Psa 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
So why do we imagine that we do not have to do anything once we are under grace, that we do NOT have to walk uprightly, because somehow that means we are trying to earn grace?
Yes, this is an Old Testament verse, and some will be quick to point that out, but it holds true for the New Testament as well. When is it ever okay to claim the grace of God and live in such a way that is completely contrary to God? It's too easy for people to believe Satan's lie that they will never die. They also believe the lie that as long as they mouth the words of love for Christ, and have some measure of feeling for Him, that they are Christ's.
Tell me then, who is going to say in the day of Christ--
'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?'
Who is going to say that? One who never prophesized? One who never cast out devils? One who never did any wonderful works in the name of Christ?
NO!
It will be THOSE who are claiming Jesus' name! These are the ones who are going to say that to our Savior when He returns and WHAT will our Savior reply to them?
'Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. '
These workers of iniquity will be working in Christ's name!!!!!!!!! They will believe, REALLY believe they are Christ's!
We need to think about that, really think about it. Our Savior tells us--
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
A DOER of the FATHER'S WILL, that is who will be Christ's in the day of His return.
A living faith, a living belief in our Savior that is the Father's will.
Think about it for a moment. The Apostles and the first believers lived their lives in the joy of the Savior's offered salvation. It was REAL to them! It was a living, breathing FAITH for them. ALL they did in life came SECOND to that FAITH they lived. And they did all the sorts of things that we all do to live- eat, drink, bath, dress, work, play, etc. They didn't stop living but their living was done IN CHRIST and the knowledge, the reality, of the SALVATION He brought to mankind.
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
Gal_2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Christ in us! Christ LIVING in us! We still live in our flesh, but we also live in FAITH in our SAVIOR, the SON OF GOD!
Should there be any aspect of our life that is NOT subject to Christ living in us through faith?
We can't live our Christian life as if Christ isn't living in us.
And this has to be a REALITY. What I mean by that is, we have to remember the people who are going to think they live in Christ but don't? We don't want to be numbered in their lot, they will not be saved, Christ doesn't know them. They have all the outward trappings of being a Christian, so much so they prophesize and cast out devils, yet they are NOT Christ's!
Christ tells us this very important fact that SO many choose to overlook-
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And so many do not do this. Some don't do it for fear they are being legalistic, and if they do keep the commandments they are trusting in their works, not in grace. Others don't do it because they believe it doesn't matter to truly spend time studying deeply to find out the facts of Christ's commandments. People have this WARPED idea of what it is to love God and love others.
First of all, God is love.
Secondly, if we love God we are living as God would live- remember, God is love.
Thirdly, if we are living as God would live we are automatically keeping His ten moral laws given to all of mankind.
To love God and others, we are living as God would have us live.
Loving God and others is NOT a hodge podge of feeling benevolent. Loving God and others is not ever self congratulatory for living as God would live- helping others even if it means dying to help them.
There is a reason our Savior told us to pray in a closet, and...
Mat_6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth
We are NOT ever to do a single Godly thing for selfish intents. We are to do them because CHRIST lives in us, and CHRIST commands us to love Him and Others, and all that means!
It is CHRIST living in us!
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Col 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and IN ALL.
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is WITHIN you.
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for HE DWELLETH WITH YOU, AND SHALL BE IN YOU.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and YE IN ME, AND I IN YOU.
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will COME UNTO HIM, and MAKE OUR ABODE WITH HIM.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Joh 15:4 ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: HE THAT ABIDETH IN ME, AND I IN HIM, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I IN THEM, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God DWELLETH IN YOU?
Gal 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ BE FORMED IN YOU
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an HABITATION OF GOD through the Spirit.
Eph 3:17 That Christ may DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is HE THAT IS IN YOU, than he that is in the world.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
PLEASE LORD, please let us have YOU in us! Live in us through the HOLY SPIRIT! LIVE in US! And we know that YOU living in us alone gives us all the grace we will ever need!
ALL in YOUR AMAZING LOVE!
Amen!
So why do we imagine that we do not have to do anything once we are under grace, that we do NOT have to walk uprightly, because somehow that means we are trying to earn grace?
Yes, this is an Old Testament verse, and some will be quick to point that out, but it holds true for the New Testament as well. When is it ever okay to claim the grace of God and live in such a way that is completely contrary to God? It's too easy for people to believe Satan's lie that they will never die. They also believe the lie that as long as they mouth the words of love for Christ, and have some measure of feeling for Him, that they are Christ's.
Tell me then, who is going to say in the day of Christ--
'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?'
Who is going to say that? One who never prophesized? One who never cast out devils? One who never did any wonderful works in the name of Christ?
NO!
It will be THOSE who are claiming Jesus' name! These are the ones who are going to say that to our Savior when He returns and WHAT will our Savior reply to them?
'Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. '
These workers of iniquity will be working in Christ's name!!!!!!!!! They will believe, REALLY believe they are Christ's!
We need to think about that, really think about it. Our Savior tells us--
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
A DOER of the FATHER'S WILL, that is who will be Christ's in the day of His return.
A living faith, a living belief in our Savior that is the Father's will.
Think about it for a moment. The Apostles and the first believers lived their lives in the joy of the Savior's offered salvation. It was REAL to them! It was a living, breathing FAITH for them. ALL they did in life came SECOND to that FAITH they lived. And they did all the sorts of things that we all do to live- eat, drink, bath, dress, work, play, etc. They didn't stop living but their living was done IN CHRIST and the knowledge, the reality, of the SALVATION He brought to mankind.
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
Gal_2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Christ in us! Christ LIVING in us! We still live in our flesh, but we also live in FAITH in our SAVIOR, the SON OF GOD!
Should there be any aspect of our life that is NOT subject to Christ living in us through faith?
We can't live our Christian life as if Christ isn't living in us.
And this has to be a REALITY. What I mean by that is, we have to remember the people who are going to think they live in Christ but don't? We don't want to be numbered in their lot, they will not be saved, Christ doesn't know them. They have all the outward trappings of being a Christian, so much so they prophesize and cast out devils, yet they are NOT Christ's!
Christ tells us this very important fact that SO many choose to overlook-
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And so many do not do this. Some don't do it for fear they are being legalistic, and if they do keep the commandments they are trusting in their works, not in grace. Others don't do it because they believe it doesn't matter to truly spend time studying deeply to find out the facts of Christ's commandments. People have this WARPED idea of what it is to love God and love others.
First of all, God is love.
Secondly, if we love God we are living as God would live- remember, God is love.
Thirdly, if we are living as God would live we are automatically keeping His ten moral laws given to all of mankind.
To love God and others, we are living as God would have us live.
Loving God and others is NOT a hodge podge of feeling benevolent. Loving God and others is not ever self congratulatory for living as God would live- helping others even if it means dying to help them.
There is a reason our Savior told us to pray in a closet, and...
Mat_6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth
We are NOT ever to do a single Godly thing for selfish intents. We are to do them because CHRIST lives in us, and CHRIST commands us to love Him and Others, and all that means!
It is CHRIST living in us!
Col 3:8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Col 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and IN ALL.
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is WITHIN you.
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for HE DWELLETH WITH YOU, AND SHALL BE IN YOU.
Joh 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and YE IN ME, AND I IN YOU.
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will COME UNTO HIM, and MAKE OUR ABODE WITH HIM.
Joh 15:2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Joh 15:3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Joh 15:4 ABIDE IN ME, AND I IN YOU. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: HE THAT ABIDETH IN ME, AND I IN HIM, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
Joh 17:23 I IN THEM, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be IN YOU, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God DWELLETH IN YOU?
Gal 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ BE FORMED IN YOU
Eph 2:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an HABITATION OF GOD through the Spirit.
Eph 3:17 That Christ may DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is HE THAT IS IN YOU, than he that is in the world.
Rev 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Rev 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
Rev 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
PLEASE LORD, please let us have YOU in us! Live in us through the HOLY SPIRIT! LIVE in US! And we know that YOU living in us alone gives us all the grace we will ever need!
ALL in YOUR AMAZING LOVE!
Amen!
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