JACKS DAILY DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
(Proverbs 16:3)."Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed".
The moment we start believing were successful enough to rest on our own laurels, you're in trouble! ?
What I mean is, it is so easy for us as human beings to take the credit for our accomplishments, never realizing that our achievements are blessings that God has allowed us to enjoy!
And those victories and those achievements you've accomplished have been made possible by God, so that you can use them to help your fellow man! ?
Many people reach a certain place of success in their lives, and then stop running, stop working, stop striving for perfection or further growth, thinking they have arrived and there is nothing more to do but enjoy the fruit of their labors.
And when you begin to take the credit for it, and stop acknowledging God or giving credit to God, that’s when you've put a lid on your growth!
Solomon wrote, "Do you know a hard-working man? He shall be successful and stand before kings!" (Proverbs 22:29)
Success is always a possibility but never a guarantee!
It belongs to the man or woman who's willing to show up early, stay late, go the extra mile, and keep asking, "Is there a better way"?
An agency once created an ad for an automobile company.
It said, "At sixty miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock". ?
When they ran the ad by the company's CEO, he smiled and said, I guess we've got to do something about that clock"!
A young man once asked Henry Ford, "How can I make a name for myself and be successful"??
Mr. Ford replied, "Decide what you want, then stick with it.
Never deviate from your course, no matter how long it takes or how hard the road, until you've accomplished your purpose".
Successful people have one thing in common… they refuse to quit!
No matter how many times they fall, they get back up, dust themselves off, learn from it, and continue onward.
Paul J. Meyer says, "Ninety-nine percent of those who fail are not actually defeated, they simply quit".
The Bible says, "To win, you must deny yourselves things that keep you from doing your best" (1st Corinthians 9:25)
Jesus said in (Matthew 7: 8-10) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives… the one who seeks finds… and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.?
Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children… how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
So today… decide what it is you want to be successful at.
Then go to God and ask him for the ability, the strength, the patience, and the tenacity to accomplish it… and then, as you succeed, give Him the glory and the praise and be thankful for His blessings.
Good Day!
(1st John 4:18) "Perfect love expels all fear."
I for one could not imagine living life without God in the center of it as I try to do.
Its so comforting to know that there is a "higher power" that is bigger or greater than all of this world’s calamity and problems.
If God loved us with an imperfect love, we would have cause to worry.
But God cares about you and I too much to leave us in any doubt about His love.
The Bible says His "perfect love expels all fear."
Human love is flawed; it keeps a checklist of our sins and shortcomings-and consults it often.
God keeps no such list.
His love casts out our fear because it casts out our guilt.
John writes, "If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart".(1st John 3:20) ?
When you feel un-forgiven, question your feelings but don't question God.
Go back to His Word… it outranks self-criticism and self-doubt.
Nothing fosters confidence like a clear grasp of God's grace, and nothing fosters fear like ignorance of it.
The fact is, if you haven't accepted God's grace His love and His salvation… then you're doomed to live in and with fear.
No pill, pep talk, psychiatrist, or earthly possession can put your mind at ease.
Those things may help numb your fear, but they can't eradicate it… only God's grace can do that.
You see… with out God in your life, you are at the mercy of and the whims of your enemy the devil, “whom prowls about like a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour” (1st Peter 5:8)
He is “an accuser of the brethren” (Revelation 12:9-11)
The accuser is Satan, also called the devil or the old serpent.
His role is likened to a prosecutor who relentlessly brings charges against believers before God, seeking to undermine their faith and relationship with Him
Jesus our “Advocate”, is greater than “the accuser of the brethren”.
When Christians struggle with guilt and shame due to sin, the accuser seeks to break the fellowship we have with God.
But Christ intercedes for us, and we have the opportunity to confess our sin, and God “is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1st John 1:9)
The place of confession is also the place of cleansing and restored confidence toward God.
We can run back to the Father’s arms, knowing that there’s “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1)
Have you accepted Christ's forgiveness?
If not, humble your heart before the mighty hand of God today.
Your prayer can be as simple as this: "Lord, I admit I've turned away from You.
Please forgive me.
I place my soul in Your hands and my trust in Your grace.
In Jesus' name I pray… Amen"
Now, having received God's forgiveness, mercy, and grace, live like it!
Be a catalyst and a witness that shows others "the Way" to peace and comfort despite… what this world is throwing at us.
The old hymn says it well; ““What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the ever lasting arms,
I have blessed peace with my Lord so dear, leaning on the everlasting arms.
I am leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms”
And Its accomplished… “not by might and not by power” but by the Spirit of the living God… thru the completed atonement of Jesus Christ on the cross… and Gods perfect love for you and I.
Good Day!
Matthew 5:14-15) “Ye are the light of the world”
“Believe in Jesus… come to our church!”
How many times have we heard that message go out from TV Evangelists of history past, and the pulpits of churches around the world.
If you flip through the channels on any given Sunday morning, you will hear many TV preachers using these words trying to encourage their viewers to “believe in Jesus”, so they can have eternal life and go to Heaven.
Most of Protestant Christianity, has been taught that we need to convince as many as possible to pray a sinners prayer, or confess or profess belief in the name of Jesus Christ, in order for them to be saved from hell.
Yet still, there is a lack of interest by much of our world to follow or continue to walk in faith and its obvious to me that something is missing in all of our busyness to vocalize the offer of Gods mercy to an uncaring disinterested world.
Since the Bible is dogmatic about the need for humanity to accept Jesus Christ as Savior…
(Acts 4:12), "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
It is essential for Christianity… you and to be witnesses of Christ… to spread the name of Jesus Christ far and wide.
It is our responsibility to “shine” the light of Christ… to be a living witness or light of Him.
In other words, “how we conduct ourselves in this world”… is among one of the most important tools that God uses “to draw men unto Himself”.
As I said yesterday, the other is “Creation” itself.
(Romans 1:20) “ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.
Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature.
So they have no excuse for not knowing God”.
However the greatest witness to convince people of the goodness of God is “changed lives”… yours and mine.
Not that we are perfect… but that there is an ongoing process of change taking place… a change that is evident to the world around us, a change that illustrates a clear confidence for living life.
A change that produces hope and joy despite the trials and challenges that many are experiencing in this world of darkness.
That’s what the gospel is all about.
Changed lives!
Jesus said, “Light has come into the world but men choose darkness”.
Because “the light of Christ” shines in your life and mine… you and I are to be an extension of that light…
And like a moth drawn to light… God uses you and I to draw others to the cross.
As I said yesterday, the other is “Creation” itself.
(Romans 1:20) “ For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.
Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature.
So they have no excuse for not knowing God”.
However the greatest witness to convince people of the goodness of God is “changed lives”… yours and mine.
Not that we are perfect… but that there is an ongoing process of change taking place… a change that is evident to the world around us, a change that illustrates a clear confidence for living life.
A change that produces hope and joy despite the trials and challenges that many are experiencing in this world of darkness.
That’s what the gospel is all about.
Changed lives!
Jesus said, “Light has come into the world but men choose darkness”.
Because “the light of Christ” shines in your life and mine… you and I are to be an extension of that light…
And like a moth drawn to light… God uses you and I to draw others to the cross.
Because of the cross we go from judgment to forgiveness… death to life.
Because of the cross we go from condemnation to commendation.
Because of the cross… humanity is given a pardon from the penalty of death for sin… to freedom in Christ.
It is “the free gift of salvation”… made available by the mercy of a loving God… “whom is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance”.
This free gift of God is not something earned but freely given… “For by grace are ye saved thru faith and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
Yet humanity in all of its depravity clothed in darkness, continually refuses to accept it or receive it.
The Gospel of John records an interesting encounter Jesus had with a group of people who were following Him… but they did not really understand “who He was”… or the significance of His message (John 6:26, 41-44).
In this context Jesus said… “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me “draws” him… and I will raise him up at the last day”
Jesus Christ taught that one must be specifically “drawn” to the Father.
As I shared yesterday… the word “draws”, is from a Greek word that essentially means to drag, lead, or to compel.
Because of the cross we go from condemnation to commendation.
Because of the cross… humanity is given a pardon from the penalty of death for sin… to freedom in Christ.
It is “the free gift of salvation”… made available by the mercy of a loving God… “whom is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance”.
This free gift of God is not something earned but freely given… “For by grace are ye saved thru faith and that not of yourself but it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
Yet humanity in all of its depravity clothed in darkness, continually refuses to accept it or receive it.
The Gospel of John records an interesting encounter Jesus had with a group of people who were following Him… but they did not really understand “who He was”… or the significance of His message (John 6:26, 41-44).
In this context Jesus said… “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me “draws” him… and I will raise him up at the last day”
Jesus Christ taught that one must be specifically “drawn” to the Father.
As I shared yesterday… the word “draws”, is from a Greek word that essentially means to drag, lead, or to compel.
Jesus was saying that “intellectualism or emotionalism” does not make one born again, transformed or right with God.
Belief in “the evidence of Christ” is not what transforms a sinner.
(James 2:19) says, “even the demons believe and they tremble”.
This verse serves as a warning that mere acknowledgment of God’s existence is not enough.
True faith involves both belief and action, producing a life that reflects God’s mercy, love, and righteousness.
This verse challenges believers to ensure their faith is active, transformative, and evident in their daily lives.
That kind of service unto God, is what God uses to draw others to faith in His offer of redemption.
If we believe what Christ said, then the Father must initiate the process through a calling.
And that calling comes from the Holy Spirit.
“No man comes unto the father but the Spirit draw him” (John 6:44)
Our responsibility is to be there and to be light!
The Holy Spirit, the light of Christ, shining out from you and I will draw men to the truth.
We must be a light in the darkness, for people to whom “the call” is going out to, and point them in the needed direction.
The problem however is that you and I are to concerned and consumed with what we are doing… to be aware of what God is doing in the lives of others.
And because of our misdirected focus… I believe that we miss opportunities to help others respond to the drawing of God, and help them find “the way”…
So my challenge to you this morning is to realize what God is doing in the lives of others around you… and then be ready “to give a reason for the hope that lies with in you” (1st Peter 3:15)
Are you a witness for Him and His agenda… or are you only focused on your agenda?
God is calling… God is wooing… God is drawing the whole world to Himself thru Christ… and He wants you and I to be a continued light for them to find direction… and we do that by living lives that reveal Him to the world around us.
“And you shall be witnesses of me” (Acts 1:8)
Good day!
(John 6:44) “no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…”
In this scripture verse above Jesus declares, “no one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him”, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
What does it mean, “unless the Father draws Him”?
Now the question would come to mind, does the Father arbitrarily “pick and choose” those that would be saved?
Of course not!
Other wise Peter’s declaration in (2nd Peter 3:8) would be a lie: “for God is not willing that any should perish but that all would come to repentance/salvation”
From the original Greek, the word translated “draw” is “helkuo”, which means “to drag”.
God does the drawing or wooing or invitation unto salvation… and in fact we who are drawn, have a passive role in the process.
There is no doubt that we respond to His drawing us, but the drawing itself is all on His part.
Some come willingly, and some are dragged unwillingly, but the invitation goes out to all… we have no part in the drawing or the invitation …but we do have the option/choice of saying yes or know.
Why does God need to draw us to salvation?
Simply put, if He didn’t, we would never come.
Jesus explains that no man can come unless “the Father draws him” (John 6:65)
The truth is, “natural man”, or “humanity” has no desire to come to God.
Because the heart of humanity is hard and his/her mind is darkened, the unregenerate person doesn’t desire God and is actually an enemy of God.
(Romans 8:7) “For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.”
When Jesus says that no man can come without God’s drawing him, He is making a statement about the “total depravity” of sinful humanity and the universality of that condition.
So darkened is the unsaved person’s heart that he doesn’t even realize it: “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)
Since the Garden of Eden, mankind has pursued a course of life disconnected from God’s guidance and direction in almost every way.
Humanity has formed its own religions, governments, customs, ideologies and lifestyles.
Since the Garden of Eden, God has allowed Satan to continue to deceive “the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).
In (2nd Corinthians 3:14 - 4:4) we are told that the majority of people who have lived, are in a state of blindness to spiritual truth.
Just as it is impossible for someone who is blind to see, it is impossible for someone who is spirituallyblind to understand spiritual truth.
Therefore, it is only by the merciful and gracious drawing of God, that we are saved.
(Ephesians 2:8) “for by grace are ye saved thru faith and that not of yourselves but it is the gift of God”.
In the conversion of the sinner, God enlightens the mind (Ephesians 1:18) and He influences the soul… giving the sinner a choice… or He sets options before us… and then tells us we can choose.
Without that influence, the soul of humanity would remain darkened and rebellious against God.
As todays scripture text tells us… “God draws all of humanity unto Himself”.
Scripture tells us that God’s eternal power and divine nature are “clearly seen” and “understood” from what has been made, “so that people are without excuse.”
The Creation is Gods evidence of Himself!
But the fact is… men still deny God, and those who acknowledge His existence and know about
Him, still do not come to a “saving knowledge or experience with Him… outside of His drawing them.
Only those who have been drawn through an enlightenment of who He is, or who have had a special revelation… ie thru the wooing and convincing power of the Holy Spirit by the grace of God… will come to Christ.
There are tangible ways in which those who are being drawn to salvation experience that drawing.
First, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sinful state and our need for a Savior (John 16:8)
Second, He awakens in us a previously unknown interest in spiritual things and creates a desire for them that was never there before.
Only those who have been drawn through an enlightenment of who He is, or who have had a special revelation… ie thru the wooing and convincing power of the Holy Spirit by the grace of God… will come to Christ.
There are tangible ways in which those who are being drawn to salvation experience that drawing.
First, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sinful state and our need for a Savior (John 16:8)
Second, He awakens in us a previously unknown interest in spiritual things and creates a desire for them that was never there before.
Suddenly our ears are open, our hearts are inclined toward Him, and His Word begins to hold a new and exciting fascination for us.
Our spirits begin to discern spiritual truth that never made sense to us before.
We develop a thirst that we just cannot quench.
(1st Corinthians 2:14) “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned”
And finally, because of His drawing, His intervention, we begin to have new desires.
He places within us a new heart that inclines toward Him, a heart that desires to know Him, and walk in the “newness of life” that He has promised.
So here is my point this morning.
God wants you and I to walk worthy of the great salvation He has given to us so freely.
He wants us to be salt and light, so that the darkness that blinds the heart of humanity is driven back so that people can begin to see the truth, or the depravity of this world.
It is you and I who are part of this “drawing of humanity” that God uses to reveal Himself to the world around us.
With out you and I doing our part, many will not have the opportunity to be drawn to Christ, because they just cannot see that there is a viable alternative.
Jesus told His followers that they/we would be witnesses of Him (Acts 1:8)
God uses us whom have been saved to be witness... to draw sinners to Him.
There are some that will reject that witness, God knows that… and yet still there is a time appointed when God will draw them, and they will come.
So my question is what am I being a witness of?
What are you being a witness of?
This world has never been in the awful shape its in!
It’s going to hell like a runaway locomotive careening down a track to no where… and many are unaware or blind to it not realizing that there is an alternative.
That alternative is “a life more abundant” (John 10:10) because of Gods grace.
God wants to save humanity from that, and He is calling those whom will come... those whom will be drawn... and beloved... He is drawing you today.
He wants us to be salt and light, so that the darkness that blinds the heart of humanity is driven back so that people can begin to see the truth, or the depravity of this world.
It is you and I who are part of this “drawing of humanity” that God uses to reveal Himself to the world around us.
With out you and I doing our part, many will not have the opportunity to be drawn to Christ, because they just cannot see that there is a viable alternative.
Jesus told His followers that they/we would be witnesses of Him (Acts 1:8)
God uses us whom have been saved to be witness... to draw sinners to Him.
There are some that will reject that witness, God knows that… and yet still there is a time appointed when God will draw them, and they will come.
So my question is what am I being a witness of?
What are you being a witness of?
This world has never been in the awful shape its in!
It’s going to hell like a runaway locomotive careening down a track to no where… and many are unaware or blind to it not realizing that there is an alternative.
That alternative is “a life more abundant” (John 10:10) because of Gods grace.
God wants to save humanity from that, and He is calling those whom will come... those whom will be drawn... and beloved... He is drawing you today.
Will you come?
Good day!
Good day!
(Mark 6:31) "Come with me…to a quiet place and get some rest"
I remember a story from my child hood that really spoke to me.
A competition was held between two men to see who could chop down the most trees in a single day. ?
One man was older and more experienced, while the other was younger and less experienced.
And that’s where the difference showed up.
The younger man spent eight hours chopping down trees, and at the end of the day he had felled a total of twenty-five. ?
Believing the older man lacked his stamina and youth, he sat down fully confident he would win. ?
Meanwhile the older man, who had taken a ten-minute break each hour, ended his day by chopping down forty trees.
In shock the younger man asked, "How is this possible, old man? I didn’t stop? Yet you stopped every hour for ten minutes and you chopped down almost twice as many trees as I did"?
The older man replied, "Every hour I sat down for ten minutes and did two things. ?
First, I took time to rest and recharge my batteries.
Second, I took time to sharpen my axe.
Yes, you were working hard but you were working with a dull axe".
There’s an important lesson here for all of us to remember. ?
In order to succeed at what God has called you to do in life, you must always remember and do these two things:
1) Make time for rest and renewal.
You cannot always be giving out… you must also stop and take in.
That’s where prayer and Bible reading come in… they restore what life depletes.
2) Stay sharp.
When your axe is dull it requires more energy and produces fewer results.
So take time some time to rest and sharpen.
There is an old proverb that says... "7 days with out prayer… makes one weak".
So make sure you take some time to get under the shadow.
(Psalm 91:1) "Whoever dwells in the secret place of the Most High, will rest/abide in the shadow of the Almighty".
They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength" (Isaiah 40:31)
We consume our time each day with many things that deplete our energy and emotional status.
Be careful that you take time to assess and consider that which you are allowing to deplete your energy and spiritual strength.
Time spent in the shadow of the Master and His touch upon your soul… is time that is not wasted.
So today, take some time to sharpen your axe!
Take some time to restore your soul... time in the presence of Jesus… you won’t regret it!
Good Day!
(1st John 3:4-10) “Everyone who sins breaks the law… in fact, sin is lawlessness”.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the severity of sin… and by that I mean the seriousness of its effect on our relationship with God.
The Apostle of John, or the “beloved disciple” (also known as the “Apostle of Love”) counters
errors in the early church by showing that “habitual persistence in a lifestyle of sin”, is contrary to
the purpose of Christ’s appearing.
Now a days, in our liberal society of selfishness, worldliness and carnal life styles… the Apostle John would probably be dubbed the “Apostle of judgementalism”.
How is it that any time we are faced with questions about our sinful lives and activities we are quick
As in the early church and likewise today… many Christians reject the law of God and deny their own sinfulness and or nature to sin.
Jesus came not to destroy the law (Matthew 5:17-19)… but to fulfill all the law and take away the judgment and penalty for sin (1st John 3:5)
Christ was sinless that He might pay the ransom and remove the penalty for our sin (2nd Corinthians 5:21) and obtain victory over sin and death.
If Christ had removed sin altogether, then no one who lives in Him would ever sin again or make it a practice of willful sinning.
But the great truth of the Gospel is that Christ removed the guilt, the judgment, and the penalty for sin… taking it upon him self in our place so that we could experience Gods forgiveness.
Todays Christian leaders are leading Christians morally astray by not teaching about the reality of sin and standing up to it.
Christ and sin are not compatible.
It is absurd to claim to be righteous without practicing righteousness.
It is impossible to be a Christian and live a lifestyle of rebellion.
John says, “let no one deceive you”.
In the gospel, deliverance from the penalty of sin is coupled with deliverance from the power and corruption of sin.
If we compromise regarding sin and Satan, we put ourselves at enmity with God.
The one born of God bears His name and therefore must reflect a life of deliverance from the power
I have to ask you, are you truly a child of God?
Something to think about!
Good day!
Now a days, in our liberal society of selfishness, worldliness and carnal life styles… the Apostle John would probably be dubbed the “Apostle of judgementalism”.
How is it that any time we are faced with questions about our sinful lives and activities we are quick
to say, “you can’t judge me or who are you to judge me”?
But the truth of the matter is that we all sin from time to time.
That’s a given and a well known fact.
And the truth is that when we love one another, we will correct one another, we will question one another, we will do our best to encourage one another to rise above sin.
And all of us need friends who will lovingly challenge us and question our motives.
Its called spurring one another on unto righteousness.
(Romans 3:10) says… “there is none righteous no not one”.
(Romans 3:23) says… “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”
The beauty of salvation however, is that when we come to Christ and ask God to forgive us of our sins… we are then “made righteous”… “just as though we had never sinned”.
And it’s a forgiveness that washes us continually… because Christ, (as our intercessor), is now
But the truth of the matter is that we all sin from time to time.
That’s a given and a well known fact.
And the truth is that when we love one another, we will correct one another, we will question one another, we will do our best to encourage one another to rise above sin.
And all of us need friends who will lovingly challenge us and question our motives.
Its called spurring one another on unto righteousness.
(Romans 3:10) says… “there is none righteous no not one”.
(Romans 3:23) says… “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”
The beauty of salvation however, is that when we come to Christ and ask God to forgive us of our sins… we are then “made righteous”… “just as though we had never sinned”.
And it’s a forgiveness that washes us continually… because Christ, (as our intercessor), is now
seated at the right hand of God ever interceding for you and I. (Hebrews 4:14-16)
The problem comes when we say we have no sin, or we deny our sinful activity.
(1st John 1:8) says that when we sin, we should come to God, confess our sin, and He will forgive
The problem comes when we say we have no sin, or we deny our sinful activity.
(1st John 1:8) says that when we sin, we should come to God, confess our sin, and He will forgive
us of our sin… and He does that because of the cross and the death and resurrection of Christ…
Sin is universal… and will remain so until Jesus completely eradicates it when the devil and all of
Sin is universal… and will remain so until Jesus completely eradicates it when the devil and all of
His demonic forces are cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10)
The Apostle John says that if we say that we’re sinless, then we are liars.
Sin is willful rebellion against God’s commandments and law, which identifies or reveals sin and is integral to the gospel of Gods grace and forgiveness.
Paul talks about this in(1st Timothy 1:8-11)… “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious”…
Lawlessness is a repeated theme in Scripture… and there is a contrast between the destiny of the righteousness and lawless.
In our scripture text this morning from (John 3:4-10) John is pointing out this contrast in vivid detail.
The Apostle Paul as well talks about the need for us as believers to lay aside lawlessness or sin, and trade it for Good works that destroy the works of the devil (Ephesians 2:10)
in 1st, 2nd and 3rd John… John, (the Apostle of love), speaks strongly against lawlessness and sin
The Apostle John says that if we say that we’re sinless, then we are liars.
Sin is willful rebellion against God’s commandments and law, which identifies or reveals sin and is integral to the gospel of Gods grace and forgiveness.
Paul talks about this in(1st Timothy 1:8-11)… “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious”…
Lawlessness is a repeated theme in Scripture… and there is a contrast between the destiny of the righteousness and lawless.
In our scripture text this morning from (John 3:4-10) John is pointing out this contrast in vivid detail.
The Apostle Paul as well talks about the need for us as believers to lay aside lawlessness or sin, and trade it for Good works that destroy the works of the devil (Ephesians 2:10)
in 1st, 2nd and 3rd John… John, (the Apostle of love), speaks strongly against lawlessness and sin
in the lives of the believers and the church that he is pastoring.
And it is his love for the church… and for its members that make up the church, that he passionately pleads with them not to sin… and if they have sinned, to humbly confess their sin so that they can experience the full forgiveness and blessing of God. (1st John 1:9)
Confessing our sins is not something we do once and for all, but it is an on going daily practice that leads to a strong and healthy relationship with the Lord Jesus.
It keeps us from becoming “lukewarm” in our relationship with God.
That’s another reason Paul wrote to the Corinthian church to “let a man examine himself” and see if there be any sin in their lives (1st Corinthians 11:28)
Unfortunately the world perpetuates the lies of Satan, and excuses sin as nothing more than personality issues.
And it is his love for the church… and for its members that make up the church, that he passionately pleads with them not to sin… and if they have sinned, to humbly confess their sin so that they can experience the full forgiveness and blessing of God. (1st John 1:9)
Confessing our sins is not something we do once and for all, but it is an on going daily practice that leads to a strong and healthy relationship with the Lord Jesus.
It keeps us from becoming “lukewarm” in our relationship with God.
That’s another reason Paul wrote to the Corinthian church to “let a man examine himself” and see if there be any sin in their lives (1st Corinthians 11:28)
Unfortunately the world perpetuates the lies of Satan, and excuses sin as nothing more than personality issues.
As in the early church and likewise today… many Christians reject the law of God and deny their own sinfulness and or nature to sin.
Jesus came not to destroy the law (Matthew 5:17-19)… but to fulfill all the law and take away the judgment and penalty for sin (1st John 3:5)
Christ was sinless that He might pay the ransom and remove the penalty for our sin (2nd Corinthians 5:21) and obtain victory over sin and death.
If Christ had removed sin altogether, then no one who lives in Him would ever sin again or make it a practice of willful sinning.
But the great truth of the Gospel is that Christ removed the guilt, the judgment, and the penalty for sin… taking it upon him self in our place so that we could experience Gods forgiveness.
Todays Christian leaders are leading Christians morally astray by not teaching about the reality of sin and standing up to it.
Christ and sin are not compatible.
It is absurd to claim to be righteous without practicing righteousness.
It is impossible to be a Christian and live a lifestyle of rebellion.
John says, “let no one deceive you”.
In the gospel, deliverance from the penalty of sin is coupled with deliverance from the power and corruption of sin.
If we compromise regarding sin and Satan, we put ourselves at enmity with God.
The one born of God bears His name and therefore must reflect a life of deliverance from the power
of sin.
But the reality is that Christians do stumble and fall into sin.
Paul did as well, and it caused him great agony of soul.
In (Romans 7:24-25) He cries out in that agony… "What a wretched man I am!
Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind, am a slave to God’s law… but in my sinful naturea slave to the law of sin”
In this cry you have the words of a man who has come to the end of himself.
He has in the previous verse of this text, described how he had struggled and wrestled in his own power to obey the “holy law of God”, and he had failed.
But in answer to his own question, he now finds the true answer and cries out… “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25) and from there he goes on to speak in (Romans Chapter 8)… of what the deliverance is that he has found.
I want from these words to describe the path by which a man or a woman can be led out of the spirit of bondage to sin… into liberty or freedom in Christ.
What sets apart true believers is that “we confess our sins and repent regularly.”
What brings freedom to believers is… when we confess our sins and repent or turn away from them.
And that is something we might have to do regularly… until they no longer have hold on our soul.
Sin that is living and settled in our character, of which we do not struggle against, may indicate that we are not even born of God.
I can’t say anything more to this subject to make it any clearer or any plainer to understand
If you call yourself a believer, and you sin willfully, disregarding the disciplines of Gods word… and you are not sorry for your sin nor willing to admit that it is sin… but you excuse it and cover it up,
But the reality is that Christians do stumble and fall into sin.
Paul did as well, and it caused him great agony of soul.
In (Romans 7:24-25) He cries out in that agony… "What a wretched man I am!
Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?
Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind, am a slave to God’s law… but in my sinful naturea slave to the law of sin”
In this cry you have the words of a man who has come to the end of himself.
He has in the previous verse of this text, described how he had struggled and wrestled in his own power to obey the “holy law of God”, and he had failed.
But in answer to his own question, he now finds the true answer and cries out… “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:25) and from there he goes on to speak in (Romans Chapter 8)… of what the deliverance is that he has found.
I want from these words to describe the path by which a man or a woman can be led out of the spirit of bondage to sin… into liberty or freedom in Christ.
What sets apart true believers is that “we confess our sins and repent regularly.”
What brings freedom to believers is… when we confess our sins and repent or turn away from them.
And that is something we might have to do regularly… until they no longer have hold on our soul.
Sin that is living and settled in our character, of which we do not struggle against, may indicate that we are not even born of God.
I can’t say anything more to this subject to make it any clearer or any plainer to understand
If you call yourself a believer, and you sin willfully, disregarding the disciplines of Gods word… and you are not sorry for your sin nor willing to admit that it is sin… but you excuse it and cover it up,
I have to ask you, are you truly a child of God?
Something to think about!
Good day!
(Hebrews 6:1) “… let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works…”
Over the last couple of days I have been meditating and studying on “the foundation of repentance” in the life of the Believer in Christ.
Now it is a fact… that without “repentance from dead works”, with out sorrow over sin… there is no victory in the life of the believer.
In (John 3:18-19) Jesus said “this is the condemnation that has come upon the world… that men loved darkness”… with this statement He is referring to our “works”.
The Apostle John defines sin saying, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1st John 3:4).
The words “work” or “works” are translated from the Greek word “ergon”.
The word “ergon” is defined in the context of believers as “a deed” or “an act”.
Godly works are deeds or actions clothed in humility not in self righteousness,
Such works are the result of faith and putting into motion activities of faith in our lives.
Activities that reflect “the light of Christ”… not the darkness of the world.
The book of James defines godly works, the deeds or actions God accepts, as “obedience to Him” (James 1:21-27) and James (2:8-26).
James specifically defines “works” as actions or deeds, and tells us to be a “doer of the work” (James 1:25)
Jesus taught His disciples to “set a good example” by letting their light shine before all men (Matthew 5:16).
Their examples were “good works”... that is, are, and were "obedience" to God’s physical moral and ethical laws.
Paul expounds the concept of “good works” as the “fruit of the Spirit” which are thoughts and actions that are opposite of the “works of the flesh.”
These good works… produced by the Holy Spirit in us are… “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
The opposite of good works however are “ungodly works”
They are works, deeds, activities motivated by the flesh and the carnal nature of humanity.
They are deeds that break His physical, moral and ethical laws.
In (Galatians 5:19-21) Paul uses the term “works of the flesh” to define unacceptable works… “Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like”
Paul also uses the word “works”… to correct those who believed they could be justified by their actions.
Paul shows that obedience to ritual law or for that matter, any law… could not make them upright or righteous before God.
Paul uses the phrase “works of the law” to describe such attitudes and actions.
He explains that the only way to be justified (forgiven of sins so one may be upright before God)… is by faith in the sacrifice of Christ.
Only the blood of Christ can remove sins… obedience to law cannot do that.
So we have good works, ungodly works and then there is “dead works”.
“Dead works” are defined as “such works as deserve death”… works of those who were dead in trespasses, and dead in sins, and dead by sentence of the law, because they had, (by these works) broken the law”.
It’s what Paul talks about in (Romans 6:23)… “The wages of sin is death”.
Sin is breaking God’s 10 Commandments that were handed down to Moses by God… and the penalty was everlasting death if the sinner refuses to repent of the sins.
Not that we obey the commandments to win the right to go to Heaven.
But we obey the commandments or try to… because we love God.
But the bible teaches that we will never be able to completely obey all the commandments in our own strength.
No… the law or the Ten Commandments were given to us as a “schoolmaster” or “guardian”… to bring us to Christ.
(Galatians 3:24) Paul explains… “Let me put it another way.
The law was our guardian until Christ came.
It protected us until we could be made right with God through faith in Christ”.
Any other way of appeasing God is dead works, because it is accomplished in our own strength… by our own works… by our own self righteousness… and that is dead works.
If there was any other way we could be free from sin… then Christ would not have had to die and the cross would have been redundant.
Repentance from dead works is not just a one time act… but it is ongoing.
I am so focused on this topic because I see a world today that says they want to walk with God, they want to be partakers in the Heavenly Kingdom, yet there is little respect in overcoming the sinful works of darkness in their ongoing lives of professed faith.
They have no victory in their ongoing lives of faith… because they are filled with dead works, and the darkness of this world.
It is one thing to a pray a prayer of faith and have belief in Christ… it is another to repent of your sins and continue to live a life of repentance and sorrow for sin.
The Apostle John warns Believers in (1st John 1:8-10)… “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us”
Therefore, due to sin, everyone has “dead works” that must be repented of and forgiven by God.
“Dead works” must be continually repented of and overcome after conversion.
Its called fighting the good fight of faith!
It’s called submitting to the leadership and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Paul wants every believer in Christ to understand there is a time when we need to move on to maturity… and begin to limit our activity of living in and with, “dead works”.
Any time we live outside of the Word of God as the absolute… or the instructions there of… we are living unto dead works.
We must… I say again we must… if we want to be mature in Christ and be more than conquerors in Christ… we must allow the Holy Spirit to lead us with an on going sorrow over sinful self-righteous attitudes that shackle us… and allow Him to change our hearts from the inside out.
Repentance, (true sorrow for sin), leads the way to that conversion in the life of the believer.
Once again… “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1st John 1:8-10)
And true repentance is ignited by humility…
Good day!