God's Grace

 Book of 2 Samuel Chapter 9

David's Compassion

What is compassion? 

A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration.

One of the great pictures of compassion in the New Testament is the work of the Lord Jesus with the wild man of Gadara.

Mar 5:19  Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. 

Why did Jesus die for us all?

Mat 9:36  But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. 

Mat 9:37  Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 

Mat 9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. 

Compassion is the key to being a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Compassion and kindness must be the traits of all God's people!

What is one of the two greatest commandments from our Lord and Savior?

Joh_13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Joh_13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Joh_15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Joh_15:17  These things I command you, that ye love one another.

The world we live in today has left out love and swapped it for hatred, especially in America!

The Lord provides our needs as He sees them and if we are to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, then we need to show compassion to those that we see who have a need, especially when we have no need of items that could help them.

One of the greatest lessons on compassion in the Old Testament can be seen in our lesson today.

*****2Sa 9:1  And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? 

We should understand that King David did not know that there were children of Jonathan that remained. He therefore thought he could show his kindness to the next of his kindred.

We should understand that any kindred of King Saul would probably be hidden for fear that David would search them out to kill them. 

This is what a new king would do in most cases during the Age of kings, but David was a man after God's own heart and he would not have done this, especially for the promise he had made to Jonathan.

David was doing his best to fulfill the promise he had made to Jonathan.

1Sa 20:14  And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: 

1Sa 20:15  But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. 

1Sa 20:16  So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies. 

Jonathan knew in his heart that David would be the next true king of Israel.

It was the custom of that day for the new king to murder all his predecessor's family and Jonathan wanted David to promise that he would not do this.

This was done to stop any claim the throne by the family of the previous ruler.

We would think that things like this no longer happen in our modern world, but we need only look at what is happening to Donald Trump to know that these things still happen today!

The Democratic party has gone after all the family of Donald Trump in order to keep him from becoming president and are trying to ruin the reputation of Donald and all his family to keep them out of politics in the future.

This cannot be denied!

We can see that not much has changed in politics and world leaders throughout the Ages.

Ecc 1:9  The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. 

Ecc 1:10  Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

We see just about every day the results of new leaders disposing of the old leader in many cruel ways including assassination and use of prison and other ways.

King David did not do these things after becoming King of Israel.

David found one man Ziba who had been one of Saul's servants.

*****2Sa 9:2  And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. 

2Sa 9:3  And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. 

2Sa 9:4  And the king said unto him, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar. 

2Sa 9:5  Then king David sent, and fetched him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar. 

I am not going to try to describe this event as Preacher Sam does.

The story of Mephibosheth and King David is a splendid example of the Grace of God.

David treated Mephibosheth and his son Micha with the greatest kindness, which was Grace.

He remained in Jerusalem and ate at the King's table.

Every child of God will one day go home and eat at the table of the Lord Jesus Christ because of Grace.

We know GRACE as "God's Riches At Christ's Expense".

Ziba had taken over the lands of Saul and was considered to be a rich man himself at this time.

There will be different versions of stories between Mephibosheth and Ziba as time passes.

Mephibosheth was five years old when the Philistines came to the home of King Saul to kill any remaining in the family of Saul, when one of the servants escaped with him and he fell, hitting his head, and that fall caused him to lose the control of his feet making him a cripple for life.

2Sa 4:4  And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame and his name was Mephibosheth.

Ziba had been a servant in the house of Saul, but was now a free man and he was determined to remain a free man.

King David did not allow this to happen.

Later, what David asked him to do was to become a servant to Mephibosheth.

2Sa 16:1  And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba "the servant of Mephibosheth" met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred bunches of raisins, and an hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. 

It was this same Ziba who brought nourishment to King David as he left Jerusalem to keep from killing Absolom.

During this time that David left his home because of Absolom, Mephibosheth backslide into his old

ways and remained at the house of David.

Mephibosheth is also called Merib-Baal and he had a son.

1Ch 8:34  And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah.

These things came a little latter when turmoil entered into David's life because of his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah.

So, King David sent for Mephibosheth.

*****2Sa 9:6  Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! 

2Sa 9:7  And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 

This is a picture of the Grace that will be shown to every believer by our Heavenly Father for His Son Jesus's sake.

When Mephibosheth came into the royal court he fell upon his face before King David thinking he was about to lose his life.

David gave Mephibosheth assurance that he had no evil intentions toward him, because David wanted to show him kindness for Jonathan's sake.

This is exactly what Jehovah our Heavenly Father wants to do for us as He gives us assurance that He will show us a great kindness for Jesus’s sake.

David then issued a royal decree in the name of Mephibosheth.

David gave him back all of his father's lands, the same land that Ziba had cared for and improved on all those years since the death of Saul.

David could have easily claimed all the possessions of King Saul for himself but he had not.

Saul's private estate did pass into David's possession when David came to the throne but David had ignored that piece of land.

This is the Lord speaking to David.

2Sa 12:8  And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 

David had always shown respect for King Saul and all his family.

It was a great privilege to eat at the table of the king and Mephibosheth had this promise all his remaining days.

So, Mephibosheth bowed before King David.

*****2Sa 9:8  And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? 

In the Israel of that day, a dead dog was considered to be the vilest and most contemptable object possible.

2Sa 3:8  Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman? 

2Sa 16:9  Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.

1Sa 24:14  After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea. 

We need to watch what we call people, as it could have a different meaning to them, than our intent.

When Mephibosheth said these things to express great gratitude saying that by rank King David was exalted much more than he was.

King David knew what Mephibosheth was saying.

We need to do the same without calling names, recognizing that the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted much above us at all times.

*****2Sa 9:9  Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house. 

Mephibosheth was actually Saul's grandson, but words of relationships are used in a very different way in the Hebrew.

Ziba was already managing the lands of King Saul, but more for his own rather that for Mephibosheth.

The King now ordered him to manage those same things that belonged to Saul for Mephibosheth and though he was obedient in these things it did not sit well with him.

Ziba had been a slave in the house of King Saul, so he was still better off, but he certainly did not want to become a slave to Mephibosheth.

Under Jewish Law, Ziba was now a fee man and later King David made these things right.

Ziba was also ordered by King David to bring all his own family to serve as slaves and to till the land for Mephibosheth.

*****2Sa 9:10  Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants. 

2Sa 9:11  Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons. 

Ziba knew there was not much he could do about what was happening to him and his family.

It was a great honor that David was showing to Mephibosheth and a great picture of Grace for him, but not much honor given to the slave who had been freed at the death of King Saul and his family.

God included this story in the Bible also for us to study.

We might also note that Ziba had employed ten slaves himself.

Many of the slaves of that day were actually fellow Hebrews who had met with hard times and had to indenture themselves in order to pay off some debt but Jehovah had specific laws concerning these things.

There is much more to these stories we will see later.

At least Mephibosheth would not be around much because he was the guest of the King, but he had a son name Micha in one place and Micah in another place. They are one and the same person.

And this son had sons.

*****2Sa 9:12  And Mephibosheth had a young son, whose name was Micha. And all that dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

2Sa 9:13  So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem: for he did eat continually at the king's table; and was lame on both his feet.  

King David showed the "Grace" of God to Mephibosheth all the days of his life, but does appear that Mephibosheth did turn on King David at the time of Absolom's rebellion.

We will substitute the name Micah for Micha in other places.

1Ch 8:34  And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah. 

1Ch 8:35  And the sons of Micah were, Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz. 

We should be able to see that Ziba who had been a free man after the day of Saul’s death, had no real responsibility to be a slave to Mephibosheth nor his family.

The Scriptures have not told us whether Ziba was a Jew but it does appear that he was a true Israelite.

Lev 25:44  Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. 

Lev 25:45  Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. 

Lev 25:46  And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour. 

So far all I have able to search says Ziba was an Israelite and subject to the Laws of Moses.

Exo 21:2  If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

It appears that the true reading of the Scriptures that Ziba became a free man and any other slaves of King Saul.

It also appears that Ziba had stayed on to take care of Saul's possessions after his death which in fact he felt obligated to do until the new king, David decided what he was going to do with that property.

To the above modes of of a slave to obtain liberty, the rabbinical priesthood added, as a fourth, the death of the master without leaving a son, there being no power of claiming the slave, on the part of any heir except a son, that slave would be free.

All the sons of King Saul were dead.

When a slave was set free the Master had an obligation to that slave.

Deu 15:13  And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty: 

Deu 15:14  Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him. 

We should understand that Zida would have nothing if he just ran off so, he stayed to protect these things.

We could call this God's Grace toward Ziba.

Later, we will see King David separate half the lands of King Saul to Ziba, we can believe that David had become more familiar with the Laws of Moses and made this thing right with Ziba.

2Sa 19:29  And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, Thou and Ziba divide the land. 

2Sa 19:30  And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house. 

All these details will come out because of the coup that Absolom, King David's own son and some rebellious elders, and politicians, and even some in religion had caused.

King David had only left Jerusalem because he did not want to war with his son Absolom and because he knew he was being chastised of God for his own sins, but God did not want him to leave Jerusalem.

God was not through with David at this time and God would not allow Absolom to become king.

We also see that God does not allow His Grace to go unrewarded to all parties.

God is still no respecter of persons!

These things show us that we can really get down after we recognize that we have sinned against God even when he has forgiven us!

Amen

The Gospel is Plain and Simple

 The Gospel Plain and Simple

Book of Acts Chapter 15

What does God say about the "Gospel of Jesus Christ"? God says to keep it simple.

What upsets God the most? Changing the meaning of His words!

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 

Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 

This passage is ignored more than any other passage in all the Bible by those who want to argue over the Word of God.

People are always saying; God did not mean what He said, but God always means what He says, and God also says what He means!

While most of the Apostles were still living and even some of the family of Jesus were still living, there was a council called in Jerusalem by the first church that was established in Jerusalem.

What was the end result of this great council?

That mankind is saved by the "Grace" of God through "Faith" alone, period!

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

There is to be nothing added to the Grace of God or it would not be "Grace"!

These certain men, Pharisees, were not opposing the Apostle Paul, though it was Paul they pointed their fingers, they were opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ.

They were opposed to Christianity!

If you are opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ, then you cannot be saved!

Is a ritual or ceremony necessary to be saved? No! Salvation is by "Grace".

Does each individual have to accept the whole Law of Moses before they can be saved? No! Salvation is by "Grace".

No matter how solid the Church congregation is, Satan will do his best to cause confusion in the Church.

If even one false preacher is allowed to preach in a Christian Church and he preaches a false doctrine, there will be someone in that group of Christians who then have doubt in some doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ and they will cause confusion in the Church.

1) All preachers must be screened before they are allowed to preach because some are false prophets.

2) All God's people must be settled on the Word of God and the Doctrine of Grace!

What is the "Doctrine of Grace"?

Grace is the unmerited, undeserved favor of God toward all mankind and is displayed in His care for us.

In reality by the operations of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) exercises moral influence on man through His special revelation, that sin is restrained, order is maintained in life, and righteousness is of God.

It is by God's "Grace" those general blessings, such as rain and sunshine, food and drink, clothing, and shelter, which God imparts "indiscriminately" in what manner seems good to Him.

Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 

Psa 145:8  The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 

Psa 145:9  "The LORD is good to all": and his tender mercies are over all his works. 

This same Grace and goodness of God extends to all mankind.

God does not play the "bias" or the "race" game!

Those that believe that God has a part in all the bad things that go on in this world should know that God is good to all people!

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

 It is the "Goodness" of God that allows the "Grace" of God, so there can be only one Savior.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

It is the same Holy Spirit who holds back the unrelenting sin in the world until all mankind gets an opportunity to be saved!

2Th 2:6  And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 

When the Holy Spirit is removed at the Rapture of the Church, then the "Grace of God" will cease for seven years and those who rejected the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ will begin to understand just what "Grace" meant.

The "Grace of God" is an opportunity for us to claim God's "Goodness"! We may not have this opportunity for very much longer!

"Grace" involves the truth of the Word of God!

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

In our Chapter today we get to see the first battle of Satan trying to make a mockery of God's Grace.

We get to see how "legalism" first stuck its ugly head up trying to enter the Church and it did.

*****Act 15:1  And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 

If legalism had infiltrated the early Church the whole character of Christianity would have been changed and the Church would certainly have failed!

Legalism destroys the love of God!

Gal 5:2  Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 

Gal 5:3  For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 

Gal 5:4  Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 

Gal 5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

Gal 5:6  For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

1) There had already been problems with the unbelieving Jews and we will see this continue.

2) There had already been problems with unbelieving Gentiles and this will continue and we see that it has.

3) Now we get to see problems within the Church by members who get confused by false preachers.

Confusion destroys churches!

The Church began to have problems between the Jews and the Gentiles.

These Jews, these Pharisees, had accepted the true Messiah, the Savior of the world but under the one condition that the Gentile nations would become Jews.

Judaism is full of "ritual" and "ceremony". In Christianity, salvation is by "the "Grace" of God with no ritual and no ceremony.

Even today this false doctrine still creates havoc in many churches!

These men from Judea came to the Church in Antioch Syria and mixed with true believers and taught their own ideas because these ideas are not in the Word of God.

There are far too many false preachers today who preach their own ideas of salvation and who reject salvation is an act of God's Grace.

We are wrong to teach any doctrine not in the Word of God! 

We are wrong to listen to the doctrines of some man!

God has made sure that a Bible is available to every Christian so we can know the Word of God ourselves!

These false preachers and false teachers were Pharisees so, they were well versed in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, but the New Testament was just being written as the Church grew.

The Apostle Paul wrote about half of the New Testament, with the Apostle John and Luke both writing a good bit of the New Testament and a few other writers including Peter, Jude, and James both the stepbrothers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If what these men said was considered to be important, it would certainly cause confusion in this young Church and they would certainly be upset.

It is these things that cause churches to split and many have over these very things.

Legalism can destroy the Church!

When we feel like our eternal fate is at stake, we can get confused if we ignore "salvation by Grace".

Notice, these men did not say the all Christians should undergo these rituals to be obedient to Scripture, or to please God, or to the please the Church, or to show your love for God, or some other things.

These men said we must all go through these rituals and be circumcised "to be saved"!

They said it was these rituals that brought salvation and not the "Blood of Jesus Christ".

God's "Grace" plus any ritual is false teaching.

God's "Grace" plus man's own hand is false teaching.

God's "Grace" plus man's own work is false teaching.

God's "Grace" plus anything is false teaching!

Grace saves us, because of God's love!

God's love brings God's "Grace".

Circumcision was only a "physical sign" that a Jewish man was a follower of the One True God.

It was a "sign" that Jewish man believed the promises God made to Abraham and to Israel.

Circumcision is just "a sign" and has no salvation value!

Faith had to come before circumcision!

Rom 4:11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 

Rom 4:12  And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 

Even Abraham had faith before he was circumcised!

The Jews made much more out of circumcision than God intended, and this is what ritual and ceremony can cause.

Circumcision was never a sign of righteousness!

Gal 6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Col 2:11  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: 

Col 2:12  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. 

Any man, woman, or child, who is "Born Again" by the Spirit of God, then become God's New Creatures!

Joh 3:3  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. 

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

God saves only those whose, body, mind, and soul, are focused upon His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ!

Baptism is just being obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ and has nothing to do with salvation!

We are all baptized by the Holy Spirit to be "Born Again"!

Every Christian must stand up against any teaching that goes against salvation by the "Grace" of God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ!

*****Act 15:2  When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Many of the Jewish converts were still zealous for the Law.

In reality, the Laws given to the Jews are good to live by.

The Ten Commandments are still considered the moral law and we should observe them.

The Jews were given 613 laws that pertained to every facet of their lives and those laws have not been rescinded.

These laws were given to the Jews and God has never said they would lead to salvation!

It is true that if someone could keep all 613 of these laws, they would be considered righteous, and righteousness is part of salvation.

The fact is, that there has never been a single human being that has kept all 613 of those laws and to break even one brings the sentence of death.

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Rom 3:11  There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the only person who kept all 613 of those laws, proving His own righteousness.

Because most of the Apostles were still alive at this time and still in Jerusalem, then Jerusalem was the place where these things would be settled.

We should understand that this issue was critical to Paul because he was the Apostle to the Gentiles.

Paul's commitment to the Lord would not allow him to waste time in useless argument and neither are Christians to argue the Word of God with non-believers!

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

2Ti 2:16  But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 

There must never be useless arguments over what God has said!

2Pe_1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

All arguments over what God has given to us in His Word are useless!

The Church at Antioch was not seeking for the Church at Jerusalem to enlighten them on the Doctrine of Salvation, they already knew where they stood and this church would have separated itself from the church at Jerusalem rather than give in to false doctrine!

The Church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas:

1) Because all the Apostles needed to be on the same page.

2) If the Apostles agreed it would carry a great weight in spreading the Gospel.

3) A declaration by the Church at Jerusalem would provide a great weapon in evangelism.

Many rituals were observed at the Church at Jerusalem because it was a church full of converted Jews, but if the Church would reject ritual salvation with a strong verdict, then salvation by "Grace" alone would be greatly strengthened.

Tit 3:4  But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 

Tit 3:5  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; 

Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 

Tit 3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 

Tit 3:8  This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. 

Titus, a Gentile did travel with Paul and Barnabas and Titus completely understood the outcome of this council was particularly important.

The Church won this first battle because the Church adhered to the truth of God!

The Church can win every battle if we all just cling to the truth of the Word of God!

As Paul traveled to Jerusalem he preached in as many churches as he could.

*****Act 15:3  And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 

It is important for us to consider that when the new Churches had witnessed the preaching of the Apostle Paul they knew they needed to use great effort to keep him preaching in as many places as possible.

It is the same for any church that has a great preacher, that church needs to help in getting his sermons to as many other places as possible.

We do this well here at Gethsemane but we can still do better.

Obviously we need to help all our missionaries as best we can!

Persecution had driven many believers to Phenicia.

Act 11:19  Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 

There may have been a church there, but they were not involved in missions.

The Church at Samaria had been established by Philip and Peter, and John.

Act 8:5  Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 

Act 8:24  Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. 

Act 8:25  And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. 

Still these churches were not involved with missions and were excited to hear what the Lord had done on Paul's first journey.

There was excitement even in Jerusalem.

*****Act 15:4  And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. 

Act 15:5  But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. 

Salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ is certainly enough to cause excitement in any church, it is certainly "Good News".

This excitement is what the "Good News" of the Gospel can cause.

There are always questions about the simplicity of salvation and there will always be those who reject this simplicity.

Rom_12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

2Co_1:12  For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

2Co_11:3  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

It is by a lack of "faith" in the truth of God that people want to add to the Word of God!

These Pharisees who had accepted the Lord Jesus as the true Messiah was a natural result after the Scriptures were explained to them!

Once their eyes were opened to the truth of Christ they were bound to see the evidence in the Old Testament Scriptures.

If they were honest and open in their hearts, then the Holy Spirit would certainly have convicted them, and they could have been converted from Judaism to Christianity.

Christianity is not a growth from Judaism! Christianity stands alone as the only means of salvation!

Most of these Pharisees saw Jesus as a fulfillment of Judaism and not a replacement.

Most of these Pharisees saw Jesus as an addition to the Law and not replacing the Law.

Most of these Pharisees saw Jesus as an addition to their rituals not replacing them.

Most of these Pharisees saw Jesus adding baptism to the ordinances and not replacing those ordinances.

The Pharisees who had a lifetime commitment to the Law would be very slow to give up the Law!

They would be slow to accept the "righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ"!

In Antioch, the question had been "does a man have to be circumcised to be saved"?

All of a sudden in Jerusalem, the question became "does a man have to keep the whole Law to be saved"?

This is the story of legalism! 

These people are never content until they keep adding to the Word of God and the simplicity of God's Grace making a mockery of the truth of God and His Son and even the Holy Spirit who declared the Word of God to be only from God and not from man.

2Ti_3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

**We should ask ourselves, what can we do to gain favor with God, when we know that God is no respecter of persons. We must accept His Son.

Act_10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

When we insist in a works doctrine, we call God a liar!

**We could ask ourselves what kind of work will make us righteous when God says that none of us are righteous nor can we be, again making God a liar.

Rom 3:10  As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 

Do we come to the Lord with or own package of works, or do we come seeking the "mercy" of God?

Do we come to the Lord to be praised for our works, or do we come to praise the Lord for what He has done for us?

Do we receive the glory of God because of our own goodness, or is God's glory given to us because of the glory He has given to His Son?

When the Apostle Paul stood before these elders and the church, he declared what the Lord had done and not what he (Paul) had done.

God will only save mankind by "Grace through Faith" because God is the only One who can accept us into His family!

What were these Pharisees doing? They were tempting God! 

"They had the gaul to ask God to declare Himself” when God has already given us His Word!

It was now time for the Church to act on these things.

The answer to these things would either stop the Church or the Church would grow in Spiritual Knowledge.

We already know that it is impossible for this world to stop the Lord's Church!

*****Act 15:6  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 

Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 

Act 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 

Act 15:9  And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 

Act 15:10  Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 

The Church at Jerusalem met together. The Apostles, the Elders, and the congregation, because the importance of this decision is far too important to ignore.

Notice the Apostles were not being Lords over the Church.

The Elders were not being Lords over the Church.

We see there was much disputing, so all sides were represented. No one was ignored or silenced!

The biggest problem with the Pharisees is that they had for many years been legalistic in their approach to God and they had caused much harm to Judaism.

The Apostle Peter hit the nail on the head when he said, "Why Tempt Ye God".

It is God the Holy Spirit who moves into each child of God and brings salvation to each individual.

These Jews nor these Pharisees had ever been able to keep all those 613 laws, so why would they ever demand the Gentiles to be obedient to those same laws to gain salvation.

Those old laws were never about "Righteousness".

Those laws were just a measuring stick to teach us all the path to righteousness.

Gal_3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal_3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

Then the Apostle Peter speaks, and all the religious world need to listen to what he said.

*****Act 15:11  But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

It was not the Law that saved all those in the church at Jerusalem, it was God's "GRACE" and it is God's "GRACE" that opens the door to salvation.

Peter said in so many words: "If our beliefs and hopes are the same as theirs, why should the Gentiles be urged to adopt observances which form to us no ground for our own hope of salvation".

You see it was God alone who saved the Gentiles!

It was God alone who saved the Jews!

It is God alone who can forgive sin!

Salvation can come from no other source and this "Grace" comes only by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Cornelius and his house had believed the Word of God while Peter was still preaching and by "Faith" the Holy Spirit had moved into each believer.

No law was involved but the Law of Grace!

Only God knows our hearts.

Only God can bear witness to our faith.

Only God can send the Holy Spirit.

Only God could send the Holy Spirit to the Jews and to the Gentiles.

His name is Jehovah.

It is by "faith" that moves the hand of God! Not any ritual and not any ceremony and not anything called religion!

Peter knew that no Jew had been able to keep all those Laws and one failure brought the Judgment of God.

These Pharisees also knew this was true!

Peter knew one more thing, "Why do we question the Word of God", it is extremely dangerous to question the actions of God!

All mankind is saved in the exact same way, and this is not ever going to change!

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 

Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 

Rom 3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 

There is only one salvation source for the world God created and it is by the Lord Jesus Christ.

*****Act 15:12  Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 

It was God alone who verified the message of salvation by "Grace" with miracles and wonders, not points and arguments!

Those miracles show clearly that God approved the message of the Apostle Paul and Barnabas.

God keeps the message of salvation simple because He does not want anyone to stand up in the Judgment saying, "God, you made salvation too difficult for me".

It is the truth that makes us free!

Paul preached to these same people on a later date.

Gal 3:1  O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 

Gal 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

Gal 3:3  Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? 

Legalism runs rampant in many a church today because “false prophets” push it.

It is only the Church who can put a stop to this foolishness by trusting the Word of God!

Amen

Grace and National Israel

 The Gospel of Grace and National Israel

Book of Romans Chapter 10 verse 1 through 13

Who are the Israelites?

Rom 9:4  Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 

Rom 9:5  Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 

Israel was the nation chosen and adopted as God's people and those to whom Jehovah God first revealed Himself.

Their job was to tell the world about Jehovah God, but they chose to try to keep Him to themselves.

Gen 32:28  And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. 

Exo 4:22  And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 

Exo 4:23  And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn. 

They were privileged with the great patriarchal covenants and were given laws that were to teach them the truth and this truth was that no one could keep all those laws. (613 laws not just 10)

We know those Laws were given to teach them about the Messiah.

Gal_3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal_3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

The Israelites never came to know true "faith" and so never attained to God's "Grace".

When we mention the Jewish Law, most people think of the Ten Commandments but in reality, there were 613 commandments given to the Jewish people and God knew that no one could keep all those commandments all their lives and it only took one failure to be condemned.

They rejoiced in their Levitical Service and had great expectation of the Messiah which they are still looking for now because they rejected the Lord Jesus Christ.

The worship services in the Tabernacle and the Temple were to remind them what was due unto God on one hand and how much was graciously provided by Him on the other hand.

All the Old Testament promises will be filled with promises of the Messiah and the Millennial Kingdom (the one-thousand-year rule of Christ).

The Atonement, the kingdom of Heaven, the reign of Israel upon this earth, but they thought all these things were just for Israel and did not include the Gentiles and they rejected "faith" and decided that righteousness could only come by the keeping of the Law.

Rom 4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 

Rom 4:14  For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 

Rom 4:15  Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 

Their entire system of worship was calculated to reveal the Divine greatness and holiness of Jehovah God and human insignificance and sinfulness.

Instead of becoming a humble nation of servants, they became a nation full of pride and self-righteousness!

When God wanted holiness Israel showed rebellion!

They were looking forward to the important things that are still in their future, because when the time came to move forward, they became legalist and rejected God's Messiah.

All the promises God has made to Israel are to be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ who was rejected!

The Lord Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh!

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 

Israel made some tragic mistakes!

The Apostle Paul understanding all the Old Testament scriptures having been trained under Gamaliel the great Jewish teacher of that day and now a "Born Again" child of God, full of the Holy Spirit clearly saw the failures of Israel and the truth of Jesus Christ.

What was the main problem for the Israelites? They had a zeal for God, but not according to the Scriptures given to them by those Prophets they murdered because they rejected their message.

*****Rom 10:1  Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 

Rom 10:2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 

Paul had a burning desire for the salvation of the Israelites. Paul absolutely loved this people!

We have no reason to hate the Jews, the Israelites!

We read earlier of those that God had turned over to reprobate minds, who God knew would never accept the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul knew that the Israelites would never be placed in this group of reprobates.

In fact, we know that God has blinded the eyes of this people and will one day remove those blinders and they will clearly see their mistakes they made concerning the Word of God. 

Rom_11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

This blindness in fact will be removed when the fulness of the heathen (Gentiles) come in. 

This will happen at the "Rapture" of the Church. God does not consider those who have this zeal to be reprobates. 

We know that the first Christians were in fact Jews and many Jews are still saved today.

Keep in mind that not all Israel are Israelites. Many are called Israelis today.

God is speaking to those actual descendants of Abraham through his wife Sarah!

What is the truth of these Israelites? They have a zeal but not according to the knowledge of Jesus Christ!

What is the truth of the Gentile (Heathen) the Church of the last days? We have the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we do not have the zeal to serve Him as we should!

Over and over we see the evidence of the Laodicean Church Age, yet the Church denies it.

What did the Lord Jesus say? 

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 

Rev 3:18  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

We see the modern Church has pushed God away with the modern pastor believing that He knows better than the Word of God that we have been given.

There is no such thing as a new understanding of the Scriptures! God does not change His Word nor His ways!

Mal_3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not;

The modern Church is now trying to establish its own righteousness which has been the same problem for the Israelites all along!

*****Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 

These Jews knew many things about the Messiah, but it was not based on a complete knowledge!

The Church has the complete knowledge, but many today think they know better than God who gave us His complete Word.

There will never be some new "Gospel"!

Israel was ignorant of God's righteousness!

Israel was ignorant of God's method of "Justification"!

Israel was ignorant as to how to be acceptable to God!

This acceptance can only come by the acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He has done for our salvation!

Everyone is born with a sin nature and this sin nature can only be done away with by the Work of Christ that allows us to be "Born Again" a Spiritual Rebirth!

You cannot reject Jesus Christ and then receive this new life!

Jesus Christ is the source of all "Spiritual" gifts, the Holy Spirit is the Administrator of those gifts!

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and "gave gifts unto men". 

Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, "that he might fill all things".) 

Eph 4:11  And "he gave" some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 

Eph 4:12  "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ": 

Eph 4:13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 

You see the true Church is made up of those who have come in the unity of the "Faith"!

Not the many denominations, and certainly not of those who take the authority of Jesus Christ out of the Church!

If you believe, then you had better believe that when God removes the blindness and restores sight to these Jews, they will all be in unity of "faith".

For Jesus Christ is the end of those old Laws and the key to "Righteousness" to everyone who believes in Him and the work He has done for our salvation!

*****Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law of righteousness to every one that believeth.

We had better understand that once false teaching has taken place it is hard to get people straightened back out!

The Church has been struggling with this for years and the Jews have never overcome this at this time.

Without the Lord Jesus Christ you cannot receive the Holy Spirit!

Without the Holy Spirit you can never have the mind of Christ!

Without the mind of Christ you will still depend on your own self-righteousness which is worth exactly nothing in the eyes of God the Father!

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 

What does the Holy Spirit teach us?

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, "whatsoever I have said unto you". 

It is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the end of the Law.

Mat_5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

These are most important things, yet these things are left out of the teaching of many denominations causing disharmony in the Church.

We had better cling to the basic truths of the Lord Jesus Christ and remember the Holy Trinity of God! 

Not three Gods but One God in three persons, all bound up in the truth of Jehovah God, our Maker!

Moses tried to explain these things to the Jews, but they rejected them.

As much as they claimed Moses, they still rejected the things He taught them of the Messiah!

*****Rom 10:5  For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 

Most everyone who claim the Lord Jesus Christ think that the "Gospel" is some cafeteria plan given to us from God, where we can pick and choose the things to place our faith.

God has no cafeteria plan! 

God has one plan, and it is all bound up in the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Law is simply our teacher to get us "justified" by "faith"!

Gal 3:23  But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

Gal 3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 

Gal 3:26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 

As humans, we have no righteousness of our selves. You can like this or dislike this, but it is still the truth because God said it!

Just as you cannot pick and choose the parts of the Bible you accept and the parts you reject, those Jews could not pick and choose which of those old Laws they would keep, or they would reject.

The difference being there is no "Grace" built into those old Laws.

When we try to reach God by law and works, simply by doing the absolute best we can, we should be able to see there is a terrible flaw in this way of thinking.

No one, but Jesus Christ has ever been able to keep those laws perfectly!

Lev 18:5  Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD. 

It is a losing effort every time!

Gal 3:10  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 

Gal 3:11  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 

There are only two ways to become righteous before God:

1) Keeping the Law and being perfect in the keeping of the Law, which no one but Christ was able to do.

2) Trusting in the righteousness in that person, Jesus Christ, who was able to keep all those 613 laws!

We can see that there is only one choice!

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

When this makes sense to you, you will begin to understand the truth of Jesus Christ!

You see everyone is seeking the forgiveness of sin, but this forgiveness comes only by the "Grace" of God, because there is no law that can bring "Grace" except for the law of Christ Jesus the true and only Messiah!

Php_3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Though Paul has been criticized, we must understand that "ALL" Scripture comes to us by the Holy Spirit if that Scripture comes to us from the "Received Text"!

2Ti_3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

The name of the writer is unimportant for all those writers were guided by the Holy Spirit of God!

When we doubt the Word of God, we are not doubting the writers, we are doubting a Holy and Righteous God who cannot deceive and who cannot lie!

We must know that there is nothing unholy in the glory of Heaven!

That being true and it is, then it must take a perfect righteousness to be accepted into God's home in Heaven!

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 

This righteousness can come only by faith in the work the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us to receive this acceptable righteousness!

*****Rom 10:6  But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 

Rom 10:7  Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)

"Saving faith" is that "faith" that concerns itself only about the Lord Jesus Christ!

Unbelief says, "Who shall ascend into Heaven"? Unbelief says, "Who shall descend into the deep"?

Unbelief always has questions!

Faith takes her stand wherever Jesus Christ is located! 

Salvation can come only by the Lord Jesus Christ!

It takes a real imagination to believe the lies of this world!

It takes a truly lively imagination to believe in evolution!

Faith is done with imaginations and faith is done with dreamers!

Faith deals in reality! 

The Lord Jesus came to this world to pay the sin debt of all peoples and He died to do so!

Faith is the truth! 

The Lord Jesus Christ arose from that death proving He is God!

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 

1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

The Gospel is the truth, so for these reasons, all questions are answered about salvation!

If we look within ourselves, we can know these things are the real truth.

If we look at the world all we see is lies, deception, and wickedness!

The truth of God will satisfy the soul and the Word was indeed made flesh and dwelt among us!

Joh 1:9  That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 

Joh 1:10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 

Joh 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 

Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 

Joh 1:13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 

Joh 1:14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 

In our search for a place called Heaven, we soon realize that we do not have it in our own power to get there, so we need a Deliverer, in fact a Messiah!

Psa_102:19  For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;

In order for this to be true, then this Deliverer must be able to conquer sin, death, and Hell to remove these things from us.

Psa 139:6  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 

Psa 139:7  Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 

Psa 139:8  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 

It is only our Heavenly Father who has this knowledge so only He could be this Deliverer, this Messiah!

As long as we depend on our own righteousness we will be lost forever!

Joh 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 

Jesus Christ is that Deliverer who brought the wonderful things of Heaven within reach of those who trust Him!

God has made these promises available to us if we just believe Him!

*****Rom 10:8  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 

Rom 10:9  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. 

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

What is true faith?

Heb 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Heb 11:3  Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Heb 11:6  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.

God has placed His Word within our reach! 

It is easy to understand. 

It is to be remembered.

It is to be practiced.

It is the Word of Faith!

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 

Eph 4:9  (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? 

Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) 

We are not required to find some way to Heaven! 

We do not have to find a way to avoid Hell!

The Lord Jesus Christ has solved this problem that we have all had since our birth!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ only requires "faith" in this reality!

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is applied to us, when we confess with our mouths that we believe this truth!

Why? Because of the great love that God loves us!

Joh 3:16  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.

We may never understand this, but it does not make it any less true!

The means to get to God's New Heaven is located on the tip of our tongue if in our heart we will believe Him!

We must confess the truth of the Gospel with our mouth, believing He is that Great Deliverer sent down from Heaven to make a way for us to join Him in His home!

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 

Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 

Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 

Jesus says, do not worry about this I got it all under control. (My words)

God's "justice" was perfectly satisfied with death of His Son!

God was perfectly satisfied with His Son dying for us!

So God raise His Son up from the dead to live forever and those who confess this to live with Him!

Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 

How could such a plan be conceived and then followed exactly as it was written not be true?

Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 

God has done these things so we will repent and return to Him, our Creator!

This cannot be done on a whim; it must come from the heart!

*****Rom 10:11  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 

Salvation is available and that shame comes when we do not give consideration of what a loving God has done for us.

God did not give these precious gifts to just one nation. God's offer is to all the world!

God's message is to all peoples!

There is only one Gospel and there can be only one Gospel!

Whoever believes in the truth of Jesus Christ will be saved!

God has made it just that simple!

The Gospel has made its way around this world, and this could only have happened by the power of God!

There may still be a very few places where Jehovah God is not known, but it can only be a very few and even those places will soon hear the "Gospel" of our Savior and our Deliverer.

The "Gospel of Jesus Christ" is universal!

Isa 45:22  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

We do not have to be ashamed of our Savior!

When we are covered in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, we should have no fear of this world!

We must never be ashamed to confess the Lord Jesus Christ before any man, any woman, or any child!

God's love is never limited to any people!

*****Rom 10:12  For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 

The Lord our God treats all humanity the same!

There is no distinction between humans in the eyes of God!

There is only one race, and it is the human race!

Every human being is related to God in the same way because He is our Creator!

God does not show partiality!

We are all His creations.

We all have the sin nature of Adam.

We are all loved by Him.

None of us can be saved, but through the Lord Jesus Christ by the righteousness that is in Him.

God does not save one person one way and another person a separate way.

We must all come to Christ!

No person is favored over another person in being saved or being condemned!

Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 

Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 

God will respond to all that call upon His name!

Every good thing that comes to this world comes by the hands of our Loving God!

Jas 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

This means that terrible things do not come by the hands of God!

The truth being that we must call upon God to receive the riches of His "mercy" and His "grace"!

*****Rom 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

This statement is not in the Bible to be a deception, it is in the Bible because it is the truth!

This same promise goes out to every man, woman, and child upon this earth!

This is a prophecy that is fulfilled from the Old Testament!

Joe 2:32  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call. 

It means when we call upon the name of the Lord, then we believe in the righteousness of His Son Jesus!

It means every person with such a belief.

Joh 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 

You cannot get around Jesus Christ to make your own way to Heaven!

Jesus Christ is the answer to spending eternity with God our Father!

We must follow in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

Luk 9:24  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 

Amen

The Gospel of Grace is God's Law

 The Gospel of Grace and the Law

Book of Romans Chapter 8

What is it to be condemned? It is to be sentenced to punishment. 

To be guilty. 

To be worthless. 

To be wrong according to the truth of the Word of God.

We need to understand the power of the Holy Spirit! There is nothing and no one more powerful than the Holy Spirit(Ghost)!

If we need anything, we need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives!

What does the Holy Spirit accomplish in our lives once we accept the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ?

The Holy Spirit gives us eternal life.

The Holy Spirit leads us to Spiritual things.

The Holy Spirit will live inside each believer forever.

The Holy Spirit is life.

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to overcome sin.

The Holy Spirit connects us to the Heavenly Father.

The Holy Spirit is our adoption agent into the family of God.

The Holy Spirit bears witness to our Heavenly Father of our Spiritual condition.

All these things will unfold as we go through this passage called Chapter Eight.

Chapter 8 of the Book of Romans is one of the greatest chapters for the believer and those who still have doubts in their Spiritual life.

So what is the truth of our deliverance from sin by the Lord Jesus Christ?

*****Rom 8:1  There is therefore now "no condemnation" to them which are "in Christ Jesus", who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

For me to be in Christ then, I must be in all the things Jesus Christ did for me!

The Lord Jesus Christ lived.

The Lord Jesus Christ died.

The Lord Jesus arose from that death.

So I must live, die, and arise to be in Christ!

This is also the meaning of the full immersion Baptism! 

Php 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 

Php 3:11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 

He was my Substitute for my death.

He is my Mediator while I yet live.

He is my Representative in Heaven until I get there through Him.

My goal is to identify with my Lord Jesus Christ and strive to be more like Him every day! This is the path of Sanctification!

Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. 

Joh 15:4  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. 

Joh 15:5  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. 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Propitiation for my sin therefore I never have to die!

When I do all these things I will no longer be "condemned" to die for my sin, for He has already paid that debt I owed!

Isa 54:17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD. 

I have been made free from the law of sin and death!

*****Rom 8:2  For "the law of the Spirit of life" in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 

Have you noticed that there are somethings God knew we would not understand in the Bible, so God explained them for us?

What is the Law of the Spirit? It is life in Christ Jesus!

A life in Christ Jesus is eternal!

There is life in Jesus Christ that goes far beyond these few years we see in this life that is no more than a vapor compared to the life in Jesus Christ!

Jas_4:14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

This life is in Jesus Christ and in Him alone!

Joh 3:36  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. 

Once this temporary body, that can live only a few years has passed to death, then by that death we will pass to life!

Joh 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 

This is an amazing promise for each believer!

Joh 11:25  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 

Joh 11:26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 

This life after death comes only by Jesus Christ!

Joh 20:31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. 

This is that law of the Spirit of Life in Jesus Christ!

This life is the result of what our Heavenly Father sent His Son to do for us and why this act of God is called "Grace". 

God's Riches At Christ's Expense!

*****Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 

Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit gives life by doing what those old Jewish Laws could not do!

The Law could not make anyone righteous, because in our flesh we have no power to keep and obey all those laws, and but one failure brought death!

There are no laws that can be written that would provide the righteousness, required by God to be in His presence!

God credits this righteousness to us:

1) When we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is our righteousness.

2) When we believe that the lord Jesus Christ is our One and Only Savior! (The One who died for us)

When we believe these things with all our heart, the Holy Spirit fulfills that righteousness within us and it is eternal!

Without these things we cannot be saved from ourselves, and we cannot be saved from this world that lives in hopelessness!

Yes, this world lives in hopelessness!

Everywhere today we hear "trust the science" but science cannot give us what God can give us!

It is the Holy Spirit who brings with Him eternal life in the home of our Savior!

We must forsake our flesh to receive the Holy Spirit!

What are we taught by the Lord Jesus Christ?

1) Jesus condemned sin as being evil! 

All sin is contrary to God and the Word of God!

Sin is unworthy of God and humanity.

2) Jesus Christ made secure the righteousness of all humanity! 

Jesus Christ came as that babe born in Bethlehem in the same flesh as we have.

The same flesh with all its desires, its passions, and its potential for evil, yet He had the power to overcome this flesh and never sinned even one time.

The Lord Jesus Christ became our pattern, our model, of what our Heavenly Father was looking for in humanity!

We now have the power of God to reach the perfection that was in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Heb 9:14  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 

Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. 

3) The Lord Jesus Christ became our Substitute on Calvary's Cross. 

Our Heavenly Father had to accept the law of sin and death as fulfilled by His Son because God will never go against His Word!

Satan was removed from this picture.

1Pe 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

*****Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit who moves into our heart upon that "faith" in the work of Christ, will pull us to do Spiritual things.

What comes from the heart enters our mind and so when our hearts are pure, our mind will think upon pure things.

Pro 23:7  For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee. 

When our thoughts are focused upon the goodness of God, then we are able to do good things and things that are righteous according to the Word of God!

God helps us to have control of our minds!

The Holy Spirit will search out the secret intentions of the heart and He cannot be fooled!

When we can remain under the guidance of a corrupt nature, then we had better take another look at Jesus Christ and be truly saved!

When our minds remain carnal, then the Holy Spirit does not live within our heart!

*****Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

We should understand that a carnal mind does not just mean a mind on evil and immoral things. 

A carnal mind is a mind that does not place the Lord Jesus Christ first in all our thoughts!

There is a lot to be said about "What Would Jesus Do" WWJD!

The Holy Spirit will always lead us to the thoughts of Jesus Christ!

A carnal mind can focus on moral, upright, and a cultured life, and still reject and neglect the truth of God and the truth of Jesus Christ!

This is called self-righteousness which goes against the truth of God! 

We must live in the "righteousness" of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Eph 4:17  This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

We must give our minds over to the control of the Holy Spirit!

It is only the Holy Spirit who can work within us to cause our mind to think upon Spiritual things!

It is only the Holy Spirit who will provide the will to do God's pleasure! A day by day walk with God! This is called Sanctification.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

This is the only way we can focus upon the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ!

If we are not in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, then we cannot please God!

Remember we live and die by obedience to our Holy God!

Being saved is His first priority!

Doing the work of Christ is a close second.

We will live with a lifetime of choices and the Holy Spirit will always choose Christ!

*****Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 

Upon accepting the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit immediately moves into each believer.

Some will feel Him just that quick, but most do not, but this does not mean He did not move into each one that now have that faith.

It is by faith that we know this important truth of God!

It is a surety that the Holy Spirit moves in at this point and begins the process of "regeneration", making all things new!

2Co 3:18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

We must have faith that this is true, and we must know that He, the Holy Spirit will never leave us from this point forward throughout eternity!

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 

Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 

Some people ask, what is the differences between the angels and humanity.

The differences begin with one simple fact, an angel has no spirit so the Holy Spirit cannot live within an angel!

1Pe 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. 

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; "which things the angels desire to look into".

The angels can never be the children of God!

So, if Christ comes into the heart and the Holy Spirit comes to live within each believer, our bodies should be dead to sin!

But alive to Christ because of the Holy Spirit!

*****Rom 8:10  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 

What is the first benefit we receive by the Holy Spirit? Eternal life!

This old body that ages everyday will continue to age, but the spirit that remains, shall live because of righteousness.

Our spirit will begin that life that is eternal, if we have accepted the work of Jesus Christ for our salvation!

The Spirit of Christ is a life-giving force that cannot be stopped.

We say all the time that time is just going by so fast. 

What we are really saying is, that our body is in a rapid movement toward its death and there is little we can do about it!

We can try with the right diet and proper exercise, but we will not gain very much, at best we may add one or two years!

This does not mean that we should not do healthy things, we should so we can remain in the work of God as long as possible.

We all seem to forget that it is God who decides our death!

1Ti_4:8  For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

We already know we had no righteousness ourselves so, this righteousness must be the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we had remained dependent upon laws, then we could have kept our righteousness only if we had not broken even one law!

Righteousness is living according to the Word of God as best we can, and God gives us many tools to help us in righteousness and the gift of the Spirit of Jesus is our greatest tool!

When our spirit unites with the Holy Spirit, then our spirit has gained eternal life and not eternal death!

What many do not understand is that the Holy Spirit will also quicken our mortal body!

Though our bodies may die and be buried till it disintegrates, burnt, or destroyed in any form or fashion, God will make those old bodies new on that great day of redemption we call the "Rapture".

Too good to be true? Not at all!

The mortal body will be made alive!

We will be who we were, but in a glorified body.

My name is Bobby and in Heaven I will be Bobby so those that knew me can still know me!

Moses was still Moses and Elijah was still Elijah, and it will be no different for me or any other child of God!

My new glorified body will be given the power and energy of eternal elements!

Eternal molecules, eternal atoms, and eternal whatever else it takes for God to glorify my old body.

1Co 15:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 

1Co 15:52  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. 

1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

1Co 15:54  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. 

1Co 15:55  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 

1Co 15:56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 

1Co 15:57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

*****Rom 8:11  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 

It is the "resurrection" of the Lord Jesus Christ that gives us these guarantees and they are guarantees!

Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 

When the Lord Jesus Christ came out of that tomb, He proved He is God!

There has never been a power on this earth that can raise someone from being dead. It is a God thing!

It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ that proved that He is the Savior of the world!

Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

It is the resurrection from the dead that proves that Jesus Christ is the Lord of life!

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

1Pe 1:4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 

1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

There are too many benefits for a life in Christ than just to say I do not believe those things!

It pays for everyone on the face of this "created world" to listen to what God has to say!

Just believing with a pure heart gets these things started by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit!

*****Rom 8:12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. 

Rom 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 

It is the Holy Spirit who has the power to put evil deeds to death!

It was the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of life who decided on this new ministry of the Holy Spirit!

Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 

Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 

Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. 

So as Christians we owe no debt to our flesh, we are in debt to the Holy Spirit. Debt meaning obligation.

Our flesh is contaminated with sin!

Our flesh is carnal!

Our flesh causes our death!

Our flesh has a mind that is in enmity with our Holy God!

Our flesh cannot please God!

We owe our flesh nothing! We owe all we are to our Holy God!

We are fools to focus all our lives on the satisfying of our flesh!

Rom 7:18  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. 

Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

It is the Holy Spirit to whom I owe my new life!

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

It is by the Holy Spirit that we have the power within ourselves to put our flesh to death even while we yet live!

We can deny our flesh!

We can mortify our evil deeds!

The Holy Spirit will never destroy the deeds of sin unless we exercise our will to destroy it ourselves.

Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 

Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 

Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

When we put the evil deeds of our flesh to death, then and only then can we see life and what true life all is about!

We must understand that this is a constant daily battle for the rest of our earthly days!

We die because of evil, but we live because of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ!

1Pe 2:11  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 

1Pe 2:12  Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. 

We can be at peace with this world within ourselves, if we follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and be obedient to the Word of God, the Words of Life!

Amen

The Gospel of Justification

 The Gospel of Grace and Justification

Book of Romans Chapter 4 through Chapter 5

Here are a few especially important things we need to know in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

1) We can never be "Justified" by our works!

Without the Holy Spirit abiding within us, we are still lost!

Gal 3:2  This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 

What does the Holy Spirit do for us?

The Holy Spirit does His work through a twofold ministry in our lives. 

A) He will work on Christ’s behalf, through our witness, to bring conviction to those not yet in Christ (John 16:7-11). 

B) He will also minister to us as the teacher of our spirits to guide us into all truth (John 16:13; 14:17, 26; 15:26).

2) Faith is the key to our relationship with the Almighty God!

Gal 3:6  Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. 

Gal 3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 

3) Those who try to keep the Law must keep all of those Old Laws, which are impossible!

Gal 3:10  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. 

Gal 3:11  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 

4) It is the same for all races and all cultures of people!

Gal 3:14  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 

5) The promises of the Lord Jesus Christ come only by "Faith"!

Gal 3:22  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 

6) Those old laws were given to all the world to teach us how to live!

Gal 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 

It is by "faith" in the Works of Jesus Christ for our salvation that we receive the Holy Spirit.

7) Once the Holy Spirit moves in, He will never move back out!

There are so many who believe we have to work our way into Heaven. 

In a sense work gets us to Heaven, but it is not any work that we have to do! Jesus Christ has done all the work that was required for us!

What does Jesus say? What work does our Heavenly Father accept?

Joh 6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, "that ye believe on him whom he hath sent". 

Joh 6:38  "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me". 

Joh 6:39  And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

*****Rom 4:18  Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 

Rom 4:19  And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 

Rom 4:20  He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 

Rom 4:21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 

Rom 4:22  And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 

Rom 4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 

Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 

Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 

Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 

Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

God has given us the fitting example of Abraham to teach us about "faith".

Against all probability, Abraham believed in the promises of God!

Our "faith" must be in the things that the God has spoken!

Our "hope" lies in the promises of God!

Abraham had nothing to give to God but these two things and this is why it is called "Grace".

You see, we must be fully persuaded that what God promises, He is also able to deliver.

No one can stand before our Holy God who is not righteous, and it is these things that bring to us righteousness enough to stand before God and not perish!

Our "faith" must be in the work that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for our own righteousness. Why?

We must believe that God sent His only Son who was delivered for our offences (our sin) and raised by God for our "justification".

Therefore peace with our Holy God comes by "faith" in the things He sent His Son to do for us!

Gal 2:16  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. 

All God ask from us, is to believe in what He has done for us!

Now God has done all these things it is time for all humans to show "faith" or to reject these things in a lack of "faith"!

A notable example given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ from the New Testament:

Luk 18:10  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 

Luk 18:11  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 

Luk 18:12  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 

Luk 18:13  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 

Luk 18:14  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

The truth is, most all the world has turned their back on God and seek a path to salvation that will never be true, because we cannot choose our own path to Heaven!

It is by "Faith" that we are "Justified"!

It is by "Faith" that we can be at peace with God!

It is by "Faith" that we have access to God's "Grace", God's favor, and welcomed into the presence of God!

It is by "Faith" whereas we find hope for the Glory of God!

We can have peace with God because He has nothing to be held against us throughout the remainder of our lifetime on earth and we will spend eternity with Him in His house.

The Lord Jesus Christ was our "Substitute" in making payment for our sin.

God our Father was satisfied with the sacrifice (payment) of His dear Son.

God the Father is forever satisfied that our sin debt was paid, and He will never bring it up again, nor will He ever judge us again.

We will never be a part of God's "wrath"!

We will one day be a part of God's Glory!

These are all things we can know in this lifetime!

We should also know that this world will now hate us!

*****Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 

Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 

Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

We cannot allow the trials and tribulations of this world to destroy us. We now have a renewed strength because we are at peace with God!

We do not have to live in despair and hopelessness.

We can in fact, learn from all these things and become stronger because our strength is now in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

You see the Holy Spirit who lives within each child of God will stand up to all trials and temptations and all we need do is listen to Him!

You see, we are now able to defeat all things that come against us!

Rom_8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Because of this we can have patience in the trials of this life and there will be no trials in our glorious life.

When we endure the trials of this life, and there will be many, we come out stronger and better able to stand against any future trials in this life.

This is where we stand in these last days!

Luk 21:17  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. 

Luk 21:18  But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls. 

It is in these things that we will be able to see these last days approaching, which, we are now in!

The Lord says we are on the winning side, and we can in our "Faith" know that this is true!

When we lean on the Holy Spirit who lives within us, He will hold us up!

As long as we have this "hope" in the truth of God, we will never be ashamed of our Savior who will never disappoint us.

It is in our strength in Jesus that the world will see, and it is this strength, His Strength, that we are better able to cope in this wicked and hopeless world!

1Jn 2:28  And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 

1Jn 2:29  If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

It is by the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, that we can feel the "Love" of God!

Joh 3:16  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. 

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 

Joh 3:18  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. 

There is great peace that comes by the awesome love of God!

*****Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 

Rom 5:7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 

God knew that there would never be a human capable of being pure enough to be sacrificed for sin and God hated the fact that so many of false worship would attempt to sacrifice humans and most all of them were babies.

The false gods Chemosh and Moloch, sometime called Baal-Peor or Baal-Zebub, required human sacrifice and God hated these things done to the innocent, but even babies are not pure enough to be a payment for sin.

Every nation on earth is still sacrificing babies today calling it women's rights.

The only sacrifice that God would ever accept was His own, the sacrifice of Himself!

Gen 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, "God will provide himself a lamb" for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. 

We were an ungodly people, yet a Holy God left the portals of Heaven, came, and lived as a human, but a sin free human, and sacrificed Himself so that we can be saved.

God is perfect, all humans carry the sin nature of Adam, it was the only choice that could be made, and it was made.

There are a few fathers who would die for their children but few, especially in today's world, but because of His great love for us the living God gave Himself so that we might live.

As farfetched as this sounds it is still the truth!

The Lord Jesus Christ died for our benefit.

He died for our sake!

He died in our behalf!

Since God cannot die or He would not be God, then He poured Himself into a body of flesh that could die, and we call Him Lord Jesus!

2Co 5:14  For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 

2Co 5:15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 

2Co 5:16  Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

What is a ransom? The price that is paid to recover a person from someone who is detaining them.

It was Satan who required a perfect human for sacrifice and since there are none, we each became our own sacrifice, but this brought eternal death!

God knew this and therefore sacrificed Himself.

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 

1Ti 2:6  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 

What is a propitiation? Propitiation is to restore or to reconcile our friendship once again to our Heavenly Father!

Jesus Christ is represented as the propitiatory sacrifice for the sin of the world! 

His blood alone atones for and covers our guilt! 

This is the thing we could never do for ourselves and why no one is ever good enough to be a sacrifice for our sin.

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

I pity those who reject these things because these things are the real truth!

Jesus Christ died for me because there was no man who would die for me.

I had no value.

I had no goodness.

I was opposed to God.

But God loved me enough to save me!

*****Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

How did God prove He loves us? God did not wait till we made a commitment to provide our means of salvation!

The sovereign Creator of all we see and all we cannot see came to this earth and took the form of a human and died in our place!

This is unbelievable love that you cannot find on this earth.

How many of us would willingly give up our sons to save somebody we do not even know? I dare say not any.

God gave His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to save worthless, useless, rebellious, sinners who could not save themselves at any cost!

The God of all creation died in a humiliating manner that we might have the opportunity to live forever with Him!

The wrath of God was reserved for all those who had rejected Him, yet He still chose to offer eternal life!

This is something God will never forget and all those who have rejected the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ will certainly see His wrath even more so for not believing the truth of Jesus Christ.

We have already read that even though so many know these truths, they have still intentionally chosen to rebel against our Almighty God.

It is no wonder they are said to be fools!

God has proven His love yet most of this world has shown no respect for that love.

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

Joh 15:14  Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 

Joh 15:15  Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. 

We see truly little love left in this world!

We see very few who really want to hear the truth!

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

People ask, just what are we saved from?

1) We are saved from the destruction that we cause ourselves, yes.

2) We are saved from a place called Hell, yes.

3) We are saved from a dying world, yes.

4) Greatest of all, we are saved from the wrath of an angry God, who did not want to show His angry side!

It is the work that the Lord Jesus Christ did willingly to save us that has allowed us to miss seeing the wrath of God!

Rom 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

We who were once enemies are now in the family of God!

*****Rom 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 

That word reconciled means becoming friends after a state of disagreement and enemies of our Creator.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 

Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 

Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

There is great peace that comes when you know you are no longer an enemy of God!

When we live for ourselves, we become enemies of God!

When we oppose our God, we become His enemy!

As long as we reject our Savior, we are promoting evil in this ungodly world!

If you are not on the Lord's side, you are certainly on Satan's side!

Joh 8:42  Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

Joh 8:45  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 

How are we reconciled to God?

God has accepted the death of His Son in our place.

God has accepted that His Son Jesus has borne all our sin from the time of Adam until the end of the Church Age.

God has accepted the condemnation of His Son as the condemnation of all humanity.

Sin we are made free from sin by the work of the Lord we are also made free from the punishment of sin.

It is God who has provided this reconciliation!

It is God who reached out to us!

All we need do is receive these free gifts of a Holy God who cannot become unholy.

What is the atonement?

*****Rom 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 

It is by the Lord Jesus Christ that we now have hope that there is something more than this short span we call life.

How can we look at our world and all the life that is in it and think that there is not something more even after our death?

You see, we can have that joy in this life knowing that there is much more to life than what we see in this life.

There is so much more that comes by a life in Christ Jesus.

We can rejoice in the hope of the glory of God!

We can rejoice in the midst of the tribulations of this world knowing that there are greater things to come after this life.

We can rejoice knowing that we are loved by our Sovereign God who watches over us as His own dear children.

We had no strength in ourselves to provide these things, but God does!

We can now be at peace with God knowing we have been forgiven!

Rom 11:15  For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? 

Our sentence was death, but God has given us new life and life eternal.

He has also given us a work to do ourselves with His help because we are not remade, but made a new person (Born Again).

2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 

2Co 5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 

2Co 5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

The truth of God will awaken a new life within us that should show on our outer being.

What is real love? It is Jesus Christ!

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Amen