Learn

Tit 3:14  And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

LEARN.

When you are born again into the Spirit, accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you aren't automatically transformed into someone else. There is often a newness of the love, the acceptance, the glory of being forgiven and given a new lease on a life that will be through eternity.  Much as there is a newness in the relationships we form with each other.

If you're young you many not have experienced the amazing joyfulness of finding a mutual love with another person, but you've most certainly seen movies that seem almost fairytale-ish because of that new love excitement and thrill.  It can be the same when you accept Jesus as your Savior, but the newness of ALL things wears off.

Automatically turning into a person who is loving, kind, even tempered, generous, charitable, sweet isn't something that is going to happen. The newness will wear away and you'll find yourself slowly giving into the negative traits you'd hoped were gone forever. Your temper will wear a little thin, you won't feel the desire to be extra giving especially if it's in a way that will put you out and keep you from doing other things you'd planned. When these traits resurface we'll feel the pangs of regret for them and that's a GREAT thing, because we know when we feel those pangs it's time to seek forgiveness and repent.

Christians are not given special knowledge, special powers of their own. If Christians were changed into perfect beings then they wouldn't need to be given these words- 'let ours also learn' - because they'd know already, right? Maintain good works would be automatic to them. But the truth of the matter is, we are changed spiritually- taken from a state of spiritual death, to a state of spiritual life through our Savior. And our instructions for daily living are many, they are varied, and they are constant.  The truth also is that we need to learn to walk in our new spiritual life.  It's all too easy to not learn because we get stuck on believing we simply are what we are, and our working to learn is bad because we get caught up in thinking we once again working for salvation which isn't true!

We are told that we need to LEARN to maintain good works for necessary uses so we are NOT unfruitful.

We must LEARN and in learning live as those who have learned.   When you've learned how to talk you don't unlearn it but keep on talking the rest of your life.  When you've learned how to do things you will get to a point where you are done learning because then you know how to do those things. We need to LEARN how to maintain good works and once we've learned then we will be fruitful in the work of our Lord.

Can we learn to be 'better' people than we are? Can we learn to be unselfish? Can we learn to be more even tempered?  It is possible, and we can learn best through our SAVIOR and His word!

WE can learn, we must learn and our teacher is Christ.

If you read His word and know How He wants you to be and you're not- then you know you need to learn to be as He will you to be.  We have to do our part in this learning, and that might mean studying over and over, more and more.  The learning might entail a lot of practice, constant practice in fact. This is a learning process that will go on and on for us and we need to live for our Teacher, live for His teaching.

ALL by HIS GRACE.

Learn to maintain good works

Tit 3:9  But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

Avoid foolish questions… about the law.
Avoid genealogies… about the law.
Avoid contentions… about the law.
Avoid strivings… about the law.

Why- they are UNPROFITABLE, and they are VAIN.

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.

What things are good?

Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Maintain good works is profitable.

We are GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS!

We are told what to do, and what NOT to do.

Do speak evil of NO MAN.
Do NOT brawl.
Do BE gentle.
Do SHOW all meekness to ALL.

AVOID foolish questions, genealogies, contentions, strivings about the law.

We have instructions but do we follow them?

We should.

When we don't can others who do say this about us?

Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;

That we are hereticks?  The Greek word is this:  Hairetikos and the meaning is this:

 Schismatic, factious, a follower of a false doctrine.

Someone who causes a divide among a group, someone who is trying to undermine others, someone who is a follower of false doctrine- these are hereticks.

Those who are caught up in speaking evil, brawling, not being gentle, having no meekness, those who are caught up in disputing the law in many ways are HERETICKS, right?

And people who are hereticks need to be ADMONISHED- they need to be told they are caught up in wrongdoing- in NOT following God's instructions. Out of LOVE for our SAVIOR we strive to live for HIS glory and living for HIS glory means understanding HIS words to us and following HIS words. We can't ignore His words, His instructions, we cannot! We can't abuse others, and be contentious and such and expect that this is how our Savior would have us live.  

We aren't perfect, we have our moments of failure and by the grace of God we can be forgiven those when we are truly repentant and seeking forgiveness. When we LIVE a life contrary to the word of God, we cannot expect those who are striving to live to God's glory to want us among them, we can't.

God's word says this--

Tit 3:11  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

This is a reality and a possibility. Yet, we like to tout a Christianity that  doesn't reject anyone for any reason. We fear that we are judging others and we are, we have to.  We have to be able to judge actions and behaviors, but we CANNOT judge eternal life for anyone!  We have to realize this, that judging actions and judging eternal lives are two different things. We have to realize that we can't voluntarily immerse ourselves into a life that is contrary to all we believe in our SAVIOR.  Yes, we can help all those who are downtrodden, all those who are caught in sin, all those who do not know the gospel of the kingdom of God. Jesus did that! Jesus loved all and died for all! Jesus forgave sinners and told them to go and sin no more. Jesus is our greatest example. Jesus wants us to LOVE all. We can't hate anyone, we can hate the actions that Satan induces from others, but we can't hat those people who are caught in his snare.  We cannot allow ourselves to be a willing part of sin, right? By the grace of God we will not.

Paul goes on to say--

Tit 3:12  When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come unto me to Nicopolis: for I have determined there to winter.
Tit 3:13  Bring Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.

Tit 3:14  And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

Tit 3:15  All that are with me salute thee. Greet them that love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen. It was written to Titus, ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians, from Nicopolis of Macedonia.

Tit 3:14  And let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

These are followers of Christ being told to maintain good works for necessary uses- that they be not unfruitful.

So you have to ask yourself-  do we do good works to God's glory or do we neglect good works for fear we are trying to make it seem as if we are working our way to salvation? Do we strive to enter the strait gate--

Luk_13:24  Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

Do we lay aside every weight and the sin that would ruin us?

Heb_12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

Do we press for the mark?

Php_3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Do we maintain good works for necessary uses?

Spiritual lives.

All of this guides us in our spiritual living.  We must live for our SAVIOR as HE would have us live and that really does mean studying His word and following it as well, all THROUGH HIM and HIS POWER!

Please LORD, help us!

WE need You in our lives, living and loving always.

Help us.

Be careful to maintain good works

Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

We are to SPEAK EVIL OF NO MAN.
We are to BE NO BRAWLERS.

We are to be GENTLE.
We are to show MEEKNESS to ALL.

We talk about living the spiritual life and this is a blueprint, a guideline for us. We have to read God's word to get the instructions, because it is our instruction manual. Seriously, it is.

We need instructions.

And just like following the instructions with most things it's ALWAYS best if we follow them step by step. If we decide we don't need instructions sometimes things will go fine, but other times they go terribly wrong.  The thing is, we have to follow Christ's instructions, and His greatest instruction is for us to BELIEVE. 

Joh_6:29  Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

This is the work of God- that WE believe on Jesus Christ our Savior.

We MUST Believe.

You say, "Easy, no problem."

And it's true, it can be easy to believe, or rather to say you believe and even mean it but your life can shout otherwise, can't it?

Seriously.  I can tell someone I'm a frugal person, and then go out and constantly waste all sort of money an things, not being frugal at all. I might still believe I am frugal, and I will tell others I am but my actions speak louder than any words I might speak.

We can BELIEVE and I know I've said this before, but we must remember that DEVIL believe too.

Does that belief that those devils have save them?

No.

Jas_2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

There is such a thing as believing on a logical level, and yet not applying the belief to yourself personally.  You can believe something is true, because it is, but that doesn't mean that you CHOOSE to take hold of that belief for yourself personally.  I can believe that aloe vera will take the sting out of my minor burn, but if I don't take hold of that aloe vera and apply it to that burn the sting will remain. People can believe  that Jesus Christ is the SAVIOR of mankind, but still not make that belief a personal acceptance of Christ as being a part of their lives- their SAVIOR, their SUSTAINER.

That's why when we read things like this…

Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

…we know they are INSTRUCTIONS for us, for our spiritual life.

No, we will not be perfect by any means, and we can never even try to perfect ourselves. We have to find perfection in CHRIST, and CHRIST only and let HIM perfect us. He perfects us by giving us instructions and this allows us to comprehend the standard that is set when we are to follow those TWO great commandments that encompass all ten moral commandments. LOVE GOD and LOVE MAN.  These are the things we do out of that LOVE, not to perfect ourselves but to follow the LORD'S commandments, and live as HE desires us to live.  We aren't shown these things to bring us to despair but to bring us to our knees at the foot of the cross of our SAVIOR.   Satan would have us despair of EVER following the instructions of God, but our Savior would have us seek HIM and trust wholly in HIM. Our Savior wants us to seek forgiveness as we recognize our need of salvation, of living in HIM and allowing HIM to succeed where we fail so miserably.  Our Savior wants us to TRUST in HIM, not in ourselves.

Instructions reveals our need to seek forgiveness for our failings, and faith in Christ's ability to following all those same instructions to perfection. Instructions help us to live uprightly in CHRIST, and ONLY in CHRIST, on our own not a single thing we do no matter how great means anything towards our salvation. Only CHRIST matters.

Christ who instructs us, He knows us.

Tit 3:3  For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

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.

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.

Those aren't my words, those are GOD'S words given to us by men who were guided by the HOLY SPIRIT.

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

ALL SCRIPTURE is given by INSPIRATION OF GOD!

We need to BELIEVE!

All by the GRACE of our SAVIOR we need to believe!

Please Lord, please… help our unbelief!

In YOUR LOVE!

Be ready to every good work

Tit 1:1  Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;
Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Tit 1:3  But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
Tit 1:4  To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

From  PAUL a SERVANT of GOD, an APOSTLE of JESUS CHRIST-

To TITUS.

This is a message to US, because like TITUS we are followers of Christ. Titus was instructed by PAUL and we too are instructed by PAUL who was used of the HOLY SPIRIT to deliver the message of our LORD and SAVIOR.

This is God's WORD to US, read this with that in mind.  This isn't some letter written to someone else that has NO bearing upon us. This isn't something that can be studied solely as if it is irrelevant to us, that is doesn't apply to us at all. We have to believe that God is giving us HIS instruction in His Word.


Tit 3:1  Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,

BE READY  to EVERY GOOD WORK.

We talk about being good and we MUST strive towards this end but NOT to earn anything.

Be ready to EVERY GOOD WORK.

Not be ready to some good work, but to EVERY good work.  We are not to be slackers when it comes to doing good.

Tit 3:2  To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Speak EVIL of NO MAN.

Uhn?

But don't we do this all the time? Seriously, don't we?  We get caught up in the negative of people and it's EVIL. We cannot sugar coat it like Satan would have us do. Satan wants us to try and justify our desire to speak about others and not in a pretty way. Satan wants us to be gossipers and he LOVES when we consider ourselves gossipers with GOOD intentions. As long as our discussing the negative traits or actions of others is done with good intentions we love to pat ourselves on the back and congratulate ourselves for not really speaking evil at all.  We absolutely REFUSE to believe we are speaking evil because we seriously have convinced ourselves that we are speaking truth harmlessly. As long as it's true - that person really did that action we are speaking of- we tell ourselves it's not wrong. Yet speaking negatively about others is NOT building them up in Christ, is it?  Can you imagine our Savior sitting down at the table over tea telling us about Peter's awful temper tantrum?  Or how Luke's physician skills are downright lacking because he forgot something when treating someone? Or how the brothers John and James are just too clingy?  Seriously, can you imagine those scenarios?  Would our SAVIOR talk with others about the faults or failings of others unless there was a very serious lesson to be learned from it? Would He talk like that just because it filled the time with others and just seemed like good conversation?

We are NOT to be brawlers.

We ARE to be gentle!

We ARE to show ALL MEEKNESS unto ALL MEN.

Yet so often the meek are criticized for being meek, aren't they? They are called reserved, passive, introverted, submissive, and all in a way that makes those traits seem somehow inferior to those who do not have them.

Meekness.

meek

1.
humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from others.
2.
overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame.
3.
Obsolete . gentle; kind.

Synonyms
1.  forbearing; yielding; unassuming; pacific, calm, soft. See gentle.


Did you read number 2?  Overly submissive or compliant, spiritless.

These are the traits that people love to pounce on and relate to those who are meek as a bad trait, not a good one.  Yet our God tells us that we are to show MEEKNESS to ALL MEN!

We are to be humbly patient with all men.
We are to be docile with all men.
We are to be submissive to all men.
We are to be gentle and kind to all men.

Yet are we?!  Seriously, are we?

We are to be ready to ALL GOOD WORKS, remember?!

By the GRACE of our LORD we will study more on this tomorrow. More about our SPIRITUAL walking through life that entails being ready unto ALL GOOD WORKS, by the GRACE OF OUR GOD, our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

In HIS LOVE!

Always!

All Glory to God!

Today I listened to a sermon on How Men Are Saved, and we know that it is through JESUS CHRIST and His sacrifice, His righteousness, it's all through Him. So how do we live a Christian life after we've accepted Jesus as our sole source of salvation? How do we put the actions of living a Christ life with the fact none of those actions earn us 'points' towards salvation? How do we not - DO the RIGHT things- out of a selfish desire to be good? I mean common sense tells us that we are to love Christ and in loving Him accept Him, living our lives for Him.  Why then are there so many people who believe that it doesn't matter at all how you live because living the perfect life will still not gain you salvation? 

Satan has taken the pure message of our Lord and perverted it yet again.

Our Savior does NOT want us to sin. Is there ANYTHING in the word of God that gives the remotest hint that Jesus didn't care if someone sinned, that sin didn't matter at all? 

He was accused of associating with blatant sinners, did that mean He condone and accepted their sinning?

Luk 19:2  And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
Luk 19:3  And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
Luk 19:4  And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
Luk 19:5  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
Luk 19:6  And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
Luk 19:7  And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.

Luk 19:8  And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.

Zacchaeus KNEW he was a sinner and immediately in the presence of the Son of God he wanted to right that which he'd done wrong. He no longer wanted to be that sinner. 

And Jesus responded to this man's change of heart with this--

Luk 19:9  And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
Luk 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

THIS DAY is salvation come to this house.
The SON of Man came to SEEK and SAVE that which was lost.

And Zacchaeus a known sinner repented in the presence of Jesus.
Zacchaeus made a promise to LIVE as he knew was right- giving to the poor and righting his previous wrongs. He wanted to live this way because He knew that Christ, His Savior desired this of Him.

Jesus desire right living from us all, doesn't He?

Joh_5:14  Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Joh_8:11  She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Sin no more.
Sin no more.

Saved and admonished not to sin.

So why is it so hard for us to believe that we are to live uprightly as we KNOW our Savior desires, even while KNOWING that none of those actions have the consequence of earning us salvation, or bring us any merit in the eyes of God?

We are caught up in wanting our actions to earn us things. We want that PAT on the back. We WANT to be able to say WE did this, it was OUR action, it was OUR goodness, OUR rightness, OUR specialness, that made us able to do that good stuff.

The truth is NONE of our goodness means anything at all when it comes to salvation.

We can be 'good' because we know that our LOVING LORD desires us to live within His commandments given out of love to us, but do so knowing none of those actions are being put on a tally sheet towards our earning the salvation crown.

We aren't to be 'good' in order to gain anything- not even the slightest commendation, especially not to pat ourselves on the back. Focusing on our own goodness is the last thing our Savior would want us to do. 

Our focus is to be OUTWARD, not INWARD.

It's easy to get depressed and sink down into despair when we feel as if we are falling short of the mark- remember that verse I quote very often-

Rom_7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Paul an apostle felt this way too!  He lamented his inability to be the perfect man he knew that was desired of Him.

Did he stop doing good, did he give up the good fight? No. It was because HE knew that His salvation was in Jesus Christ alone not within his own ability to be sinless. He didn't give up, he engaged in the spiritual battle every day of his life from the point of his salvation. He knew it was a battle too, and not some strange belief that his actions no longer mattered because He been saved. He knew he was going to be in this fight until the end. He also knew that all the armor and the weapons we had on our side were from Jesus Christ. He knew that everything we had to fight with came from the source of all good, and none of that armor was of his own making.  Every victory in the battle, every single dart reflected off the shield, every wicked attack thwarted by the slicing of the sword, was a result of JESUS and JESUS alone!

The fight to acknowledge that we can't of our ourselves do anything good is a very real fight all it's own and the fight Satan wants all of us to wage.  He wants us convinced that we can do good all on our own. Remember with Eve, He wanted her to believe that she didn't need God, that God was trying to keep good things from them.  He was, and is a perverter of truth in every way. If we aren't interested in keeping God's moral laws because they won't let us earn points towards salvation, then Satan is THRILLED. If we are interested in keeping God's moral laws because was believe they do let us earn points towards salvation, then Satan is equally THRILLED.  If we ARE interested in keeping God's moral laws because we know they are the guidelines of love given to us by our God, and we know that it is through His power alone that we are able to keep any of those laws, and that we are not saved by keeping them, but through the same power of Christ we are given eternal life, then Satan is very, very unhappy!  Satan does NOT want us to live spiritual lives! Satan wants us caught up in all the things of this world and a very big thing of this world is selfishness and earning points for good behavior on some level.   How often have you done something around the house and wanted acknowledgement for all your hard work?  What about the work you've done on your job? You want the accolades even the tiny ones because they make you feel good, they make you feel as if you've are good for having done good and you deserve at the very least the recognition of your good actions.  This is the life Satan wants us consumed with. 

Being good by the GRACE of our LORD and SAVIOR earns us NOTHING, but it does something very, very special- IT GIVES GLORY TO GOD!

Yes! It GIVES GLORY TO GOD! Yet Satan would have us want to steal that glory for ourselves.  He's conditioned us to steal the glory, to in all our graciousness accept the praises that come and let them wash over us, filling our cup of self-gratification.

The glory belong to GOD, not to us!

All glory to GOD, this is something we truly need to comprehend.

All glory to GOD!

Less of us and way more of HIM!

Please LORD, help us to comprehend that living Spiritually in You means giving you ALL the glory, not just some of it!

Rom 4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Rom 4:17  (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
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

STRONG in FAITH - in believing in GOD, the unseen, the spiritual - giving GLORY to GOD!

Strong in faith - giving glory to God.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mat_6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The glory is GOD'S.

Act 12:21  And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.
Act 12:22  And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.
Act 12:23  And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

The glory is GOD'S!

Rom 4:2  For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

All glory to GOD!

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

Giving glory to GOD!

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.

Glory of God!

Rom_8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

CHRIST'S GLORY!

Rom_11:36  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever.

Glory for ever!

Rom_16:27  To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever.

AMEN!

1Co_1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Glory in the LORD!

TRUTH- 1Co_10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

His word teaches us, by His grace may we learn and live what we learn all through Him, all glory to Him forever and ever, and ever!

All in the love and grace, the mercy, the righteousness, of CHRIST!

Glory to God in the Highest always!

Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, nothing!

Rom 8:35  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Can ANYTHING separate us from the love of Christ? NO!

Not a single thing has that power, only WE have that power. Only we choose to let things interfere, only we choose to separate ourselves from our Savior.  There isn't a single tribulation that can force us from Christ.  There doesn't exist any distress that can tear us from the love of our Savior.  Not one bit of persecution in any form is able in and of itself to take Christ's love from us.  No nakedness, no peril, no sword can remove Christ's love from us, it's just not possible!

When we make the choice in our grief, in our pain, in our agony, in our torturous existence to stop believing in the love of Christ it isn't any of the outside forces weighing upon us that cause that to happen. We make the choice to believe that we are no longer loved, or no longer want to love because our lives are not going the way we want them to, the way we expect a loving God to allow them too. And while we choose to stop believing it's not Christ choosing to leave us, not at all. He will never stop loving us, never. 

We have to comprehend that if we choose to love our Savior that we've made ourselves an enemy that will try to do all he can, in any way he can, to get us to separate ourselves from the love of Christ. 

So while we may say that God abandoned us when He chose to let someone we love get hurt or worse, or when our lives fall apart financially, it doesn't matter the calamity, we love to blame God for it all and it's NOT true, HE CAN'T ABANDON US, not if we choose to LOVE HIM.

NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ, nothing.

Rom 8:36  As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

We are killed all the day long.
Accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

For the SAKE of God.

Shall our persecution separate us from God, from the love of Christ?  NO. Nothing, not even being killed will separate us from the love of Christ!

We are followers of our Savior and as such we will suffer for that. We will suffer, and if not by living in a place where people outright persecute us then the spiritual persecution will be just as intense, our suffering is the price we pay by angering the prince of this world- Satan.

Yet NO persecution can take Christ's love from us and this is something we MUST believe.

Rom 8:37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

We are MORE than conquerors through Christ! 

More than conquerors!!!!!!!

Those suffering- 

-tribulation
distress
persecution
 famine
nakedness
 peril
sword-

are  more than conquerors through Christ who loves them!

The world, Satan, would have us believe that those who suffer such things are suffering the displeasure of God being rejected by Him, not loved by Him. The world, Satan, would have us believe that we are LOSERS not conquerors when we suffer.  We will be laughed at, ridiculed, despised if we dare believe that we are CONQUERORS (winners) when we are so obviously suffering.

The world, Satan, have convinced people to believe that winners are not those who suffer.  That prosperity should cover the followers of Christ, the righteous of God should not be among those who are afflicted constantly, but the TRUTH is the followers of Christ will suffer all manner of afflictions even to death.  The followers of Christ are not those who aren't afflicted but those who choose to believe in the LOVE of Christ no matter what they are called to suffer.

We are MORE than winners THROUGH CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD and SAVIOR, WHO LOVES US!

PRAISE GOD!

Spiritual conquerors, not flesh conquerors.

The Spiritual cannot be afflicted to the point of being able to force a separation from the love of CHRIST.

Rom 8:38  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Rom 8:39  Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

NOTHING can take Christ's love from us, not one single thing in existence.

Neither Death
Nor Life
Nor Angels
Nor Principalities
Nor Powers
Nor Things Present
Nor Things to Come
Nor Height
Nor Depth
Nor Any Other Creature

SHALL BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD!

What amazing love!

PRAISE GOD!

Christ makes intercession for us.

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

God alone justifies.
God alone has that right, that power to judge rightly without any of our sinful traits coloring His judgment.
God alone can condemn, yet you'll find Satan and those who are his constantly seeking to condemn us. Constantly Satan will bring to our recall our awful past acts. He'll tempt us with sins that EASILY beset us. Satan will do AL L in his power to get us to condemn ourselves because that condemnation leads us to hopelessness and hopelessness leads us far, far away from salvation. Hopelessness refuses to believe that there is any hope at all- even a hope outside ourselves.  Hopelessness takes away salvation by it's very nature.  Our hope must be in our Savior who will JUSTIFY us by HIS OWN BLOOD.  Our Savior has TAKEN our rightful place in death everlasting. He's taken that place and by the victory of His sinlessness He was RAISED to new LIFE. Our Savior truly DIED for US, for YOU, for ME, for us ALL.  This isn't some flippant fact, this is the most amazing, most wondrous, most astounding fact. We can't talk of Jesus' death without realizing the DEPTHS of that sacrifice to the best of our ability to comprehend.  Our HOPE is in Christ Jesus and we will be justified only by HIS intervention in our lives.

Jesus makes INTERCESSION for US!

Without His interceding we would have NO hope, we'd be unjustified, we'd be condemned and rightly so.

Those who become God's elect are those who believe in the hope of our SAVIOR, in the love of our GOD.

Remember this…

Luk 10:25  And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Luk 10:26  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
Luk 10:27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
Luk 10:28  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

THIS DO- and thou shalt live.

Jesus did not say to forget about all that stuff and just believe in Him.  Jesus reaffirmed the truth of the moral law- Loving GOD and loving each other.

Those who LOVE GOD with all their heart- will love others as God would have them be loved; those who love others as they would like to be loved themselves in the pureness of truth and no deceit, no guile whatsoever, these will all LIVE.

God's elect cannot be condemned by anyone because they are covered under the blood of Christ, by the intercession of a Savior.

Rom 8:33  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.
Rom 8:34  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.


Our Savior alone has the right to condemn and He will do so with a heart grieving.

Mat 18:11  For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Mat 18:12  How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

The lost that our Savior can save will be amazing, but there will be many that will not be saved and solely by their choice.

Mat 13:37  He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
Mat 13:38  The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
Mat 13:39  The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
Mat 13:40  As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
Mat 13:41  The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
Mat 13:42  And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Mat 13:43  Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Truth.

There will be children of the wicked one and these will consist of all those who choose NOT to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

It sounds harsh, because it is harsh. It is TRUTH and people want lollipops and gumdrops, things that please them rather than truth that convicts them of their own sinfulness.

There will be those that are condemned and it will be a JUST condemnation, a DESERVED condemnation beyond any doubt at all whatsoever.

By the grace of our LORD alone will we be among those who are righteous in CHRIST'S righteousness.

He spared NOT His own SON

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

He spared NOT His own SON.

Most people cannot fathom the idea of sacrificing any child of theirs and that's a GREAT thing. We aren't supposed to find it easy to sacrifice our children.  God does not WANT us to sacrifice our children.

Eze 23:39  For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house.

Lev 18:21  And thou shalt not let any of thy seed (((CHILDREN)))) pass through the fire to Molech, (((FALSE GOD)))) neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Deu 12:31  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Lev 20:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 20:2  Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
Lev 20:3  And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
Lev 20:4  And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
Lev 20:5  Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

Jer 7:31  And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.

The idea of sacrificing a CHILD is abhorrent to God, He despises it!

God SPARED NOT HIS OWN SON. 

The difference being HIS SON OFFERED HIMSELF and GOD ALLOWED it.  God allowed His Son to sacrifice Himself for humanity!  God allowed His Son to SAVE HUMANITY by repairing the breach made by SIN.

God had to watch HIS SON die a horrific death, and He didn't have to.

Just imagine having to watch your child, adult child, sacrifice themselves. God spared NOT His own Son!

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

God delivered His Son up for US ALL.

If God could sacrifice so much how can we believe that He doesn’t love us enough to care for us as we are needed to be cared for?

How can we doubt God because things don't go as we want them to, as we expect them to, as we believe they should go according to our way of thinking? How?

He delivered HIS SON up for us!

We understand in a different way the idea of having to watch your adult child go through horrors, some understand the horror of having to watch, or deal with having a young child go through unimaginable pain and suffering.  We do understand this, some more personally than others who haven't been touched by such depravity, such horrendous misfortune.  We do comprehend this on some level and we are heartbroken by it. 

God- had to watch every bit of His Son's suffering, the suffering of One he'd known since everlasting to everlasting.  God had to watch, when He DIDN'T HAVE to watch. God had the power to stop it all, to keep His Son from suffering. It was within His power to stop it all and yet His love and the Son's love for us was so powerful, so intense, so beyond our real comprehension that He chose not to use that power.

Can you imagine having it within your power to stop the suffering of someone you love (not by killing them) but by healing them, and you choose NOT to use that power because there is a greater purpose going on?

We can hardly comprehend such love.

So when we doubt our God's love for us we need to delve into this selfless act of sacrifice and what is all means.

Rom 8:32  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

God will give us ALL THINGS without any compunction at all, without holding back for a moment, but He will only do this if it is ultimately for our GOOD. Remember? 

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

ALL THINGS work together for GOOD- to THEM that love GOD.

God will give us ALL THINGS for our GOOD if we LOVE HIM.  And we don't have to understand how the horrible things are working for our good, we just have to have faith that they will work that way, because our GOD who spared NOT HIS OWN SON, who DELIVERED HIM UP for US, will not keep us from salvation-- the very reason HIS SON was SACRIFICED.

Please LORD, help us to understand! Please LORD, help us to believe and HELP our UNBELIEF!

Please help us LOVE YOU MORE!

All in Your amazing love.

All glory, honor, and praise to YOU!

AMEN!

God is for us!

Rom 8:29  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Rom 8:30  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
Rom 8:31  What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

This verse from yesterday--
Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Called according to 'God's' purpose.   All who choose to believe in our Savior Jesus Christ are called according to God's purpose. It is God's purpose that all believe, so ALL are called. 

1Ti 2:3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Who will have ALL Men to be saved.

God WANTS us ALL to be HIS!

It is God's purpose that we all be saved. He is calling all of us and not leaving a single person out. People believe that God isn't calling them but the truth of the matter is they aren't answering His call. He will NOT force anyone to respond to Him.

IF we answer the call of our GOD we will be justified by our God, and glorified by HIM.

This is TRUTH!

Answering the call of God, living according to HIS purpose is to believe in His Son Jesus Christ. We have to believe that our Savior came to preach the gospel- the good news of SALVATION in HIM, through HIM. 

God's purpose is that we believe. That we have faith in HIS love and all that comes from that love.

Truly--

WHAT shall we say to these things?
If GOD be FOR US WHO can be against us!

This is TRUTH!

We know who is against us, but he is POWERLESS against God! He has NO power when it comes to our SAVIOR, none!   Our Savior faced the evil one and He Satan was POWERLESS against HIM!

God has defeated Satan for US!

When we are aligned with our God, when we are ON HIS side, when we answer HIS CALL then we have GOD FOR US and NONE can be against us, none can take us from HIM, NONE!

When we believe that we are being assaulted relentlessly, when we feel as if we are the farthest thing from having God for us we are allowing ourselves to be led into despair.  Satan will take every opportunity to get us to believe that we are on our own, that God does not care about us. Satan wants us to believe that we are without any help and he'll do everything to convince us of that. 

With GOD on our side truly NOTHING can take HIM from us! NONE! And having God in our lives, having God's LOVE in our life, having the SAVIOR as our personal SAVIOR is something that cannot be stripped away from us unless we make the choice to no longer believe.

God is for us!
Satan would have us believe that He is far from us, uncaring, unloving. Satan wants us to believe God does not care whether we live or die. Unfortunately he succeeds all too often. 

God is FOR US!

How can we convince ourselves of this in our darkest hours when Satan is attacking us so severely we can scarcely breathe?  When our faith is being tested that is when we must, by the grace of God, holdfast to the promises we know, the promises we read in God's Word.

GOD IS FOR US!

In HIS love!

All Things

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD.

Think about that, ALL THINGS.

What does that include, logically. You don't get much more clearer than that do you? ALL. Nothing is left out, there isn't a single solitary thing that is left out when you say ALL.

If I say I want ALL of those shelled peas in the bowl you wouldn't leave out any, right? If I say I want ALL the cake in the fridge does that mean I don't care if someone else takes a piece, I would care.

All.
Everything.

All aspects of our lives, everyone of them is included in the ALL THINGS WORKING TOGETHER.

That means every part of our lives the good, the bad, the great, the awful, the wonderful, the horrific, all of it is working together and that's a few words we have to really think about.  Working together.

When things work together there is action taking place.  Our lives are a culmination of events that take place. A lot of those events aren't good things and can even seem as if they'd are going to destroy us, quite literally.  And you know what, the very sad truth is, sometimes peoples lives are destroyed by the things that happen to them. 

We need to see beyond the terrible things and to the whole of everything.

Seriously.

We can't let ourselves live our lives believing that one awful event should define us. Or even a series of awful events. The temptation to be swallowed up by the horrors of our lives can be very great. Satan wants us hopeless and HE knows how to work the things in our lives so that he gets us to that place.

Our God has given us HIS WORD, HIS HOLY WORD and in HIS WORD we read this--

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

All thing work together FOR GOOD.

For good.

So how do we equate that with the things we suffer through? How do we believe this when we suffer daily, some of us live our lives in physical pain day in and day out, some do so in emotional pain that makes life so hard.

How do all the horrible parts of our lives work out for ultimate good?

We can't know, can we? We are called to have FAITH, to have HOPE in our SAVIOR, our CREATOR, our FATHER GOD, the HOLY SPIRIT.

We are called to have hope and Satan would have us hopeless.

We are asked to have faith and that faith means believing that even though we cannot fathom how our suffering, how our lives can all work together for good.

By our reckoning, by our way of thinking and believing we cannot begin to comprehend how it works.  When we insist on trying we  run into all sorts of problems.  When we begin to lack faith it can make us lose hope and when we begin to lose hope we lose everything.

Our Savior speaks the truth.
The Word of God speaks the truth.

Everything and HE means EVERYTHING will work for good IF we LOVE GOD and are called according to HIS PURPOSE.

LOVING GOD!

Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the ETERNAL PURPOSE which he purposed in CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD
Eph 3:12  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

LOVING GOD.
LOVING OUR SAVIOR.

Having FAITH in our LOVING GOD this is what matters. All things will work together for good, and we must have faith in this!  WE do not have to comprehend, we don't! We have to TRUST. 

All by the GRACE of our GOD we will trust, we will love our LORD, our SAVIOR.

The Spirit Helps

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The SPIRIT helps our infirmities.

We are infirmed, aren't we? Sin has infirmed us. We aren't able of ourselves to be right with God.  Our Savior came to do what we could NEVER do. Our Savior came and when He left, He didn't leave us without a force, without the ability through another to be HIS. That force, that ability through another, is the SPIRIT, the COMFORTER we are given by our SAVIOR. And it is a GREAT comfort to know that we have the SPIRIT interceding for us. We are NOT left without a very REAL being, a very REAL SPIRITUAL Being who is GIVEN to us by our SAVIOR.

The SPIRIT-   A REAL BEING.

Mar_1:10  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him

Mar_1:12  And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

Luk_2:27  And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law

Luk_4:1  And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness

Luk_4:14  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

Luk_4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised

Joh_1:32  And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

Joh_7:39  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

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_15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Act_8:29  Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

Act_8:39  And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

Act_10:19  While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.

Act_11:12  And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house

*******

A VERY REAL ENTITY.

Rom 8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

The SPIRIT helps us!
Where we fall so short the SPIRIT will help us.
As we pray the Spirit will join with us in our prayer and do so in such a way that our earnest, sincere prayer is heard. 

Rom 8:27  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Jer 17:10  I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

The LORD searches our hearts, and the LORD knows the MIND of the SPIRIT because the SPIRIT will be making intercession for us according to GOD'S WILL.

Receiving the comforter, receiving the Holy Spirit is a gift from our Savior, a very special gift. We can know that when we fall so very short, and we often do even in our finest hour, our finest prayers, that the Spirit will guide our prayers to God in a very special way.

This is a reality.

The Spirit is REAL.

A guiding, a comforting, an interceding force for US.

By the grace of our LORD may the SPIRIT be REAL to us in all things! May we listen for the SPIRIT'S leading. May we TRUST in the Spirit who will forever and always do the WILL of GOD.

Please LORD let the Holy Spirit live a very real life in us!

We Wait

Rom 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
Rom 8:20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

We wait eagerly to be revealed as the sons of God don't we? We have HOPE and hope is the expectation. Faith is HOPING - the substance of THINGS hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. And even so, HOPE is a waiting for this thing not seen. We lay claim to our FATHER God as being a son or daughter of His and we do so with the future hope of a life with Him, living with Him in heaven and on the new earth.  We have this expectation in waiting for the realization of what it all means to be among the sons of God.

We have this expectation and is it partly vanity? A desire to be realized fully in and of ourselves as God's.

We don't want this vanity, but it came part and parcel with our action of choosing to sin.  In choosing to put ourselves before God we were allowed vanity, and the realization of how awful it is to have vanity. To be caught up in ourselves it the ruin of all else.

Not only were we allowed vanity we were given HOPE against that vanity. That hope being the opposite of vanity, that hope, salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Vanity-

Ecc_1:2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
Ecc_1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecc_2:17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecc_3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.
Ecc_12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

Solomon the wisest man knew all too well the danger of vanity and how it encompasses so much that seemingly all is vanity.

Rom 8:21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

We will be delivered from our bondage- including the bondage of vanity. We will be delivered from the bondage of corruption, a bondage that would take our vain selves and destroy them fully if it were not for our HOPE. The glorious liberty of the children of God- JESUS CHRIST liberates us from bondage! Through Him and HIM only are we the sons of God.

The WHOLE CREATION groans and travails in PAIN together UNTIL NOW.

Why until now? Because NOW we have hope, we do not need to despair. Our hope is fully realized in CHRIST JESUS.

All of us groan within ourselves WAITING for the final adoption which redeems our bodies from the curse of death.

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.


WE ARE SAVED BY HOPE.

We are saved by the HOPE of the gospel of the kingdom that our Savior came to preach, telling us that all who believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.

Hope in the unseen, hope unrealized, hope in the promises given.

And Faith is the SUBSTANCE of things HOPED for.
The EVIDENCE of things NOT SEEN.

THINGS HOPED FOR.
EVIDENCE of THINGS NOT SEEN.

Remember this…

Heb 11:4  By faith (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
Heb 11:5  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen)Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Heb 11:6  But without faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) 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.
Heb 11:7  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen).
Heb 11:8  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Heb 11:9  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
Heb 11:10  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
Heb 11:11  Through faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
Heb 11:12  Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
Heb 11:13  These all died in faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen), not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Heb 11:14  For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
Heb 11:15  And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
Heb 11:16  But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Heb 11:17  By faith   (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.
Heb 11:20  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
Heb 11:21  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.
Heb 11:22  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
Heb 11:23  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
Heb 11:24  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Heb 11:27  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Heb 11:28  Through faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
Heb 11:29  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned.
Heb 11:30  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days.
Heb 11:31  By faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace.
Heb 11:32  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:
Heb 11:33  Who through faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen) subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Heb 11:34  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Heb 11:35  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
Heb 11:36  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
Heb 11:38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith  (substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen), received not the promise:
Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.


They WITHOUT US should not be made perfect.

US.

By FAITH we too can believe, we too can have the HOPE we need to have to live with our GOD in the world we were meant to live in, not in this world, but in the world to come.

BY FAITH.

PLEASE LORD, give us the faith we need to believe, help our unbelief, give us the hope in you that means all things through YOU.

ALL IN YOUR LOVE! Your everlasting, mighty, wonderful, marvelous LOVE.

All thanksgiving, all honor, all glory unto you my GOD, my KING, my SAVIOR, my LORD!

All in YOUR SPIRIT!

Now and forever.

Amen.

Hope beyond our suffering

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

We like to compare things, don't we?  We do it all the time. We compare our lives to others lives. We compare all manner of material things we possess with the material things others (even stores) possess. We do this because it seems as if it's in our nature, right?  I'm not saying EVERYONE compares things, but it's a seemingly natural phenomena that we are all familiar with.

We are told here in this verse something very important.

The sufferings we experience right now  (that means the worst of the worst suffering we can ever imagine - because maybe we aren't experience that type of suffering but we know others are) can't be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.

What's that mean?

We know that it's not unheard of to give incentive to people to get through some tough work by promising them the delight of a long vacation, right? Or we tell our children that they have to endure school but summer vacation is coming. We hype up the holidays as periods between the stress of the mundane.

How often do the vacations, the holidays, the special events, the weekends we have off work NOT live up to all the expectation of them? Quite often, right?  We wouldn't trade them for work, but we somehow were expecting more- maybe more rest, or more fun, more time alone, more time with friends, more time relaxing. We live out our vacations, holidays, and weekends under the looming return to work/school/our normal life from those times.

The sufferings of this world.

Can you think of a really, really bad situation of suffering that exists in our world -- if not for yourself then for someone else?

The opposite of that horrific suffering would be amazing joy, amazing happiness, right?

Going through a really hard, really awful situation often makes us appreciate the good times a lot more, doesn't it? Yet that awful time while still a memory, perhaps even a vivid one, can't begin to compare to the good time coming in the future. 

Can we use this as HOPE?

Seriously. We use holidays, vacations, and weekends as hope, don't we?  They are the things we look forward to, the things we hope for.

If you are on a permanent holiday- say retired- do you still look forward to those things- weekends, vacations, holidays?  I think you do, but on a different level, for different reasons. Retirement doesn't give someone access to the perfect vacation life day in and day out. A lot of people want to keep busy even after they retire, not necessarily with the same work they were doing before or under the same rigid schedule, but they need to fill their days with something and very few have access to the wealth it would take to fill their lives with endless ease  without monumental boredom and tediousness.

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

Do we need to use the HOPE of glory in God to get through the suffering we experience now?

YES.

READ ALL of the following verses… seriously all of them, please.  And then tell me, do we need to use HOPE of the glory of GOD to get through the suffering we experience now.

Psa_16:9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in HOPE.

Psa_31:24  Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that HOPE in the LORD.

Psa_33:18  Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that HOPE in his mercy

Psa_33:22  Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we HOPE in thee.

Psa_38:15  For in thee, O LORD, do I HOPE: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

Psa_39:7  And now, Lord, what wait I for? My HOPE is in thee.

Psa_42:5  Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? HOPE thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Psa_71:5  For thou art my HOPE, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

Psa_71:14  But I will HOPE continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

Psa_78:7  That they might set their HOPE in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

Psa_119:81  CAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I HOPE in thy word.

Psa_119:114  Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I HOPE in thy word.

Psa_119:116  Uphold me according unto thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my HOPE.

Psa_130:5  I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I HOPE.

Psa_130:7  Let Israel HOPE in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

Psa_146:5  Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose HOPE is in the LORD his God

Psa_147:11  The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that HOPE in his mercy.

Pro_10:28  The HOPE of the righteous shall be gladness: but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

Jer_17:7  Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose HOPE the LORD is.

Lam_3:24  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I HOPE in him.

Lam_3:26  It is good that a man should both HOPE and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

Act_2:26  Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in HOPE

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_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.

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.

Rom_12:12  Rejoicing in HOPE; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer

Rom_15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have HOPE.

Rom_15:13  Now the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in HOPE, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Gal_5:5  For we through the Spirit wait for the HOPE of righteousness by faith.

Eph_1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the HOPE of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

Col_1:5  For the HOPE which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel

Col_1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the HOPE of glory

1Th_5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the HOPE of salvation.

2Th_2:16  Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good HOPE through grace

1Ti_1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our HOPE

Tit_1:2  In HOPE of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began

Tit_2:13  Looking for that blessed HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ

Tit_3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the HOPE of eternal life.

Heb_3:6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the HOPE firm unto the end.

Heb_6:11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of HOPE unto the end

Heb_6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the HOPE set before us

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_1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and HOPE to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

1Pe_1:21  Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and HOPE might be in God.

1Pe_3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the HOPE that is in you with meekness and fear

1Jn_3:3  And every man that hath this HOPE in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.



Do we?
Do we need to use hope to ease our suffering here and now?



HOPE


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.


And faith is…


Heb_11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith- the substance of things HOPED for the evidence of things not seen.


Yes, we need hope, blessed hope.


Tit_2:13  Looking for that blessed HOPE, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ


Hope beyond the suffering in all it's many shapes and forms, hope in the riches of HIS glory.


Eph_1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the HOPE of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints

HOPE.

JESUS CHRIST OUR SAVIOR, OUR HOPE in HIS GRACE and MERCY!

Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

All the suffering will NOT be comparable in any way to the GLORY of our GOD, the glory that will be revealed in us! 

The GLORY is so far beyond our comprehension we can't imagine it fully.  We all too often let our suffering become our all in all, it's so easy to do because we are feeling the heavy pain, the heavy grief of our suffering, but it is SATAN who wants us to let all our suffering lead us to despair, to lead us to hopelessness.  We MUST believe that anything we endure now is TEMPORARY to ETERNITY in OUR SAVIOR'S GLORY!  We must have this hope, this faith!

All through HIS power! All through HIM may we have this HOPE in us!

All in HIS LOVE!

God's Spirit with Our Spirit

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.


The  Spirit bears witness with OUR spirit.

We are SPIRITUAL beings! We cannot get around that! We can try but we can't. We can live in denial and many, many people do, but the truth is we are SPIRITUAL beings in need of communion with the SPIRIT of our LORD and SAVIOR. 

Our Savior told us this…

Joh 16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you

The COMFORTER was sent to us by JESUS CHRIST.
The COMFORTER would NOT come to us if Jesus did not depart.

We have the HOLY SPIRIT sent to us by OUR SAVIOR,  and that SPIRIT will bear WITNESS with our SPIRIT, and that will reveal that we are the children of GOD, adopted by GOD, HIS, we belong to GOD.

We are HIS CHILDREN, and children are heirs of their parents. We are heirs of GOD. We are JOINT HEIRS with CHRIST, God's only begotten Son!

And if CHRIST suffered unimaginably why do we ever imagine we will not suffer?!

Maybe we won't be physically abused but we will suffer emotionally, and yes, spiritually, as well as mentally. We will be tried. We will be put to the test. We will go through a lot as we live as the sons and daughter's of our GOD.

As Christ suffered, we will suffer and then we - as HE has been- will be GLORIFIED TOGETHER!

More tomorrow by the GRACE of GOD!

ALL in HIS LOVE!

Led by the Spirit of God

Rom 8:14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Being LED by the Spirit of God.
Being a son of God.

How can we be led by the Spirit of God?

We want to be sons and daughters of God, don't we? If this is what we desire then we must be led by the Spirit of God.

Once more this is putting GOD first in all things.
Putting GOD'S WAYS first in all things.
We are not ignorant of God's way- it is the way of LOVE. 
The way of LOVE is God's way- SELFLESSNESS, putting others and GOD first in ALL things, not just in things we choose.  We cannot be picky about love. We have to love equally, not picking and choosing when we should be loving and when we shouldn't. 

When we fail to love we NEED to ask for forgiveness.

Remember this verse--

Jas_4:17  To him therefore who knoweth to do good and doth it not, to him it is sin.

This is in ALL things, not just being exceptionally good.  This is knowing we should let a person older than us go ahead of us when we simultaneously come to a check out line. This is knowing we should stop and let the person trying to get out into traffic, out. This is holding the door for someone. This is getting a drink of water for someone. This is picking up a piece of trash even if you haven't a clue who put it there. This is holding your tongue when you want to lash out. This is being exhausted and still fixing dinner. This is so much more than doing good by the grand gestures of giving money to a worthy cause, helping a homeless person, working in a soup kitchen. ALL things matter.  And we are to do good IN ALL THINGS because if we don't we are accountable for not doing good, for not loving and living as the SPIRIT would lead us to in Jesus Christ our LORD.

Being led by the SPIRIT of God is NOT waiting around for an apparition of sorts to appear and tell you what to do. Being led by the SPIRIT of God is NOT haphazardly flipping to a Bible verse and allowing that to guide us. Being led by the SPIRIT of God is NOT feeling happy and attributing that to the Spirit. If we allow ourselves to get caught up in gauging our being led by the SPIRIT by our emotions then we are going to feel completely lost when we aren't feeling overwhelming happy, but perhaps really sad. Feelings, emotions have their place but they cannot take the place of our ability to reason, our ability to let our FAITH work knowing that regardless of what we feel that GOD is LOVE in all things!

Rom 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Spirit of bondage.

The spirit of slavery.

We do NOT receive the spirit of slavery which causes fear- fear of eternal death. We do NOT receive the spirit of slavery to sin, bound by sin to die unforgiven, unredeemed, without any hope at all. We RECEIVE the SPIRIT of ADOPTION!  Through our SAVIOR we are given HOPE! That HOPE is the hope of forgiveness and through that forgiveness a pardon for all our sins, a cleansing from our unrighteousness by HIS righteousness, and through HIM eternal LIFE. 

We can cry out ABBA - FATHER! Adoring our Heavenly Father because He has given us this hope, this amazing LOVE surpassing all other love we might think we know.

Our HOPE is in CHRIST!

We must live in this HOPE, this ETERNAL HOPE. We are ADOPTED by a LOVING GOD, a LOVING FATHER who welcomes us with open arms.

Being led by the SPIRIT we are the sons of GOD, receiving the SPIRIT of ADOPTION! 

Our God does not want us enslaved! Our God wants us adopted!

How amazing is the love of our Heavenly Father! How truly amazing, beyond anything we can imagine!

We must hope, we must choose, we must yield all through the power of the Holy Spirit!

All through LOVE HIS LOVE!

Spiritual Choice

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.

We are debtors- we are in debt but NOT to the flesh. We owe our flesh self NOTHING. If we live for our flesh then we will die eternally. The only way we have life is by living through the Spirit, and in living through the Spirit MORTIFYING the deeds of our flesh.

Mortify  - Strong's: From G2288; to kill (literally or figuratively): - become dead (cause to be) put to death kill mortify.

Living through the Spirit we KILL the deeds of our flesh, the works of our flesh.

We cannot do a single thing in the flesh to earn eternal life, not one thing.

We must THROUGH the Spirit choose to have faith in Jesus Christ and the promises He gave to us.

Do YOU live in the SPIRIT?

1Co 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

To the glory of God.

Not to the glory of ourselves.

We aren't to do the things we do to glorify ourselves, but to glorify God.

Do the things we do glorify God?

Are our lives focused on the things of God?

Do we find God in all we do?

Living after the Spirit is finding God in all things, and where we cannot find God we know we shouldn't be.

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.

Life and death.

We choose.

If we live…

We choose how we live in a lot of ways.  Sure some circumstances are beyond our control but the spiritual choice is ALWAYS under our control.

Some people might be forced into their beliefs- we hear about  that a lot in the Middle East- and then we also hear about those who defy that stricture and then are punished even to the point of death for choosing to belief in Jesus Christ the Son of God.   This is a reality.  Our making a choice is a reality.

Why is it that in some places the Spiritual aspect of life is so important that to believe differently means killing someone.  And then in other places, a lot of other places the Spiritual side of life means absolutely nothing. Having no religion- having no spiritual side to your life is perfectly normal.  Here in America we laud our ability to have freedom of religion and have taken that to the point of making religion seem senseless. There are more people today in the USA that do not have any spiritual faith at all than ever before.

Choices are being made.  

We all have to make choices, everyone of us without fail.

We are the result of the choices we make throughout life and by the GRACE of GOD may we make the most important choice ever, choosing HIM.

May we choose to live spiritually focused, not physically, fleshy, carnally focused-  please LORD help us to CHOOSE YOU now and forever, and ever!

In YOUR LOVE!

If Christ be in you...

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

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.

The body is dead.

If we have Christ in us, the body is dead.

Yet, the body being dead isn't in a literal sense, right? The flesh nature, the carnal nature, the sinful nature, our bodies are dead in this way if Christ is in us. To say we are dead if we have Christ would leave Christ with no living followers and that's not possible. We live IN CHRIST and when we live in Christ our selfishness must die completely. The part of us that must live is the SPIRIT because it is our SPIRIT that joins with CHRIST'S SPIRIT and in doing so we become a part of CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS. We have no righteousness of our own in our own carnal, flesh bodies, it doesn't exist. There is NOTHING we can do to give ourselves righteousness.

The SPIRIT of our GOD raised JESUS from the DEAD, this is the SAME SPIRIT MUST LIVE IN US.  IF the SPIRIT of our GOD who raised JESUS from the dead LIVES in us then we will also LIVE. Our bodies that are subject to death will one day be filled with life all by HIS SPIRIT that lives in US.

LIVING in the SPIRIT is everything! Because only then are we LIVING in our SAVIOR.

We MUST live in the SPIRIT, not in the flesh. 

Think about that. 

We are NOT to live for our flesh!

We are to LIVE for GOD!

We are to LIVE in the SPIRIT!

Is it easy? No. Surrendering self isn't easy. Killing a part of us so that another lives, it seems all but impossible, right?  And it has to be this way because we cannot lay claim to any credit for any righteousness of our own, including surrendering our selves.  We must cling to CHRIST and it is through HIM and only through HIM that we will live and be able to surrender ourselves to HIM fully.  We choose and HE does all the rest!  PRAISE GOD!

IN HIS LOVE! ONLY in HIS LOVE! By HIS GRACE!

More tomorrow by HIS MERCY!

If any man have NOT the SPIRIT of CHRIST he is none of HIS

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.

The carnal mind.
The mind that is focused on self.
The mind that is concerned only with things of this world, things seen.
The mind that is in all of us and will dominate us if we do not surrender ourselves to Jesus Christ.
The carnal mind is ENMITY against God.

'Enmity- The state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.'

The carnal mind is ACTIVELY OPPOSED to God, is ACTIVELY HOSTILE to GOD.

Our minds if left UNREGENERATED, UNRENEWED by our SAVIOR are opposed to things spiritual, opposed to God and all things to do with God.

Our carnal minds are NOT subject to the law of God.

Our carnal minds CANNOT be subject to the law of God because the law of God is SPIRITUAL!

How can a law be spiritual? We think of things as being spiritual and not truly real.  Yet God's laws are spiritual and very real.

We have a lot of laws, don't we, books and books of laws.  We know the laws of our lands as a general rule. We know it's against our laws to steal, to murder, to assault others, etc. God's laws also require us not to steal, murder, or assault others.   Yet man's law does NOT require us to add love to the law. Man's law does not tell us not to steal out of love for our fellowman, it just tells us it is wrong and not to do it, nothing to do with love.  God's law requires love from us and this is the spiritual aspect that we must have, the aspect the carnal mind in us cannot have.  The carnal mind is selfish and loving others is something it CANNOT do because it is fully self centered. 

The mind that is not spiritual cannot love as love is truly meant to be- as God would have love be.

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

Those centered on self cannot please God because they have no ability to love selflessly.

We get the ability to love selflessly from GOD, who is love.

God will give us the ability to love selflessly, to live spiritually.  This is the promise of God, the gift He will give to us when we make the choice to accept all He has to give to us, and in that acceptance choose to believe by faith in His promises.  We choose to believe in the GIFT of His SON JESUS CHRIST. In choosing to believe in this gift we believe in that selfless sacrifice He made to save us.

We must believe. We must have faith.

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.

We MUST have the SPIRIT of GOD in us! 
If we do not have the SPIRIT of CHRIST in us then we are NOT HIS.

We cannot live to our flesh.
We must live to the SPIRIT of God.

Spiritual living, love.

Satan will constantly turn our minds to things of the flesh, to carnal things, demanding that we do not live spiritually. Satan will make it seem impossible for us to live Spiritual lives. Satan will use his every means to keep us from the LOVE of God.

The law of God is spiritual, we must be spiritual as God is spiritual, through HIS power, HIS SPIRIT power alone is this accomplished, and we must submit to HIS power and allow Him to work in us. 

Please LORD live in us.

All by YOUR grace, YOUR mercy, all in YOU.

Please LORD live in us by the sacrifice of Your Only Son, Jesus Christ our LORD, our SAVIOR.

ALL IN YOU, ALWAYS IN YOU.