerful force, our old Flesh nature. We have had it all our lives. And it is at war with our new position in Christ.
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41 KJV)
Ever feel like that as a believer? Even as a very devout believer? You know, when you fail and blow it with sin as a believer, and you wonder if you will ever overcome that wrongful anger? Outbursts of hatred? Harsh words spoken to your daughter or son or wife? Or thoughts of lust that seem to come outta no where? Or there is a pesky sin that keeps popping up in your life? You hate it but it happens anyway. You tell God how sorry yo are and you feel worthless? You fight but lose the battle at times? Sometimes? Many times? You wonder why you just cannot win sometimes with the battle against sins in your life?
What Does It Mean That We Are Positionally Saved?
Let’s be honest for a moment. Guess what all this means? It means we are human and although God made us a NEW CREATION in the Spirit from the very moment we believed on Christ for forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 1:13-14), we all still have Old Nature thoughts and processes in our mind, called The Flesh. It is like a disease and pestilence that we cannot eradicate in our own effort while we reside in our corrupt bodies.
To God, POSITIONALLY, we have become COMPLETELY NEW BEINGS that are called The Spirit. As believers in Christ, God made us into a NEW CREATION in the Spirit. This NEW US is not something we worked to achieve. The Spirit is the GIFT of Salvation from God and not of ourselves, nor our good works nor religious rituals (Ephesians 2:8-9). When we believe Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and then accept this GIFT of God’s grace as truth by belief, we are TRANSFERRED from being what the Bible positionally calls ‘The Unrighteous/Wicked’ group of people into being positionally ‘The Righteous/Redeemed’ group of people.
It is 100% the work of God. It is not some scale of our performance that makes us more and more Holy as time passes. We are deemed 100% Holy to God from the very moment of our Salvation and belief on Christ alone for Salvation. This is very clear in Scripture. We read in Colossians 2,
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And YE ARE COMPLETE IN HIM, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made WITHOUT HANDS, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: BURIED WITH HIM in baptism, wherein also ye are RISEN WITH HIM through the faith of the OPERATION OF GOD, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, DEAD IN YOUR SINS and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together WITH HIM, having FORGIVEN YOU ALL TRESPASSES ; BLOTTING OUT the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and TOOK IT OUT OF THE WAY, NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS;” (Colossians 2:9-14 KJV)
We ARE (present tense, right now!) COMPLETE IN HIM. But how can that be if we still have sins in our life? Yes, we struggle against sinning but we still sin. The struggle is REAL! And it is NOT EASY.
If I am complete IN CHRIST, why do I still have such bad thoughts?
Let me show you by an analogy. Grab a book. Any book at all. We will call this book, CHRIST. Now take a piece of wrinkled up, torn scratched paper. Make it look filthy. That piece of paper represents you and I, with a debt of sins. Now, open that book and place that piece of paper inside between any two pages of the book. NOW, SHUT THE BOOK! Wherever that book goes, you are going with it because you are IN IT as that piece of wrinkled and torn paper.
When a person accepts the GIFT of Salvation by belief on Christ, the Holy Spirit (God) indwells that person from the very moment of belief on Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14). At the very same time we become the very righteousness of God, IN CHRIST in the Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:21). And because of this we are MADE COMPLETE…IN HIM. So when Jesus was on the cross nailing the sins of the world to that tree, we were there having our sins paid for. When Jesus died and was buried, so did we die in the Spirit. And when Jesus rose again, we too rose again in NEWNESS OF LIFE in the Spirit.
“Therefore we are buried WITH HIM by baptism INTO DEATH: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.” (Romans 6:4 KJV)
This is a change of POSITION from being unrighteous to being righteous. This righteousness is not of ourselves, nor something we achieve. It is only by faith in Christ’s complete atonement for our sins on that cross. If we had our sins forgiven by Christ on the cross (which we did) and we then DIED and were RAISED UP as a new being called The Spirit (which we did), our sins are no longer in the way between us and God! Even sins we commit after Salvation.
It is a positional relation.
When you were positionally in the group called The Unrighteous, could doing good deeds erase your bad deeds? Could you make yourself righteous through doing good to erase your bad deeds? NO! It only takes one sin to disqualify a person from Heaven. Well, the same is now true; as a believer, your bad deeds cannot make you positionally a member of The Unrighteous group of people neither! Why? Because you are positionally IN CHRIST.
Your sin debt has been fully paid by Christ. How much was paid? Did Jesus give a FULL payment for our sins or a partial payment? It is one or the other folks! The Bible tells us this,
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he REMOVED our transgressions from us.” (Pslam 103:12 KJV)
“By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ ONCE FOR ALL. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can NEVER take away sins: But this man, after he had offered ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOR EVER, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by ONE OFFERING he HATH PERFECTED FOR EVER them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:10-14 KJV)
The writer of Hebrews continues to say,
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE. Now where remission of these is, there is NO MORE OFFERING for sin.” (Hebrews 10: 16-18 KJV)
This is why Jesus on the cross, just after He paid for the sins of the whole world, cried out, “IT IS FINISHED”. It was DONE. The SINS of the world were COMPLETELY PAID IN FULL. In fact, if you look at the Greek in which the New Testament was written, the phrase translated to English Bibles as ‘IT IS FINISHED’ is an accounting term literally meaning ‘DEBT, PAID IN FULL’! Jesus did not make a partial payment for our sins. It was a full and complete payment.
Your sins will never disqualify you once you are saved. They were all paid for by Christ on the cross. That is not to say there are no consequence for sinning; there are serious consequences. Yes, we should turn from our sins. But loss of your new position IN CHRIST as being eternally saved is NOT a consequence. Salvation is ETERNAL (John 3: 14-18, Ephesians 1:13-14).
If I Am A New Creation In Christ, Why Can’t I Seem To Stop Sinning?
This is where many Christians struggle. Actually, ALL Christians (whether they admit it or not). We have become a NEW CREATION in the Spirit. Yet we still struggle with this SIN ISSUE. We understand that all our sins are paid in full by Christ. We understand that we are right now deemed by God to be COMPLETE IN CHRIST, positionally. Apostle Paul knew this struggle as well! Did you know that Paul called himself the CHIEF of sinners? And he did not say that in his past, when he was persecuting Christians that he was the chief of sinners. He used the word in the present tense and so that means after his conversion.
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I AM CHIEF.” (1 Timothy 1:15 KJV)
We find the answer to the question of ‘why we still sin?’ provided by Apostle Paul in Romans 7. The Apostle Paul is who God chose to give the Gospel Of Grace to the gentiles (us today) and he also taught the doctrine of the Two Natures At War In The Mind Of A Believer in Romans 7 where we read,
“14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. >> 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. >> 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Romans 7: 14-20 KJV, ‘>>’ added for emphasis)
Reading Verse 17 and then again in verse 20 is the truth that so many Christians have not grasped. Paul is saying very clearly that inside of us is the Adam, our OLD NATURE THOUGHTS in our mind before our moment of Salvation which Paul calls The Flesh. Our old nature ways always wants to sin. Whatever feels right was right with no thought given to sin against God. The Flesh is like a disease since our physical birth.
And then there is the New Created Spirit we received at our conversion and belief in the Gospel Of Grace that our Apostle Paul taught. The Spirit is now the real us and has become our very nature; though we may not act perfectly living in The Flesh. The problem is The Newly Created Spirit is residing in The Body still and will until our bodily resurrection. Our minds have not yet been completely renewed to match up with our new reality of being the very righteousness of God, IN CHRIST, and so our thinking is not perfect yet.
This is where all these sinful thoughts come from to tempt us to sin. Sometimes we can reject the temptation but sometimes it simply gets the best of us. The thing is that there are teachers and pulpits telling believers that if we sin after Salvation, we can lose our position IN CHRIST. That is simply not found in the Bible. For a teacher to give verses seeming to state this as fact, they are ignoring proper Bible context; not to mention ignoring so many other Scriptures stating the very opposite! This is why it is so important to study the Word of God. Do not rely only only pastors, or pulpits or TV evangelists. Do not rely on what my articles and e-books teach either! “Let the Word of God be true and everyone else a liar.” Simply meaning, go and prove if what a person is teaching about the Gospel is actually true, using proper context, to be sure of your faith. To be sure of God’s promises for you which are vastly rich and meaningful in our lives!
As believers, we are positionally COMPLETE IN CHRIST and FULLY REDEEMED, RIGHT NOW. Yet our mind still has all this stinking thinking and wrong beliefs hanging around in our mind and that is where the Devil attacks. That is where the devil tempts. He uses externals to excite sinful thoughts and thoughts, not kept in check, can become beliefs.
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:…” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV)
Paul tells us to Renew Our Mind By The Word of God because it is no longer The Flesh that is our nature as believers. We are now actually the New Created Spirit. That is our identity now, in Christ. And that when we fail and sin, and believe me we ALL DO! (1 John 1:10), it is not the REAL US that does it. Instead, as believers, it is this disease we have called the The Flesh. It is this disease we have called sin (our older nature before our belief on Christ).
The Newly Created Spirit we received and have become, is PERFECT (1 John 3:9) and without sin. It is of the seed of the Spirit Of God and is perfectly Holy (which simply means ‘set apart’). This is why the Apostle Paul tells us that our present body, with this Flesh Sin bent, will never inherit the Kingdom of God.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Corinthians 15:50 KJV)
It is also the reason why we need a bodily resurrection in our future as Apostle Paul continues,
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” ( 1 Corinthians 15: 51-57 KJV)
Heaven is a perfect place and there is no sin there. No one can enter Heaven with a sin nature and sin debt against God. The problem is we cannot stop sinning perfectly while living in this Flesh. That is why we need Christ! Paul admonishes that regarding the doctrine of the Two Natures At War In The Mind Of A Believer in the last verse of Romans 7:
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this 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 7:24-25 KJV)
Christ paid for all of our lifetime of sins on the cross 100%. Even the future sins we may commit were PAID IN FULL by Christ on that cross because all of our sins were future to the cross right? Jesus paid for ALL THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD (1 John 2:2). He did not give us a partial payment on our sin debt. Jesus cried out on the cross, IT IS FINISHED! Salvation is eternal and the word eternal means, well, ETERNAL and FOREVER!
We do not keep our Salvation intact by our own efforts! It is Christ alone that keeps us saved. Jesus tells us this very clearly:
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (John 10:27-20 KJV)
In God’s sovereignty, He foreknew everything you and I would do in our life and the sins we would commit and yet He still decided to give every person the opportunity to accept Salvation as a FREE GIFT without self righteous works or deeds required. God still came in the flesh and died on that cross for us so that we would be forgiven and saved eternally. What a great gift (Ephesians 2:8-9)! And whosoever believes on Christ alone in faith, He gives them eternal life and keeps them saved forever.
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6 KJV)
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore. For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.” (Psalms 37:23-28 KJV)
The Grace Of God Is Not A License To Sin
There are still consequences for sinning in this life after the moment of our Salvation (steal/jail) and loss of rewards at the judgement seat of Christ for believers after the Rapture. The Loss of Salvation is not a consequence though. We as believers have the Holy Spirit within to guide us into all truth. We should be reading the Word Of God to renew our minds (John 17).
We should be striving to walk in the Spirit and not by the lusts of The Flesh (The old Sin Nature we were before our moment of Salvation).
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 KJV)
What we need to realize is that right believing and right thinking (that lines up with the Word of God) leads us to right living in a more effortless manner. So we need to RENEW OUR MIND by the Word of God. It is the only truth there is!
Focus on that. Shake! Shake off the ‘old man’…The Flesh, because as a believer in Christ for Salvation you are now a NEW CREATION called The Spirit and it is HOLY, REDEEMED and the very righteousness of God, in Christ! Put on your NW MAn clothes to match who God made you in the Spirit; Holy, Set Apart, Redeemed, the righteousness of God, in Christ and right now present tense risen with Christ in the Heavenlies. Realize who you are by FAITH in God’s Word. Believe that inside.
Walk in the Spirit because that is who we truly are as believers.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have TRIBULATION: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 KJV)
When troubles come into our life, and Jesus told us that they would, how should we be reacting? What about when we are working hard at achieving something and these stumbling blocks keep happening? What about when others keep discouraging you? What about when other believers keep trying to convince you that you need to work to keep your salvation? That you are not doing enough and are not saved because you lack enough good works?
I want to understand what the Word of God says. I want you to understand that most of the world and even Christian community are failing to realize something very important and that is resting in God.
God Wants Us To Rest In Him. Are We Listening?
⇒ BE NOT AFRAID. FEAR NOT.
“FEAR THOU NOT; for I am with thee: BE NOT DISMAYED; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. ” (Isaiah 41:10 KJV) “But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; BE NOT AFRAID.” (Matthew 14:27 KJV)
“And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and BE NOT AFRAID.” (Matthew 17:7 KJV)
“FEAR YE NOT therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:31 KJV)
“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will NOT FEAR what man shall do unto me.” (Hebrews 13:6 KJV)
Then we see what we should be fearing as believers which seems the opposite of what we mostly believe as evident by our actions and reactions to circumstances in our lives:
“Let us THEREFORE FEAR, lest, a promise being left us of ENTERING INTO HIS REST, any of you should seem to COME SHORT OF IT.” (Hebrews 4:1 KJV)
We are to be fearful of not entering into God’s REST.
To be fearful of anything else is an act of unbelief. Bring this to remembrance next time fear grips you. Pray to God to help your unbelief and He will
⇒ THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Romans 1:17 KJV)
“But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” (Galatians 3:11 KJV)
“Now THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.” (Hebrews 10:38 KJV)
“But WITHOUT FAITH it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 KJV)
“Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, BECAUSE OF YOUR UNBELIEF: for verily I say unto you, IF YE HAVE FAITH as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:19-20 KJV)
Our faith matters. It is the only way we can please God because that is what God wants for us; to have faith in Him and to REST in HIM! By exercising our faith in God, we are resting in Him in belief. It is evidence of our belief.
⇒ DO NOT WORRY.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.” (Matthew 6:33-34 KJV)
“I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I SHALL NOT BE MOVED.” (Psalm 16:8 KJV)
“CAST THY BURDEN UPON THE LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22 KJV)
“TRUST IN THE LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV)
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I WILL GIVE YOU REST. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and YE SHALL FIND REST unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 KJV)
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And THE PEACE OF GOD, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 KJV)
⇒ REST IN GOD IN ALL THINGS. THE GOOD, BAD & UGLY.
As believers, we have been born of the Spirit and made a new creature in Christ. Forever forgiven and made into the righteousness of God, in Christ. Yet we still reside in this corrupt Flesh and we will remain here until physical death or our bodily resurrection. We are weak in this Flesh. We are not perfect and God is fully aware. God is for us! Believe that! Jesus died and shed His blood on that cross showing just how much God cares for us!
ENTER GOD’S REST. Be afraid of not remaining there and when you fall out of His rest, God still got ya! You are forever His and forever forgiven and forever the righteousness of God , IN CHRIST. He will never leave you nor forsake you, even when things do not seem to be going your way. He has a plan. He has a purpose for everything you experience and in the end,
“…we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28 KJV)
Righteousness Comes Not By Our Performance. Righteousness Comes By Faith In Christ Alone.
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“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” (John 15:1-6 KJV)
A couple of things must be stated before we get into unpacking John 15 and the Parable of the Vineyard.
+ + + First,Jesus is speaking directly to the disciples, before the passion and Jesus’ crucifixion.
The Holy Spirit is not yet indwelling the disciples. We know this because Jesus said this,
“But WHEN THE COMFORTER IS COME, WHOM I WILL SEND UNTO YOU from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” (John 15:26 KJV)
So we know by this context that Jesus is speaking specifically to the disciples. In fact we see Jesus telling the disciples just prior to His going to the cross that they will be persecuted as He was because,
“Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, THEY WILL ALSO PERSECUTE YOU; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because THEY KNOW NOT HIM WHO SENT ME.” (John 15: 20-21 KJV)
Jesus is telling the disciples what is going to happen TO THEM after He is crucified. Jesus knows what they will be going through in Jesus name, as ambassadors for Christ. This is a prophecy specially FOR THEM in John 15.
As with many prophesies, this also has meaning for us today who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. But we must be careful to understand the specific context addressing of the disciples who were NOT YET sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit to indwell them. That came later at Pentecost AFTER Christ died on the cross and rose again. So Jesus is seen in John 15 encouraging them to keep on going and be patient in persecutions because the Comforter is going to come upon them.
+ + + Second, Jesus is telling the disciples in John 15 how to bear good fruit for the Kingdom. It is not about salvation of a believer in Christ.
The parable of the Vineyard can also be extended to us today in understanding how we can BEAR GOOD FRUIT FOR GOD and HIS KINGDOM and also what God does to help believers do just that. Jesus is talking about how a believer should bear fruit and how God helps a believer to bear good fruit. He is talking about a saved person (here specifically to the disciples) and He does this with an analogy that the people listening at the time He told it would understand very well; a vineyard. He starts with a parable of a vineyard and a vine. He is not talking about salvation nor damnation in hell of an unbeliever. He is talking to saved believers and this parable is all about fruit bearing in our lives. Fruit bearing for Christ and the Kingdom.
A tree is a plant that has a wooden based support structure for the leaves to flourish. It is interesting to note that a Vine is a plant with stems thatrequire support. A vine has a root but the stems must climbs up a tree or other structure. Without that outside support structure it will just lay over the ground and not be as productive in bearing good grapes. This is actually important knowledge for this parable as it is all about relying on the support Jesus provides a believer!
What is it that makes the vine look the way it does? What determines if a vine will bring forth healthy fruit or withered fruit? Or no fruit at all? Is it the stem? Is it the leaves? Is it anything externally on the tree at all? No. It is the health of the vine’s root. The part that is unseen and buried deep in the earth. What an amazing analogy Jesus is using here when we compare it to an actual vine plant.
“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.” (Matthew 12:33 KJV)
Jesus also spoke about a person in an analogy of a tree in Matthew 12 and this is comparing the unsaved person to a saved person. It mentions fruit bearing and some take this verse and then apply it to John 15. But we should not because the context is different in Matthew 12. God wants salvation and righteousness before God, not of our own works, but through faith in Jesus the Christ.
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16 KJV)
The bottom line is that we all have a problem with our hearts, which is our Spirit, our inner man, our “root” until we believe on Christ (John 3:18). It is all about the tree of knowledge of good and evil because we were all born into sin. So Jesus says that we need to “…make the tree good and its fruit good.” It is important to notice and understand that Jesus did not say to do good works which would be good fruit. Instead He says TO MAKE the “tree” (our root) good and by doing so our fruit would be good. Good fruit bearing is God within us flowing outward into our life. And that can only happen if a person has been born again by belief on Christ (John 3:14-18, Ephesians 1:13-14). God’s righteousness, which He made believers by belief on Christ, is the source of the good fruit Jesus is talking about in John 15. So the concept of bearing fruit in Matthew 12 and John 15 is pretty much the same; but John 15 is not about salvation.
John 15 Is Not About A Saved Believer Losing Salvation
John 15 is not about a believer losing Salvation as some pulpits are teaching these days. The truth is, by using proper context, John 15 is Jesus telling the disciples how to bear more fruit. And if we apply this to believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit today, how a believer bears good fruit as well. Before John 15 came, John 3:16, John 5:24, John 6:28-29, John 6:37-40, John 10:27-30 and the previous chapter John 14 where it is clear that Jesus tells us that Salvation is by belief and trust in Him alone.
For us on THIS SIDE of the cross event, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and sealed in salvation, so keep that difference in mind. Jesus made it clear to the Jewish believer’s during His Earthly ministry, that we are saved by believing that He is the foretold Messiah who has come at the appointed time. We are saved today for the same belief, but from the New Covenant side of the cross. In our current dispensation a believer is sealed from the very moment of belief on Christ (Ephesians 1:13-14) and salvation can not be lost. Before the cross the Holy Spirit did not INDWELL people and they had to keep believing in the foretold Messiah who would one day come and be the final blood atonement for the sins of the whole world.
Today we have more knowledge about this because we are on the other side of the cross and as Apostle Paul taught us that by believing Jesus is the Messiah, come as the Only Begotten Son of God, who never sinned, died for our sins on the cross for our sins and rose again, and that this BELIEF ALONE is the only thing God requires of us. That He will never condemn us or lose us as believers. And that no one can take us out of His hands! Jesus also made the promise to the Jews back then as seen in the previous passages in John that I have just mentioned, if they continue in belief on Christ. These Scriptures are in the very same book of John and are Jesus own words and it is the very context that must be used in interpreting John 15. To take one verse (verse 6) from John 15 and turn it into a believer losing Salvation is completely wrong by the book’s own context and Jesus’ own words.
John 15 Is About How A Believer Bears Fruit From The Spirit
In John 15, speaking to the disciples, Jesus tells us that He is the vine and we are the branches as believers. Now let us think about that for just a moment. For us today, from the very moment of our belief and trust on Christ to save us, we are SEALED by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) and our Spirit was recreated into the righteousness of God, in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17-21). We have a new redeemed Spirit now as believers. We have a new root in our core being which is the Spirit. The Holy Spirit now indwells the believer forever and we are COMPLETE IN HIM (Colossians 2). Jesus becomes our new root and source of life. Jesus is one with the Father and Holy Spirit and we are IN CHRIST , also now one with God (John 17).
What Does Jesus Mean By The Word ABIDING in John 15?
This is very important to understand or you may not see the truth on what Jesus is talking about. Not understanding what the phrase ‘ABIDING IN CHRIST’ actually means is one reason some are teaching that John 15 is about a possibility that a believer can lose their Salvation today. Yet, that is just not the truth at all. The New Testament was originally penned in Greek and translated into the English Bible. When we look at the Greek this was penned we find Strong’s Concordance Number G3306 which matches the Greek word μένω (menō). This Greek word occurs 127 times in 105 verses in the Greek concordance of the King James Bible. By comparing the meaning with other passages using the same word, the meaning becomes more clear.
“And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there ABIDE G3306 till ye go thence.” (Matthew 10:11 KJV)
“And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there ABIDE G3306 till ye depart from that place.” (Mark 6:10 KJV)
“And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither ABIDE G3306 in any house, but in the tombs.” (Luke 8:27 KJV)
We can go on and on looking at such passages using the same Greek word and the meaning is very clear. Abiding is not a work we do to remain saved. That is the wrong teaching that seems to be rampant in many pulpits teaching the false ‘works for salvation gospel’ that is found in so many Christian Church Religions and Denominations today.
Abiding means where we live or where we stay. In John 15, Jesus is telling the disciples to live and stay in trusting Him. They were not yet indwelt by the Holy Spirit as we are. For us today, we can still apply this to ourselves because even more so, the Holy Spirit is indwelling believers today. Trust in Him as we go about working for His Kingdom. To live by The Spirit who God recreated us by belief on Him (John 3:18). To abide in HIM. Apostle Paul calls this ‘walking by The Spirit’ and not ‘The Flesh’.
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:16-18 KJV)
Once we are born again in The Spirit (John 3:3), that is how we should be living. We have had a heart transplant at our very core of being, in our Spirit nature. Our old Spirit of Man nature (sin bent nature) DIED and has been reborn into The Spirit Of God (John 3:3, Romans 6, Colossians 2). We need to abide in Christ as our very life and support in order to produce good fruit from God to be used in love towards others. In order to Live in Jesus name as ambassadors for Him to the lost.
John 15 Verse By Verse, Watching The Context Carefully
Verse 2: Every Believer That Does Not Bear Fruit (John 15:2)
“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away:…” (John 15:2 KJV)
This verse is not about fruit inspecting a person to see if they are saved or not as many are teaching today! Every branch ‘in me’, are already eternally saves believers. Those believers that do not bear fruit ‘He taketh away’. Some read this and believe it means God will take them away in judgment and condemnation but that is not so at all! The Greek word for this is airō. This is usually translated as “to raise up, to elevate, or to lift up”. Think about a field full of grape vines. Some branches of the vine may be slouching and even half in the dirt. Wind and tough times have this branch weary and weak, half covered and weighed down in the dirt. What does a person attending to the vines do? Cut it off? NO. This is common practice of a vine care taker and those not bearing fruit he will lift up off of the ground so that it takes to the nutrients better in hopes of bearing more fruit. He will prop it up with sticks to get more sun and nutrients from the vine root. This is all about God helping believers to bear more fruit! As believers, we sometimes receive miraculous help from God, the Vine care taker, in our time of need don’t we?
Verse 2: Every Believer That Bears Fruit (John 15:2)
“…and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” (John 15:2 KJV)
In the Greek, ‘purgeth’ is Strong’s G2508 and is defined as ‘to cleanse’. Such a branch (believer) is not laying in the dirt and God continually cleanses it so that it can bear even more fruit. This is where we want to be as believers and God is helping us to achieve that as our source and support and as our strong root.
Verse 3: Every Believer Is Saved and Cleaned (John 15:3)
“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” (John 15:3 KJV)
What are these words Jesus has spoken to them? Jesus has told the disciples so much truth during their journey with Jesus. By belief on Him as Messiah, they have been cleaned of their sins. Jesus is about to go to the cross for them and all of us! By context, the Words in the previous chapters in the book of John that Jesus spoke. Like John 3:14-18, John 6: 39-40, and the very previous chapter of John 14 which are all Jesus telling us that we are saved only by belief on Him and not by our works and Law of Moses following.
Verse 4 and 5: A Believer cannot do anything pleasing to God by living in The Flesh (John 15:4-5)
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.” (John 15:4-5 KJV)
These two verses by context are very clear right? As a indwelt believer today, we too can choose to do good works with the wrong motive. Some believers believe they have to do good works to remained saved but that is not Biblical truth (read Ephesians 2:8-9 and Galatians 5:4-5). Good works are all good and we should be doing good works for God. But we are not to go off acting like we are our own vines. WE ARE BRANCHES! The point is the motive matters in bearing good fruit. Are we relying on our own effort in bearing fruit? Jesus said He is the vine and we are the branches. As believers, we are not our own vine. We need to let God flow through us you see? A believer can do things by the wrong fleshly motives or they can live outwardly by ‘walking in the Spirit’ (Galatians 5:16). If we act as a vine when we are a branch, we have no source of nutrients to bear any fruit that will matter. Doing so just cuts off God’s power working through us. Is such a person still saved? Yes. Again this is not about salvation; it is about fruit bearing. Yet, don’t we want God working through us and producing good fruit and helping others come to salvation through belief in Christ? We need the ‘sap’ from God. Bearing good fruit is about allowing God to bear good fruit for the Kingdom, through us. We must be humble and not boast about our good works because they are all God’s work. To bear good fruit for God is to trust and rely on Him and then good works will flow from the root , to the branches and to the leaves; and good fruit will grow.
It is also true that without a person believing on Christ for salvation, God is not indwelling them and not working through them to bear good fruit at all. They are more like a weed in the vineyard growing next to a vine. They are not bearing good fruit because they cannot. Their root is the Spirit of Adam and is a sin bent nature. It is their very nature to sin. This is the Spirit of Man that we are all physically born with since the fall in the garden. But when a person comes to accept the free gift salvation through belief on Christ, there root was replaced by God and they can start producing good fruit in their life because they have become IN CHRIST and Christ is IN THEM. It is the very life of God residing within their very core being.
Verse 6: A believer NOT Living By The Spirit of Christ (John 15:6)
This verse has caused massive confusion in the Christian community and led many to believe that Jesus is talking about losing Salvation. But the context is clearly not about salvation in John 15. It is about a believer’s fruit bearing. It is about Jesus telling the disciples to keep Abiding In Christ. That is, LIVING, IN CHRIST. For indwelt believers today, a believer not abiding in Christ is not living by the Spirit of Christ within us. This is a saved person living carnally just like the Corinthians were living. They were saved but walking more by The Flesh than The Spirit of God. The Flesh is all the wrong sinful thoughts in the mind left over from when our old, now dead Spirit of Adam was our core being. We now have The Spirit of God as our core being but our MIND is not yet fully renewed. This is why Apostle Paul taught we need to renew our MIND in Romans 12. Jesus also mentions it in his prayer for believers before the passion and cross event in John 17:17.
“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6 KJV)
Jesus says that those that do not live in the Spirit of Christ, will ‘wither’. In the Greek the word ‘wither’ is xérainó, meaning ‘to dry up’. They become dry and stale and so they do not bear any fruit at all. What happens to a branch not receiving nutrients from the source? It drys up. It withers. And eventually it is cast off, collected and burnt up as useless to bear good fruit. We need to walk by Christ in us. As Apostle Paul wrote, we need to “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). If we are a saved, Holy Spirit indwelt, born again believer and then we ignore the Spirit and live carnally, our works are useless for the Kingdom! Just as James said, such faith is DEAD, which in Greek is used as as analogy for useless.
What about the burned up part in John 15:6? Some are teaching that God will cut these believers off, they will lose Salvation and be burned for eternity in hell. But is that correct? NO. It cannot be because Jesus in John 14 talks about Salvation by belief on Him alone and John 15 is written to the disciples who definitely are BELIEVERS – not unbelievers. Look closely at the Scripture words Jesus uses in verse 6. It does not read like this,
WRONG: ‘and GOD WILL gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.’
That is the lie being taught by so many pulpits these days teaching this is about loss of Salvation. NO. NO. NO… it reads exactly like this,
CORRECT: “..and MEN GATHER THEM, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Men! Not God!
Jesus is saying that not living in Christ will be looked at by the unsaved as a believer being a hypocrite. Their teaching and witnessing to others is withered as they are by how they are living. It will cause them to be useless for the kingdom. They are saved but their life is being played out by acting as vines and not branches. They are living carnally and without regard for fruit bearing in love towards others. Useless.
Jesus is simply using an analogy here of a well known thing to the Jewish people; and that is running a Vineyard. And this is exactly what they did with old withered and dried up branches. They cut them off so that they do not hurt the entire vine. It is NOTHING more than that. It is not about losing Salvation. Not everywhere in Scripture when the word ‘fire’ is used, is it all about condemnation in hell. In fact, what about in the upper room when tongues of fire were seen above the disciples heads? That was referring to the Holy Spirit. What about the burning bush Moses seen? So we must be careful about thinking that the word ‘fire’ only means hell in Scripture. We must look at context closer to see the truth.
Verse 7-10: Abide in Christ’s Love By Living By Christ’s Words and the Word of God (John 15:7-10)
“If ye abide in me, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that YE BEAR MUCH FRUIT; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: CONTINUE YE IN MY LOVE. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:7-10 KJV)
This is such encouragement from Jesus. Live by the Spirit of Christ in us – not The Flesh. If Christ’s WORDS are living in our mind, they are changing our mind (the definition of repent for a believer) and they have replaced wrong fleshly beliefs. We live outwardly as we believe IN THE MIND. The more we read Christ’s words from the Bible, the more we will make better decisions and act in love toward others, bearing good fruit from God through us.
Christ is The Vine and we are The Branches. We need to live as branches today, just as Jesus instructed the disciples not yet indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and allow God’s love to flow through us to others. There should be no boasting in this and we need to be humble. For believers today, our old Spirit of Adam is DEAD. BELIEVE IT!
Walk in the new Spirit God made us when we were converted by belief on Christ (John 3:18, Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 6, Colossians 2 and 3, 2 Cor. 5:17-21). If we live in Christ by the New Spirit He made us, we will bear much fruit and God will help us to bear more and more fruit! And the beauty is, each fruit we bear has many seeds. And each of those seeds produce more fruit! Amen! God will help us in bearing good fruit in our lives. He keeps our leaves clean and branches strong in the Lord. What a great God we serve!
Verse 11: John 15 is all about God Wanting Our Joy To Be Full – Not About Salvation Loss!
“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, AND THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL.” (John 15:11 KJV)
Here we see Jesus encouraging the disciples because He knows what they are about to go through, severe persecution. This too can be applied to believers around the world today who are being persecuted for Jesus’ Name sake. Know where Jesus is taking us!
What Is Bad Fruit And What Is Good Fruit?
For believers today, we are born again in the Spirit and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Apostle Paul told us about good fruit and bad fruit.
The answer comes in Galatians 5 starting at verse 19.
(i) The Bad Fruit Of A Person…
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21 KJV)
(ii) The Good Fruit Of A Person…
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, LET US ALSO WALK IN THE SPIRIT. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:22-26 KJV)
The goal is to not make yourself look clean on the outside while we are full of sin inwardly, in our inner man and mind. We need to be clean inside and it will work it’s way to your outward man. But we can’t do this ourselves. We need Christ’s forgiveness of sins and we need to read the Word of God to renew our mind to God’s viewpoint, and the Holy Spirit also changes us from within.
“Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (1 Peter 3:3-4 KJV)
God looks at us inside; not outwardly. It is not what you DO but the motives you have inside that He looks at. Your Spirit is the real you regardless what is happening outwardly. And we can align our own thinking to what the Holy Spirit is doing in us so that we will bear good fruit as we see in Philippians 4:8:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, THINK ON THESE THINGS.” (Philippians 4:8 KJV)
Rest in God
Allow Christ to change us from the inside out, through the true vine; Jesus Christ. And in time, we will bear the good fruit of God. And it will be our joy, the joy Christ wants for us! Love one another just as God loves and loved you in the blood sacrifice for sins through Christ Jesus. Abide in the words of God. Abide in the words of Jesus and we will learn to say as Paul and the writer of Hebrews also wrote,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16 KJV)
“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.” (Hebrews 4:1 KJV)
“But sin, taking occasion BY THE COMMANDMENT, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For WITHOUT THE LAW sin was dead.” (ROMANS 7:8 KJV)
There is something very special in this verse. Something much too overlooked by believers in Christ. The word CONCUPISCENCE is our tendency to sin, our inclination to sin when tempted. It is the very essence of our Sin Nature which the Bible calls ‘The Flesh’. Too many believe the Ten Commandments (and even the full 613 commandments in the Law of Moses) is to be followed to somehow make us right with God. To appease God into allowing us to please God and be saved by God.
Some of you reading this as believers in Christ may be shocked with what I am about to state but it is very Biblical. It is in fact, the main thrust of the writings of Apostle Paul, who was an expert in the Law of Moses. Paul was once known as Saul, a persecutor and killer of Christians, until one day he had a supernatural meeting with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus that changed his life forever. Saul became known as Paul, who gave us The Gospel of Grace Through Jesus Christ in the New Testament. In fact, two thirds of the New Testament exists because of the writings of Apostle Paul.
Romans 7 is a really pivotal chapter in the Gospel of Grace that is so under taught, yet is central to the truth of the good news of the Gospel of God’s Grace. Verse 8 above may not be what some have considered as the real truth of the freedom and liberty we have been given by belief in Christ for our Salvation. They instead may be pushing the Ten Commandments and preaching condemnation to believers instead of preaching the freedom and liberty that Jesus Christ has provided for us.
Paul just spent Romans 5 and 6 explaining what happens when we believe on Christ for righteousness. Salvation is all about God’s grace free gift to us. In Romans 7, Paul pauses teaching about life as a saved person and switches to explaining what it was like living under the Law for righteousness before he got saved. The word IMPOSSIBLE comes to mind! Paul is stating that following the Law of Moses causes people to sin more! Oh yes, this is very true indeed. Apostle Paul also stated this,
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence MIGHT ABOUND. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:” (Romans 5:20)
“The sting of death is sin; and the STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW.” (1 Corinthians 15:56 KJV)
That is really not what most pulpits are teaching these days now is it? I mean all I hear is to ‘live by the Ten Commandments’ as if by doing so we will please God. Yet, the Bible teaches us that by trying to keep all the commandments as a means of having a good standing with God will result in our FAILING MISERABLY. In fact, the Bible tells us that it will cause us to SIN MORE.
You see, we all are born into this fallen world with a Flesh Sin Nature. A bent toward sinning. Try to tell a dog to act like a cat. GOOD LUCK! Why? Because the dog’s nature is to be a dog! It is the same with us since the fall of mankind in Eden. We all have this diseased sin nature. All The Flesh wants to do, is sin. The Law of Moses is all about “THOU SHALT NOT…”. And all that does is make our sin nature want to sin more. Paul explains the more we want to do good by keeping the Law, the more we end up falling into sin. Verse 17 needs to be looked at closely to see what Paul is talking about.
“Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.” (Romans 7:17 KJV
The word SIN in Romans is mostly used as a NOUN. It is not an action word. It is not sins we commit but Paul is showing us that humans are born with this THING, a noun called SIN. It is a SIN NATURE you see? We sin because it just comes naturally from our birth.
Now when we are saved, we become a NEW CREATURE called The Spirit. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit from the very moment of belief that Jesus is the Christ who died for our sins on that cross, paying the penalty for ALL our sins (1 John 2:2), and rose from the dead. Apostle Paul tells us this in Ephesians:
“In whom ye also trusted, AFTER THAT YE HEARD the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the EARNEST of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14 KJV)
So after our Salvation what is different? Some teach a believer has TWO NATURES. One sinful bent and the other perfected and righteous as God. However, do we still have a Flesh sin nature? According to Paul in Romans 8 the answer is actually no. We do not. Paul also had just explained in Romans 6 that our old nature DIED WITH CHRIST (in Colossians 2 as well). So that cannot be correct.
But our mind still has left over sinful thoughts and beliefs (from when we were living in the Flesh) which needs to be renewed. Our bodies will not be glorified until our bodily resurrection in the future. So we still have old sin nature THINKING in the mind wanting to sin at times. Yet, a believer in Christ is now a NEW SPIRIT. This new spirit never sins as it is the seed of God within us (1 John 3:9). We may still choose to live in a fleshly way and fall to temptation and sin, but our Spirit remains intact as born again believers. We are IN CHRIST forever. Because of this, we will feel guilt, remorse and call out to God to help us overcome such temptations next time because that is not us anymore. In fact, the devil and his angels cannot even touch our new perfected Spirit (Hebrews 10:14) so they entice the Flesh thoughts in our mind to tempt us to sin. There has been an eternal change in our Spirit. A believer will turn back to who they were made in Christ.
“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:9 KJV)
This verse is describing the NEW US that believers became when they believed on Christ for Salvation. This new us is called THE SPIRIT. It is at war with our old, left over, Flesh nature thoughts and beliefs IN OUR MIND.
In Romans 8, it is clear that a believer is no longer IN THE FLESH. That old sin bent nature was put to death on the cross with Christ (Romans 6 and Colossians 2). However, the mind has not yet been renewed. Only our Spirit was renewed. In 1 Corinthians 15:50 Paul states clearly that our bodies are still corrupt and cannot inherit the Kingdom. That is why we need a bodily resurrection to come. Our Spirit is heaven ready as born again believers, but our body and mind, still has a sinful corruptness it deals with.
Apostle Paul tells us to renew our mind in Romans 12 and to walk in the spirit to avoid the lust of the Flesh in Galatians 5:16. To walk in the spirit, a believer needs to understand what the spirit is because THE SPIRIT is now the NEW US as believers. We have that small voice telling us, do not sin. Yet, our fleshly left over thoughts (from when our Adam spirit nature died) strongly wants you to sin. We strive to not sin but as believers we do fail and sin as well. Paul described this situation as it was before his salvation in Romans 7. He is explaining that living under the law was impossible like this,
“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. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the BODY OF this death?” (Romans 7:22-24 KJV)
The ‘inward man’ Paul is talking about here is his Adam spirit nature before he got born again by belief on Christ. Now why would Paul explain salvation in Romans 5 and 6 and in chapter 8, and then switch back to before he was saved in the middle, in Romans 7? He is explaining what it is like living under the Law for righteousness. We need to understand that, as believers. And then Paul says,
“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.”
In Romans 7, Paul is showing us the complete impossibility to keep The Law in our own strength before Christ came. He explains this between chapter 6 and 8 because it is intended to make the point to born again BELIEVERS, who think that The Law must be kept to remain righteous and is showing us that it is totally wrong. It is only through Jesus Christ our Lord that we can start to win battles between the wrong fleshly thoughts and beliefs in our mind and our new Spirit. It is so that we realize how to increase our faithful walk in life as believers. Born again or not, we live outwardly as we believe in the mind you see?
If we could not keep the Law to remain or be holy before we were saved, we most certainly cannot follow the Ten Commandments to keep ourselves holy and saved as believers either. Law following does not make our Spirit saved! The Law just shows us we have a SIN problem. Christ freed us from that bondage to the Law. He fulfilled all the Law and took our sins in exchange for His righteousness on that cross.
We do not have TWO natures at war. We have one new nature and left over wrong beliefs and thought processes from when our Spirit of Adam died on the cross with Christ. The REAL US as believers is The Spirit and The Spirit always wants to do good and what is right because it is Holy and without a sin nature. It is Holy, and the Holy Spirit indwells our new Spirit. In fact is is now the very righteousness of God, in Christ!
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might BE MADE the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV)
If we were only in The Spirit, and not body, then we would be freed from this internal war between our sinful fleshly thoughts and the real us in the Spirit. That is why upon physical death a believer goes directly to Heaven where there is no sin. Why? Because our Spirit has NO SIN. All our sins were paid for by Christ on that cross. As believers on Christ, our Spirit was perfected (Hebrews 10:14) and made righteous (2 Cor. 5:21) by God. One day we will become whole as Jesus resurrects our physical body into a glorified body without this disease of bodily sinful corruption. Until then, we strive to walk in The Spirit because The Spirit is the new us now. And to be honest, that takes a while for a person to realize after their moment of Salvation. A process starts at our Salvation called our sanctification (John 17:17) and it lasts until our physical death, or Rapture.
Now we have our part in this sanctification after salvation. A person is saved and born again only by belief on Christ and His blood atonement and rising from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4). The person becomes eternally saved. However, if believe is all they do and they do not read the word of God and they just live worldly, they have not renewed their mind much. Because of this they are easily deceived by the devil and his angels. They end up remaining as babes in the faith just as is described in Hebrews 6. Eternally saved but as James wrote, having a dead, useless faith. Again, we live outwardly as we believe in the mind.
As believers if we read God’s word and we pray to God to help us increase our faith and knowledge in the truth of the Gospel of grace, we start to see the world differently. We renew our old Adam beliefs with the truth. In this case, also, as we believe in the mind, we live outwardly. See how this works?
“O wretched man that I am!”, Paul exclaims about using Law following to be justified. It is hopeless because we need the new Spirit to even be able to change! He is so right isn’t he? But there is a difference now that we are born again! It is so frustrating when we fail and sin. We know it is wrong and after we sin we just feel awful about it. It can really affect our fellowship with God because we are so ashamed to have sinned and so we shy away from God. My friends, do not do that! Instead, understand about this war going on inside you as a believer is between THE MIND and our NEW SPIRIT. It is not two Spirit natures within us at war. It feels like what it was like before our salvation just as Paul describes in Romans 7 but it is different now as a born again creation of God.WE HAVE A NEW CREATED SPIRIT OF GOD. It is who we now are!
We have fleshly Adam sin bent beliefs left in the mind, yet the Adam nature is DEAD. It died on the cross with Christ! But these left over thought processes and wrong beliefs can be RENEWED by the truth of God’s word and with help from the indwelling Holy Spirit. That should be the focus of every believer! Paul goes on to explain this in Romans 12. Our struggle now, as born again believers, is with RENEWING OUR MIND to match up to who God MADE US at the moment of our conversion. It is not about Law following to the letter to remain holy. NO! It is just renewing our mind to match the truth of who God MADE US in the Spirit. That is where we get freed more and more, day by day, until our physical death and eventually bodily resurrection.
This tabernacle we live within called the physical body, is corrupted. Only our Spirit has been renewed. The body has a disease called sin (NOUN) and unbelievers sin because they have a sin nature. Believers sin because of left over sin bent thoughts and processes called ‘The Flesh’ in the mind. And once a person is redeemed by belief on Christ (John 3:14-18, 36) we become a new creation called The Spirit that dwells within this sinful body. So important to understand this.
At first, after Salvation it may seem like not much has changed. We do not ‘feel’ much different actually because we are still here in this body. And it still wants to sin with wrong beliefs. But slowly you start to realize that you start to care about NOT sinning. The Holy Spirit begins to renew your mind by the Word of God and you start to see things by God’s worldview and not the world’s view. You start changing on the inside and it moves outward into your life in good works. This is The Spirit growing and the inward man becoming stronger while The Flesh becomes weaker. It does not happen over night and that is okay! You are completely redeemed and saved by the blood of Christ. You are Heaven bound because ALL your life of sins have been penalty paid by Jesus and placed on your account.
Keep on striving to not sin? Yes. But realize we are not to follow the Ten Commandments to keep us Holy, acceptable, nor saved. They just show us God’s moral high standard. They are the absolute truth. They show the Holy standard of God for us. Absolutely. Yet, they can never make you Holy! But we no longer use the Ten Commandments as our source. Our source now is the Holy Spirit indwelling us as believers. He will teach you and guide you in life into all the truth. This process cannot be rushed and the Holy Spirit works within believers individually and at different paces as well.
Since we are now, as believers, The Spirit, then we should strive to Walk in The Spirit which is the real us now. Study the Word of God. Pray for the Holy Spirit to teach you. Be patient. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God who is God in the human body. He did not start His Earthly ministry until the age of 30. It will take time for us as well! Take courage in this. God is not against you, He is for you!
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” (John 16:13 KJV)
Salvation Is By Belief On Christ And The Only Atonement For Sin; Christ Crucified, Died And Risen
Jesus explains Salvation through Him in John 3 through conversation with Nicodemus, one of the Jewish leaders, that knew Jesus must be sent by God due to all the miracles Jesus performed.
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3 KJV)
Jesus then goes on to explain that for a person to be born again means a new birth of a spirit from God. And how does Jesus tell us is the way we are reborn in the Spirit? Jesus then uses a series of repetitive statements to make it crystal clear:
“14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have ETERNAL LIFE .
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world THROUGH HIM might be saved.
18 He that BELIEVETH ON HIM is not condemned: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned ALREADY, because he hath NOT BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:14-18 KJV)
Salvation is by BELIEF IN Jesus, the Christ, the foretold Messiah without anything else added. Believing that Jesus is God in the flesh who came to pay the penalty for all the sins of the whole word on the cross.
Notice that Jesus did not mention our self righteous works nor penance nor ANYTHING; ONLY BELIEF ON CHRIST. Salvation is not something we work to achieve in our self righteousness. Nor do we keep our Salvation by doing good works nor by performing religious rituals. Salvation is God’s FREE GIFT to us. And as a gift we can accept it (by BELIEF ON CHRIST ALONE) or reject it (by UNBELIEF in Christ who provided the FINISHED atonement for the sins of the whole world on the cross.)
When Christ was on that cross He said, IT IS FINISHED just before His physical death. In the Greek this was penned, He literally said, DEBT PAID IN FULL. Christ had paid in full the penalty for the debt of the sins from all of time and for every person that ever lived. Not just for those who BELIEVE IN HIM but for everyone. Salvation is eternal. Once you believe you are saved eternally. Jesus did not make a oartial payment!
“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2 KJV)
It is God’s desire that everyone accept the free gift of eternal life. Yet, the choice is ours.
Service After Salvation
And then there is our service for God AFTER the moment of our Salvation.
Salvation is a FREE GRACE GIFT TO BE RECEIVED FROM GOD and is an undeserved and unmerited favor. Salvation is by BELIEVING in the only atonement for our sins which is Jesus The Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who is God, born of the Virgin Mary, who NEVER SINNED in mind nor deed and willingly died on the cross in torment as He took the punishment for the sins of the whole world upon Himself. All who believe this are from the moment of belief SEALED With the Holy Spirit and have become eternally saved (Ephesians 1:13-14) as sons or daughters in God’s family of redeemed.
This is not MY THOUGHTS ON SALVATION! This is what the Bible, Jesus and Apostle Paul clearly taught!
Now after Salvation we should start walking by the new creation of Spirit. We need our minds renewed to match up to the now righteous, sinless, perfect Spirit we now ARE IN CHRIST. This Spirit is now the REAL US. We cannot do this perfectly because we still have this fleshly body with a sin nature and bent toward sinning. Our flesh is at war with the new us; the Spirit. Apostle Paul struggled with the Two Natures if a Believer in Romans 7. Read it and pay close attention to verse 17 and 20.
Do We Sanctify Ourselves or Does The Holy Spirit Sanctify Us?
In John 17:17, Jesus answers this question.
“SANCTIFY THEM THROUGH THY TRUTH: THY WORD IS TRUTH.”
Before Jesus became human His name was ‘The Word’. (John 1) Jesus Christ is not only the truth, He is the way and the life!
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6 KJV)
Jesus Christ is the only way back to a proper relationship with God. Such a relationship requires a perfectly Holy Righteousness but we have sins committed standing in the way of this. That is why The Word (Christ) became human, never sinned, and shed His blood for the remission of our sins. From they very moment of Belief on Christ and the atonement for our sins through the Passion of Christ, God made us the Holy Righteousness of God, in Him.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might BE MADE the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV)
What Is Our Part As Born Again Believers?
Again, what should we do as believers? First, thank God for such an amazing gift! Second, read the Bible because it is God’s Word and the absolute truth. The more you read the Bible and the words of Jesus the more the Holy Spirit renews your mind. You will see the truth and be set free from the guilt of your sins and set free from the punishment of your sins. You will look at things from God’s viewpoint and not the world’s viewpoint and that will empower you to accomplish the good works of God through you.
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall MAKE YOU free.” (John 8:31-32 KJV)
Notice the word “make”. The Bible does not ever say it is our efforts making us saved and righteous before God. And it is not our own efforts that sanctify us completely. Only the Holy Spirit renews our minds and changes us from the inner self outwardly. That said, by reading the truth from the word of God we are pressing toward the goal of the Holy Spirit. It says over and over again what Jesus said in John 8. It is God alone that MAKES US positionally righteous and justified. It is never our works accomplishing this. It is our belief in Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! (John 1:29)
Writing to even the the carnal believers in Corinthians Paul makes this statement,
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” ( 2 Corinthians 4:16 KJV)
And we see in Titus,
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” ( Titus 3:5-7 KJV)
Paul also makes it clear that we should do our part in this renewing of our mind. How a person thinks and believes about the world will determine their actions in the world. A person’s viewpoint is an important key factor in how a person lives. We all begin with the world’s viewpoint. And who is controlling the world’s viewpoint of truth? The Bible says it is our adversary, Satan.
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12 KJV)
In Ephesians 6, Paul continues and is telling us to put on the whole armour of God and “stand in the power” of God’s might (Eph. 6:10) and it is all about knowing the truth in the Bible and allowing this to transform us. And that means we should be studying the word of God to know the truth. Knowing the truths in the Bible will also protect us from our adversary!
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
(Ephesians 6:13-17 KJV )
We have our part to do in the Holy Spirit’s work of renewing our mind to God’s view point and truth.
You still have free choice after the moment of your Salvation to walk by the Spirit in truth (by God’s word) or to walk by the flesh in carnality as the Corinthians were doing. Are you still saved either way after Salvation? Yes. Paul called the Corinthians believers.
Does that mean there are no consequences for sin and we can just keep sinning and ignoring God’s word without consequences? No!
We have our part to do and why would we not want to know the truth from God’s word? Jesus redeemed us with His shed blood and has given us all things. Christ says in John 15 to abide in Him and His words and Christ will abide in us.
Do not just listen to Pastors or Priests. Do not just read my articles or e-books and believe. No.. start reading your Bible after your moment of Salvation, having received this most amazing GIFT from God. The Holy Spirit within a believer will Sanctify you and guide and teach you the truth.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2 KJV)
When that happens over time, you will be changed and conformed more and more into the image of Christ. God will place desires in you to accomplish good works He has prepared for you to perform.
Start reading the amazing truth in God’s word; The Bible.
I have heard from various pulpits and Bible teachers that what we do after Salvation is important to keep our Salvation and not lose it. They seem to think that after we believe on Christ, that is not enough. We also must work to help the Holy Spirit sanctify us as if we are all to climb a scale of righteousness and reach higher and higher levels. What a small view of the grace of God!
As believers we do not have an certain amount of righteousness. We do not have a scale of righteousness that relies on how we live and what we do or do not do. From the very moment of our belief on Christ to save us through His redemptive work on the cross we have 100% righteousness according to the Bible. IN fact, God MADE US through imputation of God, the VERY RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, IN CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Our feelings about this fact are irrelevant.
The devil wants us to live on a scale with levels of righteousness. He is okay with you thinking your righteousness depends on how Holy you LIVE with your behavior. Are you constantly thinking, “I have to reach that higher level on the scale of being righteousness.” or “If I strive more I will eventually reach the level of Holiness God wants me to be at.” If so, you are making the grace of God to be very very tint when the truth is is is super abounding enormous!
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did MUCH MORE abound:” (Romans 5:20 KJV)
DO This. DON’T DO That. All To Keep & Raise Our Level Of Righteousness With God?
HOGWASH! Friends, that is all a bunch of ‘DOO DOO’ the devil is giving you! Paul even states it exactly that way,
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them –BUT DUNG-, that I may win Christ,“ (Philippians 3:8 KJV)
Jesus Christ our Lord said Himself,
“All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find REST unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:27-30 KJV)
As a believer on Christ alone for our Salvation, the truth is God MADE US the very RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD, IN CHRIST. We did make ourselves righteous nor do we keep ourselves righteous. God declares us righteous through our belief on Christ’s atonement for us!
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might BE MADE the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV)
We do not make ourselves more Holy and righteous by how we live. No, GOD MADE us the righteousness of God, in Christ. If you received Christ’s gift of Salvation apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9) then you are saved ETERNALLY. It does not rely on you!
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God……. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:17-18, 36 KJV)
If you believe that Christ is God in the flesh, died on the cross and paid for all sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2), you have been saved and have eternal life.
Grab a hold of this truth!!!! The devil hates it.
Too many pulpits are teaching condemnation to believers.
Yes, teach unbelievers that they are condemned already and they need a savior. Yet, teaching to BELIEVERS condemnation due to their sin is so very very wrong. That somehow because of their sins they can lose there Salvation and be condemned to hell. What a tiny pathetic view of God’s grace that is when Jesus paid in His own blood to save us! Oh my, Jesus paid it all brothers and sisters. PAID IT ALL. IN FULL!!! Jesus did not make a partial payment for our sins.
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you ALL trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (2 Colossians 13-14 KJV)
IT IS FINISHED. CHRIST’S SACRIFICE WAS A FULL PAYMENT FOR ALL SINS. GOD’S GRACE IS SUFFICIENT AND ABOUND MUCH MORE.
This doubt is something all believers face at one time; especially in the early times after receiving Salvation through Christ. Let’s look at a few important Scriptures and then a very important doctrine taught by the Apostle Paul in Romans 7 which is vastly under taught in the pulpit, yet is so vitally important to the faith.
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye BELIEVED, ye were SEALED with that holy Spirit of PROMISE, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-16 KJV)
“There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1 KJV)
Jesus talking about Salvation said this,
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH in him should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that BELIEVETH ON HIM is not condemned: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned already, because he hath not BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18 KJV)
BELIEVE BELIEVE BELIEVE!
Salvation is NOT something we work for. It is not by being a good person nor never sinning. It is not what we do that saves us but what Christ DID on the cross.
SALVATION IS A GIFT to be RECEIVED through belief.
“For BY GRACE ARE YOU SAVED THROUGH FAITH; and that NOT OF YOURSELVES: it is the GIFT OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
“These things have I written unto you that BELIEVE on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13 KJV)
“WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH that Jesus IS THE CHRIST IS BORN OF GOD: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep HIS COMMANDMENTS (Don: this is not talking about the Ten Commandments. It is the commandments Jesus gave to love others as God loves you and to love God.) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even OUR FAITH. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that BELIEVETH THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD?”
(1 John 5: 1-5 KJV , with my comments added in brackets)
“These things have I written unto you that BELIEVE on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye HAVE ETERNAL LIFE, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:13 KJV)
Rest in the Lord.
He will never fail you though we fail all the time still in this Body of Flesh. All who believe on Christ are SAVED and HAVE (present tense) eternal life because the Spirit of God indwells a person from the very moment of belief.
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit OF PROMISE, Which is the EARNEST (Don: in Greek means ‘guaranteed down payment’) of our inheritance (Don: eternal life/heaven) until the redemption of the purchased possession (Don: until our bodily resurrection), unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14 KJV, with notes by me)
Once a person believes on Christ and the atonement for sins through His sacrifice on the cross as the Son of God, who is God in the Flesh that person is a new creation in the Spirit. This new spirit in the person is now the NEW REAL US. It is the seed of God which is perfect and never sins. However, a believer still has this bodily corrupt and sinful Flesh nature until our bodily resurrection when Christ returns. As a believer on Christ, the new you in the spirit wars with the Flesh and it is a real struggle. We do at times fall into sin as believers but that is the Flesh and not the spirit. Our spirit is eternal and our sins will not prevent a believer from keeping their eternal life. Apostle Paul is clear, yet so many believers miss this important truth that believers have TWO NATURES now; the Newly Created Spirit (the new you!), and the Flesh nature (corrupt body with sin nature).
Read Romans 7 Carefully
Apostle Paul is a saved believer, just like you and me right? (that is, if you accepted Christ for Salvation.) Read Romans 7 VERY CAREFULLY. I am adding some info in brackets to help in understanding this vital passage that so many believers do not yet understand.
“For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold UNDER SIN.
For that which I do I allow not: for what I would (Don: I WANT to do good and not sin), that DO I NOT (Don: yet, I sin instead); BUT WHAT I HATE, THAT DO I. (Don: I hate sin, yet I still find myself sinning)
If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
>>>Now then it is NO MORE I THAT DO IT(Don: My newly created spirit does not want to do it and so, because the spirit is the new me, it is not me doing it), BUT SIN THAT DWELETH IN ME (Don: It is the Flesh nature doing the sin. Sinning comes naturally to this nature)
For I know that in me (that is, IN MY FLESH,) DWELETH NO GOOD THING (Don: we are completed wretched! All are sinners!) : for to will is present with me (Don: I WANT to do good and not sin); but how to perform that which is good I find not. (Don: Yet I still fail utterly and sin.)
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
>>>Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. (Don: The sin nature is the one sinning, not my perfect newly created spirit which can never sin)
I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man (Don: the inward man is the newly created spirit of God which is eternal and perfect and has the very righteousness of God in Christ;2 Corinthians 5:21):
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 shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. (Don: belief on the atonement for sin He provided, not our works) So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; (Don: with the REAL us, our Spirit and inner man) but with the flesh the law of sin.”
(Romans 7:14-25 KJV, with my own notes in brackets)
This is why Paul goes on to teach that he rather boast in his weaknesses because it is ALL Christ that saves us. In John 15, Jesus Himself tells us that we can do NOTHING without Him abiding. That is, without the Holy Spirit (God) indwelling us. And that happens by belief on Jesus Christ in faith in the only atonement for sin, Christ crucified, which He provided to us as God in the flesh; the only begotten Son of God. In other words, we must be born again of the spirit (John 3) and believe on Christ alone for our Salvation. By doing so, all the sins of a person’s life are forgiven and penalty paid by Christ.
Once a believer our focus should be on walking in The Spirit which is the ‘new us’ and abide in the Word of God. By doing this, we renew our mind to God’s truth and worldview. And by doing such, we find a peace in our Salvation through God and avoid the lusts of the Flesh.
The Scriptures are very clear that this is actually not the case. Instead what we see is that the Bible is always reading in terms of us being ‘dead’ or ‘alive’. This is an important point to consider about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, otherwise we can be caught up in wrong teaching about Salvation and placing our ongoing sanctification after our moment of Salvation back in as a requirement of our justification with God through Christ.
In Luke 15, Jesus tells us of the story of the Prodigal Son who returned home. He had taken His Father’s inheritance early and went away doing all sorts of wrong living until the money ran out and he found himself in a pig’s pen eating as the pigs did. It is then he came to his senses and knowing he was very wrong in what he did he went back to his Father’s house to tell him that he was not worthy to be his son and ask if he could live as one of his servants. Yet as he approached the estate he seen his Father a long way off running toward him who then embraced him lovingly, without even hear what had happened to the son. We see what happens when his brother who never left his Father’s side all this time sees this and gets upset.
“21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
24 For this my son WAS DEAD, and is ALIVE AGAIN; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.
26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother WAS DEAD, and is ALIVE AGAIN; and was lost, and is found.” (Luke 15: 21-32 KJV)
In verse 24 and 32, one might expect it to say something along the lines of ‘the son had gone BAD and now has become GOOD’ but that is not what the text reads. Instead Jesus uses the contrast of one who is DEAD who has become ALIVE. This is the theme we start seeing throughout the Scriptures in regards to our Salvation and Justification with our loving God.
We see this again in this passage of Scripture:
“And you, being DEAD IN YOUR SINS and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you ALL TRESPASSES; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:13-18 KJV)
And in this wonderful passage of good news for believers the word ‘ALL’ in the Greek is Strongs # G3956: πᾶς pâs, pas; including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole:—all (manner of, means), alway s), any (one), × daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no(-thing), X thoroughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.
This word ‘ALL’ is telling us ALL our sins committed in the past, present and also in our future have all be paid for by Christ on the cross. ALL MEANS ALL.
If our Salvation had a requirement that we are changing from a bad person to a good person through our own efforts, even if done in gratitude for what Christ has done for us, that is a false teaching because it is Christ who paid for our sins – not us after our Salvation. We cannot be the mediator between man and God. That position is reserved for Jesus Christ alone.
“For there is ONE God,and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself A RANSOM for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy 2: 5-6 KJV)
I love the Book of Hebrews and in Hebrews 10:14 is a very clear statement regarding our Salvation through faith in Christ alone:
“For by ONE OFFERING he hath PERFECTED FOR EVER them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;” (Hebrews 10:14-16 KJV)
I ask you, who gave this ONE OFFERING? Was it you or me? No it was Jesus Christ on the cross. Being a ONE offering that perfected us for ever, do we then make being a good person after our Salvation a requirement of staying saved? I am making a point here because it is so important to understand. Christ paid it all my friends!
On the cross Jesus cried out “IT IS FINISHED”. And of you look at the Greek it literally means ‘DEBT PAID IN FULL’. What debt? Our debt of sins against God. Jesus did not make a partial payment on that cross! He made a FULL and COMPLETE payment for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD and as we read Jesus’ own words,
“…whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:15-18 KJV)
Apostle Paul tells us the very same thing stating very clearly that “…he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be MADE the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV) You see, we are MADE the righteousness of God in Christ; not that we work our way to being a good person in hopes of becoming nor staying righteous positionally before God. That is a very big difference!
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10 KJV)
The word JUSTIFIED as used in the Scriptures is an interesting word. In Greek it means ‘to declare, pronounce, one to be just, righteous’. So this is God declaring a person is justified and righteous once they believe on Christ alone for their Salvation.
Salvation and Justification with God are only by BELIEF and FAITH in the only atonement available for our sins which is Christ crucified. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, who is God in the flesh who was born of the Virgin Mary, who, as God, lived a sinless life in thought and deed and then willingly gave His life on the cross as a sacrificial payment for the sins of the whole world. All who believe this can have full assurance of their eternal Salvation and the Scriptures I mention above (plus so many others in the Word of God!) make this clear.
When Did You Die?
If you are reading this you are probably acknowledging that you are NOT DEAD YET! Right? Yet, if you believe on Christ as your Savior you are actually now dead! You already died when Christ died o the cross 2000 years ago.
Apostle Paul makes this amazing statement,
“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.” (Galatians 2:20 KJV)
When Jesus died on that cross, He took our ‘old self’, our ‘old man’, and nailed it to the cross with Him and paid for our sins in our place. And so, when Jesus rose from the dead, so did we rise to newness of life. A believer’s eternal life does not start at our physical death. No. The above verse shows us that it starts from our very moment of Salvation and belief on Christ!
Christ truly does live within us now through the comforter; The Holy Spirit. From our very moment of belief on Christ we are SEALED and given an ‘earnest’ (which means ‘guaranteed down payment’) that one day we will receive our new resurrected bodies, free from the sin nature we struggle with right now.
“In whom ye also trusted, AFTER THAt YE HEARD the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the EARNEST of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1: 13-14 KJV)
Apostle Paul tells us this same thing and adds that once we recognize this truth, it should encourage us to start living as our NEW SELF, our NEW MAN. The ‘old self’ has died with Christ on the cross and our newly created Spirit has become the REAL US now. This is the Doctrine of the Two Natures of a Believer as Paul taught in Romans 7. We are a newly created spirit yet we have The Flesh, our sinful flesh body not yet resurrected and it causes a struggle between the new us, that is our ‘new self’, and the sin nature of the body with it’s lusts.
Paul show this in a beautiful way in Romans 6,
“For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:7-11 KJV)
Summarize:
1. Our ‘old man’, our ‘old self’ DIED on the cross as believers.
2. We should be living our lives in the light that God has MADE US the very righteousness of God , IN CHRIST. Our ‘new self’. BELIEVE THAT!
3. We are FREED from the penalty of our sin because all our sins, even future ones, were all nailed to the cross and paid for in full by Jesus The Christ.
4. We are called UNTO good works and right living after our Salvation because we are now in Christ and He is living through us in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Yet, these good works and deeds and right living are not requirements of our justification with God. Apostle Paul tells us to walk in the spirit to avoid the lusts of the flesh. We are to focus on our ‘new self’ and move forward with good works in gratitude for such a great Salvation we have been given.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:34-34 KJV)
As a believer in Christ who received the free gift of Salvation through the atonement for your sins provided by Jesus Christ on the cross do you still tend to condemn yourself? You try your best to do right by God but sometimes you stumble and sin. Do you then condemn yourself when you sin and think that you must do something because I messed up again. Do you then start focusing on your own self righteousness to regain your Salvation? If so, you need to stop doing that.
Jesus said we are to seek the kingdom of God, yes! But we are not to seek after our own righteousness! Seek ye first HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! Does that mean to be righteous in your good works ? In part, yes because it is right to do such out of gratitude for God’s grace and love. But not to regain Salvation. Not so that God does not reject you nor end your Salvation. Jesus sacrifice for sins was for the sins OF THE WHOLE WORLD!
“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD.” (1 John 2:2 KJV)
Did you realize that Christ died not only for believer’s sins but for the sins of the whole world? In the Greek, ‘whole world’ is the word ‘holos’ and it’s meaning is ‘all, completely’. That means ALL OF THE SINS including all Past, present, and future sins. All means ALL right? And since for us, every sin we commit is future from the cross, even the sins we commit after our moment of accepting the free gift of Salvation through Christ are also completely paid for.
When Jesus died on the cross to pay for the sins of the whole world what did He cry out just before He expired physically? He cried out, ‘IT IS FINISHED‘ right? If you look at the Greek this was penned in the New Testament do you know that in the Greek it literally means ‘DEBT PAID IN FULL’? That is some truth isn’t it? A truth to shout about in great joy and gratitude!
For the believer, our justification and righteousness are now based on Christ, not us. Do you know that when God the Father looks on Jesus, He sees you and me? That to God we are one with Christ and Christ is one with the Father and we are all one together now? Great God Almighty! He has saved us to the utmost brothers and sisters in Christ. How righteous are we after our belief on Christ to save us? We are as righteous as Christ Himself. It does not feel like it and we still have this thing in our mind called The Flesh and it is weak. The old thoughts and beliefs of the old Spirit of Adam that died with Christ (Romans 6, Colossians 2). But God has declared this to be true regardless.
Just before the cross Jesus prayed for you and me and in this awesome prayer in John 17 Jesus prays to the Father,
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that THEY also may be ONE IN US: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17: 20-23 KJV)
Regardless of our feelings of guilt and remorse, we have become one with God through Christ. As believers, we are now IN CHRIST completely. We are justified in Christ completely.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians to rebuke them for the way they were living after their Salvation. They are a very bad example of what a body of believers should be. Yet, Apostle Paul addressed them as MY BRETHREN. He addressed them as believers on Christ and as saved people by the blood of Christ. Paul makes this bold statement to them,
“For he hath MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, who knew no sin; that we might BE MADE the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV)
We are MADE righteous by God through belief on Christ’s atonement and NOT by our own self righteous deeds. This is also true after we are saved. Our Salvation and justification with God is a gift of God’s grace. An unmerited favor. Now, God did not want to force anyone to accept this free gift. He wants a real relationship with us. He does not want robots without wanting a relationship with Him. Free will is important to God. Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world. His sacrifice was so great that it paid for the sins of even Adolf Hitler (I can hear you gasping). It paid for the sins of murderers, thieves, idolators, the sexually immoral and the list goes on and on. His sacrifice was that powerful and that complete. Christ’s payment was not a partial payment for sins; it was a full payment! But did Hitler accept the free gift of Salvation? I doubt it! And what about Judas Iscariot? He walked with Jesus and dinned with him during His Earthly ministry. Yet, Scriptures show us that in the end He was not saved because He did not believe in Christ as Saviour.
A gift is something to be accepted or you have not received the gift at all right? And so not all who have sinned will receive this free gift, even though Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world. Jesus puts it this way very clearly,
“That WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM should not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that BELIEVETH ON HIM is not condemned: but he that BELIEVETH NOT is condemned ALREADY, because he hath not BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3: 15-18 KJV)
The gift of Salvation must be RECEIVED in order for it to take effect on a person. So how do we receive it? By using our self righteous efforts in deeds and Law keeping? NO, Jesus does not say that here! Jesus said, ‘WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH ON HIM”. That is how a person receives the free gift of Salvation and eternal life through Christ and when a person does believe this; oh my what a gift they really have!
Now since God bestowed on us such a great gift that we have believed and received, and knowing we have the very righteousness of God in Christ and we have been MADE one with God, why do we still have sin in our life? We try not to sin. We turn from our sin yet we still stumble and we just cannot seem to get rid of this ‘sin problem’.
First, BELIEVE your ‘sin problem’ has been already taken care of at the cross by Jesus. Your sins are already PAID IN FULL. Your Salvation and eternal life is fully intact, never to be revoked! It is all about your belief on Christ. You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13-14).
In the book of Hebrews, the author is addressing Hebrew believers. In proper context and in all ten chapters of the book of Hebrews when it mentions the word ‘sin’ it is always referring to one specific sin and not our sins in general. This sin is the sin of UNBELIEF on Christ’s atonement as God in the flesh. As in 1 John, the author of Hebrews seems to be rebuking a heresy that false teachers were trying to get true Jewish believers to accept. This heresy is called Gnosticism.
Gnosticism in incompatible with Biblical Christianity because Gnostics do not believe that a person can be born again through Christ. They deny that we are saved because Christ died in our place and took on the punishment for our sins but instead rely on extra Biblical ‘secret knowledge’ they say has been imparted to them as if they are special somehow. This was a big heresy in the early church and is being shown as false. The Gnostics teachings were causing fear in some of the Jewish believers and had them questioning their faith on Christ alone for Salvation. And then there were also those still steeped in Jewish tradition who were telling believers that Christ’s sacrifice alone was not enough but that they needed to also follow the Law of Moses as well. Both of these false heresies were the sin of UNBELIEF which the author of Hebrews is addressing.
In Hebrews we find this amazing truth regarding our Salvation,
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12 KJV)
My brothers and sisters in Christ, that is just how fully eradicated our sin debt now is in Christ. JUST BELIEVE IT! We are now the very righteousness of God in Christ. This is speaking of our newly created Spirit. Yet, we still have this sin nature called the Flesh in our body and all it wants to do for the most part, is sin.
Our newly created Spirit from God is HOLY, RIGHTEOUS and REDEEMED. It never sins and is PERFECT as the seed of God. This Spirit is the new us since our moment of becoming ‘born again’ in the spirit. Jesus said we are born of the flesh and through Him we are born of the spirit (John 3).
The Apostle Paul taught us The Doctrine of The Two Natures In The MIND Of A Believer in Romans 7. Our newly created spirit is at war with The old, and now dead, Spirit of Adam sin nature called ‘The Flesh’,. Why? because we have not yet received our new resurrected bodies at the Rapture of Believers. This new body will no longer have the sin nature and then, and only then can we say we have sinless perfection. Right now, we as Paul did, will struggle in this war within us between the Spirit and the Flesh in our MINDS. All the Scriptures about our walk AFTER receiving the gift of Salvation are about how to win these battles, even though we cannot win them all. Believers will Sin after Salvation and those teaching that sinless perfection is true are ignoring clear Scriptures like these in 1 John 1. Here again John is rebuking the false teachings of the Gnostics who did not believe we have sin nor that Jesus paid for our sins. But the truth is, as believers, we still have sin.
“If we say that we have no sin, WE DECEIVE OURSELVES, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8
“If we say that we have not sinned, WE MAKE HIM A LIAR, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10 KJV)
So As Believers Can We Just Sin All We Want Without Consequences?
Does the amazing Grace of God mean that believers can just go on sinning however they want with no consequences? No it does not! The Grace of God is not a license to sin and there are consequences in this life (steal/jail/ murder/death penalty) and loss of rewards at the Bema Seat judgement of believers just after our bodily resurrection in the future. But the truth is if that is the attitude about the Grace of God that you have, you need to ask yourself if you truly understand it or if you are even saved. Why do I say that? Because just having an intellectual understanding of how we are saved is not the same as truly believing it and receiving it with thankfulness and gratitude. A person who has received and accepted Christ now has from the moment of belief been indwelled by the Holy Spirit or promise (Ephesians 1:13-14 KJV). The Holy Spirit will guide a person and convict a person of their sins. He will chastise a believer to help the person repent (which is defined by the Bible as ‘to change our mind’ about sin).
Remember when you were younger? Living with your parents. And you stole that cookie mom said not to have before dinner? Oh yeah.. OH YEAH! It was tasty right? Well, that is until mom caught you! “Off to your room for two days. You need to understand not to do that or you will get fat.” Mom did it because she loves you and knows what is best for you. Now, did mom kick you out of the family until you made amends? Of course not. Your Salvation as a child of God is completely intact because the sin debt was already paid on the cross. Yet, God wants us to be transformed into the image of Christ which is the process of our sanctification.
What Should We Do Then?
We need to seek Christ’s righteousness and not our own. Seek the Kingdom of God and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Because we are IN CHRIST now and it is based on HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ALONE that we are saved and deemed Holy enough for entrance to Heaven.
Apostle Paul taught that we should,
“…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:17 KJV)
We need to realize that the temptations and lusts of the flesh are not US anymore. They are dead to us, and died at the cross. We are now the NEW US, the newly created Spirit of God within. We need to listen and know the spirit is the real us now as believers and then move forward to reject any evil thoughts and reject any temptations that come our way. I did not say it is easy! It is a real struggle at times for us all.
The devil is slinging them at us constantly! Did you know that not every thought that comes cross your mind is from the newly created Spirit in us. Once you realize this, it helps gives us power to overcome them by God’s power dwelling within us. Paul says we can do this by,
“Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV)
Can we do this perfectly and without fail?
Ask yourself who really has been able to? NO ONE! But it is what we should be doing to the best of our ability as believers saved by God’s Grace. We should be striving to avoid sin in our life. I mean, what good is it really?! Is any result of sin a good consequence in the end?
But we must acknowledge that we will fail and sin as well. The Flesh is weak in fighting temptations to sin. Our Spirit is willing because it is perfectly Holy and without sin but walking in our flesh we find it hard sometimes to resist temptations. We need to be diligent and know the devil and his fallen angels are scheming things around you so that you will sin. This sin after Salvation will not result in loss of your Salvation but if satan can get you focused on your failure to resist sin and get you feeling guilty about it, your focus is now on your SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS and not on Christ’s righteous that you were made into. You take your focus off what Christ is doing in your life and reaching others for the kingdom of God. That is the devil’s goal.
“Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 6:41 KJV)
So focus on the truth that as a believer who accepted God’s atonement for sin through Christ; that you have been MADE the very righteousness of God IN Christ. Seek after His Righteousness – not yours. BELIEVE IT. Wake up everyday and acknowledge to God that you believe you are the righteousness of God in Christ. Ask God to empower you to resist the schemes of the devil and his fallen angels by the truth of the Word of God (Read Ephesians 6).
Remember what Jesus said,
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall MAKE YOU FREE.” (John 8: 31-32 KJV)
Bible Knowledge Matters In The Life Of A Believer!
“My people are destroyed for lackofknowledge” (Hosea 4:6 KJV)
Knowledge of the Word of God is POWER! God’s Word is not dead words. They are living and true and real. Believe that regardless of what your feeling are telling you. Feelings can be deceptive. The real truth is what he Bible says. So, just…BELIEVE IT.
