Monday, November 18, 2024

The Assurance of Spiritual Life

Months ago, a brother said to me, “We are not guaranteed a spiritual life.” And that disturbed me. I want to say that this is in no way a rebuttal. But it disturbed me enough to do my own study.
I wondered...
1. ”How can I not have a spiritual life if I am Born Again ???”
2. Who is this “new man” God has created in Christ Jesus Who is my life?
3. Who is this new man renewed after the image of the One who created him.
4. If, as the Word says, I have been given a new spirit and a new heart of flesh and
    not of
 stone – where do they reside... in this earthly body of sin?
5. Hasn’t this old man been crucified with Him, so the body of sin might be
    done away with...so that the Holy Spirit can now take up residence in a child of
    God?
6. And how can we be a heavenly creature if not spiritual?
7. If my citizenship is in heaven and of the household of God then I must be a new
    heavenly being because “flesh and blood cannot enter the Kingdom of God.

Monday, October 28, 2024

Grace and Glory

Heb. 2:9 says, But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

The perfect oneness of Christ and His Church, and the consequent reciprocity of interest and affection which exists shows that while Christ represents the Church above, the Church represents Christ below; while she is glorified with Him in heaven, He is glorified in her on earth. ~ said Octavius Winslow, 19th century preacher 

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

The Grace of God!

Titus 2:11-12, For the Grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present age.

This passage in Titus is all about Jesus, being the Grace of God; bringing salvation; He has appeared; to teach us; to deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts; to live soberly, righteously and godly; in this present age.

The word “deny” has the idea of disregarding one's own interests, by forsaking, or renouncing a thing, whether evil, or good... IF it is ungodly and a worldly lust.

"Soberly" suggests “the exercise of that self-restraint that governs all passions and desires, enabling the believer to be conformed to the mind of Christ” -according to Vine’s Dictionary.

Monday, September 23, 2024

WHY Do We Remember Jesus

In 1 Cor. 11:23- 26 the Apostle Paul writes, For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread. And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, This is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
In the same manner also he took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim (1.e., declare and assert) the Lord’s death until He comes.

Let Us Remember WHY  We Remember.

Monday, September 16, 2024

The Assurance of Spiritual Life

John 3 verses 3 and 5, Jesus said, “I assure you and most solemnly guarantee to you, unless a person is born from above... spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified... you cannot enter nor even SEE the kingdom of God.” AMP

And in verse 6 He said, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

If you are born of the Spirit, you have a spiritual life. Anyone who does not have the Spirit born spiritual life is still DEAD in their sins.

Rom. 8:2, ...the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. The liberating law of the life-giving Spirit has freed us from the enslaving law of death-giving sin.

Rom. 8:3-4 God, by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man as an offering for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not live our lives in the ways of the flesh guided by worldliness, but live our lives in the ways of the Spirit guided by His power.

Monday, August 26, 2024

The Scriptures Speak of Christ

John 5:39 says, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”

Search the scriptures. Jesus was speaking to the ruling Jews who were persecuting Him “because He had done “these things” on the Sabbath” (John 5:16). The Jews of that day had what we today might call the Old Testament. Most believe they had the Torah, or the first five books of the bible (Pentateuch); as well as the Prophets and Psalms, Proverbs, Daniel, Ruth, Esther and some minor prophets... not necessarily all in every synagogue.

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Infinite Distance

We must occasionally bring to mind the great gulf between sinful man and our Holy Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer. We must recall Who and What He is, and who and what we were in order to more fully comprehend and appreciate what He did! We should not want to dwell on who we “were” but rather appreciate more what He did for us.