FREEDOM IS GOD’S OBJECTIVE FOR YOU.

Picture yourself at a 5 Star restaurant, all dressed up and at a very formal affair. Before getting eating the good meal, you will be served enjoy an appetizer that will take the edge off your hunger, allowing you to slow down and really enjoy the main course. This main course will get deep into your inner man and will take some chewing to get there. Start out with this sweet buttery appetizer of eternal value. If you take your time with this meal the Holy Spirit will change your life and equip you for many things in life.

Sit down and pick up the fork furthest to your left and the knife furthers to the right.

God’s intent for man, ever since the fall in the Garden, has been FREEDOM. No I am not referring to political or socio-economic freedom, but the freedom that is unaffected by circumstance, freedom that one can enjoy anywhere, anytime, under any circumstance. It is the freedom from sin and the eternal adverse effects of it. The following terms can take on incredible meaning in the light of the acceptance of who Jesus is and what He has done for you personally.

•          Forgiven
•          Salvation,
•          Redemption,
•          God’s infinite love,
•          The joy of the Lord,
•          A clean conscience,
•          Not holding any grudges
•          Able to love and stay patient
•          No more skeletons in your closet
•          Being comfortable in your own skin
•          The peace that passes all understanding,

Now take a little water, a deep breath and pick the next fork and knife.

As Christians grow in the graces of this list they can become increasingly able to deal with confrontation in a way that Jesus would. OH, did I use a bad word?... Confrontation is an important part of life and we need to be able to deal with it correctly. If you live in a world with other people, imperfect people such as yourself, then conflicts will arise, differences of opinions, hurt feelings, offences, intense disagreements and perhaps horrific acts of violence. Imperfect people may, intentionally or not, hurt you or those you love. From the smallest incident, to the most horrendous, the list of attributes above is available to the Christian. It all boils down to two words that have immense implications, REPENTANCE and FORGIVENESS.

There are Biblical concepts that deal with repentance, strong words that our flesh may cringe to hear. The message of repentance has been preached since the beginning of time but still needs to resonate in the hearts of people. If you recognize that this message is spoken to mankind, through God’s servants, motivated by the love demonstrated at Calvary’s Cross, then it will do you good. I share the following in the hope that you will be provoked to ask the Lord to search your heart and show you where to apply it to yourself today.

Sarah was angry and said to Abraham, “… Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the

son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac” (Gen 21:10). You see, this amazing couple knew the promise the Lord made to Abraham of being the father of many nations. Now Sarah is past the age of getting pregnant and in desperation she gives her husband her servant girl to go make the baby with. This was not something the Lord indicated they should do, no, it was a futile attempt to accomplish God’s plan using the finite strength of the flesh. Some years later Sarah saw the fruit of this in Hagar’s bad attitude toward her miracle baby Isaac, and got really ticked off. Perhaps she was angry with herself for coming up with this bone headed course of action, and she was jealous of Hagar who bore Ishmael, her husband’s 1st baby.

The story has dramatic implications to humanity today. Abraham’s adulterous relationship with Hagar was a work of the flesh, something that could never accomplish God’s intent. The descendants of Isaac (the Jews) are still the enemies of the descendants of Ishmael, Hagar’s baby. Sarah’s dumb idea opened the door for Abraham and Hagar to give place to their physical attraction and lust for each other.

Gal. 5:19   When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,

20   idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,

21   envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

As Sarah told her husband to “cast out the bondwoman and her son,” the Lord is telling His church to cast out the works of the flesh listed in the verses above. Tap into His grace to get the junk out of your life. Never again try to accomplish God’s intent in your own way either. The ramifications of yielding to those things may have very severe ramifications and stretch for generations. You can avoid a lot of junk by using God’s checklists in Gal. 5. The bad stuff in listed above, the good stuff follows:

Philippians 4:8   Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Thankfully the Bible makes it simpler still. When John the Baptist, and later Jesus, frequently used the phrase, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand,” they didn’t follow it with a long list of what not to do. In John 16:7 and 8 we see that the Holy Spirit’s job is to bring the conviction of sin to an individual’s life. This Holy Spirit inspired conviction stirs a heart to Godly sorrow which brings repentance. The consequence of such real repentance is forgiveness. True FREEDOM comes to the believer in this process. It is all due to the work of forgiveness that Jesus did by allowing Himself to suffer the consequences of our sins. John 3:16 becomes a personal reality. On the other hand; the consequences of not casting the bondwoman and her son out of our lives is that the door opens to the enemy of your soul. The devil then demonstrates his evil intent in the destroyed lives we see in people around us, in the families so dysfunctional that friction between spouses ruins the lives of the children, in every other horrible manifestation of man’s inhumanity to man.

Digging a little deeper, the Word says,

1 John 2:15   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16   For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

17   And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The three things listed in verse 16 are a great guide to learning right from wrong. Every bit of bad stuff in all the realms of human behavior all falls into one of these three categories:

·         the lust of the flesh,

·         the lust of the eyes, and

·         the pride of life

How do we avoid those three broad categories of attitude and behavior?

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

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

If your enjoying this part of life, there’s less and less room in your heart for the two lusts in the list.

1 Pet.5:6   So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

2 Pet 3:   The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

When walking in these promises there’s no need for self exaltation, just trust God to get you where you need to be. This not only applies to career but any other thing selfish pride can mess up. Humility is your weapon against pride. We can be FREE from worrying and striving in our own futile, limited humanness to get there.

These two passages also bring us back to what I wrote earlier about confrontation. These are invaluable tools to dealing with the adversity caused by people, no matter what their intentions are. Before initiating or participating in the inevitable confrontation, “cast out the bondwoman and her son” from your life, let God root out the vestiges of the fleshly things in your life that distract you from walking in the Spirit. Only God can fulfill His promises to you personally so stop trying to make them happen. We can deal with the issues of life graciously because we can tap into the grace of God to do so. With the junk out of your way you are FREE TO LOVE and those on the other side of the table.

OK, it’s time for desert. You may use any silverware left at your place setting:

Think about the following verses in the context of repentance, forgiveness and seeing God accomplish His objectives in your life by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Psalm 24:3   Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?

4   Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.

5   They will receive the Lord’s blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.

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

9   Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Gal. 5:1   Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Grace is More Than…

Just as we didn’t save ourselves from the wages of sin, we cannot save ourselves from the stuff of life on earth. It is God’s grace by which we hear His Word in our hearts and receive the faith needed for salvation and everything thereafter. There are about 160 verses containing the word “grace.” There are so many angles to study this amazing gift from the Lord.

God’s GRACE is far more than “unmerited favor,” it is His power working in every aspect of the believer’s life.

Ephesians 2:7   That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

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

9   Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Real life starts in verse 8 above, at salvation. We didn’t get saved by anything we did other than receive enough of God’s Grace to have the faith we needed to come the Jesus in the first place. Too many believers forget that this reality never stops, it is the source of God’s power for everything else we’ll need this side of eternity. Just as we didn’t save ourselves from the wages of sin, we cannot save ourselves from the stuff of life on earth.

There has long been great debate as to what the apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh was.” I don’t think we will ever know it conclusively. One theory I that I think is the most logical is that that thorn was continual hardship and persecution for the sake of the Gospel he was spreading widely. Paul’s response to this thorn is a beautiful description of how God’s power works in the believer’s life; and not just when in the severe circumstances Paul so often found himself in.

2 Corinthians 12:8   For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9   And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10   Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Whatever our need may be, whatever our situation is, good bad or indifferent, there is grace to face it, deal with it and grow beyond through it. This next verse fills me with the appreciation that whatever situation may come in my life I can face it graciously and with confidence in my God,

Hebrews 4:15   For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16   Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

If grace was simply unmerited favor, how could Paul have penned the two scriptures just quoted? There are so many amazing stories of brothers and sisters in Christ who endured hardships I thankfully cannot experientially comprehend. These stories are testimonies of people tapping into the grace of God and getting through horrendous things. It’s good to look at our own circumstances with the attitude that if they could get through that and still stand than our situation is a piece of cake. 

On the other side of that coin, I’m a Jewish guy from Brooklyn, NY. I grew up on stories of the Holocaust, and of the pogroms in Czarist Russia. The mass murder, rape and torture, medical experimentation, starvation, etc. make me sick, knowing that these people did not know our Messiah and had little comprehension of the true character of God – how horrible it was I cannot fathom even after hearing their personal stories. The rabbi who trained me for Bar Mitsvah showed me a picture like this and asked me to find him in it. 

Just think about how God’s grace is working in the lives of average people not going through such extreme circumstances. It was by God’s grace that we had the faith to accept Christ as Lord and Savior. It was God’s grace that we had the faith to accept the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is by God’s grace that we can experience the wonder of His Holy Presence in our midst. God’s grace takes us through the process of sanctification. It was by God’s grace that you knew that that wonderful person you are married to was God’s special gift to you. It was by God’s grace that you found the church body where you feel like you are part of that family, that special group of people who bless you and you can bless on a regular basis and you have a pastor with a heart after God. It is by God’s grace that we can pray for the sick with expectation of healing (Mark 16:18).

I hope this message has gotten you to realize that God has much more for His people than most understand are available. Learning to tap into the power of God’s grace is crucial so I plan on addressing that in the next blog. Although the picture below says much along that line.

DOES COMPASSION MOTIVATE YOU?

What drives you to action? What causes tears swell up in your eyes? What sends you to your knees in prayer? When real concern for others, when compassion born out of experience becomes the answer to these questions there is no limit to the effectiveness of prayer, nor to what we may find you doing.

Moses had an incredible experience with God, one where God revealed Himself to Moses in a supernatural way and audibly told him about His character. Moses asked to see God’s glory and God’s response is most evident in the following verses:

Exodus 33:19   The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose

Exodus 34:6   The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.

God’s unending mercy and compassion for people is evident throughout the Bible. God is love and His love, His presence and His grace are available even when bad stuff happens. One important believers must do is tap into that mercy and grace to help in time of need. Along with that is to be a conduit of God’s love for people, to experience His compassion and do the right thing with it.

Where do we get that and how do we do it? Let’s look at Jesus and see. Jesus experienced being a real flesh and blood person who experienced the best and the worst of what people go through as human beings.

Hebrews 4:15   For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 5:2   Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.

Look at how this played out during His brief time on the planet. I've listed many examples from Matthew and Luke that show the lover of our souls motivated to action by His compassion for people.

Mark 6:34   And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.

Matthew 20:34   So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

Matthew 14:14   And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Matthew 15:32  Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way. (Then He miraculously fed 4,000 men plus the women and children with five small loaves of bread and a few fish.)

Matthew 20:34   So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him

Luke 7:12-14   A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow’s only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her.

13    When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said.

14   Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearers stopped. “Young man,” he said, “I tell you, get up.”

15   Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk! And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Those of you who read these blogs often know that I have a passion to bring the message from God’s heart to yours. This implies that we need to take the His Word to heart and let Him change us. You see, the Christian is blessed to be able to allow this compassion, so much an integral part of every other aspect of God’s character, to become integral to our character as well, to our churches and exposed to our communities.

1 Peter 3:8   Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

Romans 15:1   We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Hebrews 10:23   Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised ;)

24   And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Hebrews 6:10   For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.

It has often been said that the more you pray for someone the more you will love them. What happens in your head and heart when you consider someone? Ask yourself when you see something lacking in another believer if you are seeing what you do because it is lacking in you? The greatest provocation (motivational thing) is to lead by example as Jesus did in those verses form Matthew and Luke quoted above. Be a follower of Jesus and you will be a leader of others to Him. 

Tired of the Shallow? Desperate for Intimacy?

God Calls Us to a Deep, Intimate relationship with Himself.

           

         Psalm 45:7   Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your  waves and billows have gone over me.

So many marriages fail because one of the spouses comes to that place where they just have to have more, they crave a close, intimate relationship but their spouse has no clue. Jesus wants us to know Him as the LOVER OF OUR SOUL, and that is anything but a shallow distant relationship. It is impossible to express His love for individuals if you have not experienced it yourself.

Back in the 60’s we used a derogatory expression, “Plastic People.” These were those people who are perceived to be phony, superficial, “stuck-up,” a manikin that breaths, moves, eats and all too often puts down other people. A wonderful thing about God is that He loves the people and draws them to Himself, promising an abundant life. The phony, imitation can receive real life and depth of character as their relationship with Jesus grows.

I wonder about some churches that are plastic too. Did you ever hear the criticism that a church is a mile wide but only an inch deep? Too many of God’s people are living this kind of life, most probably saved but not answering God’s call to the deeper places, never experiencing the close relationship with Jesus that He died to bring us into. There is an implication in this that our relationships with other believers become more meaningful too.

Ezek 47:1   In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side.

3    Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles.

4   He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist.

5   Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through.

6   He asked me, “Have you been watching, son of man?” Then he led me back along the riverbank.

7   When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river.

8   Then he said to me, “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure.

9   There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows.

In the beginning of Ezekiel chapter 47 we read of a very fascinating vision that demonstrates this principle. The prophet was led to a river that gradually got deeper and deeper. Ezekiel was led gradually from an ankle deep stream to a river that was so deep and wide it could not be crossed. This is a river of life and healing, but the progression also depicts the various stages where people get content and stop. The real purpose of this river was not described to Ezekiel until he got in over his head. There is real life, real healing and abundance of provision in the deep waters. The shallows have a little but God calls us deeper and deeper to where we experience the abundance of His life. Please take careful notice of the fact that the water was over his head, deep waters to swim in, deep waters of a river moving swiftly and taking control of you if you let it. Swimming upstream is impossible, you must just surrender to the waters and let them take you through life. 

You see, real victory over every obstacle of life, over every temptation and adversity comes with surrender to Jesus.

Let me give you a picture of how this works out in our lives. Not long after I got saved I visited Martinsville, VA. There I met a young lady with whom I had several lengthy conversations. I don’t remember anything we talked about (it was in early 1972) but I will never forget the way the Lord was working in my heart during those talks. It was as if a big shovel was digging deep into my heart and digging out garbage. We had a depth of conversation I had never experienced before. I never saw her again but I hope we will re-unite in Heaven. Something supernatural happened in my heart that day. A deep well was dug in that day.

Wells and springs in the desert are another Biblical analogy to deep calling unto deep.

Gen. 26: 17   Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there. 

18  And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them.

19   Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there.

Without water there just is no life. Here is Isaac, a shepherd with huge flocks, many workers and a large extended family. These people and animals needed a lot of water. The enemy had stopped up Abraham’s wells, he is always seeking to destroy people and thwart the plans of God. You can bet Isaac’s servants worked their proverbially butts off digging out those wells in the hot desert sun, with little to drink until they accomplished their task. Can you imagine the joy when they hit that well of springing water. They found an artesian well. Our hearts and lives should be like that, even as Jesus said,

John 7:38   He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

And as King David declared,

Psalm 46: 4   There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

5   God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

There are many other verses, and a multitude of songs, about the river, about living water and other references along this line. There is no drought in the Kingdom of God. The problem is that those who truly thirst for the things of God are far less in number than those satisfied with just, “Fill my cup Lord.” If all they are asking God for is to fill that little communion sized cup they are missing the plan of God for themselves and those they could touch. We need to come to Jesus, not with a little cup but with our whole being and pray for such a outpouring that overflows all over the place, spilling out onto those around us. The obstacle to doing this is that we don’t want to open up places of secret sin in our hearts that waste space the Lord wants to fill and that stop to overflow that others need so desperately..

Look at the connection between what David said in Psalm 46:4 above and,

 Matthew 5:6   Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Where is the gladness David referred to? In the city of God, a phrase that is analogous to the church. Tie together the second part of that verse, “the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High” with the verse,

1 Corinthians 3:16   Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

We, God’s people, all born again believers in the Gospel, should walk in holiness because we are the Temple, and walk in gladness because the river of God flows through us. If we continuously hunger and thirst for righteousness (right standing, right relationship with God) we are motivated to surrender to Him and to get in the deepest places of the river. Oh, how different the world could be if the Church at large walked in this close relationship with God. Oh that we would allow ourselves to take the time to get intimate in our conversation with the LOVER OF OUR SOUL, for you see the result of intimacy is as the result of intimacy between a man and his wife.

Let me conclude with the key to walking out everything written so far. I mentioned above that we experience victory when we surrender to Jesus. Notice, in this next verse, what the woman is doing as she comes out of the wilderness,

https://cherideejohnson.com/outrageous-love/

The LOVER OF HER SOUL, had come to the door late at night and she didn’t get up out of bed to let him in so he passed on. When she realized what she had done she panicked, got dressed and frantically searched for Him throughout the city. Several chapter later in the story we see a dramatic change in her. She is no longer frantic, no longer striving in her own strength to find the Lord. She is leaning on HIM, her own strength has proven insufficient and her broken heart is totally healed. This is the true definition of meekness – with personal strength gone, one becomes submissive to the divine will; neither proud nor self-sufficient. The Lord had taken her through a wilderness experience and she learned to yielded completely to Him, she entered into a deep intimate relationship with the 
JESUS, the LOVER OF OUR SOULS. 

IS EXCELLENCE A PIPE DREAM?,

PART 2 OF "WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU MESS UP?"

Let’s start out with a little review from Part 1 of this topic. We all mess up, we are all imperfect. BUT, if you are a born again Christian you are on the path to becoming more like Jesus who was perfect. I have no doubt we can all agree with old Job,

 

Job 5:7   Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

So what should we do when we mess up? I am convinced that God laid out all the “how to’s” for how His creation is supposed to be. It is our responsibility to, by His grace and power, follow that plan. It will lead to life and great long term resolutions of the consequences of our words and actions. If you are just “looking out for number one” (yourself) your pride will rule and your failure is guaranteed (see Proverbs 16:8) As hard as it may seem, we really need to follow thru with the steps listed below::

1.   Man Up and confess your fault.

2.    Accept responsibility for the consequences

3.   Experience Godly sorrow that brings repentance and will motivate you to do everything you can to make things right (2 Cor 7:11)

4.   Seek God for the power to change, for the power to become what God created you to be. You are a new creature in Christ (2Cor.5:17), Jesus will make you to become…(Mark 1:17) and the infinite power of the Holy Ghost is God’s gift to the believer (Acts 1:8)

If you have tried to change , to consistently do what is right, to become more like Jesus, by using your own will power than I am certain you have experienced frustration, I sure have. I have a confession to make, I am tired of making the same mistakes over and over again. I am also tired of hearing people say, “OK, my bad” and then going on as if nothing happened and nothing needs to change going forward. It is time we learn to apprehend the grace of God and accept His power to change, His grace to do everything necessary to make things right. He will provide every dollar, every ounce of strength, every bit of intestinal fortitude we ever need to accomplish anything He leads us to do.

Mark 10:27…   Jesus looked at them intently and said,
“Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

I attended a simulcast of a men’s conference recently, with teaching from a preacher named Erik Luny. Check out http://www.ellerslie.com He spoke on numerous topics and made many of the same points you read in my previous blog; except in great detail and with numerous analogies. I was excited by this gravity\flight analogy. Pastor Erik taught that we can compare walking in the flesh vs. walking in the Spirit to the law of gravity vs. the law of aerodynamics. Gravity says flight is impossible – aerodynamics proves they can. Does this not echo Mark 10:27?

Let’s take a look at some points made in Romans chapters 7 & 8. The struggle and the victory that Paul so passionately exclaimed is often misunderstood, over complicated and polluted by the intellectual looking for an excuse to continue in sin.

Rom.7:4   So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ. And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God.

5   When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death. 

6   But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

Do you see the contrast? Coming to Christ frees one from the power of the law, from the control of our old nature, from those evil desires that bound us in the garbage can of what we called life. We are reckoned dead and born to real life, the life we have in Christ, walking in the Spirit. Excellence in how we live is within our grasp and applies to every aspect of life. Let me say that again, Excellence in every aspect of life is within the grasp of the believer because we are dead to self and alive to God, empowered not by dead flesh that seeks its own, but by the Spirit of the Living God who inhabits the believer.

The seeming contradiction is what we saw too much of in the latter part of the last century. Many big name Christian leaders fell into sin, causing many well intentioned believers to become disillusioned. I boldly declare that this is no contradiction at all but is, by definition, the struggle exemplified. When someone falls, it is because they yielded to the old man, to the flesh and the enemy of our souls whose name I refrain from mentioning. They came to a fork in the road and willfully and intentionally went the wrong way. They took the gravity route instead of aerodynamics.

 

Rom. 7:24   Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 

25    Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom. 8:1   So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

2   And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.

5   Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.

6   So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

7   For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.

8   That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

9   But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.

Walking in the Spirit and experiencing the Manifest Presence of God has been my passion since getting saved at a Christian commune in 1971. It was a Pentecostal ministry and I have considered myself to be a Pentecostal ever since. It is thrilling to know that the power that defines the term Pentecostal is a gift available for God to every believer. This walk in the Spirit takes on a whole other dimension after one has the supernatural experience of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus very specifically told the disciples to expect it and what would happen in them and through them as a result. We see this in Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:4. This baptism doesn’t make you perfect, or excellent instantly, you just have the power to become, the power to reflect Jesus (being a witness) wherever you are or wherever you go. All we need to do is willfully and intentionally yield to it.

Rom. 6:16   Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.