A Full Study Of JOB
Our Examples
Some of the best guidance for believers in living the Christian life are through 'types'.
Job: who so exemplifies the life of a believer from salvation to the millennium.
Knowledge of God
Recently I’ve been very strongly prompted to explore the life of Job as a 'type' and as we approach the soon return of the Lord, we would do well to consider Job.
In-depth Look
As I have explored more and more the spiritual links of the Christian life with Job..
This is only until the double lesson has been fully learnt: (1) that a living faith can rejoice in the Living God, even when feeling and experience appear to contradict the promise (Rom. 8:28, 29); and (2) that the divine life only predominates as the life of the flesh is held in the place of death, inoperative (Rom. 6:11a).
The life of the Lord Jesus is revealed as His death works in us (2 Cor. 4:11, 12), and as in weakness and nothingness we look to him (2 Cor. 3:18). -A.M.
This is only until the double lesson has been fully learned: (1) that a living faith can rejoice in the Living God, even when all feeling and experience appear to contradict the truth (Rom. 8:28, 29); and (2) that the Divine life only predominates as the life of the old man is held in the place of death, inoperative (Rom. 6:11a).
The life of the Lord Jesus is revealed as His death works in us (2 Cor. 4:11, 12), and as in weakness and nothingness we look to Him (2 Cor. 3:18).” -A.M.
“While our Father is dealing with someone in discipline, when He is applying the Cross in a life, be careful how you sympathize with him.
For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (2 Cor. 4:11)
The silence of His early years and young adult life was broken forever, as He stepped out into three and a half years of blessing for humanity – joining His voice with that of His herald - Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand – the King was here.
Unique Role
It is a beautiful picture of the triune Godhead uniting on the banks of the Jordan to encourage the Lord Jesus as Son of God and Son of Man to fulfil His unique role as Prophet, Priest and King – as He took His first step on the road that led to Calvary. Let us never be content to skip through the pages of Scripture without a deeper look into the gracious soul of our Saviour – Who gave His life as a ransom for you and me.
Only in one way that others are receiving Life through us, that we minister the Life of Christ to others, that when hungry and needy people come into touch with us they feel the touch of Life.
There is something about them that I feel, and it is what I really need.' That should be true of every Christian because Christ is in us, expanding Himself through us and ministering His Life through us.
Oh, do pray, dear friends, every day as you get up: 'Lord, make me a channel of Life to someone today.
Lord, minister Your own Life through me to someone today.
May I bring Life wherever I am.' The Lord has no other purpose for you and for me.
We may try to do a lot of things, but if we belong to the Vine we are no good for anything but to bear fruit; and that is to bring Life to others.
This covenant has two sides.... The New Testament takes many warnings from the history of Israel, and we may fail of all that that covenant means if our hearts are divided and we try to live life in two worlds.
His life was lived in spirit and truth – submitted to the Father, in loving obedience.
He was the example- the life-pattern for all who would become God’s children, by faith – they were not to copy what He did, but to live they way He lived – in submission to God.
The Lord Jesus derived much strength from this knowledge of purpose with which His life was bound up.
If he succeeds to rob us of that sense of purpose in our life, to make us doubt with regard to our testimony, our work, or the value of the suffering we have to go through, we shall lose our strength and the enemy will get the upper hand.
If we hold fast the purpose of our life, if we keep in view our heavenly calling, we too shall be maintained in strength.
for all things belong to You, whether the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to You, 1 Corinthians 3:21
He desires everything connected with His glorified life to be our portion as well. He who is to sit on the eternal throne of David has chosen us to share in His rule. He has appointed us a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and we will reign with Him on the earth.
This newness of life does not involve strenuous effort in our witnessing of Jesus – for is it not in Him that we should live and move and have our being.
so your sphere of witness can fan out into all the interactions of your daily life… so that you, on a daily basis can, preach the gospel….and if necessary, use words.
Many have been on our position in Christ rather than the circumstances of life; looking away from the world and looking to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Specific Man
Today, I look back to a specific man – a man who exemplified and lived a life of trust.
And he was able, through the Spirit’s leading to grant his young disciples request.. for Elijah said: if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so.” 2Kings 2:10 your request shall be answered. By faith Enoch, Elijah, Simeon believed the promise and lived in expectant waiting. Enoch waited his translation. Elijah waited his transport and Simeon waited to see the Lord’s Christ. Enoch waited over 400 years and Simeon waited for the rest of his life. Their promise was given, accepted, believed and they waited – they waited in humble anticipation.
What of the healing, correcting, maturing work He is carrying out in your life?
The Spiritual Sphere
And throughout his epistles, he gives countless instructions for a spiritual life.
Throughout Paul’s writings, he instructs us how to live our life as God desires… to walk in the spirit; to live in the spirit; to pray in the spirit – and we are told that when we walk in spirit and truth we will bear the fruit of the Spirit.
Check your life to see if you are living by God’s standards or your own.
day by day and moment by moment throughout our Christian life.
Pray and Praise
For you tarnish your life with much fretting. You spoil your walk with much worry. Fretting and worry crush the treasures that the Lord has to offer, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, confess your faults and your needs, and His peace that surpasses understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
New Mercies
New every morning is the loveOur wakening and uprising prove;Through sleep and darkness safely brought,Restored to life and power and thought.
To abide in ourselves is simply to try to do this living, and this working for the Lord, of ourselves; asking the Lord to help us to do it, instead of recognizing that a Life wholly pleasing to God has been lived and that faith appropriates that accomplishment in Christ.
We’re to strip our life of every obstacle and encumbrance that may impede our growth – such hindrances may not be sinful, but nothing must obstruct our trust in the Lord.
There is a tremendous value connected with the spiritual family life and with the training in the family.
The tragedy of so much of the work of God is the tragedy of broken relationships between workers who are put together in an organized way, and they have never gone through the discipline of family life to know how to live triumphantly with difficult people.
These Jewish believers were going to see the temple and the whole temple system wrecked, and then they would discover just how much they had got of Christ, or how much of their life was bound up with earthly things.
Whether you like all that we have said, or agree with it or not, does not worry me; but I am concerned that we have come to Christ, to show that Christ in heaven is our Life, Christ in heaven is our All, and appointed to be so by God, and nothing here can take the place of Christ.
Calvary’s Victory
The life-walk of Paul illustrates his relationship to his Lord, Jesus Christ.
What a testimony of a changed life – what a celebration of Calvary’s victory.
Christ’s Life
But Paul’s life-walk exemplified another aspect of the cross: Christ living in him.
Paul exemplified a faithful life engaged in the spiritual battle of all ages.
Paul, throughout His life, envisioned the triumphal train of His Lord and Saviour - a victorious, divinely appointed procession, with the defeated enemy displayed – a celebration of Man’s great victory accompanied by His few faithful followers – even a testimony of Christ’s great and mighty conquest at Calvary’s cross.
Paul’s Perseverance
Time and again it appeared, in Paul’s life, that the encounter ended disastrously - Like at Philippi, Lystra, Ephesus.
Paul held on through many bitter encounters, when he despaired even of life.
Christ Alone
Paul demonstrated in brilliant technicolour and stroboscopic lighting how to live. Paul displayed through his life what our relationship to the Lord really should be.
Paul depended to the last breath of his battered life, on Christ and Christ alone.
Life is in the blood and without the shedding of blood, there is NO forgiveness of sins.
separation from God forever and only the shed blood of the Son of Man could have paid for our sin – and only the resurrection of the Son of Man would give us newness of life – a new life in Christ – a new creation in Christ.
Unreachable Standard
The unreachable standard of God’s Law was to be set aside for a new life in Christ. A man seeking to live by any Law must be prepared to keep every part of that law.
But a believer with a new life in Christ is to live his life by grace and not by works of the Law.
New Life in Christ
A man who seeks to live by the Law must be prepared to keep every part of that law, but the one who died to the Law with Christ has been given a new Christlike nature. A Christian with a new life in Christ must die to self so that Christ lives in him.
Life and Light
Yet in Him was life and in Him was light to all men – and in Him was grace and truth.
The loose-living woman at the well in Samaria warranted death by stoning under the Law, yet was offered living water by the Messiah,rather than words of condemnation.. and by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ she was given eternal life.
The life under law is bondage.
But the life of the one who drinks the water of life is not one subject to outward restraint but a life that is like a well-spring of living water, that springs up from within.
It features the Creator of the universe and tells of the Most High God Who loved the world so much that He purposed to give His only begotten Son to redeem the sinful race of mankind, so that all who believe on Him would not perish, but have eternal life.
And at centre stage of His holy life stands an old rugged cross – as the eternal emblem of God’s love for man.
Beautiful Romance
For Whoever believes in the only begotten Son of the Most High God will not perish but have everlasting life, for He will be great..
Concerning this fact the Apostle Paul uses the wordbut But all things are of Godas though he would anticipate, intercept, or arrest an impulseto rush away and attempt life or service upon an old creationbasis, or with old creation resource.
In accepting God’s position of manhood, He utterly depended upon God – demonstrating a perfect life of humble obedience to the Father in every realm.
This is the unattainable ideal way to live that God demands from all His disciples – and His disciples (those who are under discipline) are to learn this Christ-life.
It is hearkening to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, the pride of life.
Willing Body
While the Lord was on earth he worked in “a prepared Body” Hebrews 10:5 Now the Lord works from the Father’s throne, through a willing Body - Take my life and use me to do Your will, I pray.
The Spirit of God has laid out in the Word of God how to live the Christian life – not in the Law nor in the works of the flesh– but through Christ in us – Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Heavenly Sovereignty
When Adam forfeited his God-given dominion, God set a guard over the tree of life.
God set a guard over the tree of life until man could resume his role as king – until His Man, (the Man Christ Jesus) would govern the earth through God’s heavenly sovereignty.
even the problems and difficulties that you are now facing in your life..
Gospel of God
There is so much more to the Christian life than just being saved! Being saved is not the end of the glorious gospel of God, but the first step..
Moses: Set Apart
Moses was a sign to Israel, through his life and through his disobedience! This humble man was used of God, to save His people from Egypt’s oppression. This great man was chosen and separated by God, to be His mouthpiece, And this consecrated saint was once disobedient – and had to be judged..
Genuine consecration is not the easy route in life, but often a cruel and difficult path.
Jesus: Set Apart
The Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect example of a life, consecrated to God. He spent His earthly walk living His life through the power of the Father.. Every work He undertook, each word He spoke, was a sign of consecration to God. His was a life that signified the infinite wisdom, power and sovereignty of God, His was the life exemplifying God working in and through a man – He was a Man set-apart to God.
Christ in Me
Being His witnesses does not necessarily mean going out and talking. Being a consecrated man or woman – ‘being a sign’ may not mean what you think. It may not mean becoming a missionary or starting a ministry… This may be a fraction of the call on a sanctified life.
It means in everything we do – living the life of the Lord.
Isaiah 64:8 Thy will not mine be done in my life to the glory of God the Father – Amen
Wrong Perspective
How our hearts cleave to the dust of this world. How frequently we become unduly occupied with the things of this world. How we cling to the properties and possessions of this life. How we focus on the interests of this life at the expense of the life to come.
Life of Faith
We are called to live by faith.. to live by faith and not by sight..
to trust in the One Who is to be trusted. We are also called to live a life of faith.. a life that relies on Him; a life that trusts in His love; a life that submits to His commands – a life that yields itself entirely into His keeping. When we look beyond the things of this life, heaven becomes more real than earth.
When we can trust Him with every day of our life, lack of earthly comfort holds little dread.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.Colossian 3:3
Glorious Habitation
What a wonderful truth – that our life is hidden with Christ in God. What a perfect place to shelter from the storms of this temporal life. What a precious privilege we have, to repose in this glorious habitation. What a thrilling dwelling place it is, to be enfolded with Christ – in God.
Inner Peace
This positional truth needs to be accepted and reckoned on as fact. It is the glorious truth that we can live in consummate, inward peace in Christ. It is an amazing fact of scripture that nothing need disturb our peace of mind. It is the thrilling assurance that we are delivered from the fear of the future – because your life is hid with Christ in God. 1Cor.16:13
Simply Profound
These truths are profoundly simple and yet simply profound. They are simple truths that are life-changing and life-transforming, They are profound truths we need to accept and appropriate in their simple grandeur. These are real life-facts we need to affirm and believe as God’s steadfast oath – to us.
He Continues:
Let us cease laying down to the saints long lists of ‘conditions’ of entering into the blessed life in Christ; and instead, as the primal preparation for leading them into the experience of this life, show them what their position, possession, and privileges in Christ already are.
ow. Never let the quaking circumstances of life shake your trust in God. Never let the devastation of this terrestrial plain rock your trust in Him. Never allow circumstances to shake you out of your secure position in Christ.
Stand on these mighty scriptural truths in faith, and make these all-important truths from God an integral part of your life.
As the result of the work of His cross, and as the grand issue of His resurrection, eternal life is received already by those who believe.
But while that life is in itself victorious, incorruptible, indestructible, the believer has to come, by faith, to prove it, to live by it, to learn its laws, to be conformed to it.
But the course of spiritual experience, of spiritual life..
is to discover, to appropriate, and to live by all that the life represents and means.”
No, though sadly some believers do worry that they are not truly born again. Get once and for all the gospel truth ever firmly fixed in your mind and heart.. believe… just believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you are saved – forever. No, the majority of truths in Paul’s epistles are for the saved man or woman, so that we can live the life that is best for us, as directed by the Holy Spirit.
Godly Witness
Paul’s life, witness and work demonstrates a man that lived in fellowship with God. Paul’s instructions explain in detail how every believer may also live a victorious life. His life experiences were some of the worst that one could ever imagine.
Godly Joy
The circumstances of Paul’s life can hardly be called cushy or comfortable..
and yet throughout it all and despite all the difficulties of his life, Paul could rejoice.
He didn’t grudgingly accept the pains and difficulties that shadowed his earthly life.
Godly Thinking
He had a Single Mind – in spite of all the problems and circumstances of life. He had a Submissive Mind – regardless of the way that people behaved towards him. He had a Spiritual Mind – where he set his heart on the right thinking. He had a Secure Mind – where worry and fear was replaced with trust and love. He had a Surrendered Mind – where each thought was captured and given to God.
Godly Focus
When Paul’s heart and soul and mind was set on the Lord Jesus, his life was one of victory, joy, faith and love... despite life’s circumstances.
The peace of God and the provision of God comes to the one with a single mind – a thought life that trusts in the Lord… no matter what life tries to throw at it..
Imperfect Man
No doubt he studied the Scriptures diligently thinking that in so doing he would earn eternal life and yet these very writings testified of Jesus in Whom abides eternal life.
Impossible Standard
The reality that the Law, in which Nicodemus trusted was related to the flesh, must have been shattering to this religious-minded Pharisee – this esteemed teacher. Though the Law was God’s benchmark for the man that is born of the flesh it was an impossible standard to keep – but the new life in Christ, which is a gift of God’s grace to the one that believes, is a new work of God in man – a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Spiritual Life
Man must be born of the Holy Spirit – if he is to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual life of which Christ spoke is something entirely separate from the Law. The spiritual life is rooted in grace and truth, which comes to us from Jesus Christ.
Law Verses Grace
The lessons that Nicodemus learnt on this night visit were of immense proportions. He had a glimpse into the heavenlies, yet did not even understand earthly truths. He discovered Christ was to be lifted up, like the serpent in the wilderness, so that all who look to Him will be saved and that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. He discovered that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Present Application
Your life may be strewn with deep disappointments; great sorrow; unspeakable loss..
You may be bound in prison chains or have a Patmos banishment, in order to allow patience to have her perfect work in your life – that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
It is the only sufficient tool we need as we address all the important issues of life, in a manner well-pleasing to Him: emotional issues; relational issues; family issues; social issues and spiritual issues.
But for those who have broken free from the bondage of man-made rules, and trust in Christ’s finished work alone, discover the Bible to be their sole Source of divine authority and the singular sufficiency for every aspect of their Christian life.
Instead of experiencing eternal death and separation from God we are given eternal life, which can never be lost, left, forfeited or removed – and it is all by His grace and power, and for His greater glory.
Enemy of the Soul
It is always wise to remember we live in a fallen world, knowing that the enemy of our soul is ever present in every aspect of life, and is seeking to devour our testimony, which renders the authoritative text of Scripture and its singular sufficiency, increasingly precious.
God did not remove us to heaven the moment we believed, but left us in a hostile environment for a greater purpose: He has a plan for each life.
Journey Thru Life
Just as God had a plan for our salvation so He has a life-plan for each of us.
Eternal Perspective
And so we are reminded that in this world there will be trials and suffering, but Scripture urges us to view the trials of life in light of God’s wider plan of His great salvation, in the eternal ages to come.
We should view life from an eternal perspective and live a life that result in practical sanctification – so that we grow spiritually as we walk with the Lord, and become more and more like Him.
We should respond to life’s trials as instructed by God, and keep away from worldly desires that wage war against our very souls.
The life and ministry of the Lord Jesus took place before today’s Church Age started.
Messiah’s Mark
Jesus lived His whole life under the shadow of the Law.
A Future Church
He fulfilled biblical prophecy – identifying Himself as the anointed One from God, yet we see an occasional glimpse of God’s future plans for His future church. He was fully God, and He was fully Man but He lived His life as an example to us all. He adhered to the Law of Moses for Jesus lived all of His life before Calvary’s cross.
By faith we have moved from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light:- from the kingdom of death to the kingdom of life; from the kingdom of sorrow to the kingdom of joy – from the kingdom of fear to the kingdom of love.
Life Troubles
In Psalm 46 we are told that God is a very present help in time of trouble, but He permits trouble to pursue us, as though He were indifferent to us.. as though He were disinterested in its overwhelming pressure, that we may be brought to an end of ourselves. That we may be led to discover the treasure of darkness – the unmeasurable gains of tribulation.
Old or New
A believer must know and understand the nature of his new life in Christ and apply it, and he must understand the nature of his old sinful life to oppose it.
He looks back to their pre-salvation life and reminds them: at one time you also were servants and slaves of sin.
Before salvation they were enslaved by the old sin-nature – they were in bondage to sin and slaves of sin, but after salvation, they were given a new nature and became servants of Christ – with a new life and a born-again spirit.
Now we are servants of the new nature in Christ rather than the old sin-nature, and these verses contrast an unbeliever’s former relationship as slaves of sin with a believer’s new relationship to their new life-in-Christ, which we all receive at salvation and which has made us all servants of righteousness.
Death or Life
A slave of sin functions through the old sin-nature, while a slave of righteousness functions through the new life in Christ.
A servant of sin relates to the old sin-nature, while a servant of righteousness relates to the new life in Christ.
The old sin-nature is in servitude to sin and functions under the law of sin and death, while the new life in Christ is in servitude to righteousness and functions under the law of Christ – the Spirit of life.
He has two ways to live his Christian life – either under law or under grace.
A believer has two choices – he can either submit to the evil enticements of the sin-nature, or he lives his life through the new life in Christ.
And the believer is empowered to live his life this way, by virtue of what Christ did on the cross – because we are now free from sin.
at salvation, connection with the sin-nature was severed, but sin’s influence remains throughout our life.
The connection with the sin-nature is severed but the influence of the sin-nature remains throughout our life.
However, the more we starve sin by submitting to the new life in Christ, the more our new nature will grow.
Inner Conflict
At salvation the believer also receives the permanent presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, causing two sets of demands to have an influence on a believer’s life.
Only as he submits to the leading and guiding of the Spirit in his life will his new born-again spirit be empowered to live in newness of life.
Romantic Nonsense
There has been much romantic nonsense written about the early life of the Lord Jesus, but Jesus lived a hard life and yet a simple life in the little despised village of Nazareth. There have been many false gospels written about the time that God in His wisdom chose to keep Jesus hidden from our view – with a few, thought-provoking exceptions.
Veiled Life
In the main, God chose to veil our view of Jesus, until the time of John the Baptist’s ministry, when Jesus started to walk in and out among the disciples of John. And yet there is much that we know of His character – His spirited zeal for the Lord – His love for the Scriptures of God and His humble dedication to His Father in heaven.
Carpenter’s Son
One thing that we do know is that the Lord Jesus spent His teenage and early adult life in submission to His parents and learning the trade of His adoptive Father – Joseph. Is not this the carpenter’s son?
He will never mirror the workings in your life, with those He undertakes in mine – but both will be equally effective, for it will bring both of us, to the fullness of Him.
But His working in your life will complete the life-long work He desires for you – just as His workings in my life will complete the life-long work He desires for me.
He will take your life’s circumstances; your hurts; your disappointments; your joys… and He will take your life-span and your life-situation to complete His good work in you – and you know what, He will do the same for me!
When you permit Him to remove all the safety-features of your personal life and when you dare to listen to His voice and dare to trust His Word implicitly – even when you don’t understand or when the very circumstances of life seem to thunder the opposite – then He’ll reveal His nearer presence to you, in a different way than ever before.
He was at my side and glorified God there both in His walk here and in His death; but He is now at His own side, and it is there I intelligently realize the vastness of my life, for He is my life.
It is enjoining with Him – at the very sphere, center and circumference of life.
In death, He would be their abiding life.
Timely Acquaintance
It was in Nice, in France, where his life journey was ended - but some of the final words to his little flock in his hometown were these:- O brethren, I stand here among you today, as alive from the dead, if I may hope to impress it upon you, and induce you to prepare for that solemn hour which must come to all, by a timely acquaintance with the death of Christ.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day; Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass away.
One day we came to Him in utter need and reliance, and received life.
Every day we are to abide in Him in utter need and reliance, that He may live that life in and through us.
They know not that the life of grace is always and only a life of faith, and that in the relationship to the Lord Jesus the one daily and unceasing duty of the disciple is to believe, because believing is the one channel through which Divine grace and strength can flow into the heart of man.
The old nature of the believer remains evil and sinful to the last; it is only as he daily comes, all empty and helpless, to his Saviour to receive of His life and strength, that he can bring forth the fruits of righteousness to the glory of God. -A.M.
When, however, you and I are prepared, in simple humility, to make the fact of our death with Christ our daily basis of life and service, there is nothing that can prevent the uprising and outflow of new life, and meet the need of thirsty souls around us. -J.C.M.
The growth and consolidation of one's spiritual life is predicated upon clear knowledge of the dual facts of Romans 6:11 - dead unto sin; alive unto God.
Preordained Acceptance
But God preordained that all who believe in Jesus are fully accepted in His beloved Son. The peace and love and acceptance of God is only through His beloved Son. Without assurance of this precious fact, many live a life of daily dissatisfaction. Without confidence in His Word, many spend their years in constant mistrust. If the failing beauty of a wife doesn’t influence the ardour of a devoted husband, how much more God’s never-failing acceptance is of the believer in Christ. God’s acceptance of you and His acceptance of me is based on one thing – the finished work of the Lord Jesus, on Calvary’s cross: being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.
You are accepted in the Beloved. If we live in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.. He will certainly judge us according to our works – which will burn as wood, hay, and stubble, but God never changes.
Bestowed Grace
William R Newell puts it this way: There being no cause in the creature why grace should be shown, the creature must be brought off from trying to give cause to God for His care. He has been accepted in Christ, who is his standing! He is not on probation. As to his life past, it does not exist before God – he died at the cross, and Christ is his Life. Grace, once bestowed, is not withdrawn.. for God knew all the human exigencies beforehand.
worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3)
Failure to live the Christian life is due to one's utter inability, but it is all governed by the Father.
He teaches us to become proficient in failure, in order to bring us to total reliance upon His Son, who is our Christian life.
It is a wonderful thing to have the consciousness that we are in living union with the Lord Jesus in heavenly glory, knowing our position in that risen sphere, participating in all that constitutes His life in the blessed circle of love and rest where He lives unto the Father.
Many a justified one might describe his experience in words like this: I fully recognize, and rejoice in the fact, that I am righteous before God according to Christ risen; and this being so, nothing but Christ can be my standard of holiness or rule of life.
This fact prepares one to see that the death of the Lord Jesus severed us from our old man, and that the Lord Jesus is now our Christian life.
We are free, by the finished work of the Cross, from the domination of the man who is now so repugnant to us, and we discover with untold delight that the One who so attracted our hearts is our very life. -C.A.C.
And your (new) life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).
For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3, ASV).
Rather, as we count upon the finished work of Calvary, the Holy Spirit will apply the Cross to the old life.
What next, Lord?’ ‘Now you pass to another sphere where you become aware that you are joined to Me as your life.’” “Our identification with Christ in His death was a death unto Sin-the principle of Sin as a master and a tyrant-Sin, not sins.
The Holy Spirit is ready to apply that finished work of death to the depth of our self-life, until Sin loses its mastery at point after point.
Hopes have precarious life; They are oft blighted, withered, snapped sheer off In vigorous youth, and turned to rottenness; But faithfulness can feed on suffering, And knows no disappointment.
John stood his ground, maintaining his testimony in the face of every foe, and as a consequence has exercised a mighty ministry of life down through the centuries. -T.
Much depends on the way great eras of our life are entered on.
Nature or disposition may have much to do with our external manner, but it is faith in our Father which stands the wear of years, and the sorrows of life.
Trial teaches us the futility of the old life, and the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus - our new life.
The Christian suffers the same calamities as others, perhaps even worse; he faces difficulties and losses in the things of this life; he has to be prepared to meet death itself.
This, surely, should be our testimony in the world, but it can only be as the Lord Jesus Himself lives out this life in us. -H.F.
The enemy was seeking to devour the plan and purpose God had for his servant Job – just as today, the enemy seeks to overthrow God’s plans in the life committed to Him.
However, the believer’s life does not start and end at rebirth – that is only the beginning.
We all find ourselves in life’s cul-de-sacs, having to retrace our spiritual steps.
Many believers are encouraged to consecrate and re-consecrate their self-life.
This ‘love motive’ is a good motive, but it is not the correct path to spiritual maturity, for this path of devotion can lead the old-self trying to live for God, by being good, and the consequences of this path is often in living the self-life instead of the Christ-life.
As our representative Christ’s life – our new-life must remain in Him alone.
New Life in Christ
Christ’s Life has no place in the old life.
It is the new-life about which Paul says “It is not I that live but Christ lives in me”.
It is the new-life in Christ and not the old-life in Adam that the Spirit will sanctify.
Our Sanctification
Sanctification can only take place in the new-life in Christ.
Sanctification can never take place in the old-life in Adam.
God consigns the old fallen Adam-life to the cross forever, and God will have nothing to do with the old life in Adam.
It treats the fallen creation (the self-life) as capable of improvement.
In doing so, the meaning of the cross is nullified, for the old Adamic life is beyond repair,
We have to ask Him to examine our rebellious and carnal nature – to know the difference between 1) Christ as substitute and Christ as representative. 2) between sanctification truths and identification truths. 3) between the new-life in Christ and the old-life in Adam. 4) between the spiritual believer and a carnal Christian.
We have to want to move on into maturity and grow in grace. We must not get our whole life stuck in perpetual Christian infancy.
Death no longer has dominion over Christ, for the death that Christ died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God – likewise, you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Our life and ministry will bring glory to our Father to the extent that we abide in the Son, and are controlled by the Holy Spirit.
The object of all Christian life and ministry, of whatever kind, must surely be to bring glory to God.
It is only when our whole outlook is made radiant by His glory, because we are hungry to do His will and that only, that our activities will be quickened into new life, and others be truly blessed. -J.C.M.
It is not just life; acceptance; redemption and righteousness that are in Him, but the creation; our hope; spiritual blessings; consolation… and consummation – and Peace and Effectual Prayer and Strength and Riches are all “In Christ”.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.1 John 5:13
A believer who trusts God’s word in this matter will live his life the grace-promise-faith way.
Believer’s Choice
We can choose to live our Christian life God’s way or man’s way.
The one who doesn’t live grace-promise-faith way doesn’t negate his eternal security in Christ, but will live a defeated Christian life, for eternal security “kicks-in” immediately at rebirth, and each person of the Godhead guarantee their eternal security.
All-Embracing Guarantee
God’s guarantee of eternal and life is for all believers, whether they choose to live the grace-promise-faith way or ignore God’s word and live the law-works-merit way.
When we trust God’s promise of eternal life, it delights His heart: for without faith it is impossible to please Him,
A believer who doubts 1% of God’s word, may as well doubt it all, for unbelief in one ‘small’ area can impact an entire life.
Accepted in Christ
Life experiences, feelings and pressures may all combine to cause a believer to doubt the truth of God’s word, but life experiences, feelings, and pressures are no criterion for God’s truth.
And this God purposed to work in your life and in mine, to make us His children and to bring us to perfection, and He explains in His Word Who he is what He is doing and how.
What of the faith that would remain fallow, but for the deep, chill of life’s bitterest waters?
His Refining Fire
Are these nothing but unconscious cries, to be tried in His refining fire..? An inner longing to be honed to His perfection, under the great Craftsman’s ‘tool’? Is not GRACE discovered through the crushings of life’s journey? Is not FAITH exercised as the storms of life assault our very foundations? Does not Faith flourish and Grace grow, through the Master’s sanctifying trials?
Cross Work
Christ’s work on the cross and His glorious resurrection gave us eternal life.
Eternal Life
Eternal life is a non-returnable gift given to those who believe – it’s already done.
Eternal life is a triumphant, imperishable, enduring life – given to all who believe.
So why is this victorious, incorruptible life not the experience of all Christians?
Why do some live a defeated life for so much of their Christian walk?
a deposit is given when we are born again as God’s assurance that eternal life is ours. All believers received this down-payment at rebirth – but many just do not access it.
Given Life
The believer can choose to accept and use this deposited ‘given life’ – or not.
Not to appropriate this life is like having a full fridge of food – but going hungry.
The believer has to appropriate and use this ‘given life’ – in his earthly walk.
He must appropriate this triumphant, imperishable, enduring life – BY FAITH.
Given Life
One Christian writer put it this way:- As the result of Christ’s work of His cross, and as the grand issue of His resurrection, eternal life is received already by those who believe.
But while that life is itself victorious, incorruptible, indestructible – the believer has to come, by faith, to prove it... to live by it, to learn its laws, to be conformed to it.
Living Life
But through the course of spiritual experience, (of spiritual life), the believer is to discover, to appropriate, and to live by all that the life represents and means.
The full triumphant, imperishable, enduring LIFE is ours – but needs to be put to use.
Christ’s Life
But how do we use this deposit of a full; triumphant; victorious; enduring life..? Well, it all goes back to recognising who we are in Christ and then appropriating it!!
It goes back to knowing that Christ is our life and then living unto Him.. or it must be His life flowing through our life to produce His life within us – for it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell.
Colossians 2:9 So all we need to do is to appropriate His life in us – to allow Him to live through us. that you may be filled with all the fullness of God for your life is hid with Christ in God so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Ephesians.3:19
They must be appropriated to work effectively in our everyday life – and this is done in the same way that we were saved – by FAITH.
Deposited Gift
In his 'Green Letters', Miles Stanford explains “appropriating” like this: How often we simply admire and talk about the truths the Holy Spirit reveals to us in His Word, whereas His primary purpose in giving them to us is that we might stand upon them in faith, waiting confidently for Him to make them an integral part of our life.
It is by faith that we grow in them and it is by faith that we walk in them – until through simple trust these scriptural truths become inherent in our life in Him.
This early blossom may be a sign of life, but it is not the life itself.
A sign of early life belongs to the early Spring, showing that the Winter is past and resurrection is at work.
The Life is working and will show itself in stronger and deeper forms....
But if, on the one hand, eternal Life operates to cut us off from our natural life as the basis of our relationship with God, on the other hand, it is perfectly wonderful what is done.
The Lord even comes in as our physical life to the doing of more than would have been possible to us at our best, and certainly far beyond the present possibility, because He has made us know that as men we are nothing, even at our best.
Life does that.
Life forces off one system and brings on another, making room for it as it goes.
The believer, having received the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,' comes under the influence of the law' of that Spirit (Rom. 8:2).
The operating principle of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus' ever works in the direction of profound self-judgment, and of the consciousness that we have in the Lord Jesus not only righteousness, but a divine Source of satisfaction and strength.
And thus it makes the one in whom it operates free from the law of sin and death.' It gives the consciousness that divine goodness is an unfailing resource for our hearts, and that all the treasures of that goodness are stored up in Christ Jesus, that we may learn them there, and find the life of our spirits in the growing knowledge of Him. -C.A.C.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus' made me free from the law of sin and death' - not the life,' but the Spirit of life,' - not our effort, but divine strength; not self-occupation, but occupation with Him in whom we are before the Father, and in whom the divine favor rests upon us full and constant, because on Him it rests. -F.W.G.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death' (Rom. 8:2).
a testimony of my close friend and sister in Christ – a testimony of the way God has worked in one life..
an assurance that God can work through every life… that comes to Him.
I wanted to share with you what the truths written in this hymn means to me and how it reflects the Amazing Grace that has never failed to abound in my life.
Living in sin?Feeling the effects of our sin?No hope?No future?No promise of eternal life?In condemnation?
It is music to my ears, there is no greater or sweeter sound than the assurance of Father God’s grace and the evidence of His grace in my life and the lives of others:-
for us, for our sins so that we may be forgiven and reconciled to Him, with the promise of eternal life.
There was no worse a wretch than me when I gave my life to Jesus – no worse a past.
I had gone so far down the wrong roads that it seemed that my life would never get back on the right track.
the effect that had on my life..
I saw the assurance of eternal life.
And I now see the hand of Father God in my life, from creation, through Jesus’ coming and resurrection to His saving grace.
In some situations in life it’s inevitable and sometimes appropriate to express fear.
If we went around rushing headlong into life in fearless ways we wouldn’t have to exercise our faith, so it’s normal and healthy to worry about that exam coming up..
My Testimony
When I gave my life to Jesus during the Billy Graham crusade event in Chesterfield in 1984, I remember being blown away by the fact that not only had my sins been forgiven and I had the assurance of eternal life but I had a direct line to Father God.
and yet I’m still learning to rely on His Amazing Grace to abound in my life and my trials.
Battle-Scarred and Weary
I was born with my ‘dukes up’ fighting for my life and with Father God’s grace I won that battle – the first of many to come.
Not surprisingly each battle I have fought, each trial in my life I have had to face, more often than not I have tried to ‘go it alone’ and I have been well into the battle and sometimes battle-scarred and weary, before I have ‘Let Go and Let God’!
It’s only by maturing in my faith and by looking back on my life, and seeing Father God’s hand on my life and the evidence of His grace abounding in me and my life, that I come to a place of peace, pain-free and in the perfect state of grace.
The clearest evidence I see of Father God’s Grace abounding in Jesus’ life is in the run-up to His death on the cross, in particular when He said ‘Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do’! Not only was He willing to die that horrible death on the cross for their sins and ours, but by His Father’s Grace, He was also able to forgive them, then and there – as He was crucified.
In dying on that cross our Lord Jesus Christ, as He had promised, reconciled us to Father God in the forgiveness of our sins and the assurance of eternal life with Him and His Father – and the promise that He was leaving His Holy Spirit with us to live in us and amongst us until we die or until He returns.
What the Lord was doing in washing their feet was a reflection of His entire life.
He gave us an example of righteous living; of gracious actions; of a worthy life.
He modelled the only way that mankind can live a godly life – in Christ Jesus.
Christ-Like
It is not that we copy Him by doing what He did but to live life in the way He lived - not to mimic His actions or parrot what He said but to live a life that is pleasing to God - not to try to become Christ but to be Christ-like by walking in spirit and truth.
Childlike Reliance
It is a simple, childlike reliance on the Lord; a life free from all self-dependence.
Trusting Humility
A godly life rests in God’s sovereign grace and eternal power to perform all He says. It is rooted in obedience to God’s will and is founded on a spirit of trusting humility.
Example of Godliness
His was a life in submission to the Spirit. His was a life that was lived for the glory of God alone.
Living by Faith
The father of faith – Abraham, is singled out as the primary example of a godly life.
Impossible Reality
What is impossible in the minds and imaginations of man is the reality of God truth that fills every page of the Word of God, and the most amazing of all the impossible realities that flood the pages of Scripture, is the miraculous conception of the young virgin Mary, when she submitted to the work of the Holy Spirit in her life and prayed her beautiful song of praise to the Father: be it unto me according to Your Word.
and have come to fullness of life.. for in Christ we too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—reaching full spiritual stature.
Having been, born into His family, gained the wonderful birthright of eternal life, and made complete in Him, we too have a body that is being prepared for us, in heaven.
The Holy Spirit will be a Helper akin to that which the disciples experienced during Christ’s earthly sojourn – but He’ll remain alongside us all through life and into eternity.
Man of God
Paul was a man who loved his Saviour and a man whose service to his Lord is one that we hold up as an example of a great man of faith – a man of God that we ourselves would seek to emulate, and yet his comparatively short life in the ministry was one that was engulfed by an overabundance of problems and difficulties – a ministry that was packed from start to finish with unbelievable severities and significant hardships.
either death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither fears for today nor worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of God.
The knowledge of the Son of God is the secret of the true Christian life.
Resist or Submit
The glory of the Son of God is demonstrated in the life of the Lord Jesus, and with our permission… He will change each of us to be like Him.
We can quench the work of the Spirit in our life to our detriment, OR we can permit Him to work by submitting to His leading – to our advantage.
The creative power of God gives light and life and hope to a believing soul, and God points to Jesus, when He declared: hear Him, from His fiery throne.
Listen, I have told you the open secret, discovered in the pages of Hebrews - a secret that will indisputably change your life!
Churches, like the Church, are organisms which spring out of Life, which Life itself springs out of the Cross of Christ wrought into the very being of believers.
A real walk with God, and a growing knowledge of Christ, a life in the Spirit?
Experientially, He applies the work of the Cross to our old life, thereby progressively holding it in the grip of that death.
He is unforming the old nature in death, and conforming the new nature in life.
Life more abundant requires that what He did for us shall be made good in us.
It is as we ourselves are dealt with in the power of the Cross that the way is made for His life to express itself in ever deepening fulness.
The fact is that it is the old life which is in the way of the new life and its full expression.
It is the natural life which obstructs the course of the divine life.
Thus what has been done for us has to be done in us, and as it is done in us that life becomes more than a deposit, more than a simple, though glorious possession; it becomes a deepening, growing power, a fulness of expression. -T.
You may have been in the fires and have been having a pretty hard and painful time in your spiritual life, but that only means that God has been preparing you for something more.
Lying Influences
Circumstances of life and wickedness in the world may seem to scream the reverse, but you must never base your faith in Christ Jesus on your feelings – nor must you allow the circumstances of life to influence your trust in God.
Paul’s Words
Given the facts of their high character and destiny as saints Paul says; ‘I therefore … beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called’ Ephesians 4:1 Let us cease laying down to the saints long lists of ‘conditions’ of entering into the blessed life in Christ; and instead, as the primal preparation for leading them into the experience of this life, show them what their position, possessions, and privileges in Christ already are.
And the result of the work of Christ’s cross, and as the grand issue of His resurrection... eternal life is received already by those who believe.
But while that life is itself victorious, incorruptible, indestructible, the believer has to come by faith to prove it, to live by it, to learn its laws, to be conformed to it.
But the course of spiritual experience, of spiritual life, is to discover, to appropriate, and to live by all that the life represents and means.
When Christ is in the centre of our life – appropriating scriptural truths is simple.
Let us wait until we know His pattern for our life lest, in our impatience, we seek to throw aside the very things permitted of Him to fit us for some special service in His vineyard.
In a somewhat extended life and ministry, again and again I have seen dear people of God who were out in the open going on with the Lord in the liberty of the Spirit with great promise and then theye been caught in some sm.They simply are helpless to escape themselves from the tenets of that sm.Again and again Ie seen it!
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, is the Bible’s clear instruction, for there can be little or no stability in the Christian life when this truth is doubted – but until this is resolved in a believer’s heart there can be little spiritual growth.
Eternal Life
God, the Son, tells us that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will have eternal life.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
Many Christians keep themselves in a perpetual foment through hoping they will get into a situation where they can enjoy a better (and easier) Christian life.
It has not dawned upon them that at the heart of these very circumstances they are to find the Lord Jesus, find His grace sufficient, find the life more abundant. -L.E.M.
And I, in my nothingness, had ceased to look for good in myself, and began tasting the deep joy of being in Christ, and free to have Him as my Object; while as to life, I entered in some degree into the blessedness of knowing that it was not I, but Christ liveth in me.' -C.A.C.
The Holy Spirit gives a living knowledge; His light is the light of life; He is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.' We see the Father and the Son as seeing us.
You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Christ is your life.
We are very often inclined to think that the Life of the Lord in us needs in some way to be improved, to be added to, when really what is required is that we should discover what we have, and, discovering it by experience, live according to it.
This Life is not something apart from the Lord Jesus, and we can never think of His standing in need of some improvement, nor of the possibility of something being added to Him to make Him complete, or more complete.
And this Life is one with Himself.
As the Apostle says, it is Christ who is our Life, and our need is to discover what Christ is in us, and to live accordingly.
So in a very real sense it is a matter of the Life getting more of us, rather than of our getting more of the Life.
We are left in this world, and it is in this world where death reigns and works as a great energy that we, by this sovereign ordering of God, have to come to prove the values of the Life which has been deposited in us, and to discover its potentialities.
It therefore resolves itself into battle between that which is in this world and the Life which is in the believer.
It is the battle for Life, not as to the forfeiture of that Life not as to whether death can take eternal Life away from us, for that is not the question at issue but as to the triumphant expression and the full manifestation of the power of that Life.
But He has a further work to achieve in your life, not for the moment but for eternity, and delay is one of the many ways the Lord uses to correct and train and perfect us.
I know not what He seeks to correct and train and perfect in your life, but I must ask Him to search my heart to discover what needs to be changed in me.
– Do You see any rebellion in me – as in my independence as I seek to go it alone? Do You see any areas in my life that you choose to sever with Your holy scalpel? Do You have areas in my life that You desire to perfect? Do You see an area in me that needs to be conformed into the image of Jesus?”
The Real Christian Life
How easy it is for us to misrepresent the Christian life. How easy to imply that life is filled with joy with no place for sorrow.
Fires of Suffering
If the understanding love of the Lord is to be shed abroad through your mean life; if you long for patience of spirit and humility of heart, you must needs be tried in the fires of suffering.
They are heated seven times hotter… where not only life’s little actions and the words of your mouth are scrutinised by Purity’s eyes of refining flame, but thoughts of the mind and motives of the heart are squeezed through His mangle of purification.
His life’s walk established the basis and nature of His permanent work among men.
Physical Representatives
The Church, which is His Body, is the only physical representation of God on earth today, and God has chosen the Church, in Him, before the foundation of the world.” While the Lord Jesus was on earth, we read many stories of His life and His work.
The Church is His eyes and ears; His hands and His feet; His heart and His life… just as our own physical bodies stand in relation to our own inner beings.
This truth is insightful to us, as it reaches the root of all matters of life and service..
In the unfolding law of His own life Christ laid great emphasis on this one point: that the word He spoke and the things He did were not out of Himself: I do nothing of Myself; but as my Father hath taught Me, I speak these things. John 8:28.
Christ – The Head
This was a non-negotiable in His life but is not always so in the life of the believer: The Son can do nothing out of Himself, but only as He sees the Father doing.” John 5:19.
Thus the law of an effective and life, service, and prayer is a oneness with Him – a oneness with Jesus - a oneness with Christ, that we only do, but surely do what He does.
Oneness with Christ
T.Austin Sparks puts it this way: “Our life and prayers must be that of the Lord, prayed in us and through us, by the Holy Spirit.
I’ll stay where You’ve put me; I’ll work, dear Lord,Though the field be narrow and small,And the ground be fallow, and the stones lie thick,And there seems to be no life at all.The field is Thine own, only give me the seed,I’ll sow it with never a fear;I’ll till the dry soil while I wait for the rain,And rejoice when the green blades appear; I’ll work where You’ve put me.
I’ll stay where You’ve put me; I will, dear Lord;I’ll bear the day’s burden and heat,Always trusting Thee fully; when even has comeI’ll lay heavy sheaves at Thy feet.And then, when my earth work is ended and done,In the light of eternity’s glow,Life’s record all closed, I surely shall findIt was better to stay than to go; I’ll stay where You’ve put me.
Man’s 2 Natures
As children of God we were given a new life in Christ – a baby life that needs to grow. Our life should be a fruitful, victorious life that matures into a spiritual believer – a life submitted to the Spirit, so it may be conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus. But we still have a sin nature that seeks to gain supremacy over our new Christ-life. We were freed from its power over us, at the cross, but it remains our deadly enemy.
And for the rest of our life on earth a tug of war exists between these two rivals.
2 Opposing Natures
The more we feed one of these two bitterly opposing natures, the more it grows and develops – and the stronger it becomes the greater its capacity for good or for evil. The new life in Christ, we received at salvation, is the very life of Jesus Christ, that was breathed into us by God’s Spirit, so we could grow in grace and spiritually mature.
Old Nature and New Life
The old sin nature we received from Adam is at enmity with God and kept us in bondage and condemnation, but it was crucified with Christ, and its power was severed at the cross – freeing us forever from the bondage of sin and death.This new life in Christ is His sinless life – which was imparted into our very beings. The old sin nature is our terrible Adamic heritage – which keeps us in bondage to sin. Unsaved men can only function under the power of the old sin nature, and whatever they do, whether good or ill, is worthy of nothing more than God’s utter condemnation.
New Life in Christ
The new life in Christ should be nurtured, while the old sin nature must be subdued, and though all Christians are positionally sanctified, (set apart unto God), we must also grow in our Christian life to be practically sanctified – and it’s all by grace. Whether we are talking about our sanctified position or the sanctifying process that continues throughout life – our spiritual growth, our growing in grace, our maturing in the faith and the good works that God has prepared for us to do, are ALL by grace.
Put Off the Old
Paul tells us that to be practically sanctified as we journey through life, we must put off the old man and put on the new man – and we are not to be conformed to the pattern of this world, but we are to be changed – transformed, by the renewing of our minds.
In this way the new life in Christ will have a chance to grow and mature, and gradually be conformed into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus. If we ignore the clear guidance in scripture on how to live a spiritual life, that’s pleasing to God, and submit to the old sin nature, we place ourselves back under the bondage of law.
Put on the New
Let us put to death the deeds of the body, so our new life in Christ can grow: for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. Let us not copy the behaviours and customs of this world, but rather let us submit to the Spirit, so that God can transform us into a new person..
The second Man is the Lord from heaven, a life-giving spirit. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.
And through Whom a new creation was formed – by Whom new creatures are born from above into newness of life. The former race bore the marks of its origin – fallen Adam. The new race is to bear the marks of its Founder and Fount – the last Adam; the Lord from Heaven; The Son of God and Son of Man.
for God, in the eternal council chambers of His Divine Wisdom, ordained it to be so – so that whosoever believes on this Man should not perish but have everlasting life – so that whosoever will “Behold the Man” – will live.
Light of Christ
The light of Christ has been given to every single man who has entered the world. Not one member of the human race has ever been excluded from God’s gracious gift. Though now crowned with glory and great honour, Jesus tasted death for everyone. By God’s grace alone every man and woman has an opportunity to receive eternal life.
Chasm of Unbelief
Eternal life is one of many gifts that’s bestowed on all who believe in God’s Son, BUT ALL who reject the gift of grace are eternally separated from God – due to unbelief. There is a huge chasm between the two – which can only be crossed by faith.
Eternal Life
This is eternal life that they might know Thee – the only true God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent. It is that simple, and yet how many reject God’s grace. The shocking reason that men turn their back on God’s free and gracious gift of salvation is wrapped up in the notion that man can produce his own righteousness.
Death or Life
But self-righteousness comes from the LAW and is a ministration of DEATH.
Christ’s righteousness comes from GRACE and is the ministration of LIFE.
Eternal life is the gift of God to all who believe – and grace upon grace is our portion.
Grace of God
Let us carefully consider the immensity of the grace of God towards all who believe. Let us never take for granted the enormity of the life we have received – by grace.
By Believing
John wrote his gospel so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God – and that by believing we might have life, but he NEVER uses the word ‘repentance’. Paul in his letter to the Romans gives step-by-step instructions on how we are justified, sanctified and glorified by grace, through faith – but only uses the word ‘repentance’ a couple of times..
True Friend
A true friend will help to hone and improve your life. A friend that sticks closer than a brother will help to put an edge on your life. Such a friend will make you sharper as a person and help to prevent a fall.
He may use a life experience; a verse of scripture; a thought in the conscience.
He says, I am time and eternity all in a moment, and you need not accept anything in the matter of time; you accept Me, and you may be well-nigh dead in the morning and be very much alive before the day is over. 'I am the resurrection and the life.' Mary said, i>I know that He will rise again in the last day.For her resurrection was a matter of time.
We are dealing with God, and He is not bound by anything that is known to our human life at all.
The mighty deeds' may mean the greater works,' but death-fellowship means much fruit.' You might toil all your life, and only do so much, even with the wonderful deeds; but if you are willing to die with Him there will be effortless multiplication.
An increasing number of the Lord's people are seeking to enjoy the power of the Lord Jesus' life by accepting the fact of their union in His death as expressed by Paul, That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed unto His death' (Phil. 3:10).
We died with Him, but most of us are not being conformed to His death and hence are not like Him in life. -L.L.L.
In the measure that one dies to the old, in the same measure does one experience life in the New.
Men and women who were removed from the law of condemnation to that of liberty and life, had willingly returned to the old ways of death, despite Paul being their teacher.
Now this truth from God is a simple fact of our Christian life, but sadly many Christian revert to the old ways of the law – saved by grace through faith but living under law.
Each member of the body has his own work to do for the benefit of the whole, and the Spirit provides us with all that we need to carry out His work in our life.
And throughout our life, we will grow and mature..
Life of Christ
Every member of the body has Christ’s life imparted to them, by the Spirit of God.
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him, Who called us by His own glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3
Should we not examine our hearts in humility to see if we are living His life in us?
This is true Christianity-the heart drawn off things here, and lovingly occupied with the One who is our Christian life.”
Who does not know of this second stage of the Christian life, at first so painful, so humiliating, and filling the soul with perplexity?
It is thus that we learn that the Spirit who has renewed our spirit must also sustain our new life; that we depend entirely on divine grace and strength, not merely to bring us to the Lord Jesus, but to keep us abiding in Him where He is.” -A.M.
The whole purpose of salvation is that men and women may grow in the deeper stable characteristics of the Christian life - that they might be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. -G.D.
The Christian life is not merely a converted life nor even a consecrated life, but it is the Christ-life.
This is what constitutes spirituality - this is what makes a life or service spiritual: it is the drawing upon heavenly resources, living the life as out from heaven.
That constitutes a spiritual life and a spiritual walk.
Everything is so utterly from above - and so utterly not from man - that the life or work becomes spiritual as a consequence.
Jesus said, ” I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.John 6:51
Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life..John 10:10
Food for the Human Heart
No bread that is grown on earth will furnish food for the human heart. No nourishment for the body can suffice the deep need of the believer’s soul. Jesus alone can satisfy the longings and desires of the hungry man, for He is the Bread of LIFE.
“I Am that Bread of Life” said Jesus, “come to Me and you will never hunger.” How is Christ the Bread of Life?
Man’s Deep Need
Another deep craving of the believer is HOLINESS. There is no art or make-up that can restore the human soul to moral beauty. No restoration can restore to original nobleness, a soul ravaged by the fires of life: there is none righteous, no, not one.
Man’s Need of Acceptance
Satan has robbed many believers of their full ASSURANCE of eternal salvation, and many crave for reassurance of spiritual life here and eternal life to come. Many seek through good works and spiritual activity to confirm their acceptance..
but Jesus is the Life and the Way and the Truth and He alone can suffice.
Jesus has given those who believe Life – and Life more abundantly.
Hungering for more of the Bread of Life is a most blessed thing.
Thirsting for the Water of Life is a favoured state, and both will be satisfied.
How often we have murmured under trial only to see later the preparation of the Lord Jesus of our hearts that we might be His ministers of comfort in an hour of need in the life of another (2 Cor. 1:4).
Life, power, blessing, deliverance for others - and nothing for thyself, but to lie in the will of the Father, and accept from His hand all that He pleases to permit to come upon thee.
If there has been dependence upon orders, churches, systems, even meetings and conferences, the many things which in themselves are looked to as the means of support of the Christian life, when they are gone, broken, the question will be, How much of Christ is here?
No Christ, no Life, nothing to live for, everything gone!
When the life of senses ceased, the outward order came to an end, they had nothing left, they were in despair, and their faith was shattered.
A barren life means barren service, and no amount of self-effort will ever make up for that!Not I, but Christ.' The Lord Jesus does not ask that we should work for Him, but He intends to work through us.
The one ends in futility and disappointment; the other in life, progress, and joy.
In the one I slave and work worthily for Him, and constantly feel the barrenness of a busy life; in the other I let His life flow through me in all His glorious effortlessness, and rest in the assurance that the Lord Jesus at work cannot fail.
The one is a life of endeavor, always being keyed up to do something greater; the other is a life of faith always looking to the Lord Jesus to reveal the next step and then give the enablement to carry it out. -H.G.
Each divinely convicted sinner knows death and judgment are sin’s inevitable reward. Nothing but the spilt blood of Another can alter that destiny and can accomplish life.
Life in the Blood
Blood and fat, in type set forth the life and the inherent excellency of the Lord.
Physical life is in the blood.
Spiritual life is only found in the blood of Christ.
Jesus said: I am come that they might have life….
This is life and this is health and this is peace to the soul.
It is the self-centred life verses the Christ-centred life.
The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death' (Rom. 8:2). ...hath made me free....' Let me walk in it; let me enjoy it, and I am free.
They may have had their businesses, their trades, their professions, their different walks of life and occupations in the world, but they had one all-dominating thought, concern and interest Christ.
After all, nine-tenths of all our troubles can be traced to the fact that we have other personal interests influencing us, governing us and controlling us other aspects of life than Christ.
It is the triumph of Christ over the life.
Shall we ask the Lord for that life captivation of His beloved Son?
All through his life, Jacob was identified by God as His chosen son, but for much of his life Jacob determined to do things his own way and not God’s way.
God’s Blessing
And yet Jacob shrewdly schemed and cleverly planned his way through life.
Jacob had fought his way though life..
Jacob had fought his way through life with his brother Esau.
Jacob had fought his way though life with his uncle, Laban.
And through his life, God blessed Jacob in many ways and Jacob prospered.
Jacob sought God for a blessing, a paltry, little, insignificant, pathetic, blessing: Save me and my family, save me from the wrath of my worldly brother, who seeks my life.
Bless me in this life.
All Jacob sought that dark night was a mess of pottage in his journey across his earthly life.
All Jacob bothered about was blessings in this earthly life….
God had to be given His rightful position in Jacob’s life.
That night, Jacob became insignificant in his own eyes for the rest of his life.
Salvation by grace through faith is certainly the most wonderful news that any sinner can be told but the Christian life is not an easy path to tread and all too frequently suffering and pain comes in its wake.
Difficulties and trials are inevitable as we travel through life, but how important for Christians to understand the cause of sin, the effects of sin, the consequences of sin and how to live godly in Christ Jesus.
Victory of Defeat
We all delight in the wonderful news that all our sins have been forgiven, past present and future, and rightly so – but new believers should also be trained up in the Christian life and understand about post-salvation sins, and all to often they can affect our relationship to God and our fellowship with Him.
If the reality of the Christian life is not understood, believers can all too often become spiritually defeated – because they never learned the truth.
Difficulty and disappointments are integral to the believer’s world, but in Christ, we have been supplied with all we need to live a godly life and we are even exhorted to be joyful in our sufferings.
A Sin Check
Suffering and pain is indeed a reality but sin is also a reality in a believer’s life.
And although the power sin has been severed in our life, and we have been given a new live in Christ, believers still commit sins and although forgiven through the blood of the Lamb, often have consequences to face.
How important to know that sin in the life of a believer has consequences and how to address them
A believers’ sin of stealing is forgiven, but may result in the loss of a friend’s trust, but most serious of all is that any sin in our life puts us out of fellowship with the Father – eternally saved but devoid of communion with God.
Christ-Centred
There is nothing more simple than a life that has Christ at the centre.
There is nothing more beautiful than a life that has Jesus as its focus.
There is nothing more purposeful than a life that concentrates on Christ.
There is nothing more needful than a life that simply rests in Christ Jesus.
A life with Him as central is a life that’s simple, beautiful, purposeful, and needful.
Purposeful Plan
When Christ is central, all the stresses and strains of life are shared with Him. When Christ is central, all the beauty of His perfection is reflected in His servant. When Christ is central, all divine resources are ours to use for His praise and glory. When Christ is central, our selfishness will be exchanged for God’s purposeful plan.
Pattern for Humanity
The simple, beautiful, purposeful portrait of Christ is God’s pattern for humanity, but fallen man in his own selfish cocoon fails miserably to copy His perfect standard – for fallen man in His own foolish pride tries to live the 'Christ-life' in his own strength.
but it is not achieved by changing our nature but by exchanging our self-life for His.
When Christ is central life becomes simple, beautiful, purposeful, and fruitful.
Spiritual Walk
A life with Christ as central is a life that abides in Him; rests in Him; trusts Him.
The fruit of a life that looks to Christ in all things is one that walks as He walked. And Christ walked in spirit and truth by obediently listening to the Father’s voice. Christ lived a life in submission to the Holy Spirit – He lived a spiritual life.
Central Focus
Christ lived a simple, beautiful, purposeful life... with His Father as His central focus..
and we can live a simple, beautiful, purposeful, spiritual life when Christ is central.
Everything we need to live a Christocentric life is found exclusively in Christ, and we have been given the heavenly riches of God’s grace for we are in Christ.
All the resources we need to live a godly life, pleasing to God are given us in Christ.
When we abide in Christ, we have simply appropriated the riches of God’s grace – and the end result is a simple, beautiful, purposeful life that keeps Jesus central.
The believer that keeps Christ central to life is the one that walks in spirit and truth.
That Christian is Christocentric, because he abides in Him and walks like Christ – he lives a spiritual Christian life that is pleasing to God. He is a spiritual believer.
That Christian is not Christocentric and doesn’t abide in Him, nor walk like Him – he lives a carnal Christian life that is not pleasing to God. He is a carnal believer.
Abiding in Christ
Both have been endowed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places – in Christ.. but only one is abiding in Christ and living the Christ-life – the spiritual man. Only one has appropriated their heavenly portion, which is theirs in Christ..
Purposeful Life
There is nothing more simple than a life that has Christ as its centre.
There is nothing more beautiful than a life that has Jesus as its focus.
There is nothing more purposeful than a life that concentrates on Christ.
There is nothing more needful than a life that simply rests in Christ Jesus – and a life with Him as central, is a life that’s simple, beautiful, purposeful, and fruitful.
Young Jesus
From Bethlehem’s crude stable to His temporary sojourn in Egypt, little is known of Jesus, other than that the death of Christ was Satan’s evil plan from the start of His life.
Sinless Life
Oh, there are many false and spurious legends that have grown up surrounding the early life of the Lord, with untrue and foolish stories of childhood miracles He did – but all are erroneous and blasphemous and are the product of a vivid imagination. But what we do know is that the Boy Jesus lived a sinless life, which is equally true of the many silent years of His childhood as it is of His three intense years of ministry, for He was God and He was Man – not just for 3 years but throughout His whole life.
Lord and God
He was not permitted to forego the painful growth from childhood into adulthood, nor was He exempt from the hardships that accompanied His simple life in Nazareth. Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?
Life of Contempt
His could not have been an easy life, being the oldest in a family of brothers and sisters, and His virgin birth brought with it a life of contempt and accusation – for He was considered as the illegitimate offspring of a woman – pregnant before her marriage.
He lived a sinless life in a cursed world, among a race of sinners – to save us from sin.
Unique Person
In one sense the birth and life of the Child Jesus was like any other child, for He was conceived and born into a world of sorrow like any other man and His life was one of toil and poverty.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
God’s Justice
God in His justice purposed that sin must be punished and the wages of sin is death. But God in His grace so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, to die... so that Christ would identify with man and become the propitiation for our sins – so that all Who believed on His name would not perish but have everlasting life.
Oh, those subtle suggestions that are ever being whispered in our ears, that if we give up this and that we are going to lose, and life is going to be poorer, and we are going to be narrowed down until we have nothing left.
Life must be much less than it need be if you are not going all the way with the Lord; and what obtains in the matter of our consecration to the Lord, our entire and complete abandonment to Him in our life and our complete cut with all that is not of the Lord, obtains in the realm of service.
But a life of dependence upon God can be a life of continual romance.
Then He does it again; and so life becomes a romance; yet no one would ever guess you were depending on the Lord for your very breath.
I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.John 14:6
The mind of man has been deceived into following countless dead-end directions, but God’s Word proclaims the one way – the one truth and the one life, is Christ.
Jesus Himself clearly stated, I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.
One Way
There is a need in the life of all mankind for God – for His forgiveness and love, and multiple methods have been designed in an attempt to reach humanity’s goal. But the futility of those that are searching for a bloodless way is tragic and pitiful – for Christ not only told us the Way, but He alone is the Way – the only way to God – and all the questions that are deep in the heart of man have been answered in Him.
God’s Wisdom
There is a need in the life of all mankind for God – for His forgiveness and love, but the true and only God has been swept aside in preference for man’s imaginings. Multiple methods have been designed in an attempt to reach humanity’s goal. God will once again astound these hypocrites with amazing wonders.
If in any way (and we are speaking to the Lord people now, and speaking of the life which we would call the Christian life), or in any measure we areearthbound, it will be in that measure impossible to attain unto God thought, and to know God resources.
Christ is not a second personality or power, to come along to reinforce us, to vivify us, to strengthen us, for us to use in life and in service, and that He should make us something.
The truth is that Christ shall be All, and that we decrease that He may increase; that He should be the primary Personality, and that the impact and registration of any life and any service should not be: What a good man he was!
He charges us not to fear this life, not to fear death nor to fear what is after death. He has His words of comfort in every walk of life - and in every touch of death - and He would have each of His own living fully in Him... full of that perfect love that casts out all fear ... and care..
Adam one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. (Romans 5:18 NLT)
For them Christianity is a manner of life composed of various rules and regulations.
Life for them has become a strenuous business, fraught with much disappointment and many failures.
So it is that people find the Christian life burdensome; they long to know real victory, true deliverance and the joy of the Lord, whereas they experience the ups and downs of a constant struggle.
The Christian life depicted in the New Testament seems so different from their actual experience that the devil is never slow to pounce in with his suggestions that a life of constant victory is quite impossible, so that all their hopes are but unreal dreams.
But there is an altogether different life, different because it is based on the entering into something already completed in Christ; not something to be attained to but rather that which has already been accomplished.
It is impossible to measure the vast difference between these two kinds of life.
The ground of all this is in thefact that man is a psychical being, and when Satan interferedwith man at the beginning and man consented along the line of hisown soul-life, Satan made man suitable to his own government.
You see what happened when man violated the very organ of his union with God, his spirit.... So the enemy governs man, and the whole of therace now through the nature of the soul-life.
You can have your quiet hour in your soul, which is themost perilous hour of your life.
Wages of Sin
Only a perfect member of the human race was equipped to become man’s Redeemer. The requirement for humanities “kinsman redeemer” was a perfect Man : a sinless life. Adam was made in the image and likeness of God – the created son of the Father, but Adam sinned and lost his inheritance – He forfeited his ruler-ship of the earth. The wages of Adam’s sin were death – death for humanity and separation from God, so death passed to all men, for that all have sinned – and all mankind was condemned.
The new will is a permanent gift, an attribute of the new life in Christ.
It is the one who is conscious of his own utter powerlessness, as a believer, who will learn that by the Spirit alone he can live the Christian life. -A.M.
Oh, that the Spirit might be held in honor as the One to fill us with the very life of our Lord Jesus Christ! -A.M.
What a burden we have taken upon us in relation to the maintenance of our own spiritual life!
We have almost assumed the whole responsibility for our spiritual life, and made it as though it depended upon our labors in prayer, our labors in the Word of God, our labors in the Lord service, our effort, our stress.
No one will think that we have said you must have no care whatever for your spiritual life, but there is such a difference between assuming responsibility for ourselves and recognizing that God has assumed that responsibility.
And then you go out and talk to other people about your prayer life as a kind of setting up against their own.
You may bring the noblest thoughts which ever sprang from a human mind, you may couch them in the most fragrant rhetoric that ever distilled the perfume of literature in the book lover's nostrils and you will not quicken a single pulse of the new and spiritual life.
Oswald Chambers
Oswald Chambers puts it this way:- a devotee to doctrine does not need to 'think', but a man who is devoted to Christ is obliged to think, and to think every day of his life.
You must be prepared to be utterly, completely, and totally broken before Him, and He will lift you up into newness of your life in Him with His own life in you.
I must now realise that my life is hid with Christ in God, and that He is my life
We were dead and buried with Him in baptism, so that just as He was raised from the dead by that splendid Revelation of the Father's power so we too might rise to life on a new plane altogether.
As to the internal Cross, while not so obvious, it is still a fact that we are to be always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh (2 Cor. 4:11).
You have a life, and that life is a great trust, a great responsibility.
Will you give your life to God, will you let it go to Him, will you put it on the altar and let the knife be taken that God may have it utterly?
If you will, God will multiply your life, God will extend your life, God will make much more of it than ever it would have been if you had kept it in your own hands.
Have you got something in your life that you are holding on to as a Christian; you are not letting that go to the Lord?
And it simply means that in the Cross of the Lord Jesus, the natural life and the reasoning of the natural life, or the self-life the willing of the self-life, the desiring of the self-life has been cut off by the Cross.
Every expression and aspect of the self-life has been cut through by the Cross and is put in the place where the door is shut.
There is no open door to any expression of the natural life.
Still there is the reasoning and the arguing of the Self, of the natural life.
Scriptural self-Examination
There is a place for Scriptural self-examination in the Christian life.
And our inward personal life also needs the very deepest scrutiny..
this Spirit-led introspection, is the secret of the holy life of many of His saints. No excuses for sins are permitted in the pure presence of the Lord. And while He graciously understands all extenuating circumstances..
Clamour of Life
The world is being rocked by earthquakes and submerged in mud-slides.
and come aside to the fountain of Life and drink deeply of Him.
Come ye yourself apart into a desert place and rest awhile. Come to me, that ye might have life. Come, come, come and follow me. Let him that is athirst, Come. But there are those that He bids to Come … but they will not come.
One resting place is the night-time, where our empty life-fountain can be refilled.
Anxiety of Many
Sadly, in this increasingly dark world, many lives are in a state of unbroken anxiety. Other fret and fume, while others search relentlessly for unachievable answers. To be perfectly at rest amid the hurly-burly of daily life is a secret worth knowing. It is only achieved in a life abandoned to the Lord – a life that trusts His Word. Looking away from the raging world and fixing your eyes upon Jesus. It is achieved by the one that will come to Him – and rest.
It is a divine Life : a divine Love : a divine Rest.
Possibility of Rest
As the Son rested in the love of the Father through His life and death and grave, so the love of Christ is to be our rest in and through this time of turmoil.
And how do we achieve this divine life, this divine love, this divine rest?
Perfect Through Obedience
Understanding that like Christ, we are being prepared, is similarly foundational, and that means that every circumstance of life is used of God for His ultimate good.
Jesus Himself our perfect example was perfected in life – through obedience. Hebrews tells us that by His being made perfect: Jesus became the author of eternal salvation..
And after initial acceptance in Christ, is the 'learning obedience' in life.
All these are vital principles of the Christian life and foundational gospel facts.
One old saint explained the fact of being 'complete in Him', this way:- First, the Lord Jesus is the source of our Christian life – we were born into Him.
This fact enables us to hold still while He patiently works into our character that life of ours which is hid with Christ in God.
and we can rebel or we can submit. We can remain a babe in Christ – OR we can mature in the faith. We can get stuck feeding on the milk of the word – OR we can start to eat strong meat. We can grieve and quench the Spirit’s work in our lives – OR we can grow in grace. All these are vital principles of the Christian life – and all these truths are foundational gospel facts and Jesus is coming back very soon – are you ready?
How much more does our spiritual life require a reliable Source.
God is our patient Teacher, Who is taking our life-time to teach eternal facts.
He uses the natural Adamic-life to instruct us in the spiritual Christ-life and His teaching principle is based on an essential truth – the ‘source‘ rule, which is found in Genesis 1:24: everything after its own kind – flesh after flesh, and spiritual after spiritual.
we walk in newness of life…and you are complete in Him.
FIRST: the Lord Jesus Christ is the source of our Christian life.
Four Steps
This fact allows Him to patiently work His life into our personality, bit by bit.
To form the character of our life – a life that is hid with Christ in God.
He writes: Christ’s resurrection was our resurrection to a life of holiness, just as Adam’s fall was our fall into spiritual death.
And by union with Christ, we partake of that spiritual life that He took possession of for us at His resurrection, and thereby we are enabled to bring forth the fruits of it; as the Scripture showeth us by the similitude of a marriage union.
Birth and Growth
We are not to produce but to receive the life of Christ in our bodies.
Our life is complete in Him.
A tiny cornflower seed embodies the life of a cornflower within its fragile self.
The little seed embodies in full reproduction – of the life from which it came – and we are similarly, complete in Him, and our life is hid with Christ in God.
Development of Life
The development of the divine Life in the believer is like the natural growth in the world of flowers and vegetables.
Whereas most feel that personal weakness is the great hindrance to a sound Christian life, the real tragedy is the astonishing strength of the old man.
Let no one imagine that he can be effectively used in the Lord's service, or even make progress in the Christian life, without some measure of real entrance into the valuable principle: When I am weak, then am I strong' (2 Cor. 12:10).
As the finished work of the Cross is applied to the life by the Holy Spirit, thereby progressively holding the old man in the position of death, the believer is conditioned for the Spirit's fulness.
It is not a surrendered self, but a crucified self that gives the Spirit freedom in the life.
It is Himself which He is seeking to establish as the object of man's life, and not the things that have relation to Himself: and I say again, you meet something intensely fierce if you touch a thing, even though you are touching it maybe with a view to getting people to move on with the Lord Himself.
It is something that threatens your very life, to slay, and this in principle and essence, beloved, is idolatry; because its ultimate effect is that even the Lord cannot have what His heart is set upon and get His people spiritually where He wants them, because they are so bound up with His things.
Chosen by God
The eyes of the Lord had been upon the young Mary for many a year, for she was called and chosen to be His special vessel for His Unique Son. The righteousness of this woman had not gone unnoticed before the Lord, for the eyes of Mary had been upon the Lord for many a year during her short life. Her devotion to God dictated an equal devotion to the Son of His love. Her poverty and lowly state were no barrier to the Lord, for her delight was in the Lord. Indeed, her humility of heart and modest estate was what attracted His attention: for who can find a virtuous woman?
you argue… my life is not like – not like the mother of our Lord.
My life was raised in the gutter and my heart has been bloodied in life’s cruel walk. How?
But shall not the God Who scheduled every day of our life before birth do right? Shall not the One Who knows the number of our hairs do righteously? Shall not the God of all the earth do right by us? Does His hand not lead us into the dungeon’s-doom as well as the mountain-tops?
And yet the restrictions of his environment did not prevent him from being used mightily, by the God to Whom he submitted his life.
Cautionary Tale
A story is told of a king who went into his garden one morning, and found everything withering and dying. He asked the oak that stood near the gate what the trouble was. He found it was sick of life and determined to die – because it wasn’t tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine was all out of heart because it couldn’t bear grapes, like the vine. The vine was going to throw its life away because it couldn’t stand erect and have as fine fruit as the peach tree. The geranium was fretting because it wasn’t tall and fragrant like the lilac; and so on through all the garden.
Disqualified
Saul didn’t have a teachable spirit, and so his life became one of deepening failure.
He didn’t think God would work in the various ‘life-threatening’ situations he faced and Saul did this repeatedly, and seemed not to understand that God is in control.
Man of God
David was prepared to accept responsibilities for his life – not to blame others. David was prepared to often confess his sins and faults to the Lord..
David was a man after God’s own heart and his life can be summed up this way:
David knew that God determines life’s purposes, not our own selfish ambitions.
Second -
SECOND: David never questioned that the Lord was in sovereign control of his life.
Ours is the choice - not I, but Christ (Gal. 2:20); His is the work, for He is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:2).
The great secret of the Christian life is found in ceasing from self, in which the power of the Cross manifests itself in us.
We all know how our Lord Jesus, ere He could receive the new life from the Father in glory, and the gift of the Holy Spirit through whom He could impart His life to His people, had first to give up the life He lived upon earth.
His death on the Cross was indispensable to the life of the Spirit.
As we yield ourselves to be united with Him in the likeness of His death, we can share with Him in the glory and power of the life of the Spirit.
The soul that understands that the death to self is in Christ the gate to true life, is in the right way to learn what and who the Holy Spirit is. -A.M.
Put away, as concerning your former manner of life, the old man (Eph. 4:22, ASV).
The flesh need not be an ugly form of life, indeed it can be apparently very nice, but it is alien to this new life in the Spirit.
It belongs to another race; it is not the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So we are told that the Holy Spirit is in open conflict against the self-life (Gal. 5:17).
He will not quietly accept this rival to the rule of Christ, so He stands, with His great weapon of the Cross, to render inoperative everything which is a menace to the life of Christ in us.
True spiritual leadership involves this principle: Death working in me works life in you (2 Cor. 4:12, Cony.).
A bridge means something - generally a life laid down.
The very simplest bridge, a plank thrown across a stream, was once part of a tree standing erect, sapping life from the earth, and beautifying all the area around it.
This is the problem of teaching the identification' truths without the consequent conformity of death which brings forth life.
That delivery unto death' must become deeper and deeper, until the conformity to His death' in the path of the Cross becomes a very real characteristic of the life.
the one that can watch the dried brook and trust in God’s unfailing faithfulness; the one that holds an empty cruise of oil and yet believes in God’s provision; the one that stands by the Red Sea’s raging waters and expects his deliverance; the one whose barren womb can spring forth with life, by faith – the one who amidst the flooding tsunamis of life, can simply rest in His love. How blessed the one that is not living at crossed purposes with the purpose of God.
All Circumstances
God uses all life’s circumstances, including years of carnality, to perfect His saints. Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Child Training
Blessed is the man who endures Satan’s temptation. Blessed is the man who endures God’s testings – (for the temptations of Satan are used by God in His child training). So blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
His life was also developed and honed and made perfect through suffering.
God’s Purpose
God’s plans and purposes for humanity are continuing to be played out. God is not mocked and His purpose for your life will reach its goal. And this is the will and the purpose of God:- even Your sanctification. 1 Thes.4:3 This is the will, of God concerning you that in everything give thanks 1Thes.5:18 This is the purpose of God..
Each cross-road is today, and each ‘today‘ is on the continuum of your life’s journey.
You stand on the apex of your life-journey and stare into an unpredictable way..
He Will Not Fail
Remember, I scheduled each day of your life – as may be best for you.
As you stand at the cross-roads of your life, you have a glorious assurance..
He Knows You
When you stand at the cross-roads of your life..
And the life…(the new life ~ which is Christ in me and I in Him) … the life, which I now live in the flesh.. (my natural physical body) – I live by the faith of the Son of God – Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.Galatians 2:20
Crucified Life
In writing this verse Paul is stating what should be true in the life of all believers. This should not be seen as an unattainable hope, but as the norm of all Christians. This is not something to strive for but something that we should accept in essence, but the life that is lived by most believers is not the life that God wants us to live. The Christian life should be a crucified life – until it is no longer I – but Christ.
Normal Christian Life
To have Christ living in me and I in Him is what the Christian life is all about. It is a mirror of the life that flows between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father, Just as You are in Me and I am in You, were the words that fell from His lips.
Only Christian Life
Many see this as heady heights of Christianity – reserved for the very few.
Yet in fact, this is the normal life that the Spirit desires that all believers attain.
This is the standard Christian life, that Paul outlines in so many of his epistles.
The Shed Blood
Christ went to the cross not only to die for our sins – but to die unto SIN. His blood not only to paid the price FOR sin but it also broke the power OF sin in us. Many do not appreciate that Christ’s cross dealt with more than forgiven sins. The shed blood of Christ also gave us victory over the power of sin in our life,
We were 'in Christ' when He died and so His righteousness is imputed to us. Christ not only paid the price for our sins but He also broke sin’s power within our life.
Biblical Truths
Christ died FOR us – He died as our substitute – He paid the full price for all our sins. We died WITH Christ – we are identified with Him – He broke the power of sin in us. Substitutionary truths are linked with our birth from above – we are saved by grace. Identification truths are linked with growth in the Christian life – we grow by grace.
We are saved by grace, which is the gift of God – and all we do is believe. Our Christian life is also designed such that our works can contribute nothing.
Willing Victim
Christ died instead of us for our forgiveness – He lives instead of us for our deliverance. When we start to see the significance of the fuller cross – it produces liberty in life.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
We must face the fact and we must seek help from God always to bear in mind that we are going to have a path of suffering if we are in fellowship with the Lord Jesus.... There has to come a point when we sit down and do some calculating and come to a definite conclusion on this matter that, although very often we may not be able to see that our suffering is because of our relationship to Him (the sufferings are so manifold and diverse, and very often they look as though they have no relationship at all with our Christian life) at the same time, whether we can discern it or not; the fact remains that the pathway of the child of God, of the fellow of Jesus Christ, is the pathway of suffering.
Has that first flush of fervour faded as you trudged the walk of life’s weary wilderness?
Earthly Struggle
Peter preferred the transfiguration mount to the toils and struggles of earthly life.
Faithful Endurance
But do not lose heart, and do not be disobedient to the heavenly vision” of former days…”but be thou faithful even to the point of death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” Rev.2:10. Be faithful… not only to the point of physical death... but to the death of Self – death of the old sin-nature itself.
to die to the self-life. We are told die to the fleshly, carnal life of nature..
the life of the first Adam.
Christ Life
To die to self (to die to the self-life) we must discover it is not I..
But to know the Lord, we must first come to know the self-life.
We must first recognise the self-life – to understand what it truly is.
death to all that is self : always delivered unto death. 2Cor.4:11. Then, Christ’s life..
that the life of Christ might be manifested in me.” Col.3:4
New Life
Resurrection arises from death..
His risen life, His new life – not my amended old life.
It is not a resurrection of my old life..
my amended, improved old self-life.
The old sinful life comes from the first Adamic birth – Self.
His risen new life comes from the second spiritual birth, in Christ Attempts to amend my old life is to deny that I am nothing.
It’s amending self, seeking to change the old Adam life into the new Christ life.
His Life
But elements start to pull us back to self..
We learn that “Christ’s life” is not a reformed self, but His new life.
We learn that “Christ’s life” comes through heartbreak..
Failure
Until we recognise the deadly sin-life for what it is, our walk will fail. It is not “self” – that can be improved through introspection and trying. It is not “I” that can live a holy life by trying to improve the old self….
End of Self
It is when Self is identified as irreparably damaged and incapable of improvement, that we are brought to the end of our self-life and cry out at long last. Self must no longer have sway in my life, for it is not the “old I” but the “new life in Christ” that lives – and it must only be Christ.
Newness of Life
When Christ died on the cross, our old sin nature was identified with Christ’s death.
The righteousness of Christ is imputed to us – in our new life in Christ, for Christ is the power of God and that power has raised us up into newness of life.
Baptism INTO Death
Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism INTO death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead, through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Baptism INTO Life
For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection - knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. S0…..
We speak much about the upward side of things, life in the heavenlies, sitting in the heavenlies, and our warfare and work the fruitfulness of our life in union with the Lord.
So that the Holy Spirit's way with us is to bring us into living, actual conditions and situations, and needs, in which only some fresh knowledge of the Lord Jesus can be our deliverance, our salvation, our life, and then to give us, not a revelation of truth, but a revelation of the Person, new knowledge of the Person, that we come to see Christ in some way that just meets our need.
And only then do we find that we have learned the lesson of faith; to find our tiny craft of life rushing onward to a blessed life of fruitfulness and service undreamt of in the days of our fleshly strength and self-reliance.
There is something here much more than typology interpreted and the interpretation accepted as to salvation from sin and judgment; it is the essential and indispensable heavenly relatedness and life of the Lord's people as inwardly detached from the natural life even in a religious sense.
All progress, as all life, rests upon that knowing Him.
The Christian life here is meant to be one of continuous growth and development and progress, but that only takes place as we come to know more, and still more, of the meaning of the Lord Jesus.
Stagnation is no mark of Life, and Life there will be ever manifesting itself in new and more wonderful fullnesses and forms.
There the believer shared the death of the Lord Jesus; for when he became a believer, the life he received was life in Christ, that is, life out of death, resurrection life, newness of life'; and the relation to sin and the law which Christ had, became those of the believer!
If we seek to escape the death, we will not experience the life.
It is a criminal worthy of death, but the trouble is that they do not realize that this self-life has been crucified on the Cross.
The constant tendency is to try to improve the manner of one's life here below by adopting Christian principles, whereas you will never arrive at it unless you start from crucified with Christ.' Then it is not thinking of what I am, but of what He is, Christ liveth in me.' -J.B.S.
Fullness of Life
I am sure all true believers in Christ want to come into a vital relationship with God.
I am sure all born-again Christians long to know the fullness of Christ’s life within.
I am sure many in the church of Christ long to be effective in their service to Him, but fullness of life and service in the inner man is birthed from Christ’s imputed life.. and for a believer to live in newness of life in Christ – he first must die on the cross.
First, his self-life must remain crucified on the cross of Christ – until He lives in me.
Christ’s New Life
Being made in the image of God means we are made up of spirit, soul, and body.
The old sin nature of the old life in Adam must die, so that Christ’s new life can live. I assure you: unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself – but if it dies, it produces a large crop.
Sacrificial Reproduction
Individually and corporately the church is an organism that is to grow and multiply, but like every living thing, reproduction is sacrificial. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself. But if it dies, it produces a large crop and a lot of grain. God’s law of increase is first, sacrifice – God’s law of life is first, death.
The Lord Jesus Christ shows us the nub of this principle within His own godly life.
He was the first single and singular seed of wheat to fall into the ground and die, for without His death there would have been no resurrection of the dead – and without His resurrection, there would be no newness of life for you or me.
Imparted Life
The risen life of Christ is to be the inner experience of all that are born from above. The resurrected life of Jesus is to be the vital expression of the Christian’s new life. Because Christ rose from the dead His risen life is imparted to all who trust in Him.
The fruit of Christ’s death and resurrection is manifested in the life of all believers.
Resurrected Life
The glory of the risen Christ is His life reproduced in all who are in Him.
Heavenly Abundance
We should all desire to know Christ’s resurrection power in our own life, for because He died we too have life, eternal life – HIS life more abundantly. But the path to the cross was strewn with suffering and sadness – pain and sorrow - but unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains alone.
But because Christ died, His resurrection-life has produced heavenly abundance.
Spirit and Truth
The risen life of the Lord Jesus is to be the same risen life indwelling each of us... living life in submission to the Spirit – a life that says, Thy will not mine be done.
The life of Christ, in the believer, is to be a reproduction of the life He Himself lived – a life that walked in spirit and truth – a life that learned obedience through suffering.
Catalyst for Life
The death that He died was the catalyst for the life that we live – in Him: for we know that our old self was crucified with Him.. so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with – that we should no longer be slaves to sin.
Law of Reproduction
We have been raised to newness of life through the death and resurrection of Christ, and the law of reproduction dictates that we too must fall into the ground and die: for unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains by itself.
One Lone Voice
When the fluency and eloquence of poetic utterances about God is hushed.. when the extravagant tints of religious art have been stopped… when the last harmonic strains of musical praise drift into silence – there is one lone voice that remains: I am the way and the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by Me.
So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but under [obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life] (Rom. 7:6, Amp.).
The Lord Jesus has poured out His blessed Spirit that we believers, while on earth, might walk in that spirit of life and liberty that prevails in heaven where Christ is.
For He lives the same life of blessed freedom from bondage, and of joyful service to God, within us by His Spirit, as He does seated in a body, in heaven before God His Father. -W.R.N.
Storms of Life
When the storms of life and the pain and difficulties of life appear to overwhelm us..
Chastening
Do not resist the difficulties and trials that He brings into your life.
Knowing that those He loves He 'chastens' or trains, as they crucify the self-life, and enthrone Him alone.
Thy will not mine be done in my life.
O Love that wilt not let me go,I rest my weary soul in thee;I give thee back the life I owe,That in Thine ocean depths its flow –May richer, fuller be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,I dare not ask to fly from thee;I lay in dust life’s glory dead,And from the ground there blossoms red –Life, that shall endless be.
Paul’s Epistles
Paul’s epistles give us much to rejoice our heart, for we are positioned in Christ. We are seated with Him in heavenly places and have been endowed with eternal life. We have become children of God, joint-heirs with Christ and in-dwelt by the Spirit.
Their life was to be lived in entire dependence upon God and not on self or others. So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him. Colossians 2:6
Pressures and problems of life routinely contribute towards this sorry state, yet the scripture indicates a deeper and more insidious reason for this famine.
It will be this natural life of ours cropping up in some direction or another, and as it crops up it will cut clean in between us and the all things which are of God, and we shall find that it is ourself which brings us up short, which creates the arrest.... If we look withinourselves to find more good, we are going to look in vain.
Why such spiritual infancy? Why is there such a dearth of spiritual perception – a deficiency of discernment? Why are there so many that live out their Christian life in spiritual infancy?
Fruit of Christ
The natural life with its many preponderances must be laid underneath His grace. The self-life must die, so that our soul may be purged and sweetened in His... until its temperament, disposition and constitution is transformed into His likeness..
until the fruit of Christ; which He desires in all His own become a lasting reality - until I am nothing in my life – and He is all and He is everything.
Early Life
In the first flush of the Christian journey, the saved saint rejoices in God his Saviour, and God’s grace is experienced as prayers are answered and love starts to bud. And the believer’s early path becomes a way of joyful expectation and euphoric bliss..
Establishing Life
God established His principle – that new converts must grow and mature.
As the old but sombre adage goes:- you advance or retreat in the Christian life, but you never stand still.
Christian Life
Have your years of waiting been a waste of time?
For whatever your life-situation – God is using it to establish your need of Him.
Whatever your life-situation, God is using it to establish your need of Him.
God is using all life’s situations..
It means dying to the self-life which as Moses found can be very painful.
God has set eternity in the heart of man, and this is eternal life..
But it means a dying to the self-life, which as Moses found – can be very painful.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.John 5:24
Instability Issue
Understanding eternal security is crucial to healthy Christian living, for doubting this truth causes instability in a believer’s life.
Jesus Himself reassures His children: I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
His deity equipped the Son of God to be good enough to pay the ransom price for the sin of world – but only His humanity qualified the Son of Man to become our kinsman-Redeemer, so that He could pour out His life-blood at Calvary, as the one and only perfect human Sacrifice for sin – the Sin Offering. Not only was He the perfect sacrifice that went to the cross as an obedient Son in submission to His Father – but He willingly walked the way of the cross for the depth of love He had for His Father.
His life was a living sacrifice that was pleasing to the Father – and so He was raised up to become our perfect High Priest, Who ever lives to make intercession for us all.
The federal head of mankind was a body of clay that had been fashioned out of the dust of the earth by the hand of God – into which the Spirit of God had breathed the life-breath of God..
Just as the whole human race was imputed with the sin of the first man Adam – so also those that have trusted Jesus as Saviour have the new-life of Christ breathed into them by the Spirit of God – and they are imputed with His righteousness.
Second Man
Just as sin entered the world through the disobedience of one man, and death came through sin, causing condemnation and separation from God to be the inherited status of all people – so also redemption came to the world through the obedience of one Man, resulting in the forgiveness of sins for all humanity – and light and life and hope and peace and renewed fellowship with the Father – to ALL who would believe on His name. It was divine grace that provided a second Adam to redeem the fallen race of man.
He is now the head of a race of redeemed sinners (the last Adam) and He is the ‘second man’ whose heavenly origin sets Him apart from all the men who went before Him – for the first man Adam became a living being – but the last Adam – a Life-giving Spirit.
You may think it is quite fortuitous that you are hearing it just one of the chance happenings of life; but if you knew the truth it is this infinite love of God which has held you to this time in relation to the infinite purposes of that love to let you know it.
The resurrection of Christ deserves our most glorious worship and praise – for by His resurrection He also broke the power of death in the life of the believer.
rather than the glorious surrender of a life, utterly yielded to Him – a life that is truly, totally, and completely broken before the Lord.
Surrendered Life
Praise God for those that focus on the initial surrender of a forgiven sinner, but how crucial that we go on to that glorious surrendered life of a saint.
What is it that prevents us from keeping our focus on this life, yielded in utter surrender?
Anything that comes before the totally surrendered life becomes a hindrance.
Anything that is placed before a life surrendered to Christ becomes an obstacle.
Anything that eclipses a life self-surrender to Christ becomes a legalistic impediment.
What can become such interfering encumbrances in the life of a believer.
We need to check if any such self-effort is leading us away from the crucified life.
What is needed today is not so much a revival as a resurgent form of awakening – the incoming of the tremendous life of God in a new form.
The spiritual cure for triviality, is a new note of greatness born of the realisation of what it cost Jesus to produce His salvation in us – a sanctified life.
a heart that is truly, totally, utterly and completely broken before the Lord – a life that has reached the absolute end of ‘MY-self - to focus upon HIM-self.
Comfort and Care
Exhortation and encouragement is a beautiful aspect of our Christian life. Peter is the apostle that encourages us to care for one another, in Christ. Peter tells us: above all, keep loving one another earnestly, for love covers a multitude of sins. 1Peter 4:8. We should be concerned for the well-being of fellow believers in many ways.
We are to comfort each other and help to underpin each other in life: Exhort yourselves together – Heb.10:25 Comfort one another – 1Thess.4:18 Love one another earnestly. 1Peter.1:22
He utilises the tediousness and tasks of life to overwhelm and overtake us.
When we come to real life, and we are really up against things and the issues are of the greatest consequence, we do not want just information, we want experience, and we go where experience can help us.
So you see if we are looking for the actual death of the old nature in us, we are looking for something that will never come to pass in this life. -N.D.
Whilst we really believe God's Word that we have died with Christ unto sin, and count upon Him as the Living One to manifest His life through us, others will see that self is inoperative, whilst we are occupied with Christ.
But too often we try to continue our Christian life by works through unbelief instead of by grace through faith.
A Careful Check
Let us look carefully at our own Christian walk, to ensure that we are not slipping into unbelief in our own, fleshly attempt to live a good Christian life!
Testing Faith
The faith of every child of God is precious to Him, for He knows how important it is that we mature in our Christian life, so that we are not tossed about by every wind of doctrine or deceived by every lie of the enemy.
And so God uses the circumstances of life, both good and bad, to test our faith so that it grows strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
And tested faith meets the stresses and strains of life..
For it is God Who provides the sufficient grace to meet the accumulated pressure of life – and when we have been tried and tested, we will come forth as pure gold if we do not give up.
Standing Firm
Faith stand firm and faith is increased by trusting the Word of God and applying it on every step on the journey of life.
There is no other way to develop faith except through the testings and trials of life – and there is no other way to face those trials except by standing on the promises of God.
And the epistles of Paul, Peter and John guide us through the labyrinth of life, reminding us that in all things we are more than conquerors through Christ, Who loves us and gives us His sufficient grace for every challenge we may meet.
Twelve Apostles
Matthias was the man that replaced Judas Iscariot to become Christ’s 12th apostle. All these disciples including Matthias, were eye-witnesses of Christ’s life and death. They all were with Him the entire time that Jesus travelled in Judea and the Galilee.
You cannot find what is perhaps the most tremendous fact of every real Christian life, that of his personal union with the Lord in glory.
Essential Element
There are some qualities in life that we can afford to be without, but without faith we are not even able to begin the Christian life.
Without faith we are not in a position to continue the Christian life, and without faith – without trust, it is impossible to please God.
Faith is needed for a life that is being conformed into the image of Jesus, for though it is by the power of the Holy Spirit – it is accessed through faith.
Pleasing God
Faith is critical in averting our sight away from our current circumstances, and faith is equally critical in recognising our present position “in Christ,” where we are seated together with Him in heavenly places… where life’s earthly conditions have no influence on our heavenly position, in Him.
I need to trust that God says what He means and I need to thank Him for His blessed gift and rejoice in His loving forgiveness – or I live my life enchained and entrapped behind the prison door of unbelief.
I must believe what He promises, accept His gift and refuse to be anxious, or I live a defeated life — a life where I see the condition of my problems, instead of my position, as a blood-bought Son of the Highest.
Christian Life
Faith is the soul resting on the Word of God.
Faith is the secret to a rewarding Christian life..
Only a regenerate man has had the breath of life breathed into him by the Spirit of life. Only a believer in Jesus is able to function on the spiritual plane – by faith. Only a new man in Christ, who has passed from darkness to light can act by faith. Faith is simply believing God. Faith is simply trusting God to do what God has said, and faith comes by hearing which comes through the Word of God.
Man, within his spiritual capacity, is able to avail himself of what God has said, and then man (redeemed man), is to live and to act and to pray accordingly. The ‘just’ shall live by faith… the ‘righteous’, ‘redeemed’, ‘spiritually-alive’, ‘new man in-Christ’ shall live by faith. Why, you ask – why should we live by faith? What, you ask – what is the point of simply trusting God to do what God has said? Let us eat, drink, and be merry, and party in this life, for tomorrow we die!! Why you ask… because God has ordered His amazing creative plans and purposes to include you. Before the foundation of the world, He set these plans in motion, to involve you. He has designed that those with patient endurance will receive the great promise: for you have need of patient endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Heb.10:36
Praise God, our spirit was redeemed, when the Spirit of God breathed in new life, Regeneration – salvation of the spirit. Praise God, our soul, through “patient endurance” in this life, is being saved. Sanctification – salvation of the soul.
We shall go on, and, if we live twice or three times the length of our present life, we shall still be making discoveries of what we owe to Paul's faithfulness as a steward.
The Character of God
What do you do if things in your life seem to conflict with all that God has promised?
Do you look at your life and the world situation and question what He is doing. 'I see persecutions throughout the world – can He be a God of love and care?
– I am experiencing the most trying time in my life – can He really love me?'
Have you ever looked at your life and made biblically conflicting presumptions?
Scriptural Examples
Scripture gives many examples of people who built up false assumptions about God. From Adam to Malachi and from Matthew to John, God was often misunderstood. His ways seemed so strange and life’s circumstances conflicted with man’s expectations.
Though Job did not understand the devastating trials that marred his life, he finally cried:- I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear..
Devotional Study - FEAR NOT
Fear not life may be very startling message from the Lord Jesus to His children, but fear not death, is truly staggering.
Process of Dying
Breathing out the last breath of life and giving up the spirit is one simple, short act..
but by man and man’s sin came death. Man was not made mortal. Man was made a living soul, in-breathed with God’s life, but the wages of sin are death..
Death becomes the gateway to Life – and Life more abundantly.
Gateway to Life
Recently my own father exhaled his last gasp of air as death claimed its latest ‘victim.’ As I stood and looked at the empty shell that my father cast off… I was truly able to claim: Oh death where is your sting and victory…1 Corinthians 15:55 for to be absent from the body – is to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6 This truth is faithful and glorious to all who trust in His name.
to a dearly loved one, whom we know we will never see again in this life – but praise God.
Devotional Study - FEAR NOT
Life and Living
Jesus tells each of us not to fear the things of this life..
yet life and living is one of the most fearful experiences, and few would likely engage in this life from mere choice.
Responsibilities of Life
The responsibilities in life are crushing; its circumstances can be momentous; its risks are terrifying; its issues can be traumatic..
The facts and realities of life can cause the stoutest heart to shrink back in horror.
Troubles of Life
Yes, life means a liability to pain and sorrow – to weariness and grief.
To millions, their life-story is one of pain and toil – hunger, hurt, crushing burdens.
Job 14:1 Life ushers in poverty and its accompanying handmaidens – hunger; squalor; cold; nakedness; ruin; contempt; bondage; travail.
Brevity of Life
To multitudes, life is a slog, and slavery – as fraud and failures envelop life’s journey.
Job 3:2 Life similarly is accompanied by loneliness, rejection, and failed friendships..
and as life slips past, we discover ourselves in a world of strangers, bereft of love.
Temptations of Life
And Life is awash with temptations, as trials pour through the floodgates of time.
And sin, and the eternal ruin of our race, can cause man and woman to despair of life.
To believer and heathen alike – it can appear that life is an unwanted gift.
yet how is it that He can so confidently proclaim, Fear not – fear not this life?
God’s Plan for Life
He knows that we are but dust and has purposed that it should not always be so.
His plans and purposes are for man to escape from a life of sin and slavery – a plan made from before the foundation of the world.
And eye has not seen nor ear heard what He has in store for those that love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 And yet, I hear you say:- I am living now… in this sin-sick, forsaken world – and life is rushing me by..
His Life
Fear not – for the things in this life are passing away..
but in Him you have His Life.
You have been raised to newness of His Life – to reign with Him in the age that is to come, for 1000 years..
Therefore, put on the whole armour of God and stand firm to the end – and fear not life.
Do not fear life and do not fear death, were both staggering statements – but perhaps the boldest statement of all was, fear not that which is after death!
Both life and death are difficult without the revelation from God.
life and living..
The Bible is our guide regarding what is to happen in this life and the life to come, but the Word contains truths that must chill the heart of the unsaved, sinner..
The believer does not go through life alone – however disappointing and difficult.
Coming Kingdom
And He informs us:- I go to prepare a place for you among the many mansions of the Father. And if I go to prepare a place you, I will return for you and I will take you to be with Me, (in the heavenly Jerusalem). Eternal Life throughout the ages that are to come..
Eternal Life is entered into at the point of believing on Him..
Saved in life, saved from death, and saved from that which is beyond the grave.
Eternal Life is all of Him and none of Me – only believe….
Inherited Life
But He also offers an inherited life that is connected with His coming kingdom.
Inherited life..
Kingdom life..
Life for the age – His millennial rule.
Oh yes, He also offers an inherited life to those that believe… Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom, prepared for you from before the foundation of the world Matt.25:34.
Yes, eternal life is a free gift to the lost sinner..
Eternal life includes inheritance and rewards for His saved children – an inheritance to be won or forfeited – an inheritance that depends on works carried out through Christ..
We need fear nothing in life, in death or beyond death..
as long as we are His own – For I am persuaded that neither death nor life….. nor things present nor things to come…. can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Living a fleshly or carnal life, instead of a spiritual one is disobeying the Lord – and prayers and intercessions will only be received from the one that is pure.
That has to be reduced to the minutia of daily life.
And from those details of everyday life and experience out to the wider ranges, and up to the place where we may be the Lord responsible servant, the Word and the Spirit have to govern; and the Word and the Spirit have one object: Christ everything and in all.
John’s gospel is a wonderful record of the wonderful life of his wonderful Jesus.. and much can be learned through his inspired penmanship.
Way - Truth - Life
Nothing of the old order will be remoulded or remodelled for the old life must die. Nothing of the old ME will be remodelled or remoulded for my old nature must go.
God’s way of life and light is in the Son – there can be no other Way.
God’s way of the heavenly nature is in His Son – there can be no other Life.
Our one responsibility, that of concentrating upon the Lord Jesus, has a three-fold result: (1) fellowship with Him; (2) growth in His image; (3) ministry of life to others.
Usefulness is not activity; it is not merely being used, but it is fitness, cleanness, preparedness, and separation of heart, singleness of eye, the affections set on things above - all, in fact, that proceeds from the judgment and denial of self, and the manifestation of Christ in the life by faith.
All my ability to act for the Lord Jesus here depends on my conscious identification with Him where He is, not where He was for me; though as I receive power from Him I walk here even as He walked; His life is manifested in me. -J.B.S.
The Christian life is essentially a continuous dying, and a continuous living.
Of course, there may come a particular crisis in experience where the Spirit of God brings the soul face to face with a definite issue as to a willingness for the Cross, and a yielding of the life to God.
Yes, the first revelation of the secret of victory also may constitute a real crisis in the life of the believer, but that crisis or experience can never, in itself, avail for the future.
The victorious Christian life is a Person, not an experience.
Following the crisis, whatever phase or landmark in the life that may represent, there must be the daily reckoning, the moment-by-moment abiding and the control of the Holy Spirit.
It is the power of endurance through the years, and it is an awful thing to come to a Christian life which has got to be kept up without that love for the Lord in the heart.
It is only that love that really makes the Christian life possible under all the strain of the years.
Two Options
First a carnal Christian life:– born again but walking in the realm of the flesh and second a spiritual Christian life:– born again and walking in the sphere of the spirit.
Indeed, Paul here prescribes the remedy to the carnal life versus the spiritual life.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.Galatians 2:20
Fix in your heart His purpose for you is to conform you into His image, and that He uses every circumstance of life, good or ill, for our eternal benefit.
Root and Source
Life can be no better than its root and source.
We must accept as fact what has already been made ours through faith in Christ, but we must be aware of our need of these truths in our daily walk – and only the Holy Spirit can reveal these truths to the seeking believer: for the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, they are foolishness to him: neither can they be known to them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1Corinthians.2:1 There are many ways to live that fail to deal with ‘self’ and the ‘self-life’. We have to recognise that God’s way, to self-denial, is at the cross.
The believer there sees not only that Christ died for him — substitution — but that he died with Christ — identification” (Thoughts on Life and Godliness, p.50).
And now Christ lives 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.’ Nor should we look upon this experience, these truths, as for the few.
Assurance of deliverance from the sphere of the ‘flesh’ and of the de-thronement of ‘the old man’ rests upon the apprehension and acceptance of this fact of co-crucifixion” (Life on the Highest Plane, Vol.
The blood can wash away my sins, but it cannot wash away my ‘old man’, I need the cross to crucify me – the sinner. (The Normal Christian Life).
Jesse Penn-Lewis:
“If the difference between ‘Christ dying for us,’ and ‘our dying with Him,’ has not been recognised, acknowledged, and applied, it may safely be affirmed that the self is still the dominating factor in the life” (Memoir, p.26).
Accept by faith the further fact that you died with Him, i.e., that your ‘old man was crucified with Him'” (The New Life, p.51).
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
Let any of our old man, whether of our old temper, our old way of judging, our old disposition, any of it come up at all, if we are children of God, we know quite well that at that point a barrier is set up and we cannot get past, we are held up in our spiritual life and we have to go back and have that thing cleared up.
In so far as we move in the newness of Life, work bythe Spirit of God, and walk after the Spirit, death is done away andwe are in Life and we can go on and can get through, no matterhow much there may be of handicap and weakness in nature, we canget through as we go on in the Spirit.
The law of theSpirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sinand death.
We were without life; without light; without peace and without citizenship or state.
Great Exchange
Our hopeless depravity was exchanged for the hope of glory and adoption to sonship. We were translated into the kingdom of Christ and covered in light and life eternal.
a fact of abundant life; the fact of eternal life; and it is a non-negotiable fact, for it is signed in the blood of Christ.
Newness of Life
In Adam, we receive an old sin-nature, which has a controlling influence on our lives.
But in Christ, our sin nature died at the Cross and we were raised into newness of life.
When Christ Who is our life shall appear and we shall all be changed to be like Him.
In Him we are delivered from the sin-nature and placed in eternal union with Jesus. This is the fact of life – the fact of abundant life – the fact of eternal life.
The certainty and the assurance that was right at the root of his Christian life and service came because of this one thing: he'd seen everything in Jesus.
They cannot understand that it is not to the law, but to a living Person, that we are now bound, and that our obedience and growth are only possible by the unceasing faith in His power and life ever working in us (Phil. 2:13). -A.M.
Not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life (Heb. 7:16).
Upon conversion, the new believer feels that every opposition to a joyous, fruitful Christian life has been overcome once for all.
Just as the Lord Jesus came into this world where this old humanity was and came into it not to ally Himself with it but to take it into death by the Cross, even so He now by the Holy Spirit, in regeneration, comes into us where there is this old fallen life and not to ally Himself with it, but to hold it in the place of death by the same means - His Cross. -N.D.
I am not saying that; but I am saying that if that represents for them their spiritual life if they must have that, if that is the realm in which they live... that they do not see beyond that and are not free from that as a thing in itself then they have missed the meaning of Calvary, and they are bound to miss all the meaning of Christ crucified the wisdom and the power of God.
Through our death with Him at Calvary we have escaped forever from the old Adam life.
There is no way to a full abiding fellowship with our Father, but through the rent veil of the flesh; through a life with the old man crucified in the Lord Jesus.
When we finally understand that the Lord Jesus is our life, we, with Paul, no longer think in terms of things.
One may eat with an appetite and feel revived, but the sense of life or sustainment from the food in the hour of toil, is a far greater and better thing.
Having at least reached the point of utter despair in ourselves so that we cease even to try, we put our trust in the Lord Jesus to manifest His resurrection life in and through us, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit' (Rom. 8:4).
It is a part of the calling of saints to show men how to suffer: how, even in the midst of the hard and bitter experiences of life, the Lord Jesus is sufficient to give joy and comfort. -H.F.
The child inherits the boons of life, love, and light from the suffering of the mother.
Guilt often suffocates the breath of life that came from the cross announcing, “It Is Finished”
Renouncing Anger
To forgive others you need to renounce anger and resentment against the other, but have you been willing to accept God’s forgiveness of all of your sins? Are you prepared to bestow on another the gift you received from God? Can you honestly withhold forgiveness towards another, when the Lord gave His beloved Son’s life in order to forgive you?
Pain of Unforgiveness
I once allowed wounds and anger and pain of unforgiveness to build up in my life.
Golden Gate
Forgiveness opens the golden gate to God’s loving fellowship in your life.
Reflect upon his past life, privileges, and inheritances which he at one time believed were so utterly and absolutely of God for him, and that he really was in God's will.
As Christians we are going to be controlled by one of two powers: the self-life, or the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
The former will make life hell, the latter, heaven.
He who knows that awful power of the self-life within; its enmity with God; its carnality; its grieving and quenching of the Spirit; its deadly blighting of all the blessed fruits of the Spirit; its fierce and desperate resistings of his hunger to enter into the full life of the Spirit, needs no other explanation of the lack of the fulness of the Spirit than the fulness of self. -J.H.
There is nothing in self worth holding on to; it ought to be handed to the Cross; we have submitted ourselves to such a life as that, and our Father is going to give us every opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to hold the old nature in the place of death, with the glorious end in view that our Lord Jesus will have the preeminence. -F.M.
Multiplicity of Creatures
And then… A multiplicity of creatures: cattle and living beasts charged onto life’s canvas. Butterflies and badgers; pigs and pandas; large and small; hairy and smooth; all designed to glorify God – all unique in their praise of their heavenly Creator.
A garden resplendent with all the lushness of living life – and everything that was good.
Picture of Redemption
And then comes into view the river of life – living water to nourish all He made.
And then we see the tree of life that will feed the saints and heal the nations.
Search the scriptures for in them you think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39 And here in this simple passage, in this extreme transformation – we see Christ.
Is He not the light of life that lights every man that comes into the world?
Is He not the tree of life and has He not the power of life and death?
Sum and Sphere
Is He not the river of Life - the One that is the only refreshment we need? Is He not the One with all knowledge and wisdom? And are not all the deepest secrets of God concerning good and evil bound up in Him? He is the sum, the sphere – the centre and the circumference of all things.
All in All
If we want to partake of all that is summed up in the delights of His kingdom... His life..
Natural Man
Natural man is incapable of any spiritual intercourse with the Spirit of God. This is a law that God dictated and God has His one way – His only Way; His only Truth; His only Life. Divine life imparted to a born-again soul is essential for communion with God. Divine life, (the free unmerited gift of grace from God) is the only uniting bridge.
if that unbridgeable gap is to be crossed – if the immeasurable gulf is to be spanned. But this first step to God is often halted a few steps down the path on the new-creation, and the spiritual newborn is halted in his spiritual life and spiritual growth. For just as the first requirement for the free unmerited gift of grace was by faith.. so too the ongoing wilderness walk through the plains and pains of this earthly life.
Spiritual Maturity
Living by faith is not the automatic outcome of the born-again believer. A life of sanctification is not the natural outcome of saved humanity. Spiritual maturity is a decision the believer makes – it’s a day-by-day choice. The ‘laws’ of sanctification (not the Law of Moses) must be applied by the believer..
Spiritual Strongholds
Without the innate sin nature, every new believer would certainly choose life.
But abuse from others and neglect from self, ravages the fragile new-born soul, and spiritual strongholds erected throughout life inhibit this maturation process.
Life or Death
But this isn’t God’s will for our life and He has supplied the tools of life and freedom. God has set before each Christian ‘soul’ life or ‘soul’ death. God has set before each believer the route to a sanctified ‘life’ or a burdened ‘soul’
Such rationale grieves the Holy Spirit and quenches His work in your life.
Laws of Life
Time is short and each of us needs to prepare for the any-day return of the Lord, and God has set out the ‘laws’ of the sanctified life, in the middle of scripture… The first step towards sanctification is right thinking, and right thinking is recognising your own strongholds, doubts, and fears, so that you can turn away from the sin of erroneous thinking about God, for right thinking always starts with your own thoughts.
He demonstrated a life lived perfectly according to His statutes, and according to His precepts. He fulfilled all righteousness, as described by the former prophets. The Lord is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake. He magnifies the law, and makes it honourable.
And the Life of Jesus – thus lived was the life laid down in sacrifice.
The life of Jesus became thus acceptable as the sin offering. The life of Jesus became the burnt offering – a sweet savor to the Lord - casting out upon the sea of humanity gifts: “Oh that men would praise the name of the Lord: for His name alone is exalted: His glory is above the earth and heaven”.
How can life’s stumbling blocks become wonderful stepping stones?
I believe it’s through a Christ-centred approach rather than a self-centred life.
Seeming Contradictions
It seems the word of God is full of antonyms and seeming contradictions, for instance, Paul tells us, “For my strength is made perfect in weakness.” and: “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it”. Luke 9:24.
How can we possibly thank God for our trials and for life disappointments?
How can our hearts be unfeignedly thankful for life’s deep embarrassments?
God’s Anomalies
Sometimes He removes life’s carpet of flowers and pools of great joy, replacing them with insurmountable barriers to our own pain and chagrin.
Worried Thoughts
We live in difficult times – anxious times, and life is a real struggle in so many ways.
Supply of Grace
His primary provision is His grace in providing against the coming judgment, for the wages of sin is death – but God provided us with the gift of life – life to all who believe in Him.
He not only forgave our sins at the cross, but He rose to provide us eternal life.
He is our glorious, heavenly and eternal Provider But your faith, beloved – and my faith is of such great importance to Him, that He permits life’s earthquakes; relational volcanoes and situational tsunamis – so that in all things we will hold fast to Him, as our Creator; Lord; Captain; Leader; Friend… as our beloved Bridegroom..
Truthful God
And the God-breathed Word cannot lie, for He is Light and He is Life and He is Truth: “and He that is mighty hath done to me great things, and Holy is His name,” Luke 1:49. Can you say with Mary, “He that is mighty hath done great things to ME:… or are you wallowing in your own guilt and shame? Can you accept His Word..
But to observe the Sabbath (no one will take that literally as meaning the observance of a particular day of the week), to recognize Christ as God's Rest through righteousness, to observe that, to keep that Sabbath, is Life which conquers death, because it is righteousness which cannot be destroyed.
And we shall discover that while there are the compensations, for there are undoubtedly the compensations in this life and the mighty compensations for eternity, this is a way which is not easy for the natural man by any means.
A life in the Spirit is one succession of confirmations that God is working out a plan.
Only rebellion, stubbornness, self-assertiveness and all forms of self-life will hinder or arrest; but a life in the Spirit will be a constant succession of proofs, of evidences, that you were chosen for something.
We all have resurrection Life if we are joined to Christ as Resurrection, but there is something more than that; there is resurrection power, which carries us eventually (if it has its full outworking) to the Throne, and not all will come to the Throne.
He wholly followed the Lord, not the popular and general standard of Christian life.
They are of the same species, and they have the same life in them.
The difference between a bunch of flowers which are all alike, all sharing the same life, and the root and the plant, is a very great big one.
Well, I shall have this difference that, whereas the bunch of flowers has the life, it just goes so far.
It is true they are all of the same species: they are Christians, they are children of God, they are all sharing the same Life, but oh, they are not there as one organism in one place growing with the increase of God, passing through corporate convulsions of death and resurrection and making spiritual increase in that way....
Yes, they belong to the Lord, and they have the same Life, they are all the Lord's children; but they just come to a certain point and they never go beyond that.
Storms of Life
But, you say, I know my eternal future is secure but I am living now.
Storms of life are battering at my door. I’m sinking in a sea of trouble – now.
He not only died to save you and rose to give you newness of life, (a gift that all who believe on Him receive freely and without cost) but our lives are hid with Christ in God, Who IS that mighty Anchor!
His prayers for you are to keep you from being overwhelmed by this life.
I have prayed for you, (in THIS life) – I have prayed for you that your faith fails not. Luke 22:32
But in this life, we are also being saved.
We are going through the process of sanctification – and in this life we must lay hold of that hope that is set before us – by abiding in Him, resting in Him – relying on Him to keep us amidst the storms of life - trusting Him, day by day by day.
Future Hope
Our anchor was secured heaven at the point of salvation, but in this life, we also have a responsibility.
We are to mature in the faith or we will find ourselves drifting amidst the storms of life. In this life, we must lay hold of the hope that is set before us – or shipwreck is inevitable.
In this life, we are to lay hold of Christ, the Anchor of our soul, if we are to be rewarded as a good and faithful servants. If we lay hold on anything else in this life we will find ourselves adrift.
Secure in Christ
Are you anchored on Christ and is your hope in Him or have you fastened your anchor to the things of this life? Will your anchor truly hold in the tumultuous tempest of this life by resting and remaining in Christ, body, soul, and spirit?
Will you anchor your hope on Christ, or will you allow the pain, problems, and disappointments of life to overwhelm you?
Our Anchor Is Christ
Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,Will your anchor drift or firm remain?
May your anchor hold in the storms of this life and may my anchor hold fast too… on the Rock of our salvation.
Do I thus honour the Lord with my unfaltering confidence in Him or does my heart falter when life implies, in all its fullness – the opposite?
Here in its simplicity is an oft-concealed truth and one of life’s great lessons – and from it cascades many blessings.
Here is the essence of the inner secret of a happy Christian life – that God is my Assurance – let us draw near in full assurance. Hebrews 10:22
I have become an heir of salvation, purchased through Christ’s sacrifice – purchased of God – born-again in His Spirit, washed in His life-giving, atoning blood. Perfect submission, all is at rest. I in my Saviour am happy and blessed. Watching and waiting, looking above. Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. This is my story and this must be my everlasting song.
STUDY - God, All I Need
Bless the Lord O my soul… and forget not all his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth my life. Who crowns thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; Who renews my youth like the eagles.Psalm 103:2
It needs an acceptance that even in the storms and stresses of life, God will provide.
Let us praise and thank our faithful God and join our faith with theirs as we pray, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in my life and in yours.
Who forgives all my iniquities; Who heals all my diseases; Who redeems my life from destruction; Who crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfies my mouth with good things; Who renews my youth like the eagles. Bless the Lord O my soul… and forget not ALL His benefits. Psalm 37:14
Spiritual bravery is not resultant on displayed heroism or gallant deeds. Spiritual boldness is displayed in men and women, who place their trust in God and look to Him, for deliverance. It is people who will stand amidst the crumbling circumstances of life and cry.. I know in Whom I have believed. 2 Timothy 1:12
They see Him stripped of life and devoid of friends – hanging naked... dying on a cross.
Yet in that life there resided wondrous courage; supreme bravery; a great and mighty victory.
It talks of being able to hear the truth about yourself, twisted and falsified, without resorting to trying to justify yourself….“if you can watch the things you gave your life to broken, and stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools.
Victory in Christ
He will strengthen with His power to enable us to face all situations of life.
Pilgrimage of Life
There are many vacillations in the convoluted pilgrimage of life.
He both defends me from the externals of life that pervade my peace and hope – and His truth becomes my defence when the world’s finger points accusingly at me.
Only the defence of the indwelling Spirit – induces towards death of the old man… as the fleshly lusts and the pride of life seek to overthrow our witness of Him.
And faith must not falter when difficulties and problems arise in my life.
But faith grows by means of my submitting to Him. Faith matures by Him living in and through me, and working His work through me – until it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives 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.
All the norms of human trust are diametrically opposite to this life of faith.
Well, life is full of choices.
I can choose to trust His Word or blame Him for life’s difficult circumstances.
A Maturing Grace
It is only as I am prepared to decrease and allow the Lord to increase in my life, that faith in self will be gradually replaced by faith in Christ – and the faith in which I live..
How often we should remind ourselves that 'hope in Him' should be preeminent – and yet how often I tend to become downcast when things just seem to go wrong… when friends fail or misunderstand; when life’s problems just seem to multiply.
Hope in Him invigorates us to rise above life’s obstacles and discouragements.
so shred the encumbrances that mar hope in your life – however, they are clad - whether a covering of fear; a cloak of disappointment, or a stronghold of Satan.
I am the LIGHT of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the LIGHT of life.
How can this mystery be translated into your life and mine?
I am the moon to the Son – refracting to others the light of His Life.
But if as a believer I choose not to walk in His light and to return to the Law… if I choose to live my Christian life in legalistic pursuits and works of self-effort – then I am part of the Church that has chosen to hide its light under a bushel, and no refraction would be possible through me, for it would be self, working through ME – and not Christ being reflected in me.
In 1943 Abraham Maslow proposed his own 'Hierarchy of Needs', in every area of life. Starting with basic physiological needs, he progressed up his graduation ladder:- physiological needs; safety needs – the need to love and be loved and to have a sense of belonging; the need for esteem and self-actualisation.
However applaudable and true this gradation on the human 'need' scale is, two of the most important human needs were overlooked or ignored by Maslow – needs that should have been the capstone of his research and pinnacle of man’s hierarchy of need:- 1 My need of God Himself and 2 And my need of the things in life that God alone can supply.
Eternal supply
Intimacy with our Saviour and Lord, is the most precious grace He has given us, for He is the well-spring of our life, both physical and spiritual.
All the blessings in life, flow in abundant measure, from His eternal supply. But most people give neither thought nor thanks for His moment-by-moment provision.
Philippians 4:19 He has also has promised to heal all your infirmities - Psalm 103:3 and God can foil the tempter’s power in every believer’s life.
1 Needful Thing
Do you remember Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus? Oh, How she flapped and bothered about the needs and necessities of life.
Mary’s need of Jesus, was placed before everything – above all in her whole life.
Christ Our All
We think of this life as being on a timeline with there being one final day… death or the rapture being that last concluding mark of our life. How foolish are our little minds and thoughts – for that is untrue.
The termination of this life on earth is nothing more than a portal.. a door into the closer reaches of His love and His heart.
There is one needful thing in life – and the pinnacle of all we need, is our need of Christ.
Challenges of Life
What is the greatest challenge in life – to run a marathon..
Probably the greatest of achievements in life is to be clothed with patience.
The youngest Prime Minister of Great Britain retired at the age of 34 – but patience, is a grace that only develops through the gruelling school of life – and it’s only perfected as I become increasingly transformed into HIS likeness.
Trusting God in every, and all life’s circumstances..
He makes you a promise, and then you have to wait and wait and wait and wait. He capsizes all the circumstances of life, and turns them into disasters.
Response to Praise
Don’t nurse your wounds when others, through ignorance or stupidity, cause you pain – but remember the Christian’s secret of a successful and profitable spiritual life.
Salvation is a once for all, full cleansing – but we are required, from that day on to be cleansed… cleansed from the influences of life... cleansed, day by day, from all that infects and debilitates our witness for Him… cleansed from any daily sins.
Blessed are the Pure in Heart
Blessed are the pure in heart,For they shall see our God.The secret of the Lord is theirs;Their soul is Christ’s abode.Our Lord, who left the heavensOur life and peace to bring,To dwell in lowliness with menOur pattern and our King.
We must receive the breath of life before we travel down the path of life, so that we are enabled to face the torturous mountain paths of experience..
And even my emotions are God-given spices to enhance my life, and others, but the pains, wounds, and disappointments of life, so often distort rational thought, and we flood our conversations and bury our actions in false imaginings that we consider as truth.
allow His Spirit to conform your reason into His perfect will for your life.
It is important that we have a good reason for all of life’s decisions and choices... but with your limited knowledge; finite experience and distorted perspective, you will falter and fail and fall – and so will I.
This matter of reason is one of primary importance in the life of all believers, but it must be His reason, not mine – His reason not yours to which we bind our hearts.
ot merely a break in life’s routine, or a cessation from the round of daily toils, but a peace and harmony within.
But amid the turmoil of life; the confusion of hearts; the agitations of living, we have an invitation from the God of Rest… to come aside and rest awhile… The Psalmist gently reminds us to, rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him..
It is not simply to His attitude towards life that He bids us come… not to His teaching.
Salvation of Man
There is only one place in Scripture where the question is actually asked, What must I do to be saved..? and the answer is given clearly and simply, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. The spirit of man which was born dead in trespasses and sins is saved simply by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as our sacrifice for sin. But our initial salvation (our salvation of the spirit) is of course the first step on a life journey for the salvation of the soul of man, for once we have been eternally saved we are told by Paul, in Philippians 2:12, that we must work out our own salvation. This aspect of salvation is called sanctification and is ongoing throughout the whole of our whole Christian life.
Our soul is being saved throughout our entire Christian life and our body will be saved at the end of this church dispensation when the dead in Christ shall rise first and then we that are alive and remain, shall be caught together with them, to meet the Lord in the air – and so we shall ever be with the Lord.
Astoundingly, John tells us in his gospel that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
God so loved YOU, that He gave His only begotten Son that if YOU believe on Him, you will not perish but have everlasting life. What must I do to be SAVED?
Run the straight race through God’s good grace,Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;Life with its way before us lies,Christ is the Path, and Christ the Prize.
Cast care aside, upon thy Guide,His boundless mercy will provide;Lean, and the trusting soul shall proveChrist is its Life, and Christ its Love.
The Lord Himself called His own disciples aside when life’s pressures pressed in.
Quiet Meditation
Such peaceful meditation with the Lord Himself becomes increasingly difficult – as the pressures, problems, and pain of life press in on every side – and we faint. Tensions, trials, and temptations test us to the limit of our endurance.
For how can we have ears to hear His still small voice through the shriek of life.
and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Thy peace. Receiving His tranquillity does not necessitate our removal from life’s little tasks.
Life’s little duties must continue and we must occupy until He comes.
Knowledge of Truth
Knowledge of the truth is no insignificant advantage, for it affects every facet of life. Understanding the truth affects the eternal soul of man..
Distortions of Truth
Often, in a heart damaged by life’s traumas, the truth becomes distorted – even the truth of God becomes twisted and perverted through the influence of sin.
The Spirit of truth and the Word of truth combined point to the Person of Christ, Who is the way and the truth and the life.
He loves with an everlasting love – and denial or distortion of that fact in any life is a lie – for if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed. John.8:36.
The Right Way
We are all pilgrims on a journey – a journey across the wilderness of life.
If I am to successfully complete my passage through life, I must walk the right way.
Many Christians choose the wider path through life, where self is the focus, for if you seek to save your life, (and note, that the word life in the Greek is the same word as soul)..
you will lose your life (you will lose your soul) Luke.17:33 Should a believer choose the broad way, he would be eternally saved, for eternal salvation is the free gift of grace to all who trust in Jesus as Saviour… eternally saved but choosing to live your own self-life and not His Christ-life.
You would receive the unconditional gift of eternal life that is given to all believers – and yet like Esau, you would be despising your inheritance.
Way of the Cross
There are a few who seek to follow Christ in the way of the Cross, where Christ remains their first love and remains as the focus of their heart, for as Jesus said, if you lose your life (your soul) for My sake, you will find it… for many are called but few are chosen, and I have chosen you. If I sincerely and earnestly progress along the path of Christ… the way of the Cross, my experience in life will be patterned after His life and my earthy walk will reflect His earthly walk, and I shall discover that as I try to spend my life for others, I shall not be able to spare myself.
Way of Christ
All the superfluous necessities that flood my life need to be hammered out.
For the life that follows the path that Jesus walked – for the need is not the call, and the urgent is not the important – If I am to follow the path that Christ trod before me – then I must follow the way of the Cross.
Any other route we travel through life that is not totally centred on Him is the wrong way… and we will discover that any other way will always be a dangerous way.
Child Training
Loving the Lord with every fibre of our being is not an option but His clear command, for God knows that all that makes for life and peace, wholeness and health is in Him.
God’s Promise
The way of the world is in stark opposition to the directive of our Lord and King, but this is a promise that we should both apply in life and continue to pray through.
Go back to the place where, for the time being, the Lord has put you, where He has called you to live your life and do your work in all the trial and difficulty and suffering of it, and do not strain to get out of it.
I can think of few things more regrettable and grievous than that we should look back upon any part of our life and have to say, I might have realized some great purpose of God in that period of my life if only I had taken another attitude toward it than the one I did take; I was chafing, impatient, all the time looking for a way of escape; I was rebellious, living in another mental world of my own creating, in which I would do and be this and that; and I missed all that God intended at that time.
So we must go back to the sphere and conditions in which the Lord has placed us, with this attitude God has a thought which relates to me as one of His Own; and that thought is, that through the conditions and sufferings of my life He should develop in me the features of His Son.
The one, can incubate pride while the other can foster independence from God. And both result in a believer being removed from God’s best purpose in their life. But God can correct many decades of dormant growth in a stunted Christian life, and God can reverse the worldly ways of a saint’s fleshly independence from Him… if the believer changes his mind, and looks to Jesus and away from all else… if the repentant believer approaches His majesty in genuine humility of heart.. if the man or woman of God sincerely recognises his own lack and need of God.
even incorrect training in early Christian life. God uses all life’s circumstances, including years of carnality, to perfect His saint.
Rom.8:28. There may be ramifications for seeking fast-track spiritual development, and there may be consequences for a paucity or lack in a spiritual life, but there will also be reward… if that one earnestly seeks God in his lack, indifference, disinterests or rebellion, for God has a purpose for all that are blood-bought saints in Christ Jesus – but He chooses to do it His way, and will often wait many years for our compliance.
God’s Best Purpose
Let this precious promise of God be the bedrock of your trust in Him. Let the truth of these words to His erring child, sink to the very core of your being. We may not understand the life-storms that upset the fragile craft to which we cling. We may be confused and ‘wrest’ in life at ‘some things hard to be understood.’ 2Pet.3:16. But as with the Word of God..
the promises of God are all ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ in Christ 2Cor.1:20. Let us accept that God’s best purpose in our life is being carried out despite life’s twists. We are being changed into the likeness of Christ so that we too will be a sweet aroma unto the Lord..
Job.13:15. It is the expression of a self-life… that confesses the truth – a life willing to admit that God alone has the answers. Christian growth can often be stunted at rebirth with poor ‘discipling’. Spiritual maturity can frequently go into hibernation through a believer’s fleshly ways..
The secret is to know and accept that God uses all things in life for good, and then to thank Him by offering up a freewill ‘burnt sacrifice’ of praise to the honour and glory of His name. For only as we recognise and Grasp that we’re being changed into Christ’s likeness will we be prepared to cry.
STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD
The Key to Success
Knowledge, we are told, is the key to success, and knowledge is acquired from teachers, books, and the circumstances of life.
Paul the apostle, to whom was given the mystery of the Church – the bride of Christ. Paul the prophet who wrote so much of Holy Scripture – inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul whose instructions to the Body were on how to live a life pleasing to the Lord.
And Paul at the end of His life had one deep and one intense desire and longing – that I may Know Christ.
Factual Faith
But we live by factual faith in God’s Word and not by sensual sight. We live by factual faith in God’s Word and not by fluffy feelings. Oh yes, Adam hid from the Lord, and Cain went out from the presence of His God... and we too can grieve the Holy Spirit in the way we live our Christian life.
Human feelings are not the plumb-line for His divine omnipresence in your life.
Security and Assurance
Without security and assurance of our salvation, there is no stability in a believer’s life.
Eternal Benefit
The assurance of our salvation and promise of eternal life is an established fact in scripture, and each person of the Trinity is involved in our salvation and security.
For the believer in Christ, God ensures that everything in life works together for our eternal benefit, and for His greater glory.
It was the Father Who determined that all who believe on His Son would not perish, but be adopted into His family and receive eternal life.
And every jot and tittle of scripture has been written for a purpose: that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life through His name.
and the life which I now live in the flesh (the day by day process of living in this physical body) I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me (Christ’s Spirit indwelling and living in me) – and gave Himself for me.
This promise to Israel will happen at the end of the tribulation, but this promise to the Church has already happened: and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.
– because this is the only way to live a faithful, overcoming Christian life.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
Life of Faith
“The world is going crazy,” and this truly is a life of faith.
Faith in the One Who saved, for His initial salvation at the time of rebirth – trusting the indwelling Spirit, for a lifetime of His working in and through us – believing in God to work out His plans and His purposes in your life and in mine.
Faith in His word translates into Hope in His word: for if in this life only we have hope in Christ, then we are of all men most miserable. 1Cor.15:19
John 17:17 – and Jesus came crying: I am the Way and the Truth and the Life..
This is an attitude of life and health, and inherent in this attitude is a salutary effect: for every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure. 1John.3:3.
But there is more, for this is not an easy life.
This is a life that is beset with trials and disappointments – hurt and harm.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
Life of Faith
God has given us the gift of faith and the righteous are to live their life by faith.
Love pulsing through the warp and weft of life despite the shadow of the cross.
Love that we in this life of sin and sadness, pain, and problems are instructed to mirror.
We only can see through the current prison bars that restrict our present life..
Interceding Love
Let me tell you my friend, Christ’s whole life was lived under the shadow of His cross.
He knows that the enemy is increasing His attacks on the elect night and day, but every lash in life that you receive, He is there with you – this is fact, not fiction.
Grace Upon Grace
Our sins are forgiven and we’re made alive – quickened into new and abundant life, and the supernatural grace of sanctifying grace cascades into God’s glorifying grace.
that we seek a life that is Christ-centred – that we seek to know Him more – that in love we might do all to His praise and glory, for He alone is worthy.
Born Again
If you are a believer, there is one point in your life when you were born again.
That was the most important day of your life, for it has eternal consequences.
Ransom Paid
It was paid in full by the blood of the lamb – the willing Sacrifice Who paid our debt. We were released from Satan’s clutches with a ransom, paid in Christ’s own blood. The ransom price for our freedom was the life of the Lord Jesus – His life for ours.
Purchase Possession
The life is in the blood, and the lifeblood from His veins secured our full salvation.
He paid for our life with His lifeblood, and we’re now His own purchased possession.
Greater Plan
Every believer in Christ rejoices in their salvation, knowing that their sins have been forgiven and that they have received eternal life – knowing that they have a glorious inheritance, which is laid up for them in heaven.
The length and breadth and depth and height of God’s eternal plans and purpose are so much greater than the individual circumstances of your life or mine..
Law of Death
The truths that Nicodemus learnt on his night visit to Jesus Christ were staggering. During an evening conversation his long-held religious values had been fragmented. The requirements of the Mosaic Law were impossible – unattainable to mortal man! The notion of a new birth with a new life – was beyond the concept of human reason!
Law of Life
The idea of flesh born of flesh and spirit born of God’s Spirit was inconceivable! The old law of death was having to be set aside and replaced with the new law of life God’s perfect Law was to be superseded by His perfect grace – which came by Christ.
Call to Repent
Jesus was not sent to the righteous but to call sinners to repent – but what the pious Pharisees had not grasped was that there are no righteous men – except God’s Son. Jesus was not sent to save good people but to call sinners to change their hearts – and the whole life-philosophy of Nicodemus was being challenged to the core.
Two Natures
The old sinful life can never be reformed – only the new life i acceptable to God.
The old nature must die to self and the new nature be conformed to Christ-likeness. The old Adamic nature cannot be improved – only a new nature is sufficient to God. My old life must die to self and my new life be conformed to the image of Christ.
A New Creation
Jesus wasn’t sent to teach a race of fallen sinners how to live under the perfect Law. He was sent to reveal that only a new life, with a new nature can satisfy the Father.
He came to demonstrate how the life He lived was the only life that would ever please the Father – a life that He Himself would impart to all who believe in His name – a new life – a new life in Christ – a new life born of the Spirit – a new creation.
A New Life
No surprise that Nicodemus did not understand all these concepts that Jesus taught – for the new life in Christ was a mystery – a mystery, which from the beginning of the world was hidden in the heart of the Father, Who created all things by Jesus Christ. The mystery of the new life in Christ was hid from saints and prophets of old. This was a mystery that had been hidden from ages and from generations – and yet it was a mystery which would one day be made manifest to his saints – to you and to me.
God and Christ
What comes to your mind when you think of God and His Christ? What false perceptions of God have you developed in your life-time?
False Perceptions
A low and debased view of God has infiltrated the secular and Christian world. A perception of God has built up in Christendom that does not truly reflect Him, and today a low view of God and of His Christ is almost universally embraced – and a new ‘philosophy’ of God has developed: a philosophy that is far from the Truth, the Way and the Life.
throughout our imperfect life we’ve not discovered Who He is, or are ill-prepared to search our souls to discover the baseness in ourselves – or our biased perceptions.
Chambers Comment
Oswald Chambers puts it this way:- “There are times when our peace is based upon ignorance, but when we awaken to the facts of life, inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus.
His words are ever “spirit and life.” Have I ever received what Jesus speaks, when He said: “My peace I give unto you”? This is a peace which comes from looking into His face and realising His un-disturbedness.
He lived a life amidst folk who despised Him – but He leant obedience through suffering.
God’s Life
What an astonishing happening that God should choose man to be just like Himself.
But rather He took of the dust of His created earth and fashioned and moulded and sculptured and built the body of a man – then breathed His own life into His frame.
God’s Knowledge
God Who knows the end from the beginning was not taken aback when the son, he so carefully created with His own hands, rebelled against the One who gave him life. He knew man, through his own free-will, would despise his God-given birthright.
Giver of Peace
The Lord our God is both the Creator of peace and He is the Giver of peace – for He is all that makes for life and peace.
Life-Giving Peace
Peace with God and the peace of God stretches through time and into eternity, for all who trust Christ as Saviour and learn to keep the eyes of their hearts looking to Jesus for it was our Saviour who calmed the ocean of God’s wrath against a sinful world, which He procured for us by His sufferings and death on Calvary’s cross. He broke down the middle wall of hostility that divided Jew from Gentile and the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom announcing that the gaping void between a holy God and sinful man had been spanned by the blood of the Lamb – for by Hs death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way, through the curtain which is His body.
We are all part of the body of Christ and we all have our own particular part to play, but this mortal life and our eternal future are bound up in Christ, the beloved of God.
Eternal Plan
At first, we were called out of darkness into His glorious light. We were called out from the bondage of sin and death into the freedom of God’s Son, and throughout this life, we are witnesses to the amazing grace of God – and throughout this life we are being trained to carry out our part in God’s eternal plan.
Eternal Purpose
Being born into God’s family is our first step along the road of our new life in Christ.
Christ’s Heart
Christ’s only consideration throughout His earthly life was to do the Father’s will.
Christ’s heart's desire and joy was to carry out and complete God's will for His life.
He did that which was pleasing to God, each day – every day, throughout His life: I do always those things that please Him.
His life work and His life prayer and His whole life-focus and joy was to do the Father’s will: not as I will but as Thou wilt.
Life Purpose
God has a plan and purpose for the life of every believer: man, woman, or child.
Plan of God
The plan of God in each life is not that they do service, but He does it through them.
The will of God is to transform those that believe into the likeness of His Son – and God will take a lifetime, if necessary, to achieve His purpose in each life.
God’s Purpose
Is this not a great comfort and immense surety amid the demands and pain of life?
The circumstances of life in this dying world may imply something different.
Life’s situation can be so dire that we can't always recognise the truth, but God is able to accomplish the impossible in your life – without your help.
God’s Truth
God’s truth is stated in His infallible word, but the circumstances of life – are the lies of the enemy to take our eyes of the Lord.
Now here is the key to success… Take your eye off the circumstances of life and rest them on the Lord Jesus.
Life’s Circumstances
Life’s circumstances, whether instigated by Satan or caused by self, are used by God for good, but when we struggle to work things out on our own, He will wait and wait and wait.
God wants each of us to stop trying to act as the god of our own life, and recognise our position In Him.
Satan’s Attacks
Satan will always seek to cut down God’s flock from the way of the Lord. Satan will attack when we’re drooping, flagging, indifferent or exhausted from life. Satan will seek to shipwreck us when we lose heart thru the problems of life we face. Satan will attempt to ambush any of us – all of us… when our guard is down – and sometimes it even seems that God is not acting the way we expect.
God’s gift
The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life.
The payment for our sins is eternal separation from God, but He gave His unique Son through Whom comes life. Eternal life is God’s gift – Salvation is God’s gift – Jesus Christ is God’s special gift. The gift of salvation was no afterthought on the part of God.
Unique Saviour
He is not only the root and stem of David, but He is the good Shepherd that was born in humble circumstances so that He could save us from our sins and seat us together with Himself in heavenly places for He is our unique Saviour and God’s very Special Gift – so that all Who believe on His name will not perish but have everlasting life.
Unbroken Fellowship
And throughout His earthly life, Christ demonstrated how God wants man to live..
a life lived in unbroken fellowship..
a life that learns obedience through suffering..
a life that lives and moves and has its being – in the power of the Spirit of God.
The life of Christ was governed by the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, so that the Father might be glorified in and through the life of the Son.
Governed by God
The pre-eminent mark of a spiritual man is a life governed by the Spirit of Christ..
so that God, through Christ , might be glorified in the life of the believer.
The 'new-life' in Christ is a baby-life that must grow and develop into maturity.
Christian maturity is to live our life as God intended – to live as Christ lived; to pray Thy will be done; to be guided by the Holy Spirit; to live and move and have our being in spirit and truth.
Transformation Process
Then God uses life’s circumstances to start to conform us into Christ’s image. This transformation process into Christ-likeness is no rhetoric or foolish notion. This is a life that lives and moves and has its being in Christ and Christ alone.
God set the standard and pattern for life in the Lord Jesus.
God presents His model for humanity in the life of His Son.
The school of Christ, and transformation into His image, is arduous and most painful – and living the Christ-life is the most challenging test in any Christian walk.
Historical Context
Acts is a transition between Old Testament living and New Testament life. Acts is a changeover period between the four gospels and the epistles of Paul. Acts is an historical document.
Deeper Understanding
God’s chastening in Job’s life, as in our own, is not His wrath or punishment, never, but is used of the Lord to draw us into deeper fellowship with Himself, as exemplified, when God turned the captivity of Job – even to the benefit of the religious-minded, accusational friends, as well as to the benefit of his wife, who herself was overcome by the enemy. And if we permit Him, we too will come to a deeper understanding of Him – and like Job will become one of His mighty men.
We see it bursting into bud through so many pronouncements of Paul – and it will blossom in your life and in mine... if like Job, we submit to His chastening.
He would not have known that coveting was wrong if the Law had not said, “You must not covet.” King Saul was also a prideful man who tried to address the problem of life in his own fleshly strength, rather than depending on God’s provision and trusting His word. The Galatians were a group of believers who demonstrated pride, rebellion, and independence from God, by insisting that the righteous requirements of the Law should be achieved by human merit – having failed to learn God’s vital lesson.
Divine Purpose
God knows the end from the beginning and He knows all who will trust in Christ. God predestined all who would believe in Jesus to be conformed into His image. God was well-pleased with the Lord Jesus, Who is His only begotten and beloved Son, and it's God’s divine purpose is that His children are made in the likeness of Jesus Christ. We are to all to be conformed into the image and likeness of God’s dearly beloved Son, and it is the Holy Spirit Himself that is to do this amazing work in the life of a believer.
See and Learn
The first work of the Holy Spirit in the life of all believers is to reveal Christ Jesus in us.
Christlike Life
A life governed by the Spirit is a life that becomes increasingly like Christ. The mark of a Christian is a man or woman that is led by the Spirit of God.
Such a man or woman lives a life that becomes occupied with the Lord Jesus Christ.
His Fullness
The effect of this move of the Spirit in a Christian is that we are filled with His fullness, for when a man or woman is occupied with Jesus they get more and more like Him – and yet a life overflowing with Christ only scratches the surface of all that He is.
To Know Him
At the start of his life, we are told that it was God’s pleasure to reveal Christ in Paul, but at the end of his life, Paul longed to know the Lord Jesus more and more and more, and throughout his ministry, it is Paul’s longing that we also come to know Him more.
Paul was a man whose life was governed by the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus his Lord. Paul was a man that longed that we also should know Christ – in an intimate way.. that you may to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:19
I believe that if we are living in the radiance of Divine Life, there will be something of it betrayed by our faces.
The progress and increase of spiritual Life means this, that the gap widens all the time between the children of God and those in the world who are not such.
The Law
He is the eternal Word, the incarnate Word – the Word of God made flesh, forever, and He is also Light and Life – contrasting with all that is of darkness and death. The Mosaic Law was perfect in all respects, but the Law was a ministration of death, for the perfect requirements of the Law could never be attained by man’s own merit.
The Cross
But God in His love and mercy sent grace and truth through the incarnate Word.. so that all that believe in His name would not perish – but have everlasting life. The expression of God’s grace is seen in the gift of His Son and His work on the cross, so that by believing on the person of Jesus Christ we may have life in His name.
God’s Grace
Just as sin ruled over all people and brought them death – so the marvellous grace of God now rules instead, giving us right-standing with God and resulting in eternal life – through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Law requires works, which could never reach the perfection required of God.
but grace and truth has come to us all through the lovely Lord Jesus Christ, so that by simply trusting in the name of Christ Jesus we might be given life – through His name.
Love of God
What manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that He should shower on sinful man the grace and favour that we do not deserve and cannot earn- but in His perfect life the Incarnate Word of God, in His sinless body on the tree, met all the righteous requirements of the Law – to free us from condemnation so that we might have LIFE. The law indeed was given to Israel through Moses, but the unfailing love of God and His everlasting and faithfulness - is only seen in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The word of God is from God, and His word is truth and life. God’s method of grace as written in Scripture is perfect, but grace is frequently distorted by man’s interpretation. God’s character as outlined in Scripture is perfect, but God’s character is frequently distorted by man’s interpretation.
Influence in Life
Our concept of God and the idea of grace will always influence how we live.
He will live his life just trying to do his best.
Built-Up Concepts
A believer who lives a life in fear has built up their particular concept.
Search the Scriptures
Almost without exception you will discover some little ‘add-on” to grace, deceiving many into a life of fear; works; legalism.
Showers of Grace
Grace, grace and more grace is what is showered on all that believe in Jesus Christ. Grace for salvation, grace for this life, grace to mature, grace in the ages to come.
Continuing Grace
Too often we limit the grace of God to salvation from the penalty of sin – alone. We often forget that salvation was the start of our eternal journey and not the end, for grace is poured out throughout life and grace continues into the ages to come.
Because we are in Christ and identified with Him, we can access His life in us.
His grace is sufficient to deal with every situation and circumstance of life.
His grace is available for every eventuality that seeks to overwhelm us in life.
Accessing Grace
Paul found the key to accessing God’s grace in all the twists and turns of his life.
Eternal Grace
He knew his eternal abundance of life was not due to his own merit or hard toil..
Ye have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).
But as we abide in the risen Lord Jesus, that new ground of our position, His life will be manifested in the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23).
If you stand on the ground of what the Lord Jesus is (abide), you will find in your growth that all that is true of Him is becoming true of you; but if you remain on the ground of what you are in yourself, you will find that all that is true of the old man is true of you in life and walk.
It is only natural to feel that our need requires immediate victory, but the truth is that we cannot come to maturity apart from the Holy Spirit's processing and development of our life, day by day.
But often in a believer’s life, He uses the natural to accomplish the supernatural.
In the life of a believer God uses a life-span of time to prepare him for eternity, and... like the chronology of the world, God uses a lot of time to fulfil His works.
A tiny seedling can be placed in a hot-house to force an unnatural spurt of growth, but such artificial progress, early in the life of a believer has disastrous results.
And God takes time in the life of a believer to bring him to maturity in the faith.
Spiritual Growth
But he grows slowly and looks very insignificant for many decades, as silently within the Word of God nourishes the spirit, soul and body – while without the raging storms and buffeting winds of life, develop a trusting faith.
How much more is this the case for we who are God’s sons, where our life in time is preparing us for eternity.
Spiritual Maturity
God knows what’s best in the life of each believer to bring him to strong, full maturity – and God takes time to bring a man or woman from new-birth to final maturity, God takes time to conform each of His children into the likeness of His beloved Son.
This is not backsliding as so many consider it, but the Work of God deep within, for all of self must go so that all of Christ can be manifested in the believer’s life.
Heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.Luke 21:34
Deep Entrapments
And these warnings are burning embarrassments for the one who seeks holiness. The things that can easily entrap us are listed as the excesses of careless living.. lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting /dissipation /excess.. lest at any time your heart be overwhelmed with drunkenness – lest at any time your heart be overwhelmed with the cares of this life. We would do well to keep in mind this warning of the world’s is deep entrapments.
Guard You Heart
Each believer has a life – a saved life which can be used or squandered away. Each servant has talents – which can be used to His glory or wasted unwisely. Each Christian who does not die to self – wastes rather than increases their talents.
Such a one prevents or quenches the work of the Holy Spirit in their life.
It is often linked in the physical with a refusal to face the realities of life.
Put on the New
Each believer has a life that needs honing – yet spiritual realities are not always faced. Each servant has talents to use – yet opportunities to live for Christ can be wasted.
Such a one that doesn’t face the spiritual realities of life – ceases to guard their heart.
Trust in God
The final snare is to permit the trials of this life to overwhelm us with worry, lest at any time your hearts be overwhelmed with the cares of this life. And the caution against the physical sin translates into a spiritual warning.
We must not allow the worries of life to encumber us with a need to ‘do it ourself”, Pre-occupation with the problems of a life excludes a need for faith in God.
Heed to Yourself
Oh, we all have many family and business, financial and relational problems, but it is giving these problems preeminence in your thoughts – in your heart.. lest at any time your hearts be overwhelmed with the cares of this life.
heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.”
Watch and Pray
Many have become overcharged with ‘dissipation’, and ‘drunkenness’, Many have become ensnared with the ‘cares of this life.
We have but to see in the Word what He has accomplished on our behalf in the Lord Jesus, and then quietly rely upon Him, according as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life (Ps. 23:6).
The motivating principle of the old life is the law; the motivating principle of the new life is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
At this point Satan, appearing as an angel of light,' will seek to misdirect the believer's life by making use of a morbid conscience, a mistaken impression as to duty, or a lack of understanding as to the exact teaching of God's Word.
When a certain breaking down of self takes place in a believer's life, it produces a marked change in him; but afterwards he has to learn it all in detail. -J.N.D.
Many of the Lord's people have complained that their circumstances were too unfavorable for a life of full devotion, of close fellowship with Him, or pressing on to maturity.
The duties and difficulties, the cares and troubles of life, render it practically impossible, they say, to live a fully consecrated life.
No matter what we may encounter in this life, we who belong to the Lord Jesus have this definite knowledge - our Father will use it all in love as an instrument in the carrying out of the glorious purpose to which He has destined us.
Throughout his long and bitter life-season, Job didn’t sin against God with his lips.
God trusted this man of prayer, who needed to die to self and be raised to the new life.
And God raised Job up in newness of life.
Never Limit God
When you are being assailed by the circumstances of your own life-tribulations, don’t limit God to your current understanding of Him, as Job did, for if you do, God will wait and wait and wait as He did for Job.
A Full Study Of JOB
Word-Picture
Job seems to be the most complete word-picture of the Christian life in Scripture.
Job appears to trace a believer’s life, from new-birth to the Millennial-Kingdom..
Spiritual and Carnality
Like Job, his wife is a virtuous woman, who holds to her husband's trust in God, but one who allows the long, spiritual battle in Job’s life, to cause her faith to fail.
No wonder she crumpled and broke under the strain of such enormous calamities. No surprise that she was unable to endure the consequences of life’s bitterest blows.
Oh yes, we know from James 5 that Job alone depended on God’s tender mercies. We know that Job alone endured – until God had His end through His way in Job’s life. And though he sinned not with his lips, Job’s questions lacked true understanding.
Contemplate these thoughts the next time you are overwhelmed by the facts of life.
In the life of any believer, spiritual or carnal, God has much refining to do.
A religiosity – exposed in the life of our first parents, who sought to be as God.
A religiosity, which seeks to dominate the ‘new life‘ – choking it of the reality of Christ in our life.
Any one of us that thinks that we are past this fault of pride within our own life should soberly consider the words of Paul’s in 1 Corinthians 10:12, Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed, lest he fall.
Refining Tools
And right to the end – in a 'type' in Job and in the life of Paul, God refined his child... so that his bond-servant would have a deeper knowledge of their Lord and Saviour.
In the life of any believer, spiritual or carnal, God has much refining to do, for God’s way is to make the reality of Christ, increasingly real in each one of us.
But whether a believer is blinded to his need or broken in her life’s circumstances… whether a servant exhibits prideful self-righteousness or deep discouragement, the primary agent of leviathan’s grip, is the 'religious' nature of the 'old man', which is exhibited in a multiplicity of ways.
but God also permits evil in the life of saints as well. But ALL good that comes to man comes from a good and faithful God.
But there were elements in Job’s pure, virtuous life, needing the Spirit’s refining touch. Elements the moral, upright, proud, self-governed heart of Job, needed to learn, and God used the circumstances in Job’s life to bring him into a closer walk with God – just as God uses happenings in our lives, to draw us closer to Himself. Chambers once wrote, One of the most cunning travesties, is to represent Satan – as the instigator of external sins.
Underlying Lesson
The underlying lesson of the life of Job has nothing to do with sins. It has nothing to do with any sin righteous Job did or did not commit.
Past, present, and future sins of the believing man are forgiven and forgotten. The same holds true for the man of God today – all sins are forgiven and forgotten – past, present and future – all forgiven and forgotten. So don’t pride yourself that your forgiven sins are influencing the troubles in your life.
Divine Fullness
But God does have a purpose for each life and He uses trials and tribulations, instigated by Satan, to achieve His perfect will.
The one area in the life of this upright man – (one of Ezekiel’s 'These Three Men'….
Job2:45. God will expose the roots of the old Adamic nature, with its prideful religiosity, until the old self-life is crucified and the new-life is transformed into His image. He will take your personal ‘seed of affliction‘, turning you into a ‘vessel of comfort’.
Choice of Travail
But the choice is yours. God will never force his servants to submit against their will. You can choose His way or you can choose your way. You can say my will be done in my life – or Thy will be done in my life. The Lord blesses all that endure like Job.. but likely not in this world for our citizenship is in heaven.
Have you considered God’s bond-slave that had to come to an end of himself? Have you considered what this same decision would mean for you – in your life?
Consider Satan’s Way
Have you considered Satan and his bloodthirsty attempts to shipwreck your life – seeking to halt the fullness of the knowledge of Christ becoming a reality in you? Have you considered the prideful outcome of Levithan’s manipulative strategies..
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” He calls His own by name… and in Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my Shepherd. Scripture gives us many pictures of God.
But the purpose of the Good Shepherd is to give life in all its fullness.
He wants to protect us from the dangers and disappointments of life.
He cares so deeply and so passionately that He has laid down His life for us.
Life-Journey
All the offspring of Adam are travelling without a road or a map. They are all moving towards eternity with no guide – until HE finds us; until HE knows us – until HE leads us. Those whom He finds and knows He leads. Those whom He leads need to keep close to Him day by day – moment by moment.
Guiding Hand
Life is a trackless desert and a wild wilderness, but the way is known to Him, for He tells us:- I AM the Way, and we are safe with HIM, for He reminds us I am your Shield and the lifter up of your head.
Spiritual Lessons
Life’s journey is an education. It affords us opportunities to learn many spiritual lessons.
Right Choices
Let us not only be guided by Him, in the crisis of life, but in the daily duties of life.
And He waits in all circumstances of life to meet the deepest longings of your heart, too.
As we desperately try to determine how to cope with life’s mounting troubles; as we look for any form or escape from the downward spiral of the world’s affairs, Jesus waits and He waits.
Can you obey the Word that I speak, for My Word is life and health and peace.
for He longs to pour out His love over your dry and thirsty life. Come – let him that is athirst COME.
God Hears and Cares
As I get up every morning and write these daily devotionals, it is because I believe that His Word is true, even when everything in life seems to scream the opposite.
God Understands
Remember – His life like those of His children was spent in difficulty and adversity, but He endured the cross for the joy that was to come in the morning.
Every new bit of blessing may seem to put a new bit of life into us, but it gradually loses its luster and power, and we become just ordinary Christians - we make very little progress.
Deliverance from the reign of sin, and liberty in the life of Christ, are set forth as a doctrinal unit in Romans Six, Seven and Eight.
This is the great master key to spiritual life and liberty.
When we thereby come to Romans Eight, we know at last that the Holy Spirit will produce in our experience what God completed for us on the Cross and in Christ our life.
Romans Eight tells us the means and the method of our deliverance - that it is through the blessed Holy Spirit alone that we are actually delivered in everyday life, from sin's reign; the moment we cease from all our own efforts and let Him do all the work, He will begin delivering us from the power of sin.
Many and varied are the false perceptions of this life after death – but check out the Word of God, and you’ll discover your answer.
Jesus said: this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Him Whom Thou did send – even Jesus Christ, your Lord.
Christian Heaven
The Christian life (the Christian faith) is having a relationship with a person.
This was His life-purpose, being translated in a resolution shared with the Father.
to be with Him, forever – not just to escape the trials of life, for these are His training tools, but to be with Him; in Person – in spirit, soul, body, and truth.
Victorious Life
He came to be with us and He came to be like us, so we could be with Him forever.
The secret of a victorious life is knowing Him intimately and abiding in Him: you in Me, and I in you John 15:4 which is: Christ in me and I in Christ.
The result of a victorious life is being conformed into His image and likeness until we can say with Paul: I live; yet not I, but Christ lives 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.
Right Perspective
If each of us could really get this into our thoughts and minds and heart and being, I believe with all my heart that the trials of life would be put in proper perspective.
Come, Lord Jesus,
If we keep Christ as the centre of our focus we will overcome the stresses of life, for everything will fall into perspective.
In the first stage of our Christian life we seek to bring the Lord Jesus down to our level, for our use; later on we learn to take our position in Him at His level, for His use.
If this question was honestly faced, and answered affirmatively by the members of our churches, there would be no need to endeavor to whip up a revival.' There would be a spontaneous upsurge of life and blessing - the direct work of the Spirit of God Himself. -J.C.M.
Everything from beginning to end of the Christian life depends upon a proper faith-apprehension of that which the Father has bestowed upon him with and in His own Son in glory. -J.C.M.
Very little abiding growth and fruit can be known by the believer until he accepts the fact of identification (Rom. 6:6), and to it responds by an attitude of faith (Rom. 6:11), thus yielding himself to the Holy Spirit for the life of the Lord Jesus to be manifested in and through him (Rom. 6:13). -G.W.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God right hand. (Colossians 3:1 NLT)
Our prayer life has got to be on a heavenly basis.
It is so easy to get up in the morning and hurry through a few words asking the Lord to bless us and ours, and our earthly things for the day, as though these things of this life were all.
Lord, don let anything bad happen today, because it would spoil our life today!
Set your affections upon the things which are above, not on the things which are on the earth, for ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God(Col. 3:1-3).
ur citizenship is in heaven.Now the life of the believer is to be, therefore, one with heavenly interests always in view, and our prayer life is in relation to those interests.
Perfect Sacrifice
Christ lived His perfect life in a perfect body of flesh and blood – a human body.
He went to the cross willingly, for the perfect sacrifice had to be a willing body. Christ rose from the dead in a perfect body of flesh and bone – a glorified body. His death secured our pardon from sin and His resurrection secured our eternal life.
Eternal Perspective
Because we are already positioned in Christ, we are eternally safe and forever secure, and our life should display a heavenly attitude and reflect an eternal perspective. Our heart and mind should be set on heavenly things – for we are already in Christ, and we are blessed – already blessed – we are already blessed above all measure in Him.
We may be perplexed and cast down, but in Christ, we have all that makes for life.
When the Lord Jesus gets the complete mastery as Head in our lives, then all independence of action, and life, and all self-will, self-direction, self-seeking, self-glory and self-vindication will go.
Their spiritual resources of life, power, wisdom, knowledge, and purpose must be heavenly and by mediation of the Holy Spirit alone.
We have known more than one to be faced with this issue, and in trying to keep something here miss the Lord's highest and best, and later in life to know that it was so.
Today we are imprisoned in terrestrial bodies where the life is in the blood.
Tomorrow we will be released into celestial bodies – life from the Spirit of Life: bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh, Ephesians 5:30..
we can live our life in Him in victory or we can live our lives in defeat and despair.
That is what our life in this world amounts to – trials and pain.
Christian Challenge
And Paul reminds us how we are to live each day of this life: brethren, he writes, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus Phil.3:13, and THEN comes the challenge: therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. Philippians 3:13ff
It is a great thing to have the consciousness that we are bound up with Him there in heavenly glory, and to know that we are with Him in that sphere of ascension to participate in all that constitutes His life in that blessed circle of love and glory where He lives unto the Father.
He was at my side and glorified the Father perfectly in His walk here, and in death; but He is now at His own side, and it is there I intelligently realize the vastness of my life in Him, for He is my life.
Old Self Life
Do you often ask for God’s help? “Help ME do this God” and “help ME do that Lord” or “Help ME change myself…” “Help ME stop being like this Father,” and “help ME start being like that?” Think!
God is never going to change the old YOU – the old self-life!
Christ’s Life
When God saved you, He did not plan to help you live YOUR life.
God purposed that HE would live Christ’s life in you!!
Immaturity sees the Lord Jesus as helper in MY Christian life.
Maturity knows the Lord as the very LIFE itself, within my new man.
Conant wisely wrote the following:- “Christian living is not our living with Christ’s help, it is Christ living His life in us.
Therefore, that portion of our lives that is not His living is not Christian living; and that portion of our service that is not His doing is not service; for all such life and service have but a human and natural source, but Christian life and service have a supernatural and spiritual source.” That supernatural, spiritual source – is the Spirit of Christ in you.
God did not help the sinner to be born again... He gave him a new life in Christ.
He’ll conform the new “You-Life” into “Christ-life”.
Your old soul-life is the old man in Adam, the carnal self that can work for ill.
Your new soul-life is the new man in Christ, the spiritual man that works for good.
Your soul can allow the sinful flesh to raise its ugly head and rule your life. Never ask God to help your soul yield to His Life working in your new life.
Huegel declares: “When a Christian’s prayer life springs from a right position (a thorough adjustment to Christ in His death and resurrection), a vast change in procedure follows: Much of our begging fails to register in heaven because it fails to spring from right relations with the Father in union with Christ in death and resurrection: in which position one simply appropriates what is already his.
His Will
We’re not to approach God’s throne asking Him to help us and bless our plans. We are to seek Him to do His work in us – His will, His plans. We are to seek His will in our life, to live and do to His good pleasure. We are to trust His will, in all the decisions we make and the problems we face.
When you cease from your own strivings and say, Thy Will Be Done In My Life… He will move the greatest mountain, that you’ve struggled with for years.
If Christ were not fully deity, He could not have paid the price for our sins. If Christ were not fully God He could not have broken the power of sin in our life.
Spiritual Life
The personal, physical presence of Christ in the world was first revealed at His birth.
His nature, method, means, and law were manifested through His lovely life.
The Cross Life
If God’s will is to be done on earth as it is in heaven it can be done one way only.
He puts the cross in the figure of baptism 'baptised into His death.' … Romans 6:3. If the life of Christ is to be lived out in this plane, it is only through the cross.
To strive to replicate and reproduce the Christ-life without the cross is doomed to fail.
And throughout life, from the cradle to the grave – some people just let us down.
Strong Prison
One travesty of this is that mistrust across the board, becomes the norm in life, as a myriad of strongholds begins to be erected in our lives, as a protective shield.
Strongholds that result in self-condemnation, guilt, worry and a life of defeat.
And the Israelites’ life of bondage in Egypt reflects this ever-present prison today.
Such 'protection'f chokes the heart into a defeated, overcome, and depressed life.
Strategy of Satan
Satan’s entire strategy in the life of all believers is to build up distrust of God.
No 12-step program has been developed to address life’s developed strongholds –though many attempts have been made.
Surrendered Heart
Help and healing comes from total surrender of your entire being to the Lord..surrender of all and everything in your life – past present and future..surrender of all past, present and future hurt, guilt, pain, fear, doubt, and worry..
Satan’s entire strategy in the life of all believers is to build up distrust of God – and God longs that we trust Him but trust only grows as we get to know the person.
Precious Promise
Peter wrote: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness – through the knowledge of HIM that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these, ye might be partakers of the divine nature. 2 Peter 1:2-4.
All things.. towards which His lowly birth and suffering life pointed.
He is ever ready to pour His Life-giving waters of refreshment into our thirsty souls.
And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Contentment is sought for in the indulgences of this world's stagnant puddles, but to those who cry, I thirst, He continues to answer: Come…… take of the waters of Life freely….without money and without price…. for Christ is truly the living Fountain of Life – the Living Water.
Let him who is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
You are being renewed – remade in the likeness of His dear Son, for your benefit, so that Christ is all and in all – in your life.
God Who knit you together in your mother’s womb scheduled every day of your life.
God delights to exercise our faith in life, and His purposes span the ages to come.
Waiting Heart
Don’t rush out and try to rectify what you perceive as a mistake or you could stay the hand of God and prevent His better purpose in your life.
Will of God
Throughout His life, Jesus has one purpose for living – to do the will of the Father.
Luke writes to tell us that the young Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man. Luke 2:52 Christ never deviated from His sole life’s mission – to carry out His Father’s will.
God-Man
Christ never wavered throughout His life from the purpose for which He came.
The Father
The life of Christ was not to be an expression of His own character and personality. His whole being was to demonstrate the attributes and character of the Father above.
His teaching was about the very life of His Father.
Identified with Him
Throughout His life, Christ identified with us so that we could be identified with Him.
He showed us by His own life that this was the way that God expects all men to live.
His sinless life and perfect example demonstrated that in Him we too can live godly.. not in our own strength, for in ourselves dwells no good thing. But in His strength and power and sufficiency we CAN live godly in Christ Jesus.
but so that He could become our LIFE in US – so that in HIM we too can live godly in Christ Jesus.
Perfect Life
Because He was perfect, we could never COPY His life – for we are not perfect.
So the only way that we can live LIKE Christ is to have HIS LIFE IN US. But in order for His life to become OUR life, He first had to pay the penalty for our sin. And only He could pay that penalty, for only He was perfect and lived perfectly.
Perfect Sacrifice
His perfect life made Him the perfect candidate to be the one and only perfect sacrifice.
His resurrection broke the power of sin in our life, for all that believe on His name. And because the power of death was broken in US, we have HIS LIFE IN US.
One Purpose
Throughout His life, Jesus had ONE purpose for living - to do the will of His Father.
Throughout our life we should have one purpose – to let Christ be formed in us..
Deep Love
John had experienced the love and forgiveness of Christ in His own turbulent life, for this son of thunder who thought to strike others with fire and brimstone..
The source of our Christian life is a Person, and the growth of that life in us is a gradual process - comparable to a grain of wheat, or a branch in the vine.
A person whose ancestors for three or four generations have all been Christians, may inherit their virtues; but although affecting his life for good, they do not count before God as righteousness, for they are not the fruit of the directly imparted divine life.
Sustaining Peace
Just because we are Christians does not exempt us from the problems in this life. Indeed, not only did Paul remind us to be patient in tribulation… but in order to be one with Christ, we need to participate in His suffering - the fellowship of his sufferings, with patient endurance.
Life is never easy. Life is full to the brim with sufferings of the body and disappointments of the heart.
Weariness of body; sickness of mind; frustration of the soul, and hurt to the heart fuse together, and all combine to draw our attention and focus on self – self-interest, self-pity, self-indulgence – just self! Worries; angers; anxieties; vexations; disappointments and busyness of life…unite..
they integrate, to draw our attention and focus away from the One Who sustains all life.
One Day – Soon
It will not always be like this. Life will not always be restricted inside this mortal frame.
Hushed Anticipation
To this end we have already been made children of God, partakers of His Life, and the whole of creation groans to see the day when we shall be brought into glory.
“Christ”
When we refer to Him as ‘Christ’ we express His mission, function and life-work.
A ministry and work that is linked with the very Spirit of God, for He shall baptise with the Holy Spirit, and with the fires of judgement, for He was made a quickening, life-giving spirit. 1Cor.15:45
Life Circumstanced
We are daily surrounded by the drama of difficult circumstances..
the trauma of hurting people; the crisis of life’s myriads of problems; of the intense pain of a precious loved one; of the deep darkness of depression’s icy grip – the disappointed heart..
Christ’s Life
Root out all areas that shadow Your holy Presence from me.
After receiving the instruction, we have to return to the ordinary activity of a life of responsibility, and to those relationships with our brethren in which love is developed and exercised, as it is put to the proof, either in the assembly or in individual relationships.
Denying Self
Assuredly this entreaty to the Father demonstrates a life given over to the love of God..
demonstrating the final step in a life that lived, from start to finish, unto God. Demonstrating the concluding comment in a life..
exemplified as ‘good‘ – demonstrating a life that denied self..
a life teaching us that we should also, only do the things the Father shows us to do.
exemplified the life lived unto God.
Paul explained how we too can live that same typical, exemplary life unto God.
and it is in that same power that we will be quickened to live in newness of life. For it pleased God that in Him, should all the fullness of the Godhead dwell bodily.
as we live out this life of affliction and woe – as His representatives on earth.
Patient endurance under life’s tremendous testing trials is the saint’s chief objective.
Tremendous Trials
Patient endurance under life’s tremendous trials and testing is the saints chief object, and overcoming is the beneficial product of a believer who patiently-endures – and works of righteousness are the clean, bright, shining clothes of the bride.
Saints taken to the extreme limit of their endurance under life’s trials and testings, are exhorted to hold on..
The Daily Round
Life is full of busyness and chores and things to do and activities to be done. The daily round of daily life certainly keeps us occupied..
There is no sin in such everyday tasks and necessary activities, but they can be weights, distractions, and stumbling blocks in our spiritual life.
They can take our focus from what is truly important – to the ‘urgent‘ things of life.
Discouraging Distractions
We live a life of busyness and chores and things to do and activities to be completed. We live in an anxious and instant society, with it’s ‘must have it now,’ mentality, and sometimes we lose sight of the fact that our spiritual development takes a lifetime – God is in no hurry to pander to our desires for instant answers.
Important Focus
We are told to lay aside every weight and every distraction and fix our eyes on Jesus. We are reminded to set aside the sin of disbelief that so easily torments and frustrates us. We’re encouraged to run with patience the race set before us and keep Him in focus. We are clearly told to look away from the urgencies of life to the important One.
He is the ‘all in all’ that we require for life and godliness, and it is all to be discovered in the Word of God.
Jesus said to them: “I am the Bread of life: he that comes to Me shall never hunger; and he that believes on Me shall never thirst” John 6:35 But He also warned us against adopting the ways and traditions and doctrine of men..
The practices of much of Christendom today, would have been regarded as disgraceful – and viewed with stunned shame in years gone by. The growth of sin in the corporate life of nations and the domestic life of individuals, causes one to tremble as one kneels at the feet of a Holy God.
And every day of this life is a step forward from the things that were.. to the things that shall be hereafter, For we are confident of this very thing - that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work..
will day by day and step by step continue His perfecting work, in your life and in mine..
A New Creation
A new creature; a new man; a new creation; a new nature; a new life in Christ. A new body that is being conformed into the image and likeness of her Saviour – a unique body that is possessor of the life of Christ and the nature of her Lord.
His family is to include both Jew and gentile; male and female; slave and freeman. Not only the Spirit’s life breathed into us but His very life indwelling our frame – and then the most astonishing revelation is given to the church – which is His body.
Abiding Fellowship
A life that is submitted to the leading of the Spirit of God walks in spirit and truth.
A believer that abides in Christ is a life that maintains fellowship with the Father.
The Father’s Will
Throughout His life, Christ listened to every word proceeding from the mouth of God.
The meat and drink that sustained His spirit, was to be obedient to the will of God... for He lived in willing submission to God’s training programme for His life, and even though He was God’s Son: He learned obedience through what He suffered.
Hebrews 5:8 And His life is to be the pattern of our life if we are to live in abiding obedience.
When we act independently of God, our disobedience affects our Christian life, and disobedience affects fellowship with the Father and halts our spiritual growth.
Humble Submission
It seems that for a little time at least; the Lord was among the followers of John! He had humbled Himself for many silent years under the authority of His parents, and He seems to have spent some time learning from the ministry of the Baptist. What a wonderful example we have in the silent years of our developing Saviour. Though little is written of His life and learning there are many little clues that demonstrate that the Lord Jesus lived His entire childhood and early adult life in humble submission to those that were in authority – as He waited for God’s timing when He would continue His long, painful..
Learned Obedience
Every step down the pathway of His life was with His Father’s business in view. Every stride He took was in humble obedience to the will of His heavenly Father. Every moment of His journey through life was lived out for you and for me.
Christ’s entire life was in preparation for His final victory at Calvary..
for He learned obedience, throughout every stage of His life, through the things that He suffered as a babe; as a child; as a youth; as a learner and teacher, and as our Saviour.
All through his life, Jacob was identified by God as His chosen son..
but for much of his life, Jacob determined to do things his own way and not God’s way.
Yet Jacob shrewdly schemed and cleverly planned his way through life.
Jacob had fought his way through his life with his father and mother.
Jacob had fought his way through his life with his brother Esau.
Jacob had fought his way through his life with his uncle, Laban.
Jacob’s Lesson
And through his life, God blessed Jacob in many ways and Jacob prospered.
‘Save me from the wrath of my worldly brother, who seeks my life‘ he whimpered, “I will not let You go unless you bless me,” was his cry as he feared his brother’s rage.
God had to be given His rightful position in Jacob’s life.
That night, Jacob became insignificant in his own eyes for the rest of his life.
Uniqueness of God
There is a time before time began. There is a place before space existed. There is Life before all things created were spoken into being, There is God – Who alone can claim I AM that I AM.
But man prefers to remain the crowned king on the throne of his own life.
The old Adamic self-life must die-to-self and remain in the place of death – this is an uncomfortable position indeed!
Let us examine every nook and cranny of our life so that we can say with Paul:- I have been crucified with Christ.
A total identification with the oblation was pictured here – a full transferral of trespasses, as sins passed from the sinner to the sacrifice. The innocent animal was to die. The guiltless creature was offered in the stead of the sinner. The life of the sinless beast was thus to be fully accepted – fully accepted as the life of the sinful man.
Innocent for Guilty
And day after day the bloody ritual would signify covered sins for another day – a life for a life, which meant innocent death in order for the guilty to live.
His death/life has also made necessary the transfer of His sovereignty to us.
He was the willing victim, Who spent His life and shed His blood for me.
Should not I fully identify with this blessed Saviour and Lord, every moment of my life, forever and ever, AMEN.
A Peculiar Nobility
Have you faced death to self – the crucifixion of your soul? Only if you have, will you see life and living in its true perspective. Only then will a peculiar nobility, with its roots in humidity be displayed in you.. as a stately strand of godly meekness, ribbons through into your entire character. Death to self often comes through suffering and there are two outcomes of suffering.
Christian Living
A man’s profound, solitary spiritual life is between himself and God alone, but life’s superficial activities may replace a Christ-centred life with a self-centred one, Am I willing to permit God to dominate both my profound and shallow activity? Am I prepared to allow Him to influence both spiritual and superficial things?
Spiritual Life
It was once written… No one ever becomes spiritual without being fanatical for a season.
It is the swing of the pendulum to the opposite extreme of what the life used to be.
Our Father is going to teach us, mainly through personal failure, that the life we live is the life of our Lord Jesus alone.
The Christian life is not our living a life like Christ, or our trying to be Christ-like, nor is it Christ giving us the power to live a life like His; but it is Christ Himself living His own life through us; no longer I, but Christ.'
There is no answer to infidelity like the life of the Lord Jesus displayed through the Christian.
We desperately try to imitate Christ’s perfect life but tumble flat on our faces.
It is a seemingly ideal life that is so often generously laid before the believer!!
A life of quiet and calm; a life of hope and fulfilment: a life of peace and rejoicing... a life of unbroken fellowship with the Lord; a life of love and joy and hope; a life nestling in the bosom of the Father; a life where darkness has melted away; a life where sorrows of the night have softened into joy of an eternal morning.
Ideal and Actual
Such a model etches a rude distinction between the ideal and the actual. A life of noise and clamour; a life of darkness and disease; a life of pain and despair; a life of where the Lord seems distant; a life lacking love, joy and peace; a life of sorrows and sin; of sickness and sadness; deterioration and death.
What do you think of the ideal life so generously laid out before the believer!
The Christ-Life
But as so often in life we sometimes miss the forest for the trees.
We are not to imitate His life but to participate IN His life – in the Christ-life.
Dependence on God
The whole of Christ’s life was lived in dependence upon the Spirit.
The whole of His life was submitted to the will of the Father.
Throughout His life, Christ chose to walk the way of obedience to God.
Throughout His life, He listened to the Spirit and walked in spirit and in truth.
We have conceived of the Christian life as an imitation of Christ.
After months, even years of deep darkness and soul struggle to realise more life, more holiness, more power in his soul, I finally come in utter self-despair to “rest upon the Faithful One.” The sweetest part, (if one may say of one part being sweeter than another) the sweetest part is the rest which full identification with Christ brings.
Permanent Relationship
When we first believed in Jesus we were placed in a permanent relationship with Him. The old former life in Adam was forever replaced with our new, eternal life in Christ. We who were dead in trespasses and sins were made fully alive and given His life.
God looks on the heart and He knows!! He became our life by means of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.
Life of Christ
Forgiveness at the cross is the first of numerous acts of the Spirit in a new believer… but from the beginning, we are placed in Christ.
We share in the LIFE of Christ, and this is the testimony... God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12 Faithful is the saying - For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. 2 Timothy 2:11
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness.
Thus it will be a sharing of life, through which others will be born and will grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).
A Saviour born Who is Christ the Lord, Cancelled the sins of all who believe; Eternal life – a gift to all who receive.
Letters of Grace
Often a sermon on salvation is beautifully woven into the initial letters of GRACE, G – Salvation is a Gift of God – a Good Gift that is Granted to allR – Salvation is Redemption – Received by faith, Reuniting us with GodA – Salvation is Accepted by God’s love, Available to All, Accessible through faithC – Salvation Comes thru Christ Crucified Who paid the Cost at the CrossE – Salvation Ends in Eternal life and is an Everlasting gift – and an Escape
We have not been left as orphans or widows but have been filled with the Spirit. The Lord has equipped each one of us with His Spirit of unity and His Spirit of life.
Ephesian Promises
We are empowered with the indwelling Spirit to work in and through us – now. In Ephesians Paul outlines the work of the Spirit in a life that is submitted to Him..
We have the Spirit of fullness, making all our life spiritual:- don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit.
So do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.Romans 6:13
Bottom line... total dependency on God in our Christian life is the only acceptable way, but when we yield to His Spirit within, He works through us for our eternal benefit.
The Works of God
The only way that man can work the works of God, is to depend upon God completely. The only way that a believer can live the Christian life pleasing to God, is in His power.
Scripture clearly tells us that yielding to God’s power in life is the only acceptable way – while trying to please God in our own human vigour is never acceptable to Him.
Name of Jesus
This is a lesson that so many Christians simply fail to understand or to apply, and the result is a life that is lived in defeat instead of a victorious life in Christ.
Trust in God
Indeed, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God. 2 Corinthians 1:9 So do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
If that is true universally, and if that is true sovereignly and providentially; if that is true not only in the whole history of things in this universe, but true in a special way in human life, it is true, perhaps, in the most essential way in the Word of God as the expression of God thought.
Many can fluently list historical facts of His life, or other documented chronology.
Many see His life as a model to emulate, and His works as an ideal to imitate. Many regard the belief system that has built up around Jesus as one worth following. Many see His epistemology as truth worth seeking out – knowledge worth acquiring.
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End.
Is He the love of your life and the joy of your heart?
Fully Man
As fully Man – He was born as Jesus of Nazareth - the carpenter’s ‘Son. He started life as a Seed in the virgin’s womb – begotten of the Father and born. As the God-Man, He is the unique Person of the Trinity – the Christ of God.He is appointed Heir of all things – Judge of all men – Pre-eminent among people.
Beginning of Faith
The Christian life begins with a simple act of faith – believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
This one small act of trust brings us out of sin and into salvation; out of darkness into His perfect light; out of Satan into Christ in God; out of death into life; out of despair into hope – out of ashes into beauty.
But the Christian life continues on, in this same principle of trust.
At the start, the grateful love of a cleansed life was your rapt enthrillment.
Maturing Faith
But as your believing life progressed, God sought to take you deeper into Himself.
I do it until you are nothing and I am everything in your life.
His Peace
God tells us that life with Him is never immune from difficulties, but He also tells us that He gives us peace – peace, within our stresses and strains.
Our difficulties, doubts, stresses, and strains can be underpinned with His peace, for He is our peace – and peace can become our vesture in the turmoil of life.
He is the love in our life. For our light afflictions which is but for a moment, worketh in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where-unto ye do well that you take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19
individuals who through patient endurance will finish life’s race.
An Example
Paul who throughout his life spread the gospel in every part of the known world, reached toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He wrote…. I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind I reach forward to those things which are ahead.
Paul at the end of his life..
eternally saved on the road to Damascus years before – earnestly strove at the end of his life to attain to BEING made conformable unto his death.
Life of Faith
By faith we BEGAN… 1 Corinthians 15:1-4By faith we STAND… 1 1Corinthians 16:13By faith we WALK… 2 Corinthians 5:7 Colossians 2:6By faith we LIVE... Galatians 2:20By faith in CHRIST and by faith in Christ alone.
And only then do we find that we have learned the lesson of faith; to find our tiny craft of life rushing onward to a blessed victory of life and power and service undreamt of, in the days of our fleshly strength and self-reliance.
Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so, we also should walk in newness of life.
Moment by moment I’m kept in His loveMoment by moment I’ve life from aboveLooking to Jesus, ’til glory doth shineMoment by moment O Lord I am Thine
Where is He in the trivial toil of today – and the daily routines of life?
Word of Life
Surely it is the Word made flesh that should be the thing that moves us.
Should not the words of our worship focus on the Word of Life.
Should not these simple hymns of truth be applied in every moment of life?
Should He not have access into every nook and cranny; corner and crevice of life?
Do we allow Him into each decision of life – each conversation – each activity?
Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;Moment by moment I’ve life from above;Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.
Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine;Living with Jesus, a new life divine;Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.
Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;Moment by moment I’ve life from above;Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.
A disproved hypothesis must be fanned into life – to submerge the awful truth, that man is accountable to a higher Being and not master of his own destiny.
Are there areas in your self-life that you want to hang onto a little longer?
but the shocking, appalling, scandalous, odious thing is that there’s no good in me. All that is of me and my flesh must go if Christ is to be all in all in my life.
And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent (John 17:3).
The heartbreaking knowledge of self brings a life-giving compensation, which is knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is the normal course of a true, Holy Spirit-governed Christian life that, in order to get through, an increase of Christ, a growing discovery of Christ, is necessary. -T.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom 8:2).
“The believer who sees that self is incurably evil (‘know’), and that it has been taken into death (‘reckon’); who gives self utterly to that death as he sinks before God in dependence and surrender to His working (‘yield’); who consents to death with Christ on the Cross as his position, and in faith accepts it as his only deliverance; he alone is prepared to be led by the Holy Spirit into the full enjoyment of the Christ-life.
I cry for resurrection, for Life, for something to happen, for a filling, a consciousness, a sensation, a movement, an energy, a omething.The Lord answer is, i>I am the resurrection and the Life at any moment, in My will, anywhere.Oh that we might live on that ny moment anywherebecause of Him!
i>This is life eternal, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.Do you not understand?
This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (1 John 5:11 NIV)
If we are turning to teaching, to tradition, to interpretations, to human associations, to Christianity, we are going to miss something, but if we are turning to the living God, in the realization that He is the living God, we are going to come into Life; everything is going to be all living in our experience right from the beginning.
I do know that it is true to fact in the life of a great many, that the day comes when, though they have been associated with the things of the Lord for a long time, they suddenly wake up to the fact that the Lord is a living Person.
Confidence is an essential and inevitable fruit of this knowledge, and in those who know Him there is a quiet restful strength which speaks of a great depth of Life.
Woman in Labour
Isaiah, Jeremiah and others described their own life-testimony as a woman in labour, and Jesus likened the end-time tribulation to a period of intense and painful labour: – a woman, in labour, has sorrow because her hour has come.
The blessed position of a Christian is, that he has died even to the best things of the world, religious and otherwise, and he is alive to the highest things in the presence of the Father; for the Lord Jesus Christ is his life, in whom he is hidden (Col. 3:3). -W.K.
In Christ Jesus we are motivated by a higher law, the law of the Spirit of life' (Rom. 8:2).
But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the [Holy] Spirit of God [really] dwells within you - directs and controls you (Rom. 8:9, Amp.).
Bread of Life
Jesus claimed to be the Bread of Life, and all who eat of Him will live... but this truth was a difficult statement for many of His followers to accept and from that time many of his disciples went back, and walked with Him no more. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
Often it’s a distortion developed in early life, through the actions or attitudes of others.
Word of God
Jesus said I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, but what exactly does this mean?
Well, it means that Jesus Himself is the Way and the Truth and the Life!
I AM THE WAY I AM THE TRUTH I AM THE LIFE
Developed Distortions
Some people do play ‘pick and mix’ with Scripture to resolve life’s experiences and throughout Christendom many good men ‘clip’ and ‘cut’ the Word of God.
It may be distortions, developed in early life, through the actions or attitudes of others.
If there is any conflict with the Word of Truth in your life or mine..
Two Instructions
Jesus said during His earthly walk, take My yoke upon you and learn of Me.” Paul later challenged us when he was sharing about the risen Lord to “learn Christ”.The indwelling Spirit of Christ is to be our life in everything that we do. There is an enormous change and challenge between these two instructions.
It is important to know about Christ, but for a victorious life, we must learn Him.
Earthly Life
During His earthly walk, the disciples were encouraged to learn about Jesus. They were to watch His walk; to witness His character; to observe His attitude. They were to obey in His commands, abide by His teachings and they were to hear Him. During Christ’s earthly walk, His followers were challenged to learn about Jesus.
It was no longer to be an imitation of His life but an identification with Him.
The permanently indwelling Spirit of Christ is to be our life in all that we are.
Early in Christ’s ministry, the disciples believed the Lord because of His signs, but to develop into mature believers, they were to be participators of His life.
Victorious Christian Life
Today, objectively imitating Christ will result in a stunted Christian life.
Today, subjective participation in Christ’s life will avail a victorious Christian life.
We are to identify with the indwelling Spirit of Christ, Who is our life.
Learned Obedience
Christ’s earthly life was a pre-cross life of humiliation – a life of learned obedience.
Submitted to God
And so His life was one of submission to the Father, for He prayed Thy will be done. His life was lived in subjection to the Spirit, so the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him.
Christ lived a perfect life and was the perfect example of perfect humanity.
It is not an imitation of the life of Christ but an identification with Christ Who is life.
To learn Christ is the mark of a life governed by the Holy Spirit.
To learn Christ is a life that delights to say to the Father, Thy will be done. To learn Christ, is a life that is continually, and evermore occupied with Jesus.
In Romans Seven Paul is describing the inevitable conflict that every believer knows when he undertakes to lead a holy life on the principle of legality.
Still you restlessness and hand Him the reins of your life.
His Peace
The way will open up as we hear the still small voice saying.. this is the path walk in it – these are the words speak them. No evil shall befall you for I AM your God, and I have scheduled every day of your life.
Lay Aside Unbelief
When we look to Jesus, we have no option but to lay aside all that hinders our walk. When our faith is the Lord we have to remove our trust in ourselves and in the world. When we trust the Lord, we look away from the circumstances of life and rely on Him, alone.
God uses all the trials in life for our sanctification – and we are to patiently endure.
Sanctifying faith is living our life by faith in Jesus.
Spiritual Maturity
God also desires that we are faithful and diligent in our prayer-life for He knows that prayer is a beautiful channel of heavenly grace and spiritual maturity that is poured out in abundance upon those that sit at His feet, listen to His voice and trust in His word.
The law is not our rule of life' for the simple reason that it was the Israelite's.
Holy, just and good' it is, but the Christian's rule of life is in Christ. . .
Any aspect of life or conduct which is undertaken in dependence on the energy and ability of the flesh is, to that extent, purely legal in character, whether it be the whole revealed will of God, the actual written commandments, or the exhortations of grace.
“It is a harmful perversion of the truth of God to teach (as did the Puritan theologians) that while we are not to keep the law as a means of salvation, we are under it as a ‘rule of life.’ Let a Christian only confess, ‘I am under the law,’ and straightway Moses fastens his yoke upon him, despite all his protests that the law has lost its power.
Life of Grace
Once we have been saved by grace, we are to be sanctified by grace; to grow in grace, and to mature in the faith – to live our lives “grace-promise-faith” way.
They substituted the promise of the Christ-life for a works-orientated life.
They replaced the life of faith for one of living by self-merit.
They exchanged a spiritual life for a carnal walk.
We know that keeping the law will never save us and we should know that living the Christians life under the law will never sanctify us.
Roots of Legalism
The root of all Christian legalism is often trying to live our Christian life to please God.
We have to rid ourselves of the notion that God blesses us because of who we are or what we have done – or anything connected with me, my works or my life.
On the death side, we are to receive deliverance from sin's power through the Spirit from the Cross; on the life side, we are to receive growth through the Spirit from the Lord Jesus.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death' (Rom. 8:2). -G.G.
That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh (2 Cor. 4:11, ASV.).
But there is one: the life motive.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).
Hence there is only this left for us - to die to the law, and be joined to the risen Lord Jesus in a resurrection life absolutely beyond the sphere of the law. -W.R.N.
The law is for the man who departed from God - that man has been removed from God's sight in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and I rejoice that now by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus' I am free from the law of sin and death' (Rom. 8:2).
Not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life (Heb. 7:16).
To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life.
If, in the midst of others, the Lord can get but two of His children, in whom His Life is full and free, to live on the basis of that Life, and not to seek to gather others to themselves or to get them to congregate together on the basis of their acceptance of certain truths or teaching, but simply to witness to what Christ means and is to them, then He has an open way....
Growth is by Life, and this, to begin with, may be by the entering into Life of but one soul, and then after a long waiting time of another; or it may be more rapid.
But the point is that it is increase because of Life.
For the growth of His Church, the Lord must have Life channels, Life centers.
I believe that, given a Life center, sooner or later one of two things will happen, that it will be abundantly manifest that Christ is fully and finally rejected there, or else there will be an adding, a growth.
There is tremendous power in Life, and the Life of the Lord either kills or quickens.
He is a savor of Life unto Life, or of death unto death.
This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent.John 17:3
He has seen Christ's beautiful life.
God Incarnate
He did not know Him as the One that was revealed of the Father. He did not know Him as the Divine glory, full of grace and truth. He did not recognise the radiance and life that streamed from Him. He did not know that: this is My beloved Son in Whom I Am well pleased.
Intimate or Afar
Not to know the Lord in this capacity is not to know Him as all. Not to know as the Son of God’s love is to miss out on intimacy with Him. We may be quite familiar with the facts of Christ’s life – His birth in Bethlehem; His marvellous miracles; His ascension from Olivet.
We may know the prophecies that tell of His life and death and even His return.
It is akin to a seed: the life of the Lord Jesus within must grow; and it would be against the laws of nature and grace alike if we expected from the babe in Christ the strength that can only be found in the young man, or the rich experience and stability of the fathers.
The process of conformity to the Lord Jesus' image is going on day by day in the growing believer's life.
As the maturing one gets a larger vision of his perfect Pattern through the daily study of God's Word, he takes higher ground along the line of that blessed revelation, so that his life is a progressive growing up into the Lord Jesus in all things. -R.P.
But the vine furnishes the branches, not only with the principle of life, but with the type of life. No pressure or molding from without is needed to shape them to the pattern of the parent stock.
A true believer, therefore, will ask no better thing of the Lord than that the life also of Jesus may be made manifest in his body (2 Cor. 4:11).
Straining, driving effort does not accomplish the work God gives a man to do; we must partake of Christ so fully that He more than fills the life.
It is by the appropriation of His death that I reach liberty and newness of life; that death has severed me from all that I was as in fallen Adam.
I have been crucified with Christ.' I am free from myself, and free to have the One who is my Christian life before me. -C.A.C.
Every fear to go down into daily death, ever clinging to that which belongs to us, every grasp on our own personal position or ministry, will only hinder the manifestation of His life.
It is to be life out of death.
For ye died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).
It is union with Him as the new creation, as the new creation Man; union with Him in the Life which is the life of the new creation by the Spirit of Life.
It is a matter of what God is doing, and life-union with Him in Christ for the accomplishment of that.
For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law (Gal. 3:21).
Whereas our liberty was won on the Cross, it is worked out in our daily life and experience by the Holy Spirit.
If ministers and teachers of God's Word would set saints free and establish them in the Gospel, let their preaching and teaching be based upon the sixth and seventh of Romans, the central theme of which is our union with the Lord Jesus in death and burial; and our resurrection and ascension with Him into newness of life; where not the law, but grace, reigneth; where not the letter but the Spirit, moveth the heart and life of the believer.
Law cannot give eternal life, nor have, therefore, any control over it. -L.S.C.
The entire history of the Lord's people, and of the spiritual life, is one of light and darkness, of truth and falsehood, of purity and adulteration or mixture, of clearness and cloudiness, of openness and secretiveness.... Truth may be in word, in doctrine, but there has to be a corresponding truth in heart, truth in life.
Breath Of Life
The dawn-chorus, which ushers in the first rays of sunshine to a sleeping earth, begins with the first melodious strain of a single little blackbird’s throat.
just as the lifeless clay body of man required the Breath of Life to light his spirit... just as the Spirit overshadowed Mary in the Incarnation of the Light of the World – so the Holy Spirit, the ‘Ruach’ of God, breathes in life and light.
Life and light to the dead sinner’s spirit: You, He also quickened.
Mystery Of God
Just as God’s directed light followed darkness and dawn at the world’s creation... just as dazzling light filled the newly formed clay vessel (Adam) with spirit and life – so is the new creation called from darkness to light, and from death to life. And here, in these wonderful words, God’s purpose was seen. The first sight of God’s amazing purpose was proclaimed:- a mystery and a plan... formed in the heart of God from before the world was created. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world…..” Rom.13:8. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery – even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world, unto our glory.” 1Cor.2:7
Light Of Life
To the saved believers, the light of His life cascades into a darkened soul.
The way of His wisdom is the way of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” Proverbs 3:17 But only those that follow His footsteps have quietness of spirit and amity with God. Only those who trust His love are in concord with themselves and with others. Only they who truly know how to die to self, utterly and completely – only they are truly at peace with life’s circumstances. They find no strain within; no hostility without; no alienation from God. They have no pricks of an accusing conscience; no unsatisfied longings or desires, for they trust in His love completely – for they know that: “all things work together, for good…” Rom.8:28
Walk of Life
Take the hand of the One that knows how to lighten those that sit in darkness. Walk with the One Who will truly guide your feet into the way of peace, and you will have contentment in this age despite the hardships and disappointments – and in the age to come – the Millennial Age, you will discover joys unspeakable, for you will live 1000 years, in time – time recaptured from the today’s devouring locusts. Only put your hand into His and say:- order my walk; order my every moment… order my way and my life to your good pleasure – for whither Thou goest I will go. What you decide I will accept.
That secret abode that houses all the deepest desires of your longing heart, with its affections and emotions; its passion and plans – that private place that buries all the deepest lacerations that life can throw at it; its failures and disappointments – its wounds and its pains – blameless. (i.e.
– the new life in Christ and not the old sinful Adamic nature).
With its ever-present outward link to this sin-sick world, that tramps the tempting dust and the seductive grime of earth’s pathways – with its deepest lusts through eye, or flesh, or pride of life – blameless.
We must never belittle that power of His work in a human life..
So take each prayer and take every promise at its full value and claim its full richness for your own life.
Living Life
Behold, this is the way we should live:- as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
A Righteous Life
Once in the Old Testament and three times in the New Testament we are told – the just shall live by faith.
The righteous man shall live by faith – a life of complete dependence upon God.
My righteous servant shall live by faith – a life that rests its entire trust on the Father.
It is through faith that a righteous person has life – a life of dependence on the Lord.
The righteous shall live by his steadfast life – a life of complete trust on God.
Galatians and Hebrews
In Galatians the main focus is on life – of the righteous person LIVING by faith, and how faith frees us from the curse of the law so we can LIVE by trusting God.
for without faith it is impossible for the believer to live a life pleasing to God.
Without faith, it is impossible for the Christian life to produce the fruit of righteousness.
But living a life of righteousness can only be lived by faith – dependence on God, and of course, faith has no merit on our part, for it is ALL by God’s grace.
Godly Living
Godly living – a righteous life, is a life that demonstrates dependence on God – an unfailing dependence on the grace of God in every area of life and living.
A righteous life is one that has come to rest entirely on God’s sovereign grace.
Faith says with Peter: to Whom shall we go, You have the words of eternal life.
Self Identified
When Self is identified as irreparably damaged and incapable of improvement, we are brought to the end of our 'self-life' and cry out at long last, “self must no longer have sway in my life.” For it is not the “old I” but the “new life in Christ” that lives, and it must only be Christ.
Phil.1:21 This is a truth that discerning men of God have come to understand, but often after many years or decades of heart-break when the struggle with the self-life ends up with a life broken before the Lord.
Romans 7:15), and, in consequence, he feels that the bottom has fallen out of his Christian life; and then perhaps the Devil whispers to him that it is just no good his going on, because he will never be able to make the grade.
All through life, God has to show us our own utter sinfulness and need, before He is able to lead us on into realms of grace, in which we shall glimpse His glory.”
He is being lovingly led by the Lord into death – the only basis of true Life.
Life’s Paradox
The Christian walk is one huge paradox: Success comes through failure. Life springs out of death. Hope arises out of despair. Joy is born out of pain: For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” 2Cor.4:11
God takes all things and God uses all things, for all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Rom.8:28 And He takes time – He often takes a life-time to gently lead one into this truth.
We shall take our place on the resurrection side of the cross, and in so doing we leave behind the old self-life for the new Christ-life.
To live in Him, Who is our life, is to be in the power of God.”
We must be willing to let all of Self be crucified, so that our life is not your own.
To rise into the newness of His life in you – the old Life must remain crucified, until the NEW Life in Christ becomes.. not I that lives but Christ that lives in me.”
You are to overcome in this life, as did Job, and you will reign with Him in the next.
Patiently Endure
Forget the problems of this life, for in this life you will have tribulation.
We are to patiently endure in this life.
We are to be rewarded in the life to come.
Hope in God
Our hope is not eternal life..
Our hope is to live this life, as unto the Lord.
Our hope is that our life comes forth as gold, silver, and precious stones – not as wood hay or stubble.
Strain every muscle to achieve until ‘life’ – So….what manner of man ought you to be?
Be Steadfast…
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Corinthians 15:58 This is LIVING LIFE
a sweet smelling savor. (a burnt offering) The Lord Jesus Christ offered up His life – as a 'sacrifice of praise' to the Father. He lived His life as a Burnt Offering. A burnt offering is just another word for a voluntary, non-compulsory sacrifice.
Burnt Offering
But as Burnt Offering, He gave His life as a pure act of voluntary worship..
a life, given unreservedly to God..
a sacrifice becoming a sweet savor to the Lord – to glorify the Father which is in heaven. For thirty-three years Christ yielded up His sinless life daily. His life was a daily 'sacrifice of praise' to His God.
For thirty-three years Christ’s life was lived as a living sacrifice – a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to His Father.
His Voluntary Sacrifice
Then on the cross, Christ yielded up His sinless life as a voluntary offering of Himself to God..
Our Voluntary Sacrifice
And this is what He asks of us - not just that we believe and are saved, but that we love Him all our heart and soul and mind and strength – and that we live our Christian life as a willing 'sacrifice of praise' . I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice – a voluntary offering – a ‘burnt’ offering a sweet savor to the Father… holy, acceptable to God.
The whole self-life in us has got to be definitely dealt with, and a great separation has to take place there.
Presently when he really enters upon his life work, his life service, one of the things that he will need most will be patience, and there is nothing more calculated to produce patience than the discipline of inaction.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me – and gave Himself up for me.Galatians 2:20
Union with Christ
At rebirth, we come into union with Christ, and I cease to exist as His life begins in me.
My old life in Adam is crucified and left nailed to the cross.
My new life starts to grow.
The new-life in-Christ takes time to grow – much time.
The new life in Christ takes a lifetime of growth.
Old and New Life
At the same time, the old self endeavours to get down from the cross and resume control – and a battle ensues between the old sin nature and the new life in Christ.
Although crucified with Christ, the old life desires to get down from the cross and reign supreme.
A constant tussle for supremacy between the old and new rages for the rest of our life.
Tug-of-War
Sometimes it’s not an easy decision for a believer to submit to the Holy Spirit of Christ, for the old nature lusts against the new life in Christ.
Often a tug-of-war ensues between the old sin nature and the new life in Christ, but the old life and the new nature can never live in harmony with each other.
All that is of me must go, All that I am must be nailed, once for all, upon the cross, and from that point on, we begin to realise the egotistical immensity of our self-life.
Die Daily
As we learn to die daily to all that is of self we begin to bear in our body His death in us. As we sacrificially yield all we are to the cross, Christ’s life starts to be formed in us, and in the measure that the Lord Jesus starts to increase, so the old 'me' must decrease.
By the power of Christ’s life working within, He becomes all as I diminish to nothing.
Austin Sparks
Austin Sparks made this profound observation: Everything which demands that we accept a fresh measure of the meaning of His death, means that as we accept it, there will be a larger measure of Him in risen life – so that the meaning and value of Christ risen, as an inward life, is a reproduction of Him in us – and there is no other way. The increase of the number of the Lord’s own, is not by joining something to the outside, it is by coming to the cross and dying – that is the only way.
From that point onwards He must increase and I must decrease, for we are identified with His death and with His life.
Christ is All in All
God’s long-term plan is that Christ is all and in all – and we are to be in Christ. As I cease to exist so the life of Christ begins to grow and develop in me. As my old self ceases to exist – so my new life in Christ begins to grow.
Growing in Grace
My old life in Adam is crucified and left nailed to the cross as the new starts to grow.
The new growth in the 'new life in-Christ'..
The new life takes time to grow – much time – a life-time of growing in grace.
Unbelieving Israel
Here was the God of life and glory, sent to redeem His own precious people, and He had to turn away bearing the precious gifts He wanted to bestow - the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matt 23:39 For I say unto you, ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, 'blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.'” Matt 21:43
He is the only Truth, the only Life, and the only Light that came into the world.
I poured over chronology and typology, from the start of Genesis to the end of Revelation and I eventually discovered the Man on the road to Emmaus – the One Who opened up the scriptures, which all point to Him – the One of Whom Paul said at the end of his life, that I may know Him.
Eternal Life
2000 years ago the children of Israel reflected the church of today. Many were more interested in thoughts of their deliverance than an interest in their Deliverer, and as a result they missed three years of untold blessing in their lives.
Many looked to the scriptures instead of the One about Whom they were written: you diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life – these are the Scriptures that are about me John 5:39
Straight Course
Hebrews is a book that is written to both encourage and warn Christians in their walk. It helps maturing believers to steer a straight life-course through this world of unbelief. It warns that faith in God is the compass that guides us through the dark storms of life.
4 Progressive Steps
FIRST:- We are to strip aside every part of life that hinders our growth in our Christian life, for a surfeit of earthly things, whether good or evil, will hinder our spiritual walk.
SECOND:- We are to renounce the besetting sin of unbelief, which has caused so many to stumble.. for what God requires of us all is that we have faith Him and trust His Word – for without faith in Him we are unable to grow in our spiritual life.
THIRD:- We are to travel through life with patient endurance as we maintain our trust in God.
Life Journey
The wise mariner takes every precaution to steer a straight course towards his port. He must be 100% correct in his navigation if he is to arrive safely at his destination. He must not plot his course on a movable marker not anchor his ship to shifting sands, and believers in the spiritual realm must be equally vigilant in our own life journey.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
Image and Likeness
The triune God created man in His own image with body, soul, and a spirit, and in His grace God gave fallen man a threefold life-experience with his Creator:- salvation, sanctification, and service, and it is all through the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a profound mystery, but the life-giving Spirit which comes through new birth is that same life-transforming Spirit of Christ that lives in each believer.
Life-giving Spirit
It the same life-transforming Spirit that does His work through each believer: until it is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in Me.
Sanctification
Norman Harrison wrote: The secret of sanctification is the cordial acceptance of a life thus bounded, with a joyful appropriation of the transforming power, found alone within these bounds.
True contentment in all of life’s trials only comes from Jesus and not from self.
True service emanates from recognising that Christ is Lord of our life, no matter what - for you are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1Cor.6:20.
But work - true work – work that lasts, is only effective if it is Him working in you: until the life that I live in the body is no longer I, but Christ Who lives in me. 1Cor.6:20
LORD → of your life, to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Divine Sustainer
Just gaze on, Jesus the true Vine and divine Sustainer, Who pleads:-abide in Me, Rejoice in the Father, the heavenly Husbandman – the surety of our growth and fruiting, Who removes those unfruitful areas in each precious life… to bring forth fruit, more fruit, much fruit.
Just gaze on Jesus and rejoice in the Father, Who challenges every jot and tittle of the life of the believer – until He produces.
Abiding in Christ
A life of entire consecration, to the glory of His name. A lesson of perfect conformity, to the nature and character of the lovely Lord Jesus.
Undoubting confidence in Him, producing a life yielded to Him alone.
His life received in into our life, as we recognise our position in Him.
and this is an incredulity to my arrogance! Is there not but one little thing that I can do? Is there not one little quality in my life that You can take and use? But the answer is unequivocal, unambiguous, indisputable, and clear….
This deep conviction of truth is an astonishment, and yet it lies at the foundation of a strong and spiritual life. Thus my impotence becomes my strength in Him, and my nothingness becomes my highest blessing..
All may be good and worthy causes and may be His call on a life..
Love One Another
This is My commandment… that you love one another – as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for a friend. These things I command you, that you love one another. Jesus said, THIS is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you… by this shall all men know that you are My disciples.
Uncompromising Trust
Much of Christ’s life exemplified how the man of God should live and pray. Christ’s life demonstrated an unfailing, trusting obedience to the heavenly Father.. a simple, uncompromising trust in the Father – that did only what the Father did.. a life that remained in continuous and ongoing fellowship with the Father.. a life that is in love with the Father and a heart that prays, Thy will be done – a life that translated into unceasing; persevering; grateful; obedient; trusting prayer. Christ’s life reflected a life of continuous; gracious; thankful; trusting communion.
Trial and Difficulties
Thanksgiving is not always a sentiment accompanying a life of trial and difficulties. Praise and worship is not the first behaviour displayed in times of desperate need. Grateful thanks are hardly an emotion we adopt when we are in deep pain or trouble.
Thanks and Praise
Yet mixed with diligence and obedience, thanks and praise is a highly potent weapon.. as exemplified in the lives of many saints of God – and even proved in my own!! – as evidenced in a number of passages in the pages of Scripture and beautifully demonstrated in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.
No life is a better illustration of man’s of ceaseless, purposeful, thankful intercession.
Use me to carry out Your will in my life – Thy will be done. Such is a prayer that all God’s children can pray – when His will is central, (but it can only be uttered by a continuing, persevering, thankful, obedient heart) I delight to do Thy will, were the words that fell from Christ’s lips… (I desire, I am grateful; I am thankful – I am well-pleased to do Thy will.)
It is knowing God is using your life to help achieve His eternal purpose.
All things in the life of all believers are working together for God’s good and for God’s end.All things are working God’s way to them that love their Lord – to those who are the called according to His purpose.
So often we apply this verse when we are going through difficulties in our life..
Trusting Obedience
Today, as for the Lord Jesus, we live the life of sorrow and suffering.
Point of Need
The Lord Jesus had a wonderful way of meeting with people at their point of need. He offered living water to the Samaritan woman at the well and promised that He would become in her a fountain of living water springing up unto everlasting life. To the hungry crowd He was the Bread of Life.
Startling Picture
But as with the woman; the hungry; the hurting and lost – Jesus met his specific need. He used the book of Moses and the wilderness wanderings as a startling picture. As Moses raised the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up – so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish – but will have eternal life.
Life Eternal
We will never know when Nicodemus finally came to an understanding of what Christ was teaching him, when he came to Jesus by night.
If I were God, I would do it this way… If I were Him I wouldn’t allow such and such to happen in my life or the life of others !!” You brainless man – you stupid woman! Do you really think you know better than Almighty God – how to achieve His plans and purposes?
Not just before the birth – but throughout her married life, and right until her dying day..
And all His life He was considered bastard..
and all His life his parents were mocked.
because the circumstances of life are not what WE think God should be doing. 'Oh foolish and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have said in His Word'... all that has been written in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation:
Saving of the Soul
Paul writes in First Corinthians 15: “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 1Cor.15:19. 'But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul'.
strengthen your brethren.' Luke 22:32 'Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the Desire comes, it is a tree of life'.
And though the power of sin has been broken in our life at the cross, there are times when we fall into sin, causing our fellowship to be broken, and so here we discover ourselves to be in a ‘Catch 22′ situation.
This is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom thou hast sent.John 17:3
This Disciple
Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me? This disciple had been with the Lord Jesus for three years. He had seen His beautiful life..
Facts of Life
Not to know the Lord in this capacity is not to know Him at all. Not to know the Son of God’s Love is to miss out on KNOWING Him.
We may be quite familiar with the facts of Christ’s life..
We may know the prophecies that tell of His life and death and even His return.
for ye died and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:2, 3)
The spiritual recession that occurs after the early joys of the new birth is not necessarily backsliding at all.
The discovery of the sinful old man is the first and foremost step in the discovery of the righteous Christ-life.
Redemption, we read, was the gift of grace, that was offered to the human race – so that whoever will believe on the only begotten Son of God will never perish, but have everlasting life.
God’s Shepherd
How curious that simple shepherds, who were so despised by the Jewish leadership, should have been the first to be told of the arrival of Israel’s long-awaited Messiah-King – for this tiny infant was also God’s Great Shepherd of the sheep – the Good Shepherd Who lays down His life for His sheep… and one day He will return to earth as the Chief Shepherd, Who will award the crown of glory to all the under-shepherds of God’s little flock, who have faithfully fulfilled the work that God has prepared for them to do.
Is not the reason of all this that we want to grasp the hidden wisdom of the Father with our mind alone, forgetting that the Holy Spirit intends to work it into the heart and inner life also? -A.M.
All he needs for maturity is encompassed in his new life. All a Christian needs, is in his new life in Christ and he is complete in Him, for nothing can be added and nothing can be subtracted – for Christ is ALL in ALL. He is ALL we need and we are COMPLETE in Him.
The Old Life
But the old life in Adam contains the antithesis of the new life in Christ. The old, sinful Adamic nature is the entire opposite of the new life in Christ.
Christ’s Life Within
The old sin nature of the old Adamic life must be crucified and remain on the cross.
The new life in Christ must be the life within that grows into the likeness of Christ.
We are a new man, with a new life in Christ – and all that is of the old must go.
The old and the new must not be combined, for the old life in Adam is at enmity against the new life in Christ.
Christlike Nature
It is not to be the old ‘ME’ but the new ‘ME’ that has supremacy in the life I live, so that it is not I that lives, but Christ Who in me Galatians 2:20… so that it is not the old sin nature but the new Christlike nature that develops – for ye are in Christ and ye are complete in Him. Colossians 2:10
Remain Crucified
The new life is additional to the old life in Adam – but it alone must grow and mature.
But conflict rages between the two for supremacy in the life of a believer... so the old must remain in the place of death – the old must remain crucified.
Process of Maturity
BUT… it does not end there. The new nature of the born-again believer makes that saint complete in Christ. This allows the life of Christ to be exhibited in the believer, which matures over time.
BUT, and this is important, mingling the old nature with the new life – retards the process and prevents maturity.
Christ Alone
Most Christians spend much of their Christian life trying to mingle the old with the new, and it just does not work!!!! BUT … and this is the astonishing thing, unless you try and fail, you don’t appreciate God’s principle of Christ alone.
Fruitfulness is all encompassed within the new life of Christ alone, and the new life in Christ is received at rebirth, by every believer.
God Works Within
We are to put off the old and put on the new and then... we are just to rest in Him, for it is God who works in us (through the new life in Christ) Both to WILL and to DO of His good pleasure.
Let Go and Let God
Why do we have to live our life doing God’s will... and for God’s good pleasure?
For all things in life work together for good, when we let go and let God… All things work together for good to those that are called…..
We may not be like Joseph of Arimathea – living the open secret life of a disciple, but each of us likewise, are called, cleansed commissioned and consigned to duty.
God-Orchestrated Mission
No blood-bought believer walked this earth without a God-orchestrated mission. Each day of my life was fashioned for me: when as yet there were none of them.
Men of Like Passion
Mighty men of yore like Moses or Isaiah, John the Baptizer or Paul, were each men of like passions – sinful to the core, men of unclean lips and lives. Each had to be buried in the waters of death to the old life of lust..
Are you living the life and performing the assignment apportioned to you? Are you living the thought and plans that God had for you before you were born, or do you constantly beat yourself because of your unworthiness to perform His will?
But it is Christ Who lives in me, and the life that I now live I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me – I myself no longer live but Christ lives in me Gal.2:20
Accepted IN Christ
Many believers fail throughout their entire Christian life to fully accept this truth..
Self-inflicted suffering is often the result of our own volition – our own wrong life-choices.
Wrong Choices
Some pressures we face are a direct result of the wrong choices we make in our life.
Have you ever made a bad choice in your life?
Just one simple bad choice can change the entire direction of a man’s life.
So many of the issues we face in life are clearly outlined in God’s word – if we would but listen.
Hos.4:6, but how often people make important life-decisions, based on anything but the Word of God.
I’ve made many wrong choices in my life and suffered many painful consequences, and it hurts.
Ignorance or misapplication of God’s Word can be very costly, but instructions for godly living can be found within the pages of God’s word, and we would do well to take it to heart and apply it to our lives as the pressures of life continue to mount.
Never forget that God’s word is life and health and wisdom and truth and His grace is sufficient, for Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path – forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heave
Seeking Happiness
Man seeks after happiness, fulfilment, contentment in so many different ways. Many seek it through the insatiable desire for wealth and riches in abundance. Others see it as just getting to the end of a week to escape from the rat-race of life.
Faith in Christ
Christ became a permanent resident in our heart the instant we trusted Him as Saviour. His indwelling Spirit took up His habitation on the basis of faith in God’s Son, but the Spirit of God has an ongoing work throughout the rest of our life… by faith.
Let us praise our gracious God for the BREADTH of God’s Superlative LOVE for God SO loved the world that He GAVE His one and only Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.Let us worship our Superlative God for the multiplied dimensions of His love.
It may not seem here on earth to mean very big things; wide open doors and all that, but somehow you may take it that there is Life there, spiritual influence there, something that is counting there.
But this does sometimes first of all necessitate that conflict with ambition where all those suggestions and influences have to be laid low, and we come to the place where we see that the way of Life is to go on with God though it costs us everything.
The law of the Spirit of Life works in that way.... The way of Life demands that we shall get before the Lord again, and say, ord, though all my earthly prospects fade, though all my ambitions are disappointed, it is You I want.
If I have You, these other things will count for much less.I believe that, as we can get there and not many of us have got a long way on that road but as we can get there, we find the secret of Life, of joy, of release.
But He lifted me out of the miry clay and raised me up out of the putrid filth and scum of my life – and clothed me in righteousness and put a ring on my finger, and hope in my heart.
So much of our Christian life is a matter of teaching, of things about Him.
Oh, he saw enough to take the heart out of any man at the end of such a life, but he did not say: or me to live is to see my life work standing as a monument, intact; to have all my old friends faithful and around me; to know that my message has had universal acceptance and appreciation!No!
True Image
Denominations and individuals alike envisage the God in whom they trust, and all too often the image that emerges is a distortion of the truth. All too often His resemblance has its poisoned roots in our early life. Role models we should trust and ached to believe in, let us down. Teachings of the church we attended or avoided..distorted God’s character, and over time, plus the input of life, God emerges – masked by our own imaginings. There are probably as many perceptions of God as there is sand on the seashore. But there is only one true character and likeness of God – the man Christ Jesus.
with God as a loving Father. The trauma and pain of life has caused many to colour their opinions of God, and failure of trusted loved ones – have built up distrust of His Word of Truth.
It is rather the rule of life that has influenced us all. We are all guilty of some distortion of God’s truth – some error in our thinking. We are all guilty – just as surely as each of us nailed Christ to the Cross.
We both twist God’s character in different ways. But our own distortions are unique to our own particular life-journey, and each, must recognise any erroneous thoughts of God that we have built-up.
Proud Perceptions
Each must be prepared to humble our proud perceptions, and confess our foolishness. Each of us on our life journey, have sought to understand the incomprehensible. I believe we must put away the erroneous opinions that we’ve developed of God. We must see Him as He is – not through the sinful lens of our own imagination.
My soul needs the living God – the One “Whom to KNOW is life eternal”.
ponder on the precious things of life.
We needs must value His fellowship, more than that of friends or family, until like Abraham we would willingly give up ALL we hold and love dearest in this life.
Grow in Grace
But – praise God this dear apostle, Peter, continues with the next verse. He explains in simple terms how this is achieved… 'but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Peter 3:18 We grow in grace and mature in the faith when we fix our eyes on the Lord, and the mature believer is the one that will not be overwhelmed by life’s circumstances.
We are made children through the new birth, but we can remain children throughout our Christian life.
And this I know – Jesus reached maturity through suffering, deep suffering – and too many Christians fail, for they want a cushy life on a feather-down pillow, but those that reach true maturity will be ones willing to participate in His lot.
Daniel was thrown to the lions, and experienced significant trials throughout his life, but Daniel became one of the greatest intercessors, for love of his people.
The Christian life is not regulated by Moses and the Law, but lived by the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Some good men who in grievous error would impose the law as a rule of life for the believer mean very well by it (for they strive to be pious); but the whole principle is false.
The law, instead of being a rule of life, is necessarily a rule of death to one who has a sin nature.
At first, we consider the shocking revelation of self the greatest of calamities; later, we realize that it is the pathway to the blessed revelation of our life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
and it is by faith in God that He performs this change – and He takes His time! God uses life’s circumstances, (good and ill).
to prepare us for ultimate maturity and though we are accepted in Him, we need to be conformed into His likeliness. And so God has built His universe upon certain unchangeable principles and precepts -life principles -relational principles -business principles -national principles. As with the dispensation of Law, there are specific of principles for the age of grace… for we are not under the law, but under grace.
and God uses this inbuilt operative of the human heart, to develop faith. God uses this innate function of man’s soul, to turn him from self to Christ. When others fail us, it is to the open arms of His comfort that we fly. When things go wrong, it is to the one source of His supply that we turn. When life’s circumstances shatter our hopes, we discover our ‘need‘ of Him.
“Not I, but Christ.” This God-breathed principle is uniquely established in the life of each believer. This living truth is specially fashioned according to our individual requirement. Christ talked of this principled truth in Matthew, by saying :- according to your faith be it unto you. Matt.9:29 – and likewise..
Life Through Death
At the soon coming of the Lord the believer whose life has been sown in dishonour; will be raised in glory.
Nehemiah 1:9 Nehemiah had lived his whole life in exile, but he never forgot the word of the Lord – and his prayer reflected a man that placed his full trust in the promises of God.
Man of Action
Nehemiah had spent his life in Persian captivity- far away from his homeland in Israel, but he had proved himself trustworthy- having been appointed cupbearer to the king. He was also a man of action.
If we are seeking to go on with God to any degree beyond that which is commonly accepted as a true Christian life; if we are called to pioneer the way for any further advance in spiritual life or Divine service; if we are given a vision of God's will and purpose not seen by the general mass of God's people or even the larger number of the servants of God ours will be a lonely way.
It needs that the heart be carried into the glory of Canaan beyond; in the present sense of peace with the Father, and the consciousness of standing in His present favor - the favor that is better than life. -F.G.P.
If you have a Cross and a grave in your experience, in your history, the Holy Spirit has got what He requires, and it is blessedly possible for you to have the abiding of this risen Life in which all these values are made good, and growingly good.
Oh wretched man that I am Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thanks be to God, Who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.Romans 7:25
Perfect Law
The Law of God is perfect and restores life.
Insufficient Law
The Law may be perfect and man may desire to obey the perfect Law of God, but it is insufficient to save a guilty sinner – and we discover it to be a ministration of death – for it tells us God’s standard for man, but then shows us that we can only fail. The Law may be good and spiritual and the born-again life in Christ may desire to keep God’s commandments – but the old sin nature is carnal and in bondage to sin. This is why Paul failed when he tried to keep the Law in the strength of his old fallen nature, which caused him to cry out:- Oh wretched man that I am!
Who will deliver me from this body of sin – and free me from this life that is dominated by death.
Restrictive Measure
The Law though perfect, had no way to remove the death sentence – so death reigned from Adam’s fall to Moses and continued to rule from the time of Moses to Christ. The Law was God’s perfect tool to direct us to Christ so that we might be justified. But the Law can be equally problematic to the one that has been justified, for if one starts to live a Christian life under the restrictive measure of the Law of Moses or any self-imposed legalistic system, it can only be done by the old sin nature being guided by the lust of the flesh and not the new nature in Christ, that is led by the Spirit of God.
Old Sin Nature
Paul discovered, after his Damascus Road conversion, that trying to live the Christian life in the power of the old sin nature was doomed to failure, causing him to cry out… O wretched man that I am!
Way of the Cross
Paul had discovered the answer was Christ – the way of the Cross – the only Way. His elated cry was: thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord. And this is how it works!!! Christ lived a perfect life and by fulfilling all the requirements of the Law, He was able to go to the cross and become the one and only Sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. This broke the power of death in His life and hence Christ rose from the dead.
The Father, Who has life in Himself, granted the Son to have life in Himself too.
He is given a new life – a born again life – the life of Christ – Christ’s very own life.
Open Secret
It was living his life, through the new-life in Christ, that was given to Paul – when he was born again, that was Paul’s open secret of how to live the victorious Christian life. It was living this new-life in Christ that broke the power of sin in Paul’s life. It was living this new-life in Christ that delivered Paul from the body of death. And it is living our Christian life, by means of the new born-again life of Christ in us, that will give you and me the victory over the power of sin in our lives too.
New-Creation
A new creation and new federal Head was to be the new order of redeemed humanity. New, born-again creatures in Christ – that were to become partakers of the divine life. A heavenly people with a heavenly inheritance – a heavenly king and heavenly home.
the promised life of grace upon grace is a free gift to all who receive Christ Jesus, but He must be received.
For as many as received CHRIST; the Messiah of Israel – Son of God and Son of Man; the giver of Life and Light of the world – the Author and Finisher of our faith….
A New Life
In Christ we belong to a new order – a new creation, with a new heart and a new life. The old self which used to be the dominating influence in our life has been exchanged.
We now have a new life in Christ and we are to dress ourselves in the spiritual man.
Christ in Me
However old or young in the faith we are we all are to put on the new man in Christ, We are to put away all that is old and put on the new – until Christ is formed in us. The new man is to be the manifestation of our Christian life – Christ living in me.
Take off the Old Life
The wonderful thing is that God, through Paul explained how to live.
Paul tells us not to walk like unsaved people, in the futility of their mind, being darkened by their understanding... excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them... because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.
Put on the New Life
He reminds us we did not learn Christ in this way, if we were correctly taught. He continues in reference to our former manner of life that – you are to lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
Godly Nature
Our new life has been created in Christ’s righteousness and holiness of the truth. And the old sin nature does not want to be superseded by the new godly nature.
Purposeful Life
The new nature wants us to put away anger that flares us in the heat of our flesh, for such behaviour gives the roaring lion an opportunity to devour our hope.
We have all been given a new nature in Christ – a new life in Him - Put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Ephesians 4:24.
Put On The New Self
We are to lay aside the old self, with which we were clothed in our old life, and put on the new set of clothes we received when we first trusted the Lord Jesus.
One hears much today about body life, with its emphasis upon New Testament gathering, rather than Christ-centered growth.
Where there is no Cross there is no life, and no ministry of life.
Churches, like the Church, are organisms which spring out of life, which life itself springs out of the Cross of Christ wrought into the very being of believers.
The Reformation brought back the birth truths, but the Cross and the Life truths are necessary for our growth.
So many rest content with the thought that their sins are pardoned, and that they are in the path of life, but know nothing of a personal attachment to the risen Lord Jesus Christ as their life, or of faith that lives in the invisible and walks with the Father.
The old life is neither to be recycled nor reformed.
We could not be saved by Him, and keep the life on account of which He died.
If there were true apprehension of the work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross - that He so bore the judgment on man that all the man who had offended against God has been judicially removed to His infinite satisfaction, and that He who saved us from death is now our Life - there would be a wonderful testimony to the grace of God.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free (Rom. 8:2).
As in the apostolic days so now the desire exists for the manifestation of the Spirit in marvelous ways; but a life sober, righteous, holy, lived in the hope of the glory to come, is the more excellent way of the Spirit's manifestation and undeniable proof of His indwelling.
Early in the Christian life we naturally feel that it is our obligation to overcome self and become spiritual.
The self-life is surely our first and most bitter foe, and the believer who will serve God acceptably must learn His way of victory over this subtle and dangerous enemy.
The flesh is irrecoverably fallen and you and I make no real progress in the Christian life until we have learned in experience to say with the apostle: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing' (Rom. 7:18). -J.C.M.
Paul's great endeavor, in all his great struggle of Romans Seven, was to make ‘the flesh,' his old self-life, consent to do that holy law which his new self approved.
And it was through this terrible experience that he found the new or inward' man to be distinct from the old man; that the realm of the spirit' was absolutely separate from that of the flesh', that all of the old self, with its life and energy, was to be despaired of, not sanctified.
For the death which He died He became, once for all, dead in relation to sin; but by the life which He now lives He is alive in relation to God (Rom. 6:10, Wey.).
If we attempt to prune the branches of the old life, we find that its root has thereby been strengthened.
But remember it is only as the Holy Spirit makes Christ's death a reality within us, that we shall know, not by force of argument or conviction, but in the reality of the power of an endless life, that we are in very deed dead to sin. -A.M.
Not by a stringent cutting off' of exterior things, nor by seeking a mental apprehension of death with Christ' in the conscious life, but by a simple reckoning upon His death as yours - shall you experience in the inner depths of your life, servant of God, the divine spiritual reality that Christ in you' is in truth your very life, displacing the old life of nature and continually making to die' its inclinations and habits
Once we come to rest in the fact of what He has accomplished for us in Christ, there need be no concern as to how and when He will carry it out in our daily life.
Every failure in life will be dealt with there, and all the wood, hay, and stubble will be burned in the fire of that day and we shall stand before our Lord unimpeachable, unaccusable. -H.A.I.
The principle underlying resurrection life is, of all things, death.
Only by thus standing in your position will you begin to experience the likeness of His resurrection.' Reckon on your life-union with Him.
Reject the old life on the basis of your death in Christ on the Cross, and count yourself alive in Him until He makes experiential your resurrection position.
The sharing of His life is our blessed experience just in the measure in which we share His death.
It was resurrection, and it is the risen life, shining forth in the believer, that alone can carry out the purpose of God in redemption.
When the standard of the Christian life is low, the responsibility for growth is placed upon the believer.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the Christian's very life, and the Holy Spirit dwells within our spirit to manifest Him, to work out all that is in Him and to reproduce Him in us.
This truth is very discriminating, and goes to the root of all matters of life and service.
In the unfolding of the laws of His own effective life the Master put tremendous emphasis upon the fact that the words that He spoke, and the works that He did, were not of (out from) Himself, it was the Father both speaking the words and doing the works.
Thus the law of effective and fruitful life, service, prayer, etc., is that there shall be such a oneness that we only do but surely do what He is doing.
That is giving diligence to keep the unity.... Life is by unity, and unity can only adequately be found in Christ being in His place as the One for whom we let go everything that is personal.
Is not that the tragic, dark story of the Church; man in his old creation powers and life pressing into the things of God, and making a name for himself?
There are things in life that are irreparable and there is no going back… his children, his property, his reputation, his hope – all had evaporated.
Cross of Christ
Man’s native wit shouts, 'this is not right, my life is tragic and unbearable, what must I do to be saved..?' Common sense screams that life was not created to face such heartaches – until, like the Job’s of this world, they face the brutal cross of Christ.
They Overcame
It is only the heart that has fully embraced the Cross that can withstand the attacks… vicious attacks of a vicious enemy that accuse the bedrock of a man’s belief in God. And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb. And they overcame him because of the word of their testimony, And they overcame him because they did not love their life – even when faced with death.
Pilgrim Life
When a Job is brought to an end of himself..
This is the one desire of the Lord in each pilgrim’s life. While a man can face and furnish his own desires, there is little need of a Saviour – but when a man denies self and rests in Him alone – this is the Way that God intended.
Balm of Gilead
God’s very hedge of protection around a faithful man of God often has sharp thorns; the sharpest of thorns - thorns which rip and tear at the heart.. thorns that take him to the edge of helplessness. But the balm of Gilead is waiting to be applied after life’s lengthy season of sorrow..
And also in the timeless ages to come – in life eternal, when He will wipe away all tears from their eyes.
This is a general difference, but it is a very great one, and it may represent all the difference between bondage and liberty, between limitation and fullness, even between Life and death in ministry.
And that applies to every stage of the Christian life.
If there are any reading these lines, who have never in the first place had their eyes opened to see, so that the result is Life eternal for knowing is only another word for seeing, and Jesus said, This is life eternal, that they should know Thee the only true God, and Him whom Thou didst send, even Jesus Christ (John 17:3); that they should know another word for seeing if you have not yet entered into Life, received eternal Life, remember that it will not just happen to you; it will not simply happen.
Spiritual Life is not only a miracle in its inception; it is a continuous miracle in this matter right on to the last.... We do not seek for new revelation, and we do not say or suggest or hint that you may have anything extra to the Word of God, but we do claim that there is a vast amount in the Word of God that we have never seen, which we may see.
You and I, on the broadest basis of the Christian life, are here... to represent a check; and because we are here for that, we shall be called trouble makers.
Before His cross His incomparable, innocent life prepared the Lord Jesus to be our perfect Sacrifice – our kinsman-Redeemer – so that we could be saved from our sins.
Obedient in Life
The Lord Jesus had lived His whole life in the world of men.
His miraculous conception, His humble birth in Bethlehem – His simple life in the little town of Nazareth where He laboured as the Carpenter, all prepared our Lord Jesus for His work on the Cross and equipped Him to become God’s sacrifice for our sin.
Obedient in Death
He lived His whole life in spirit and truth – doing only those things that He heard from the Father and in humble submission to the Spirit of God.
The Lord Jesus lived His life and died His death in humble obedience – learning to say, Thy will, not Mine be done.
Great High Priest
His life of obedience qualified the Lord Jesus to become our great High Priest, and as such, He sits at the right hand of the Father carrying out His high priestly ministry on behalf of all who are part of His body – all who believe on His name. As our great High Priest, He comforts and succours all those who are weary and heavy-laden and who come to Him for rest.
His high priestly ministry is founded upon the life that He lived on earth.
Sanctified Life
For 33 years our great High Priest, identified Himself intimately with the strains and stresses of this life.
His whole life was interlinked with the adversities, misunderstandings, weariness and pain, that is the equal-lot of all humanity.
The Lord Jesus Christ lived a sanctified life – a life set apart to God – a life separated from the world, so that all who trust in His name, could also be truly sanctified.
Let us quietly meditate on the following well-loved hymn and the role of the Holy Spirit in our life, as we submit to His leading and guiding willingly and submissively.
It all goes to prove this tremendous fact: that it is Christ IN you that is the indispensable necessity for Life and for work.... What a marvelous thing it is that we are in the dispensation when the one thing, above all others, that God will make true, is Christ in you Christ IN you!
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And He paid the price in full so that we could receive the gift of eternal life instead.
Salvation in Christ
The gift of God is salvation through Christ and eternal life is a beautiful consequence. Salvation is offered to all and given to those that believe on the Son of God: for all have sinned and the wages for all is death – but God sent His Son so that all who believe in His work on Calvary would be saved.
Total Righteousness
And His gift to all who trust on His name is a justifying righteousness:- regeneration; sanctification; glorification; a new creation in Christ, and the grace of God and peace with God, and faith and hope and love and joy, and the indwelling Spirit and a heavenly inheritance – and eternal life: for He washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Perfect Trinity
It is because He is holy and perfect. It is because He is perfect God and became perfect Man. It is because He has saved us by the blood of His perfect Son. It is because He dwells in us by His perfect Spirit. It is because He can do the perfect in our imperfect life. It is because He can do the impossible…. and so He demands the impossible of all His children – for things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Luke 18:27
The first man – Adam, in his disobedience to God had placed himself under Satan’s authority... while the second Man – the Lord Jesus, in His obedience to God, must also be made a little lower than the angels that He Himself created – if humanity was to be redeemed by His life-giving blood, and regain Man’s God-given rulership of the earth.
He paid the price for the sin of ALL people, so that whosoever believes on His name should not be condemned – but have everlasting life.
Fully Alive
When we first believed in Jesus we were placed in a permanent relationship with Him. The old former life in Adam was forever replaced with our new, eternal life in Christ. We who were dead in trespasses and sins were made fully alive and given His life.
God looks on the heart and He knows!! He became our life by means of the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit of God.
We share in the LIFE of Christ: and this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life. 1 John 5:11-12 Faithful is the saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. 2 Timothy 2:11
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness. He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world. 2 Peter 1:3
Price for Sin
When the Lord Jesus died on the cross His death paid the price for all sin, so that all who believe on Him would receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
Power of Death
His death is sufficient for it satisfied God’s judgement of sin, in your life and mine. His resurrection is sufficient for it broke the power of death in all who believe. Christ’s glorious sufficiency meets every need in this life and the one to come, and we are fully accepted by God for time and eternity, because of His sufficiency.
Christ is sufficient for every circumstance of life and He is all we need in everything.
Living Word
He is all we need in the ups and downs of life, its joys and woes, for He is sufficient.
He is the focal point of all Scripture, the great “I AM,” in Whom all revelation unites, for He is the Alpha and Omega of our life, the Beginner and Perfecter of our faith.
The sufficiency of Christ equates to our every need in this life and the one to come.
It is Finished
This is not a future hope... although it’s final manifestation is indeed future. It is a completed and finished fact in your life and in mine – as a child of God. Just as Christ defeated death and Satan, as once and for all he cried, It Is Finished… so these truths are accomplished and finished in your life and in mine.
Job is probably one of the fullest and most accurate 'types' of the Christian life.
Early in our Christian life the general conception is that God is a wonderful Helper.
Everything you need in the Christian life, no matter what it may be, comes from the Father alone.
You will see more and more the utter futility of trying to make yourself a keen Christian; that your best efforts are as futile as your worst failures; that your Christian life is to be a continual miracle that the Father must work every minute; that the only thing you have to do is to depend utterly, and altogether, and all the time on Him.
You get to the heart of everything in the case of the Lord Jesus when you recognize that the one question which constituted the testing ground of His life was: Will this Man act alone, speak alone, choose alone, decide alone, move alone?
Christianity can be made into an imposed system just as much as Mosaic law was, and there are many Christians today who live under the fear of the Thou shalt and the Thou shalt not of a legalistic conception of the Christian life.
You can take the Bible as God's standard for your life and try to fulfill it and yet still be burdened with a sense of constant failure.
It is God's standard, and it is a very exhaustive one which leaves no part of the practical life untouched, but those who make the effort to try to live up to it only end in disillusion.
To be in Christ is a matter of Life and not of legalism.
Blessed promise!If you aspire to be a son of consolation; if you would partake of the priestly gift of sympathy; if you would pour something beyond commonplace consolation into a tempted heart; if you would pass through the intercourse of daily life with the delicate tact that never inflicts pain; you must be content to pay the price of a costly education - like Him, you must suffer.
Oh, it is quite true, and we know it, that He is our Life, He is our Savior, He is so much to us and we are right when we say that we could not live without Him.
Language fails... that He has just so captured us, so utterly captured us, that not only is He our Life in the sense that we couldn't get on without Him, but that He is a passion for living.
The Lord Jesus was in our place of death and judgment; we are in His place of life and glory.
Romans Eight describes the experience of the believer who knows what it is to be in Christ, and who is being made free experientially from the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
On the other hand, we have life in One who is risen from the dead.
God has never been in a hurry to achieve His plans and purposes in your life or mine, and we’re instructed over again that patient endurance is the way of the believer.
The author of this book invites us all to travel along the journey of life this same way.
Let us.. strip of every hindrance in our life that inhibits our spiritual growth.
Let us.. run with patient endurance the life-race that is set before us.
Sowing and Reaping
The apostle Paul was a man that both taught and lived his life this way. He stripped away all hindrances and set his face as a flint to trust God unflinchingly, and Paul ran with persevering, patient endurance the race that was set before him.
Pattern for Life
The Lord Jesus Christ is our pattern for life and living – God’s representative man. He lived a life in submission to the will of the Father – Thy will, not mine be done.
He lived a life being guided by the Spirit of God, walking in spirit and truth. And the Lord Jesus Christ learned obedience through the things that He suffered.
Standard for Life
The Lord Jesus Christ illustrated the way that God ordained that man should live.
Obedience is a necessary step towards being conformed into the image of Christ. Obedience frees us from the bondage of sin to the liberty of life in Christ Jesus.
and in Him, we may be imputed with righteous. In one we received death and condemnation and in the Other, life and reconciliation, for as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners -so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.
Too often we regard obedience as rules and regulations limiting our freedom, but when filtered through the purity and grace of God, it delivers His life and light.
Paul yearns that we appropriate the multiplied riches of God’s grace in our life – today.
Fullness of God’s Love
As we abide in Christ so He will dwell in our hearts by faith – with thanksgiving.. That we may not only know about God’s love, but to know God’s love in reality.. that we not only know He is life – but to have His life living within our heart – that we might be filled will all the fullness of God’s love – as an actuality.
I don’t mean basing faith on emotional feelings which can fluctuate to and fro – but a trust that God provides sufficient grace no matter what we are facing in life.
Indwelling Assurance
When the indwelling Spirit works His peace within – we realise His residing power. When storms of life batter our being – His indwelling assurance gives perfect peace.
After the believer enters into life by faith, he wonders why it was so difficult for him to see that it was all of grace - the humble reception of a finished work.
And yet he goes through the faithless struggle once again before he sees that his daily Christian life is also a finished work - complete in Christ.
Peace does not, and cannot, exist in the fallen Adam life; and as long as the old man reigns within, there is going to be turmoil both within and without.
The more clearly we enter, by faith, into objective truth, or what is true of us in the Lord Jesus, the deeper, more experiential and practical will be the Spirit's subjective work in us, and the more complete will be the manifestation of the moral effect in our life and character. -C.H.M.
Right Sphere
How do we keep ourselves in the sphere of intimate love, trust and knowing God? Well – for all questions of life and death, Scripture gives the only answer. The Word of God is our sole plumb-line and one source of understanding and aid.
Submitted Life
When a life is submitted to His leading, He can produce the impossible.
The perfect God-Man lived a perfect life.
He lived the life God wants for each of us – here and now.
He lived a life where the cruelty and brokenness of sin could never permeate.
Our Circumstances
There is no circumstance in life so overwhelming that is beyond His control. There is no burden too heavy that He cannot carry.
Our Sin
There is no sin so gross that He cannot forgive. There is no life so ruined that He cannot make whole. There is no heart so broken and fragmented that He cannot restore. There is no deep desire of your heart that He can’t fulfil. There is no lack of anything which He cannot supply in full.
To be perfect means to be whole; to be healthy; to be mature; to be complete... just as the Lord Jesus was perfect – the perfect God-Man, Who lived a perfect life.
Our Life
To be perfect means to let Him live His life through us..
To let Him fill to the brim our void with Himself. To permit Him to mend the heart, broken by life’s cruel circumstances – to actually believe what God says.
Similarly, when the Father placed us in Christ,' He also made provision in Him for our whole life.
As with the seed that is buried once for all, but then disintegrates through a gradual process that sets free the new life, even so does the Father deal with our old man by delivering it to death with the Lord Jesus once for all, and then bringing about its mortification in detail through the circumstances of life, until the power of the flesh has lost its hold. -L.T.
Let us be very watchful that the inner life, communion with the Lord Jesus, be the true source of our activities.
Nearness to the Lord Jesus is the instinct of divine life, as we see in the first question of the two disciples who followed Him, Where dwellest Thou?' Why is not this the first question now?
We should ever remember that Christianity is not a set of opinions, a system of dogmas, or a number of views; it is pre-eminently a living reality - a personal, practical, powerful thing, telling itself out in all the scenes and circumstances of daily life, shedding its hallowed influence over the entire character and course, and imparting its heavenly tone to every relationship which one may be called of God to fill.
One of the true tests of one's spiritual growth is in one's influence: affecting others that they not only begin the Christian life but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
We may be made the means of conversion, but we will never help people on to a higher standard of spiritual life, and when we pass away a great deal of our work will pass away too. -A.M.
In the heat of controversy or under unjust criticism, haste of temper, slowness to forgive and forget, quick words and sharp judgments, often reveal an easily wounded sensitiveness, which proves how little the Spirit of the Lord Jesus has full possession or real mastery of the life. -A.M.
One may have a measure of relief and the assurance of eternal security because we trust the shed Blood and His finished work on the Cross, but when we come to divine favor and the reality of the Christian life, that is all connected with a Person, and inseparable from that Person. -C.A.C.
He demonstrates how He built a beautiful world that was designed for life and living.
Breath of Life
From the dust of the earth, that was spoken into being, God formed His own likeness.
The old sin nature meant that man could NEVER, EVER do what pleased God, but alongside the old sin nature was the new nature in Christ – the new life of Christ.
Innocent and Sinless
The old life we still retain – the old, fallen sin nature is totally incapable.
and because of His choice, we have His new life in US.
And because of His choice, we are been saved by His redeeming work have His new life in us.
Life of Christ
We have this treasure (THE LIFE OF CHRIST) in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Our free-will choice as believers is to let the life of Christ live in us, until it is not I that live but Christ that lives in me!!!
Sacrificial, because its source is the life of One who gave Himself a sacrifice, and stated that the path of leadership was by the lonely road of sacrificial service. -O.S.
This dominating attitude of Covenantism must account for the utter neglect of life truth (growth) in all their works of theology.
No more representative theological dictum from the Covenant viewpoint has been formed than the Westminster Confession of Faith, which valuable and important document recognizes life truth only to the point of imposing the Ten Commandments on Christians as their sole obligation, and in spite of the teachings of the New Testament which asserts that the Law was never given to Gentile or Christian. -L.S.C.
The Reformation took away one set of bindings, but bound the believers with another - and this has atrophied the spiritual life of multitudes. -D.G.B.
Differences
Christians are made sons of God, given eternal life, and are seen by God as perfect.
Condition in Christ
Our CONDITION relates to our current situation as we journey through our life. Our condition as we travel through life may seem to conflict with our position in Him.
Living the Truth
As children of God, the experiences of life we face can be very difficult and painful.
The life-circumstances we face often seem to contradict our perfect position in Him. But our position in Christ is as secure and steadfast as the eternal character of God.
Whatever our life-condition – we’re exhorted to hold fast to our positional truth.
But at rebirth, we are newborn believers, who have to learn the Christian life.
Two Opposite Sides
Position and Condition are the two opposite sides of the same Christian life.
Since then you are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God and let us grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ... for in Christ we all are “quickened,” “raised up,” and “made to sit” together with Christ For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
As the result of the work of His Cross and resurrection, eternal life is received complete by those who believe.
But while that life is itself victorious, incorruptible, and indestructible, the believer has to come by faith to prove it, to live by it, to learn its principles, to be conformed to it.
The life in itself in the believer needs no addition, so far as its quality and quantity are concerned.
But the course of spiritual experience, of spiritual life, is to discover, to appropriate, and to grow in all that the life represents and means. -T.
Or, we can abide (rest) in the risen Lord Jesus, the Source of our new nature, and thereby become the glad recipients of His life and liberty, as depicted in Romans Eight.
The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).
Look at Him as the very source of your Christian life.
The past blotted out, the pardoned sinner accounted crucified with the crucified Lord, henceforth joined as a new creation to the risen Lord and now sharing His life (Rom. 5:10).
Your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).
They who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:17).
He has been made to sit together with Christ in heavenly places in order that, having received an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, he might reign in life by one, even the Lord Jesus.
Two Distinct Factions
The human race is divided into two camps – two parties – two distinct factions. Every member of the human race is either connected with Adam or with Christ. Initially, every person is connected with Adam from the moment we are born.. but those believing in Jesus are removed from Adam and put into Christ – forever. Those that move from Adam to Christ are born again into a new life.
In 1 Corinthians 15 we read: – so also in Christ, all will be made alive. All who transfer from Adam into Christ are given eternal life.
Every born-again believer is freely given salvation by God’s grace – through believing, and the consequences of this is everlasting life and eternal union with Christ.
Born Again
The choice depends on whether or not they choose to trust Christ as their Saviour. Those choosing to trust in Jesus are immediately transferred from Adam into Christ – they are born again into a new and abundant life and are given eternal life.
Romans 5:19
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.
So as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death – now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:12-21
The only way of Life and deliverance from such a paralysis is a deliberate faith in God which causes us to take the attitude that we are going on with God, understanding or not understanding, explaining or not explaining, having light or having no light; we are going right on with God on the basis of what God has done in us, made real in us, of what God Himself is to us by what He has effected in us.
We, beloved, shall come there and may come there more than once in the course of our life; we shall come to the place where we realise we are going right out into outer darkness and despair and paralysis, to be ruled completely out of any effectiveness, fruitfulness, or value whatever, unless we pull ourselves together and say to ourselves, The whole thing is an inexplicable, bewildering confusion, a tangle from our standpoint or the standpoint of man; but God is, God is faithful.
Hebrews 11:6, How important, therefore, to know what faith actually is, what it means and how we can objectively act in our Christian life, by faith.
There are a number of different words in the Bible that exemplify what faith is and how faith is applied in the life of the great men and women of faith that are listed in Hebrews 11.
YAHAL – In Psalm 119 we read: remember Your word to Your servant, in which You have made me HOPE.. (yahal) and this too refers patient endurance as we wait for God in the trials of life and trust His promises.
There would be little harm in trying to imitate Christ if such an endeavor did not hide from us what our Lord really desires; and so keep us back from life more abundant.' Christ has come Himself into our hearts to dwell there, and what He wants is to live His life in us, as the Apostle Paul says, For to me to live is Christ.' Christ was the very source and mainspring of all he was and did.
they continued. Most people find that the more things we have to do the less time there is to pray... Oh sirs, was her simple reply, the more I pray the easier it becomes to pray!- and she explained how her heavenly Father was with her in every aspect of life.
Joys and Pain
When grief strikes – I pour out my hurt to Him. When joy fills my life – I thank Him for His blessings. When difficulties surface – I cast them on the Lord as instructed. When others are in distress – I lift them up into His heavenly keeping.
Daily Grace
I thank Him for my life, my home, and the grace that He showers on me daily and in troublesome times I shoot out an arrow of prayer into the throne-room of God.
Intimate Prayer
It’s good to take quiet time alone with the Lord in intimate prayer behind closed doors – but it is also incumbent on us to pray without ceasing – in every part of our life.
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us, (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them - living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live (Eph. 2:10, Amp.).
According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).
Areas of Hostility
There is not one area of life where spiritual fighting does not permeate. Hostilities rage in the home; the street; the workplace; the shop and the church. Conflicts percolate the media; entertainment and the corridors of government.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Grace Thru Faith- study [24]
Period of Preparation
There must be a long and deep period of preparation, in the man and woman of God, if that life is to shed abroad the attributes of the Lord Jesus in thought word and deed..
if that life is to work in entire submission to the leading and guiding of the Spirit – if the Spirit is to expose the infinite contrast between the 'self-life' and the 'Christ-life'. You think I am labouring this point?
Well, it needs to be laboured, for that is the teaching of Scripture to the Church. This is what Paul laboured for – so that Christ’s life may be established in the believer.
Preparation certainly does have relevance to this brief breath of life here and now, but the work of God’s Spirit is to prepare us for the future ages to come. This is the reason that almost without exception time is needed for preparation.
Spirit and the Flesh
Some people spend their entire Christian life in this struggle – what about you? Ironically, this battle that Paul describes in Romans chapter 7 is healthy. It is what God designed to bring each of us to a point of despairing in self. One saint puts it like this:- Not in our early Christian walk are we able to continually abide in His presence, regardless of our surroundings and that which we are doing. Not when we serve with intermittent zeal does our own soul grow and thrive. Not when we are indifferent are we watered from the presence of the Lord. It is after we have been subdued, refined, and chastened.
He wrote:- The value of both the struggle to free ourselves from the OLD Adam-life, and the equally fruitless efforts to experience the NEW Adam-life, (the Christ-life) is to finally realize that it is utterly futile. Our personal, heart-breaking failure in every phase of our Christian life..is our Father’s preparation for His success on our behalf.
Our stand and attitude from the beginning of each day is to be a settled matter as we rest in our risen Lord Jesus: the death of the Cross separates me from the enslavement of sin and self, and I continually abide in my new life, Christ Jesus.
My life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).
So that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living by [his] human appetites and desires but [he lives] for what God wills (1 Pet. 4:2, Amp.).
Future Prophecy
But Zacharias trusted God to fulfil His promises – to raise up a horn of salvation in the house of His servant David… to save His people from their enemies and from the hand of all who hate them… to show mercy promised to the fathers and to remember His holy covenant, which he swore to Abraham… that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life – and that day is coming… very SOON.
He bore the derision and ridicule of every foul-mouthed mocker, in silence – so that they, with us, could regain peace with God – so that they with us, could secure life eternal.
Despite the agony of death and the load of sin He bore, Jesus gave life to this dead soul.
Words for Today
For the believer, today is the ongoing work of the Spirit in each life..
Anything that makes us unnaturally big is evil, whether it be the individual life, or whether it be what is called the work of God, trying to make it bigger than its real spiritual measure, inflating it beyond its genuine spiritual degree; that is something evil, that is leaven....
Because these teachers appeal to the natural life.
Christ Jesus' earthly life showed the path, His heavenly life gives the power, in which we are to walk.
Christ lived on earth that He might show forth the image of God in His life; He lives in heaven that we may show forth the image of God in our lives. -A.M.
Saved by Grace
Even when we were dead in trespasses and sins God quickened us; He made us alive; He gave us spiritual life together with Christ, and raised us up to heavenly places and gave us every spiritual blessing.
Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:10 NLT)
His risen Life can now energize thesebodies; not, for the present, to change them into the likeness ofHis glorious body, but to quicken them for service.
There isrisen Life for these mortal bodies now, but it has to bedeliberately appropriated, chosen, drawn upon.
The Lord has never come in and mademe suddenly to feel myself being filled, permeated with Life, andrising up.
I have known the moment very often come when the Lord,not in an audible voice but in what is as good, a suggestion, aprompting, has said, Lay hold of Life; lay hold of Me as yourLife!
There were no spoken words, but the intimation was to thiseffect: The time has come to repudiate this state and lay hold ofChrist for Life!
The Lord does not take us up like anautomaton; He causes us to cooperate with Himself on the basisof His risen Life.
All the values of Christ risen are found byour deliberate and definite taking hold of His risen Life.
The one essential is to stand definitely in Christfor the situation.... The whole realm and range of Christ for experience is dependent upon His risen Life in us, and our laying hold of it, standing on it.
He evermore learns to abhor himself as he sees the sinfulness of the old man within, only to delight himself the more in the Lord Jesus who is his life. -W.R.N.
However, the reign of self is overthrown by its own enmity, since it creates the needs that cause us to hunger for and appropriate Christ's life and liberty.
Thus it is that freedom comes through bondage, life through death. -W.W.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2).
have not the nerves been jangled, and the heart racked with pain, now that the race is nearly run? How often, as the end is in view, have the lust of the flesh and the pride of life..
of those who sped along life’s journey with brave heart and stout will… until in sight of the goal; until the finishing post loomed into view; until their courage failed; until they submitted to the world, the flesh, the tempter, the failing nerve.
But they stumbled and fell... never to realise, until the last day of revealing, the closeness of life’s goal.
Let us be fully abiding in the One who is Life, and sin when it acts, will find us dead to it. -E.H.
It is what the Lord Jesus did there that counts, and what He did becomes a growing force in the life of the believer when it is seen, and rested in by faith.
The Spirit delights in acceptable prayer. He enlightens the mind to request HIS will to be done, in and through your life. He quickens the heart to desire His perfect will –in and for the lives of others.
She recognised early in her young life, that her focus was to be on Him and not on Self.
False Joy
The joy of the world is short-lived and soon replaced by life’s clamour and discontent. The joy of the world may thrill a few notes to tempt and entice the believer, but the joy of the world sounds a discordant clash as the pain of life returns. When waves of sorrow break on the shores of the world – joy’s voice is drowned. The world cannot maintain joy through loss or bereavement – sorrow or death. The world cannot maintain joy in the fiesta; the party season or the festival day..
Fountain of Life
His joy is a fountain of life – welling up and over-spilling. His joy is a reservoir of love – in his Christ-filled heart. But Satan as a roaring lion seeks whom he may devour and robs us of this godly joy. And Satan places doubt and uncertainties in the hearts of the believer, and seeks to entice the believer back to the emptiness of the world’s fleeting thrill.
Pain of the World
There is much in life’s circumstances that gives the believer pain. There is much in the world in which he lives that causes him distress. The injustices of life; the sufferings of so many; the neglect of the truths of God; the rejection of the love of the Father; the compromise of the gift of Salvation; the venomous hatred of the Giver of Salvation; the ignorance of so many who have never heard His Word of Salvation. Yes, there is much in life’s circumstances that gives the believer pain.
Gift of Hope
Eternal Life is not the hope that we may or may not receive. Eternal Life is not an inheritance which we may or may not obtain. Eternal Life is not it is not a reward a prize….
it is a gift. Eternal Life is a free gift of God, already bestowed on all believers.
But the Lord Jesus, who is our life, never was, nor ever is, passive.
But we have new life capable of receiving and delighting in the very thoughts of our Father. -J.C.B.
There may be a measure of truth in this kind of reasoning; for, if there be life in my soul, fruit will be apparent; but this is not to give me peace any more than the evil that is in me is to hinder my having peace. -J.N.D.
The Lord is trying to get us out of our variable and varying soul-life where we are at the mercy of all our feelings, thoughts and reasonings and all that kind of thing, into a realm where, in spirit, we are steadfast.
The Sixth of Romans is not an aspect of truth, but the foundation truth upon which every believer must stand if he is to grow and mature in the not I, but Christ' life.
The death of our Lord on the Cross has depths of meaning that can only be plumbed by way of discovered need, but then reveals unsearchable riches.' To the believer who still has hopes of attaining' in the Christian life, a verse such as Romans 6:11 is a rather meaningless jargon used by those who give messages on the deepening of the spiritual life.'
When he looks at the Cross he sees there the fact that not only did the Lord Jesus die for him, but that he himself was taken down into His death, in order that the practical reality of His resurrection life might transform him into the divine likeness. -J.C.M.
The turning point in our Christian life comes when we begin to let God be God, the day we throw all caution (fear) to the winds and look to Him to carry out His purpose for us in His own time and way.
When we look back over our life, we bow and acknowledge that all was prepared of God.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved [daily delivered from sin's dominion] through His [resurrection] life (Rom. 5:10, Amp.).
Lord, as I think about my home problems, my business pressures, my personal difficulties in every sphere of life, I bring them all, and give them all to Thee.' And believe that He keeps you.
According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue (2 Pet. 1:3).
Look not upon a life of holiness as a strain and an effort, but as the natural outgrowth of the life of Christ within you.
And let ever again a quiet, hopeful, gladsome faith hold itself assured that all you need for a holy life will most assuredly be given you out of the holiness of the Lord Jesus.
Hard as it is for the believer to finally come to rest concerning his spiritual birth, it seems to be even more difficult for him to simply rest in the Lord Jesus for his life and service.
There are two stages in the Christian life.
They think of it as a state of passive and selfish enjoyment, of still contemplation which leads to the neglect of the duties of life, and unfits us for that watchfulness and warfare to which Scripture calls.
Not only does the Lord Jesus live in us, but He becomes the motivating Object of our life as Christians.
The soul in which the wondrous combination of quiet passivity with the highest activity is most completely realized, has the deepest experience of what the Christian life is. -A.M.
Peace Accomplished
The Man of prayer and Son of God, who through His perfect life offered God His prayers and praise and supplication, gave us a perfect example, when He said, Father, into Thy hands, I commend My spirit.
We too should daily cry out, Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit – into thy hands I commend my soul, my body, my life – my all.
Each day of His life, were thus commended into the hands of the Father... as in spirit and soul and body, He trod the way of the Cross.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. (Colossians 3:1 NLT)
Resurrection Life means that we are outside of the world spiritually, and in a superior position....
This is a very important lesson to learn, how to be in Life in the midst of death.... In the resurrection of the Lord Jesus we are delivered from the curse that is, from the death which works vanity and we have been brought into the place where we can go right through to the Divine end, the full realization that vanity no longer rests upon us.
The fruit of Life can come to perfection because the power of death in the curse has been canceled in the power of His resurrection.
It is not a system to be perpetuated, but a Life to be possessed.
The value of the Scriptures is that they contain depths and fullnesses which have never yet been fathomed; and when we speak of revelation we do not mean anything extra to them, but of that which is in them, but only known by the inward writing and shining of the Holy Spirit.... A thing can be in the Bible, and we can have read it a thousand times, but until the Holy Spirit makes it Life to us it will be unfruitful.
This revelation of Christ in us, when it is a true, real, living revelation, not only leads to and makes for stability and assurance and confidence, wonder and freshness and Life, but it leads to loneliness, and I should be false to you if I did not say so, and indicate what that means; because the majority even of Christians are still hide-bound by tradition.
And what’s more important in life, than to know the Lord and to trust our God?
Communication from God
What is more important in life than to know and trust God… Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for He is our God and we are His beloved children?
That is, we have not to take this as a gift salvation as a gift or anything else of the Christian life as a gift in itself; we have got to look at that and say: What does that signify as to the Giver?
You may not grasp the point but it is of infinite importance because all progress in the Christian life and all power in Christian service comes from not the grasping, the apprehending, and the enjoyment of salvation as such, but seeing Jesus!
a mind that is set on Him and Christ alone – a single mind – in spite of all the problems and circumstances of life..
Defeat or Victory
If you correct your thinking, you will break out of a life of defeat to one of victory.
this is an open truth in scripture that few bother to recognise or apply. If you have the courage to challenge your own thoughts and thinking, you will discover a lifetime of wrong thinking will change your life.
Renewed Mind
You will, at last, discover that a life of depression and doubt and worry can be transformed, by the renewing of your mind – as you take every thought captive, and just believe His Word.
Perfect Standard
And the life that Christ lived was a life lived under the Law. And the life that Christ lived was a perfect life, an exemplary life, the perfect standard..
Justification and Sanctification
It is also vital also to rightly divide between justification and sanctification. 1) Justification – the salvation of the spirit : born into the family of God. 2) Sanctification – the salvation of the soul... living as a child of God. 1) Justification – born again once and in eternal union with Christ forever. 2) Sanctification – growing in grace throughout life.
Death or Life
God gave Israel rules to follow through Moses - the Mosaic Law was the law of death.
God also gave the Church rules to follow through Paul: Christ’s law of life and liberty.
And the law of life and liberty and the new creation becomes an unveiled mystery. Christ’s body becomes bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh – a spiritual body.
Through a life of tribulation, we at last come to a glorious heavenly inheritance..
Those who appropriate their position in Christ feed no longer merely on the manna, which represents Christ as supporting our life while we yet know Him not' as regards any intimate fellowship.
So we, as believers, have been already brought by Jesus Christ our Head, in His death and resurrection, into the heavenly places,' and to us have been given all things that pertain unto life and godliness' (2 Pet. 1:3).
And through Christ we have receive the law of the Spirit of life, which has freed us from the power of sin that leads to death.
Roman Road
We should know, understand and apply the law of life in Christ Jesus, and Romans 6 is a vital passage, which describes this victorious Christian life, but is founded on an understanding of the previous chapters.
Chapter 5: the glories of trusting Christ, contrasting the old life under law with the new life under grace, and Chapter 6: as slaves of Christ we are no longer slaves to sin and death.
Mountain Top to Valley
And a crescendo of hope and excitement builds as we pass from the ministration of Law and death to the ministration of life, freedom and grace.
And although chapter 6 rejoices in the victorious Christian life, chapter 7 brings us to a jarring halt, as we tumble headlong from the glittering mountain top to the shocking realisation that the reality of our own life does not mirror the requirements of a holy God – rather our lives demonstrate the opposite of what we were called to be in Christ, and we cry out with Paul: O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death?
A Life Example
Romans 1-7 shows a perfect example of the normal Christian walk.
In chapter 6 our Christian life is wonderful for a time – until we reach the reality of our failure in chapter 7.
A Shocking Discovery
And here in chapter 7 we come to the shocking discovery that we are incapable of living the godly life we desire to live, and our own efforts inevitably end in failure and despair.
The reason most Christians have to go through the Romans chapter 7 experience, is by living under the wrong law – living under the destructive law of sin and death rather than the liberating law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Indeed, God wants to teach us through our Romans 7 experience that behind every life experience is a divine purpose to demonstrate that: God’s grace is sufficient and that without Him we can do nothing – but I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me the strength.
God Incarnate
Were Jesus not fully God He could never have become our Saviour nor could He have imputed us with His own righteousness or given us the free gift of eternal life – for only God is good and perfect and sinless and eternal.
However, were Christ not a living, breathing human being, with His own lifeblood pulsing through His veins, He could never have shed His life-giving blood on the cross.
Fully Man
Were Christ not fully man He could not have redeemed humanity; broken the curse of sin and death; imputed believers with His own righteousness; given us eternal life and reunited us forever with God the Father our Creator.
were Jesus not fully God, He could not have been our Saviour nor could He have imputed us with His own righteousness or given us the free gift of eternal life – for only God is good and perfect and sinless and eternal.
Fully Man
However were Christ not also a living, breathing, human being, with His own lifeblood pulsing through His veins – He could never have shed that life-giving blood on the cross.
But Christ is both the Root and the Offspring of David breaking forever the curse of sin and death – and imputing on all who believe His own perfect righteousness – giving us eternal life and reuniting us forever with God – our Father and Creator.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh accomplishes nothing.
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63 ISV)
Do you notice that whenever the Spirit is mentioned the Spirit is related to Life?
Life, then, is a matter of righteousness.
The ministration of righteousness means the ministration of Life, or the standing in Life with an unveiled face, without fear of condemnation, or judgment.
So it is necessary for us to be thoroughly instructed in the Word, and this is one of the things about which we must be perfectly clear in heart and mind, and assured in spirit, that Life, with all that it means the Life of an unveiled fellowship with the Lord, the Life which in itself sets forth victory over death and the abolishing of condemnation that Life is rooted in righteousness, a ministration of righteousness.
Standard of Patience
The Lord Jesus is our pattern and example of patience – our model and our standard. His life is a true example of perseverance, tolerance, long-suffering – and patience.
For 30 years He worked patiently at the carpenter’s lathe until God’s call on His life.
Christ’s Patience
There was an enduring patience, and a patient endurance, seen in the life of Jesus!
It was patiently waiting for the goal of His calling as He did the menial tasks of life.
Enduring Patience
As believers, we have His life and His strength within, upon which to draw daily.
Waiting Patience
Like Christ, our race of life is marked out by God, and each day is scheduled by Him. Christians are to draw on His grace alone – to run with patience the race set before us: for those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall rise up with wings as eagles.
Obedient Patience
Patient endurance and enduring patience is seen throughout the life of Christ! At one time His life was waiting in obedience... at another a running obedience.
Unique Patience
Throughout His life, the Lord bore many griefs – unshared and unspoken.
But for the whole of his life – Christ ran with patience to the cross.
Through the victory won on Calvary we enter into newness of life; and as the old nature seeks to assert its supremacy, each uprising of it must be handed over to the Lord Jesus Christ, that He may deal with it.
That He has dealt with it, through His death on the Cross, in a way which satisfies God and makes deliverance possible for us, is the foundational fact for Christian life and work. -G.W.
For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life (Gal. 6:8).
For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh (2 Cor. 4:11).
Under the Mosaic law-system, love for others was to be in the degree in which one loved himself; under grace it is to be in the degree in which the Lord Jesus has loved the believer and given His life for him (1 John 3:16). -L.S.C.
If you only know the work of the Lord Jesus you are prepared to make sacrifices, but if you know Him as your life then you are ready to suffer for Him.
So then death worketh in us, but life in you (2 Cor 4:12).
If there be progress upward there must be progress in life and ways down here; you cannot see the need for a change in your ways here until you are transformed by the influence of nearness to Him there.
Your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).
Day of Preparation
Each day of a believer’s, life is a day of preparation for the bridegroom’s return. The bride is to make ready her fine linen, before the arrival of her beloved bridegroom. Each godly acts she undertakes in spirit and truth, adds to her spotless bridal gown.
Righteous acts don’t have their source in my old sin nature but in the new life in Christ: for in myself I can do no good thing, for all my righteousness is from the Lord… not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness which is from God by faith.” Philippians 3:9
If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
Christian Life
Throughout our Christian life, a process of progressive sanctification takes place.
Often this is called growing in grace, maturing in our spiritual life – discipleship. Christian discipleship is misunderstood today but is closely linked to sanctification.
God’s Gift
Salvation involves what God gives to us – His own life, not what we give to Him, for Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Free-Will Choice
Discipleship involves what we give to God – ourselves: our own life.
Grow in Grace
Throughout our Christian life, a process of progressive sanctification takes place.
Often this is called growing in grace – maturing in our spiritual life – discipleship. Let us be those that come after Christ and love not the things of this world. Let us be those who carry our own cross and come after Him. Let us be those that forsake all that we have – to become His disciple..
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life – through His name.John 20:31
Lordship Salvation
Some ministries say that in order to be saved you must make Jesus Lord of your life.
They say that if you do not make Jesus Lord of your life, you are not properly saved – Or that if you stray from this path into carnality you have lost your eternal salvation.
Making Jesus Lord of your life is good.. but not a requirement of scriptural salvation.
But the gospel of John was specifically written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life – through His name.
Why is a Christian left to face a life of such hardship, disappointments, pain and failure?
You are living this life in order that through your life, God may be glorified!
How can God be glorified in my life – how is He glorified through my hardships, disappointments, my pain and failure? I would be better off to be dead, you argue.
Life Opportunities
Remember, this life is the training ground for the next.
Every day of your life is a gift from Him.
Every day is an opportunity for you to fulfil your life’s work.
You only have one chance to mature in the Christian life..
Christ in Me
Every future day of your life that remains is an opportunity, not a curse.
Paul was given a revelation of what the sanctified life entailed, and Paul strained until the very end of His life to attain to it..
Can you honestly say that you lived your life through Christ’s work in you?
God still has work to do in your life, just as He still has work to do in mine.
Maturing, sanctifying grace takes ugly scars from the cross of your life and beautifies them – but the measure of how you meet your trials, is the measure with which you will gain – and you can only meet them victoriously in Christ, as Christ lives in you.
When you were saved, the Holy Spirit came to indwell you forever and He desires to live Christ’s life in you.
Your being was like a dry sponge, saturated with pure, clear, refreshing, hydrating water – and, in a little way, that’s like the start of the Christian life..
Abiding in Christ
In a similar manner, when you are in Christ and He is in you, every aspect of life is touched by Him..
for He is that life-giving Spirit.
In every aspect of my life, I just meditated on what it really meant to be in Christ. Christ in me and I in Him.
Pondering on abiding in Christ and He in me changed my entire life.
until this life that I now live in this body is no longer me that lives, but Christ living in me and through me.
His Mind in You
Nothing that flows from my self-life can ever be accepted by the Father, but all that Christ does in me and through me..
Just spend one month with every thought, word, deed and motive Christ-centred – and you will find those few days will be a life-changing experience.
Christ in me and I in Him until… 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.
There is no work involved in our receiving the Lord Jesus for life, and there should certainly be no self-effort involved in the manifestation of His life in and through us.
And yet this deceptive seed can grow and blossom.. in the heart of many a careless saint. As soon as my eyes are taken from the face of Jesus, I also fall prey to this cantankerous disease. How can I search out and rid myself of this bane.. in the life of all who would live Godly? How can I root out this evil that seeks to separate me from the One Who is my Sustainer?
We need to copy His example – we ought also to wash each other's feet. Is pride an issue in your life and is pride an issue in mine? These stark and serious cautions to seasoned saints – need to be dearly examined.
Challenge to Pride
As I seek to challenge the elevation of Self in my own life..
The Letter to the Galatians really can be summed up in this way: a Christian is not one who does this and that and another thing which is prescribed to be done; a Christian is not one who refrains from doing this and that and another thing because they are forbidden; a Christian is not one at all who is governed by the externalities of a way of life, an order, a legalistic system which says, You must, and You must not, a Christian is comprehended in this saying, It pleased God to reveal His Son in me (Gal. 1:15-16).
Spiritual pride is the illusion that you are competent to run your own life.
Spiritual pride finds a purpose big enough to give you meaning in life without God.
Spiritual pride sets God aside and places 'Self' on the throne of your life.
Spiritual pride is an idol in your life and the idol you worship is your own Self.
Idolatry is trusting something smaller than God, to give your life significance.
Either – Or
EITHER, we can the Lord as King, permanently on the throne of our life – and keep Self nailed to the Cross, OR we can deliberately remove ourselves from precious communion with Him – and leave His close covering by elevating king Self.
Only you can make the choice to tear Self from the throne of your life.
How do I know that Self is on the throne of my life?
You place your self-life, actions, and motives under the Spirit’s microscopic scrutiny.
You confess those times when self replaced Christ with self as Lord of your life.
You remember and return Him to His rightful place in your life.
your eternal salvation is secure, for you are forever accepted in the Beloved, but check if Christ is the main influence on you or is 'Self' manipulating your life-deeds?
But there are choices we can make in this life that affect our relationship with Him.
The more you focus on Self the more your life will become bloodied and battered. The more you focus on Christ the more you will become like Him.
The knowledge of our union with the Lord Jesus is what will deliver the believer from all that is low and feeble, and will lift him to a life of joy and peace.
The believer shares the Lord Jesus' Cross knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him' Rom. 6:6); His death:- ye died and your life is hid with Christ in God' Col. 3:3); His burial:- we were buried with him by baptism into death' Rom. 6:4); His resurrection:- as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we' Rom. 6:4); His ascension:- made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus' Eph. 2:6). -F.J.H.
Beloved, service for the Lord is just as important when it is rendering some kindly act of helpful service to some rather depressed child of God in the ordinary domestic things of daily life; just as valuable as getting on the platform and giving a message.
You see it is strengthening the hands of the Lord's children, it is coming in to check the crushing overweight of the adversary, coming alongside to lift up the testimony in some life or home where the enemy is trying to crush the testimony out and the testimony is something maintained in domestic relationships, in family life, private life.
It is accomplishing the heavenly-will – the divine purpose in each life.
I’ve fought a good fight, I’ve finished my course, I’ve kept the faith” 2Timothy 4:7 A man who can truly say, “I have finished my course,” is an entirely broken life.
this is the servant-spirit - the servant-mind - the servant-life.
The Lord needs such bond-slaves with a servant-spirit, a servant-mind, a servant-life.
Perhaps some may choose to live the self-life and walk with Him no more.
Perhaps some may not desire a servant-spirit, a servant-mind, a servant-life.
But if you can pray, 'Lord – whatever it takes, do this work in me… Lord – Thy will not mine be done in my life… LORD – Here am I, send me', then you too have the makings of a servant after His own heart..
Here Am I
But it will cost you your life – your self-life.
It will cost you every tiny portion in life that you hold dear, for He will break every ounce within you that clings to your own independence.
The Lord is still seeking those with a servant-spirit, a servant-mind, a servant-life.
Some may be wondering why there is so little up-springing from the inner well, when they are sitting back in a wrong kind of modesty, failing to bring in their own personal contribution to fellowship life and ministry.
Shyness and diffidence can equally rest like a stone on the flow of Life.
It is difficult, yet not impossible, that in the raging of the street and the rush of business life the Lord should say something; but He will only speak to those who recognize the value of listening to the Lord and who are giving Him His place of silence to speak when possible.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
Threefold Life
The Christian life is a three-fold experience – three phases, planned by the Trinity. 1) Salvation : 2) Sanctification : 3) Service. FIRST: we come to Christ for salvation.
Our entire life from then on is being conformed into His image, as we die to self, and we grow from babyhood to maturity, as He trains us through it. THIRD: we work for Christ in service, but we work His way and not ours.
Saved to Serve
Many sincere Christians start out their Christian life determined to serve the Lord.
they believe in Him as the Word of eternal life, and yet they try to serve Him in their own strength.
They recall with horror the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life..
and in utter horror of their old life and in thanks to God, they try to make recompense.
Work of God
Jesus said: this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent.” John 6:29 Believe in Him for the forgiveness of your sins – believe Him that through life’s trials you are being changed into his likeness..
by sanctification – so that the service you do is not of yourself, but Him living His life through you.
if your three-fold Christian life is to be pleasing to Him.
We are sanctified. We are positioned in Christ and we are positionally sanctified. We were positionally sanctified when we were justified by faith in Christ, but must move to practical or progressive sanctification, if we are to grow in our Christian life.
The power of sin and death in the lives of all believers was broken forever at the cross, and so we are enabled to live a life of holiness – a life that is “set apart unto God”.
Born-again Life
When we were reborn, we received a brand new baby life – our new life in Christ, but the old sin nature will remain in our dying bodies until we are glorified – until Christ comes to take us home to heaven.
But the old nature seeks to regain supremacy over our new life in Christ. Only the new, born-again life that is positioned in Christ is positionally sanctified – and Only that new born-again life in Christ can be progressively or practically sanctified. The old sin nature is incapable of godly living.
New Life in Christ
If we are to be practically sanctified, it can only take place in our new life.
Only our new life in Christ can be holy..
Only our born-again life can do the good works, which God prepared for us to do.
Only our new life, has been made alive by the imputed life of the sinless Lord Jesus. His sinless, righteous life has been given, by grace, to ALL who believe on His name.
And that life is holy – set apart – positionally sanctified unto God.
And that same holy life within, must also be practically sanctified.
Sinless Perfection
It was John who said that whoever abides in Christ does not sin – nor can sin. This has nothing to do with the erroneous teaching of “sinless perfection..” This verse simply refers to the new life in Christ – the new life does not sin. The sinless life of Christ that is imputed to all believers, does not sin..
and this is the only life that can ever be progressively sanctified unto God – set apart unto Him.
Old Sin Nature
However, the believer who does not abide in Christ, and has not set their life apart unto God will live from the source of the old sin nature, which can do nothing but sin!! The believer’s old sinful life can never be sanctified, for it is riddled with sin. There is nothing in the old sin nature that is acceptable to God and any attempts to set apart our old sin nature unto God will utterly fail. Until we go to be with the Lord, both the old sin nature and the new life in Christ are in bitter conflict – for the spirit lusts against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit.
Abide in Him
May our new, born-again life in Christ be progressively sanctified. May our new, born-again life in Christ be practically sanctified. May our new, born-again life in Christ be set apart unto God, for only as we abide in Him will we grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The moment you believed, the Holy Spirit did a series of works in your life.
Purchase Price
The purchase price of the life of every believer was the perfect life of the Lord Jesus. He bought us with His blood for He was the only purchase price for you and for me.
Oh, we can grieve the Holy Spirit when we live a life that is not pleasing to God – and Paul calls it quenching the Spirit in our lives and he chastises the Corinthians Christians for living carnal lives which quench the work of the Spirit within us.
Jesus is the Starting and Ending - the Genesis and Revelation of our love. Jesus is the First and Last - the Origin and Objective of our life.
One brings with it a heart of contentment: despite life’s overwhelming circumstances.
Definitive Reality
The above quote came in a text to me today… it was a woman who had to face some overwhelming problems and many of cruelties… someone who has overcome some of the worst life-experiences I have ever known.
the Origin and Objective of our Life. He is the Root and Stem..
Two Fundamentals
There is too little emphasis and understanding on the difference between SINS and SIN. Both are fundamental problems in the life of a believer, but there is a solution to both.
When the believer first becomes aware of the sinful self-life, he often makes the mistake of attempting to deal with its symptoms.
The old life is crucified; the new life is manifested.We are apt to think that what we have done is very bad, but that we ourselves are not so bad.
This goes to the root of the everpresent weakness and poverty of spiritual life.
There is much prayer for revival,' and much effort for the deepening of the spiritual life.' The only answer to this is a new knowing of the Cross, not only as to sins and a life of victory over them, but as to Christ as supplanting the natural man. -T.
We have knownpeople to do that; point to some outstanding figure in the workof God, in whose life was a certain thing - that one has beentaken as the model, to be copied, and so the thing has been takenon.
Spiritual power is not the miraculous or the spectacular, but rather the consistent manifestation of the characteristics of the Lord Jesus in the believer's life.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, but we can resist Him. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, but we can grieve Him. The Holy Spirit achieves His purpose through us, but we can quench Him. The Holy Spirit feeds us with His healing words of life, but we can neglect it – but in all our life and in all our pain, He is never far from us.
The Christian Journey
Throughout the Christian journey from start to finish, He is to be our entire life.
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and pride of life, often shape our focus and the enemy as a roaring lion also prowls around the Christian, seeking to devour.
But this was not how it was meant to be from the start. For once He had breathed into man the breath of life, He gave them all manner of food and all the requirements of life to the full..walking in the garden in the cool of the day and communing with our first parents.
The Spiritual Walk
Our Christian walk is similarly not meant to be a life of defeat, but spiritual growth, (though of-times painful and fraught with difficulty) and He gives us spiritual food through the Word of God..
Communion Through Prayer
This blessed communication through prayer is the vital breath of life. Just as the body must breathe in and out, so the soul of the Christian must pray: men ought always to pray and not to faint, is a key to spiritual well-being, for He is our Source and our Sustainer.
Continuous Provision
Sometimes we are so intent on breathing out, that we neglect to in-breathe Him. We pour out our request and demands and questions and pain and supplications.. and we think our communication is all one-sided, for He seems to keep silent – and we rise from our prayer-closet disillusioned again, for heavens seems shut. And sometimes life’s pain is so immense that we fail to see His gracious provision..
The Holy Spirit feeds us with His healing word of life, but we can neglect Him.
Any abiding spiritual progress must be based upon our taking sides with God against the old life.
The life of Christ is the holiness of Christ.
The reason we so often fail in the pursuit of holiness is that the old life, the flesh, in its own strength seeks for holiness as a beautiful garment to wear and enter heaven with.
It is the daily death to self out of which the life of Christ rises up. -A.W.T.
In receiving Christ we receive the divine-human life, a life that is death to the life of fallen nature, which finds its fruit in sin and self.
To have life is not enough: the life of the Lord Jesus demands the death of the flesh, if that life is to be fully developed and become fruitful in us.
The engrossment with the work and its multifarious concerns; the rush and hurry of life; the restless spirit of the age; these, with an exhaustive provision of external religious facilities, all tend to render the inner place of Divine speaking inoperative or impossible of functioning.
The latter is a ministry of Life to both, and is inexhaustible in freshness.
It may all go to make up this life here, and relieve it of its drabness, but it ends there.
Yes, an artificial world.... The tragedy in this melodrama is that it is real life to so many.
It is all false, wherever we may find it, whether associated with religion or not.... The Christian Faith embraced as a religion, a philosophy, or as a system of truth and a moral or ethical doctrine, may carry the temporary stimulus of a great ideal; but this will not result in the regeneration of the life, or the new birth of the spirit.
The spiritual and the heavenly is pressing for a larger place and becoming absolutely imperative to the very life of the instrumentality and those concerned.
If you were ordinary people in this world, you might get on very well, but being Christians you have to meet the whole force of Satan working upon any little bit of natural life he can find.
The carnal believer is unfaithful, unwise, and overcome.. 0vercome by Satan; the flesh; the world. The void between spirituality and carnality lies in the life-choices of the Christian, and you alone will stand before the judgement seat of Christ: for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 2Corinthians 5:10
Christian Responsibility
You alone will be the one to give an account of your life to Christ. Blaming circumstances or accusing others for your life-choices is not an option. Responsibility for your Christian walk is yours alone.
Christian Maturity
The way to maturity in the Christian life is the focus of most of Paul’s messages. Every Christian has clear instructions on the life he is to live and the way he is to walk, and there’s no excuse for anyone to hear the accusation: oh, wicked, unfaithful servant, but few seem prepared to challenge themselves and their Christian walk. Few are courageous enough to examine their walk with the Lord and fewer still are willing to plead with Him to: search the depths of my heart O God.. pleading: see if there is any worldly way or carnality in me that needs to be dealt with.
Our Spiritual Need
There is a threefold need in the life of a spiritual man.
They begin to commune with His Spirit with delight and they start to obey His commands with great joy. But there is no standing still in the Christian life.
and Paul warned and instructed of the need for maturity in the Christian life. Obedience is the most important exercise in the Christian life: obedience to His Word; listening to His Voice – compliance His Commands. And instruction on spiritual maturity in the body of Christ, is the focus of most of Paul’s messages to the Church of God. Paul tells us that: he that is spiritual judges all things..
Christian Spirituality
And nearly a hundred years ago, Norman Harrison put it this way:- “It remains for the spiritual man to prove the reality and worth of his spirituality, by laying hold of all his resources in Christ.. by giving them practical expression in day-by-day living. And in a day when the Christian life claims but slight attention.. or even respect, from the world – what a call for spiritual stalwarts, fully-developed, determined by His grace, to demonstrate the beauty, power, and practicality of the Spirit-life – to an unbelieving, even scoffing social order.”
demonstrating the only way that man can live a spiritual life.
Walk by God’s Word
Spiritual growth comes only by abiding in Him and He in us. This type of life is not easy..
We have a choice in life..
a carnal nonspiritual life or a spiritual life in the Spirit – and throughout the Word of God, we are told exactly how to live: Man shall live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Peter tells us to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and we grow by living in Him and He in us, by assimilating His life into ours.
Feeding on the Word
Feeding on the Word of life is the scriptural way to life..
Failure to feed on the Word of Life means a stunted unnatural spiritual growth for failure to feed on the Word of life means carnality and not spirituality – and the Corinthian Christians exemplified carnality.
A Christian life that does not take on board spiritual growth, lives in the flesh.
Living For Christ
A Christian life that takes on board the words of Jesus and the instructions of Paul lives in the spirit of Christ; works in the spirit of Christ; prays in the spirit of Christ and has his being in the Spirit of Christ. But it means an uncomfortable daily examination of the carnal self.
Then one day it was as though the heavens opened and the thing broke upon your spirit, and you saw it; and all kinds of adjustments became necessary in life.
No pressure, pushing, punishment or rewards can speed “reading readiness” So often principles in the natural world, spill over into the life of the spiritual.
And in the life of a believer, it’s rarely reached without there being a need.
ow you must grow – Now you advance in your Christian life.
A carnal Christian is one that is exhorted in Hebrews 6 – to grow spiritually, and many principles in the natural world spill over into the life of the spiritual.
I can’t escape this defeat - leaving the discouraged believer in a life that seems doomed to failure and pain.
We have faith in Him. We don’t look at the crushing circumstances of life but trust in His love.
Abound in all Speech
How do we abound in all SPEECH? Well, we speak His Word into every situation of life – for His Word is life. We guard our tongue and we take every thought captive in love.
The very logic of things demands that it shall be a seeing; for this reason that the whole of the Christian life is to be a progressive movement along one line, to one end.
Those are the five senses of our physical natural life.
There is a faculty of spiritual sight, of spiritual hearing, of spiritual smelling or sensing, of spiritual taste and spiritual touch, and these senses are very important to the life of the inward man yes, more important even than the senses of the physical man.
It is a great loss; it is an imperfect life, a life of limitation.
And how true it was of His heavenly life: what it saved Him to scent the enemy and what the enemy was up to, to scent what the Father wanted and when He did not want things.
This remnant man had lived a life of blind faith, love, patience... and he waited.
Life of Faith
As we face the future we must humbly seek to live out His new life in us and through us.
This is a life of faith.
This is a life of love.
This is a life of patience, and it is a life of waiting... for the Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. Romans 8:16
The Church – an Example
God loves you so much that your life is to be an example in the ages to come..
Job whose life is another ‘typical’ example of the remnant believer in the church, repented in the dust for his wrong perception of God and was shown a vision: I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You Job.43:5
Rev.22:12 Had Satan and his hosts understood the consequences of their actions: they would not have killed Him: they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, 1Cor.2:8 for His death brought life to you and me.
But many fall at the last hurdle and lose their faith: So I urge you like Joseph, Job and Jesus to say, Thy will be done in my life – to Your praise and Your glory forever and ever – Amen.
Be thou faithful to the point of death and I will give you a Crown of life.
Supreme Test
What is the supreme test in the life of a believer?
but there came a point in his life when he turned away from his Lord to another.
The lusts of the flesh and eye, and the pride of life were shunned at the start, but the prince of this world secured his prey near the conclusion of his career.
dedicated prayer warriors to stand in the gap and pray ‘beyond themselves.’ Believers, with a heart for God’s glory; children, with a love for the Lord; Christians who stand between life and death, for the many; warriors, to fight between heaven and hell, for fellow brothers and sisters.
Should we not similarly stand in the gap for brothers and sisters in Christ, who like the world are being overwhelmed with the cares of this life – who seem to have lost hope in the Lord’s return to claim His precious bride.
That His death procured the payment of sin's debt, so that the debt being paid, the believer might be in a position to keep the law, and that, accordingly, the law, and not the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,' might be the believer's rule of life. -H.F.W.
Desire the Milk
The apostle Peter tells us that a little baby has a great appetite for nourishment and believers likewise should desire the pure milk of God’s Word, which will result in growth: Therefore, laying aside all sin, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2:2. Every believer starts their Christian life on the way to maturity, but Hebrews warns us that many fall by the wayside due to life’s circumstances; feelings; wrong doctrine; lack of teaching or biased perceptions.
Subject of Scripture
Jesus said to those that rejected Him, You search the Scriptures: because you believe they give you eternal life, but the Scriptures point to Me!– John 5:39 All scripture points to the Lord Jesus Christ – science, prophecy, life, and death must all have Christ as the one, unique focal point.
We are to put away everything that diverts us away from our life-calling, and the life into which we are all called is to know God and to know Christ.
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom You have sent.
Such unconscious weights can become a way of life – such unconscious hindrances can weigh us down.
My Cross means that not even for Me can you be or do anything out from yourself; but if there is to be anything at all it must be out from Me, and that means a life of absolute dependence and faith.' -T.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”John 15:13
Laying Down A Life
What thoughts cross your mind as you consider laying down your life for another? Almost certainly the first consideration is death – your own physical death.
Total Surrender
Laying down of that precious life was more than forgoing His physical life alone, it encompassed a note of total surrender of every aspect of human life and existence. He sacrificed His entire holy life to the Father – “Thy will ..
be done“, Luke 22:42 – but He did it for our sake: “for their sakes I sanctify myself.” John 17:19 He did it for you and He did it for me. Christ demonstrated throughout His whole life, what true submission to God means.
Yet Christ, although He was God’s Son, learned to be obedient throughout His life.
Our will touches every aspect of our active being…. but how difficult we find laying down our life at our Master's feet.
Spiritual Struggle
Sometimes we struggle throughout our entire Christian life to utter the words… Thy will – not mine be done…” Luke 22:42 Thy will be done, in every sphere of my sovereign being.
Abiding Reality
He desires each life to be sanctified for His use, and patiently waits for submission, until like our Lord we can say:- “I do nothing of myself..
However, for the Lord Jesus to be fully manifested, it is going to involve a lifetime of the Holy Spirit's deep dealing with the more subtle and deadly characteristics of the self-life always delivered unto death (2 Cor. 4:11).
By the daily supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ' (Phil. 1:19), the believer united to his Risen Lord grows continually to a more perfect knowledge and likeness of his Creator,' and grows up after the image of Him that created him, in the sphere where Christ is all, and in all.' The child naturally grows up in the likeness of his father, and the new life communicated to the redeemed grows up in the likeness of Him who is the Creator of the new creation if so be that the death with Christ is unflinchingly recognized, and old things' are truly allowed to pass away to make room for the growth of the new man, which is after God . . .
How many earnest and religious people belong to the Old Adam Improvement Society.' It is the recognition of the Christ-life, it is union with the Risen Christ, that men need instead of the culture of the religious self-life. -E.H.
Christian Call
Being a believer in the Lord Jesus is not a popular calling. The true Christian soon discovers his lot is no easy option, for Christ was crucified by the world, and the world loves the Lord of Life no more today than it did 2000 years ago. His pure standards are different and shunned by the masses. His Godly objectives are counter to the self-seeking nature, and despised – despised and rejected of men, and so He became acquainted with grief. While men of the world serve themselves and please their selfish selves.
Am I to accept as the norm a life that is set apart, holy and different.
God’s Grace
Like each and every gift of grace, His strength is ministered to each of us according to our need. We have no need of a bank deposit of $upply, No spiritual battery from which to draw our spiritual £trength. His supply is a continuous flow, received by faith as need requires. Life is divided into days – and day after day after day, He provides and supplies the strength. Down through the weeks which flow into months and years, He continues to provide ‘Strength for the day and bright hope for the morrow!’
The Father placed us there, permitted the trials for a purpose, and He stands ready to bring us out into a life of liberty, if we will stand with Him in trust and endurance while He works it out.
Then fear not the stormy tempest that is at this moment sweeping through your life.
Walk Worthy
Having been taught who we are in Christ, believers are called to walk worthy, our life is to be a light shining in a dark world – a world where evil is increasing.
Normal Christian life
Paul was a man who learned how to appropriate the riches of God’s grace.
Paul was a guy who practiced living in the sufficiency of Christ – by faith. Paul was a person that demonstrated how the normal Christian life should be lived.
It was a supply, which was always available, but it was only appreciated and appropriated as and when the apostle came to know his need. Life is meant to bring a succession of discoveries of our need of Christ, and with every such discovery, the way is opened for a new inflow of His supply.'
Sufficiency of Christ
What a clear message to us who long to live a life that is worthy of our calling, What a realisation - that our practical necessities cause us to appropriate God’s word.
How astonishing – that life’s trials are the means to prove the sufficiency of Christ. What a lesson – that it is through our impotence that our inward need is met.
Paul’s Discovery
There was a time in Paul’s life when he did not know or appropriate this truth – for in Romans chapter 7, Paul himself cried out Oh wretched man that I am… who shall deliver me from this body of sin – and Paul discovered the answer – I thank God!
Christ’s Supply
Paul learned that life is a succession of discoveries of our need of Christ in our life.
When ‘self’ remains nailed to the cross, the life of Christ is given free access within. And with every discovery, a way is opened for a fresh inflow of His supply.
But each test is an opportunity to appropriate God’s word in our life and being.
STUDY in PRAYER
By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way.Hebrews 10:20
Interceding Sacrifice
And every Christian is called to offer their lives as a living, interceding sacrifice – mingling their prayers with the crushed life of our great – high, heavenly Priest.
Remain in Christ
Teach me Lord to REMAIN IN CHRIST– teach us to remain in His love and guard and keep ourselves in the love of God; to expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ – Who will bring us unto life eternal.
You examine the Scriptures carefully because you suppose that in them you have eternal life.
Prophesied Redeemer
Had the Lord Jesus been anything but fully human, many of the prophecies of Scripture would have remained unfulfilled for only as man’s Kinsman-Redeemer, Who was like unto His brothers in every way – (and yet was without sin), could the Lord Jesus Christ have become our Saviour, and obediently carry out the demands of a holy God, in submission to His Father – and in so doing give His life as a ransom for many.
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.
These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life. (John 5:39-40 NIV)
It is the livingness of it all which is proving itself in all ways, that this risen Life of Christ should prove itself.... That is a strong thing to say, it is a searching thing to say.
There is a counterpart of that by His risen Life imparted, that we have been raised together with Him.
Lessons of Life
The artists outlined sketch on the canvas is not destroyed by the oil or paint.
No knowledge or experience is lost to the heavenly Weaver, Who skilfully blends heartaches and joys into each life’s canvas.
Lessons of Discoveries
Our Christian life is a life of discoveries, each building on the prior base.
It is normal and healthy to begin our Christian life victoriously.
It was right at the end of Paul’s life that he cried out :- that I may know Christ.
a man whose earthly ministry was expressed in sacrifice for others… a man whose self-life and pride was being ground to powder – a life that cried in the end, that I may know Him.
But He tells us if we seek Him and His kingdom and live righteously before Him. He will supply all things needful and all essential things will be added to us. He will better provide for His children than for lilies and sparrows! He will ensure the daily necessities of life will be added and poured into our lap. If God’s promises are sure, then no circumstances can displace His assurances. If God’s Word is true, then no action or governmental law can overthrow His oath.
Prayer is the outflow of the new life; as one grows, as the Cross frees the new from the old, there is the growth of effective prayer.Without the Cross, prayer becomes a mere religious formality - without prayer, the Cross is arrested in its purpose.
You say, here is something wrong here, this does not tally.There is the kitchen aspect of the spiritual life: all those practical, everyday, humdrum things where the beauty of the Lord must be seen, just as much as up there in the heavenlies in Christ.
STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD
the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.John 5:26
Familiar Word
How familiar we are with scriptures such as this: the Father has life in Himself. As we read through Scripture we so often glibly read and continue to read, with little thought as to its inner depth and its extraordinary significance..
God’s Sufficiency
The Father has life in Himself.
He needs no time, no heat, no light, no grace, no joy, no love – no life… God needs nothing.
from the lowest form of life to the mighty cherubim and seraphim... all have need of God.
a little faithful flock. Many are called to be sons of obedience but few choose to answer the call. Many Christians prefer a legalistic life to a life of spiritual faithfulness and grace. Many believers prefer a carnal life to a life of surrendered obedience and faith.
Crucified Life
For many saints don’t have a clue how to live the crucified life to God’s glory.
God Dependency
And all His life He only lived through the All-Sufficient Spirit living in Him... demonstrating the only way that insufficient, created man should live his life... demonstrating a life of utter and total submission... demonstrating complete and perfect reliance and a willing dependence on God – demonstrating to imperfect man how to live a perfect life.
As devoted servants, we are committed to be the Master’s diligent servants all our life.
As Christians, we are pledged to be Christ’s steadfast soldiers to our life’s end.
To some, He gives a leadership gift to be exercised in public ministry and service but to most, He bestows the quiet endowment for the hidden life of helping others.
This life is not easy for the faithful servant..
He too endured a life of shame and suffering.
He lived a life of pain and rejection.
He did it to show us HOW to live the life of a faithful servant – in this world system.
The apostle John informs us in that fellowship with God is the healthy Christian life, while Peter reminds us that God’s Word is the food we need for healthy spiritual growth – and God desires that we mature in the faith.
But it is our new baby life is Christ that is to grow and not the old sinful life from which we were saved.
Hebrews 5 warns us against spiritual sluggishness and backsliding in our Christian life.
It is His life which must be in evidence; His Spirit, imparting and renewing His own life within – the beauty of the Lord shining forth.
as His life is growing up within.
Lord, take my life,And make it wholly Thine;Fill my poor heartWith Thy great love divine.Take all my will,My passion, self and pride;I now surrender, LordIn me abide.
Walking in Truth
Knowledge of the Truth is no insignificant advantage as it affects every facet of life.
Distorted Truth
Often, in the heart damaged by life’s traumas- truth becomes distorted.. even the Truth of God can become twisted and perverted. The Father-heart of God -Who loves with His infinite love – can be distorted, and the Truth of His Father-heart of love – can become warped and twisted. God can be manipulated into the image of a demanding brother; a scornful mother – an abusive father..
Character of Man
God wrote a few brief verses revealing how He created the world – what He did. God wrote the entire Scripture telling us about Himself – Who He is. It is not what a man does in his life that is of final significance, it is what a man IS in life that is of consequence – not what he does.
Near the end of Paul’s life, his deepest desire was, That I may know Him. At the end of Job’s deep season of anguish, he emerged knowing Him more. If it is through rationalisation that I know God, then I am miserably deceived.
Do I allow visible facts of life to distort my understanding and affect my faith?
Relationship God
Chambers says it this way… Theology is a great thing and so is a man’s creed… But God is greater, and the next greatest thing to God – is my relationship to Him. The book of Job is probably the most extensive 'type' of the Christian life penned.
The book of Job takes us from the old creation in Adam to the new creation in Christ… from a self-dominated life to a spirit-dominated life.
Spiritual or Carnal
The book of Job takes us on a journey – from the New Creation in Christ, through a spirit-dominated or self-dominated life. The book of Job takes us – from rebirth to the day when our eyes are opened, and we shall see Him as He is. The book of Job takes us….
The others bespeaking of the saved man, who reverts back to a Pharisaical self-life.
It exemplifies in Job’s life..
One - throughout life’s journey – seeking to KNOW the Lord more.
The other - throughout life’s journey, daring to accuse God’s character.
Life Lessons
The Christian life teaches us many lessons. Life’s lessons are not always easy to learn. Some lessons are quickly understood and others take a lifetime to grasp. Sometimes we are required to learn a teaching again and again. Some instructions need to be assimilated little by little..
but God’s choice for your life is His very best for you, even though you sometimes kick against the thorny path that you are forced to trudge; even though you may feel caged in by circumstances; even though you may be dissatisfied with your lot; even though you sometimes long for the open road and the mountain tops – even though you are beset by doubts that your life is accomplishing anything.
or will you be so often checked by events and happenings of life, for you will follow the controlling signal, which is found in Christ alone. Keep on keeping on with your God-guided life.
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.Colossians 3:2-3
My-Self. We all know that what a man sets his heart on has a mighty influence on his life. The self-regarding man that seeks after his own interests – becomes selfish.
One that seeks a 'god' of their fancy will be unsettled by every wind of doctrine. One who seeks the living God, will have Him take possession of his heart and will, and the book of Hebrews gives warning after warning of missing the point of this life.
For many, it’s just to get to the end of the day, in a life that has become unbearable.
For others, it’s to preserve a high profile, lest anyone peep behind their mask. Believers often set their hearts on a myriad of issues that are close to their heart, but Hebrews gives warning after warning of missing the point of this life.
Clear Message
And this life is but a breath in the eternal corridors of the ages upon ages to come, and our decisions of this life is a foundation upon which we build an eternal future. Set your affection on things above, not on things of the world, we are warned, in Colossians 3, for self must lie in the place of death..
for our life hid with Christ in God. And Hebrews gives warning after warning of missing the point of this life. And the decisions and choices we make in this life will affect our eternal future. And Hebrews warns of the consequences of missing God’s clear message.
We need to know Him aright, personally, and fill our minds with all that is of Christ. He is the food of faith, and the life-giving stream.
He alone is the water of life.
Focus of Life
For a whole chapter, Hebrews points to the One Who should be the focus of our life.
Surrender your life into His hands through the sanctification process.
The blood of Jesus is often only seen in the context of forgiveness of sins, but there is more that this cleansing flood has achieved in a believer’s life.
Sometimes it is almost uncanny when the Lord has something in view in relation to His testimony of Life, how for no reason whatever, on no account at all, we discover that we are involved and ours is not an isolated experience.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Foundational Facts
God has given us vital principles of the Christian life – foundational gospel facts.
How many can’t get their heads around being perfect in God’s sight – through Christ? How many object to His child-training in their life when it becomes uncomfortable?
And God is taking a life-time and possibly longer to bring us to maturity. He takes the normal, natural things of life and uses them as His teaching tools.
Some pass through life still kicking against the pricks of God’s sovereign will.
After initial 'acceptance in Christ' – we are to 'learn obedience' in life.
that faith without love is really very ineffective. Thirdly, every promise in Revelation 2 and 3 brings you back to loving Jesus. Fourth, every crown we can gain has its roots in love. Fifth – there is nothing we can do of ourselves. All these are vital principles of the Christian life. All these truths are foundational Gospel facts.
STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD
For God SO loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:16
A Tiny Glimpse
Were we to be given the slightest glimpse of the true love of God.. through the lowering clouds of unknowing in the mists of life’s uncertainties, I doubt temptation’s unbelief would ever darken our questioning hearts again.
If our love were but more simple,We would take Him at His word;And our life would be thanksgivingFor the goodness of the Lord.
This self-strength, whether it be intellectual and mental or whether it be emotional or whether it be in the will, that strength of the natural life has got to be broken as truly as the sinew of Jacob thigh had to be touched and withered.
The passion of the Cross is the way of our release, and if you consider your own spiritual experience, those of you who have any experience of a walk with God, you know quite well that it has been through times of deep and acute suffering that you have found fresh releases; fresh releases in your spiritual life.
Yes, we would never have resented being told that there was pride or something like that about us, but we would never have believed how deeply rooted and terribly strong that thing is until it was put to a fiery test and everything was held up, and we saw that everything in our life and work for God was held up on that point.... And we know quite well that what the Lord was after was not the pulverising of us, as we thought, the winding up of us, but to bring about enlargement, to bring about release, and release always lies along the line of the Cross, the passion.
Old / New Creations
How should we live the Christian life?
BUT… There is an inevitable ‘but’ in the life of every Christian.
There is an inevitable ‘but’ in your life and in mine.
Fleshly Life
One evidence of carnality is stunted spiritual growth..
One indication of a believer’s fleshly life, is stunted Christian development.
for the old sin nature overshadows the new life in Christ.
The ‘old man’ dominates the ‘new life’.
The teachings of Paul overspill with ways to immobilise the exulted, carnal self, and Paul voices the open secret of his life… it is no longer I but Christ lives in me. Gal.2:20
He cried “search me Oh God”, but God’s examination and scrutiny into the recesses of life is even more traumatic.
As we cry out, “seek out all the hidden depths in me that are displeasing to You”, and as we give Him permission to root out wrong attitudes, actions, and perspectives, He will search out the depths of our hearts for things that grieve His Spirit – for our whole Christian life is a process of being conformed into His image..
Centrality of Christ
This marriage of spirit with Spirit in this life is the preparation for our future.
I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.Jeremiah 21:8
Life and Death
It has been said, “in the midst of life we are in death,” yet for the believer, it is truer to say that, “in the midst of death we are in life.” There is no death in the sphere into which a risen Christ brings His own children – how could it be?
O grave, where is thy victory? 1Cor 15:55 God is love and God is light and God is life, and at rebirth, God breathed into us the breath of His life.
Our Life in Christ
Satan cannot touch anyone that has a new life in Christ.
He cannot touch the SOURCE of our life in Christ, for God is its source.
He cannot touch the CHANNEL of life to us, for Christ is our channel of life.
He cannot touch the POWER of life in us, for the Holy Spirit is life’s power within.
He cannot touch the SPHERE of our life, for heaven is the sphere.
He cannot touch the DURATION of our life, for eternity is the duration of our life.
Satan cannot touch the source, channel, power, sphere, or duration of our life in Christ.
Christ’s Own Life
God emptied the scene of death in us and filled it with His life – Christ’s own life. It is not death but glory that lies before the believer – Christ’s own glorious life.
Abundant Life
Death is forever behind the believer. It is true that many have fallen asleep in Christ – physically died, but to sleep in Him is never death, but life and life more abundantly.
Sin snapped the link with the source, channel, power, sphere, and duration of life.
When sin is present, there is no fellowship save in His Life.
Light can have no fellowship with darkness, love can have no fellowship with fear and life cannot fellowship with death. 2Cor 6:14
Choose life or choose death – there is no middle ground, Man must meet God on a new principle – one decreed by God Himself – a principle we see in Abel, Enoch, Noah, and many others – even faith.
For faith secures the believers’ source, channel, power, sphere, and duration of Life: sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof Matt.6:43 – so live this day by faith.
Instructions To Follow
We are told to abide in Christ, but some choose not to abide in Him. We are called to walk in the light, but some choose to walk in darkness. We are directed to walk in the spirit, but some choose to walk the way of men. We are instructed to walk in truth, but some deny the Lord that bought them. We are commanded to walk in newness of life, but some choose to walk in the old flesh.
Position and Condition
Some believers allow the trials and circumstances of life to shipwreck their faith. They only see the condition of their life instead of accepting their position in Christ. Oh, the trials of life are waxing worse and worse, but faith holds fast to His Word.
They are lured by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
Oh, they are saved if they believe in Christ, for God spoke and His word is true, but this grieves the Spirit and quenches the work He desires to do in that life.
walk in the light and in newness of life, and this is not an impossible task set by a cruel overlord.
Right Life
God knows the only way to newness of life and this will lead to a life of deliverance, power, and victory in this world – and in the world to come life everlasting, with an inheritance that passes understanding – all because we chose His way.
Right Living
We are commanded to walk in the light, and we are directed to walk in newness of life.
Let that be the starting point; let that be the governing rule and reality in all matters of life and work, and see at once the nature and vocation of the Church.
This vast, incomprehensible heavenly system, of which Christ is the personal embodiment, touches every detail of life, personally and collectively.
What the bloodstream is to the human body, the Divine Life is to and in the Church which is His body.
They have not seen that God has closed the door to the old creation, and that God attitude is this: The only thing that can satisfy Me, that can serve Me is My Son, and if you are going to come into My service, He has to be the energy of everything, the Life of everything, the Wisdom of everything!
Moses became a duel sign to the nation of Israel – as a pattern and as a warning, He became a sign to Israel through his outstanding life... and his disobedience.
Difficult Path
Consecration is not the easy route in life... and it can be a cruel and difficult path, but it is also a misunderstood principle, which causes many to shy away from it.
The call to rededicate one's life is a frequent occurrence in mainstream Christianity.
Misunderstanding
Believers can be almost pressured into a round of committing their life to God, and so a constant round of repetitive alter calls to dedicate and rededicate result.
Such activity is the total misunderstanding of a life that is consecrated to the Lord.
How sad that this is the normal ‘expectation’ of the life set apart unto the Lord!!
Yet, after years of trying all he can do is give up and say – it can't be done in this life.
God organised it like that for nothing that is from me can be accepted by Him – including my own form of consecration rather than a life truly set apart to God.
Set Apart
Let us, like Paul, be set apart for the gospel of God and live a life, consecrated to God’s plans and purposes – set apart for Him.
Mental activity, emotional life and the will is exactly that which the New Testament calls the natural man, who as a oulish/i> man is incapable of accepting what comes from the Spirit of God.
Peter’s Boast
Yet Peter wanted to know where the Jesus was going, and when Jesus simply told him that he could not follow Him, Peter demanded to know why… “Lord, why can I not follow You right now?” and then boasted, “I will lay down my life for You…” And the confused Thomas joined in, for we read that Thomas said.. “Lord, we do not know where you are going.
Well He trusted God’s word – He lived a sinless life – He had pleased the Father.
He knew that in laying down His perfect life voluntarily, He would be raised again. He knew that His death and resurrection would bring many sons to glory. He knew the cross was before the crown – the church age was before the kingdom.
There is no way through otherwise.... There was a revolution in my life thirty years ago when that principle of the Cross came flat up against ministry ministry that for years I had been producing against all my study, reading and late nights, to get up the stuff for ministry, till the whole thing became an intolerable burden in myself.
As this great principle opens up to us, it will help us to understand how in our life, and in our fellowship with the Lord Jesus, it is impossible for us to share the fulness of His life until we have first in very deed surrendered ourselves every day as having died to sin and the world.
The fellowship of the Cross is to be the life of a daily walk - His taking the form of a servant, His humbling Himself and becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross; this mind that was in the Lord Jesus is to be the disposition that marks our daily life.
The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.Galatians 2:20
Legalism is a destructive enemy of the Christian life – in opposition to God’s grace.
Legalism puts you back under the law and is an enemy of the crucified life in Christ.
The life of Christ has now become the power and purity in our life. His life is our life simply because we believed – with NO additional man-made laws.
Christ in Me
We must start to realise that the new life in Christ is complete in itself. There is no need for rules and regulations, rites and rituals or laws that enslave us.
When we believed, we were crucified with Christ and took on His life – in us.
When we believed, we became a new creation, with Christ as our life-source.
The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Here the very heart and kernel of the Lord’s work was to bring light. “I am the light of the world: he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
Throughout time men of faith looked for the day when the day-star would appear, for it is at one point on life’s horizon, at the break of the day, that the Son arises.
The Mission of Believers
Should not we who are thus destined to be sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ... should not we who through life’s difficulties are being conformed into His image... should not we similarly proclaim the way to Life and Light.
Should not we who are now children of the Light announce His soon return? Should not we take up the mantle of the Baptiser to proclaim the Day of the Lord? Should we not recognise our role of proclaimers means humiliation and hardship? Should we not understand that the way to the Light of Life is death to this world?
Death Sentence
What is the basis of all that God wants to do in the life of the believer?
In second Corinthians 2, he was speaking of a wide range of trouble, trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 2Corinthians 2:8
Paul had no hesitation in proclaiming that he despaired even of life.
Paul was no lily-livered little, milk-sop of a man, and yet crushing circumstances made him despair even of life.
Reality of Life
Sometimes it takes years for this underpinning gospel truth to be recognised.
Often it takes a lifetime, for this to become a reality in the life of a believer.
Resurrection Life
This sentence of death is the work of God – and the work of God in us, triumphs over this death sentence.
In Paul’s life, the Lord swept away all self-confidence and all faith in himself, so that He Who raises the dead to life might show forth His life in him..
so that He might show His great resurrection life – to be fruitful in us.
It must be that I that live my life, but Christ that lives in me.
This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (1 John 5:11)
You may believe it; you may be willing to lay down your life for that faith; you may state it with tremendous emphasis, and yet you are not thereby proving it.
By the expression and manifestation of His risen Life, that is all but it is a mighty all!
It is that extra factor to the statement and presentation of truth which is the power of a Life which conquers death.
The proof of it will be a death-conquering Life that expresses itself in you.
It is one thing to come to a situation from the outside, and link ourselves on with it, and take it up, and make it our work for life, our life-interest; it is quite another thing for the Lord to put into our hearts, in secret, an almost unbearable, intolerable burden which is His own heart-burden, and for us first of all to bear that thing secretly in the presence of God upon our hearts in a deep out-pouring of travailing prayer; quite another thing to come to the Lord's interests in that way.
None Negotiable Truth
More shockingly still, if He is not a member of the triune Godhead and equal with the Father, His life was a sham and He a blasphemer, Who could never be seen as good!!
Whole Hope
One godly saint of old wrote these words for posterity: With all possible conviction and faith I confess my Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, on Whom my whole hope of eternal life and present rest and strength depends – in the proper and ultimate sense, we say – He is God… eternal; all-holy; almighty; One from eternity and to eternity, with the Father and the Spirit… forever and ever Amen.
Picture courtesy of Larissa
STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD
For God SO loved the world that he GAVE His one and only Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16
The length of God’s love is the gift of God’s supreme love in the Son of His love – to effect eternal life.
And yet He knew that He – the Giver of life and love, would be so despised and rejected. He knew that the precious Son of His love would be oppressed, and afflicted by men. He knew His chosen, anointed One, would be led as a lamb to the slaughter by those He came to save.
Self Murmurings
We murmur like the idolatrous children of Israel, when life gets uncomfortable.
Waiting in Life
Your path is difficult, very difficult for you.
Often you have to wait in life.
No work in life is as hard as waiting. Wait – wait for God. Micah 7:7 tells us: I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
I am your Father – I will not overwhelm your spiritual strength, I will come to you – walking on the stormy waters of life’s confusion, as you paddle on your helpless raft, 'mid oceans tempestuous turbulence. I am your Saviour – I will uphold you with My righteous right hand, lest you sink beneath the squally waves of life’s uncertainties. Look, One comes to hold you up. One, like as unto the Son of Man. Oh, wait child of God.
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10 ISV)
Remember In Him was life (John 1:4).
Everyone can see that He is different from other men in His very nature, and the difference is made by this Life that is in Him.
This Life brings with it a new and different consciousness.
The consciousness of the Lord Jesus was of the very closest union with God as His Father, and that was because the very life of God was in Him.
His life was a God-conscious life; but God-consciousness in the sense of perfect oneness.
And that is what it means to have this Life.
Jesus came to bring it in His own person: not to talk about union with God, but to live out a life of union with God and to bring His disciples into the same union.
I came that they might have life in other words: I am come that they may have the same consciousness of God as Father that I have and that they may have the same Divine nature in them as I have.
It is an organism; a living structure; a life-force with a purpose – it is the Church.
Guiding Principle
God often uses the natural life as a guiding principle for the spiritual life, He takes foundational truths from the physical and applies them to the spiritual,. The first creation in Adam contains principles that apply to the new-creation in Christ. The first man became a living being but Christ became a life-giving Spirit. 1Corinthians 15:45
Sacrificial Reproduction
But there is always a cost of bringing forth of life – and the price for life is death.
Reproduction is sacrificial – life means death, and the Lord Himself summarised that guiding principle in John’s gospel, for unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone ….
Law of Life
Unless life propagates more life it remains barren – and a sterile soul has little purpose.
The law of life is death.
Jesus said I am come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly.
John 10:10 And the life that Jesus offers is a perfect life, an abundant life, an eternal life.
Life of Christ
And yet this perfect, abundant, eternal life is the start of so much more. This perfect, abundant, eternal life is not simply a new life which is immortal. The new life that He gives is His own perfect life – it is His life, living through us.
Our life, both here and into eternity is to be His risen life, working in us..
and the life that we live is to be an expression of Christ and not of ourselves.
Guiding Principle
The natural life is always a guiding principle for the spiritual life. The physical often forms a foundational truth that relates to the spiritual.
Life and death in the old has its counterpart in the new-creation in Christ.
The law of reproduction is the law of life and death.
This same law must pass to us – our old self must die for His new-life to produce.
Our old life in Adam must die if the new life in Christ is to grow and be fruitful.
It means that all of me must be done away with – so that His life is formed in me.
Divine Life
This is the divine life but for some believers, this is an astonishing concept.
Some translate the joys, woes, and trials of this life as the sum of their new ‘life’.
Some think if they don't receive all God promised in this life, He has somehow failed. But this is not the way God designed it – God has eternity in view.
We can submit to the principle of reproduction in this life and die to self… OR – We can fight against God’s will for our lives – and live to self. We can choose His perfect, abundant, eternal divine life – or live the self-life.
Living His way is a continuous, progressive walk – which may become increasingly difficult – the divine way is death to self but it produces His life in us.
As the laws which mould the stars and move the gigantic orbs of Saturn and Uranus in their tremendous circuits, shape the dewdrop that glistens at the end of a blade of grass, so should everything in the Christian's life be regulated by the principles which lie in the Person and Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is as our hearts are under the sway of that grace which is ministered to us through the Lord Jesus Christ, and as we are knit to Him in affection, that we touch and taste a new life, and are severed in heart from all that constituted the life of our old man.
What we have got to be quite sure about is that that thing is not being carried on by the momentum of man, or the momentum of organization, the momentum of machinery, the momentum of human zeal and energy for God, nor by the momentum of a program, but that it is being energized by the Holy Ghost, that it is Christ Himself who is the Life and the power of that thing.
But it is very important that we should recognize that foreverGod has bound up everything with His Son, and that nothingwill ever be had or enjoyed apart from Christ, while for thispresent life that is only by faith in the Lord Jesus.
He always looks at Him in an absolute way, and when Christ is implanted at the beginning of our life it is not as though God implanted Him in a fragmentary way.
Core of Life
Sometimes however the stark reality of life shadows this amazing eternal God, and past promises of love and grace..
as we are bombarded by the pressures and panics that erode away the core of life.
Times of Life
But however long and arduous this mortal strain and trivial rounds appears..
however deep the scars that have wounded the soul of the soldier of Christ, our times are in His hand. Every moment of every day of the life we live here… our times ARE in His hands.
Pressures of Life
One day this life with its pressures and pain will be over.
Eternal Life
The eternal God, Who LOVED you from the before time began..
Eternal Life
There are many Old Testament passages that testify to Jesus Christ as the Eternal Son of God. It was Micah who stated that His origin is from long ago – from the days of eternity. The Psalmist tells us that His throne was established from all eternity, while Isaiah proclaims, You LORD, are our Father – You are our Redeemer from of old.
And Jesus Himself had power to give eternal life – the almighty power of God.
He also holds the keys of death and hell – and He is the only doorway to eternal life.
Claim to be Saviour
He has the power of God to forgive sins, and the power of God over life and death.
The Father loved Him, because He lay down His life, that He might take it again.
No man takes it from Me, He cried, I lay it down Myself – I have power to lay it down I have, and I power to take it again – and His coming kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Jesus Christ Is Eternal – and in John 10:28, Jesus said, “And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
Claim to be Eternal
If Jesus Christ isn’t eternal, he has no authority or power to give “eternal life”.
Were this untrue He would be a blasphemer and His life and our hope would be a sham.
But there is also a wider world that is in equal need of redemption from sin and everlasting life from above. There was the intriguing story of Moses the prophet, who was raised up by God to lead His people out of Egyptian bondage, and to guide them safely them through their wilderness walk, who declared:- the Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.
Rejected Saviour
The first time the king of glory visited the earth to redeem His people from their sins He came as a helpless baby, born in a humble stable and lived a simple life as a poor carpenter, until He was finally rejected and cruelly crucified by those He came to save.
During the first half of your Christian life you are concerned about your doing; in the second half you will be burdened about your being.
Rather, there is only one governing thought of your life about everything, and that is, how you may distinguish Him who fills every need in your heart, and lights it up with unfading joy. -J.B.S.
For every believer who actually crosses over into the Promised Land there are far too many who stand for awhile and look longingly across the river, and then turn sadly back to the comparative safety of the sandy wastes of the self-life.
Ever Watching
The Lord is ever-watching everything that is going on in your life and in mine.
He is watching over you and guarding your life as a shepherd protects His sheep.
Nothing can happen that is outside His plan and purpose for your life.
Rule of Life
For the ways of a man are always before the eyes of the LORD for He ponders all their paths, and He watches their walk. The eyes of the Lord are upon all the righteous and He hears their prayer.
Cup of Suffering
To be pinched by poverty; to be maligned by loved ones; to be fettered by some disability. To be stripped bare of loving comfort; to stand alone in the shocks and quakes of life; to be overwhelmed by man's indifference to man and man's hatred of God.
The Time to Trust
When is the time to trust?Is it when all is calm,When saves the victor's palm,And life is one glad psalmOf joy and praise?Yes but more time to trustIs when the waves beat high,When storm clouds fill the sky,And prayer is one long cry Oh help and save!
He believes the Psalmist's declaration that every step of his life's pathway has been ordered by the Lord.
You can, therefore, be confident in every circumstance of life, however baffling, that it has been permitted in your own best interest by the wisest and most loving of fathers, who knows our load-limit' (1 Cor. 10:13). -O.S.
Research now confirms that worry and concerns of life envelop our thinking..
for worry is the root cause for the vast majority of life’s problems, resulting in sickness of body and sickness of soul.
Good News
This good news announced the eternal life penetrating the dying, terrestrial world. These good-tidings of great joy show us unequivocally, that God delights in mercy. This angelically proclaimed gospel message, announced deliverance..
so that He could raise both of us up, into newness of Life – so that we could both become His heavenly, joint-heirs.
Care and Concerns
How often and how frequently our hearts are prone to worry and anxiety, fret or fear. How often our brow is furrowed with tension as the pains of life reflects in our face. How frequently fear of the future or personal problems divide or distract our hearts. How regrettable that cares and concerns of life should steal the Lord’s perfect peace.
Tests and Trials
Sometimes we allow the responsibilities of life and living – to rob us of the Lord’s rest. Sometimes our fears and failures, problems and pressure – weigh heavy on our heart. Sometimes our safety and security, health and finances rise up into mountainous difficulties as we fret and fear about the mounting tests and trials that we are facing.
His word brings life and light – health and wholeness – grace and perfect peace.
Worry and Unbelief
To doubt and disobey the Lord – can even be construed as belying God’s existence! Worry can become such a fact of life, that our hearts declare that there is no God… Who loves and cares for me, because He is insufficient to take care of all my distress!
Precious Time
The time one spends on worry is precious time that had been lost to life forever and effort spent on worry is of little worth – for it wearies the soul and exhausts the heart.
The life I now live by faith - by adherence to and reliance on and (complete) trust - in the Son of God (Gal. 2:20, Amp.)
I have relinquished all by receiving Christ, and I take my stand in Him dead and risen again, as one alive from the dead, to yield myself as a new creation' to God and walk in newness of life.' -W.K.
When we recognize that that is the aim and object of the Holy Spirit, we have life and ministry defined.
If you are the Lord, your life should be governed by the Word of the Lord and by the Holy Spirit.
Whatever your work is it may be in the home as a parent, it may be in household duties, it may be in business if you are there in relation to the Lord, so far as you personally are concerned, your life has got to represent Christ; and that is the ministry.
If we carried that into every sphere of life, things would be very different.
Enriching Grace
The elements of the Law placed men under bondage, for the letter of the law kills, but the personification of grace gives abundant life – a life that’s enriched by grace.
You are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life. (Colossians 2:10 AMP)
It is just in so far as you and I bring our lives at this time of the day back to God fullness in the Cross that we are going to know this progressive development and increase of Life - so far and no more.
Firstly, it makes a broad division between those who never get into Life, and those who do.
Whether men and women get into Life at all depends entirely upon their acceptance of the Cross.
It divides between those who do get into Life, and those who go right through to fullness of Life, and there is quite a real division there.
There are many Christians who are in the way of Life, that is, who have entered the way of Life, but are not going right on to fullness of Life.
That is really what the New Testament is about - trying to get Christians who have entered into Life to go on to fullness of Life.
The Cross divides between those, because, while we come into the way of Life by the Cross, we also only come into the fullness of Life by the Cross, and that is another thing - a fuller, deeper application of the Cross.
So the Cross makes three categories, those not in Life, those in Life, and those in Life going on to fullness of Life.
He was anointed of God and He was humble - He, Who had not where to lay His head throughout His earthly life.
How the Lord Jesus learned humility through every facet of His wonderful life – a life that demonstrates the glorious truths of humility.
Lonely Road
Should not we, who seek to know Him more and more, follow in His path - HIS path of humility; HIS walk of suffering; HIS trail of rejections and pain? Should we not submit to the penetrating eye of the Holy Spirit in our life - asking Him to identify pride and self-interest, that so readily tracks our earthy walk? Should we not seek Him, where He is found – on the lonely Road of Humility? Should not we seek to cover ourselves with humility as Jesus did – covered with the cloak of humility; clothed with the garment of grace.
How solemn that our love for God will be found to be a delusion, unless its truth is proved in standing the test of daily life with our fellow man.
Crucified Life
But the natural heartstrings must be snapped; broken; smashed; crushed..
Victorious Soul
Without the real death marks of Calvary, there can be no glorious, triumphant life. Without self crucified, there can be no sweet, gentle, victorious, overcoming soul – a life in Christ, that flows like a spring morning from an empty tomb.
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
was the gospel reality to the Philippian jailer, and John the Baptist and Jesus both proclaimed the gospel of the coming Kingdom. I am the Resurrection and the Life..
the divine type of what God intended His race to be – what His creation should be….that is God, contracted to the span of human life; God manifest in the flesh; combining His Own essential nature with another kind of creation called ‘man’.
And some are destined to be conformed into the image of the Son of God – those who become identified with Him, in oneness of the Divine Life.
Life of Pain
At the start of his ministry, Moses saw the glory of God pass by..
but that glimpse was the precursor to a life of rejection, pain, and grief.
And for the rest of his life he had responsibility, hardship, disappointment, and pain.
God’s Servant
And Moses, the faithful servant of God, finished His life in the desert.
Moses spent his life in obedience, looking forward to the promised land, but Moses never entered the promised land.
Picture Example
Is not Moses a typical example of this weary life that we all lead..
as we in our Christian walk see the glory of God in so many ways? He saves us from the world and baptises us into the Body of Christ. He gives us living bread and water of life..
times of refreshment and peace – and He shows us His glory-life in the flush of new-life in Christ..
Hid In Christ
And then for the rest of our life we have the responsibility – responsibility, hardship, disappointment, and pain.
and we must lose our life in this world and be hated and despised of all men.. if we would one day partake of His transfiguration – if we would one day see the glory of God.
Life of Christ
Unless faith and works have His Life in-breathed into them, they are of little worth.
All of Him
Faith and works without the breath of life will be marked by failure.
for faith comes through Him alone: and the life which I now live in the flesh..
Christianity is Christ
Impersonal Christianity results in a life that is dead; fruitless; pointless; frustrating, but a personal view of Christianity results in a life that is quickened and transformed.
Most Important Thing
If your Christian life is lived without Christ..
For knowing the person of Jesus is more vital and more important than anything else in this life.
He also knew that spiritual death which is caused by sin, means separation from God: They are excluded from the life of God because of ignorance and hardness of heart. Men are separated from God and life, because of pride and the blindness of their heart. He who has the Son has life.
He who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life.
But every man, from Adam on, can choose spiritual life rather than spiritual death.
Only those who do not believe on the Son of God – by faith, do not have life.
First Evangels
It was an angelic throng who were the first evangels that proclaimed the good news of a Saviour, as they abruptly burst through the blackness of night with their joyful news – the Light of God was in the world to bring peace and life to all who would believe. The world needed to know that the Prince of Peace had come to earth to bring hope to a dying race and peace to men of goodwill… peace to all who trust Him as Saviour.
Transitional Period
And Acts covers a special, unrepeatable period of time – a unique time of transition. It was a period of history that bridged the old covenant with the new covenant. It was a bridge between Old Testament living and New Testament life.
The mark of a life governed by the Holy Spirit is that such a life is continually and ever more and more occupied with Christ, that Christ is becoming greater and greater as time goes on.
Is this the kind of life that we know?
That is the mark of a life governed by the Holy Spirit.
If that is true, well, that is the way of Life.
If ever you and I should come to a place where we think we know, we have it all, we have attained, and from that point things become static, we may take it that the Holy Spirit has ceased operations and that life has become stultified.
If there is fellowship in the things of the Lord, let us use it, but let us be quite sure that we do not take things outside and submit them to those influences which are not in the Light, not in the Life, and not in the good of heavenly things, and take our direction from something less than that which is wholly under the government of the Holy Spirit.
In the variations of our soul life, the changes of our moods, our ideas, our attitudes, our feelings, our minds; deeper down there is that strength which does not let us go.
The world around us and very closely around us, even within the sphere of our own natural life, our own soul life is an inexplicable mystery.
Just as He, being the resurrection and the Life, means resurrection at any moment, and not merely at the last day you remember Martha said, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day, and the Lord, in effect, said, Stop, I am the resurrection and the Life, and I being here, the last day may be here so far as the resurrection is concerned; it is no time matter when I am present, it can be now!
only perceiving a dim shadowy silhouette. You stand in the centre of His incomplete - partially developed plan for your life. You sometimes kick against the pricks of correction, which are sent in love, to you. You ofttimes resist the chosen tool He appointed, to refine and perfect you.
You are the one that stands so tall and proud against life's horizon..
The life that emerges from death is administered by a loving, nail-pierced hand.
As with the seed that is buried once for all, but then disintegrated through a gradual process that sets free the new life, even so does our Father deal with our old nature by delivering it to death with the Lord Jesus once for all, and then bringing about its mortifying in detail through the circumstances of daily life, until the power of the old man has lost its hold on us. -L.T.
We are going to have to learn death in order to know life.
This whole question of heavenly relationship with the Lord is a tremendously searching one, the fact that Christ has transferred everything to heaven and that nothing less than a life in heavenly union with Him will stand the test at any time.
What is the spiritual life in the matter of worship?
It is their traditional system which is simply barring the way to spiritual revelation, whereas the Cross of the Lord Jesus represents the liberty in the spirit for God to lead into the fullness of His Life and Light.
The Letter to the Hebrews was written just to save them from that peril and to tell them more fully about the great change that had come about in the Cross the work of the Lord Jesus... to tell them that one system, the earthly representation, had passed and the other, the heavenly reality, had come in.... To know the Lord in Life, we must be free from the grave clothes of outward systems.
STUDY - Character and Attributes of GOD
For God SO loved the world that he GAVE His one and only Son, that WHOEVER believes in Him shall not perish but have ETERNAL LIFE.John 3:16
Love In Christ
The HEIGHT of God’s Love is to seat you in heavenly places in Christ, so that all who believe shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16).
life for the ages… life for the eternal ages to come.
Refining Love
It is those He will break and calm and heal and clean and cleanse and love. Those are the ones in whom He will live His life – through them, and they will be told to come up higher. (Luke 14:10)
Wise Words
There is nothing so low in your life that He can’t lift up to the height of His love.
To take hold of Christianity and mold it, and shape it, and systematize it, and crystallize it, and make it some mighty movement here; with its roots here, with all its associations such as man can see, appreciate and approve; to register itself upon the ordinary consciousness of this world as being something; all of that is contrary to the Word of God and is contrary to spiritual life and spiritual power.
Now, this does not only apply in the matter of our salvation in its first steps, but it comes in new revelations and calls at different times in the Christian life.
The issue is between the life which has been with its limitations known or unrecognized, and that which God offers.
Christ’s Early Life
But God is not mocked by man nor angel and the Holy Child was born and for 12 years He grew and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was on Him.
He was to travel to the House of the Lord - the reconstructed Temple of God, to meet His heavenly Father and take up the baton of responsibility that would last the rest of His life.
The Holy One
What mysteries must have passed from Father to Son on that holy, consecrated visit. What a weight of responsibility fell on those young shoulders – the Holy One of God. For the rest of His life He undertook to fulfil every letter of the Law of Moses so that in the body prepared by His Father, He would live and move and have in being in God.
Gift of Love
He has set aside the glory He had with the Father before the world was created and lived His entire life in humble obedience to the Father, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Every Passover Lamb since their escape from Egypt was a death that pointed to Christ. Every sin offering prefigured Calvary’s cross and every morning and evening sacrifice pictured His entire life as a freewill gift of love – a sweet savour – offered daily to God.
Perfect Saviour
As God He was still the omnipotent, omniscient, infinite, eternal, universal Creator – as Man He began His life as a babe in Bethlehem – and gave His life a ransom for many. The reality of Christ’s human nature links Him irrefutably with the whole human race, and though Christ must never be divorced from His deity, He became a man and He participated in the history of humankind – having come to this world in the likeness of sinful flesh. It was for us that the perfect uncreated God of the universe, became perfect Man and Who in the fullness of time – and for our sakes become our perfect Saviour.
Unique Person & Work
The two natures of Christ is a simple concept and yet it contains a profound reality. Without the two natures of Jesus Christ humanity has no Saviour and no Salvation, but by faith in the unique person and work of Jesus Christ – as Son of God and Son of Man we are given the free gift of life – eternal life – abundant life – by God’s grace.
Merry-Go-Round
Death claims many, and betrayal or disinterest have waved others farewell.. and life marches on.
Eyes start to dim and memories to fade. The lithe strength of youth is replaced with memories of what it used to be. Teeth are capped and pressure of daily life replace a long-lost free spirit.
Decaying World
In the carousel of life, even the man of faith is dissatisfied with his earthly lot, and we long for stability in just something – anything..
until we begin to understand the reason for the impermanence. God designed a mutating life with innumerable ever-changing scenes, so that we would become dissatisfied with this decaying world system.
Metamorphic Round
God organised life’s’ metamorphic round to cause dis-ease in the soul..
Source of Stability
May all life’s disappointing variations point us to the only Source of stability.
Exemplary Life
He lived a sinless life and so there was no requirement for Him to confess His sins. His words were always seasoned with salt and His actions were full of gracious truth.
He lived the only sinless life in a world of sinners.
He lived each day of His life in submission to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit.
His life was a lovely example of the only way a man can live a life that’s pleasing to God.
Sinless Life
There’ve been many religious leaders, but all died, and their body remains in a grave. There are good teachers who teach God’s word, but only He is the Word of Life.
There have been many men who have influenced many people, but the Lord Jesus is unique in the kingdom on men for He alone lived a sinless life – a life pleasing to God.
Submitted Life
Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God and unique Son of Man.
Jesus Christ is the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. He walked a path of righteousness – He lived the only sinless life in a world of sinners. He lived each day of His life in submission to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit. His life exemplified the only way a man can live a life that’s pleasing to God.
Word of Life
And though fully God and fully human in His singular body, He laid aside His glory..
The measure of our spiritual life is no greater than our heart; the knowledge that is in the head is not the measure of spirituality, the way for your release, emancipation, increase, abundance is the way of the heart.
However magnificent a gift we receive from family or friends, it pales to insignificance in comparison with the inexpressible gift of Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God – for God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes on His name, would not be condemned (as he justly deserves) but be given eternal life.
It’s suitable for all occasions no matter what the time – and for all persons whether bond or free. God’s unutterable gift of His Son multiplies into a plethora of additional gifts, which explode into an astonishing display of God’s amazing grace and unconditional love. Spiritual death is removed and the new life of Christ is breathed into our dead spirit – we were dead in our sins, but made alive in Christ.
We are part of a new creation – new creatures in Christ, for our old sin nature was severed at the cross and we are imbued with a new nature – the new life in Christ. Our status of sinner is changed into saint.
broken the power of sin in our life and will one day remove sin’s presence – forever. The curtain of separation has been torn from top to bottom granting access to the throne-room of grace and we’re covered from head to toe with the armour of God, for we are clothed with Christ and one with Him – His body, His church – His bride.
We are the temple of God with the permanently indwelling Spirit of God as God’s deposit of grace. We were foreknown of God and chosen by Him – sealed and adopted forever, Amen. We were showered with the riches of eternal life – endowed with God’s spiritual gifts. We were baptised into Christ – made peace with God and given the peace of God. He started a good work in us and prepared good works for us to do in His strength – and then in His grace rewards us for the work He carried out in our lives – what grace. Thanks be to God for His unimaginable gift!
God’s Inexpressible Gift
Through Christ Jesus we possess life – eternal life – abundant life. We are part of the body of Christ and made saints of the Most High. We are become ambassadorship of Christ on earth and have a heavenly citizenship. We are joint-heirship with Christ and have an inheritance held in trust for us by God.
We have been made living stones and become part of the dwelling-place of God. We are a chosen people; a royal priesthood; a holy nation; God’s special possession… that in this life and in the ages to come – we may declare the praises of Him Who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light. Let us thank God for His inexpressible gift!
It is a great thing to which we are called in Christ, but how many Christians are really in it, and if they know they are in it, are tasting of the meaning of it: that this Life is an inexhaustible Life, that there are new vistas all the time?
Oscillating Faith
And faith in God fluctuates between good and bad circumstances. And trust in God ping-pongs as emotions rise and then tumble. And life has no stability because we have not fixed God’s Word in our heart.
Peter orders us to know and grow in our knowledge of Him….and in grace, in 2 Peter 3, and Jesus instructs us that to know that God is life eternal, in John 17.
How often life is unstable, because we have not fixed Who God is in our heart: Elohim – the Strong One – the Powerful God.
Unlimited Glory
But this does not increase the grace of God – for His grace is infinite to start with. It cannot add to the glory of His Name – for His Name is already infinitely glorious. All that is connected with this mortal life has gross and distressing limitations. The limits and boundaries that are forced on the human creature are frustrating. Limitations that flood in from without and limitations that well up from within.
Infinite Table
When we start to compare the infinity of God with the days of our life here on earth..
Infinite Grace
Why has God designed this life to be one of hardship and sorrow? Is it not so that in learning obedience, He can bestow on us His infinite grace? Christ was the first to go through the process of a life of obedience: for the joy that was set before Him, (infinite joy), He endured the cross.
You can say, I have SEEN, and that has revolutionized my life.
That has become a dynamic in my life which, in spite of myself, keeps me going.
We may know what Paul meant when he said: We were pressed out of measure, beyond our strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life (2 Corinthians 1:8).
Let Elijah seek out his juniper tree and say: Take away my life!, but the Lord does not agree.
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.Proverbs 3:12
To he that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.Revelation 2:7
Difficulties of Life
There are times when things look very dark..
This is the place where the greatest patience and trusting hope must be exhibited… where Love and Faith support the weary arms of Hope.. just as Joshua and Hur held up the weary arms of Moses, until the precious desire blossoms forth as a Tree of Life..
for Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes it IS a Tree of Life.
Rewards of Hope
For hope deferred maketh the heart sick – but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life. How glorious that little word BUT.
endured the cross, despising the shame – so that we may eat of that Tree of Life: for to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life. Revelation 2:7
when the desired hope at long last appears, remember it is a Tree of Life.
Blessed are they that do His commandments, for they have the right to eat of the Tree of Life.
To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
He demands nothing from this world, but in the life of the Lord Jesus he contributes to it, of the grace that nourishes and comforts him outside it. -J.B.S.
And alongside that, many are looking to the organization, the society, the mission, the church connection to which they are related, and expecting a new day for themselves to originate there, and that when the institution, whatever it may be, takes action, then the work of their life will begin.
It is an inward life from God, an inward power of God.
It cannot understand that our Lord Jesus was willing to accept exactly the same basis of life with its limitation in which we live, although without sin.
So we are called to live, by the Spirit, a life triumphant over all our weaknesses, a life where Christ is everything, and where His victory is our victory.
Christians have a poor self-image simply because they are thinking and looking upon the condemned and crucified first-Adam life within, instead of being occupied with their glorified Last-Adam life above.
Just as the sin of one man, (Adam) resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act of the one Man, (Christ Jesus) resulted in justification and life for all people.Romans 5:18
Christ’s Blood
His perfect life would be a payment – for the sinful lives of the entire human race. All sin that was covered by the fleece of a lamb would be atoned for by His blood. Until the blood of the perfect Sacrifice was offered, man’s sin would remain covered – covered but never forgiven UNTIL the final Sacrifice for all sin was offered.
God’s Grace
But grace was in God’s heart when He purposed to give His Son as a ransom for many, Christ was to come bringing with Him grace and truth for all condemned by the Law. His perfect life and sacrificial death was to break the power of sin, resting on man, His death on the cross was so that man could be released from ALL condemnation.
Instead of the LAW being the criteria for perfection that man must attain, the life of Christ Jesus was to be God’s standard – and He was to do it all for us, – and the ONLY requirement of us is to believe that Christ died for our sins, and rose again the third day.
New Life of Christ
Punishment from ministration of condemnation was completed at Calvary – and the ONLY requirement is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for there is no condemnation for those that believe in Christ Jesus – for those that are ‘IN Christ’.
When we believe we are immediately given a new life – the perfect life of Christ, and when we yield to the Holy Spirit – HE works in and through our NEW life.
Condemnation Lifted
This new perfect life of Christ cannot sin.
And when we sin as a believer we lose precious fellowship with our Saviour – and when we sin we live our life in our own strength and not in Christ’s strength.
Rules for the Church
Some Christians mistakenly adhere to Israel’s Law, but Paul argues that: we are not under law but under grace, Romans 6:14. and yet we are not exempt from a godly code of living, which Paul calls: the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus Romans 8:2. and which is seen in Romans 8.
James also writes about: the perfect law of liberty, James 1:25. or the royal code and Paul reminded the Galatians to: bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2. Indeed, the law of Christ, [the law of the Spirit of life] Romans 8:2. freed us from the heavy bondage of the Old Testament Mosaic Law – and yet we are called to the highest standard of all of God’s servants.
and this is love for God: to obey His commands, and His commands are not burdensome. 1John 5:3. Never forget that: the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
I may be going through a very great deal of suffering without you knowing anything about it so far as the natural life is concerned, you are not affected by it, but beloved, there is a realm where if one member spiritually suffers the whole Body is involved in that suffering, which shows this Body is a heavenly thing and its relationships are not natural, they are spiritual, and that the unifying factor of the Holy Spirit operates apart from the natural consciousness.... You see what is involved, you see what a motive we have in our relationships for keeping them on a high level.
The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2)
The law of the Spirit of Life inChrist is like that.
It is a law of Life, and it works out in apractical way when respected and honored.
The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ is that law bywhich we become aware.
The Lord Jesus knew that at a certain time He could notact, could not speak; He had no movement of the Spirit inquickening, no Life to do so at that time; in His spirit therewas no movement of Life; the law was not active in the positiveway.
Thelaw of Life became active in that direction, and He knew by aninward quickening what the mind of God was.
That is what Paulmeans when he says, The mind of the Spirit is Life.
May you… being rooted and grounded in love… experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.Ephesians 3:17-18
According as His divine power He hath given us all that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue.2 Peter 1:3
Fragile Self
A tiny cornflower seed embodies the life of a cornflower within its fragile self. The little seed contains in full reproduction of the life from which it came. We too are complete in Him – and our life is hid with Christ in God, and like the cornflower seed, all of Christ is embodied within our “new man,” And we will be fully like Him when we see Him as He is.
Divine Life
The divine Life in the believer’s new nature is to grow and develop throughout life.
The believer’s new life within, is to be conformed into the likeness of Christ’s life.
Godly Living
Not only is our life positioned in Him – it is complete In Him.
God has given us all that we need to live a holy and godly life: according as His divine power, He hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through knowledge of Him, Who called us to glory and virtue. 2 Peter 1:3 If only we believed our life were truly complete in Him – and then, were to act on it.
In the end, it will be the End that judges our Christian life.
And we shall discover that while there are the compensations, for there are undoubtedly the compensations in this life, and the mighty compensations for eternity, this is a way which is not easy for the natural man by any means.
He came to give life and health instead of sickness and death.
Light in the World
We are not a “Christ” as some like to claim, for we are all members of His one body. Christ is the Head and we are His body – both individually and corporately, and we are to act as His life and His light in the world.
We cannot give life to any dead being, nor can we forgive sins, but we can point the lost to Christ Jesus our Lord and our Head.
The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6)
If you want to know what the Spirit is against, you will know it because there is death in that direction in your spirit, you have no Life, you say, in that direction.
All right, that means you know the Lord, you know the spirit, you know what it is to move on the basis of the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ.
Guidance, direction, is a matter of Life in the Spirit, Life by the Spirit.
The Lord Jesus had His life ordered, governed, conducted, arranged in every detail by the quickening Spirit; the Spirit of Life in Christ.
Life and the letter are often contrasted in the Word.
He must have the Esther instrument who flings fear to the winds, and goes, taking life in hand, to besiege the throne for the life of her people, for the deliverance of the people of God from the threat of the enemy.
Some people seem to think that to become more spiritual we must become more intense and tied-up and occupied with this whole matter of the spiritual life, and really they are the most unbearable people, the joy has gone out of them.
a Father Who binds up those aching wounds; a Father Who heals the brokenness of life; a Father Who creates afresh a life of meaning; a life of purpose.
A life, where empty hearts are filled to overflowing with His love; a life where aching souls are restored to fullness of purpose.
A life, where a soul steps out as did Christian on his 'Pilgrims Progress' – to ford the 'Slough of Despond'; to defeat the fierce Giant Despair; to triumph over Apollyon’s attacks – to slay the many mighty dragons of doubt, distrust, and disbelief.
We are not merely adopted as into an earthly family, but He has imparted to us His own life – the very breath of His life.
All who take time to study the disposition and character of Christ discover Him to display perfection throughout His lifetime and grace in all circumstances of His life.
Heart for God
God is looking for men after His own heart like David, who will shepherd His people, and He is searching for prayerful men of integrity, like the prophet Daniel. He is looking for willing men like Isaiah who volunteered to do the Lord’s bidding – trusting men like Habakkuk, who lived a life of trusting faith.
Right Relationship
All these people were in right relationship with the Lord and each of these characters displayed a characteristic that pleased the Lord – a godly disposition that was precious in His eyes – a quality that is dear to the heart of our God. God laid His hand on each of His people in a unique way and God took time in each life to develop in each one a peculiar and distinctive quality that was a dim reflection of His own perfect grace – one that would be seen in the face of Jesus Himself.
ot my will but Thine be done – in my life/ Break me; Melt me; Mold me; Fill me –; Pattern me after Your Beloved Son.
The key to everything with God is Life.... We must realize that Christ's ascendancy, supremacy, power, ability and all that goes with Headship, is in terms of His prerogative of Life.
He is the Son, vested with Life; He has the right given Him of God to give Life to as many as believe.
But bring in one who has the power of life over death, be he ever so humble on this earth, he is head, he is master, he is lord.
But supposing you bring in a little, insignificant person who is nobody, with no capabilities whatever in this world, no training, and that one be invested with the power of life over death, he rules out all these others, they are as nothing in his presence, he is lord of the situation.
Christ is Head, not just by appointment, but in terms of Life.
We may be very insignificant people on this earth, nothing at all to be taken account of by the world, but if only we have Christ in fullness of Life we are in a supreme position, we make all the great organizations and institutions as nothing.
It is a spiritual thing, the impact of Christ; not tradition, not history, not theology, but the spiritual power of His presence in terms of Life through faith and righteousness.
Perfect Standard
The Lord Jesus is our ‘standard.’ He is the One true and only ‘benchmark’ for life.
Way, Truth, and Life
He not only shows us the way and points out the way... but He is the Way.
John 8:32 He not only gives us life and breathes new life into us... but He is Life.
He is life and health and wholeness and peace and freedom.
A Different Dimension
He is not the life and peace that the world craves but life on a different dimension.
Godly Reminders
The life we live depends on the thoughts we think, as a man thinks so is he. Proverbs 23:7. Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus Philippians 2:5.
A Challenge
I challenge us all to begin today to consciously take every thought captive, and we will discover that we have taken the first step away from bondage into the mind of Christ Jesus, and the life of His freedom.
And He answers these impossible things in the normal way for it is the normal way; the abnormal would be by signs and wonders and extraordinary happenings: demonstrations to our senses; but the normal way in the Christian life is the way of the continuous transcendence of His Life over the working of death.
You have to live your life and do your work in a sphere of spiritual death where everything is against spiritual Life, and there is nothing to support you at all, and yet you go on there in the Lord, and are not swallowed up, engulfed and destroyed by that atmosphere and by those conditions.
That is the miracle of Divine Life working silently.
Yours, then, is a life as is the life of everyone set in the presence of the great stone of death, spiritual death.
Well, I appeal to those of you who have any spiritual life and history at all.
And His perfect life was one of deep, willing, passionate, yielding love.
We will do everything in our power to avoid the disgrace of His crushing humiliation, but He must increase in each and every part of life..
In disheartenment and despair – He is our JOY. In thick shadow and deep darkness – He is our LIGHT. In weakness and sickness – He is our LIFE. In our utter and total submission and surrender – He is our ALL in ALL.
So the Lord neither can, nor will, nor does, commit Himself fully to the temporal aspects of His own work.... Spiritually the position in union with a heavenly Lord means fullness, and the measure of fullness depends entirely upon that heavenly life and the heavenly nature of everything.
A few divinely inspired instructions can summarise the meaning of life and how to live..
Examples of Grace
It is grace that called us to be His children and gave us an inheritance as sons. It is grace that made us heavenly ambassadors and has planned every step of our life. It is the grace that will make us examples of His grace in the ages that are to come. It is grace that ordained us to every good work and grace that equips to do it.
Spirit’ Guidance
Life’s circumstances may indeed be a gateway to understanding, Experience also can teach us many things but they are not an end in itself.
The Spirit of God takes life experience and combines it with His Word.
It is then that through life’s circumstances, some of God’s secret things can be revealed.
Trials and Temptations
God reveals patience and other graces through life’s trials and temptations. God develops faith in the man or woman that is thus broken before Him. James tells us to count it all joy when you fall into various trials.
but how do we understand the value of trials if we don't know the word of truth? And how do we learn that God is working in life to procure ultimate perfection in us?
Many make great effort to emulate and copy the life of the Lord Jesus.
God uses all the facts and realities of life to humble us before His throne of grace, and through our self-analysis or introspection, we discover our efforts are in vain..
He is the Alpha and Omega of all life’s struggles.
Christ lived a perfect human life – living, walking, and praying in spirit and truth.
Christ is Believed on
The 5th principle in this great assurance is that Christ is believed on in the world.. 'for he that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeys not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him.' John 3:36.
Perfect Reflections
Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life we need to stop and think. Sometimes in the hurly-burly of living we need to focus our thoughts. We need to think on whatsoever is good..
to reflect on whatsoever is perfect, for our minds can become overwhelmed with the cares of this life.
my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,My Prophet, Priest, and King,My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,Accept the praise I bring.
An era of insanity, as natural man plans humanities next move – on the chessboard of life: but God has made foolish the wisdom of this world. 1Cor.3:19 And a young child, brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord has greater wisdom, than the anti-theist minds of the world’s ministers, who so love to play “god“.
God the Father by His grace, loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of all believers today, is to glorify Christ.
We were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
My Cross means that not even for Me can you be or do anything out from yourself, but if there is to be anything at all it must be out from Me, and that means a life of absolute dependence and faith.
At this point, therefore, we awoke to the fundamental principle of our Lord's own life while here, and it became the law of everything for us from that time.
For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
ALIVE unto God – Our life hid with Christ in the Father.
ALIVE unto God – Living – Life – Eternal Life,and because I live, you will live also.
John 14:19 ALIVE unto God – we who were once alienated from the life of God.
Glory of Eternal Life
And life; eternal life – His life became our life..
And so our Christian life began, when we became alive unto God.
From Death to Life
We have passed from death..
And we have passed unto life..
We rose in Him as He conquered death – and our life is hid with Christ In God.
A Hidden Life
We are to seek the things of heaven..
Ours is to be an 'other-worldly' life..
a life lived on a different plain..
a life bound by a contrasting set of principles – a life hid with Christ in God.
Word of Life
Jesus said: he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life..
John 5:24 and Paul expounds: for I through the law died to the law that I might live to God, I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives 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.
They see the value of theChristian standard of life, and Christian teaching, andhave thought if only it could be applied, how different theworld would be.
The only way inis by our receiving Divine Life as a gift through faith inJesus Christ, and that becomes the new basis of the newcreation, the basis upon which everything begins and iscarried through, the basis of Divine Life.
That Life has in itall the qualities and energies of the new creation.
The anointing means that, and if that is not the nature of your spiritual life, there is something wrong in your case in relation to the anointing.
To Nathanael the Lord Jesus said, Henceforth (our old English word is hereafter, but I think many people have mistakenly thought that means the after life) ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Oh, how an unsettled issue does paralyze the life.
Have a controversy with the Lord, an unsettled issue with the Lord, and your whole life is lamed, is paralyzed; you are limping first one way and then the other; there is no sense of stability about your way.
But until that is done you are crippled, you are paralyzed, and the whole secret of your being in that weak, indefinite, unstable, uncertain place is that God is not having His full rights; there is a dividedness in your life, a dividedness in your own soul, because other interests and considerations are in view.
The dividedness may be in your home life, where you have power, authority and influence, and you are not standing one hundred percent for the Lord interests there.
You may be busy, you may be occupied, you may be rushing hither and thither in the Lord name, but you know that deep down there is a lack, an uncertainty, an unsettled state; your spiritual life is limited and paralyzed.
It will always be so until the issue is settled and God has His place in fullness in every part and relationship of your life.
That is what John brings out so clearly, by way of illustration in his Gospel, and by way of direct statement in his epistle ...God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
He that hath the Son hath the life.
The fellowship is explained as being that of possessing His very Life.
The basis of union with God is that God's own Life is given to us in new birth, and upon that God builds everything, on that He counts for everything.
In order to reach and realize all God's thought, God must put Himself into man in the very essence of His being, His very Life.
God cannot realize spiritual, eternal, universal intentions on the basis of natural life.
The Scriptures make it very clear that man's own natural life can never be the basis of the realization of any of God's purposes, that God's own Life alone can be that.
God's hope is in His own Life, not in ours, and He puts the basis of His hope within at new birth, and on that basis He proceeds to the development of all His thought, and the realization of all His intention.
You never do touch the Lord Jesus in His death in any new measure without knowing a new measure of resurrection Life.
When the Lord Jesus by His Spirit brings us in a further measure into the meaning of His death, let it be settled with us, once and for all, that that is in itself a new measure of resurrection Life.
It is death unto Life.
The Life and the gain are of a different sort from the death and the loss.
The death and the loss is simply all that which, sooner or later, will go in any case, and even while it remains is of a very doubtful value, but the Life and the gain are eternal, and have in them all the values of God.
Because of what that leads to, all the possibilities of that resurrection Life and power, because of its ultimate issue: because of the place to which it can bring him, no less a place than the very Throne of the Lord Himself.
Do recognize that the Cross is the end of the risen life, and not only the beginning.
The Cross is the end of the risen life, as well as the beginning: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming conformed unto His death.
The power of His resurrection presupposes that there has been a death, but the very resurrection-life leads to the Cross.
The Holy Spirit in the power of the risen life is always leading you back to the Cross, to conformity to His death.
It is the very property of Life to rule out all that belongs to death.
That place is none other than the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ where the natural life is put aside.
It would be a poor look-out for you and for me were we to be conformed to His death in entirety apart from the power of resurrection in us, apart from our already knowing the Life of the Lord.
There would be no survival were it not that His risen Life is in us.
No other price would satisfy a holy God, and so we were bought at a price – the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour, – but the free gift of salvation to all who believe, cost God the life of His beloved Son.
Purchased, in Love
What awesome grace to be purchased, in love, by God and so become His child. What an honor to be brought into His kingdom from a life of slavery to sin and Satan.
Should we not live each day of our life for Him, in grateful thanks and devoted service.
His was a life that willingly and cheerfully walked the way of the cross.
Phil.4:11 Paul is the most astonishing example of a man that was utterly dependent on God, He is an example and sign that his life was not his own, but hid with Christ in God.
The Spirit of Life that raised Jesus from the dead, was Paul’s total dynamism.
Typical Example
This prisoner of the Lord had no life of his own – the sentence of death was on him.
His life becomes the typical example..
No-one but a man like Paul could have walked this painful path through life – yet Paul himself would vehemently argue that all his strength was drawn from above.
Paul demonstrated through his life a total abandonment to the Lord.
one are sufficient to rest upon in the spiritual journey upon which we’ve all embarked, but all will be used in the eternal plan, for a life who truly cries: Thy Will Be Done.
For God works all things together for good to those that trust him, and God gives back the years consumed by the locusts of life – but it is a lifetime process of learning to trust God.
Fruitful Life
There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth.
for God uses all things in the life of a believer in producing the end result!
for the fruit of the Spirit takes time to grow and to ripen in the life of a believer – just as the fruit on the tree requires sunshine and storm to yield its produce.
Lifelong Journey
One writer puts it this way: The Husbandman’s method for true spiritual growth involves: pain as well as joy; suffering as well as happines; failure as well as success; inactivity as well as service; death as well as life.
In the words of the Lord Jesus: When tribulation or persecution ariseth... he is offended (Matthew 13:21).Clearly, then, if you and I are going to persevere to the end we must have a greater power than that of our natural emotional life.
The letter to the Galatians is devoted to emphasizing the place of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, for He alone can supply the necessary energy of love for us to go on running well.
Evaluation of Christianity
Some years ago I spent weeks evaluating one such highly popular religious book, as Christians throughout the world rushed headlong to discover their life’s ‘Purpose.’ I concluded, along with other biblically sound witnesses, its unscriptural inconsistencies. I discovered false teaching – overflowing with atheistic authors and new age teachings.
God’s Purpose For Man
God’s Purpose for us does not have to be extracted from a 12-step programme. God’s Word is the true source of knowledge in understanding His purpose and will. Trace the truth of God’s purpose from before the foundation of the world. Explore the meaning of life from the pages of Scripture – starting with Genesis. God said..
Praise the Lord of Heaven and earth, that His ways and purposes are not ours. His purpose in life will be carried out in the life of a believer – by faith. His plan for each life will take time..
an entire life-journey to complete.
for you are accepted. His plan, purpose and will for your life is that Christ is formed in you – that we are conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus, Rom.8:29
God’s Purpose In Christ
There is no 12-step program that can effect this transformation – only a life of humility, submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit..
a life that can finally say in thought, word, deed, and motive.. it is not I that lives in me, but Christ. Gal.2:20. This is my commandment, that you love… John.14:34. Love one another as I have loved you.
I have come that they may have life. (John 10:10 ISV)
If, on the one hand, eternal Life operates to cut us off from our natural life as the basis of our relationship with God, on the other hand, it is perfectly wonderful what is done.
The Lord even comes in as our physical life to the doing of more than would have been possible to us at our best, and certainly far beyond the present possibility, because He has made us know that as men we are nothing, even at our best.
Life does that.
Life forces off one system and brings on another, making room for it as it goes.
That, I believe is what the Lord meant when He said, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
We are always asking for life more abundant that we might feel wonderfully elated and overflowing and energetic.
The Lord is preeminently practical, and more abundant Life means that, having Life, you will find the need of more to lead you a little further, and you will need it abundantly as you go on, because that Life alone can bring you into the fullness.
And it is His will that there should be the full provision of Life unto the full end, because the purpose is such an abundant purpose.
When we pray for Revival let us be careful as to what we are after and as to what means we use to promote it, or carry it on.... The Apostle Paul makes it very clear that the secret of everything in his life and service was the fact that he received his gospel by revelation.
When the Scriptures say so much about the knowledge of God and of the truth as the basis of eternal life, resulting in being set free, doing exploits, etc., they also affirm that man cannot by searching find out God, and they make it abundantly clear that it is knowledge in the spirit, not in the natural mind.
Thus, a rich knowledge of the Scriptures, an accurate technical grasp of Christian doctrine, a doing of Christian work by all the resources of men's natural wisdom or ability, a clever manipulation and interesting presentation of Bible content and themes, may get not one whit beyond the natural life of men, and still remain within the realm of spiritual death.
Human Heart
The human heart desires to know answers to so many unanswerable questions. Believers are not exempt from a longing to know answers to imponderable issues. Man’s mission in life is to discover the unknowable which is hidden deep in the mind of God.
But this I do know – there is One Who is the Answer to all life’s ills and wrongs, All questions and every answer is bound up in one Person – the Lord Jesus Christ.
One Answer
There is only one answer when faced with the troubles of life and His name is Jesus – and this He promised: I, if I am lifted up, will draw all men and women to Me to save and forgive and to heal the hurt.
John 12:32 There is only One God, Who was sent to heal all brokenness and pain in life, and His name is Jesus.
So, on the other hand, if we seriously faced the things which the Spirit of God has again and again ruled out when He has had His way, would not the way be opened for a morepermanent high level of spiritual life, fullness, and effectiveness?
The law of God's highest work is the biological, the law of Life; it is organic.
Personal Love
Christ’s love is a precious love – betwixt Him and His Church. It’s a penetrating love – between Christ and His Body. It’s an intimate love, that flows from the Son to His own darling dove. It was for the Church that the Lord Jesus gave up His life. It was for this pearl of great price – the Lord gave all to purchase her for Himself.
Love for the Bride
He loved her as Himself and has seated her together with Him in heavenly places. He treasures her so dearly, that He betrothed Himself to her as a Bridegroom. He gave Himself for His bride, that He might set her apart as unto Himself. The Lamb of God sacrificed His life..
Christ’s Prayer
Christ did all this so that His Body might eat of the sweet fruit of the Tree of Life.
This love is so amazing - so divine, it demands our soul, our heart, our life, our all.
And He is truly our Councillor for the Spirit of counsel rested upon His whole life..
He scheduled each day of Your life – from before you were even born.
Eternal Father
Jesus is indeed the Eternal Father, and unlike human parents whose life fades and passes away like the grass of the field – eternal means forever and ever – Amen. He has promised never to leave us or abandon us as orphans.
By His resurrected life He gives us the peace of God which passes human comprehension and when He went to the Father to prepare a place for us with Him in heaven – He left us His own perfect peace. He said, I’m leaving My peace.
We live in the Lord Jesus for sanctification, throughout our Christian life.
Salvation of the soul (or sanctification) takes the complete life-span of a believer.
Others prefer the trinkets of this life to the treasures that are stored up in heaven and many can’t comprehend that faith comes to the church by hearing not by sight – unlike Israel for whom signs were designed, so they could recognise their Messiah.
We are nothing but dead sticks without His life.
Sanctification and maturing in the Christian life is open to all believers and all believers will eventually be sanctified, for we shall all be like Him – but that happens after we leave this earth.
Willing sanctification is a life-process now, where we willingly submit to Him..
Christ’s Likeness
And for years I have made it my daily prayer to ask the Lord to search out every nook and cranny of my life, that’s displeasing to Him..
to do whatever it takes to conform my soul-life to His Christ-life – to make me willing to change into the person He wants me to be.
Sanctification Steps
God has also set out His method for sanctification, and we are to grow in the Christian life the way He dictated, and not try to do it our own way.
Rejecting part of scripture, doubting His word, or mistrusting His character if they conflict with our preconceptions affects all of life.
If we think Him unfair in one area of life, we deny the truth of His whole character.
His Word of truth is staggering, and if we are unprepared to see ourselves through God’s eyes, our whole Christian life will become distorted.
Ah, He was taking all the risks necessary about this because the reality, the awful reality of this: you CANNOT, you cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven while you cling to this kingdom inimical to God, in any way.... How much the New Testament has to say about this, a walk in holiness that is separate unto God in heart, in spirit, in life, from this world.
And if we knew it, a very large degree of our education, our spiritual education and our discipline in the Christian life under the hand of the HOLY Spirit, has to do with those things in us which are mixed up....
The Lord calls for distinctiveness of life and testimony, real distinctiveness of life and testimony.
Is our life, dear friends, is your life and my life in this world in our connections and associations and so on, quite distinct, no mistaking to what realm we belong, to Whom we belong?
Seat of Power
But Christian doctrine has been twisted in many areas to elevate mans supremacy. Man may accept God’s gift as His Saviour and may even sacrifice much for God.. but man prefers to remain the crowned king on the throne of his own life.
New Life
But until we can truly examine every nook and cranny of our life and say with Paul.. I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live – yet not I, but Christ lives in me…” Gal.2:20. Until that time our heart must remain rebellious towards the Self-Existent One – the Self-Existent God, Who loves us so much and gave Himself for us.
Spiritual Effectiveness
The cost of accountability in each life is very high. The greater the degree of spiritual effectiveness given to an individual or ministry.. the more spiritually accountable that one becomes. For to him that has been given much, much will be required Luke 12:48
The whole of our life is a process of sanctification..
To be prepared to discover areas within our soul (our life) that hurt or grieve Him, and permit Him to root out the puss within and to fill that empty space with Himself. Search me O God and know my heart. Test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends You. Psalm 139:3.
It is possible to go out and work, labor, and die of the strain of trying to serve Me and yet it still remains true that you cannot, out from yourself, by any natural resources whatever, bear fruit unto Me.' The only thing that can ever get through to God's end, and that can be in Life eternal, Divine, heavenly Life is that which proceeds from the Holy Spirit.How sweeping that is!
Complete in Him
Not only is our life positioned in Him and complete in Him, but He has given us all that we need to live a holy and godly life.
We read in 2Peter 3:3 according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.
If we believe that our life truly is complete is Him then we need to act upon it..
No doubt he wondered sometimes to what purpose he was there, whether his life had any value.
God knew how to equip this man, how to get His way in that life.
A Holy Spirit possessed life is always marked by purpose.
Nothing can be lost in such a life; let us not believe in mere generalities.
Let us abandon all personal desires, and be filled with the Spirit of urgency traight away.Those who know that they are called of God, and who definitely recognize the purpose of their life, will be wholly given up to it.
until it is His Life being lived through me with my self-life nailed to the cross.
Human Development
A lifetime of trying to achieve this in one's own strength will result in failure, and we have an example written in the life of every baby that’s born.
Spiritual Development
The babe in Christ likewise has a new life: the new life in Christ.
The immature Christian likewise has access to a new mind – the new-mind of Christ, but the new life and this new mind must grow and mature into Christlikeness, and there is only one way, laid out in Scripture to spiritual growth and maturity.
For exercise: the child of God needs to develop a life of obedience.
Bread of Life
This precious combination is the key to unlock the only path to spiritual growth, but many neglect the Hidden Manna, the Living Bread and Water of Life.
Jesus said: I am the bread of life.
Breath of Life
Many neglect the vital breath of Life, which is daily and unceasing prayer.
Word of Life
And many neglect the exercise of the soul – obedience to His commands.
She missed out on sitting at His feet and receiving food from the Bread of Life.
Fleshly Striving
What a shock it is to discover our whole Christian life has been lived in the flesh.
Life Choice
We are to be of the same mind..
It is one of many choices we make in this life.
Salvation Choice
Initial Salvation or being born of the Spirit, is a choice we all make in this life.
But throughout the life of a sinner, the Spirit is convicting that sinner of his need.
Sanctification Choice
Sanctification or being matured by the Spirit is also a choice we make in this life.
Another way of putting it is you can live a spiritual life or a carnal life.
Believers can choose to submit to His will in our life, and daily grow into His likeness, OR we can choose to resist His will in our life, and quench His work in our lives.
Today’s Choices
What we choose today will affect our life in the kingdom for a thousand years, for the millennial rewards in Revelation 2-3 – are rewards for the coming kingdom, and we will be judged by the works that we do in this life – for good or bad.
And throughout the life of a saint, God will work through us, if we permit Him.
Wrong Choices
Life is full of choices – and so often we make the wrong choices.
Many choices that I have made in my life have often been foolish and rebellious, but amazingly God works everything together for good, even our bad choices.
So as long as there is breath in these bodies, the carnal Christian can submit and cry out to the Lord: Father I have sinned against You, I have quenched your Spirit and resisted His holy work in my life – and He will kill the fatted calf and put a ring on your finger.
Each one lived much of their life in the flesh.
And a believer who has lived the most carnal life can still become spiritual.
Seven 7-fold Work
There is a sevenfold work of the Spirit of God at our salvation, which can be resisted:- 1) He convicts us of our need of a Saviour (John 16:8-9) 2) He regenerates the forgiven sinner, giving a new life (Titus 3:5) 3) He baptises the new believer into the body of Christ (1Cor.12:13) 4) He indwells the new believer permanently and forever (1Cor.3:16 1Cor.6:19) 5) He anoints the new believer (2Cor.1:21 1John 2:20-21) 6) He earnests a first-fruit pledge of full fruit (Eph.1:14 Rom.8:23) and 7) He witnesses with an assurance of son-ship (Rom.8:16).
The context of grieving the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 4 which tells us: do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph.4:30) – let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, along with all malice (Eph.4:31) – and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Eph.4:32) – The life-long sanctifying process is carried out in the power of the Holy Spirit, but the sanctifying process cannot be accomplished by the work of the flesh.
3rd : Service
THIRD: Christ lived a life of service demonstrating the work of the Spirit through Him, so that we would understand that our service can only be carried out in His power.
Disallowing this vital work in a believer’s life is the quenching of His Holy Spirit.
God loves you with a deep, deep, deep love and longs to work in your life.
Bring a broken heart, a contrite spirit, and a life - surrendered of uncluttered love for Him.
As you trust your life into His hands, He will show you a way of escape, for there hath no trial taken you but such as is common to man, but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tried above that ye are able, but will with the trial also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13.
The Greatest Person
Never allow the obstacles that this world affords to distract you from your life’s ministry.
Never allow your heart or spirit to depress at this time, though the world spirals out of control... for He is faithful to go ahead of all circumstances of life to redeem the impossible.
Does not this multi-hued gemstone reflect the life of the perfect Man?
Was not His life one of guileless trust in the Father through the Spirit’s power?
Did He not live a life of sincerity and truth?
Was not the life of the Lord Jesus Christ the inspiration for Paul’s “Supreme Good”
Consider His Sacrifice
Consider His sincerity: “I am the way and the truth and the life, and in John 14 He tells us: ” in my Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you.
Here, after all that, near the end of his life, he is crying passionately: That I may know Him.The very least that we can say about this is that the Christ in view was a very great Christ indeed, who outstrips the greatest capacity and comprehension of man.
For those who, like the New Testament writers, have a real burden and sense of responsibility for the spiritual life of God's people, one of the most heart-breaking things is the way in which so many who gave promise of going right on with the Lord are caught in some side-track and turn to something other or less than He meant for them.
Well now, of course that is just the key that opens the door to everything when you see what new creation Life means.
And with that you introduce the whole matter of the proper order, the proper regulated order of heavenly Life.
Heavenly Life is according to heavenly law.
There is a regulating order with this Life.
This Life expresses itself according to its own laws, as life does in every part of the organic creation.
That part of the creation follows the laws of the life which it possesses, and this is the Life of the Spirit, and you have not to organize or systematize this.
The thing happens if the Life has its way.
We have learned this, yet, much as we know about the truth, we are still so much governed by our own natural life, even in our spiritual activities.
It will come about if the Holy Spirit is really having His way in terms of Life.
Ongoing Salvation
Timothy, who was already saved in the past from the penalty of sin, is now being instructed on how to be saved in the present - from the POWER of sin, for he, like all believers, is in the process of being saved in his Christian life – SANCTIFICATION.
The Godhead created Adam with spirit, soul, and body, for a threefold life:- a life of salvation, sanctification, and service.
Threefold Life
In his epistle to the Romans, He guides us with clarity on the essential guidelines. Man, spiritually dead is separated from God in sin, and it is then that the threefold life begins.
Transformation begins when the old life in Adam becomes a new life in Christ.
Free Gift of Life
How vital that we understand what the threefold life really means to the believer.
The free gift of life… of salvation is offered to all sinners: for the wages of sin is death, but God’s gift of life is to those who believe.
The free gift of life (of salvation), is offered to those that believe in the Son.
Sons of God
Jesus said: I am come that those who believe in Me may have life, and have it more abundantly.
But the saving life in Christ can only be possessed by one that comes to Him, and the Lord yearns to have men come to Him: come unto Me – all of you..
It tells us how God took a fallen dead, dark world, and breathed life into it.
Everlasting Story
Being born again is like the first chapter in the never-ending book of eternal life..
but that first chapter must be written in the life of a sinner, for the book to begin… for God so loved mankind, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that all who believe on Him..
all who relate to Him, will have life – eternal life.
And then continue through the ongoing process of sanctification and service, so that the believer can have that life and have it more abundantly.
You may not have very much in your daily life to make the calling seem positive.
It would be so easy in a situation like that to say: Well, in my sphere of life there is not much of the glamor of a heavenly calling!
How do you know but that in that very uninteresting, perhaps unpromising sphere of life you are on test on some of those great matters, such as faith, patience, or patient endurance?
He is working throne elements into us now in the drab, uninteresting life day by day.
There may be bound up with the least interesting course of life some very, very real intention of the Lord.
The Lord would teach us and this is the lesson that my heart is bent upon learning, and that I would urge upon you to make your quest also that the ground of assurance is not in our having decided for Christ, nor that we persist in the Christian life, nor that we feel strong, nor that we have certain ability as Christians and are able to do this or that.
It is not the measure of our activity in the work of the Lord, nor any one of these things which constitutes our Christian life.
If only in the face of all you may see of a multitude of contradictions in your own life in weaknesses, and imperfections, and lack of attainment, you will persistently believe in Him as having it in Himself to bring you through to the end, you will go through in spite of all.
This is a day for travail: whether it be a travail for the unsaved or for the Lord's people; every true spiritual activity is born out of travail, and those who have been most used of God in every time have been men and women who had this travail in their soul, in their secret life with God.
Growing In Grace - STUDY
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives 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. Galatians 2:20
Grace-Promise-Faith
There are two paths believers can follow in their Christian life, either grace or law, either faith or works, either promise or merit, either God’s way or man’s way.
The “grace-promise-faith” way is described in Scripture as a ministry of life: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Rom.8:2. This path promises freedom from the law of sin and death and by living our life God’s way we are not placing ourselves under any man-made regulations or laws – we are not placing ourselves back not under condemnation.
A Christian living the “works-merit-law” way, will find death, failure, and misery, while one living the “grace-promise-faith” way will have life more abundantly.
Normal Christian Life
There are God-given principles for the ‘normal’ Christian life in Scripture, which are all founded on grace and Paul sets out the grace-walk within his epistles.
And in Galatians, he writes: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives 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.
Heart of Man
Once this astonishing principle is embraced, God can work in a believer’s life, and he is freed from the law and enabled to walk by means of the Spirit rather than by means of the flesh.
Law is called a ministry of death and its source is the old sin nature, (the flesh), while grace is described as a ministry of life, and its source is the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Any believer who has strayed along the “works-merit–law” path and its ministry of death can be restored to the “grace-promise-faith” way and its ministry of life for, His mercies are new every morning – great is His faithfulness.
The true Jew is one who belongs to God in heart, a man whose circumcision is not just an outward physical affair but is a God-made sign upon the heart and soul, and results in a life lived not for the approval of man, but for the approval of God. (Romans 2:29 Phillips)
The Cross, as the instrument of spiritual circumcision, has to be applied to this self-life deeper and ever more deeply, because there seems to be no end to it.
Even in our Christian life, in our devotion to the Lord, we are so happy that other people see how devoted we are, and how humble we are!
Luke’s gospel informed Theophilus about the life and the work of the Lord Jesus.
Acts covers a special and unrepeatable period of time – a unique time of transition. Acts was a bridge between Old Testament living and New Testament life.
Life and Health
To Moses, He unveiled Himself I AM the God Who Heals - the almighty Physician and God said: “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments (His Word), and keep all His statutes (His Word) I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have brought on the Egyptians: For I Am the LORD who heals you.” I AM your Healer – YHWH ROPHEKA Exo.15:26. And He comes to us as the God Who heals us our almighty Physician.
Jesus said to her: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.
And to us, He has is our Good Shepherd– that Great Shepherd of the Sheep: “I AM the Good Shepherd the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep”.
Jesus said:-
Jesus said:- I AM the Bread of Life; he who comes to Me shall never hunger.” John 6:35
Jesus said:- I AM the Light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
Jesus said:- I AM the Good Shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.” John 10:11
Jesus said:- I AM the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.” John 11:25
Jesus said:- I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” John 14:6
Unique Son
He laid aside the glory He had with the Father during the time He walked on earth, yet He retained His pre-existent knowledge – while learning obedience as a Son. He remembers the glory that He shared with the Father before the world was created. He recalled How He was the bread of life that came down from heaven for in Him is life, and that life is a light that shines in the heart of everyone coming into the world.
Unique Priest
He had neither beginning of days nor end of life, but has become High Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek – He is now the eternal High Priest of the Most High God. He came forth from the Father and He returned back to the Father to resume His eternal Sonship, but He returned in the body of a glorified Man : the Man Christ Jesus.
Those who start down the second path will make a conscious decision, to renounce all false imaginations and images of God built up over time – to refuse to believe the minds-eye photo that has been developed through life – and to believe without doubting that God’s Word is true and His promise sure.
Broken Words
“I promise I’ll take you to the park tomorrow,” and then tomorrow comes and goes. “I’ll always be there for you, no matter,” then circumstances, feelings or life changes. How quick we are to believe that promise. How easy it is to break our word. How desperately hurt we feel.
How obtuse to build perceptions of God, based the pain of life’s experiences, and yet we link the Word of God to the experiences of ‘words’ that let us down.
Immediately you begin to contemplate or purpose a fuller prayer-life, the enemy launches a new scheme for keeping you more busy and occupied, heaping up the work and crowding in demands so that you will have no time or opportunity for prayer.... But we must recognize this: that the enemy will construct his best arguments about responsibility, duty and conscience to stop us praying, and there is a place where, if we see prayer is utterly ruled out, or brought down to such a limited place that it is completely inadequate for a life of spiritual ascendancy and victory, we have to say: Lord, I am going to trust the responsibility with You while I pray, that You will not allow my breaking away for this time to have detrimental results, and that You will protect this prayer-time which I seek for Your glory from the inroads of the enemy.
Word Made Flesh
Today God continues to speak to us, and He speaks to through His Son, the Word of God. Today God continues to speak to us, through the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God. You diligently search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life, but the Scriptures point to Me; John 5:39
Living Sacrifice
Give your life as a sacrifice..
Watch – Prepare
Live the life of a spiritual man – put off the carnal lust of the flesh. Look at your position in Christ – not the condition of your circumstances. Prepare your heart for the Lord’s return is near – at the very door. Keep your lamps trimmed, and be filled with the Spirit. Understand what scripture says about these end times in which we live.
God’s Voice
If I have not learned to recognise His voice in the cries of the unlovely I have not learned to know His heart. If I cannot identify His voice in the dull and daily routine of life.. with equal enthusiasm as when He calls to me on the mountain top, I cannot realise that He wants to lift His loved one over the drudgery and monotony of daily living.
‘Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’John 4:24
Jesus said, I shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
His living water from God brings life and health and healing and wholeness.
And He showed me a pure river of water of life – clear as crystal.
The tree of life is a healing stream, whose leaves are used for wholeness – for the healing of the nations” Revelation 22:1
His living streams bring the glorious hope of salvation to all who drink of Him, just as redemptive salvation flooded into the life of the woman of Samaria, the moment that she believed His Word and obeyed His command.
Fountain of Life
His sparkling river of life threads through Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation..
This water of life tells the story from start to finish that all who will, may come.
Only Jesus can give the waters of life.
River of Life
No matter what we have done in the past, nor what dark secrets hide in our hearts, He is ever willing to sit by the many wells of the world and wait for one soul to come. And whosoever will... let him take the water of life freely. And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Born again in Christ, (the 2nd man) -a believer inherits righteousness, obedience, and life.
All humanity starts their life on earth, dead in trespasses and sins.
Heb.9:22 Cain offered no blood-let, sacrificed-life, to meet the holy requirements of God.
Perfect Sacrifice
Jesus demonstrated a sinless life.
He spent His whole life in service and good deeds, but naught but His death and spilling of His sinless blood caused the Temple veil to be rent in two.
God is not worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath and all things” Acts 17:25.
We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. (2 Corinthians 1:8 ESV)
He was crushed and broken, but out of that breaking has come the Life which you and I have, and which so many in all the nations have received.
It was out of the breaking and crushing of the Church that the Life came to the world.
but what Life has come out of that man's pressure!
We are not talking about preaching and Bible teaching, but about this great ministry of Christ giving His Life through us.
It may be passed on to others through preaching, or through teaching, or through living, but if it is His Life it will come out of experiences of suffering.
A preacher or a teacher who has never suffered will never minister Life.
Through all the failures and distresses of life, God is working victory in you.
You see, God is using your life’s circumstances on the life-path you are treading, to fulfil IN you, His perfect plans and purpose FOR you – as is best for you.
But God is preparing this Christian to understand the power of the self-life.
All the dire circumstances of life are controlled by your heavenly Father.
A life out of control can result from the old Adam, which Paul calls, “the old man”.
Such a life can result from ‘the old sin nature” as well as wiles of the evil one.
When we get to the point when our spiritual life-breath is all but exhausted..
when we find that we have nowhere to run to save to the Lord – then we discover that He has been carrying us throughout all life’s difficulties.
Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life.
A Shattering Statement
When Jesus made His earth-shattering statement: I am the way and the truth and the life, He was informing us that only through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection, can we ever become reconciled to God and united with Him, for only through Jesus can we live a God-breathed life in spirit and truth.
He behaved how man is intended to behave and He lived His life in perfect communion with the Father, just as God intended, when He first created man in His image and likeness, and breathed into him the breath of life.
Though fully divine, He lived out His life within the limitations of human flesh.
He set aside His divine qualities to demonstrate a life lived in willing submission.
Christ lived a perfect life establishing God’s perfect pattern of obedience.
Life-Source
Adam in his innocent, sinless state chose to disobey..
Christ in His sinless innocence learnt obedience – transmitting His life-power to us.
Adam’s disobedience is the power and ruling force in the life of all humanity.
Christ’s obedience becomes the righteous life-source for our new-life in Christ.
Consequently, just as one offence resulted in condemnation for everyone, so one act of righteousness results in justification and life for everyone.
Death and Life
Death and disobedience are transmitted, through union with Adam, to his entire seed.
Life and righteousness are imputed, through union with Christ, to all children of God and that life is being transformed into Christ’s likeness – through obedience.
Obedience was a fundamental principle that was the essence of Christ’s life on earth.
Nothing but the Divine Waters of Life can satiate the soul’s deepest yearnings.
I have secured for myself eternal life.” O fools, and slow of heart to believe ALL that the prophets have spoken: Luke 24:25.
Eternal life for the believer?
Everlasting Life
He is removing every semblance of comfort from our lives, to rely on Him alone.
He knows that whosoever drinks of this world’s water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
But here are some of the halls am the bread of life... he that eats this bread shall live for ever(John 6:58).
e that believeth on Me shall never die(John 11:26), ..shall not hunger(John 6:35), shall never wander like sheep without a shepherd, he shall have a governing, controlling reality like a shepherd in his life.
hall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.What I AM shall become true.
am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth on Me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whosoever lives and believes on Me shall never die.What I AM is made good when you believe.
I can never be other than dead, but He as the Life can become Life in me in my death, if only I believe.
The one, this life in the wilderness, with its wanderings and its wants, its unbelief and its murmurings.
The other, the land of promise, with rest instead of desert wanderings, and with abundance instead of want - symbols of the two stages of the Christian life.
The other, where He is known and welcomed as our Life in heaven; Who, in the power of that endless life, leads us to find our home in the Holiest of our Father's presence. -A.M.
Life situations, like your own, where Satan seeks to shipwreck your trust in God.
This was Satan’s intent in the lives of Paul and of Job – just as it is in your life, and mine.
But instead, these five conditions were used by God to fulfil His purpose in Job’s life.
And these five conditions were used by God to fulfil His purpose in Paul’s life.
Infirmities; reproaches; needs; persecutions; distresses – were used by God – used to remove ALL that hindered the Lord Himself from living in and through Job – used to remove ALL that hindered the Lord Himself from living in and through Paul. And God will use these five things in your life too.
Look To Christ
Paul and Job eventually learned to look away from life’s circumstances – away from life’s situation and to look to Him, The Author, and Finisher of their faith. Yes, Satan’s attacks on ALL God’s bond-servants are used by the Lord – used to remove ALL that hinders the Lord Himself from living in and through you.
And God may use these five things to remove hindrances in your life and in mine.
In the life of a Christian, the profundity of the lessons of Job, are immense.
In the life of His people, God’s eternal purpose in Christ is its clear, central message.
Christ-Life or Self-Life
From beginning to end, it exemplifies two choices for the 'One New Man In Christ'.
It contrasts the spiritual walk with a religious life.
There are only two choices, for the one that has been born again. 1) either to live the Christ-life, or 2) to live the Self-life – there is no alternative.
Prevailing Prayer
Such intercession becomes a progressive reality in the life of the man-of-faith.
Such prevailing prayer is the power behind the life that is 'hid in Christ'.
Churches, like the Church, are organisms which spring out of Life, which Life itself springs out of the Cross of Christ wrought into the very being of believers.
In living the Christian life, one must keep in mind what ought to be and what is!
Scripture outlines the ideal – a life of quiet, calm, unbroken fellowship with the Lord – a life lived in the love of God, where His glorious face shines upon our pathway – a life where dark shadows flee away and morning joy surpasses the night of sorrow.
Victory Versus Defeat
Apostolic teaching implies the possibility of Christian holiness and joyous living – championing the justification that the life of heaven has already begun on earth!! But while the pages of scripture emphasise an ideal Christian walk – actuality can be very far removed.
Instead of a life of sunshine and gladness – dark clouds of unknowing often glower – as broken fellowship with God, and frustrations with others is more often the norm.
Such darkness can sweep over a Christian life in many alternative ways.
Truths to Remember
Jesus said: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. John 10:28. While Paul told Timothy to: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. 1 Tim6:12 Job confessed: Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
He also shall be my salvation. Job 13:15-16 While in Revelation 2:10 John told us: Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
Fallen World
We live in dying bodies, and this mortal life is not immune from difficulties and pain. We live in a fallen world..
This does not mean a life of music and roses – of cosseting and chocolates, for God sometimes bars the road we would travel..
and He sometimes removes the dear ones we love, but it does mean that His hand leads and guides in all life’s circumstances.
His will for your life may not seem joyous or desirable… but bitter and hard.
a distinct motivation – a solitary intent in life.
to inhibit their life’s purpose, without recognising their position in Christ – a position in Christ that has gained them complete acceptance with God.
One targeted objective in life is more likely to achieve than fluctuating between two purposes.
Should it not be to seek after Him – in our entire life, in thought word and deed?
Should it not be to spend our life, to its very last breath, to glorify Him?
I am the One that brings wholeness into every part of life.
entombed in a little 10th-century church, far away from the hustle and bustle of life and one by one, little by little..
Seek to know Jesus – that your entire life, in thought word and deed, glorifies Him.
Born of God
Each member of the body of Christ has made a commitment to Him, a commitment to be a faithful follower right to the end of our earthly life.
Our life’s end could be the door of death, The finish line of our terrestrial trail could be at the call of the last trump..
but none of us know the date and time that the end of our life will be, but from the moment of believing faith, we were accepted by God, through Jesus.
Most talents are fitted to the individual for a hidden life of secret service.
When Paul was suddenly engulfed by the great light on the road to Damascus, his immediate cry was “Lord, what would You have me to do?” Acts 9:6 – and his life became one of dedication until Christ became his all in all.
Total Surrender
Christ was wholly dedicated to doing the will of the Father, and yet... as the final step in His life’s journey drew ever closer, He reestablished His total devotion to His Father.
Thy Will not Mine
I am willing to be thrown into the pit of humiliation for Your sake. I am willing to be your bond-servant unto my life’s end.
How wonderful to know that God will finish His work in the life of each believer.
God is working in each life for eternity, and we must grasp hold of the scriptural fact that maturing in the faith takes time.
“The average for these was 15 years after they entered their life work..
before they began to know the Lord Jesus as their life and ceased trying to work for Him and began allowing Him to be their all in all, and to do His work through them.
Wonderful Prophecy
That wonderful prophecy from Joel appeared to begin on that day of Pentecost – when Peter called the nation of Israel to repent of their sins and turn back to God as did John the Baptist, Jesus and the apostles during Christ earthly life. That wonderful prophecy from Joel will have its full and final fulfilment on that amazing future day, when the Jews shall look on Him Whom they have pierced – when Israel as a nation cries, Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.
Two of the major elements in the spiritual life and experience of His own are the seemingly slow and hidden ways of God, and the demand for persistent faith in His servants. -T.
Soulical perfection: perfection of the soul takes time a whole life-time.
He begins to know something of the experience that Paul so graphically describes: “What I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do.” I (Rom.7:15), and in consequence, he feels that the bottom has fallen out of his Christian life; and then perhaps the Devil whispers to him that it is just no good his going on, because he will never be able to make the grade.
The paradoxes of our Christian life – conceal the work God is performing within..
It was a life under the shadow of a cross..
It will be a life of power seated on the throne – crowned with authority – victorious.
And so rejoice in whatever circumstances of life you find yourself, for He Who has begun a good work in you will complete it at the day of Jesus Christ Jesus.
As a result, many Christians live a life of spiritual defeat or spiritual depression, and as a result, many Christians settle for less than God’s will for their life – because the believer so often lives a life, relying on the flesh and not on the Spirit.
And whether 4, 14, 24, 44, or 94, growing in the faith takes time in our life-journey.
For it is only when we truly die to self that we can truly live a life to Christ.
The wonderful thing is that whether maturity is sought immediately or delayed – all things in life will be worked together for our good, and for God’s glory.
The difference is living your life in the discouraging failure of Romans chapter 7 – where we read: O wretched man that I am!
Living Faith
Living your Christian life in the wonderful freedom of Romans Chapter 8 – where we read: There is therefore now no condemnation..to them which are in Christ Jesus (that is to them which are living their lives in Christ Jesus, and not living in the failure of the old man of Romans 7) There is therefore now no condemnation..
The process of overcoming throughout this life is being addressed in these words.
Pursuit of Salvation
But the first flush of joy fades as life and its problems start to invade the blue skies.
Why, when the urgent, repetitive message of the Lord is – overcome in life? Well, it seems that most believers stop their pursuit of salvation when they are saved.
Being born again is the first completed step of the rest of your Christian life, and the majority of Scripture tells about this journey through life – a journey through life of sanctification.
Written Instruction
Some Scripture is particularly directed to Israel and God’s specific plan for them. Some is written as instruction to the Church, to show us how to live a Christian life.
Some is vital to tribulation saints – others open up life lived in the millennial kingdom. But all Scripture is given to all people for our understanding of God’s eternal plan.
Memorable Day
Today is my mother’s birthday. Her diaries catalogue showers of blessings amidst a mountain of difficulties. Today is my daughter’s wedding anniversary – her life also is peppered with deep hurts and trial and a cascade of Gods graces. My times also have had its deep pains and great joys and I am sure yours has too. Indeed, I know of no-one who has not been deeply affected by this world of sin.
Journey of Life
“My” word (the word ‘Wait‘) wait on the Lord, has been the mainstay of the past year.
Soon Forgotten
A few have left an indelible mark in the pages of history – some for good and others for ill. Names may be remembered – people will be forgotten as the grass of the field, but today is the day to make your life count. Moses told the Israelites: today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord. Exodus 32:29
Day of Salvation
Life is like a cloud of steam.
Life is swifter than a bird in flight.
Word of Wisdom
Caesar is gone – Queen Victoria is passed away – Columbus is no more – as are so many others. Stripped of human glory; destitute of fame and fortune; bereft of state and symbol – awaiting the final day, to stand or fall in the presence of God their Judge. How we need to apply the prophet's words of instruction: You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of your presence Psalm 90:8 How we need to pray with the Psalmist – The years of our life are few.
Prelude to Eternity
This human life is but a prelude to eternity. The decisions made on this mortal coil are fixed in the books of eternity. May each of us make today count – for today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord. The believer’s time of probation and training needs to be enacted out for the serious purpose.
And as we trusted Him in yesterday’s trivial round of life’s mortal cycle..
Words of Life
In Revelation 1:17 we read that: He laid His right hand on me, saying, “Fear not” while in Psalm 37:1,7,8 we read the words: Fret not! And Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:4 reminds us to be: exceeding joyful in all the trials of life.
Insecurities in life..
New Mercies
We know that all things in life are changed for the one born of God.
How can the insecurities and difficulties of life be lifted and lightened today – when burdens; worries; cares; responsibilities; insecurities; troubles and anxieties… misunderstandings; frustrations; and other undesirable things strew our path?
Your Priority
I wonder – what takes priority in your life today? What is your prime concern?
or perhaps responsible for others? Is it retaining your independence, or perhaps having others dependent upon you? Is it helping others – living a good life – reading 10 chapters of the bible each day? I wonder what is the primary concern and principal interest in your life today.
Primary Consideration
Whatever prime issues we have in life, the Lord Jesus should be our top priority, For when He is our primary consideration, other issues inevitably fall into place.
When Christ is central and supreme in a life – that life is well-pleasing to God.
We have been given a free choice in every part of our life and all the priorities we set..
but when He is central in our life every problem and pursuit becomes His responsibility,
All-Embracing Word
The word ‘salvation’ is one all-embracing word that unites a variety of concepts; redemption; rebirth; justification; security; sanctification; growth; maturity; foreknowledge; election; predestination; righteousness; glorification; grace; reconciliation; new-life-in-Christ; new creation; adoption; saved by grace; born-from-above; baptised into Christ; accepted-in Him; citizens of heaven - and more.
Our new-life-in-Him, our acceptance-in Christ.
All God’s Work
How sad that so many believers strive in their own strength to live a godly life, when all that is needed is to yield to the power of God working within them. But the truth is that salvation from the penalty and power of sin is ALL God’s work.
Acceptance by God, eternal life, and glorification have nothing to do with our merit.
God’s divine power working within us alone can produce the divine life required.
God’s Standard
The saving of believers is all by grace and requires complete dependence on Christ. The sanctifying, maturing life can only be lived effectively when dependent upon Him. But too often instead of yielding to the power of God, we strive in our own strength.
A Life Process
What an act of devotion and total consecration to sit and to worship and to anoint His feet, as did Mary of Bethany.
A life process that leads to a bitter-sweet isolation.
A life that leads to a total immersion in the heart of the Beloved.
A Life Separated
This increasingly blessed state not only demands separation; separation from the clamours of the world; separation from the taunting enticement of fleshly lusts..
but also a life dedicated to Him; a life submitted completely to Him and His will; a life of total consecration to Him; a life that produces purity of heart and holiness of life; a life, utterly in love with the Son of His love; a life that kneels at His feet in brokenness of spirit; a life that washes His feet in humility of heart – a life that can say without reservation:
Take My Life
Take my life, and let it beConsecrated, Lord to Thee.Take my moments and my days,Let them flow in ceaseless praise.
The new life which we have in Him comes to us from Him in heaven, the risen and glorified Man before the Father. -H.F.W.
Now His life was necessary to vindicate the Father and His holy law, as well as to manifest Himself and His love; but the righteousness that we are made in Christ is another thought altogether - not the law fulfilled by Him, but the justifying righteousness of the Father founded on the Lord Jesus' death, displayed in His resurrection, and crowned by His glory in heaven. -W.K.
The Ten Commandments require no life of prayer, no Christian service, no evangelism, no missionary outreach, no Gospel preaching, no life and walk in the Spirit, no union with the Lord Jesus Christ, no fellowship of saints, no hope of salvation, and no hope of heaven. -L.S.C.
Children of Grace
All who have received a new life in Christ, BY grace, must be trained THROUGH grace. Grace brings to our understanding the great love and goodness of God towards us.
If there is a great trial in your life today, do not own it as a defeat, but continue, by faith, to claim the victory through Him who is able to make you more than conqueror, and a glorious triumph will soon be apparent.
While spiritual strength is always marked by love, warmth, life, fellowship, openness, confidence, and trust in the Lord.... At the end, in the Revelation, the dragon, the whole power of Satan is overthrown by the Lamb.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that every believer has TWO ‘lives’ the old life and the new life.
1 the old sin nature from Adam and2 the new born again life of Christ
Old Nature
Any attempt whatsoever to consecrate the old Adamic life will lead to certain failure.
But what a blow to the believer who wants to consecrate his old life and tries to do so.
This too often has a devastating effect on believers as life becomes increasingly hard.
He wants to live a consecrated life, as outlined in scripture, but find it’s impossible.
He explains in Romans chapter 6, where you want to get to – a life lived for God. He explains in chapter 7 that it is impossible to ever live a life for God – our way.
This almost never happens in the early flush of faith – but after decades of training... for the old sin nature must be recognised for what it is – a life of self.
Succinct Outline
Metcalf gives a succinct outline of the problem and the solution – he writes:- The modern teaching of consecration, which is tantamount to the consecration of the ‘old man,’ seeks to bypass the death sentence and, and therefore, only leads to frustration and failure. When, however, you and I are prepared, in simple humility, to make the FACT of our death with Christ our daily basis of life and service, there is nothing that can prevent the uprising and outflow of the new life in Christ, and meet the need of thirsty souls around us.
Consecration Sign
Genuine consecration is not the easy route in life, but a cruel and difficult path.
The Lord Jesus is the perfect example of a life, consecrated to God.
Jesus spent His entire earthly walk living His life through the power of the Father. Every work he undertook – every word He spoke, was His sign of consecration to God.
Consecrated Man
His was a life that signified the infinite wisdom, power, and sovereignty of God.
His was the life exemplifying God working in and through a consecrated man – a Man set-apart to God.
And He too – the great Creator of the Universe, became a ‘spectacle’ to man.. a sign of suffering, affliction, and ridicule, but also a sign of wisdom, a sign of power... a sign of great resurrection glory – the sign of a life consecrated to God.
Maybe in the physical, but predominantly and principally in the spiritual… “Ye are My witnesses .” the Lord Jesus tells us. Being His witnesses does not necessarily mean going out and talking. Being a consecrated man or woman – being a sign, may not mean what you think. It may not mean becoming a missionary or starting a ministry… though such may certainly be a part of the sanctified life.
Christ’s Mind
It means in everything we do – living the Life of our Lord. It means in all that we say – that we say everything as from Him. It means the Lord working out His will and purpose in our lives with no opposition. Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus… Have Thine Own way Lord – Thou are the Potter, I am the clay. Thy will not mine be done – to the glory of God the Father.
The Christian life is nothing short of the life of the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:4).
It is His life reproduced in us.
That the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh' (2 Cor. 4:11).
The common conception of sanctification is that every area of the life should be holy; but that is not holiness, it is the fruit of holiness: holiness is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Father will not give you humility or patience or love as separate gifts of grace; He has given you the Lord Jesus, and if you simply trust Him to live out His life in you, He will be humble, patient, loving and everything else you need.
They had the traditions, they had the oracles, they had the ordinances, they had the testimonies; they had the forms, they had the system they had it all; but, in the days of the prophets, there was ever this vast gap between the externals and internals of life in relation with God.
The flesh and the devil pretend to have the answers. Look away from the clamours of life that drowns out the still small voice. Look away from the visual signs that nourish the ego. Reject the things which give empty comfort, but for a moment.
In every field, whether the arts, industry, sports, or the Christian life and service in general, the necessary training goes far deeper and is much more rigorous than the actual performance.
That which is the subject of experience is what is produced in my soul, whereas that which gives me peace is His testimony to the work and life of Christ.
Nowhere in Scripture is it taught that there is a sudden leap to be taken from carnality to spirituality, or from a life of comparative unconcern as to godliness to one of intense devotion to the Lord Jesus.
On the contrary, increase in piety is ever presented as a growth, which should be as normal and natural as the orderly progression in human life from infancy to full stature. -H.A.I.
Grace OR Works
Scripture contrasts two ‘ways’ a believer seeks to live the Christian life.
There is probably no more important message to the church today than this, for most believers having started their Christian life by grace through faith, revert from grace back to the law, by trying to live their life for God.
Blessings abound for those humble enough and courageous enough to seek to live their life the grace-promise-faith way.
Paul’s Challenge
Paul challenges those given initial salvation by grace through faith with these words: are ye so foolish, having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? He is saying, having begun ‘the grace-promise-faith way’ are ye now made perfect by ‘the works-merit-law way?’ Many believers aren’t properly schooled in these two contrasting ways of living the Christian life and fall into the works-merit–law trap.
Within the inner ‘being’ of man are two continuously conflicting camps:- the old sin nature (the flesh or self-ego) is gained from the old birth in Adam, while the new life in Christ (the spirit of life in Christ Jesus) comes from our new birth.
The sin nature often displays itself the ‘works-merit-law way’, by Christians trying to live a good life the wrong way.
The old sin nature opposes the new life in Christ, but the inner ‘flesh’ often manifests itself through good deeds, which are carried out in our physical body, by trying to do God’s will the wrong way.
Works-Merit-Law
Believers will not grow spiritually or mature in their Christian life, the ‘works-merit-law’ way, but will have stunted Christian lives and interrupted and unsatisfactory fellowship with God.
There is so much more to explore about living by grace in the book of Galatians, which step by step brings us from persistent failure and self-effort, into a victorious Christian life, which is only possible by God’s grace – through faith.
Grace Thru Faith - STUDY
Questioning Heart
Have you ever looked back over your life and just wondered..
how can God love me after all that I have done in my life..
and shame and guilt infuse into a sort of shamefaced-pride of a past life..
and life becomes wonderful and you bathe in the gracious presence of God’s love.
Have you ever looked back over your life and really just wondered?
Have you ever looked back over your life and really just wondered - well I have..
He continues: What devastation often permeates the life of one, young or old, rich or poor, saved or unsaved, who is not sure of being accepted, even on a human level, and yet so many believers, whether 'strugglers' or 'vegetators', move through life without this precious fact to rest on and build upon.
Scriptural Fact
If you have not once and forever accepted your acceptance by God.. you will live a defeated life until the rapture or your death – and this is a non-negotiable fact in Scripture.
If you have not once and forever accepted your acceptance by God, you will live a defeated life until the time that you die or until Christ returns.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created being, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Then one day it is as though the heavens opened and the thing broke upon your spirit, and you saw it; and all kinds of adjustments became necessary in life.
Fellowship is broken when a Christian prevents the work of the Holy Spirit in their life, for we can both grieve Him and quench His work in our lives through sin, but how few really understand what sin is.
One made its appeal to the limited resources of the natural man and conditioned his life on the earth; the other sets aside the natural man, secures a whole new creation in Christ Jesus, and counsels that new being in his pilgrim journey to his heavenly home.
So now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death (Phil. 1:20).
Hence it is essential that we understand that the Lord Jesus Christ is our life; He is not a legal example to emulate, but the source of life from which we grow.
The truth is, we have a position in heaven and the Lord Jesus is now our life there; and if this be not simply enjoyed, there will be an effort to modify the desolation here, and an inability to interpret the various inroads which death makes on us.
Where He is, is my home - there I feed and rest; but here, on earth, I am learning to set aside in death everything in me which hinders the manifestation of the life of the Lord Jesus. -J.B.S.
For ye died, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Col. 3:3, ASV.).
Jesus the Jew
Jesus was born a Jew and lived His life in full accordance with the Jewish law, for the law, promises, prophecies and salvation must all come through the Jews. And so on the eighth day, after the custom of the law, Jesus was brought to the temple, and there He was seen by Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
Simeon was a wonderful example of a man who continued seeking God, all his life.
Simeon Waited
Simeon never stopped watching, waiting, and seeking the Lord, and throughout his life Simeon patiently waited for His Redeemer to come.
Spirit-filled Life
We none of us like to see the daily deteriorating advance – but Simeon had learned the exquisite secret of retaining an exciting, spirit-filled life.
Faithful Life
This faithful godly man was given illumination in his old age, because he demonstrated a life of faith, of love, of patience and – Simeon waited.
Brink of Despair
God will bring us to the brink of despair in ourselves, to attain His fullness in us. To achieve this a sentence of death must be planted at the core of our old life.
It is despair of MY life and no hope in MY-self that God is waiting to discern in me, When we discover we can do nothing of ourselves, His Life starts to be formed in us.
Full Purpose
God wants to achieve His full purpose in the life of every believer – but some refuse. God wants to bring out His supreme purpose in His own – but few hear His voice. God wants His life wrought in us – executed through Christ’s cross and resurrection..
He knows we’ll never be effective in His work, while the natural life seeks supremacy.
All our inborn assets, however fine and splendid, are alien to the New Life in Christ.
No-one has been more amazingly equipped with wisdom than this young king… yet his life which started so wonderfully became a bitter example of self-indulgence.
Vanity of vanities, all is vanity – all in this self-life is vain, foolish, stupid folly, except to love God and to serve Him forever.
Various Vanities
It is vanity to seek after riches and money – for the wealth of this world is perishing. It is vanity to hunt out worldly honour and acclaim – for this worlds’ wisdom is folly. It is vanity to seek fleshly fulfilment – for it lasts a fleeting moment and then flees. It is vanity to seek long life – for this life is a transient breath in eternity’s fullness.
Nothing in this world, and the self-life that seek supremacy in your life, is of value.
All in this self-life is vain, foolish, stupid folly - except to love God and serve to Him.
a deceitful balance If you seek after wisdom you will gain wisdom but be careful that you use it wisely, for there is only one, truly wise choice in this life, and that is death to the self-life – and living for Christ.
It is only as His life comes to us by means of the sentence of death in ourselves, that we begin to be effective and fruitful in this world.
New Life in Christ
So often this self-life we nurture and tend is the wrecker of our fruitfulness; yet this sentence of death to self is not the end of the story in your life or in mine.
This sentence of death is the start of a New Life In Him.
There is human, soulish power and persuasion that can produce “decisions,” and “commitments”; but only the Holy Spirit has the life and power to bring a lost sinner to healthy re-birth in the Saviour.
Men may be saved through hearing the Word of God that it contains but, unless they get purer light later, their dependence for life and service will be primarily upon human strength, and not upon the power and demonstration of the Spirit.' Paul (in spite of the Corinthians' demand for it) refused to permit any human wisdom to enter into his ministry for that reason - because he wanted purely spiritual fruit: converts who have seen the power of the Spirit and expect to know it in their lives and service.
When the old man is buried in the grave of our hearts, we will also share the resurrection life and fruitful activity of our risen Lord. -J.E.C.
God used these life-shattering experiences to mature his spiritual understanding.
He is the One that makes ALL the comfort of God a living declaration in our lives; a life emptied of the old, prideful Adamic self; a life filled with the Spirit of Comfort.
Rules of Grace Life
Living by grace is the antithesis to the way that man has learned to live in this world.
The life of grace can only be understood if one has learned how to live by faith, and then apply it.
But it is nonetheless a fact of the Christian life.
Flight Rules For Life
VFR or Visual Flight Rules is hair-raising navigation and more often than not results in tragedy.
Most Christians live their life the VFR way rather that the IFR way – by the Visual Flight Rules of life.
How frustrated Paul was with the Galatian believers who use the “Visual Flight Rules” of life rather than living God’s way: Oh you foolish Galatians, he asks, did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by believing what you heard.?
These men and women moved from darkness to light; from bondage to freedom; from death to life.
They had been freed from the law of condemnation to that of liberty and life, and yet they willingly returned to the old ways of death, despite Paul’s careful teaching.
They had learned the liberating truth of grace but then reverted to a Christian life under the law.
Biblical Life Rules
Every believer is identified with the Lord, the moment they trust Him – forever, and all we have had to do is believe, but this is counter to human logic.
We have been asked to have trust in God even though we don’t understand and are expected to live our lives trusting Him to navigate, using His “Instrument Flight Rules” rather than the more comfortable “Visual Flight Rules” of life.
It often means that that we need to re-examine our Christian life and all that we have been taught in the past.
This is not something that is extra to the Christian life, or for those who advance to certain heights and degrees.
It is not some extra thing to which you attain by struggle and effort, or by years of laborious Christian living, or by some specific act, some terrific upheaval in your spiritual life.
We are learning inwardly that such and such is not the way of Life and we should do well to avoid it; and that such and such IS the way of Life, and that is the way for us to go.
Expectant Waiting
By faith Enoch, Elijah, Simeon believed the promise and lived in expectant waiting. Enoch waited his translation, Elijah his transport and Simeon to see the Lord’s Christ. Enoch waited for over 400 years and Simeon waited for the rest of his life. Their promise was given, accepted, believed, and they waited in humble anticipation.
What of that precious parent or that dearly loved, lost friend… that nasty neighbour? What of the healing and correcting and maturing work He is carrying out in your life? And what of the healing and correcting and maturing He's doing in mine? Could ye not watch with Me… could ye not intercede with me on their behalf, one brief span?
Elijah’s Wait
Day after day with unfaltering step and steadfastness of spirit, Elijah sat still and watched the dwindling brook, and waited. Week after weary week with steady gaze and tireless heart, Elijah sat still and watched his life-giving brooklet cease its babbling flow. And Elijah trusted God and Elijah waited. And Elijah sat still and watched the little stream become a sliver thread. And Elijah sat still and watched the silver thread reduced to a standing pool. And Elijah sat still and watched the standing pool shrink to nothing on the dusty earth. And Elijah sat still and trusted God – and Elijah waited.
Indeed, from one standpoint, we may summarize the whole of his life and say that it headed up at last to the triumph of faith upon that particular factor.
At the end of his life he was still looking for the fulfillment of the promise.
The Christian Life
Scripture lays out the truth of who we are in Christ..
The Christian life is not based on rules and regulations or standards of conduct.
It is not striving to live a life that you hope will be good enough to please God.
Position in Christ
It is recognising that you cannot live the sort of life that is pleasing to the Lord, but rather that your position in Christ releases you from such self-strivings to please.. so that the life you live is Christ’s life living through you – so that YOU are nothing in your life but Christ is all and in all.
Christ in You
It is not just knowing Christ is our life, but that we possess His life, nature and spirit.
It is not only that we are a new creation in Him but, that His life is expressed in ours.
We are to take possession of our new life in Christ and let Him live through us, until the words I speak are Christ’s words not mine and the acts I do are His acts.
Life in Christ
We can be saved and be in union with Christ without accessing His life within ours. We can be positioned in Christ as a believer without our life being submitted to Him. But when our life is possessed of His, we live and move and have our being in Him, When Christ is given governance of our life, we take possession of what we have. We possess His very presence, His nature, and His life, within ours.
We already have His Spirit dwelling in us... to walk with us and to live through us, for we are possessed of His person, His nature, His mind and His very life – in us, and we are to live worthy of our standing in Christ as we walk on the earth.
Our Position in Christ
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Unity of the Spirit
But how is a believer to walk worthy without striving – without our own self-effort? How are we to live a life that is worthy of the calling wherewith we have been called? Well, Paul tells us in the next verse of Ephesians chapter 4.
Yielded to Christ
Well, it is to be the Christ-life... not MY-life that lives in and works through me.
It is to be the new life in Christ that works through me not MY old sin-nature and His life in us is lived out in our life as the Spirit Himself lives in us. Christ’s nature is reflected in our new nature, as we yield to the indwelling Spirit.
Spiritual Readiness
Being unprepared does NOT mean that a believer loses eternal life – that’s finished. The work on the cross was a ‘done deal’ forever, when you were washed in His blood.
Careless Unpreparedness
But this is not the only sphere of life that can catch a Christian unaware. Lives that are comfortable, clean and plodding carelessly along may be unprepared. Lives that have left their first love or lost their focus on Christ will not be ready.
Today we are in a battle of life and death: for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.”
That which is called Christianity is essentially a spiritual thing, and not an earthly order or system, and every fragment of it has to be entered into in a spiritual way, by way of Life and Revelation.
There is all the difference between imitation and Life.
Oh, what a difference there is between seeing a thing in an objective way and coming into it in Life!
Now that it has broken like this it is transfiguring,and has brought real joy and delight, life and ecstasy.That is what we mean by entering into things by Life andby Revelation.
If we become spiritual in this sense, if the Holy Spirit is the commanding reality in our life, and we are walking by the Spirit, we are bound inevitably to come into all God's thought.
God’s Foreknowledge
In His omniscience, God knows in advance every person that will choose to believe. God’s grace is extended to everyone and all we have to do is to believe in Jesus. And God has plans for everyone, who freely chooses to trust in Christ as Saviour. God foreknew all who would drink of the waters of life and become His child, and before the world was made He had plans for all those – who would believe on Jesus.
God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son as a sacrifice for all mankind, so that anyone who trusts in the name of Jesus, would not perish but have eternal life.
Justification is a past event in time – and happened when we first believe, and Glorification is a future event in time – and will be finalised at Christ’s return. Sanctification is connected with our Christian life today.
We moved from death to life, from darkness to light and were no longer condemned.
In His omniscience, God knew in advance each of us that would choose to believe. God foreknew we would drink of the waters of life and become His children – and before the world was made He had plans for us, and for all who believe on Jesus.
A New-Life in Christ
As His children we were given a new LIFE in Christ – a baby life that needs to grow into a mature spiritual believer -– a life that will be fruitful – a victorious life – a life that will be conformed into the image of Jesus during the time we live on earth. But we also have a sin nature that seeks to gain supremacy over the new Christ-life. Oh!
Lifelong Process
God wants all his children to be sanctified and set apart unto Him, just as the Lord Jesus, who learnt obedience during His life as He grew in favour with God and man.
We too are to live the sanctified life as He did if we are to grow in grace and mature.
Although justification happens at a point in time – sanctification is a life-long process.
Sanctification is an ongoing, life-long process in a believer, BUT though God desires all His children to be sanctified – not all believers are willing to be set apart unto Him.
Spiritual Life
We may choose to live a spiritual life and abide in Him or walk the carnal route. We may choose to submit to the Spirit’s leading or we may quench Him in our life. But neither the spiritual nor the unspiritual believer is condemned – for God will never go back on His word.
Findlay…
The cloud, shading and guiding the Israelites from above, and the sea making a path for them through its midst and drowning their enemies behind them, were glorious signs to “our fathers” of God’s salvation; together they formed a washing of regeneration, inaugurating the national covenant life; as it trod the miraculous path between upper and nether waters.
Scripture Truth
Whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:16
He that believes on Me hath everlasting life.John 6:47
Tough Lessons
But Saul of Tarsus met Jesus and had to be taught some of life’s toughest lessons. He learned that his own wisdom; knowledge; charisma and ability counted as nothing. He learned about faith: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1Cor.2:5.
Life of Trial
It was not when that dazzling light, blinded his eye on the road to Damascus, but through years of isolation and a life-journey of trial – he came to understand.
Through Paul’s rich, full, unusual, astonishing life – his vision of his Lord grew.
To Know Christ
God unfolded to Paul the truth, that God desires that we all come to apprehend. And so at the end of his earthly life Paul cried out – that I may know Him.
We read in Galatians 1 verse 6 that it was God’s good pleasure to reveal His Son in me” Gal.1:6 But at the end of his life it was as if he knew nothing of his Lord and King.
Discovering Christ
It is Paul’s comprehension of Christ that individually and collectively we should seek – an ever-growing understanding of Christ; a discovery of Christ; exploring of Christ. This was the thing that maintained Paul in his life and throughout his ministry.
All through his life was an ever-growing unveiling of what God was maturing in him.
Absolute Surrender
And as his life advanced so his conception of his Lord developed and increased, until Saul of Tarsus, that master of Israel, that magnetic, self-sufficient guy… Saul of Tarsus..
Unparalleled Purpose
The work in Paul’s life is the work that the Lord seeks to do in each of us, but we have to willingly submit to His challenging examination of self.
God has an eternal purpose in all of life’s trials and troubles – an unbroken, uninterrupted, unparalleled purpose from eternity to eternity - that in the ages to come God might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Should we not count all things loss for the excellence of knowing Him? Should we not accept that in this life we will have many troubles and sorrow? But He has overcome this world, for love of you for love of me.
Still the small inward voice I hear,That whispers all my sins forgiven;Still, the atoning blood is near,That quenched the wrath of hostile heaven.I know the life His wounds impart;I know the Saviour in my heart.
that each arrives at his own deeper understanding of Paul’s exhortation:- that through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Jesus – so that the Life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” 2Cor.4:10
Fruit of Suffering
The fruit of suffering and training is the drawing closer and nearer to Christ. The outworking of sufferings are the benefits this closeness to Him gives to others. The learning and knowledge of Christ in a life, is through the school of suffering. The exercise and outworking of Christ in a life, is enhanced and refined through trials. Paul reckons we should embrace trials: for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory, which shall be revealed in us.
His Chastising
As we track through this mortal life there are times His training seems futile and hard, and as we face the daily trial and pain of life, we sometimes wonder what is the point?
Kicking against the pricks now will invalidate your present life-service.
Author and Finisher
Let us in this life accept His child-training – His chastening – our sufferings: looking unto Jesus, Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the suffering of the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb.12:2. Yes, Jesus..
We pray for peace that passes understanding as promised by the Prince of Peace, but life overturns into one impassioned turmoil, that triggers the question Why?… as trials of every hue impair our forward march and pain our hurting soul – until we see that peace is only achieved as we whisper..
We pray for unselfishness and He introduces circumstances beyond belief, that not only require the laying down of our life-breath... but all that we have and are, and He brings us to the point of realising that all things only come from Him.
This is no cute little bed-time fantasy to escape from the drudge of a hard life.
It is a choice between the two – for only one can rule your heart and life.
But life, from start to finish, is made up of many choices.
Whosoever shall gain His life shall lose it..
but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall gain it. store up for yourselves treasures in heaven we are warned, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
But the criteria for entrance into the gates of glory will never rest on my own merit. There is one reason and one alone that God flings wide the gates to His kingdom.. and that is trusting in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. This is eternal life – that they know God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent. Heaven’s admissions policy is to know God and His only begotten Son – our Saviour.
Spiritually Dead
When we entered this life we were born into sin – we were sinners at birth, because we are sinners we are dead in trespasses and sins – separated from God. We are physically alive but our spirit is dead = separated from God; separated forever. Man throughout the centuries has devised many ways to get to God – to please Him, and they are based on good deeds, religious works, keeping the ten commandments.
BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ – and your sins are forgiven. BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ – and you are not condemned. BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ – and you are given eternal life. BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ – and you are put in union with the Lord Jesus. BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ – and you are forever in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit. BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ – and you are no longer separated from the Father.
Christians who choose to live under moral section of the Mosaic Law, [the 10 commandments], instead of living under the law of the Spirit of life, [the Law of Christ] are living under the ministration of death rather than the ministration of life.
Christ was born during the dispensation of the Law and had to live a perfect life under the Law, so that He would could become the promised Days-man, who would redeem those born under the law.
Indeed all but one of the 10 commandments are repeated in the Church age epistles, instructing believers how to life godly in Christ Jesus.
Christ has freed us from bondage to the Law, but Christians need to know how to live under: the law of Spirit and life.
And unless this is taught and understood a disciple’s growth can be stunted, and worse still – believers try to do the work in their life that only God can do.
The death penalty for sin was paid. Sin in the life of every believer is totally acquitted, for Christ died for our sins.
Foundational Truth
I once heard about a godly man who read Romans – once, every month of his life.
He explains how Jesus us the Federal Head of an entirely new creation – in Christ – for the old fallen creation in Adam have the sentence of death upon their heads, but the new creation in Christ has the free gift of eternal life in their hearts.
Two Laws
But then comes the wonderful TRUTH of Romans chapter 6 – identification. Because we are in Christ, we are not subject to the law of sin and death. Because we are in Christ, we are subject to the law of life and liberty in Christ. One saint of God describes it in these terms… He has put our old man – our original self – where He put our sins… namely, on the cross with Christ.
Adamic Life
Just as the sins we committed were placed on Christ 2000 years ago… when He died, so our sinful nature (our old self-life), was nailed to that cross, when He died – our Adamic propensity; the old man; our sin nature was nailed to the cross.
And that is where it needs to remain – crucified through the duration of this life.
New Life
And that was why Paul was able to say: 'My old self-life has been crucified with Christ.
Faith is needed for a life that is being conformed into the image of Jesus, for maturing and sanctification is by the power of the Holy Spirit..
Christian Life
Faith is necessary for living the Christian life.
Habakkuk put into words what Abraham demonstrated in his life: Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.Rom.4:3
Faith in Hebrews 11
Faith is certainly an important element in this Christian life.
Faith is a vital quality in life that we just can’t afford to be without.
Without faith, we cannot begin the Christian life.
Without faith, we are not able to continue the Christian life.
Without faith, we are not in a position to live the Christian life: for without faith, it is impossible to please God.
Life’s circumstances can never influence our heavenly position in Him, but we must reckon it to be so as..
Faith and Forgiveness
But what of forgiveness of the sins that I commit during my Christian life?
I need to thank Him for His blessed gift and rejoice in His loving forgiveness, or I live life chained and entrapped behind a prison door of guilt, doubt, and disbelief.
What of the peace that I have been promised during my Christian life?
I must believe what He promises, accept His gifts and refuse to be anxious, or I live a defeated life..
a life where I see the condition of my problems, instead of my position as a blood-bought son of the Highest – seated in heavenly places..
Faith is the secret to a rewarding Christian life that triumphs.
“Once you have begun the Christian walk, and know the blessedness of it, you are not trying to correct yourself, for you know that all has been removed from the eye of God; and you insist on the fact that self has been to the Cross, and that Christ is your life.
On the basis of death, he is told not to ‘let’ sin reign in his life.
It is to be dealt with by an attitude of death, not by ‘overcoming.’ The believer therefore is not to be spending his whole life in getting victory over sin, but understanding his position as having died unto sin.”
Miracle of Life
The birth of a child is a wonderful, mysterious event, a miracle of human life. The birth of Jesus was the most wonderful birth that occurred in this world. His birth was accompanied by so many remarkable and astonishing events.
we have found the Christ, the Son of God… John 1:46, 41. Born again in Him. New life and new hope. Eternal life and eternal hope.
Mysteries of God
How God could become flesh is a mystery. How the One from eternity past could take on the form of man remains a mystery. How the One Who is the fountain of all life, laid aside His majesty for us is astonishing.
Surrendered Life
Let us with Paul move from the wretched defeat of Romans Chapter 7, to the total liberation of the surrendered life, in Christ, of Romans Chapter 8 and cry with Him:- it is not I that live but Christ lives in me.
We are all possessors of the same life-force. We are all equipped with our own gift – for we are all baptised into the one family of God by the one indwelling Spirit.
Lifeblood
In the natural body, the life that flows through our veins is the blood.
The lifeblood that touches every part of our body, enlivens every member – but a hindrance in the flow of life in one body part can adversely affect another.
As members of the body of Christ our life is given us from the Spirit of life. God’s Spirit flows through every member of the body.
The beloved disciple wrote his gospel of John so that we may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing – may have life in His name.
The Saviour had arrived - the Light and Life of men… full of grace and truth.
Embryonic Gospel
John’s witness of grace was more than restoration of life for the descendants of Adam.
But we address the passage in Romans to believers... and is referring to sanctifying faith and living the Christian life.
How important that Scripture is seen in its correct context, and how important that we seek to live our Christian life God’s way and not man’s way.
Serious consequences can stalk a believer throughout his life, if Scripture is not seen in its correct context.
Right Choices
Remember, there are two paths a born-again believer can follow in their Christian walk: either the grace-promise-faith way or the works-merit-law way; either by grace or works of the law; either by promise or the works of the flesh; either by faith or by merit; either by living a spiritual life or living a carnal life; either by walking in the spirit or walking in the flesh; either by walking in newness of life in Christ or by walking by means of the old sin nature in Adam.
Our new life in Christ must develop and mature, and our new man will grow and mature as we submit to the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Spiritual Realm
Only our new nature can fellowship with the Lord. Only our new nature is alive. Only the new life can function in the spiritual realm and commune with the Holy Spirit. Only our new life in Christ is spiritually alive and can worship in spirit and truth, for God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth.
It is often the seeking heart that becomes the butt of Satan’s vicious and prolonged attacks:- blessed is the man who endures temptation.. for when he has been approved he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. James 1:12
Sufficient Grace
Remember this principle as you face the fiery trials that beset you. Remember that sufficient grace and new power comes from the Lord through conflict. Remember Christ’s life was developed and honed and made perfect through suffering..
Sometimes His temptation came through direct taunts and attacks from the tempter. Sometimes His trials came via a subtle suggestion from His family or a dearly loved friend. Throughout His life, Jesus was enticed to leave His path of total dependence on the Father..
But the Lord who prayed for Peter continues to pray for all His disciples – for Christ Jesus, Who died–and Who was raised to life is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” For I am persuaded, that 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.Romans 8:38,39
He has the finger of His grace upon your life and has engraved you on His hands, but like a wise parent with a temperamental child, He waits and waits and waits.
Faith grows by your own Job Experience – as it did in the life of Job.
God’s Nature
Job questioned, but did not condemn God despite life’s distressing contradictions.
God’s Wisdom
Have you ever considered His love for you as less than it is for someone else… because of some deep secret or painful disappointment hidden in your own life?
Deeper Understanding
So rid yourself of your inbuilt perceptions, for like Job that is what they are – and allow His Spirit of truth to cut deeper into your own 'life’s diamond'.
“This Blessed Hope” is in a Person – the One upon Whom all hope rests… “…the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour – Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13 “Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when He comes.” Luke 24:43 “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” Rev.19:9 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” Rev 22:14
Practically Sanctified
Our Motto is, 'Holiness to the Lord' Exodus 13:12 His life is to be seen in every part of our new life in Him.
A process of daily living out intentional sanctification... by means of living a life of practical sanctification.
A process where the new life in Christ is lived out as Christ’s life in us.
One Step at a Time
All believers enjoy a wonderful justified new life in Christ, but not all believers yield to the beautiful, sanctified 'Christ-life', in you – the life of Christ which is daily, being formed in you.
You are on this sanctification journey through life..
At times your wanderings, cause you to pause along the way, with no forward motion – a life in limbo.
His life is to be seen in every part of our new life in Him.
A process where the new life in Christ is lived out as Christ’s life in us.
Journey through Life
This journey through life’s twists and turns is not predictable.
Yielding to God
There is no circumstance of life that the Lord did not know, for He knew you before you were conceived.
He knew that our new life in Christ is the one and only thing for which we should constantly strive, in this sin-sick, fallen world - which, for the time being, is lying in the arms of Satan.
Perhaps, because of his spiritual maturity, Paul had been able to recognise the deep, spiritual poverty that had hindered his own life journey.
He understood the utter hopelessness of life outside of Christ and throughout all his epistles we see Paul urging all God's children to live a godly life and to strive to keep on living according to the Christian principles and practices already attained.
He also warned us never to forget that the trinkets and treasures of this life are as nothing by comparison with the immensity of what Christ has done for us.
There is nothing that can compare with our justification, the forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and our home in heaven.
He acknowledges the person who puts Christ at the centre of their life and is prepared to give up all..
And in the same way, there are those in the Body of Christ today who are not enticed into the worldly ways of the apostate church, but contend earnestly for the faith, fighting the good fight of faith, taking hold of the eternal life to which the Church is called, and conducting themselves in a manner that is worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Him, we are also called to live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved us and gave His life for us.
but He has also promised to deliver us from the evils of this world, as we travel through this earthly life - our hope is in Him, knowing that He Who has already delivered us..
Once a man or woman has trusted the Lord Jesus as Saviour, he embarks on a race through life to the finishing post.
No two life-journeys are the same for we all face our own particular problems, disappointments, and challenges, and we are all equipped with our own unique God-given abilities, gifts, and graces.
But the call of God for all His children is a life that is being conformed into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus; a life that is seeking to live godly in Christ Jesus, until it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me: And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
We have passed from death to life, from being a child of Satan to being a child of the King of kings, from being of the old creation in Adam to being a new creation in Christ, and it is a transaction that was signed in blood on a wooden cross two thousand years ago, when Christ redeemed us from our sins.Peter urges and implores us to remember that we are simply sojourners, life-pilgrims, ambassadors of the King, on the journey of life as we pass through this world which has been cursed with sin and is being deceived and manipulated by Satan.
But we must remember that we are also exiled from his dark world, banished from his kingdom, and have become Satan's bitter foe – and so the enemy will do anything to prevent us from faithfully following God's way and dangles many worldly treats in our pathway, which Scripture calls the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
And the apostle Peter, that big, blustery fisherman saw the glory of Christ and became a gentle lover of his Lord and a wise instructor to those that follow the Way, the Truth, the Light, and the Life.And Peter reminds us that the 'treats' that Satan strews in our way are passions of our flesh that tickle our fancies and damage our soul – they are lusts that feed our self-life and starve us of the Bread of Life that is the only nourishment that is good for our souls.
Although he kept silence for a time, Job finally cried out to the Lord in anguish, compelling his three friends to respond with a series of long, self-righteous speeches in which they used human logic rather than Biblical truth to explain the shocking chain of events in Job's life.
Peter never wanted them to forget that the Holy One of Israel, Who called them from darkness into His glorious light, and so he instructed them to be holy in all their behavior, all the days of their life.
Because we have a new-life in-Christ, and have been made a new creature through faith in Him, we have been given all we need for life and godliness, and Peter is reminding us that we have a responsibility to live our lives in a way that honours the Lord.
And as we continue to purify our heart and soul through living a life of faith, in obedience to Christ's commands, He will pour into our heart that sincere love for the brethren, that only comes through faith in Him - for we can only fervently love one another from the heart as the love of Christ streams into our soul and out to others.
They expected a warrior who would come with a battle-plan to save Israel from Roman oppression... not a suffering Servant Who would give His life to redeem the world from sin and Satan, death, and hell.
He will avenge and protect all who honour His name BUT will severely judge those who reject the truth, distort His Word, turn aside from His offer of salvation, and engage in the wicked ways of the world.May we readily eschew evil and reject the enticing ways of the world, which seek to turn our hearts away from the true and living Lord and entrap our lives in the lust of the flesh, the pride of life and the destructive ways of the world.
We are to move on from the simple understanding that good works cannot save us, to a life that is lived in the power of the Spirit, as we abide in Christ and He in us.
We are to progress into a deeper relationship with the Lord, and to develop a more secure faith in Christ's sufficient grace, in every circumstance of life.
We are to abide in Christ and He is us, which is achieved by a continuous cleansing - as we live out our Christian life in spirit and in truth.
We rejoice at the birth of a new-born baby in the natural realm, but we would soon become concerned if that little baby did not begin to develop and grow through infancy and childhood, into adolescence and mature adulthood - and it is the same in the Christian life.
The spiritual growth of a believer should be the outcome of our new life in Christ.
At salvation, we are given ALL that we need for life and godliness - as recorded in the Word of God.
He would receive the death penalty on our behalf, but the sacrifice of His sinless life would satisfy God's wrath against our gross sinfulness and the multiplied sins of the whole world.
The power of the grave was insufficient to keep the dead body of the sinless Son of Man entombed in the heart of the earth, for in Him was LIFE - the eternal, resurrected life that becomes our life when we trust in Him for salvation.
The plan of redemption dictated that death had no power over His sinless life for, as the eternal Creator-God, He is a life-giving spirit.
And so God raised Him from the grave, freeing Him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to maintain its hold on the Prince of Life.
Just as we who are saved by grace through faith, were crucified with Christ and identified with His death, so we who are saved by grace through faith are risen with Christ and identified with His resurrected life, for in Him we are born into newness of life.
Because He lives, we too will live and receive His resurrected life as a free gift of grace through faith.
When Jesus rose from the dead, He broke the power of sin and death in the life of all who would one day place their trust in Him.
For just as He took OUR death sentence upon Himself on our account, He also gave HIS 'eternal, life privilege' to all who would believe on His name.
Paul was a man who was equipped to comfort and encourage other Christians through the difficulties and dangers of life, because Paul was a man who understood the significance of suffering for the sake of Christ.
Paul was also a man that received gracious comfort from the God of all comforts (Who comforts each one of us so that we may be used by Him to comfort other people, who may cross our life-path).
Indeed, we read that his life was so problematic that: He had the sentence of death within him.
But Paul knew that no matter what life threw in his direction: All things work together for good for those that love the Lord Jesus and are called according to His good purpose.
Let us entrust our lives and futures into the safe-keeping of our Heavenly Father Who is the God of all comforts for, like Paul, not only are we subject to rejection and hostility, sufferings and afflictions, distresses and opposition by a world at enmity with our Heavenly Father, but we have His eternal promise that He Who He raised Christ from the dead will deliver us from life's difficulties and dangers.
The storms of life may be used by God to chasten and discipline us OR to perfect and refine us (or both) as, little by little, His Spirit uses the turbulent circumstances of life to transform us into the image and likeness of His dear Son.
God never changes, and He has promised: When you pass through the waters, I will be with You. Fear may blind our eyes to the precious promises of God and cause faith to falter, but we are called to look to Jesus in every difficult, dangerous, or distressing circumstance of life, for fear and faith are incompatible bed-fellows.
We are not to be like those who shrink back and are overcome by the storms of life.
Jesus wanted to get across the eternal truth that He was the door of the sheepfold; the only Good Shepherd; the one Way to God; the revealed Truth of God and everlasting Life that only comes from God – for He is God in the flesh.
He was the Living Water Who alone sprang up into everlasting life.
He was the Bread of Life Who alone came down from heaven to feed hungry souls.
I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, for I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
We are the sheep and Jesus is the door of the sheep-pen, which leads to life eternal.
The longing of his heart was that Christ would be glorified in his body and through the testimony of his life.
The fields were white with harvest and as long as he had life in his body, Paul knew he could proclaim the good news of the gospel of grace to those who were dead in sin and preach the Word of truth to babes in Christ and mature men of God, and so we read his thoughts: I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.
On the one hand, he desired to depart from this life and be with Christ in heaven, which he knew would be so much better.
They had lived their whole, married life with the sadness and disgrace of remaining childless.
May we never doubt the supernatural ability of our great and awesome God, and trust Him in every area of life so that we too may become spiritually fruitful for His sake and produce fruit, some thirty, some sixty and some a hundred-fold.
As Christians, we live by faith and not by sight, and often we are faced with decisions or choices which may have a significant impact on our future life and witness.
And this little proverb is an important reminder to seek godly counsel when we are undecided or facing a challenge, contemplating a change, or required to make an adjustment in our life's circumstances.
God often uses seasoned believers to offer advice, and many times we discover that it is out of the mouth of multiple witnesses, that we receive godly wisdom in our life-choices.
And because we are spiritually positioned in Him, we are seated together with Him in heavenly places and have been given all we need for life and godliness.
And so we read that having spoken the heaven and the earth into existence: The LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life - and man became a living being.
It was the life-breath of God that breathed His own life into the lifeless body of Adam.
We are all born dead in trespasses and sins, but when we recognise our sinfulness and our need of a Saviour, and when we trust in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Kinsman-Redeemer, the Holy Spirit breathes into our beings the very life of our living and resurrected Saviour - and we become a new creation in Christ.
He came in the likeness of mortal flesh, lived a humiliating life, died an obscene death, and was hated and scorned by those He came to save, all because it is not His will that any are condemned but that all come to faith in Him.
His death became our death and His resurrected life became our everlasting and abundant life.
His Resurrection from the dead imputes His resurrected life into those that are His; for His eternal life is a free gift of God's grace, through faith in Him.
He wanted to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in every area of life.
He rejoiced when the gospel of Christ was proclaimed, and wanted to demonstrate that suffering for Christ in this life, would bring his Saviour great praise and glory.
He prayed that he would be emboldened to preach the gospel of God, according to the might of His great power, and Paul longed that the Lord Jesus would be glorified in his body - in thought, word, and deed, whether by the life he lived or the death that he died.
Paul's purpose and philosophy in life was to live for Christ, even when buffeted by storms, maligned by his enemies, confined to a prison cell, or facing death.
He had one fixed purpose in life, and one unalterable plan - to live for the glory of Christ and to preach the Word of truth.
Paul's motivation in life was to elevate Jesus.
The future hope of fallen man is tied up with the things of this world and death is seen as the spoiler of life But the sting of death is removed for the believer, and life becomes an opportunity to serve Him, while death is the occasion to be translated into His presence and be with Him forever.
A life with a passion for Christ gives rise to a life of victory, where the power of faith and the sufficiency of His grace, overcomes the difficulties of life and the sting of death.
When we can say with Paul, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain we discover that a life lived for God becomes a life that is willing to die for Him - and that death is nothing more than the glorious entrance into His marvellous presence.
Christ is fully God and fully Man, uniting holy deity with perfect humanity; and fruitfulness in the life of a believer results from the very life of the Son being reproduced within the life of the Christian.Throughout His earthly life, Jesus did not rely on His attributes of deity nor His human abilities to live His life, but He set an example of how every born-again child of God must live if his life is to be fruitful and glorify the Father.
The abiding He speaks of is a reciprocal relationship - it is engaging in a mutual abiding: Abide in Me, and I in you, and the result of this beautiful affinity is a fruitful life which will produce an abundance of fruit that will endure through life and into eternity.
A life that is fruitful is the direct result of a life that abides in Christ, and Christ in him.
It is a life that is lived for the glory of Christ and not for the promotion of self.
Such a life is a denial of one's own wants and wishes and one that is surrendered to God in all things.
It is a sacrificial life that is separated unto God; a living sacrifice that is holy unto Him.
It is a life that is lived in loving obedience and trusting dependence.
His disciples had heard that Jesus was the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that He was going away to prepare a place for them in His Father's house.
The unseen life that feeds, nourishes, and produces abundant fruit on each of the branches comes only from the roots and central stem of the growing Vine - the true and heavenly Vine without which, each weak little branch would quickly wither into barren unfruitfulness.The fruit that Christ's life will produce are the many sons that He is bringing to glory – the Church which is His Body.
And it is as we walk in spirit and truth, as we live our lives in faith and love, as we remain in Him and abide in Him, we are able to say, It is not I that live, but CHRIST that lives and abides 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.
In it, he set out the principles and practice for a good and godly Christian life.
He wrote to remind them of the hope of rewards at Christ's return.Paul's epistles are filled with wise instruction on how to live the sanctified life of a normal Christian, and often include the names of other brothers and sisters in the faith who laboured with him in spreading abroad the gospel of grace.
The question that this earnest, young scribe asked the Lord Jesus, is a question that should be on the heart of all who have a reverential fear of God and a desire to do His will: For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, and this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.
Paul's life and ministry as God's chosen apostle to the Gentiles was drawing to its close, and yet when Paul wrote his letters to both Timothy and Titus, he recognised the increasing problem of false teachers and heretical dogma.
These older women of God were called to encourage younger women to remain faithful to their husbands in difficult circumstances as well as during those happier times in life.
They were instructed to teach what is good, to be purveyors of godly works, to live life with dignity and integrity, and to be temperate in all their habits and everyday practices.
No matter what age we may be, may we seek to carry out Paul's timeless instructions on godly behaviour in our life and ministry, to God's praise and glory.
As we travel through life, we experience many occasions of difficulty and pain, often a product of our own actions, attitudes, or foolish indifference towards God or others.
He discovered Him to be a place of protection in the storms of life, and a source of comfort in the trials that surrounded the children of Israel in their pilgrimage through their wilderness walk.
You are the Christ the Son of the Living God, was the only answer they could give, for HE had the words of eternal life.
I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life.
Jesus of Nazareth is the everlasting God Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He is all that we will ever need - for He is our Kinsman-Redeemer, Who gave His life as a ransom for many, so that all who trust in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
And when He had made purification for our sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, for He also said, I AM - the Good Shepherd, and I lay down My life for the sheep.
Every animal sacrifice was another reminder that we are sinful creatures and every drop of blood that was shed, was a picture of the Lord Jesus Himself, Who would come to earth, at God's appointed time, to be the full and final sacrifice for the sin of the world - so that ALL who believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
He is the very Light of life Who came into the world as God's guiding Light.
Without Christ, the deep darkness of man's inner soul remains blinded to the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, which points to Jesus as the true Light Who alone lights the hearts and minds of all who believe on Him.Two thousand years ago, heavenly Light shone out of the darkness and by God's grace, the beauty of His Light and Life has shone into our hearts and given us the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.
He talks of God's gracious offer of salvation and walks us through the treasures of justification and sanctification, election and adoption, and he opens up the wonderful identification truths where Christ's resurrected life is imparted to us and we are positioned in Him.
Paul then goes on to explain that in Christ we are dead to sin and released from the bondage of the Law, alive in Christ, and set free by the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus so that we may live our lives to His praise and glory.
Paul traces the great plan of redemption from the first man-Adam to the last Adam-Jesus; from the old creation in the flesh to the new creation in the spirit; from the old sin nature to the new life in Christ; from the curse of the Law to the freedom of grace, and points out that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone and not by personal merit or through works of the flesh.
Many ministries in Christendom today are encouraging their followers to have their best life now, with little interest in spiritual enrichment or heavenly investments.
When we trust in the Lord we may be sure that no matter what bitter circumstances of life rise up against us, the Lord will always be our refuge and strength, our anchor and our deliverer even when we don’t understand – for He has promised.
God was fully satisfied when His only Begotten Son took on human flesh, lived a sinless life and drank the cup of suffering on our account and walked to the cross, to die in our place - to pay the price for OUR sin.
The sacrifice of a sinless life was the price that God had demanded as the full and final payment for the sin of the world, and God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, to be made sin for us.
The Son, Who was given to be born as the Child, would become the sacrificial offering for all mankind - so that whoever believes on His name would not perish but have everlasting life.
and how we glorify God that Christ died for our sins, and for the sins of the whole world, so that all who believe on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus gave His life cheerfully - for the JOY that was set before Him.
Following the mighty separation of these two great bodies of water, they were to work together, in perfect synergy, to sustain life on the earth - life that was yet to be brought into being.
We who were dead in trespasses and sin and without God in the world, have been brought near to God because of Israel's transgressions, and by grace through faith in Him, we have been made children of God, forgiven of our sins, made part of the Body of Christ, been in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit and received eternal life as a free gift of God's grace.
Whether the brothers and sisters to whom he was writing were new into the faith or well-weathered, seasoned saints, they were often referred to as 'little children', for all had been sinners saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, all had their sins forgiven through His shed blood, and all had been given eternal life as God's free gift of grace.
All John's 'little children' were saved by grace for simply believing on the only begotten Son of God for the redemption of sin and life everlasting.
What a marvellous matter to know that the gift of eternal life, which we received at the moment of our salvation, is not conditional on our own steadfastness but on the truth of the Word of the Lord, the faithfulness of God's unchangeable character, and for His name's sake.
God has baptised them into Christ, sealed them with His indwelling Holy Spirit, promised them eternal life, and given an assurance that ALL are accepted in the Beloved.
God has promised to be with us in every situation of life, and all He wants from us is to trust His Word, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and hold fast to His many precious promises.
The life-blood of a little animal, that did nothing wrong, became to Adam and his wife, their 'salvation', for God covered their guilt with its blood-stained body, for without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin.
Although they did acknowledge that there was some form of life after death... they had started to suggest that there would be no bodily resurrection from the grave.
These confused believers in Corinth needed to understand that Christ was their very pattern - and that all who believe on His name must follow in His footsteps... for He is the firstborn from the dead - the first of many who will be raised into life immortal.
Our old sin nature was put to death with Christ on the Cross, and we received a new nature... the life of Christ.
Scripture teaches that we will one day receive a body like unto His glorious body... uncorrupted by sin - an immortal body of flesh and bone that will never die - for His life-blood was shed at Calvary so that we might receive His resurrected life in an incorruptible body, through the power of the Spirit.
Paul pointed out that believing on Christ's Resurrection is foundational to their faith - and because He lives, we too will live, in newness of life.
We see godly principles and practice permeating all Paul's instructions on how to live a Christian life that is honouring to the Lord, including marriage, is what Paul is emphasising in his instructions.
As the sinless Son of Man, He paid the full burden-weight of the accumulated sins of the whole world, past, present, and future, and He also identified with all who would believe on Him so that we might reckon ourselves dead TO those sins as we live our Christian life.
He had lived there with His family, served the local community with His carpentry skills, and attended the Jewish synagogue throughout His early life, but had to experience terrible rejection on two occasions because the people of His hometown did not recognise the Prophet that was in their midst.
We have a supernatural book written by almighty God, communicating to us His redemptive plans and purposes, and telling us all we need for life and godliness.
He no doubt touched on His life, His ministry, His mission, and His work on the Cross for the forgiveness of sin, the redemption of mankind, and life everlasting, as outlined in so many prophetic books.
They would soon discover the astonishing truth of our permanent union with Christ and that His resurrected life would be imputed to all believers so that instead of being influenced by the old Adamic nature, we would receive a new nature - the resurrected life of Christ.
No surprise that the disciples could not bear these identification truths at that time for like us, they had to discover the inability of the old self life and that only the new life in Christ, which we all receive at Salvation can live a godly life.
In that day, when you are in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit; placed into the Body of Christ and sealed - He told them, you will also know that I am in you (My resurrected life given to you - My eternal life imparted to you - My perfect life imputed to you) so that I may influence your choices and decisions, until it is not I that lives, but Christ that lives in me..
But by a simple act of faith in Christ's finished work at Calvary, we have been lifted out of this shocking state of eternal slavery and transferred into Christ's glorious kingdom of everlasting light and life - the kingdom of God's only beloved Son.
For the first time in His life and ministry, the Lord Jesus gave this little group of men a taste of the heavenly glory that He had with the Father before the world began, a peep in the eternal glory that He had set aside, in order to live and die as our Saviour and Lord.
What is important, is to know the Word of God, to trust the Word of God, and to apply the Word of God in every circumstance of life, knowing that to do so will lead to success in the Christian life; for all things work together for good to those that love the Lord and trust His Word.
It appears that His baptism in the Jordan was a particular milestone in Christ's life, which divided His three and a half year ministry from His pre-ministerial period.
It is a process that starts at salvation, continues through life, and at His appointed time will be used by God for His eternal glory.
In Corinthians, we read of the Imperishable Crown, which is given to those who have run the race of life and obtained this award because of their obedience to God's Word, as they looked to JESUS the Author and Finisher of their faith.
Jesus came to give us life and to give it more abundantly, and The Crown of Life, is awarded to those who have patiently endured persecution, and undergone unjustified sufferings and trials, during their life, while the Crown of Glory, is given to pastors and teachers who have been faithful in shepherding the flock of God.
They did not understand that the Law of God, the Prophets of Israel, the Psalms, and the Feasts-days were all pointing to Christ, and that 'the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus' had set them free from 'the law of sin and death'.Today, as in those early days of Christianity, there is still much confusion about the 'gospel of God' and there are many attempts to add law to grace, and works to faith.
But Christ alone has the legal right and righteous authority to claim equality with the Father, for He was sanctified by the Father, sent into the world to save His people from their sins, and given by the LORD to become the sin sacrifice for the sins of the whole world so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
And in declaring Himself as the Son of God and Son of Man, the Lord Jesus was professing a truth that had its roots in eternity past; a fact that was sanctified by the Lord God of Hosts; a truth that was practiced in the earthly life of our Saviour - that Christ was and is and is to come, God Almighty.
However deep, dark, and dangerous the circumstances of life are, we are told that the steadfast love of God never ceases towards us.
But a life of faith cannot be founded on the shifting sands of doubt and disappointment, but needs to be secured to the changeless foundation of Jesus Christ Who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, for His steadfast love never ceases.
It is as he seeks the Lord that he starts to rehearse the many wonders, the power, grace, and glory that have been displayed in his own life and the lives of countless others who have trusted Him as Saviour and believed in His promises of grace.
David knew His God was a covenant-keeping God and that the never-failing loving-kindness of the Lord was more to be desired than life itself.
David knew that in Him is abundant life and through Him we discover a joy that never ends, and a peace that floods our soul.
The truth that flows from this joyful psalm of David should be the experience and pronouncement of every regenerate soul, for without His life there is nothing other than death, without His loving-kindness there is only sadness and misery, and without His refreshment there is a dark dryness of the soul.
In his earlier letter to the Corinthians, Paul set out a most comprehensive treatise on the resurrection of the body and life everlasting for all who are positioned in Christ.
The moment we are born, we start a journey towards our death, and for the duration of this earthly life we inhabit a physical frame that marches on to an inevitable conclusion.
When the icy finger of death encircles the throat of its victims, physical life ceases and the body goes into the grave.
The Lord is OUR Shepherd Who provides all we need for life and godliness.
He is the Eternal Shepherd, Who gives His own life for the sheep of His pasture.
He was sent to give His life as the ransom price for their lives.
They should have KNOWN Him, Whom to KNOW is life eternal.
But we have a Good and Gracious Shepherd, Who loves us so much that He laid down His life for the sheep.
Let us diligently read, mark, learn, inwardly digest and apply His Word in every area of life, so that we are not deceived by a hireling or scattered by vicious wolves.
Jesus may have been the Son of God through Whom heaven and earth were created, but He also came into this world as the Son of Man, the suffering Servant of Jehovah Who would give His life as the ransom price for the sin of the whole world.He had come to set up God's kingdom on earth, but His own people rejected Him and He finally set His face as a flint towards Jerusalem and the Cross.
It is better for you to enter life crippled, than having your two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire.
Jesus was not advocating for His followers to start amputating their arms and legs or gouging out their eyes or tongues, but emphasising the terrible effect of sin on an individual life.Temptation to sin is not suppressed by self-mutilation, nor is it arrested by physical dismemberment, for the seat of sin is the heart and mind, not in the hand, foot, or body-member that perform a sinful act.
Only a heart that has been made new by the Holy Spirit of God and a mind that is stayed on Christ, is able to resist the temptations of this world and stand fast through all the trials and tribulations of life.God is a consuming fire Who will one day burn away the dross, and refine that which is good.
The wrath of God's judgement has already been poured out on Christ in our stead when He gave His life as the ransom price for our sin.
And one day, His purifying fire will burn away all that is evil and refine that which is good.Although our eternal life is secure in Him, the consuming fire of God's wrath is waiting to judge the works that we carry out in this life.
Saved, yet as though by fire.May we take to heart the serious consequences of sin and remove every element of it in our life which may cause us to fall into sinfulness, and may we also be ready and willing to share the good news of the gospel of grace with those who remain dead in their sins, and warn them of the terrible consequences of hell and God's unquenchable fire which awaits all who have not trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
It is God's inerrant instruction manual on life and living.
It is without error because it has been breathed out by the Spirit of the Almighty Creator - Who is Life and Truth.
But we who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, should recognise God's Word as the most precious tool in our Christian arsenal which provides all we need for life and godliness.
And it identifies humility, obedience, love, and purity as godly characteristics which should be manifested in the life of the man or woman of God who is walking in spirit and truth.
As Christians, we are citizens of heaven who are passing through a cursed world which is filled with condemned sinners who are in need of Christ's forgiveness... and God has given us everything we need to live a victorious Christian life in this fallen world.
But too many Christians wrongly think that a victorious Christian life is a happy, trouble-free existence where every whim of our heart is magically fulfilled by some sugar-daddy in the sky, cherry-picking Scriptures that 'prove' this false interpretation of the Word while proclaiming that the problem of others results from their lack of faith.
Jesus told us that in this world we will have tribulation, for we are in the world but not of it, and He also assured us that His victory on the Cross is our victory too - but that victory may look very different from the soft, easy life and trouble-free existence they perceive this to mean.
We have already received all spiritual blessing in abundance, simply because we are in Christ - and in HIM we have all that we need to live godly lives, but nowhere in Scripture are we told that we will have the trouble free life that much of Christendom teaches today - rather we are informed of the opposite.
Our life trials are not, as some suggest, a lack of faith or God's punishment, but a purifying tool that God uses to hone and refine His children - to develop our trust and dependence upon Him.
God's purpose in each of our lives is to educate, discipline, and train us in righteousness and the fiery trials that come upon us are used by Him to try us, as the furnace tries silver - to cut deep into our fleshly nature and polish off all the fleshly dross that contaminates our new-life in Christ so that by grace through faith we will not murmur, but humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, knowing that He has promised to exalt us in due time.
So let us accept life's fiery trial as a beautiful child-training tool to conform us into Christlikeness, and yield to His gracious child-training so that in the end, we will come forth as pure gold.
Throughout his life, the truth of God that was faithfully taught by Jeremiah the prophet, was rejected and ridiculed by all and sundry.
We fulfil God's call on our life, but discover that circumstances appear to contradict our expectations, and we start to question God's character, God's concern, and God's care for us, so we start to murmur and to ask, Why?
Jeremiah began his ministry knowing that no one would heed His message of grace, and he lived his life being ridiculed and persecuted by his own people.
Dispute the mocking, ridicule, and cruel treatment he received from his fellow-Israelites, Jeremiah had submitted to the Lord throughout his life and in this final distress and pain, he was able to call to mind the faithfulness of God.
Jeremiah KNEW that the secret to a victorious life was to submit to the ways and workings of the Lord, to yield to His testings in life and to surrender to the rod of His chastening so that like Job he was able to say, When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
He came to live a life of humiliation, rejection, suffering, and pain, and finally to be cursed and condemned to the cruellest method of execution imagined by the evil minds of wicked men so that fallen humanity could be brought back into full fellowship with Himself and one day see God face to face - one day live with Emmanuel, God with us.
There are difficulties in life that overwhelm the strongest of people, fears that gnaw at the stoutest of human hearts, and young men who grow faint and weary.
They stumble and fall because they rely on their own, inner strength and human resources, which are not a sufficient shield in the storms of life.
Only His protective hand can shelter us from the storms of life and not our own limited, human abilities.
God's grace is sufficient for every circumstance of life.
It is sufficient for every difficulty we may face or any challenge life throws at us.
His grace is enough for every eventuality in life, and His provision comes through faith in His beloved Son.
He will provide strength to those who can admit to their own disability, for His grace is sufficient in all situations of life.
In time they are brought to the very end of themselves until they can admit that the refreshment they desperately need has been drawn from the broken cistern of the old, Adamic-life and will eventually run dry, for the energy-source that is powered through the fleshly self-life, will in time be drained of all its self-induced efforts.
When we truly identify with our Saviour and trust in Christ's capacities alone for our journey through life, it is then that God's strength is made perfect in our weakness; it is then that the wind of God will lift us up on eagles' wings and carry us through life's stresses and strains, in the power of His Holy Spirit.
No matter what our station in life, there are many lessons that each one of us can learn from this little letter to Philemon. What a joy to know that no-one is excluded from the good news of the gospel of grace, for anyone can be saved through faith in Christ.
He was the One Who came from heaven as the Sacrifice for the sin of others so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
He did not ask for fame, fortune, long-life or honour but recognised his lack of experience and requested wisdom to govern the people of God and knowledge to know what to do.
and because the young king did not ask for riches, wealth, longevity, honour, or the life of those who hated him..
He was sent by the Father to pay the price for the sin of the whole world through His sacrificial death, but He came willingly from His heavenly home in order to become the federal Head of a new race of mankind, through His resurrected life.
Only the risen God-Man could give His resurrected life to those who believe in His name, making each one part of a new creation in Him.
It is described by the Lord as the lust of the flesh (which kindles and stimulates our sensory appetites), the lust of the eyes (where we crave and covet the things that we see), and the pride of life (where self-interest and self-love is displayed in self-glorification, self-importance, self-indulgence, self-reliance, self-righteousness, and all too often self-deification).
Both these apostles know that Christians can be drawn away from a spiritual walk, where Christ reigns at the centre of our life, to a fleshly existence where king 'Self' is reinstated on the throne of our heart.
Let us not love the world nor the things of this world by living a fleshly and carnal life, knowing that this will cause our fellowship with our Heavenly Father to be seriously affected and will have the devastating result that the love of the Father is no longer in us.
God continues to save us from the power of sin throughout our Christian life, and God is going to save us from the presence of sin when we stand before Him in glorified bodies, and it is all by grace.
We are called to be holy, called to be spiritual, called to be set apart unto God, and called to live a godly life that is well-pleasing to Him.
God saved us and called us to live a holy life and He did this, not because we deserved it, but because this was His plan from before the beginning of time.
Sin was the cause of the deluge of waters that drowned the earth in a world-wide flood so that no life remained except those that were saved in the ark.
The sign that God sent to the earth 2000 years ago is of far greater consequence, for God sent His Son into the world to die and to rise again the third day so that whosoever trusts in Him as Saviour will not perish but have everlasting life.
How true it is that you become like the person with whom you spend time, and whatever has captivated your heart inevitably reflects attitudes and behaviours in life, (whether good or evil), and too often it is not a pretty sight. We are warned not to habitually be immersed in the world but to set our minds on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make Him the central focus of our thoughts.
The evidence of this lovely transfiguring process is not only an outward disassociation from an ungodly world and the works of the world, the flesh, and the devil, but a life that is good, acceptable, perfect and pleasing to the Father - but note, that transformation is perfected through trials, difficulties, suffering, and sorrow.
Even in the terrible Tribulation period, God's offer of salvation is open, and many will be saved during this time.As John watched the awesome scene in heavenly places, he saw countless martyred, Tribulation saints resurrected to life.
He knew his life was shortly to end when he wrote this letter to Timothy, and we are saddened to realise that the apostle Paul who laboured more abundantly than anyone to bring us the gospel message, was left alone near the end of his life for we read that everyone had deserted him.
Let us be part of Paul's 'others' as we share the good news of the Christ crucified, risen, and ascended for the redemption of mankind - so that whosoever believes on Him for salvation, will not perish but have everlasting life.
This was the point in His life that Jesus began to speak in parables..
As the eternal Son of God He would give His life as the perfect Son of Man for the sin of the world - so that all who do the will of God, by believing in Him..
Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost, for He is a gracious God Who searches us out before we would ever consider searching for Him - and yet in Christ are the words of eternal life.
In Christ is all that we need for life and godliness; in Christ we become a new creation and part of His Body, with a new life and new hope of glory; in Christ we have peace with God and access to the peace of God in our hearts.
He did not have to speak to this specific individual, for Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans, but Christ initiated the conversation by humbly asking for a drink of water so that He could freely offer the living water of life to this sinner and pave the way for many lost souls in the city of Sychar to avail themselves of the waters of life.
Like Christians in the early Church, we also need to know that there is a resurrection unto life for the believer, and a resurrection unto death for those that have rejected God's gracious offer of salvation by grace through faith in Christ.
When He walked by the way He was hungry and tired, and our Great High Priest was not exempt from the human emotions of hope and fear, of joy and pain, of anger and grief, nor was He free from suffering and sorrow, but lived a life of humble obedience to the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The sinless Son of Man did not need to die, for sin is the reason for death, yet He chose to die and willingly gave up His perfect life so that our punishment was paid and also that we might receive His life in us, the new life in Christ, and that we might have it more abundantly.
It is by maintaining a simple trust in Him that we are able to thwart all the earthly thorns and thistles in life that seek to trip and to trap, to ensnare, undermine, and destroy our faith.
The Word of the Lord is nourishment for the soul, comfort of the heart, help for the afflicted, and shelter from the storms of life.
The former keeps on looking into the sacred text thinking that words alone are the way to eternal life, and the latter looks to their own worldly wisdom and unbiblical mindset as they seek eternal life in the broken cisterns of this world.
I AM the Word, the living Word of truth in Whom alone is life eternal, is Christ's clear declaration: I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life.
With these statements, Jesus is claiming: Every single verse points to Me, for I am the One in Whom are the Words of Life.
He is the Word of Life, the Word of Truth, the Word of Peace, and the Word of Hope.
May we take our responsibility as blood-bought children of God seriously and die to self, live for Christ, and be prepared to say, Thy will be done in my life, not mine.
The breath of God's Holy Spirit, imputed divine light, life, power, and hope into that sacred text.
The Holy Spirit of God, Who in times past, moved prophets of old to pen the sacred words of Scripture, is the same Breath of God, Who breathes life to the spirit of a man when he is born from above.
It highlights the problem of our inherited sin-nature and reassures us that in Christ, we have all we need for life and godliness.
He warns that evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived themselves, in every area of life.
And Paul reminds Timothy, and us, that in the midst of this world's evil, we have ALL we need for life and godliness because we are 'in-Christ' - and have the inspired Scriptures to teach us all we need to know.
It is the Word of Life, that equips us with godly wisdom and gracious counsel and it builds up our trust in our God and Saviour, Who died for us on Calvary's cross, so that we could become His adoptive children, and live with Him in the eternal ages to come.
However, these Pharisees needed to know that the spiritual part of the kingdom does not come with observable signs but through faith in Christ, in Whom are the words of eternal life.
May we who are waiting for our heavenly Saviour occupy wisely until He comes and let us keep the eyes of our heart on our God and Saviour - in Whom are the words of eternal life.
MY peace I give unto you.The amazing love of God, binds us together in worship and praise to our Heavenly Father Whose loves for us is so profound, that He gave His only begotten Son to become our substitute for sin, while the supernatural love of Jesus is such that while we were yet sinners, Christ died on our account so that we might be forgiven of our sin, receive a new life in Him, become united with Christ and abide with Him forever.Faith, enables us to worship in spirit and truth.
In Hebrews, we read that Sarah received the ability to conceive even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered God was faithful Who had promised she would be the mother of multitudes.
By faith, Sarah received the ability to conceive, beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful Who had made the promise.
Who was sent to earth by our heavenly Father, in order to offer up His life as the ransom price for the sin of the whole world.
in order that we may know and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that by believing in Him we may have life in His name.
But before this was to happen the Lord Jesus was to offer His life on the cross, as a ransom for many.
As Christ's ministry progressed the apostle John incorporated a number of signs that would give clear and irrefutable proof to the nation of Israel that Jesus was the promised Jewish Messiah - and that by believing in Him they might have life in His name - and have it more abundantly.
As the Jews of His day started to reject the biblical signs that authenticated Christ's messiahship, the Lord Jesus began to give a much more graphic teaching on Who He was and why He had come: I am the bread of life.
He was the Bread of life - I am the living Bread - the Bread which comes down out of heaven, so that those who eat of it will not die.
I am the living Bread and if anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever - and the Bread also which I will give for the life of the world,.. is My flesh - for My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.
and the sacrifice for the sin of mankind had to be given by a physical MAN, who was willing to give His life as a ransom for many.
As the perfect Man He died to pay the price for sin - and as the eternal God, Who had life in Himself He rose from the grave, so that His life would become the life of ALL who believe on His name.
God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son - the eternal Son of God to be born as the perfect Son of Man.. so that by His death we might be forgiven and by His life we might have eternal life..
And Paul also mentions the astonishing and immediate judicial changes that take place in the life of every man and woman, who trusts in the death, burial, and Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
But in the final three chapters of this wonderful epistle, we receive wise instruction on how to live the Christian life in spirit and in truth.
We are reminded to live in unity with one another, to live in lowliness of heart, gentleness of spirit, and to endure suffering with patience throughout this earthly life.
And among the many instructions toward maturing in our Christian life is the directive: Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit. Indeed, being filled with the Spirit is not a one-off occurrence like our justification, but we are to continue being filled with the Spirit, day by day, throughout our earthy life.
The Lord Jesus was soon to demonstrate how deep that love was for all who receive Him as their redeeming sin sacrifice, for greater love has no one than this, that the Man Christ Jesus, God incarnate, would lay down His life for His friends.
When we live our life in spirit, in truth, and in submission to the Holy Spirit, the life of Christ lives in us and the love of Christ streams from us, and God is glorified by this.
No surprise that early in his ministry Christ said, Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, so that at the end of His life He could give a new commandment: That we love others as He loved us.
When, in the power of the Holy Spirit, Christians put to death the lust of the flesh, the things of the world, and the pride of life, and choose to walk in newness of life - we walk in love.
What a long-suffering and gracious God we have – for as He has dealt in grace toward His erring nation, so He will deal with Christians who have wandered far from His outstretched arms of love or when faith wears thin and life seems too much to bear.
There are those that reject the true and living God, preferring to transfer their mindless worship onto other created life-forms, which in their foolish hearts are elevated into the status of a god.
It is always a joy when a man or woman trusts in Christ as their Saviour and sets out on their life-journey with Jesus at the helm, but what a thrill it must have been for Paul when Titus, his true son in the common faith, was ready to take on full responsibility for the establishment of the Christian churches throughout the Isle of Crete.
It is by His grace through faith in Christ that we have peace with God, for we have been forgiven of our sins and received eternal life - through faith in Him.
How gracious it was of Jesus to single out the blustery, self-confident Peter, who had just proclaimed his undying loyalty to his Lord, and yet was soon to face the greatest sorrow of his entire life, when he deserted the Lord he loved and denied Him three times.
Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, Whom to know is life eternal, and let us take heed to watch expectantly for the Lord's soon return - and also to watch with Him, in His continuous ministry of prayer and intercession.
The picture that is painted in this well-loved psalm of David, is that of our faithful God, our merciful and gracious Saviour, our good and caring Shepherd Who keeps us, protects us, and provides for us through all the changing scenes of life.
The Word of God is given so that the man or woman of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every eventuality in life.
They include all unbelievers who are dead in their sins, enslaved by Satan, at enmity with God - as well as many religious legalists and pious Judaisers who insist that we are still under the Law of Moses and not under the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus.
By faith, we are no longer under God's condemnation because we trusted in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
We are now ministers of the New Covenant of grace... and all who have trusted Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting are children of the free-woman- children of promise.
But in the meantime, He has equipped us to be able ministers of a New Covenant: Not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills but the Spirit produces life.
Throughout His earthly life, the Lord Jesus ignored the unscriptural traditions of the elders and would knowingly violate the unbiblical customs of the Scribes and Pharisees, and disregard their man-made rituals and manufactured ceremonies.
They did not understand that in a few short weeks they would be indwelt by the Holy Spirit so that the life that they now lived in the flesh would be the new life of Christ living in and through them; a life they would receive by the power of the Spirit, for the life of Christ and the love of Christ was to be their eternal portion, and it is our eternal portion too.
But all who trust in His name have been made a new creation in Christ and have the life of Christ living in us and through us.
The one and only perfect member of the human race, was born without the fallen sinful nature of Adam's fallen race and He alone lived a perfect life, a sinless life, a life that was lived in the power of the Spirit of truth, and a life that died a perfect Man to the glory of God.
Christ willingly offered up His perfect life as the perfect sacrifice, to pay the perfect price that God required for the accumulated fullness of imperfect humanity's sin, and in so doing Christ condemned sin in the flesh.
We should not be influenced by the things of this world but should humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, as we die to our own desires and live our life in a manner that pleases Him and honours His name.
In place of the life of their firstborn sons, a lamb would be selected and slain in their place, and the shed blood of the innocent animal was to be smeared on the lintels of the doorposts on their home as a sign of their faith in God.
Just as the blood on the doorposts of the Israelites in Egypt was a physical sign of their faith in God's Word, so a heart that has been sprinkled with the shed blood of Christ by faith in His sacrificial death on the Cross, is the spiritual sign that we have passed from death to life - from slavery to the freedom that is in Christ Jesus.
We are to display the fruit of the Spirit in the bond of peace and we are to demonstrate the gracious characteristics that only come from above, in our everyday life and pattern of living.
The Lord Jesus lived his life, from start to finish, in the way that God ordained that mankind should live from the beginning.
Although Christ was fully deity and equal with the Father, He became a little lower than the angels and lived his life in subjection to God's perfect will.
We are in the world, but we are not of the world and should show forth the divine characteristics that are ours in and through our new life in Christ.
We have been given all we need for life and godliness - by faith.
One would have thought that godliness would have been the ultimate objective in a Christian's life... but Peter continues, and to your godliness, add brotherly kindness, and to your brotherly kindness - add LOVE.
We have received His eternal, resurrected life and we have been given His perfect sinless nature - through which the supernatural love of God can be manifested.
When we die to self and all that the sin-soaked nature of our old life in Adam represents, we are enabled, by the Spirit of God, to live in newness of life, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
The piercing of His hands and feet by the Roman soldiers, and the dice thrown by the duty-guards as they gambled amongst themselves for His garments, were just two of the hundreds of prophetic Scriptures that described in detail the events of that unique day, when God, the Creator of the universe, willingly gave His life as a ransom for many.
For unto us the child that was formed in the womb of Mary was to be BORN into the human race, but also unto us to the Son of the most high God was GIVEN: For God so loved the world that he GAVE His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
His life was a chequered history full of unrest, war, uncertainty, and violence.
The Lord is the defence of my life; Whom should I dread?
And even in those times when our enemies surround us, we will be like a flourishing tree planted by the river of life, whom the Lord will lead along a good and level pathway.
He understood that he could live a triumphant Christian life, no matter what troubles assailed him; not because of his own human strength or charismatic character, but through the indwelling Spirit of Christ Who provides the strength and wisdom we need in every situation in life.
Paul recognised that when we are positioned in Christ, abiding in Him, and remaining in fellowship with the Father, we are equipped for every eventuality of life; for when we are weak in ourselves we receive strength from the Lord and are empowered by His Spirit.
The old life in Adam, which was part of the first creation, was crucified on the Cross at Calvary.
But the 'new life in Christ' is imparted to all God's children, making us part of a new 'spiritual' creation, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
The curse of the Law has been lifted, the sting of death has been removed, and we have been born into the family of God and become part of a totally new creation in Christ, with our sins forgiven and our eternal life secure.As born again citizens of heaven, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
First, He died to set us free from slavery to sin, and the only thing we had to do to receive forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, was to believe on the Person and Work of the only begotten Son of God.And then, as soon as we were saved, God started a new work.
He began to lead us through the life-changing process of sanctification, where we are being transformed, day by day, into the image and likeness of our Saviour.
He has provided all we need for life and godliness, by preparing good works for us to do which, when carried out by His sovereign power and sufficient grace, earn for us a glorious reward and eternal weight of glory.He who started a good work in each of us has promised to finish all that He began.
Ezekiel the prophet was given some astonishing visions of the glory of God and delivered many of his prophetic words of warning through acting out on the stage of life the approaching judgements of God..
He gave advanced warning of different signs to watch for, which would announce a time when the dry bones of the scattered nation of Israel would be resurrected back to life, by the regenerating breath of the Spirit of God - a time when the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah would once again be reunited as one nation under God..
We are challenged daily to let this mind be in us that was in Christ Jesus, and to choose to follow the path of the Cross by setting aside our own natural inclination to place self on the throne of our lives and, in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit and by means of the new life of Christ, to empty ourselves of 'Self' and become a servant of all, for His sake Who loved us so much that He died that we might live.
He did this in order to live His life as a perfect pattern of the way God desires that all His children live.
He was the exact example of a life that was set apart unto God.
A life that walked in spirit and truth, a life that set aside His own will to do the will of the Father in heaven.
The essence of the Christian creed is contained in this extraordinary command of Christ: Love one another in the same manner that I have loved you. Christ willingly sacrificed His own life so that we might live, should we not do the same for others?
It is imperative to understand that God is omniscient and is perfect in all His plans, and yet too often we try to second-guess God and venture to predict or anticipate what He is doing or even try to dictate to Him what we think He ought to be doing, and so He reminds us that in every area of life: My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the LORD.
He explains that having been eternally saved by grace, we should glory in the trials and tribulations of life which God uses to develop in us perseverance, a godly character, and an unshakable and eternal hope in the loving promises of God.
But because of His great love, He came as our representative Man to be a pattern for our learning, living His life in the power of the Spirit, to demonstrate how we too should live.
But first, they must be spiritually enlivened when the Holy Spirit of God breathes the breath of new life into their cold, dead hearts, by their faith in Christ.
Thus says the Lord God to these bones, 'Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life.
The Spirit who breathed into the nostrils of Adam is equally able to breathe the breath of new life into these scattered people: And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them.
New life can only come through faith in JESUS, their Messiah.
He is the Light shining in the darkness, and He is the light of life.
He is the everlasting Light that gives life and hope to all.
He is the unique Son of Man, in Whom is eternal life, and that life was the Light of men, which shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overwhelm it.
This is reinforced in Proverbs 16, where we read that an old man's grey hair and other symbols of his advancing age should not to be pitied or considered as detrimental, but rather should be praised and seen as a badge of honour.When a man has trusted God with all his heart during his lifetime and acknowledged the Lord in all his ways, his grey hair should be seen as a laudable crown of glory, which is often rewarded by a long and fruitful life.This is not to imply that ONLY older people who have honoured the Lord during their lifetime benefit from a long and productive life.
This verse is rejoicing that the silver-haired head of a godly old man, is a thing in which to rejoice – for it is a crown of splendour and a garland of glory.Similarly, this is not to insinuate that only older men who have grey hair are crowned with glory, but that an older man (irrespective of his hair or lack of it) who has trusted God in his life, is graced with certain wisdom and sound judgement that comes from above and deserves the respect and honour of the younger generation.There are many older people who mourn the loss of their good looks or bemoan a decline in their physical fitness, and although physical beauty and youthful strength are often held up as desirable, it is rather the godly wisdom of a mature man-of-God or elderly lady-of-faith that should command the respect and reverence of those that are younger.
May we not bemoan the passing of youth but embrace each season in life by looking to Jesus, knowing that when He returns, we will all receive a crown of glory that can never fade away.
Just as an earthly father would have rejoiced to hear this wise request from the son he loves, so our Heavenly Father was delighted that Solomon made so prudent a choice, and God not only granted him the wisdom and knowledge he requested but also promised him unparalleled riches, wealth, honour, and long life.
As those who have been saved by grace through faith, we can recognise in Solomon's wise request, the things in life that are important to the Lord and the nature of the prayers and intercessions that should be offered, in accordance with His will.
Solomon was a man who had observed God's faithfulness in his father's life and because He trusted in Him, the Lord heard and answered his prayer of faith in an astonishing way.
Although we delight to hear that as well as wisdom and knowledge, the Lord granted Solomon riches, wealth, power, and long life, there is a cautionary lesson we need to learn in this passage.
Though Solomon trusted God, he had not 'proved' the Lord in the same difficult life-challenging circumstances that his father, David, had faced when enemies encompassed him on every side or when his sin consumed his peace of mind.
Later in his life, King Solomon allowed the accumulation of riches and his consummate power to divert his focus away from the Lord onto the vain things of this world - vain things that too often bring leanness to the soul.
Although he ruled with God-given wisdom and knowledge, he dishonoured the Lord in certain areas of his life.
As we offer our requests to the Lord, may we pray into His will and continue to seek His counsel and guidance in all the decisions and duties of everyday life so that we will finish the challenges in our own life-race to the honour of God's holy name and for our eternal benefit.
The Son of God was born into the human race that He Himself created in order to carry out the will of the Father - that whosoever believes on His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection for the forgiveness of sins.. might have eternal life and become ministers of reconciliation to a lost and dying world.
and give His life as the ransom price for love of them.
These were the apostles and prophets whom God would soon ordain to write sections of the New Testament Scriptures and to bear witness that Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God - Who is the one and only way to God, the single and incarnate truth of God and in Whom are the words of the life of God - life that is abundant and life everlasting.
Christ was the good Shepherd Who laid down His life for His sheep.
Whose blood was shed on Calvary so that by faith in Him these men for whom He was now praying might have life - and have it more abundantly.
He must increase and we must decrease as we die to self and to live for Him so that the world may know that Jesus Christ is Lord of heaven and earth, in Whom are the words of eternal life.
Light was contrasted with darkness, life with death, honour with dishonour, freedom with bondage, and the glorious truth of the gospel of Christ was dismissed with icy lies, as the bitter antagonism against the Lord of glory and His messianic message increased to fever pitch.
Christ Jesus the Lord presented this hostile group with the life-changing truth which could free each one from the bondage of the Law, slavery to sin and death, and eternal separation from God.
He knows every step we take, and no matter what difficulties we encounter, or what the enemy of our soul schemes against us, the Lord knows the way of His righteous ones, and He works in every circumstance of life for our eternal good and His greater glory.
Let us rest on the assurances of His presence in every one of life's difficulties, knowing that no weapon formed against us will prosper, and every tongue that accuses us in judgement will be condemned.
If the Father places such significance on Jesus Christ as the Founder and Foundation of His perfect plan of salvation and identifies Him in the Scriptures as the 'chief Cornerstone' of life, should we not consider Christ and all that He is?
We hear of the futility of man's fleshly accomplishments and the emptiness and pain that permeates every aspect of life, when God is excluded.
However, it must never be forgotten that these are the reflections of Soloman, as he approached the end of his life.
However, he finally recognised his folly and concluded that life without God is futile, false, and fruitless.
As Solomon reflected on the choices in his search for the meaning in life, his conclusions help us to focus on what is beneficial, to prioritise wisely and not to crave the passing pleasures this world has to offer.
Although Solomon was a man who forgot to pay heed to the advice of his own father, he wanted his sons to make wise choices in their life-journeys.
Solomon acknowledged that paying heed to wise counsel is prudent, companionship is valuable, and friends and family bring encouragement in our passage through life.
Amidst all the futility and foolishness that Solomon identified in his own life, he realised the value in human relationships and the benefits of not being alone.
And in consideration of Solomon's life of foolishness and folly, where he ignored the godly wisdom of the wise and strayed from the path of righteousness, this observation appears to be one of his fleeting moments of clarity, where Solomon recognised the wisdom of including the Lord in every earthly partnership and each area of life.
And when God becomes the third Person in such a partnership, life takes on new purpose and meaning.
The foolish choices Solomon made in his later life, when he walked away from the God of his father, ignored the Law of Moses, indulged in ungodly ways and permitted pagan activities to defile the land and infect his kingdom, it is not surprising that Solomon's life lacked meaning and he found himself surrounded by so much gloom and despondency.
had this great king of Israel been a man after God's own heart, like his father, David, and remained true to the Lord and humble before Him, his experiences in life may have been very different from the disappointments he underwent in his secular pursuits and the futility he found in the life he lived.
Life on earth is difficult, and our time is fleeting, but we have choices to make every day of our lives - in the relationships we make and activities we undertake.
It is foundational to living a life that honours the Lord and obeys His command.
It demonstrates a life that maintains fidelity to the truth of God's Word - a life that is inseparably united with others, in love - for Christ's command to His people to love one another as I have loved you, for by this shall all men know that you are My disciples.
The truth is that God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
John knew how important it was to know the truth, protect the truth, preserve the truth, and live out the truth in our everyday life.
The Lord Jesus, Himself, said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man comes unto the Father but by Me, and this elderly disciple of Christ rejoiced because these children were occupied with Christ and obeying His command - which from the beginning was to love one another.
Paul's wise advice is not to react too quickly, but to remain married, live godly in Christ Jesus, and allow the Lord to work out His plan in the midst of such a relationship.Naturally, being wed to an unbeliever can also cause significant clashes of interest and become seriously destructive within a marriage, and this is an issue that Paul deals with, later on in the chapter.But Paul is calling each believer to walk in accordance with the gifts and graces that have been given them in Christ Jesus, to live one's Christian life in the way the Lord has called them to live, knowing that each person is accountable for his or her own choices and individual conduct.As believers, we are all accountable to the Lord and will one day stand before Him to give an account of the way we conducted ourselves, within our marriages and in our wider relationships.
While the first 5 chapters of Romans deals with how to be saved - justification, the next chapters deal with how to live the Christian life - sanctification. Chapters 6 and 8 explain how to live the Christian life..
Faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary is the key to living the Christian life as God desires..
but throughout chapter 7 we see the struggle that can take place in the life of a believer who is trying to live the Christian life in the flesh - by carrying out works of the law in their own strength.
Chapter 7 gives a graphic picture of how human effort and fleshly strivings, result in a defeated Christian life.
Chapter 7 describes the man or woman who fails in their attempt to live a holy life in their own strength and who has to finally admit..
The key to living a godly life is only found in Jesus..
Paul paints an amazing picture of a man who is groaning under the weight of the law, the burden of sin and the sentence of death in Chapter 7, but contrasts this failure with the successful Christian life which is found in chapters 6 and 8 - and it is ALL found in Christ. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, was Paul's joyful song when he discovered that without Christ I can do nothing - but I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.
Paul finally arrived at the singular conclusion to the eternal problem of living a holy life that is pleasing to God.. on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other hand, with my flesh I am serving the law of sin - on the one hand Paul wanted to serve God in his heart and mind and knew what he ought to do - but on the other hand he could not do it in his own strength, because like us... Paul was bound by his fallen, fleshly sin nature.
He is enabled to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord - and to break free from bondage to the law of sin and its terrible consequences.
He is enabled to walk in newness of life, to walk in spirit and truth and to come to an understanding that in our Christian life we are not under bondage to the law, but under grace.
but who thereafter try to live their Christian life in their own strength - by works of the law..
The qualities of a true friend or a beloved brother are best exemplified in the life of the Lord Jesus.
A true friend loves at all times, in good circumstances and during times of greatest difficulty and hardships, and Jesus reminded us that the greatest of all love is expressed when a friend is prepared to give up his own life for that of his friend - or to forego his own desires and needs for the sake of his dearly beloved friend.
Doctor Luke was a talented historian who paid careful attention to every little detail of Christ's life and ministry.
Hundreds of Old Testament prophecies were literally fulfilled to the letter during the short life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, and hundreds more are to intersect with precision at His Second Coming.
After his long treaties on our call to be holy, the need to submit to authority, the different role of family members, and a section on Christ's example of patient endurance in suffering, Peter finally begins to sum up his epistle with a series of short, simple statements on living a submissive Christian life.
It is often the case that a carefree life of ease, abundance, and prosperity can cause us to take our focus off the eternal and on to the temporal, our prayer life can become less fervent and more mechanical, and the reality of Jesus' return does not burn in our heart.
It is beyond our comprehension that God could love us so dearly, that He gave His only begotten Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sin, such that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but receive eternal life as a free gift of His grace.
The spiritual blessings of which Paul talks in this passage are already ours, for we have already been given all that we need for life and godliness.
It can lead to spiritual poverty and lure one into ungodly actions and a destroyed life.
A man who could have been greatly used by God to preach truth to a pagan nation, allowed his love of money to destroy his life and tarnish his reputation, and yet the spiritual sensitivity of a little dumb donkey was greater than his master.
He reminded the saints in Smyrna that He is their living Lord, in Whom are the words of eternal life.
I am the One Who was dead and came to life.
Jesus is the eternal One, Who not only goes before them and was with them in every difficulty they faced, but He also comes after them and will never leave them nor forsake them, and in Him are the words of life eternal.
And when the Christians in Smyrna received confirmation that Jesus was with them in every eventuality of life, including their poverty and pain, it must have rejoiced their soul.
He was dead, but He rose from the dead and lives forevermore, and His death secured life for all who believe on His name, and nothing can take away that eternal privilege.
He is the Lord of life and the One who triumphed over death.
The saints in Smyrna received a most glorious assurance, when they received their letter from the Lord and knew that their life was safe in His hands, even when they came face to face with death.
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
We will be tested and tried, just as those saints in Smyrna were tested and tried, but those that remain faithful to the point of death have been promised a crown of life - and when HE is with us and surrounding us, who can fail!
But what Christ said next must have brought tremendous comfort and joy to their heart, (and to ours),Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
The persecution, pain, imprisonment, mocking, and satanic sifting, may bring some saints of God to the point of death, but the crown of life awaits these suffering servants.
May each of us be faithful to the point of death knowing that in the end, we have been promised the crown of life.
The Law cannot forgive the sins of a sinner, but is a school-master that points lost sinners to Christ, in Whom is life and light, hope and salvation.It demonstrates that godly living emanates from an inner attitude of a changed heart that trusts in God for salvation.
Philadelphia means 'love for the brethren' and true, godly love for one another can only be manifested in the life of a believer who is in fellowship with the Father and walking in spirit and truth.
The precious promise to become a pillar in the Temple of God, should thrill the hearts of all born-again believers, for this is a reminder that we have the permanently, indwelling Spirit of God Who has become our 'life' through time and into eternity.
We who have overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil in this life, by faith, will be made a pillar in the temple of our God and we will not go out from His presence anymore.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and of death.
And so Paul found freedom from the power of sin, life from the icy fingers of death, deliverance from the curse of law, emancipation from the lust of the flesh, and liberty to live in newness of Christ's resurrected life - as guided by the Holy Spirit.
We are delivered from the power of sin by HIS life.
By grace we are identified with HIS death so that we can be identified with HIS resurrected life.
There are two life principles by which a believer can live - death or life, law or grace, the flesh or the spirit, bondage or freedom, carnality or spirituality, the old sin nature or the new life in Christ.
He can submit to the old sin nature OR he can submit to the new life in Christ.
But when as believers we submit to the Holy Spirit, we discover a higher law working within (the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus) that gives power to the new-life-of-Christ within which we received when we were born again - bringing us to certain victory.
The Holy Spirit is the 'Spirit of Life' Who regenerates our human spirit, places us in the Body of Christ, gives us the life of Christ, and then works in the new-life within - but only when we submit to Him and walk in spirit and truth, and do not engage in fleshly carnality and ungodly practices.
Let us live our life in the power of the Holy Spirit and submit to Him in all things, knowing that there is NO Condemnation, for those of us who are positioned in Christ: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and of death.
However, forgiveness of sins and eternal life is the result of Christ's obedience on the Cross; and this is the glorious conclusion for all who will trust on His name.
How much more should we who have been redeemed by His blood, adopted into the family of the Father, and given eternal life, lift up our hearts and voices to the praise of His glory.
They heard His voice, they trusted His Word, and their faith expanded to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting: You are the Messiah the Son of the Living God, was their confession, and they believed that God had sent Him into the world to save His people from their sin: I give eternal life to them, was Christ's promise to those who believe, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
He was their good Shepherd, and He is our good Shepherd Who has the words of eternal life within Himself.
Salvation through faith in Christ is the great gift of life.
Through faith in Him, we received abundant life and life eternal.
It is a heavenly life that has been generously bestowed on all who trust their heavenly Shepherd.
He gently leads each little lamb through the difficult places of life, and provides the necessary respite for all His people, on their weary, earthly journey.
Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing is able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
His was a life that began with great promise when the Angel of the Lord announced his birth to the barren wife of a man named Manoah.
God's people had been under the yoke of the Philistines for 40 years when Samson was born, but instead of living a life that honoured the Lord, he acted in many foolish and ungodly ways.
Samson had been endowed with great strength from childhood. His mother had been instructed by the Angel of the Lord to raise her son as a Nazarite whose life, from birth, would be dedicated to the Lord.
However, his lustful fascination with Philistine women continued throughout his life, and finally, God used the deceitful manipulation of a Philistine prostitute, named Delilah, to engineer the downfall of his chosen servant and to bring him to the point of desperation so that the Lord would be glorified through his life - and death.
While the story of Samson is a stark example of unfulfilled potential in the life of a servant of God, it also gives us great hope... for despite his deeply flawed life, Samson is a man who is named in the great chapter of faith in Hebrews 11.
He too was to have His heart pierced with a sharp blade.The poignant picture of Abraham and Isaac, points to the stark reality that God was ready and willing to sacrifice the innocent and sinless life of His only begotten Son – but after three days, Christ rose from the dead, having conquered Satan, sin, death, and hell.
Christ was given by the Father as a sacrifice of pure love, and Jesus gave Him life willingly, for love of the Father.God in His grace provided a ram as a substitute for Isaac so that he might live.
And our Father in His grace provided Jesus in our place so that we might have life – and have it more abundantly.
This may be the way of the world, but Jesus introduced a heavenly standard that can only be implemented in a redeemed life - as empowered from above.
The distinctive behaviour and divine love that is described in this verse, can only be manifest in the one that has been born from above - as the life and nature of Christ is manifested in them.
But the enormous cost would be the sacrificial death of His beloved Son, His only begotten Son, His perfect, heavenly, eternal life given in exchange for our fallen, earthly, mortal, cursed life.
The old sin nature has to remain in the place of death, nailed to the Cross, replaced with a new life, the resurrected life of Christ - a new nature that we receive at salvation.
And so crimson are humanities sins and so polluted mans' sin-stained life, that every characteristic of man needs to be started afresh - for all are born in the fallen image of sinful man who was made from the dust of the earth, but only those that bear the image of the heavenly Man will see the kingdom of God.
The wrath of God against the sins we commit and our inherent sin nature must be satisfied - and this could only be accomplished if a sinless substitute willingly exchanged His perfect life for our sin-stained being.
It is only by faith in the sacrificial death of Christ that our spirit can be regenerated and new life breathed into us, at salvation.
The old, soulish, fleshly life, so impregnated with sin cannot be renewed, but a new God-breathed life is given at salvation - the new life in Christ.
God is Spirit and God is eternal, but God in His grace and love clothed Himself in human flesh so that He could become the incarnate Son of God and live a perfect life clothed in mortal flesh (yet without sin) in order to qualify Himself to become humanity's Kinsman-Redeemer.
By willingly giving up His precious life on a cruel Roman cross, he enabled all who believe on His name not to perish, but have forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
It is a comforting thought that we will never be alone in this life, and to be absent from the body (in death) means we are present with the Lord, and so we shall be with Him forever.
Because of our loving Lord, death has lost its sting, and life is so sweet with our Lord by our side.
Jesus laid down His life for His sheep so that all who believe on His name might be saved and have life and have it more abundantly.
We who are all in Christ have already received the abundance of His life, and one day Christ Jesus will return, as He promised, to take us to be with Himself.
We are not appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Good Shepherd Who will take us to the heavenly home He has prepared for all who love Him so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
There are so many passages in the wonderful book of Romans where we are reminded of our deliverance from bondage, our victory in Christ, and that there is absolutely no condemnation whatsoever to those that are in Christ Jesus, for every one that trusts in God's only beloved Son as Saviour, will never be condemned but receive life eternal.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Hallelujah!
God cannot condemn you for you are in Christ and Christ will not condemn you, for He died for your sins so that all that believe on Him would not be condemned but have eternal life.
We discover that the aging apostle Peter, who denied His Lord at the start of his Christian walk, came to an understanding that suffering precedes glory in the life of a believer, sadness comes before joy, and the darkest night of mourning will finally turn into the brightest noon-day sun: For after you have suffered for a little while, Peter informs his readers, After you have suffered... the God of all grace, Who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
To the end of his life, Paul's passionate cry was: That I may know HIM.
Like Paul and the other apostles, Peter was ready and willing to identify with Christ's suffering and warned us not to be surprised at any fiery ordeal we face, or consider them strange, because life's difficulties and dangers are there to test us.
We need to challenge our own reaction to God's call on our life and ask if we have ever closed our ears to His clear call, refused to carry out His perfect will for our life, or pretended that God was giving some alternative instruction that was more to our liking!
Are we are ready and willing to hear and obey God's call on our life, or are we like Jonah, trying to manipulate the clear teaching of Scripture to fit in with our own preferred plans and purposes.
How sad to realise that many are being manipulated and deceived by the enemy of our soul, who has not only infiltrated so many segments of governmental powers but has also installed itself deep within the trappings of Christendom itself - knowing that Christ died for our sins, that He rose again and ascended to the Father on high, so that whosever believes on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
This ongoing salvation process, or sanctification, happens moment by moment, as the life on Christ within, saves us from the power of sin in our lives.
Since we have been justified by Christ's blood, accepted in the Beloved, and been made children of God, how much more shall we be saved from the power of sin by means of Christ's own resurrected life within?
How important it is that believers continue to be sanctified by the resurrected life of Christ Jesus our Lord?
And we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and learn of Christ, by depending upon the light of His life within, obeying His commands to love as He loved us, and by keeping His Word so that His love might be perfected in us.
And as we continue to walk through life in the way that Christ walked, we will be growing in spirit, in truth, and in willing submission to His Father in heaven.
To keep Christ's commands is to obediently submit our new-life-in-Him to the leading and guidance of God's indwelling Holy Spirit.
And we can model our lives on the life of Christ Himself, as He obediently submitted His earthly life into the safekeeping of His Father in heaven, for He only said and did those things that He heard from above.
Although the Jewish leaders plotted how they might destroy Him, Mary was a devoted disciple who regularly worshipped at His feet, honoured His presence in her home, and drank deeply from the fountain of life.
The one who worships at the feet of the Lord Jesus in spirit and truth is the one who carries with them some of the fragrant beauty of His person: to those that despise the Lord it is an aroma of death but to those that love Him, it is a fragrance of life.
And may we bring to others the life-giving perfume that comes from Him alone.
But the apostle Peter also makes it clear that our spiritual growth and our progress in the Christian life must be a continuous maturing in grace and an ever-increasing knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Growing in God's grace is not the accumulation of facts and information about the Lord Jesus, but a day by day transformation of our life, as we become increasingly like Him in disposition and character.
Intimately knowing Christ is what the aged Paul sought with every fibre of His being in His final days of life: That I may KNOW Christ. And we are to take hold of the eternal life to which we have been called.
Access to the same grace of God and intimate knowledge of Christ is also what Peter, in the closing days of his life, is urging all who have a saving faith in Christ to strive for earnestly.
We cannot grow in grace apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, for without Him we will remain spiritually stunted in our Christian life.
Behold, the everlasting God Who declared, I AM that I AM, is the author and alpha, the beginning and source of my salvation and He is also the finisher, the omega, the end and the finality of my life.
It is beyond human comprehension that the Lord has become my salvation through the sacrifice of His own life on the cross of Calvary.
Knowing that my salvation is secure in His worthy hands, every facet that touches my life is equally under the protection of His mighty power, for He has become the foundational bedrock upon which my confidence rests and He is the ever-flowing fountain of living strength that infills my heart and overspills into songs of worship and shouts of praise to His wonderful name.
And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
They were to be a reflection of Jesus Who came to give His life a ransom for many - and like the disciples of Christ's day, these principles are equally applicable to all of us who are called by His name.
May we be ready and willing to live a life of service.
And just as the Lord Jesus gave His life a ransom for many, may our lives become a living sacrifice that is holy and acceptable to God for the sake of His Son - our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
He sounds as if he were advancing in years, because John refers to Him as 'Gaius, the Elder' and yet it is likely that this elderly gentleman was brought to faith in Christ through the ministry of John himself, for in addressing him, the apostle writes: I have no greater joy than this – to hear of my children walking in the truth.John makes no secret of his love and respect for this man, whom he admits to love in truth, for it appears that his whole life was dedicated to the Lord, and Gaius must have been a wonderful testimony of a godly man who walked in grace and love, for we read that his soul prospered.
The life of Gaius appears to be that of a mature man of God, who reflected the character of Christ.The world 'soul' and 'life' are used interchangeably in the Word of God, and we discover that this man's spiritual life was fruitful – his soul was flourishing.
He was working the works of God in his life through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
He was carrying out the work that God had prepared for him to do, with a Christian maturity that caused John to acknowledge, your soul prospers, your life is honouring to the Lord.It also sounds as if Gaius had a physical disability or some health problems, for in his initial salutation, John expresses a certain concern by saying, Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
May we behave as he did, no matter what physical problems we may encounter, for although this dearly beloved elder had an obvious disability, he was a worthy example of a godly saint who lived a life that was pleasing to the Lord, and for His greater praise and glory.
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul had already outlined the importance of putting off the old life of an unbeliever and putting on the new life we received, in Christ.
God will never tempt a man to sin, for God hates sin and cannot look upon sin, but God will often use temptation in a man's life to test his faith, patience, and perseverance, and the one that endures the test will glorify God.
We can either resist the temptation in the strength of the Holy Spirit as we walk in spirit and truth, in our new life in Christ OR we can yield to the temptation and allow it to take hold in our hearts and draw us away from truth and virtue.
Although we are eternally saved and in positional union with Christ forever, sin separates us from God, for sin interrupts our fellowship with God, causing us to be separated from all that makes for life and health and peace in our hearts.
It was David who knew this to be true in his own life, and we find him reflecting on the wonder of the Lord as he prayerfully considers the goodness of God and His faithfulness in meeting sinners and teaching them the way of truth: All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth, he writes, His ways lead to gracious love, and He shows His fidelity towards those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
May we seek to be vigilant in prayer, courageously stand firm in the faith, be obedient to God's call on our life, equip ourselves with a knowledge of the truth, and live a life that honours our Father in heaven.
When the call of God is on a life, it does not matter about one's lineage, heritage, qualifications, suitability, skill, or education – God will equip each one for the task He has called them to do.May we be prepared to go in the strength of the Lord, no matter where He leads, knowing that His grace is sufficient for His power is made perfect in weak and obedient vessels that trust in Him.
Such parables were used to teach us important lessons in the Christian life and illustrate Church-age truth and related doctrine.
Christ is the propitiation for our sin, and this passage helps to explain the necessity for Christ to die on the Cross so that He may rise up to life immortal and bring many sons to glory.
Indeed, it is also used to illustrate the fruitfulness of a single Christian life who is prepared to die to self and the old sin-nature and live for Christ, to His honour and glory.
A single grain of wheat has within itself a germ of life which has the capacity to become abundantly fruitful.
There was no other way to redeem a lost world, other than Christ... the one single, perfect Seed in Whom resides life eternal, falling into the earth, alone.
He died in our place by shedding His life blood on the Cross and took the sin of the world upon His shoulders.
In Him was life - life from the dead, and His life was the light of men.
And we, who have been saved by grace though faith in Christ, have within us the life of Christ which can become abundantly fruitful, when our lives resemble His likeness.
He laboured tirelessly and strove unswervingly to spread abroad the gospel of grace that he received directly from the glorified Jesus Christ, knowing that the life of the living and resurrected Lord had been imputed to him and was working mightily in him, putting to death the deeds of the flesh and conforming his new-life-in-Christ into the likeness of his Lord and Saviour.
Paul's life certainly demonstrated one who was filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions, no wonder he penned those poignant words: That I may know Christ and the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.
For when I am weak then I am strong, enabling the Lord to carry out His plans and purposes in my life through His mighty strength (not mine) - for His grace is sufficient.
There is no one whose life is so ruined and heart so broken, that the Lord Jesus cannot have mercy on them and bind-up their wounds and commission them as His vessel, to reach out to others in need of salvation.
He is the eternal Son of God, Who became the perfect Son of Man so that He could give His life as the ransom price for the sin of the whole world - so that WHOSOEVER believes on Him will not perish but have eternal life.
Nevertheless, God in His wisdom caused the many imprisonments Paul endured, and the multiplied attacks that were made on the truth of the glorious gospel of grace to be used for our good, for by it we have the books of Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and other important God-breathed documents that give us clear teaching on our position in Christ, and how to live our life in this Church dispensation.
Let us rightly divide the Word of God, study to show ourselves approved, and seek to live as we have been taught - not only being identified with His death for the forgiveness of sins, but with His new born-again life within.
As with any historian, Luke sets out to use all the available source material and eyewitness accounts of all that the Lord Jesus began to do and to teach during His earthly life.
And so in his narrative to Theophilus, Luke states very clearly that he has carefully investigated everything to do with the life of the Lord Jesus Christ and written it down meticulously and in sequential order.
He started from the very beginning of Christ's earthly life: So that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
Let us hold fast to that which you have, knowing that the Lord Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that in Him we have forgiveness of sins and life everlasting - to His praise and glory.
And although Paul's heart cry throughout his life was: That I may know Him MORE, he proved in every circumstance of life that God's grace was sufficient to meet all his needs, according to His riches in glory, and so Paul was able to confess: I know Whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
Paul had confidence in the faithfulness of Christ to finish the good work that had been started in his own life, knowing that a day is coming when Christ will return for His Church, to complete His good work in us.
We are hooked into a world of the moment and a life of the limited, while God is unfolding His plans and purposes for the benefit of mankind, which He knew in the eternal council chambers of heaven before the creation was spoken into being.
God may not prevent life's problems and pain, but He knows how to rescue the righteous from the evil one and reminds us: The Angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues those that are His.
God still had work for David to do, and whether by his amateur dramatics or by some alternative strategy, David recognised the protecting hand of God upon His life and was prepared to give thanks and praise to the Lord for His wonderful deliverance from his enemies.
David was a man after God's own heart who recognised the sustaining hand of the Lord in his own life and gave honour and praise to Him at all times.
This must have been a shock for Samuel who had lived his entire life in the House of the Lord with Eli and his sons.
He had grown up with the old priest ever since Hannah, his mother, fulfilled her oath to the Lord that she would give her son back to Him all the days of his life, if the Lord would graciously reverse her barrenness and give her the joy of bearing a son.
We see in Samuel a young man who honoured his elders, fulfilled his daily duties, was obedient to Eli's instructions, and attentive to God's call on his life.
O give me Samuel’s mind,A sweet unmurm’ring faith,Obedient and resignedTo Thee in life and death,That I may read with child-like eyesTruths that are hidden from the wise.
And he exhorts us to appropriate all that is ours in Him and to translate this into our everyday life so that we are enabled to greatly rejoice in the God of our salvation - even in the midst of tremendous suffering and pain.
The normal response when things in life are unfair is to retaliate or to try to vindicate ourselves, and yet Peter points out that there is no glory when we are buffeted for our faults.
However, if we suffer for doing the right thing and accept it with grace and patience, God is pleased with us and honoured by our life.
Throughout His life, Christ had learned obedience by the things that He suffered, and so He was able to pray in spirit and truth: Not My will, but Yours, be done.
May we be earnest in prayer so that we will not fall into temptation. May we learn obedience by the things that we go through in life so that we too may be enabled to pray in spirit and truth: Father, not my will, but Yours, be done.
The commission Christ gave His own disciples at His Ascension was not simply a call to evangelise the lost (who certainly need to learn about God's free gift of salvation through Christ so that they can trust Him as Saviour), but it is equally a call for all believers to learn of Christ and to keep on learning of Him throughout their whole life, and even to become teachers of Christ as they grow in their Christian life.
God is eternal and man is finite, and his life-span is but a breath in comparison with God Who was and is and ever shall be, AMEN.
However much we long to be with Him, and irrespective of how much time has passed under the bridge of life, God is not slow in carrying out His plans and purposes.
The good news of salvation and life eternal, is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
The heart of faith enables us to treat as reality those things that are unseen, even when circumstances of life appear to contradict the truth of God's Word.
Although we are also to live by faith, to walk by faith, and to pray in faith throughout our earthly life (the ongoing process of our sanctification) the emphasis of this particular passage is initial salvation (justification).
Her attractiveness was the fruit of righteousness, and a humble heart that trusted the Lord and obeyed His commands.She displayed an inward life which was God-centred.
May we who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus always acknowledge that He is the one and only true God and that His eternal Son was born into the human race to live a perfect life and to die a sacrificial death, so that whosever believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.
Paul knew that the inevitable outcome is an increasing disassociation from the Lord, a distancing of oneself from Christian brethren, and even a quenching of the Holy Spirit in their lives - all of which inhibit spiritual development and result in a backslidden life.
Like many of Paul's instructions, this is not a law that is to be strictly imposed on believers but a general principle that each of us needs to apply to our own life - or to be given as wise, biblical counsel to those who may have become embroiled in an unwise alliance.
And so today as then, men labour for the bread which perishes in preference for the life-given Bread of life which is found only in the Person of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Christ alone is the life-giving spiritual manna from heaven that lasts through time and into eternity, and it is given as a free gift of His grace by faith to ALL who will trust in Him.
When we were saved, we were given a new life - the new life in Christ.
Our old sin nature was replaced by a new Christ-like nature, and Paul tells us in many places to reckon ourselves dead to the old sin nature and alive to the new life in Christ.
How important, therefore, to seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated in heavenly places. How vital to set our mind on things above, for we have died and our life is hidden with Christ in God.
Let us remember that we are being prepared for our heavenly home, and when Christ Who is our life appears, we also will appear with Him in glory.
King Saul exercised the opposite of this vital truth and learned this important lesson through the loss of his kingdom to David, as well as the loss of his life, for Samuel the prophet chastised him with the words: To obey is better than sacrifice and to do what is right is more acceptable to the Lord than to give Him offerings and oblations.
There is much in Scripture that adheres to this truth, for the inner motive of a truly broken heart that recognises its own lack, poverty, insufficiency, and helplessness before the Lord, is of far greater value to the Father that the outward trappings of the life that appears to be so beautiful to the outward eye, but which can so often conceal an unclean motive and hypocritical heart.
Indeed, it is not the sacrificial acts of a man or woman who desires to be pleasing to the Lord that delights His heart, but the one that walks in spirit and truth, the one that dies to the self-life and lives to Christ, the one that looks to Jesus, the one that abides in Christ, the one that can say: Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.
The church at Corinth had become shockingly entangled with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
The mindset of the world today is plied in every area of modern life, and all too easily we can become entrapped into worldly thinking and worldly wisdom.
The Angel of the Lord appears many times in the Old Testament and His unique characteristics identify Him as the Pre-existent Christ Who walked on earth before His incarnation, Who visited men before He was born into the world as the babe of Bethlehem, and Who lived his life as the Man Christ Jesus; the sinless Son of a human mother and eternal Son of the Almighty God.
The man who maintains an unshakable trust in God's Word, in spite of life's circumstances, and when human logic screams the opposite, gives honour and glory to our Father in heaven, and will prove to be praiseworthy and honourable when the Lord Jesus Christ returns.
Abraham believed God when He told him that through Isaac His redemptive plan would be fulfilled, and the old man's faith had become so secure that he believed, without question, that God would raise Isaac back to life.
We stand in awe as we contemplate that it pleased the Lord to bruise Him, for by the suffering and death of his beloved Son and His resurrection to life ALL who would believe on His name would be redeemed.
David's desire was that his life would bring honour to the Lord and not shame.
Although not listed as a messianic psalm, there are certain verses that are highly evocative of Christ's suffering and pain, with particular parts being reminiscent of His rejection and grief, with others that demonstrate Christ's unsurpassed zeal for the Lord - events in this psalm that are clearly identifiable characteristics seen in Christ's earthly life.
The same all-engrossing fervour that David had for the house of God, is clearly exhibited in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ Who, on two occasions, zealously cleansed the Temple - once at the start of His ministry and once during the days immediately before He walked to the Cross.
It is not what we know intellectually that returns us into fellowship with the Father, but simply trusting in His Son for the forgiveness of sins and abundant, everlasting life.
He is Jesus; the Word made flesh and God incarnate Who came to earth as the Sacrifice for sin and to give His life so that by faith in Him, we too might live.
This does not mean that we will be saved from all the difficulties and dangers of life... indeed the Lord Jesus Himself told us that in this world we would have trials and tribulation but He has overcome the world and we have also been promised that His grace is sufficient and that He will be with us in every problem and pain we may face in life..
But it is also God who instils a deep hunger in the heart of the Christian and so, like Paul, they reach a point in their lives when they too cry out: That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. And the one who has been saved by grace through faith begins to learn that salvation is not only that exciting point of rebirth into the family of God, but is also a long and often difficult journey through life, where faith is tried and tested and God is proved to be faithful once again.
They discover that this life is a day by day journey, where sweet fellowship with the Father can be realised, and the lovely Lord Jesus becomes more real to them and so much more precious than on the day they first believed.
Christ alone is the living water of life and those who know Him discover Him to be a well of refreshing water, that springs up into everlasting life.
God's will for all His children is that we rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and in all things to give thanks to Him, even during the inevitable difficulties of life that we all have to face, and in the midst of the various trials that are the portion of all humanity.
The trial that comes our way is not a stick of punishment from an angry God for our misdemeanours, but the corrective, chastening rod of our loving Heavenly Father Who loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to pay the price for our sin so that by believing in Him, we might receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
In like manner, the faith of a Christian needs to be pure, unblemished, and perfect, and the trials of life are designed to purify our hearts, increase our dependence upon the Lord Jesus, deepen our love for our Saviour, enrich our spiritual lives, strengthen our hope in His many precious promises, and increase our faith in the Word of God.
And so we are called to live in spirit and truth with our Christian brethren, to walk in holiness all the days of our life, and to live godly in Christ Jesus.
Jude also shows an understanding of the devil's tactics to shipwreck the faith of Christians, through legalism, apostate teaching, worldly carnality, false religiosity, or a 'works-related' Christian life.
Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life.
Jude's challenge continues in verse 21 with the command to: Keep yourselves in the love of God and eagerly await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
We are to be covered completely in Christ's own perfect righteousness and peace, and as we live for His glory and wait in hope and expectancy for His soon return; Whom to know is life eternal.
But God in His grace, purposed in His heart to redeem His fallen creation (through the Person of Jesus Christ), to breathe His eternal life back into His New Creation in Christ (through faith in His sacrificial work on Calvary and glorious Resurrection), to reinstate His own image and likeness into the heart of man (reflecting the glory of the Lord by being transformed into His image, from glory to glory).
But no companion is so cherished and no individual so dependable, as the precious Saviour of our soul, Jesus Christ, Who loves us with an everlasting love and gave His life so that we might live.
Man may try to manipulate the mind and control the thought, but nothing can prevent the child of God communing in his heart with his Heavenly Lord, for such communion remains impenetrable to the last breath of our mortal life.
Hiding the Word in our hearts is the most powerful antidote against sin, the world, the flesh, and the devil, and is the greatest influence to live a holy and perfect life.
The urgency of this message becomes increasingly intense as Paul's life draws to a close, and none more so than in this final letter to Timothy, his beloved 'son in the faith'.
Jesus condensed this down into a simple, universally agreed concept 1) love for God and 2) love for one's neighbour - and although these commands were specifically given to Israel as part of God's covenant with His chosen people, there is much that is supremely relevant to the Christian Church today and much that lines up with the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which was given to the Church today, and we do well to examine them closely.
Every commandment, with the exception of the command relating to the Sabbath day, were instructions given to the Church in the New Testament epistles in connection with living a holy and godly Christian life in Christ Jesus which is honouring to the Lord.
The pre-Cross Law of Moses given to Israel and the post Cross 'law of life', given to the Church, tells believers how to remain in fellowship with the Lord and lays bare overt and covert sin, in the lives of redeemed people.
Man was made in the image and likeness of God and the wilful taking of a man's life, or as Christ pointed out, an attitude of hatred in one's own heart for another person is a sin and considered by God as murder.
The Word of God teaches us to have deep respect for human life and behind this important command is God's programme for the preservation of society - for every member of the human race is imputed with a sin nature.
The Bible makes it clear, in both Old and New Testaments, that the taking of another person's life through murder is unacceptable to the Lord - and that the blood of the murdered one cries out to the Lord and so we read in the Decalogue and also in the epistles: Thou shalt not kill - You shall not commit murder - Do not slay another person.
We have moved from death to life, from condemnation to acceptance in the beloved Son of God.
And we became part of that new creation in Him the moment we believe in the only begotten Son of God, for by His death He gave us life - new-life - His resurrected life - His eternal life.
Self-importance, self-sufficiency, self-reliance, self-esteem, and a self-inflated ego are what the world sees as important, but in truth, our life should be one of God-importance, God-sufficiency, God-reliance, God-esteem, and a gentle spirit of humility and grace.
The kingdom of God is that heavenly sphere of life where His children are willingly governed by the Holy Spirit in which righteousness reigns - and it refers to the Body of Christ, the Church of the Lord Jesus.
Righteousness outlines our relationship with God, for having been forgiven of our sins, we have been placed into right relationship with Him and it behoves us to live righteously before Him all the days of our life.
And He has promised to uphold us with His righteous right hand, all the days of our life.
Jesus came to shepherd His people Israel, and is universally identified as the Good Shepherd, Who gives His life for the sheep.
God is a generous Giver of all that is good and perfect in this life - and in the world to come, His gifts of grace are eternal and His generosity is never-ending and beyond our comprehension.
He was born to die as the sacrifice for sin so that by faith in HIM they could be saved from the penalty of sin and receive life eternal.
Wise men had sought Him at His birth and Greeks asked to see Him as He faced the most challenging time of His life - death on the Cross.
Praise God that HE loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have life everlasting.
David, the shepherd king of Israel, was described as a mighty and virtuous man, a man of battle, intelligent in word – and Jehovah was with him.Ruth, the grandmother of David, was known as a virtuous woman in Bethlehem, and the good seed in the parable of the sower, is identified as one who, having heard the Word of God, holds fast to it in a just, noble, and virtuous manner, having a worthy heart that brings forth much fruit to the glory of God.Perhaps the best known passage that outlines the exemplary life in virtuous living, is the woman described in Proverbs 31, where a vast array of noble, godly, gracious, and wise attributes are listed.She is a woman of faith, who serves God with her whole heart, mind, soul, and strength.
When a woman's own children recognise their mother's outstanding virtue and tell her so, or when a husband praises his wife and rejoices that she is his God-given help-meet, there is much joy that ensues.When a man or woman of God dies to self, lives for Christ, and conducts their public and private life with a gentle and caring spirit, they not only command the love and respect of their children and spouse and the admiration of their friends and neighbours, but also bring glory to their Father in heaven.May we seek to engage in the godly virtues that are laid out for our learning in Scripture, for the benefit of all and for the glory of God.
He was raised from the dead into newness of life so that we could also receive His eternal, resurrected life, as a gift of God's grace.
Once justified we must recognise that the old life in Adam is past and must remain nailed to the Cross, while the new, born-again life in Christ is to mature in the faith, to grow in grace, and to walk in spirit and truth.
God in His grace gave His only begotten Son to die a cruel death as the purchase price for the sin of the world, and that ALONE is the criteria for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Let us never forget that like Israel, the challenges we face in life are important opportunities for our faith in God to grow, and for God to receive all the glory and honour due to His name.
The beautiful fruit of the Spirit comes out from the Holy Spirit and is perfected by Him, and each facet is a jewel that beautifies the life of a believer.
Life often takes us through the weary place and the parched wilderness on this journey through life, where only God can provide the comfort and sustenance we desperately need.
He sought the Lord early in life and at the break of each day he yearned for the Lord with childlike simplicity.
He is the One to Whom I must fly in all circumstances of life, and in every season of my earthly wanderings He is the one Who comforts and succours.
Let us seek Him early and pursue Him earnestly because His loving-kindness is better than life itself.
Although this proverb is applicable to every category of humankind, and if used in the corridors of power, the interactions of everyday life, or the privacy of our own homes would impact our local community and the wider world for good.
Verse 4 suggests: A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perverse speech, crushes the spirit.
While there are always those who try to evade the work of the Lord in their life, it must have been a great encouragement to see the high priest and others from the priestly line of Levi and Aaron getting to work alongside their fellow Israelites, and not pleading exemption from this important work.
He wanted to rejoice in the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, by faith in Christ.But the Body of Christ had been slowly and stealthily infiltrated by certain vulgar individuals who were denying the efficacy of the blood of Christ, and adversely influencing the faith of others.And so Jude wanted to remind his fellow believers of the fate of those people who deny the truth of the gospel and blaspheme the name of the Lord, with their satanically inspired lies.He reminded them of the terrible fate of corrupt cities in the time of Abraham.
The safest way to earnestly contend for the faith is to read, mark, learn, inwardly digest, and earnestly apply the Word of God in every area of life – as led by the Holy Spirit of His dear Son.
Unless we are vigilant in our spiritual life, we can find ourselves walking in the counsel of the ungodly, standing in the way of sinners, and drinking from the broken cisterns of the world.
Christ is the eternal God Who chose to come to earth and be clothed in human flesh, living His life just like we live - and yet He was not born with a sin nature as we are, for He was conceived of the Holy Ghost - and Christ lived a perfect life during His 33 years sojourn on earth.
of His birth into the human race; His perfect life; His sacrificial death and His glorious resurrection from the dead - and it was the eternal Spirit Who empowered the Lord Jesus throughout His earthly life - for the eternal Son of God set aside His glory in order to become the perfect Son of Man, by submitting to the Father - our precious kinsman-Redeemer, Who lived and died in our stead.
we see Jesus living His life as God intended man to live, in humble submission and complete obedience to His Father in heaven..
Time and again, He rehearsed the need for sinners to acknowledge their fallen state, to recognise their need for salvation, and to turn from their sin and look to Him Who alone has the words of eternal life.
This verse is further biblical clarification that eternal life is found only in Christ Jesus, for He is the eternal Son of God and perfect Son of Man.
Men search in many places to discover eternal life outside of Christ, but it is not found in good works, denominational membership, philosophic teachings, scientific discovery, religious leanings, educational qualifications, legalistic practices, genetic modification, or any of men's other attempts to attain perfection and everlasting life outside of God's declared way.
Simply stated: He who has the Son has the life, and he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
Sinners who believe in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ as their sin-substitute have the resurrected life of Christ within, and nothing can alter their eternal destiny.
Their salvation is by grace through faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross, and forgiveness of sins and eternal life are two of many heavenly benefits that every sinner receives by grace through faith in the only begotten Son of God.
God Himself is witness to the world that he who has the Son has the life and he who does not have the Son of God does not have eternal life, for eternal life is in the Son.
Those who believe God's witness of Christ, have His resurrected life within, but those who have rejected God's witness are already condemned themselves, because they have not believed in the only begotten Son of God.
But accompanying this devastating knowledge is a glorious truth: that the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Every person who has accepted the free gift of salvation through the shed blood of Christ has peace with God from the moment of salvation and continuing for the whole of their life.
However, the peace of God is a state that can change throughout a believer's life.
How wonderful that we can have both peace with God and the peace of God as we walk through this life that can be full of strife, discord, and unrest.
Love is the peak and pinnacle of a life that is hid with Christ in God: And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.
But it also lays the groundwork of understanding God's love for us and His grace towards us: That God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
It is also designed to bring us to an understanding that without Christ we can do nothing, but in Him we can do all things, including to love as Christ loved us by allowing Him to live and work through us so that as His love shines through our life, He would be glorified through it.
No one but God can give life and health and the Jewish leaders knew about Christ's Messianic claims, but could not bring themselves to see the truth.
But Jesus continued, Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
Jesus not only healed on the Sabbath, forgave sin, and called God His Father, but He also had the confidence, or audacity, to tell them that He had the words of eternal life within Himself!
He is the Truth, and He is Lord of Life.
Jesus is fully God and fully man, but He chose to set aside His heavenly glory and come to earth in the form of a man, and live the perfect life the Father wants ALL His people to live - a life totally dependent on HIM, a life that listens to His voice, a life that obeys His voice, a life that is walking in spirit and truth, a life that dies to self and lives for Him, a life that is willing to say not my will but Thine be done, so the Father may be revealed.
No one but God could construct something so beautiful, so eternal, so life-giving and so simple.
It was the Spirit of God Who breathed life into the lifeless form of Adam in the Old Creation, after the Lord had formed and fashioned him from the dust of the earth, in His own image and likeness.
And it is the same Holy Spirit of God, Who breathes the breath of NEW life into the lifeless spirit of a fallen man at redemption.
At salvation, the soul that is dead in trespasses and sin, receives Christ's new, resurrected, eternal life, and the born-again child of God becomes part of His New-Creation-In Christ!
The NEW Life that Jesus promised to the narrow-minded religionists of His day, through faith in His name, is the eternal life that the Father gave to the Son, when He raised Him from the dead, to enable Him to give newness of Life to whomsoever He chooses - to those who believe on His name for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
What an opportunity those foolish Pharisees missed, when they refused to listen to the truth and believe on the Son, Whom the Father raised from the dead - for in the Son are the words of eternal life and He gives life to whomsoever He wishes.
Man was without hope in the world, walking according to the ways of this world and under the power of Satan - the prince of the power of the air whose influence permeates every aspect of life around us.
Their whole philosophy of life is in rebellion against God, for, like Cain, they have freely chosen to reject the Word of Truth and to remain under Satan's authority and enslaved by their old, fallen sinful nature which can never please the Lord.
The combination of a godly man or woman with a contented heart, is of far greater value than all the money, material possessions, power, and prestige in the world.Godliness, combined with an inner contentment which is rooted in the sufficiency of Christ to provide all that is needed, according to His riches in glory, surpasses anything that this world can provide.May we recognise that godliness with contentment is, indeed, a great gain and ensure that we stand on this truth 'til our life's end.
It is good to be watchmen on the wall who warn the ungodly about the coming wrath of God - which Scripture calls 'the Time of Jacob's Trouble'. Let us seek discernment from the Lord, knowing that He has revealed to us all we need for life and godliness in His written Word, for the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants, the prophets.
As the second Member of the triune Godhead, the eternal Son has life in Himself and that life is the true light of men.
Only those who have been born from above, by faith in Christ's redeeming work, are given the light of His life as an eternal possession and are brought into the radiance of His unconditional love.
We however are God's adoptive children, because we have received the light of life in our hearts and trusted the Lord Jesus as Saviour.
If we can consider the obstacles of life to be opportunities that mature our faith and produce in us patient endurance, we will come to understand that God is using the trials of life to benefit our Christian character, and to help us grow more like the Lord Jesus.
When trouble comes our way, let us consider it an opportunity for great joy, knowing that when our faith is tested, our patient endurance has a chance to grow and our life will glorify our Father, Who is in heaven.
Don't be worried about the things connected to your life is Christ's clear command.
God in His grace invites us to live a life that is free from worry and devoid of anxieties by seeking first the kingdom of God and the righteousness with which we are clothed, when we trust in Him for salvation.
BUT He also knows that we have daily needs, and has given many precious promises throughout Scripture that He will be the Provider for all the needs and the Supplier of all the necessities of life – if we will but trust in Him.
Jesus warned them not to work for the bodily food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life which He alone could give them.
It was not being fed on bread and fish that these lost souls needed, but feeding on the Bread of Life from heaven; feeding on Christ, the Son of Man, in Whom is life eternal.
They clamoured for physical food but refused to acknowledge the astonishing truth He revealed to them: I Am the Bread of Life, He said: I am the Bread that you are seeking.
He did not say he HAD the bread of life but He WAS the Bread of Life.
In Him was eternal life and the one who comes to Him will never hunger nor thirst.
Christ could satisfy their spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst because He is the Living Water and the Bread of Life from heaven, and these people missed it.
This was the first of seven claims Jesus made about being the Bread of Life from heaven.
He becomes our living nourishment, day by day, strengthening and sustaining us, in and through His everlasting, life-giving power.
Not only does Christ give us each day our daily bread, but He also imparts to us His life-giving Spirit, which is life everlasting.
This was the first of seven titles that Christ used about Himself that started with the words: I AM... I AM the Bread of Life which will satisfy and sustain you through time and into eternity.
The Lord Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Jesus is the centre and circumference of life.
And all who feast upon the Lord are promised the eternal benefits of this life-sustaining heavenly Manna; that true Bread Who satisfies the hungry heart with all good things.
Every word uttered by our dear Lord Jesus is spirit and life to all who come to Him as Saviour.
All those who feed on Christ will live forever, for Jesus said to those who followed Him: Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
May we daily feed on the Bread of Life, by faith with thanksgiving as we journey through life, for He alone is our life-sustainer for in Him are the words of eternal life.
Throughout his life, Jeremiah was faithful in delivering the Word of the Lord to the errant people of Israel, despite his message being rejected by the masses and derided by the king.
We are not to become discouraged if our life appears mundane or our ministry seems unfruitful.
The apostle knew these spiritual qualities can only be exhibited in a life that is persevering in the faith, walking in spirit and truth, and working the works of God through the sufficient grace and supernatural power which He supplies.
It is the denial of our self-life with a deep desire to do only that which honours the Lord.
Little did this widow-woman realise the joy that lay ahead when she said goodbye to her former life and kinsfolk, and set out on the long trek to Bethlehem with Naomi.
Her life belonged to Him from that moment.
There were no coincidences in the life of Ruth and Naomi and there are none in our own lives.
Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.There is only one way to be saved, and God Himself proclaimed this to the nations: I have sworn by Myself, was His sovereign challenge, the Word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back – that to Me every knee will bow, and every tongue will swear allegiance.God in His grace, extended His hand of salvation to the Gentiles, if they would turn away from their idols of wood and stone, and trust in the Lord for the forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation.That same gracious hand of reconciliation continues to be extended today, to whosoever will hear, answer, and believe in the One Who paid the price for the sin of the world – the shed blood of a perfect sacrifice – Jesus Christ the righteous.In the light of New Testament revelation, we know: At the name of Jesus every knee will bow, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.The message of salvation is one of hope and blessing to those that believe, and one of condemnation and eternal separation from God for those that refuse to confess His name.May we be ready and willing to go into the world, whether at home or abroad, and tell the good news of salvation to the lost – to Jew and Gentile alike: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The journey of life is not a stroll through a rose garden of delight, but a long-distance race that requires determination and effort - as we rest our confidence in Christ, trust in His sufficiency, and appropriate all that is ours in Him.
As we journey through life, we should engage in godly living and a heavenly walk.
Although we will never be perfected in spirit, soul, and body, until we leave this earthly life behind, we are instructed to become mature believers and are expected to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.
For centuries, the normal Christian life has been that of suffering, pain, persecution, and death... and for many generations, Christians have sacrificed much for the sake of the gospel.
However, for the last century or so, the west has been living an abnormal Christian life with little real suffering and not much pain - but the tide of hatred towards Christians is turning... and the normal Christian life of suffering, self-sacrifice, persecution, and martyrdom, is already evident in certain countries and has been for some considerable time.
As Christians, we are children of God, fellow-heirs with Christ, citizens of heaven, and God's ambassadors in a foreign land, and yet too often we set our hopes on things of this world when life begins to spiral out of control.
But as time passed and complacency took root, Israel's life of ease began to be threatened and King Asa sought the help of man rather than maintaining his trust in the Lord.
But He is also our life, for we have been made a new creation in Christ and have the additional privilege of being positioned in Him by grace through faith, and are seated together with Him in heavenly places.
Unlike Israel, we all have the indwelling holy Spirit of God Who is working in us to will and to do His good purpose in our lives - as through life's trials and tribulations, He is conforming us into the image and likeness of Christ.
When we start to trust in anything other than the Lord Jesus, we are looking to the wrong source of supply and allowing the old sin nature to govern our lives, rather than the new life in Christ which we received at salvation.
He is our refuge from the storms of life and our shelter in the midst of oppression, and we are called to be still and to know that He is God, for His purposes will never fail and He will be glorified throughout the whole earth.
We are to know in our heart, by faith with thanksgiving, that He is the Lord our God Who pardons all our iniquities and heals all our diseases, Who redeems our life from the pit, and Who crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion.
May we be still in His presence, cease from all our strivings, and be at peace in His company Whom to know is life eternal.
As we journey through life we should earnestly seek to develop these behaviours and attitudes, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
He gave us a free-will to make wise choices in life.
We are made a new creation in Christ and given life-eternal when we are born from above - and it is given once, for all, by grace through faith in Him.
While there is no threat to a believer's eternal security or suggestion of loss of salvation in any of the five warnings, we are warned of severe chastening from our Heavenly Father in this life and the loss of reward in the next.
He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed.Jesus pronounced the fulfilment of this ancient prophecy from Isaiah, and the people there wondered at the gracious words that fell from His lips, yet they sought to slay Him for they could not accept the truth – but He passed through their midst, for His time had not yet arrived.Although Jesus was rejected in His hometown of Nazareth and an attempt was made to kill Him, He fulfilled this and many more astounding ancient prophecies, over the course of His life.The Spirit of God was indeed upon Him, for He submitted to the leading of the Spirit throughout His life, spoke only those things He heard from the Father, carried out His Father's will, and fulfilled every prophecy relating to His first advent.He did preach the good news of salvation to the poor, proclaiming freedom from sin, Satan, death, and hell – by faith in Him.
He raised the dead, turned water into wine, fed multitudes of men and freed those who were oppressed through the good news that He came to bring – and He gave His life as the ransom price for the sin of the world on a wooden cross, two thousand years ago.
Jesus is our great High Priest and the one we acknowledge by faith as our God and Saviour, and we are to pay attention to His life and His behaviour - for He was faithful to His Heavenly Father Who appointed Him to be our Kinsman-Redeemer.
He brought every member of His Body out of bondage to sin, and each one is identified with His death and His resurrected life.
Like Moses, Christ was faithful in all that God called Him to do... indeed, He is worthy of all honour, and glory, and worship, and praise... both in this life and in the ages to come.
Justification is an act of God in the life of a man or woman who believes in Him and trusts His Word.
In this Church age, we are called to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
Jesus said, THIS is eternal life, that you believe on GOD and on HIM Whom He has sent.
We are all one in Him and have been commissioned to be ministers of reconciliation who share the good news that Christ died for our sin, was buried, and rose again the third day - and all who believe on Him will not perish but have everlasting life - and it is all by faith.
They were teaching the true gospel out of jealousy and resentment of God's unique calling upon Paul's life.
But Paul rejoiced in his circumstances, for he recognised the hand of God in every situation of his life and rejoiced that the gospel was continuing to be spread abroad, despite his incarceration in a Roman jail.
We who trust in His redeeming blood for salvation have been promised eternal life, a heavenly home, and joy for evermore according to the riches of His grace.
Indeed, their apparent successes in life are but a flash in the pan of eternity, for they are like the grass which will soon be nothing more than a fleeting shadow.
The believer is called upon to delight in the things of God, for those are the qualities of life that have everlasting joy, eternal purpose, and heavenly rewards.
Words of worship that flow from a proud, rebellious, or unrepentant heart, are like an open sewer to the Lord, but worshipful words that flow from a life that is pure in thought and motive, word and deed, ascend to the Father as a sweet perfume.
David not only understood the need for an inner cleansing and purity on a day by day basis, where God Himself governs and sanctifies the thoughts of the heart and the words of the mouth, but he had come to an understanding that the Lord Jesus - the coming Messiah - the divine days-man of Job - and the coming Seed of the woman, was the strength of his life and the only Kinsman-Redeemer for his soul.
Christ’s triumphant victory over sin, death, Satan, and hell, becomes our triumphant victory too, and the filthy rags of our old life in Adam are replaced with the glorious garment of righteousness which are imputed to us because of our new life in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
And so, just as one offence resulted in condemnation for all men, so one glorious act of righteousness results in justification and life for all, for all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This enables us to grow in grace, mature in our Christian life, and rejoice in the established hope we have in Jesus.
Not only do the glories of our justification result in peace with God, a firm standing in God's grace, and a rejoicing hope in Him, but we can allow His peace to reign in our hearts so that we can even exult in our tribulations, knowing the trials of life and the difficulties we endure bring about perseverance which develops strength of character and a solid hope in the Lord.
We have been given all we need for life and godliness, not only in the calm waters of life, but when the tempestuous storm is raging in our face and the mighty waves of doubt and fear are battering at the door.
Man's natural desire in life is to live in ease and to avoid life's problems and pain, but Scripture reminds us that only those who face the distresses of life through His sufficient grace, develop the patient endurance and proven character that is so acceptable to the Lord, which in turn results in a mature faith and a hope that is firmly established in Him.
Paul knew that legalism enslaves a life, alienates a believer from Christ, and closes access to the truth.
It causes them to fall from grace and places them back under the law of sin and death, rather than living in the freedom of 'the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus'.
May we never forget that living in the power of the Spirit and walking in spirit and truth is a life of liberty in the Lord.
It empowers every man and woman of God to live a victorious life that honours the Lord Jesus and glorifies our Father in heaven.
We learn about his home life, family situation, and business assets.
The Lord allows this and gives Job into Satan's power to do his worst, but God forbids Satan from taking Job's life.
The satanic trials he faced would become a test of Job's faithfulness, and we are given an in-depth, birds-eye view, of the many terrible things that devastated his life - yet Job remained ignorant of the war being fought in heavenly places.
He strokes our fallen egos by making us think that life is treating us unfairly.
We are called to trust Him in EVERY difficulty of life and hold fast to His promises, even when we do not understand.
The love about which the Bible speaks, is different from every other type of human love, and is uniquely imparted to the child of God from the indwelling Spirit of truth and love.The Lord Jesus laid down His life for His friends... and for His enemies.
He sacrificed His life for us and we are instructed to do the same for others.
It is reasonably simple to say, 'I love you' to other people, but the test of genuine love is expressed in deed and in truth.It is not simply expressing affection through what we say, but through the giving up of ourselves for the service of others, no matter what the cost in time, money, reputation – and even life itself.It is a 'dying to self' and a 'living for Christ' which is manifest in works of righteousness for the benefit of others – and to the greater glory of God.
The former is an insincere and artificial affection, while the latter is a genuine godly love that is manifest in a life that cares for the concerns of others before one’s own needs or wishes.Make no mistake – to love in deed and in truth is not something that we can do for ourselves, however hard we try!
To love in deed and in truth is a supernatural love that comes directly from God, Himself, and can only be manifested in the life of a born-again believer who is walking in spirit and truth.Loving in spirit, in word, in deed, and in truth is evidenced in the life of one who has died to the self-life, abides in Christ, and is able to say with the apostle Paul, It is not I that live my life, but Christ, Whose life is in me and living through me.
We are so familiar with the glorious Resurrection of the Lord Jesus, through which we who believe have received His resurrected life, that we often lose the poignancy of the event.
They had not understood that a grain of wheat had to fall into the ground and die, if it is to give life to many other grains of wheat.
The bitter trial they underwent was momentary but the recompense they received was eternal life, as it is for all who trust in His sacrificial work and glorious Resurrection.
At redemption we were positionally sanctified and set apart for Him, but throughout our life on earth we are in a process of being sanctified, for He who started a good work in us has promised to complete it in the day of Christ Jesus.
The whole sanctification process from initial salvation to final glorification, is to transform us into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ Who loved the Church so much that He gave His life for us.
Throughout our life as we hear and meditate on the Word of God, we are being refined and beautified through its purifying properties.
We were buried with Him and raised with Him into newness of life at His Resurrection.
How important to remember that the old 'me' is dead and that I have been 'born from above' into spiritual union with Christ, and my new life is hidden with Christ in God.
How wonderful to realise that Christ is now my life and that in Him I live and move and have my being.
However, the day is coming when Christ, Who is our life, will be revealed and we shall truly see Him as He is and we shall know Him as He is.
And on that wonderful day Christ, Who is our life, will be reveal, and then we also will be revealed with Him, in glory.
God knows that those that trust Him and believe His Word are truly rich – for the outcome of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is forgiveness of sins, peace with God, a new life in Christ, the indwelling Comforter, joint-heirship in Christ's coming kingdom, and a glorious and eternal heavenly home, among a multitude of wonderful blessings that are showered on all who are rich in faith by trusting His Word.
Not only are there external difficulties and dangers to face in life's journey, but also there are internal failings and weaknesses that lurk deep within our soul which can cause us to walk away from our 'First Love', but God's Word provides a sure foundation upon which to stand in a darkened world that is falling apart.
His Word not only brightens our pathway, guards us on our journey through life, and warns us of each lurking danger, but it is a treasure-trove of precious gemstones to be hidden deep within our heart, for it contains words of wisdom to guide our thinking, precious promises to encourage our hearts, godly instruction on how to live as the Lord desires us to live, and it is the perfect pattern for Christian living as well as the qualified adjudicator of our daily conduct.
They were never born again and could not receive the light of life, because they believed a fake gospel which preaches a counterfeit Christ from an apostate teacher.
I AM the Good Shepherd; I AM the True Vine; I AM the Living WATER; I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life; and Before Abraham was - I AM.
He claimed to be the Resurrection and the Life and manifested His authority over life, death, disease, nature, and the very demons of hell.
Jesus declared that He was One with the Father and challenged His followers to believe in Him: For in ME are the words of eternal life, He claimed.
Although He was fully God, the Lord Jesus lived His life demonstrating to humanity how God wants every spiritual man to live - indwelt, led, and guided by the Holy Spirit of God while at the same time abiding in unbroken fellowship with our Father in heaven - every moment of the day.
They failed to recognise and accept that Jesus is the visible representation of the invisible God - the Word made flesh Whose very life was a beautiful reflection of His Father in heaven.
He had already shown them the Father in His own life, but they failed to believe His promises, trust His word, and understand His teachings.
The vain, meaninglessness of life without God and the vital importance of having the Lord in our lives, is summed up at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes: We are to fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.
There is so much that can be learned from the preacher who wrote Ecclesiastes for he spent the best years of his life pursuing every kind of meaningful activity the world offers and indulging in every sort of self-gratifying pleasure.
However, his final analysis is that life without God is meaningless - life without God is nothing but vanity.
He participated in every pleasure and attempted many beneficial assignments in order to discover the purpose of life.
Life is fruitless and unprofitable without the Lord.
He did recognise the sense in making the best out of life, whether we live in poverty or in affluence... and he emphasised the brevity of this life and discussed the prudence of enjoying the gifts and graces that God has placed in each of our lives in preference to bemoaning the things that we do not have.
During his various exploits to discover the meaning of life and the purpose for living, his overriding conclusion was that without God, life is meaningless - however, he certainly discovered some important lessons from which we too can profit.
Let us seek to eschew all evil and live godly lives during our time on earth, and let us endeavour to reverence our Heavenly Father and ensure that every moment of our life is consecrated to the Lord, for His praise and glory.
Peter used the Hebrew Scriptures to attest to the truth that Jesus is God's Messiah and cited His glorious Resurrection as biblical proof, for it was impossible for Christ to be held captive by death, because death is inconsistent with deity, for within Himself is life-eternal.
Not only were the apostles among the many eye-witnesses of the resurrected Christ during those 40 days between His Resurrection and Ascension, but the crowds in Jerusalem who were listening to the blistering truth from Peter's discourse that day, had themselves been spectators to all that had transpired on that momentous Feast of Passover, only fifty days before when the sky turned black for three hours and the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom - giving all who will believe on Him forgiveness of sin, life everlasting, and access to the heavenly throne of grace.
Let us similarly tell all in our sphere of life: This same Jesus Who died on the Cross to pay the price for our sins, was raised up again by God, to which we too are witnesses, for we who were once dead in our sins have been made alive in Jesus Christ our Lord.
And the day is fast approaching when this mortal will put on immortal and this corruption will put in incorruption, for we are ONE with Christ and accepted in HIM, and through Him we have life eternal.
But what a shocking silence must have descended on each person when Jesus stunned them with the words: Even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Christ's life was the exemplary witness to the truth of these words.
The One before Whom all creation will one day bow in humble adoration, came to be Servant to all, and His final act of service to the children of men, was to become the pivotal point in the history of the universe, when He gave His life as a ransom for many.
But there were other sheep in different sheep-folds for the Good Shepherd to care for, and so the Father also GAVE the same unique Son of His love because He loved the world so much that whosoever would believe on His name, would not perish and be condemned, but have everlasting life and be forever free from God's condemnation.
But this little group of Jews were to be guided out of the sheep-fold of Israel to join the other sheep under the care of that great Shepherd of the sheep – for this Good Shepherd gave His life for all His sheep.
And although the gifts and calling are without repentance and the lost sheep of the house of Israel will one day be settled in the earthly Jerusalem enjoying the fruit of the land, His heavenly flock will reside in the heavenly kingdom, eating the fruit of the tree of life.
He gave us new life and made us alive, through faith in Christ.
And it is by virtue of His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection that we too have been imputed with His resurrected life and clothed in the righteousness of Christ forever: It is by grace we are saved not of works, lest anyone should boast.
2 Peter 2:22 is the final verse in a section that describes the devastation that occurs in the life of an unbeliever who escapes the pollution of the world when they come to an intellectual knowledge of the Lord Jesus through an apostate teacher, but are not brought to saving faith in Him because they are taught a counterfeit Christ and a fake gospel.
However, we must never become complacent in our Christian life and should heed the many warnings throughout Scripture to beware of false teachers, to study to show ourselves approved, to trust in the Lord and obey His Word, and do only those things that honour His holy name.
Life had become increasingly easy, and a large number of their fellow Jews preferred the fleshpots of pagan society with which they had become accustomed, rather than the prospect of hard work in the land of Israel.
From start to finish, the life and times of Israel becomes an illustration to Christians of certain principles and practices to avoid and reject, and others to adopt and implement.
During Christ's absence from the earth, those who believe on His name have been entrusted with a life-work that proclaims the gospel of grace to a lost world, so that men, who are dead in their sin and estranged from God, may know the truth, be saved by grace through faith in Christ and find peace with God.
Our initial salvation brings peace WITH God but during our walk of faith through the journey of life, we can enjoy the peace OF God - God's continuous, divine peace in our hearts, Let not your heart be troubled, Jesus told his confused disciples just before He was to walk to the cross, Let not your heart be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in Me.
Jesus became High Priest based on the power of an indestructible life.
Jesus, the God-Man, became the Mediator of a New and better Covenant because He gave His life as the ransom price for the sin of the world and was raised to life – based on the power of an inextinguishable life.Jesus was fully God and fully Man.
But as GOD – as the immortal, eternal, deathless Son of the most High God, He rose from the dead – based on the supernatural POWER of His indestructible life.
But the gospel does not end at the Cross, for Christ rose from the dead so that all who have faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection will also rise from the dead into newness of life.
It is through faith in His redemptive work that we are given a new life, a deathless life, an eternal life, which begins the moment we are saved by grace through faith in Christ - and that life reaches into the eternal ages that are to come.
Jesus was the First-fruit of all who will one day rise from the dead into newness of life... and He had to present Himself to the Father in heaven before anyone else could partake of Him.
Jesus had come to offer His life as a purchase price for the sin of the whole world - to give His life willingly as a ransom for many.
but as the eternal Son of God in Whom is life - I will rise from the dead.
Christ's life and His death had a purpose..
May we take our eyes off the things of this world and set our minds on things above and not on things below - for we have died together with Him and our life is hid with Christ in God - our eternal Creator and glorious Saviour.
Jesus was made perfect, and having been made perfect He became the source of eternal life to all who believe on His name.
And so He laid aside His glory and lived His life as God expects all men to live - in total obedience to the guidance of God, not relying on Himself but learning obedience through the things that he experienced in His manhood.
It was through His incarnation, obedient life, humiliation, and suffering, that He was made perfect.
As the people of God, we too can be beset with evil, pain, disasters, and distresses in life, but we know that our God is a faithful God who is full of loving-kindness towards us.
Praise God that sin shall not have dominion over us, and our Saviour has already broken the power of sin and death in our life.
The LORD is the defence of my life; Whom shall I dread?
In this verse, David expresses an assurance that nothing can extinguish as he joyfully acknowledges the light of life that surrounds him.
He is the stronghold of our life.
David's proclamation should be the hymn that fills the lips of all the saints of God for the Lord Jesus is the light of the world and in Him is life eternal, as well as safety and strength, purity and peace.
He is not only our light and salvation, but He is our light and life, our strength and peace, our salvation and our God.
There is nothing in heaven or earth, visible or invisible, that should disturb our hearts or cause us to be afraid, for He is the omnipotent Creator and all the strength of our lives and the illumination for our path derives directly from Him, and if we follow David's example and walk in the light and trust His Word, we shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.
In the same way, His holiness will become a practical reality in the life that is consecrated to Him.
Because we are His children, by faith, we have been permanently positioned in-Christ, which has given us peace with God, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting.
He sacrificed His life willingly to pay the price for the sin of the world and Jesus became the first Person to rise from the grave. Perishable put on His imperishable and mortal was clothed with His immortality.
He is the Centre and Circumference of all we are, and the Genesis and Revelation of light and life, for Jesus is the living One Who was dead, but rose again and is alive forevermore.
Only one Person of the Trinity was born into the human race as a Man so that He could live a perfect life and die a sacrificial death, and in so doing, pay the price for the sin of the world.
And when we believe in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ, for the forgiveness of sin, we are saved in body and soul, and at the same time we are born from above, receiving the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life for ALL who believe on Him.
While man's carnal behaviour exposes an inner, self-centredness mixed with a casual disregard for others, the deeds carried out in spirit and in truth identify a man or woman whose life is abiding in Christ and yielded to God.
The fruit of the Spirit is an inner grace that is produced in a believer who is submitted to the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that the life lived becomes a lovely reflection of Christ's singular nature and godly character.
They are not nine separate fruits of the Spirit that may, or may not be manifested in a believer's life, but one indivisible FRUIT.
The only way that the fruit of the Spirit is manifested, is through a life that is consecrated to God and submitted wholly to the Spirit.
Indeed, it is recorded that there were over 60 million slaves in Paul's day, and much attention was given, in Scripture, to the instruction and conduct of slaves, as well as their slave-masters.People often offered themselves as slaves when they fell on hard times, and Paul gave important instructions on how to carry out their duties as unto the Lord, even when their masters were unfair.Although he gave instructions on godly living as a slave, Paul also encouraged those in slavery to secure their freedom whenever possible: If you are able also to become free, rather do that, was His wise advice.Of particular importance, it is to be noted that nowhere in Scripture are members of Christ's Body instructed to engage in the abolishment of slavery or the correction of any other social injustices, in preference to our given ministry to the lost.Jesus said, The poor you will have with you always, and Paul could easily have said, slaves will continue to be with you (however distasteful this is) until Christ's return when He comes to set up His earthly kingdom of peace, prosperity, righteousness, and justice.Although we must certainly stand against the evils of our day, protect those that are weak, help those that are afflicted by social injustices, and show patience towards all men, the preeminent function of the Christian Church is to honour the Lord and tell sinners about Jesus – that He died to pay the price for our sin and rose again so that all who believe on Him will not perish, but have eternal life.We are told to go into all the world and preach the word of truth to a lost and dying humanity.
We are to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ, and to and live our lives as unto the Lord – no matter where we are or what our station in life happens to be.The true, Christian ministry of reconciliation will indirectly have a great impact on the many social injustices of our day.
May we examine our Christian purpose in life, but be careful that we do not become so embroiled in setting to right the political and social scene in this fallen age, that we miss the true purpose of our calling and election.
God's unshakable and irrefutable declaration to the fallen race of man is that God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son, for He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, and He alone has the authority to give eternal life to all who come to Him for salvation.
And Christ shed His precious blood as a ransom for many so that all who believe in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
The indwelling life and power of the Holy Sprit of truth in the heart of a believer, is a third yet equally important testimony that God has given us eternal life, and that this life is in His Son.
And He witnesses within our inner being that we are children of God and that we have received eternal life, by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Eternal life is a gift from God to all who believe on Christ, not a reward for our work or a recompense for our merit.
And that eternal life is IN Christ, for He is our life.
Eternal life is not just from Him but is IN Him - and He who has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life: And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
However, work should not be the sole focus of our life, but our work and witness for Him must be balanced with meaningful worship.
Unless we sit at His feet and spend quality time communing with our Lord as a priority, our life will be fruitless, our work will become tedious, and our witness will be void of power.
The Lord has promised never to leave us nor forsake us, no matter what life may throw at us.
The truth of God's Word has been tried and tested by a myriad of saints down through the centuries, who not only trusted Him for their salvation, but continued to trust Him through all the circumstances of life, for He has promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us.
What Paul is presenting here is the conclusion and climax of the life that is hidden with Christ in God.
The end, the epilogue, and the entirety of a life that is saved by grace and secured in Christ, is a victorious life, an overwhelmingly victorious life in spite of all the tears, troubles, and trials that stalk our pathway.
This is a godly principle of faith – that when we abide in Christ during the inevitable disasters that flood our lives, faith increases, trust is amplified, hope is expanded, and our love of Jesus reaches even greater heights, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him.Oh, such life victory has nothing to do with our own great strength, intellectual ability, or healthy bank balance, for of ourselves we would be overwhelmed by all these things rather than becoming a conqueror through Christ.
God's call on David's life was to fight the enemies of His people and to establish peace in the Promised Land.
David was a man whose life illustrated much of the suffering service of Christ's ministry during his sojourn on earth.
And Christ, like David, was rejected by His brethren, despised by his family, and lived much of his life wandering from place to place with nowhere to lay his head.
How similar to the lowly life of Jesus Christ Himself Whose delight was to carry out the will of the Father, and to do God's perfect will.
Both the performances and the promises of God are the subject of David's high acclaim and great rejoicing in God's eternal splendour, which is further revealed in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the final revelation of the greatness of God, Whom to know is life eternal.
Paul reiterated the gospel of Christ crucified, buried, and Resurrected in the closing chapters of first Corinthians, together with a comprehensive treatise on the certainty of our bodily resurrection and the assurance we have in Him that we too have life immortal and will rise from the grave, in the twinkling of an eye, on the day of Christ.
Hebrews is an example of Scripture that gives maturing believers guidance on how to live by faith - how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
While the first, obvious step in pleasing God is to get saved by believing in the redeeming work of Christ, it is the ongoing, living faith of a believer that pleases God, in the day by day exercise of life.
We please God when we are justified (initial salvation), but we also please God through a sanctified life (ongoing salvation).
We please Him when we are not being influenced by life's problematic circumstances.
Too often, those who started their Christian life by faith, stop relying on the truth of Scripture.
We please Him when we are saved, but we are to please Him throughout our Christian life, by believing His promises are true and by believing He rewards those who seek Him - by faith.
Although our union with God can never be broken once we are born into His family, our fellowship with him can be broken when we leave the life of trusting God and dependence on His Word and start to rely on our own strength.
Too often we forget that those who diligently seek Him, are rewarded with His sufficient grace to face life's problems.
Let us maintain our faith in God and never doubt the veracity of the Gospel message, even when His truth is shrouded from our eyes, or when the reality of His Word does not reflect our life-experience, for without faith it is impossible to please Him.
Let us remember that Jesus said, I AM the Way and the Truth and the Life... I will never leave you nor forsake you... I go to prepare a place for you... I will return and take you to be with Me, that where I am, you may be also.
However, His time had not yet come - for Jesus had an appointment with the Cross of Calvary where He would lay down His life for the sin of the whole world.
And in the previous verse, Paul adopts a beautiful picture of every child of God being a letter from Christ, as we reflect His life in us and show forth His love to others, not only in what we say, but in all that we do and the way that we behave.
His confidence was in the Lord Jesus and His life flowing in and through these men and women - who were able to be called epistles... written in the power of the Holy Spirit.
He teaches of our reconciliation by Christ, and our membership in the Body of Christ - and He details the importance of a believe's prayer life and testimony for the Lord.
We are to perfect our private, public, personal and prayer life, with joyful praise and grateful thanks - and we are to conduct ourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities that we have.
Our life is to be the same in public as it is in private.
Who died for our sin and rose again to give us His life - so that we might become children of God.
But not only is this priceless, imperishable, and undefiled inheritance being kept safe for us in heavenly places, but God has further promised to protect each one of us in this life and guard us by His almighty power, until we reach that wonderful day when we receive our heavenly heritage.
His shed blood paid the price for our sins (saving us from the penalty of sin), and His resurrected life which is imparted to us by His Spirit, made us a new creation in Christ (so that we are saved from the power of sin in our lives).
And as God's children, we are called to live our life by faith in the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself for us.
We were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb Who gave us His life - His resurrected life - His eternal life - and we were saved once and forever by faith.
But as we journey through our Christian life, we are also being saved.
We are being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ Who has promised that He will keep us throughout our life by His mighty power.
We have been bought with a price, and the required redemption price for our souls was the life of Christ, poured out for us at Calvary by our Kinsman-Redeemer, and the price has been paid in FULL.
Indeed, He not only knows us each by name, but He also calls us by name, for He is the Good Shepherd of the sheep Who gave His life for His little flock.
He not only is aware of all that is going on in our individual life but has scheduled every day that passes, for our times are in His hands and He knows the paths that we take.
The righteous man has recognised that he is a sinner in need of salvation, and believes that God sent His dearly beloved Son to die on the Cross for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
The Lord knows those that have been covered in His own righteousness by faith, and He is with us throughout our earthly life.
He knows the way we take, and as we submit to the trials that inflict our soul and the inevitable 'child-training' we will face in life, He has purposed to draw us ever closer to Himself, until we can say with Job: I have heard of You with my ears but now I see You with a deeper spiritual understanding.
Following this final prophesy in Malachi, we have the Gospel of Matthew which opens with: A record of the life of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
The combined facts from the four Gospel writers, paint the perfect picture of Christ's life and ministry.
For those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, these prophecies from Isaiah and Malachi have already been fulfilled and our life is now hid with Christ in God and we are part of the New Creation in Christ.
So often the comforting statements of the Lord Jesus are designed to link a wonderful promise of God to deep concerns that may surface within the heart and mind of believers, as we journey through life, in an increasingly alien world.
Jesus not only overcame sin by living a sinless life, He overcame sin on behalf of ALL who would trust in His sacrificial offering on the cross.
Jacob had spent his life scheming on how to get God to bless him.
And so throughout his life, Jacob plotted and planned to get the birthright and blessings that God had already decided to give him, before he was even born.
Jacob had to come to a point in his life when he stopped trusting in his own cleverness and cunning to be blessed by God.
Jacob had to be brought to a point of personal desperation before he understood that without God he could do nothing but that His grace is sufficient to cope with every situation in life.
The night that he wrestled with God, Jacob was made a new man with a new name - whose life was to be ruled by God from that point on.
All his life Jacob had known about God, but at Peniel, Jacob gained a new revelation of God - he was given a new understanding.
God had promised Abraham a special inheritance in the land of Canaan which would be possessed by his descendants after Him... and although he did not see this come to pass in his own life-time, Abraham believed God.
And so began the final few hours of the incarnate Son of God Who had flung stars into space, formed man from the dust of the earth, and breathed into man the breath of life.
It was a mocking sign of weakness and as they derided Him and made sport of Him, they sneeringly and sarcastically hailed Him as King of the Jews for sport. 'Greetings, good health, and long life to You' was the sneering and contemptuous meaning.
Jesus would continue to reveal to His people, Israel, and to His Church in this dispensation, that HE IS WHO HE IS, and that He is everything we will ever need in this life and in the ages to come.
Jesus completed God's gracious revelation to mankind in many ways, but perhaps the most memorable way that Christ unveiled God's name, God's character, and God's attributes was when He said, I AM the good Shepherd; I AM the Vine; I AM the Door; I AM the Bread of Life; I AM the Resurrection; I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.
Christ is fully God and fully Man, and in Him we have all we need for life and godliness.
He will not reform the old 'self' but transform the 'new-life' in Christ from glory to glory, until we all reach unity in the faith and knowledge of His only begotten Son.
During this life, we will grow into a mature man, who measures up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
In this life, we are being conformed into His likeness day by day, as we submit to the leading and guiding of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
He desires that individually and collectively the Church of God, which is His Body, demonstrates the glory of the indwelling Spirit of Christ by means of an outward demonstration of a holy character and a godly life, full of grace and truth.
There is no more important issue in the life of every man than knowing the way of salvation, because there are eternal consequences that lead to an eternal life with God or eternal separation from Him; heaven or the lake of fire.
They would prefer Romans 6:23 to read: While the wages of sin is death, the wages of good deeds is eternal life in heaven.
God determined that there would only be one way to be forgiven of sin; one way to be redeemed; one way to be declared righteous; one way to gain eternal life.
And Jesus told us, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father but by Me.
No man can gain eternal life and enter heaven except through faith in Jesus.
But praise God that the verse continues with redemptive words of hope: But the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
How important to read to the end of the sentence: BUT the GIFT of God is eternal life THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. God loved His creation so dearly that in His grace, He gave His only begotten Son to be born into the human race so that He could become man's Saviour, through paying the price for humanities sin through the shedding of His lifeblood - through the sacrifice of His perfect, sinless life.
Salvation, which includes eternal life, is not something that can be bought or earned with our 'good' deeds, generous giving, a mountain of money, or acts of kindness.
The forgiveness of sin (salvation of the soul and eternal life, which is part of the package of forgiveness) is a gift - a free gift - a free gift from God - an unconditional gift from God which demonstrates His amazing grace and unconditional love, and it is available to every-man, every sinner.
The gift of eternal life can ONLY come through JESUS CHRIST our Lord.
Eternal life is open to ALL men and women.
Forgiveness of sins and eternal life is God's free gift which comes to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, Paul told the Philippian jailer, while John tells us in his gospel: For God so love the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son so that all that BELIEVE ON HIM should not perish but have eternal life.
The payment for sin is death, but Jesus received the payment on behalf of every man when He died on Calvary's cruel Cross: For the wages of sin is death; BUT the free gift of God is eternal life, THROUGH BELIEVING ON JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.
Herein is love: not that we loved God, but that He took the initiative and loved us first, by sending His only begotten Son into the world to die for sinful man so that whosoever believes on Him would not be condemned, but be given abundant and eternal life, by grace through faith.
God established the intimacy of family life, where father and mother bring up their sons and daughters in the fear and reverence of the Lord, and a godly man who fulfils his roles and responsibilities as God designed, becomes the praise and glory of his children and grandchildren.
Despite being a called and chosen vessel of God, David faced many difficulties and dangers, and much of his life was spent running from enemies who hotly pursued him.
But if I have done this evil, then let him trample my life down to the ground and lay my glory in the dust.
May we read, mark, learn, understand, and apply its wisdom in every area of our lives – and may we become so in tune with the will of God, that we are enabled to identify and, if necessary, challenge areas of church life and doctrine that do not line-up with Scripture.
No doubt Titus read and re-read this brief letter many times over, in order to extract all its nuggets of truth and to store in his heart its significant content, for it contains all that is needful for the Christian life and for godly living.
so that whosever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
God the Son is our Saviour for He carried out the Father's redemptive plan, by being born into the human race as Man's Kins-man-Redeemer, and giving His life as a ransom for many..
Abiding in Christ and sharing in His suffering produces much good fruit, and is the means to lift us high above the storms of life.
The man or woman whose life is a service of suffering, is the one that has been prepared to die to self and live to Christ - presenting their body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord.
The one who is prepared to give up the good for the very best will discover the inner joy of Jesus that is reserved for those that can say from their heart: The life that I now live in the flesh is not mine to live but Christ Who lives in me.
The one who can take up their cross daily, renounce the things of this world, and leave the old self nailed to the Cross, is the one that understands what it means to abide in Christ, to fellowship in His suffering, to bring forth much fruit to the glory of God, and to experience abundant life and fullness of joy.
Some incorrectly consider that we can reach sinless perfection in this life, but this is unbiblical, for our old sin nature which resides within this mortal body, lusts against our new life in Christ.
The glories of His deity, His divine nature, His omniscient character, and His almighty attributes, remain Christ's alone, but the glories of His perfect humanity have been given to all who trust in His name, for He died and rose again so that we too could die to sin and rise into the newness of His glorious life.
He has covered us with the robe of His righteousness and adopted us into His holy and eternal family, and the glory of His supernatural life and His self-sacrificing love that is being formed in all those that are His, is the glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth, shining through the lives of all His children, for we are one with Him.
Paradise, with the tree of life and its healing river, was lost when Adam sinned, but God's amazing plan of redemption was gradually unfolded throughout Scripture, and the tree of life reappears in the book of Revelation, which concludes with words of blessing that comfort and strengthen the hearts of all believers: Surely I come quickly.
Whether this is Christ's encouraging response to the pleading prayer of those Tribulation Saints that are thirsty for the water of life (at the end of the Tribulation) OR whether it is the fulfilment of His precious promise to Church-age believers, who are longing for His any-day appearance at the Rapture (before the Tribulation) or both; these final words in holy Writ should be our daily prayer and our blessed hope.
He is the One Who promised to teach Israel those things that would benefit them, both in this life, and in the world to come.
He guides us into all truth, by speaking to us through the inspired Holy Scriptures, and He is the One that unveils the gracious character of God, teaching us to live a life that's pleasing to Him, by directing us along the most beneficial way, through His wise and gentle child-training.
He is the One who points us to Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who died and rose again so that we might live and be raised into life immortal, and He is the one that bestows on us gifts of the spirit and spiritual graces.
Do not love the world nor the things in the world, is John's urgent plea to these believers, for if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him - and everything that is in the world - including the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
The apostle John had walked with the Lord and spent time with his Master, but as the Church was being established and his life was drawing to a close, his warning to these maturing believers was, you know that the Antichrist is coming; you know the end-times prophecies that tell of the future Antichrist... well, even now many antichrists have already appeared - which indicates that this is the last hour.
He was the perfect pattern, the matchless measure, and exact representation of ideal humanity, and Jesus lived His life the way that God had intended all men to live.
Jesus demonstrated throughout His earthly walk, a life that was well-pleasing to the Father, for He walked in spirit and truth depending on the guidance of the Spirit and entrusting His life into God's keeping, moment by moment.
For the life of Christ to be shown in our lives when beset by difficulties, the old sin nature must remain inoperative as we submit to the inner workings of the Holy Spirit and trust God to deal righteously in our lives, no matter who or what we are facing.
At first, He formed and fashioned the world by the Word of His wisdom and the greatness of His majesty, and then He filled the earth with all types of life, both animal and vegetable.
And God saw all that He had done was good, very good: For every good and perfect gifts comes from our Father above, Who alone is our Light, our life, and our hope of salvation.
Each plant, shrub, tree, and flower was given the inner seed of life to reproduce after its own kind, in preparation for that day when God would give every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit with seed in it as food for mankind.
Not only were all things made for Him and by Him, but in Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
The light of Christ is the true light that shines in the darkness, giving light and life and the hope of salvation to whosoever will.
As children of God, we have been born from above and have a new human spirit, our new life in Christ.
Before we were born again, we had a spirit that was dead in trespasses and sins, but when we accepted Christ as our Saviour we were given a new life in Christ, a new, free, human spirit which is able to commune with His Holy Spirit.
This is why as children of God we should live our life in spirit and in truth so that we may enjoy 'Spirit to spirit' fellowship with the Lord, day by day.
A life that is lived in spirit and truth is a life that is led by the Holy Spirit of God Who came to indwell our hearts and guide our lives the moment we were born from above.
He longs to lead and guide us into all truth and He is grieved if we choose to live our life according to our old fleshly nature which was severed at the Cross.
When we live our life in spirit and truth He takes the deep cravings of our heart (cravings that we ourselves do not understand), and He intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
We either walk with God which results in light, life, and righteousness, or we walk with Satan which results in darkness and death.
And so in this passage, we are reminded to make wise choices in our Christian life.
How wonderful to realise that we have been taken out of the old creation and placed into the new; we have been removed from being in Adam to being in Christ; we have exchanged servitude to Satan, sin, and death to yielding to the Spirit as a servant of righteousness and life, which produces a liberty of mind and freedom of soul that stands in stark contrast to sin's state of slavery.
Hebrews states: It is impossible for God to lie, while the Lord Jesus, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, stated in Luke: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
Throughout his epistles, Paul wanted his readers to be aware of pitfalls in the Christian life as well as the principles and practices that directed them towards Christlikeness.
We eat of Christ, our Bread of Life and drink from the Living Water of life, for unless we eat of His Body and drink His Blood, through faith in Him, we will remain dead in our sins.
He is the Rock of our salvation and the Sustainer of our soul, and Jesus is with us every step of this journey through life.
May we grow in grace, walk in spirit and truth, live in humble dependence on God, and be faithful servants unto our life's end, for His greater praise and glory.
It was John, the beloved apostle who spent over three years living with the Lord, walking in His gracious footsteps, watching His godly actions, and observing His dependent prayer-life, who told us: God is love.
During His life on earth, Jesus Himself had much to say about the love of God.
But Jesus did not simply preach the love of God, He proved God's love by giving up His life as a ransom for many.
Should not we who have been saved by grace alone - through faith alone- in Christ alone, give testimony of God's great love for mankind by giving up ourselves to His service until we can say as He did: Father Thy will be done in my life, to Your praise and glory.
The generation that witnessed God's mighty power in the land of Egypt, celebrated the Passover when the angel of death slaughtered the firstborn in Egypt, walked through the Red Sea on dry land, and saw the great, Egyptian army sink beneath into a watery grave, lived a defeated life through murmuring, complaining, unbelief, and pride.
But as the time for Moses' death drew nearer, a new generation of Israelites were given an opportunity to believe God's Word, trust the promises of God, enter the Promised Land, and live a victorious life of faith instead of a defeated life of unbelief and doubt.
As we trace the history of Israel through the pages of Scripture and witness His gracious guidance, the strength of His arm, His protective power, and mighty works, we must always remember that this is the same God Who reassures us that His grace is sufficient in every life-situation that we may meet, no matter how difficult and problematic it may appear - for His Word stands fast for all His people: For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you.
And as we continue on our journey through life, we will be required to face even greater challenges and more rigorous difficulties.
The message Paul taught, combined with his own personal life-style, was a living example of a worthy walk before God.
We are all called into a life of holiness.
Our Christian walk should be the transparent evidence of a life, wholeheartedly surrendered to our God, both in the intent of our minds and the testimony of our deeds.
We have not only received forgiveness of sin and life everlasting through faith in Him, but have been called to be partakers of God's heavenly kingdom and received a share in His own glory, as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ!
We who were once living in the kingdom of darkness, enslaved to sin, and steeped in shame, have been forever transported into His kingdom of light and received life, grace, glory, forgiveness, and hope.
Some saints take on additional roles as overseers, elders, or pastor-teachers, but each one is endowed with gifts and graces and each has a responsibility to live their life as unto the Lord.
What amazing love that through faith in Him, sinners such as you and I, might be saved by grace and raised into newness of life.
It is only through His Spirit of life within, that we can be made a new creation in Christ.
It is only by faith in Him that we have become a member of His mystical Body, are indwelled by the Spirit of God and are given the sufficient grace to live in newness of life.
It is only through the imputed life of Christ, which we receive at salvation, that we can live more abundantly and live eternally.
It is only the new-born-again life of Christ that can enable us to say, it is not I that live but Christ that lives in me. It is only through the death of this perfect Man that the power of death can be forever broken, in the lives of all who believe on the only begotten and dearly beloved Son of God.
Parents are older, wiser, and have gained beneficial life-experiences which can be passed on to the younger generation, while children need to receive godly discipline if they are to honour their parents, be obedient to them, and do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.Parents need to act responsibly towards their children, and those who walk in spirit, truth, virtue, and love are those who will be honoured by their own children.
He was a prisoner in Rome and knew that his life was nearing its end.
There are also those that follow secular philosophies and promote an unbiblical worldview - where Bible prophecy is ignored or twisted... and extra biblical teachings are promoted, while others are encouraged to live a purpose-driven life through a socialite gospel.
The spiritual life to which we are all called is not an easy path to tread, and Christ Himself warned us that in this world we will have tribulation, while Paul reminds us that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Many believe that becoming a Christian will guarantee a life of simplicity and ease, affluence and comfort, but we are warned in many passages that those who delight in piety and are determined to live a devoted and godly life will meet with persecution and will be made to suffer because of their stand for Christ.
He explains that suffering is our mission in life, because Christ Who committed no sin and lived a perfect life, suffered on the Cross for our sake.
Although He remained fully God while here on earth, Christ lived His life as fully man to show you and me how God expects all men to live, not living for self, but doing only those things that we hear from HIM.
As believers, we have been forgiven of our sins and have received a new life in Christ.
Our position in Christ is not a license to sin, but a motivation to live godly in Christ Jesus, for in Him, and by Him, and through Him, we have all that is needful for life and godliness.
And a godly life is only lived when we do only those things that we hear from Him, as recorded in the Word of God for our learning.
Let us seek to emulate our Lord Jesus in all things, by keeping our old sin nature nailed to the Cross and appropriating all that we have in our new life in Christ, for we have been called for this purpose: to suffer for Christ's sake Who left us an example that we should follow in His steps.
This cannot be carried out in our own strength, but it can be carried out in His sufficient strength as we abide in Him and He in us so that the life we live becomes a reflection of Him.
The law of the Spirit of life has set us free, in Him, from the law of sin and death.
We have been removed from our old life into our new life.
He gave His life for love of us, and we simply love Him because He first loved us and gave Himself for us.
We can only fulfil His commandment of love in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit as we live our life in total dependence upon Him, trusting His Word and doing only those things that we hear from Him.
A new commandment I give to you, were some of the last words that the apostles heard before His crucifixion, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. This new commandment to the Church is a foundational principle upon which Christianity is founded - and if we truly love the Lord Jesus, we will keep His commandments of love so that the life we now live in the flesh is not of us, but Christ living in us.
He also knew that giving them practical examples of how to live in these times, would be beneficial to them, and those around them: But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
He was to be a descendant of the great king David, as foretold by prophets of old, and He would bring salvation to His people, Israel.Zechariah quoted many Old Testament verses in his beautiful song of thanksgiving, which pointed to the Lord Jesus Who would bring salvation to Israel, deliverance from their enemies, and freedom from the hands of all who hated them.He rejoiced that God remembered His holy covenant with Israel and gave thanks that the Lord had not forgotten the oath which He swore to his forefather, Abraham, that He Himself would rescue His people from the hand of their enemies and that they would serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of their life.Zechariah proclaimed that the One to come would give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
But once we are born from above, we became part of a new, perfect creation with a new nature and a new life in Christ.
The Christian life must not be focused on self, but on Christ.
We are to keep the fleshly self, with all its pretence and self-deception, firmly nailed to the Cross - and we are to live our life for Christ alone.
When the Lord Jesus won the victory on the Cross, we received a new life by faith.
If we permit the old sin nature to mount the throne of our life, we dishonour the Lord and will reap the bitter fruit of sinfulness, but if we keep the old man nailed to the Cross and live for Christ alone, we will reap the everlasting fruit of righteousness: For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life.
And Paul goes on to explain how this godly mindset can be developed in the Christian life.
We are to hold fast to the Word of life until that glorious day when Christ comes to take us to be with Himself in glory..
We too need to stand fast in the word of life and to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Jesus, as we press toward the mark for the prize of the high call of God in Christ Jesus.
May we not only run to win the prize for ourselves through godly living, but that we rejoice with all our brothers and sisters in Christ with whom we have interacted in our Christian life..
From the beginning, God decreed that only the shed blood of a sinless human being who would willingly give up his own sinless life as the ransom price for humanities transgressions, would be sufficient to appease an angry God and to satisfy His great hatred of evil and judgement against sin - for the wages of sin is death and Christ's death on the Cross paid that tremendous price.
And so God in His grace clothed Himself in human flesh so that He could live a sinless life and fulfil all the righteous requirements of the Law on our behalf and die in our place.
And so for your sake and for mine, the Lord Jesus Christ was led like a lamb to be slaughtered, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, Jesus did not open His mouth so that all who believe on Him by grace through faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection would not perish but have everlasting life.
The good work that we do is the new-life of Christ within us that is working through us.
It is the new, born again life of Christ that we received when we were born from above that carries out any good works that we do so that others may see our good works and glorify our Father Who is in heaven.
In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
He is the light and life of God and when we trusted Him as Saviour, He filled our human spirit with His Own pure light, and God desires that all His children will grow into spiritual maturity.
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, 'I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.'
Let us seek to grow through humble obedience to His Word so that our life may grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us remember these words that Matthew wrote, and as the days get darker, let us shine the light of Jesus into a world that desperately needs His life-giving, Light of Life.
Through the life and example of Abraham, we are taught: With respect to the promise of God, Abraham did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.
Abraham did not live a perfect life.
Indeed, he made many mistakes in his journey through life, and had to learn many lessons along the way. Nevertheless, it is a wonderful testimony to this man that he did not falter in his faith, which not only glorified God but gives us an example of the need to understand how important it is to believe God - for without faith, it is impossible to please God.
A major lesson that we learn from the life of Abraham, is that righteousness is not gained by works of the flesh.
As Abraham journeyed through life, we discover that trusting the promises of God and holding fast to his Word, is a vital key to developing our faith.
Our faith can be severely challenged by the problems and pain of life, and faith falters if we allow ourselves to be tossed about by the conflicts, fears, worries, and doubts of daily life.
But as we learn to stand fast in the faith and receive strength in the power of His might, the problems of life will not overwhelm us, and we will discover that our faith in the Lord remains firm and is strengthened.
Christians are not given a list of legalistic rules and regulations of 'dos' and 'don'ts' in life, which would bring us into legalism, nor do we have 'free rein' to live irresponsibly.
We have been given great liberty in our Christian life, but we are entrusted to make wise and godly choices as believers.
Rather, we have been supplied with a few basic principles in both the gospels and epistles, which we should apply to our own life circumstances so that neither legalism nor license is practiced.
The Mosaic Law gave Israel very strict instructions about many areas of life including feast days, Sabbath-day observances, and a wide range of rites and rituals.
The principle Paul is teaching here, can apply to many areas of life.
The life of every Christian should be a consecrated life of singular devotion to our Heavenly Father; a life whose purpose is to glorify God alone, until He is everything in our life and we are nothing.
In whatever sphere of life we discover ourselves to be, and whatever trivial task in which we are employed, may we never forget the price that was paid for the liberty we have in Christ, and may we make our choices in life wisely.
These two disciples had placed their faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation, but they had not yet learned to live by faith; to walk in spirit and truth; to live their life by trusting God's Word and not relying on sight, circumstances, or their fluctuating feelings.
This elderly disciple of Jesus, who heard his Master declare, I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life, and saw Him stretch out His arms of love on the Cross, cannot contain his joy that some of the elect lady's children are walking in the truth of the gospel - in keeping with a command they had received from the Father from the beginning - to love one another.
The love of Christ is imperfect if divorced from the truth of the gospel: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
David explains that we must keep our tongue from evil and our lips from spreading lies if we desire a long life with productive days.
David made some foolish mistakes in many areas of his life - but he was a man after God's own heart because he learned to trust the Lord in all things - and not to lean on His own understanding.
It is not sufficient to believe that Jesus was simply a good man and a moral teacher whose life should be emulated, but to know that He is the eternal Son of God Who was born into His own creation as the perfect Son of Man.
We need to believe that the wrath of God was poured out in full measure upon Christ Himself on our behalf so that we might be forgiven of our sins, clothed in His perfect righteousness, and receive eternal life as a free gift of God's grace, by faith.
Our very life has been redeemed from the pit of the dead, for not only are we forgiven of our sins and the beneficiaries of eternal life, by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, but part of that free gift of grace was to redeem us from that pit of destruction that was prepared for the devil and his angels, and eternal separation from our heavenly King.
It was by divine design that the Lord Jesus is so beautifully represented as a tender shepherd; the Good Shepherd Who gave His life for His sheep; the Great Shepherd Who loves His own with a deep compassion; the Chief Shepherd that rescues His scattered straying sheep and gives them life, eternal life, abundant life.
Surely His grace and goodness and unfailing love and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of my LORD forever.
Like us, Abram was justified when he first believed the Word of the Lord but like us, His faith needed to grow and mature - which takes time in the life of every believer.
First, we trust His Word and believe the truth of Scripture just as Abram did in his early life so that like him, we will be born anew at that point and credited with Christ's righteousness simply because we believe the promise of God, laid out in His Word.
Having been born again and credited with Christ's righteousness, it will never be withdrawn, as was the case with Abram, and like him, we also are to live the rest of our life by faith.
Too often, our faith in God falters because what we see with our eyes and experience through life's challenges, conflicts with our human logic.
Our walk through this life as the children of God, is to become a day-by-day lifestyle that is pleasing and honouring to the Lord.
Our life-walk should be a reflection of His goodness and grace, His righteousness and integrity, His kindness and gentleness, His truth and His sincerity.
Our Christian life should reflect His humility and patient endurance and our life should blossom into godly fruitfulness, reflecting the love of God in the face of Christ Jesus our Lord.
There is a world of difference between the unsaved life and the life that we have in Christ.
Paul pointed out that the painful process of repentance through which they had all gone, is diametrically opposite from the sorrowful remorse and oppression that comes from the world; the former brings light and life, while the latter has only darkness and death in its wake.
God's way challenges sin, brings about repentance without regret, cleanses, forgives, and returns us into His life-giving sanctification highway, while the unsaved are buried in guilt, shame, regret, and remorse, with no forgiveness and a road that leads them to the dungeons of death.
And although the suffering city of Jerusalem is not identified as a 'type' of Christ, there is a clear parallel with the untold pain and suffering He underwent when He gave His sinless life as the ransom price for the sin of the whole world.
when the Father sent the Spirit to permanently indwell all who would trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins - the salvation of their soul and life everlasting.
Jesus Christ made the Law of no effect by giving His sinless life to pay the full price of all sin, which was the only payment that a holy God could accept.
And Christ's shed blood paid the full and final price for all sin so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life, and be redeemed from the curse of the Law.
Only Christ lived a perfect life as God's Law demanded, and so only He was qualified to offer His life as a ransom for many.
He was the eternal Son of God Who had become the perfect Son of Man Who had lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death for the sin of mankind, for which He alone was qualified.
At the darkest point in His life, Jesus set us a perfect example by calling to remembrance the goodness of His ever-faithful God by reciting the Scripture that met His deepest point of need.
Never forget the everlasting goodness of God during those darkest periods of your life when perhaps you imagine that God has turned His back on you.
Even in those darkest days of your life, if you can lift up your voice to rejoice in the Lord and praise His holy name, you will discover that the Lord is indeed holy, and our God Who died so that we might live eternally truly does inhabit the praises of His people.
I know that the Lord has given you this land, she confessed, and pleaded with the Israelites to spare her life and that of her extended family.
For Rahab, the crimson thread represented life and hope.
Although this scarlet thread in the book of Joshua is not identified as a true, Old Testament 'type' with its New Testament 'antitype', it has often been used in Christian circles to represent the cleansing life-giving blood of Christ, which atones for a man's sin.
All who are justified by faith in Christ's atoning work at Calvary are wonderfully saved, but justification is the first step towards a life that is lived by faith - day after day - a life that stands firm on the promises of God and refuses to be shaken by the circumstances that surround us, for to do so honours our God and Saviour.
To the casual observer, it would appear that the final years of Paul's life and ministry were an utter failure... but God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are so much higher and better than our thoughts.
It is as we reflect on those final years of Paul's life and the many epistles he penned to individual people and church communities alike, that we discover the wisdom of God's plans and purposes for Paul's life, as this prisoner of Rome was a captive of Christ who wrote some of our most loved Scripture from behind prison bars.
Just like Paul, we need to trust God's guiding hand and determine to do His will, even when life's circumstances seem to be going in the opposite direction from our expectations.
There is also ONE baptism, and although many like to suggest that baptism in this verse refers to water baptism, it is the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the life of all who are born from above, about which he is speaking... for as Paul writes to the Corinthians: We were all baptised by one Spirit, so as to form one body-whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free.
God in His goodness and grace gave His only begotten Son to be born into the human race, so that by living a sinless life He could die as the substitute for the sin of the whole world..
But refusal to acknowledge their Creator does not nullify His existence and rejecting His offer of salvation through unbelief does not nullify the faithfulness of God to keep His Word - that whosever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ - whether Jew or Gentile, will not perish but have everlasting life.
God Himself bore audible witness to the truth of Christ's Messianic role, as did our Lord's own life and ministry so that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing we might have life in His name.
The person and work of Jesus was testified by God the Father and was validated by the prophesied Messianic signs, wonders, and miracles that He Himself carried out in His life and ministry and which continued into those early years of the fledgling Church.
And let us hold fast to the unchanging and unchangeable character of God Who loved the world so much that He gave His life so that we might live.
He lived His life as a demonstration of how we should live our lives, in willing dependence upon the Father, in humble submission to the indwelling Holy Spirit, and walking, day by day, in spirit and in truth.
And He would give to each believer His own life - His own resurrected life - our new-life in Christ, as we abide in Him and He in us.
From the beginning to the end of His life, the Man, Christ Jesus, was the perfect example of a worshipper.
Let us bless our heavenly King and glorious Saviour with all that is within us, and let us never forget ALL His benefits, for He has redeemed our life from the pit and crowned us with loving-kindness and compassion.
This One of Whom the choirs of heaven lift up day and night with their never-ending shout of praise, stretched out His holy arms of love on a cruel cross to drink to the dregs full brimming cups of GOD's wrath poured out upon Him, so that all that believe on His name would not be condemned, but have the light of life.
Our hope in Christ is securely anchored to the Word of God, which contains His will and His purposes so that we are not tossed about by every wind of uncertainty, nor destabilised by the stormy trials of life.
Christ, Who is our life, is seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high, and we are positioned in-Christ and kept secure in the presence of Almighty God, for all who are in-Christ are identified with HIM and are seated together with Him in heavenly places.
Abraham is the supreme example of a man of faith whose life bears witness of the never-failing faithfulness of our good and gracious God and whose life experience encourages us to maintain the hope we have in Christ; our sure and steadfast anchor, on Whom to secure our soul.
His example of patiently waiting for God to act and then to act in faithful obedience when God speaks, is a call for each of us to persevere under trial, to trust and obey His Word, and remain steadfast in the face of life's difficult circumstances.
Although they will have to endure the greatest time of distress the world has ever seen: Everyone who is found written in the book (the Lamb's book of life) will be rescued.
Only the 'true Israel of God' which Paul identifies as believing Jews from all dispensations, including martyrs in the Great Tribulation who wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb, will be saved and resurrected unto life.
She knew her brother would rise again in the resurrection on the last day and then Jesus made his startling claim, I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.
Then: Church-age saints are part of 'the First Resurrection to LIFE', and will be resurrected before the 7 year Tribulation.
Then: Old Testament saints and Tribulation saints will be part of 'the First Resurrection to LIFE', at the end of the 7 year Tribulation at Christ's Second Coming.
These people will be resurrected: To everlasting life.
Finally: After the 1000 year Millennial Rule of Christ, millennial believers will also become part of 'the First Resurrection of LIFE', but all unbelievers - all who refused God's offer of salvation, throughout the ages, will have to face 'the Second Resurrection'.
In a few consecutive verses, James fires a series of short, sharp instructions on how to live a victorious Christian life.
A victorious life that withstands Satan, not only humbly submits to God but draws closer to the Lord with an attitude of thanksgiving and praise, combined with ceaseless prayer, ongoing fellowship, and a trusting heart that walks in spirit and truth.
Victorious living is also connected with having clean hands and a pure heart, which is the product of a 'Christocentric' life and is cultivated when we put on the whole armour of God and remain in fellowship with our Heavenly Father, through regular confession of sin and by walking in the light of His love.
Living a victorious life that honours God is only accomplished when the world, the flesh, and the devil, are kept nailed to the Cross, and the Lord is given supreme authority over a life. Just as a victorious life is produced when the first five spiritual directives are addressed, so too the final five things James mandates in verse 9: Lament and mourn and weep.
May we take to heart this series of instructions from James and apply each command in our life, as we seek to live a victorious life that honours the Lord.
May we cleanse our hands, purify our hearts, and mourn over sin and the devastation it causes in our life, and may we praise and thank our glorious Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who died on the Cross to pay the enormous price for our sin, so that by faith in Him we might be eternally forgiven and receive the promise of life everlasting.
It is a trustworthy TRUTH, upon which we can build our life.
No wonder Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, who had proudly followed the letter of the Law and considered himself to have lived a perfect life before his encounter with Christ and his great salvation, lamented in poverty of spirit, that of all men he was the worst of sinners.
He saved us so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, with the hope of eternal life.
We have clear instructions on how to be saved (justification) and how to live the Christian life (progressive sanctification) and we are expected to obey.
Having been saved by grace through faith, we have been given all we need for life and godliness.
Having been saved by grace through faith in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, we have been fully equipped, by the Holy Spirit, to walk in newness of life - and become men and women with a heart for the Lord and a desire to obey His Word.
Let us live our life as unto the Lord and grow in grace and in a knowledge of Christ..
How precious is the Word of God and like so many of the Psalms that were penned by David, this is a song which begins with him bitterly lamenting over his mounting distresses and weeping over life's cruel circumstances.
And Christ's victory on the cross becomes our victory - and His resurrected life became our new life in Christ..
God knows all our needs because He is our Father, Who delights to hear His children come to Him in trusting dependence for every eventuality of life.
One of the vital lessons of life we all must learn is that when God is given His rightful place in our lives, we too will be given the sufficient strength to live godly in Christ Jesus..
The Lord Jesus offered up His sinless life to His Heavenly Father as the full, final, and sufficient sacrifice for the sin of the whole world.
It was by willingly giving up His own perfect life as an offering to the Father at Calvary that the purpose for which Christ was born was accomplished.
The Lord Jesus had fulfilled the righteous requirements of God's perfect Law in spirit and in truth, by living a sinless, blameless, holy life - walking in submission to the Holy Spirit and living in complete dependence upon God, day by day.
Christ is the substitute Man Who lived His life as man ought to live.
Christ lived His life in the way that God had created man to live.
It is only the new, born again life of Christ within which enables us to live as God intended us to live.
Only His life in us is enabled to will and to do those things that are pleasing to God and bring honour to His name.
Because of His sinless life, death could not hold Him and His own perfect life was restored to Him when He was resurrected from the dead - and that perfect, sinless resurrected life of Christ is the free gift of God's grace to all who trust on His name for salvation.
When we are born again, we receive His life - we receive the perfect sinless life of Christ - we receive the new-life-of-Christ.
At salvation we were made a new creation in Him, with a new life and a new nature.
And although the old sin nature still resides in our fallen bodies of flesh and blood (until our physical death), we have the power of Christ's sinless life within to enable us to live in newness of life in Christ, and to offer up our own lives as a living sacrifice to the Lord.
The beautiful characteristics of divine love are seen being lived out in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, and God's will is that all His children reflect the love of Christ in their heart and life.
Godly love begins to be evidenced in the life of a believer as the fruit of the Spirit is allowed to grow, but it is often through painful experiences and a willing obedience to abide in God's Word that this exquisite characteristic is enabled to flourish.
Love hopes all things by earnestly desiring the best in people as well as in life's circumstances, even when the worst seems to be knocking at the door.
Let us seek to have this beautiful characteristic of godly love evidenced in our lives, as we willingly and obediently submit to the work of the Spirit within our hearts, until a Christ-like love is manifest in our life.
The foundational truth in these early verses in John's Gospel steers our minds back to the creation in Genesis, where the Triune God spoke the universe into being by His mighty Word and formed man from the dust of His own creation, breathing in His own Spirit of life and light.
When, by faith, we have such an assurance of the truth of God's Word, even when things appear to the contrary, we discover that life falls into its correct perspective.
And step-by-step, the book of Hebrews demonstrates the difference between a life of trusting faith and the one that lives in doubt and unbelief.
Hebrews alerts us to the many fleshly dangers, sinful temptations, and worldly appetites that can lure a believer away from a life of faithful discipleship into an attitude of discontent, greed, and a lack of brotherly love towards our fellow believers. It gives a series of warnings against unbelief, which comes from a hardened, rebellious heart as well as providing a portrait gallery of dear saints, whose faith we should emulate, for they simply trusted the word of the LORD and in the end, came forth as pure gold.
When the historical facts of Scripture, the immutable character of God, the great crowd of witnesses who lived a life of faith that was pleasing to the Lord, and our own experiences of God's grace are all combined, then we too should be able to confidently say, The Lord is my helper, what can man do to me?
As members of Christ's Body, we are called to be salt and light in a darkened world that is sick, putrefying, and in need of Christ's healing, wholeness, light, and life.
It is through a life of holiness, empowered by the Spirit, that we proclaim the good news of the gospel of grace throughout the world.
We are not expected to hide our light under a bushel nor to turn a deaf ear to their pitiful state of the unsaved, for all are in need of salvation, and all need Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
We are directed, as the Body of Christ, to shine the light of Christ into the world with our godly conduct, so that throughout our Christian life we may walk worthy of our calling as 'children of the light'.
He is the Giver of life.
We should let the light of our 'new life in Christ' shine steadily in the darkness of this world so that all who see us will catch a glimpse of Christ reflected in our lives, and recognise our heavenly calling, giving praise to God, our Father of lights.
Righteous anger grieves over sin and evil, while fleshly anger allows the devil to take a foothold in our life and causes us to sink deeper in the sinful lusts of the flesh.
As soon as an angry, jealous, vindictive, vengeful thought is conceived in the mind, it should be taken captive and given to Christ so that it is not allowed to produce the fruit of unrighteousness, while righteous anger should not be permitted to develop into some sort of self-righteous attitude, which also gives the enemy a foothold in our life.
The beautiful perfume of frankincense is said to signify His sacrifice, priesthood, and perfection, while the bitter taste of myrrh depicts Him as Prophet and represents His suffering and death on the Cross.Whatever their symbolism, these gifts from Gentile sages who had journeyed from the east to find Jesus, gave Joseph the means to provide for Mary and Jesus during His sojourn in Egypt – as Herod carried out his murderous attempts to destroy His life.However, the beautiful picture of these Gentile sages arriving from faraway lands with gifts, was one that was foretold by Isaiah the prophet, centuries earlier, for he wrote that Gentiles will come bringing gifts of gold and frankincense and will bear good news of the praises of the Lord.
The second we are saved we are given a new nature, the resurrected life of Christ within.
But also the Holy Spirit of God comes to indwell our body to teach and train us, to guard and guide us, and He also disciplines, chastens, and corrects our new life in Christ.
It is the new, born again life we received at salvation that must grow.
And God has given us all that we need for that new life to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Jesus, but we must do it God's way and not man's way.
But we have to grow and develop the way that God has determined, not by reforming, refining, or repairing the old nature through self-effort, but by yielding our new self to the Holy Spirit so that He works in us and transforms that new life into the image and likeness of Jesus.
We have put on the new self, and it is this new life and not the old sin nature that is being renewed, day by day, by the Spirit.
The new life that we received at rebirth is being renewed in knowledge, according to the image of Christ in Whose likeness we were made as a new creation.
Our new nature is being renewed in knowledge, according to the image of Him who created us anew and gave us His life, by grace through faith.
All that is connected with the old creation in Adam is eternally doomed, which is why God is not going to transform the old sin nature but the new life in Christ, which we received when we were born again.
As Christians, our conduct should reflect the new life and not the old - and this is achieved as we come to know the Lord Jesus more and more.
THIS is eternal life that ye might know HIM and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent.
The glory that is contained in this astonishing reality should never become so familiar to us that a Christian is not left profoundly humbled and deeply amazed when reflecting upon the reality that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day so that all who believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
His precious blood was shed on the Cross to atone for the sins of many, and we who believe on His name are held fast in the hand of the Father, given eternal life, and kept eternally secure in Him, forever.
But God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for love of us so that His death would pay the full price of our sin, and through His glorious Resurrection we would become a new creation in Christ; removed from the old creation in Adam, placed into the new creation in Christ, receiving newness of life in spirit, soul, and body.
They are often read as a morning devotion or used to motivate a believer's prayer life.
They contain a wealth of history and cover a multiplicity of life principles.
There are many Messianic psalms which prophecy of critical events during Christ's earthly life, speak into the life and times in which we live, and delineating future events, which are yet to take place.
This seems to have been a pivotal point in Abraham's life.
When considering the choices Abraham was required to make between accepting God's permanent promises of eternal reward and great blessings through faith in the Person of Christ, and taking the temporal treats and passing perks of this fallen world system, we understand that the renouncing the things of this present life, and the suffering we may have to face, are not worth being compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us and in us and for us and conferred upon us.
Every sin that we commit during our life - past, present, and future, was laid on Christ and the enormous price for sin was paid-for by Him 2000 years ago.
Throughout His life, Jesus had regularly attended this very synagogue, and for over a year He had been healing the sick, casting out demons, and teaching that the time of God's favour had come to His chosen people.
But when hailed as God incarnate, the resurrected Son of Man, the only Way to Father, the non-negotiable Truth, the singular One through Whom alone we can receive eternal Life, and the righteous Judge (before Whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Him as Lord), the world despises, scorns, derides, and rejects Him.
By grace through faith in Him we have been redeemed by our Kinsman-Redeemer and received our new life in-Christ.
Oh, our eternal salvation is secure in Christ, for God will never renege on His promise that all who trust in Christ as Saviour will inherit eternal life as His free gift of grace, but we are also to walk worthy of Him in our Christian life, resulting in wonderful rewards.
We are to remember that we are blood bought children of God and as such have a responsibility to resist the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, lest we grieve the Holy Spirit and forfeit the heavenly rewards that God has planned for all who live godly in Christ Jesus.
And we are to patiently endure the inevitable sufferings of this life and not throw away the glorious hope that is set before us, knowing that: In just a little while, the Lord Jesus is coming in the clouds to take us to be with Himself.
What do you value in life and what is it that I consider precious?
From the fall of Adam, every man inherited an empty life, devoid of all that is good and pure, perfect and holy; a life without hope and a life without God.
Although God created man in His own image and likeness and bestowed upon him everything that relates to life and wholeness, Adam's sin meant our privileges were forfeited and handed over to Satan (who holds every man that comes into the world under the evil power of sin and death and hell).
But this is the empty, futile life from which we were redeemed by God.
For we were bought with a price, we were purchased at a cost, we were redeemed from the empty way of life that we inherited from the fathers.
The price God paid to redeem us from the power of Satan and the empty way of life that we had inherited from our fathers, was the highest price ever to be paid to buy back something that belonged, by right, to the purchaser.
As we ponder these things, let us ask ourselves again, 'What do we consider to be precious in this life?'
The congregation at Sardis practiced grand religiosity but did not live a spiritual life.
The church was sick unto death, but yet there was still a little life left and, in this urgent appeal, John implores them to stir up their spiritual resolve and reignite their flickering flame of faith.
Multiplied acts of benevolent charity, bountiful giving, or altruistic deeds, however admired by man are also rejected by God, and are not complete before the Lord, unless they flow from a life of faith and fellowship in Him. No wonder we see such an urgent appeal for watchfulness and eager attentiveness, for although the Christians as Sardis demonstrated an outward facade of godliness, there was a deep.
God not only raised Moses, but trained and prepared him to lead His people for the final 40 years of his life.
No doubt at the age of 80, Moses considered his life all but over, and yet as he led Jethro's flock to the west side of the wilderness, he came to Horeb, the 'mountain of God'.
The scattered bones are to be joined together as a physical nation first and live in the material world, after which they are to hear and respond spiritually when the Spirit of God breathes new life into the nation.
It is about the breath of new life being breathed into the dead corpse of the entire house of Israel.
They may celebrate their feast days and practice keeping the Law, but they do not know the Person and Work of their Messiah and King Who alone can breathe new life into their stony, cold, dead hearts.
Each of the four Gospels introduces the Lord Jesus in their own particular way, laying peculiar emphasises on different aspects of His Person and work; His character and ministry; His life, and His death.
Throughout his Gospel, John brings attention to the deity of Christ Who is the Light of life through Whom the world was made and in Whom are the words of eternal life.
No doubt, Nathanael was a man who desired to follow God and wanted to live a life that was dedicated to Him.
Treating others the way we would want to be treated, is a divine characteristic that is foreign to the unbeliever and dormant in the carnal Christian - but it blossoms and buds into the beautiful fruit of the Spirit in the life of a believer that is abiding in Christ - and He in us.
In a confused world where love has grown cold and consideration for others has morphed into cruel aggression, there is an increasing need for us to apply 'The Golden Rule' in our own lives... but it can only be manifested in the life of a believer through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
As the day of Christ's return draws ever closer, there are still multiplied millions of souls who face a lost eternity... unless they hear and believe the gospel of grace - that Christ died for their sins, according to the Scriptures, that He was buried and rose again, according to the Scriptures - such that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
God in the Person of Jesus Christ came to earth and was born into His own creation so that all who believe in His finished work on Calvary's cross, for the forgiveness of sin might be forgiven - and have eternal life.
Salvation means coming to Christ's cross for forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, which is open to all.
But discipleship means carrying ones own cross and dying to self as we progress through our Christian life..
He is the Word made flesh Who tabernacled among His people for a brief season, to carry out the will of God through His sacrificial death and resurrected life, in order to break the power of sin and death in the lives of all who believe in Him.
Jesus is one with the Father and He is the Source of life, the Fountain of life, the Sustainer of life, the Perfector of life.
God spoke animal and plant life into being, but the Spirit of God also breathed 'the breath of lives' into the nostrils of Adam, and man became a living soul.
The triune God has life within Himself and Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, is one with the Father and so this attribute of self-contained, eternally existent life also describes the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly: In Him was life and the life was the Light of men.
He is the co-equal, co-eternally living One Who is the source and principle of life - physical life, moral life, eternal life, and the new-life in Christ, for He is the living Word and the Word of LIFE.
The living God is not only the foundation and superstructure of all life, but Jesus is also pure light - eternal light and the source of all light.
He is light and in Him is no darkness at all, for He said, I am the light of the world - he that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Because of His life, the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light for He is the light that lights every man that comes into the world, and the life that He bestows on all who believe on Him, disperses the cruel darkness that has entrapped the children of men and blinded their eyes to the wonderful gospel of God's grace.
In the beginning, God breathed the spirit of life into the empty shell of the man He had formed from the dust of the earth and man became a living soul.
But because of sin, it was death and not life that reigned in Adam's mortal body.
But at the appointed time, God in His grace sent His only begotten Son - the pre-incarnate Word in Whom is life-eternal - and that life of Christ was the light of truth that enlightens everyone coming into the world.
As fallen creatures, we were without hope in the world, but the eternal Son of God came to earth as the fundamental life-principle: In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
A vital aspect of John's Gospel is found in John chapter 20, which links directly to the early verses in John chapter 1: These are written in this book, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that believing in Him you may have life in His name.
Jesus did not simply come to bring life and light or show it to us. He is life, and He is light, and without Him there is no life and there is no light.
The Lord Jesus is not only the Source and Sustainer of our physical life - the old, fallen, biological life we inherited from Adam, but He is also the Author and Finisher of our new, spiritual, eternal life, which we received by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
He that follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
May we come to a deeper understanding that the self-contained, eternally existent LIFE of Christ which is poured into the hearts of all who are redeemed by His blood, declared righteous through faith, indwelt by His Spirit, and made into a new creation so that we can walk in His eternal light, wisdom, holiness, and love.
Although in context, this verse reminds us not to fall into legalism by imposing non-scriptural rules and regulations upon ourselves or others about what we can or can't eat, or what we should or should not drink, in its wider application, this is a life-challenge to all believers.
And whether we find ourselves to be alone or in the company of others, whether we are thrust into the business of every-day life or quietly confined to the isolation of a sick-bed, our attitudes and actions should be such that they are a positive reflection of God's glory.
Brothers and sisters in Christ who are weaker in the faith, may find that their consciences prohibit them from practicing something which although quite 'lawful', could cause them to stumble in their Christian life.
All the thoughts of our minds and all the motives of our hearts should be an open book so that when observed by others, our life proclaims ALL to the glory of God.
Whenever we are faced with a choice in life, there are two important considerations that should help guide our behaviour.
Daniel had written: Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground would awake to everlasting life, and Isaiah prophesied: Your dead shall live and their bodies shall rise.
One verse we all seek to apply in our own Christian life is, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Similarly, many parents are aware of the promise, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
When Proverbs 13:24 is seen in its correct, biblical context, it is evident that the rod in this passage, refers to a parent's use of wise discipline to teach their child important lessons in life.
The pagan deities that the Athenians worshipped, needed human beings to build their temples and bring them things, whereas the great God of the universe needs nothing from men – since He Himself gives life and breath to all people and all things.There is no correct way to introduce the gospel of grace to unbelievers, but there does need to be willingness to tell others about Jesus and bring God's message of salvation to the lost – and many missionaries have found that a good starting point is to give others a correct understanding of the God of creation Who made heaven and earth and everything in it, and of man whom God created in His own image, but who sinned and needs to be redeemed from sin and death and hell.May we, who have been saved by grace through faith, make ourselves available to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit so that lost sinners may be given the opportunity to hear the gospel and believe, through our ministry – for how shall they hear if no one is willing to tell them?
He was sent to empower us with His life, for having been saved by grace through faith, Paul was teaching these Christians how to live by grace through faith so that in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, they would grow in grace.
Legalistic teachers mistakenly insist that the only way to live the Christian life and to please God is through strict adherence to a variety of legalistic practices - whether they be the principles of law in general or the Mosaic Law in particular.
Then, as now, there are those that think we should live our lives under some form of law and legalism by trying to carry out sets of rules or regulations in order to live a Christian life that is pleasing to God.
As soon as we are born again, we are under a new governance with a new federal Head and a new life in Christ.
As soon as we are saved, we are released from the bondage to the Law and its deathly consequences and are subjects of a new rule - the rule of Christ and His rule of love and life.
When we are born again, we are not under the Law of sin and death... we are under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
For our benefit, He was born in the likeness of man and lived a sinless life so that He could be made sin for us and take the full force of God's wrath upon Himself - in our place.
It is precious to discover that He was led like a lamb to the slaughter for us, and willingly and quietly took the punishment that you and I deserve so that our sins could be completely forgiven through His sacrificial death, and by faith in Him, the power of sin has been broken in our lives and we have been placed in union with Christ and identified with His life.
Throughout His earthly life, the Lord Jesus grew-up in favour with God and man and was compared with a root that sprang forth from a dry, dusty, and arid land.
God in His love and justice poured out His undiluted, furious wrath upon His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him, by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, might not perish but have everlasting life.
Sadly, most have denied the Truth, refused the Light, and rejected God's free gift of eternal life and the forgiveness of sins.
The hour had come that Christ was to leave the disciples He loved so dearly and for whom He had devoted His life.
The Lord Jesus had laid aside His eternal glory and set apart His life for this hour, and in humility and grace, He took a basin of water and washed His disciples' feet.
It was a life-principle that was to become the code of conduct of all spiritual Christians.
All believers that would grow in grace by dying to self and living to Christ and those who would imitate the conduct of Christ, would have the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit become manifest within their life.
The main theme in Leviticus is holiness and a life that is consecrated to God, and the Lord designed the duties and office of the Levites and priests to emphasise their sacred ministry and mission.
Christians who harbour hatred in their heart for other believers, are seriously impaired in their Christian walk.This serious matter is not just limited to those that outwardly detest or criticise other Christians, but those who put on a show of Christian piety and civility while nursing a heart that is blackened by hatred towards their brethren – which equates to murder in the eyes of the Lord.What a shocking state of affairs that believers can be so filled with dislike for another child of God, that they are described as being in darkness, walking in the darkness, and not knowing where they are going because their hatred has caused this darkness which has blinded their eyes.The direct contrast between light and darkness, love and hatred in this passage, is staggering when we realise that this is referring to a Christian – for although saved by grace through faith… their life and witness is being wasted away in their cancerous attitude.Christians are ambassadors of Christ in this world, and everything that we say and do reflects positively or negatively on the Lord Jesus, Himself.
A life that is not unbecoming, nor easily provoked, and a life that does not take into account any wrongs we have suffered.
And in this Church Age, we are given ample teachings on how to live the Christian life so that we are inwardly pure, outwardly holy, and set apart unto the Lord.
The superabundant blessings that God gives to all who simply trust in the divine Person and atoning work of Lord Jesus Christ are ours according to the power that works within us. That inner power is not of ourselves but the supernatural workings of the Holy Spirit - for He is continuously working in the inner man (that new life in Christ that we received at salvation), in order to transform us from glory to glory into the person and character that befits a spiritual man, a child of God, a joint-heir with Christ, and a citizen of heaven.
He is guiding and directing us, teaching and training us, and the more that we yield to Him, the more exceedingly abundantly will be the inner transformation into the image and likeness of Christ - until we can say with Paul: The life that I live in this flesh is not I, but Christ that lives in me.
To separate ourselves from all sorts of evil does not only refer to worldly activities like the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and the pursuit of the ungodly works of darkness, but also to refrain from those supposedly Christian activities which are carried out in the flesh, for the praise of man, the gratification of self, or which fly in the face of the Word of God.
Our choice should be to submit to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit in our life, and our prayer should be that we are willing vessels to be used by our Heavenly Father for His will and to His glory.
But the sin nature in man that was imputed to the human race when Adam disobeyed God, caused man to walk in enmity towards God in disobedience, and to place self on the throne of his life, instead of the Lord.
It is only those that have trusted Christ as Saviour who are able to act justly and be merciful and walk humbly before their God, for only those that are born from above have been endowed with the new-life in Christ, the godly nature of Christ Jesus.
If a born-again believer chooses to live their life from the source of the old sin nature, he will never do that which is pleasing in the sight of God, for only as a believer lives his life from the source of the new life in Christ is he able, through the power or His Spirit, to the glory of God the Father.
Our praises stream back to the cruel cross and the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and our hallelujahs fly forwards to the glories set before us and our eternal home, for we are redeemed by His blood, born anew by grace through faith, and resurrected with new life in Him.
In this chapter, Peter reminds us about our great inheritance that is being kept for us in heaven, and that this life is our one opportunity to prove our faith, as we walk by the Spirit to the praise and glory of the Father, eventually resulting in praise, glory, and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. And the reason we can so confidently walk by faith today is all because of Christ, our living hope: Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Although this is a Psalm that speaks both into the circumstances of king David’s life and also into the longer-term history of the whole house of Israel, this is a Psalm that is as relevant for us today as it was in the time of great Davidic dynasty.
The enemy of our soul seeks to ship-wreck the life and testimony of believers by whatever means he can, and Paul's counter-measure to satanic influences, worldly philosophers, deceptive arguments, and false doctrines, is to know and practice the truth.
John also identified Jesus as the One sent to dispel spiritual darkness and Who came as the heavenly Lord of eternal Life.
He must increase, but I must decrease, is a consequential statement that John made after Nicodemus had been given the gospel: God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son to be the sacrifice for sin, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life, but he who does not believe is judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Wherever we are, whatever our role in the Body of Christ, and however vast or insignificant our ministry for our Lord may be, when Jesus is central in every area of life we are bound to say, He must increase, but I must decrease.
When we can testify to this truth we may be sure that we are in the right place and in the centre of His purpose and plan for our life.
And yet there are many men and women of faith who similarly compromised their faith in God, such as Abraham with Hagar, King Saul who offered a sacrifice to the Lord instead of waiting for Samuel, Elijah, who was intimidated by the ungodly Jezebel, and even apostles like Peter, who stopped eating with Gentile believers, for fear of the Jews... and Paul who chose to take a Jewish vow, so that he could testify of his innocence, instead of trusting God to fulfil His will through his life.
Do we condemn Esther as a woman who deliberately disobeyed God's Law and willingly engaged in many compromises during her life or do we applaud her courageous acts during her life and her willingness to be used by God for such a time as this?
Do we denounce her for her fornication and duplicity or do we commend her for obedience to God and willingness to serve Him, honour the king and do what was right, at the risk of her life?
May we thank God that He works all things together for His good purpose and may we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness and live a life that honours Him, for His greater praise and glory.
BUT although Israel broke covenant with God, the silken thread of His goodness, grace, and comfort continued to be woven into the history of Israel – which would finally produce an amazing tapestry of salvation for every human life who would trust His Word.God in His grace, sent His only begotten Son to pay the enormous price for their sin and the sin of the whole world, and in Isaiah chapter 40, this great prophet of Israel begins to write his beautiful, prophetic words of comfort to God's people which would eventually be manifested in the birth, life, and sacrifice of the incarnate Word of God.
But Martha was not prepared for the shattering words that Christ proclaimed to her as she stood weeping before Him: I am the resurrection and the life, He said to her, He who believes in Me will live, even if he dies.
Jesus had made some astonishing declarations during His earthly ministry, but here He was claiming to have sovereign authority over life and death.
Jesus was declaring that He had the supernatural power to resurrect the dead and give life to all who believe in Him: Do you believe this?
This grieving woman had no clue that her brother was shortly to be brought back to life.
It is only through faith in Him that we have moved from death to life, and through Him that we have passed from eternal separation from God into the heavenly sphere of justified access.
Paul argues that if the sacrificial death of Christ is sufficient to have justified us, how much more will His resurrected life keep us from the wrath that is to come upon the whole world.
His sacrificial death paid the price for our sins, while His eternal life breaks forever the power of sin and death in the life of those who believe, by faith.
His death was the means that declared us righteous in the sight of God, and His life guarantees that our life in Him is eternal - and it is all by grace through faith in Christ.
The Lord Jesus suffered cruel treatment and gave up His life willingly so that all who believe on Him might not perish but be given peace with God, and have His inner peace guarding our hearts: For by His stripes we are healed, not a healing of the body, but an everlasting healing of the spirit and the forgiveness of sins.
By His death and Resurrection, the Lord Jesus paid the enormous price for our sins and broke the power of sin and death in our life forever, returning us into fellowship with the Father.
But herein is God's LOVE (as well as His righteousness, holiness, goodness, and grace), not that we loved God (for we were dead in our sins and at enmity with Him), but that He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins so that all who believe on Him, would not perish but have everlasting life.
Only as perfect Man and undivided Deity could Christ die and rise again, for He has life in Himself and that life is freely available to all.
He is the Source of our spiritual life, the fountain-head of all spiritual fruitfulness.
We are the branches that spring forth from His eternal, life-giving stem, and without Him, we can do nothing.
Remember, our life is hid with Christ and it is only as His new-life quietly works unseen within our hearts, that we will bring forth fruit that glorifies the Father.
In His infinite wisdom and power, God the Father planted the true, life-giving Vine into the sinless life of the Man, Christ Jesus.
They would be turning to One Who throughout His sinless life, demonstrated that He was indeed the great I AM, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Messiah of Israel, and the Saviour of the World.
Justification (initial salvation or conversion), is the first stage of salvation and a once-for-all work of God Himself in the life of a believer that is permanent and can never be lost.
Sanctification (the process of salvation or Christian living), is the ongoing work of God in the life of a justified man or woman.
He paid the price for sin on our account, freely and without cost, and He broke the power of sin in our life so that He could live in us, carry out His righteous work through us, and produce in us the fruit of righteousness as a living testimony of His goodness and grace.
However, we have a responsibility to produce the fruit of personal righteousness during our Christian life (through a process of sanctification), as we carry out the good work God has prepared for us to do.
It is as we yield our hearts to Him that the fruit of righteous fruit is formed in our life, for His glory and praise.
May we show forth the fruit of righteousness through the praises of our lips, the attitude of our heart, and a life that is consecrated to His perfect will.
When life is lived without God, life is futile and meaningless.
When the Lord is eliminated from the human heart, then the circle of life and the inevitability of death expresses nothing but hopelessness.
When God is excluded, then the enemy has full sway in a life.
Consequently, he lived a defeated life.
He ignored God's Word and went his own way, which brought him to the brink of despair when he should have been enjoying a victorious and spiritually satisfying life.
Amidst a constant outpouring of lamentations in Ecclesiastes, where he complains, Life is meaningless.
He reminds us that there is a time and a season for everything in life and he records his important conclusion about the meaning of life, in chapter 12: The end of the whole matter is this, fear God and keep His commandments.
Chapter 4 deals mainly with the inequalities of life, and Solomon bemoans the terrible acts of oppression, the shocking discrimination, and the lust to control the minds of others, by certain individuals that seemed to characterise the days of Solomon and is so prevalent in today's society.
for Christ is the light of the world, Who has poured the light of salvation and the light of His eternal life into the heart of all who believe in Him.
But it also points us forward to Jesus the light of the world, Who is the light of life - for we read in the Bible that the fruit of the light results in all goodness, grace, righteousness, and truth
But we are always to be on our guard as we journey through life..
And although he adds that it is possible that someone might be prepared to die for someone whom they love or admire, very few would be prepared to give their own precious life - even for the sake of a really good person.
Nonetheless, the thought of willingly offering up ones own precious life and being prepared to die for someone who holds us in utter contempt, would spit venom on our faces, hates us with satanic hatred, accuses us with demonic rage, and beats our body to a bloody pulp, is beyond the reason of the human mind and incapable of being rationalised - it is unthinkable.
If, as Christ reminds us, there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for a friend, the love that is demonstrated by God is beyond human understanding.
Human love requires some motivation for one to willingly give up their life for another - but God's love is so much greater - and this demonstration of the love of God on the Cross continues to be a pulsating reality today.
He not only paid the price for our sins, but he broke the power of sin in the life of all who trust in Him for salvation.
In the light of God's unsurpassed and glorious love, does it not demand utter devotion to the Lord - our life and our all?
We can only attain to the standard that God requires of all his children if we die to self and live to Christ; if we keep the old sin nature nailed to the Cross and live, and move, and have our being in the new born-again nature of the Christ-life that we receive at salvation.
If the spiritual fruit of love is to bud, blossom, and mature in our life, we must keep our eyes looking to Jesus and our hearts submitted to the Spirit, as we humbly kneel before the Father and say: Thy will not mine be done.
Throughout Scripture, we discover verse after verse that reminds us that the love of God caused Him to send His only begotten Son to die on the Cross for our redemption, and it was by the grace of God that His free gift of eternal life is given to whosoever will believe on Jesus Christ as Saviour.
Indeed, it is not God's will that anyone should perish but that all should come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and so be given eternal life, and there are a multitude of heavenly benefits that flow from this free gift of salvation, given to all who trust in Jesus as Saviour.
God's love prompted Him to save the fallen race of man, and by God's grace, He chose to redeem us at no cost to you or me, but at the inestimable cost to Himself; the life of His only begotten Son.
We are simply pilgrims passing through this mortal coil, sojourning on earth for a brief life-span, and so we should not be mindful of earthly things that pass away, but we should fix our hearts on the coming king, looking for Jesus, our soon coming Lord.
All our discussions and dealings while passing through this life should honour our King, for we are all His representatives and ambassadors of heaven, and all our conversation and conduct should reflect the righteousness of Jesus with which we are clothed and covered.Our eternal home is a gift from God, but it is only through faith in the spilt blood of Jesus that we have a full assurance of our heavenly inheritance.
But it beautifully illustrates the victorious life and spiritual richness believers can enjoy if they walk by faith and not by sight.
The Lord Jesus is our promised rest, and to live a victorious life in the daily challenges we face, is to appropriate what is already ours - by faith - for His grace is sufficient.
In the same way, believers in this Church age can immediately enter the promised rest we have in Christ and be kept in His perfect peace, through a living faith, humble obedience, a heart that is guided by the Spirit of God, and a life that walks in spirit and truth.
For 40 years, Israel was prevented from entering their rest due to carnality, and in the same way, the redeemed Body of Christ who have been brought into glorious union with Him can remain in a spiritual wilderness of spiritual infancy and live a defeated life throughout our sojourn on earth.
Every one of us have been given all we need to live a victorious life through Christ and partake of our promised rest, if we will simply believe His Word, live by faith, and receive all that is ours in Christ.
He has promised us a triumphant and fruitful life, if we will abide in Him and He in us; if we depend on Him and live humbly before Him all the days of our life, as we die to self and live for Him.
As we journey through life, we have been given all that we need to live a victorious life.
God cares deeply for each of His children, and as with Israel, nothing can ever happen in our life that does not concern Him deeply.
If the One Who flung stars into space also cares for each tiny fledgling sparrow, how much more can we depend upon His love and faithfulness towards us as we pass through life.
It is in Him alone that we can live a victorious life and claim a better resurrection in our own spiritual battle, and it is all done by grace through faith in Christ alone.
We will be eternally redeemed, but living a defeated life: Saved, yet as though by fire.
Jesus is the good Shepherd of the sheep Who laid down His life for us, and just as the blood of the Passover lamb was smeared on the lintels of their house to cover Israel's sins and redeem them from Egyptian slavery, so the blood of Christ cleanses us from all wrongdoing and redeems us from the slavery of sin.
However, they lived a defeated life through unbelief and we are warned not to make the same mistake; redeemed, but living a defeated Christian life.
But unbelief stripped them of a victorious life and a rest in the Promised Land.
Like Israel, we have a choice to live our entire Christian life in spiritual infancy; wandering in a wilderness, frightened of the 'giants in the land', living defeated and disobedient lives OR we can trust His Word, hold fast to His promises, and live a victorious life as we abide in Him, grow in grace, mature in the faith, fellowship with the Father and do not lose faith when challenged by life's circumstances.
Once saved, Israel were not sent back to Egypt because of unbelief, but neither did they lead a victorious life in the land of promise or claim their rightful inheritance.
In the introductory remarks of his first epistle, John quickly places his focus on Christ Jesus, the incarnate Word of God Who was manifest in the flesh and spoke the words of eternal life.
May the joy we have in our Lord Jesus Christ be made complete as we speak of the lovely Lord Jesus, through Whom we have received forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
In the life of a believer, fear is rendered powerless by love, for there is no fear in love.
When the Lord is given His rightful place in our lives, we have Christ's unshakable promise to be with us through all circumstances of life, so we should not fear.
We are not to fear the things in life, nor any threat of death, nor are to fear what happens after death, for our confidence is in the Lord.
The one who has had his sins pardoned should have no fear of life or death.
We have been given all we need for life and godliness and we have the spiritual armour of God that is necessary to withstand his evil wiles and stand fast in this evil day.
As we continue on the journey of life in the strength of Christ, may we resist the devil and stand firm in the faith, knowing that our brethren in other parts of the world are passing through the same sort of difficult experiences - and that both they and us have been promised God's sufficient grace in every situation.
There are many passages in the Bible that bewail the seeming prosperity of ungodly, rich tricksters while the people of God seem to be mercilessly exploited and defrauded by them, in every area of life.
Just as the farmer has prepare, plant, till and wait patiently for his precious crop to grow so we are reminded to wait patiently and quietly for the coming of the Lord - as we carry out His purpose for our life.
Christ's sovereignty over all flesh was referenced in His prayer, as was His authority to grant the gift of eternal life to those whom the Father had given to Him, to those who by faith would trust in His redeeming work.
Christ received authority to give eternal life to all who would believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God - all whom God knew from before the foundation of the earth would believe.
Throughout His life, the Lord had glorified the Father and finished the work that He had been sent to do.
He had given to them the Word of Life which had come from heaven above.
They had discovered Him to be the Good Shepherd, the Water of life, the Messiah of Israel, and the living Bread Who came down from heaven.
They knew Him to be the resurrection and the life, and that He alone can give light in this dark world and hope to a lost and dying race.
They know that His grace is sufficient for all eventualities, and His sufficient grace will expand and multiply to encompass all the temptations, trials, and tribulations that we may be called upon to endure in this life.
Hezekiah knew our times are in God’s hands and He alone is our only surety and pledge of safety for He has scheduled each day of our life.
But this is a prayer of thankful praise and joyful appreciation for the Lord healed him and extended the life of king Hezekiah, by 15 years.
Little did Hezekiah know that in the final years of his life he would sire the wicked king Manasseh, who did such evil in the sight of the Lord and who caused Israel’s final downfall.Let us in humility of heart fly to the Lord for all our needs and trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not to our own understanding.
It is right to pray for what we think is best, but we should always leave the final outcome in the hands of the Lord – Thy will be done in my life.
As we journey through this life of pain and sorrow, we are to proclaim to the world, in thought, word, action, attitude, and motive, the excellent glories of our Heavenly Father Who redeemed us from the darkness of sin and death into the glories of His life and light, in Christ.
Our worship, praise, and thanksgiving, will resound throughout the eternal ages to come because God had graciously called us out of the darkness of sin and death, and a life without Christ, into the glorious light of His holy presence and eternal light and love.
But we who have trusted in His holy name have been forgiven of sin, made holy and blameless in His sight, and been given all we need for life and godliness, according to His riches in mercy and everlasting love.
We are not informed when or why these other articles were removed, but it is likely that Israel was unaware of the glorious antitype, to which they pointed (Jesus, the living Bread of Life; Jesus, the Good Shepherd of the sheep; Jesus, the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek; Jesus, the coming Judge of those who rebel).
If anything in our life has been placed above the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, let us remove it immediately and elevate Christ to His rightful position in our heart.
For the one who believes in the Son has forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son does not have forgiveness, and will not see life.
But the gift of God is eternal life, which is accessed through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise God that all who have been born from above can conquer the world, through living a life of faith.
It is through the indwelling Holy Spirit, that the life of Christ within is able to overcome our innate sin, our old, inherited, imputed sin nature, (the old-man as Paul calls it) that lurks within.
And so Jeremiah lamented that Judah has become so disobedient and had broken the covenant which they made with the Lord at Sinai, and he wept as he prophesised of their downfall, knowing that God's chosen nation had favoured death over life.
May we never forget that anything and everything that takes the place of God in our Christian lives become and vain idol and a false god, which dethrones the Lord of our life..
Life seemed so unfair to this man, and his faith in God was sorely tried when he saw how the ungodly prospered and increased in riches and popularity, despite their oppressive ways, crooked schemes, arrogant attitudes, and foul mouths.
Asaph knew that he had led a decent, honest, and respectable life by comparison with these ungodly swaggards, and life seemed so cruel and unfair to this man of faith.
Nevertheless, we have our Lord's assurance that the sufferings of this present life cannot be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us, for we have a blessed hope that is anchored in Christ and an inheritance that is secured for us in heaven.
The Jewish leaders searched through Scripture, thinking the letter of the Law contained the words of eternal life, but Jesus had to tell them: All Scripture bears witness of Me!
He is the ever-present immutable God today, Who remains the same through all our 'todays', for He chose the cup of suffering, pain, and death so that we might be made whole, be healed, and have life eternal.
The conduct He calls for can only be achievable by drawing on the supernatural power of the indwelling Spirit of God in a life that is saved by grace through faith, a consecrated heart that is dedicated to serving our blessed Redeemer in spirit and in truth.
However, prosperity teachers detach their teachings from every other biblical instruction on the normal Christian life in general, and the conditions for answered prayer in particular.
So often we refer to the son of Didymus as 'doubting Thomas', yet when Christ's other disciples expressed a reluctance to go to Jerusalem for fear of the Jews, it was Thomas who, cried out, Let us also go, that we may die with Him. Thomas was also the disciple who prompted the Lord to say, I am the way, the truth, and the life.
Whatever value we place on bodily senses or emotional awareness to stimulate and inform us, God's greater commendation and divine approbation is given to the one who is not influenced by physical senses, human emotions or life's circumstances, but who simply trusts His Word.
He was the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE, Whose Word stands fast forever and ever, but His trustworthy answer so enraged the high priest that he tore his priestly garments and screamed, You have heard the blasphemy.
Make Him the cornerstone of your hope and linchpin of your life, and He will give you the desires of your heart.The Lord Jesus is the perfect example of a Man Who delighted Himself in the Lord.
Nevertheless, the Lord Jesus delighted Himself in His God and Father throughout His life, and even endured the Cross and despised its shame for the JOY that was set before Him.
Like Paul we also are to discover that no matter what difficult circumstances or financial hardships we have to face in life we are to be content in all things - knowing that it is God to Whom we look for our provision for He has promised to provide all we need according to His riches in Christ Jesus our Lord.
to be the propitiation for our sins, so that by faith in Him we might have life everlasting.
As born again believers, we are given a new nature (which is the very life of Christ), when we trust in Him for salvation.
For to be spiritually minded is life and peace, but the carnal mind continues to be at enmity against our Heavenly Father.
The major difference between the unsaved sinner and the saved saint is that the Christian has been given the indwelling Holy Spirit and a new, Christlike nature - the new, born-again life of Christ.
The old sin nature seeks remain in control in the life of a believer, but must remain nailed to the Cross for it can do nothing to please God.
Those that are saved have a new life - the life and nature of Christ which can only do good in the sight of God (although until our physical death we can choose to slip back into an ungodly, carnal mind-set.)
But if or when we sin, we give the old, sinful nature supremacy over our new born-again nature, which can stifle the inner workings of the Holy Spirit in our life - quenching or grieving Him and stunting our spiritual growth.
We have been raised up into a new life in Christ because we are Christ's spiritual seed, because we have become a brand new creation, and because we have exchanged our former earthly residency for a glorious new citizenship which is reserved for us in heaven.
Christ was resurrected from the dead 2000 years ago, and because you and I would one day also trust in the Lord Jesus as our Saviour, we ALSO were raised into newness of life at that time, just like all those who down through the centuries would one day trust in Him as their Saviour.
When Christ rose from the dead, we too were raised up at the same time into a new life, as a new creation in Christ.
And so, although there was a point in time when, having heard the gospel of grace, we trusted Jesus as Saviour and were born again into His new life, God foreknew that we would one day make that freewill choice.
Since we have been raised to a new life in Christ and since, by God's grace, we have been clothed in Christ's righteousness, given the free gift of eternal life, been showered with every spiritual blessing, received a heavenly inheritance, and been seated with Christ in heavenly places, we are called to set our hearts and minds on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honour at God's right hand.
As the days on earth get darker, and the trials and tribulations of this life can seem never-ending and overwhelming, we would do well to take this verse to heart.
While Abel presents the picture of a justified man, Enoch demonstrates the life of a sanctified man, that walked by faith.
God commended Abel's faith by accepting his gift, and although he died by the hand of his jealous brother, the faith of this young man has become a great witness throughout generations and a life that points to the true sacrificial Lamb of God, Whose shed blood takes away the sin of the world.
But once that initial step is taken, a life-walk of faith is needed, and Enoch exemplifies a sanctified man who lived his life by faith in God.
It is as we fellowship with our Heavenly Father in sweet communion and unbroken intimacy, that our life becomes a heavenly walk where we live and move and have our being in unbroken intercourse with Him.
Paul had taught them the truth of the gospel of grace and by faith in Jesus, they had been born again, forgiven of their sin, transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son, and received the gift of eternal life.
May we be faithful stewards, faithful in prayer, faithful in our work, and may we also be faithful to the point of death, so that we may receive His promised Crown of Life.
Few choose to leave behind the elementary teaching about Christ, and press on into maturity.Sadly many believers, although saved by grace through faith in Christ, refuse to move past the elementary principles of the Christian life.
In other words, they simply remain in spiritual infancy and keep repeating the first stage of their Christian faith, over and again, without pressing on to spiritual maturity.Many are falsely taught that becoming a Christian will secure a quiet life and provide a ticket to prosperity, with numerous earthly blessings and a free pass from God, to prevent or remove any difficulties or dangers that may arise.
James encourages us by explaining that those who persevere under trial, on the journey to maturity, will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him, and He exhorts us to... consider it all joy, when we encounter various trials.There is an urgency in this final letter that Paul wrote before his death, to remind us that ALL who live godly lives in Christ will certainly suffer persecution.
and likewise as Christians we have to admit our guilt, renounce our idolatry, repent and recognise that we are sinners who need a Saviour so that by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection we may be cleansed of our wicked ways, forgiven of our sin, washed in His precious blood, declared righteous in the eyes of our heavenly Father - and live a life that is holy unto the Lord.
This Psalm, which has meant so much to so many, has not lost its powerful impact on all who understand and apply its truths to their own life.
The valley of the shadow of death becomes the pathway to life and peace to all Who follow the Good Shepherd Who gave his life for His sheep.
And as we follow the path that God has scheduled for us throughout life, let us trust Him in all the disappointments and distresses that we may face: For Thou art with me.
As believers, we all have been given a new life in Christ which is placed alongside our old sin nature, and the thoughts of our hearts and the meditation of our minds can be influenced by either.
Whatever flows from our new life in Christ is pleasing to the Lord, but if we choose to allow our actions, attitudes, and the words that come from our lips to be influenced by our old sin nature, we may fool other people, but we can never deceive the Lord for He alone knows the intent of our heart.
Let us not seek to be man-pleasers, which may get us high acclaim from our fellows and provide us with a worthy reputation in this life, but rather let us take every thought that rises up in our hearts captive to the Lord so that we can be pleasing to Him and store up for ourselves treasure in heaven.
Although they are doing well and maturing in the faith, Paul is encouraging these believers to do even better in their spiritual life.
He is exhorting them to live an outstandingly godly life, to the praise and honour of our Father in heaven.
This first verse begins an expanded section on how to live a sanctified life; a life that glorifies the Lord Jesus.
He lovingly addresses these brothers and sisters in Christ as 'brethren', but in his capacity as an authoritative apostle, Paul insists that they strive even harder for personal holiness so that they may have a sanctified life that is consecrated to God: Now brethren, You learned from us how you ought to live and to please God, and in fact you are doing, so we ask and encourage you in the Lord to do so even more!
But Paul also knew that a timely reminder about walking in truth and living a sanctified life in the eyes of our Heavenly Father, is often needful!
Neither the multiplied wealth of humanity nor the proliferation of man's exemplary actions are sufficient payment to gain eternal life, for the heart of humanity is incapable of ridding itself of fleshly desires and love of the world.
Forgiveness of sin and life in the Kingdom is granted through FAITH in Christ alone.
Eternal life and inheriting the kingdom is a human impossibility, but with God, it is not only possible, but a free gift of God's grace, which is generously bestowed on all who believe in Christ's finished work on Calvary's cross.
So too, the impossible task of living a godly life in our own strength, is only possible when a man or woman looks to Him and relies on Him alone.
God has done all things appropriately and well, and He has set eternity in the heart of all men so that those who seek Him with all their heart will find rest for their soul in Him and receive the gift of eternal life through faith in Christ.
Year after year, Hannah would travel to the house of God in Jerusalem to plead her case before the Lord.No wonder after so many years of disappointment, she made a vow to the Lord: O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.God is not bound to answer our prayers the way we desire, nor to fit in with our preferred timing.
Every child of God is called to mature in the faith and grow in their spiritual life... and throughout the New Testament we are taught that maturity in the faith is tested and established through trials and tribulations.
However, instead of bemoaning our lack, James encourages us to boldly approach the throne of God and ask Him for all we need... knowing that He is able to provide for our every need, no matter what we may be facing in life.
Throughout the New Testament we have been given the assurance that God has provided everything that is necessary for life and godliness and all we have to do is to ask Him.
What a terrible indictment of a born-again believer who fails to live His life in faith - but rather chooses to pray with an unbelieving heart and is tossed to and fro by every wind of change.
It was this ONE transgression that resulted in the condemnation of all men, but it was also through ONE amazing act of righteousness, that resulted in justification of life to all men.
It was one act of disobedience that placed us under God's eternal condemnation, and one act of willing obedience, that brought justification of life to all men - and it is received simply by faith in the finished work of Christ.
so by ONE act of obedience we can all be declared righteous and receive justification of life.
so too by Christ's one act of obedience we are declared righteous and receive justification of life- by faith in Him.
By His one act of obedience we are inputed with Christ's righteousness - and it is ours simply by faith - by believing in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
All who are born IN ADAM are eternally condemned and all who are born-again IN CHRIST are not condemned but declared righteous by God and given eternal life - for there is no condemnation to those that are IN CHRIST.
but the gift of God is eternal life for those that are IN CHRIST, for His one act of righteousness results in justification of life for all who believe.
She needed to drink of the living water of life that only comes by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who alone paid the price for her sin - and ours.
Once we trust God for salvation (where God paid the price our sins), we should then trust God for our sanctification (where God breaks the power of sin in our life).
We do this by committing our way to the Lord and not trying to live the Christian life in our own strength.
We do this by trusting God to work His perfect will in and through our lives, and not by trying to live a good life or trusting in ourselves and our own abilities.
If Christians really did commit ALL their ways to the Lord and really did trust in God in ALL things and believe ALL that He has told us in His Word as FACT, then we would discover that our will for our life would line up with God's will for our life.
If only believers would stop fretting about all the difficulties and evils in life and truly delight themselves in the Lord, by trusting His Word, resting in His promises, and committing everything into His hands, He could carry out His perfect will in each of our lives.
We should not cling to the transient things of life.
The vain pursuits of this world and the deceptive pleasures of the life we once 'enjoyed' will perish in our memories with the ever-increasing march of time, as we discover them to be passing vanities.
as he tried to discover the meaning of life amidst the many human experiences and endeavours.
Solomon realised that when life is confined to the boundary of this present world system it is futile, for this world is passing away - it is fading fast, while the one who does the will of God will be fulfilled in this life (for His grace is sufficient) and will live forever in the eternal ages to come.
The person who does the will of God will abide forever, while the one who does not do the will of God, by hankering after the transitory things of this fleeting world which are here today but tomorrow are thrown into the fire, will suffer eternal loss - loss of their life for the unbeliever and loss of their reward for the carnal Christian.
were the words of a young missionary who gave his life in service to God.
How foolish, therefore, to go against God's will for our lives, in order to hold on to the fading things of this fleeting world system that are to transitory in nature, rather than doing God's will by holding fast to the truth of His Word and looking for our blessed hope and life everlasting.
The lusts of the flesh and the pride of life are futile and false, but the things of God are eternal and will last forever.
His love will never fail, His promises are everlasting, and His truth will endure throughout all generations.Let us beware - for the passing cravings of this life can subtly allure us away from God’s permanent path of purity and His secure way of wisdom.
Death has no more dominion over Christ, and He is the firstborn from the dead, paving the way for the bodily resurrection and everlasting life for all who believe in Him by grace through faith.
It gives power to our Christian life in this world and guarantees our future inheritance with Christ in heaven, to Whom be all praise and glory, through time and into eternity.
Paul places much emphasis on the quality of leaders in the Church and begins to list the character traits that should be evident in the life of every man who takes on a responsibility in Church eldership: An elder (or overseer) must be above reproach.
And the Father loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, so that all who believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
The first man Adam, was made a living being, but the last Adam, JESUS, was sent from above to become a Life-Giving Spirit - a Man who gives life.
And He became that Life-Giving Spirit when He rose from the dead. He alone would have eternal life within Himself.
He lived a sinless life and died a sacrificial death as payment for man's sin.
He obediently carried out His Father's will, and qualified as man's Kinsman-Redeemer, becoming a Life-Giving Spirit.
So the Father sent the Son to become the sinless Son of Man, and to Him was given the power of everlasting life.
Jesus, the God-Man, was given life within Himself, (a Life-Giving Spirit), the authority to judge His kinsfolk, (fallen humanity), and the ability to give life to all who would believe on His name.
For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given ALL judgment to the Son. By giving all judgement to Jesus, Who is the second Adam, as well as the sin-sacrifice, with life within Himself, God is returning Man into his original position on earth, with dominion over all creation, as determined before man fell.
The Word of God is not only our plumb-line for truth but also should be our handbook for life and living.
All Scripture has been written for our learning, but the New Testament epistles give specific guidance and instruction on living the Christian life in this Church dispensation.God has given us all we need for life and godliness, and we have been given the holy Scriptures which provide clear teaching on how to walk in spirit and truth and why we should abide in Christ and He in us.We have the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead us in the way we should go, Who has promised to lead and guide in all things... and we have Christ's assurance that His grace is sufficient for every eventuality we may face – for when we are weak in our own abilities, we have His precious promise that His strength will enable us to stand fast in the evil day.The instructions earlier in the epistle of James, cover a wide range of topics that enable the believer to live a life that is honouring to the Lord.
And James also teaches about the effects of true and false wisdom – the cause of covetousness and its righteous cure.And here in this verse, the apostle simply explains to his readers the consequences of knowing what is godly and honourable in the sight of the Lord, and yet refusing to carry it out... therefore, he warns, to the one who knows the right thing to do yet does not do it, to him it is sin.The man or woman who has become a child of God by faith, may not be under the law of Moses, but we are most certainly under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and James teaches that to know what is good but to do what is evil – whether in thought, word, or deed, dishonours the Lord Who bought us with His precious blood and blemishes our testimony for Christ.As children of God, our motive and attitude should be to live for Christ every moment of the day – to present our lives as a living sacrifice to Him, to trust His Word and walk in utter dependence on Him, moment by moment, and for His greater glory.Living the Christian life as God intended and instructed, should be the main aim of the Christian, and failure to do so is identified by James as a sin which should be confessed to the Lord and addressed in our life if we are to remain in holy fellowship with the Father and grow in grace, to His honour and glory.
In this section of his letter to Timothy, Paul gives vital instruction concerning the normal Christian life and maturing in the faith.
We saw in the Gospels, the necessity of prayer in the life of the Lord Jesus, and Paul's epistles contain many inspired prayers that have encouraged saints down through centuries of time.
Old and New Testament saints alike have discovered the power of prayer and the importance of prayer in the life of a child of God - and here in his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul urges believers to Make entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, on behalf of all men.
Paul lists four types of prayer that should be used in both a communal prayer group and in one's individual prayer life: 1) entreaties 2) prayers 3) intercessions and 4) the giving of thanks.
Our whole approach to God in our prayer-life should be one of reverence and thankfulness, humility, trust, and love.
He was and is co-equal with the Father in work, in knowledge, in the resurrecting of the dead, and in giving life to all who will believe on His name.
Christ is indeed the self-existent one Who, like the Father, has life in Himself, but sadly due to religiosity and legalism, the truth of the glorious gospel of grace was hidden from these religious leaders underneath a black cloud of unbelief.
But how often we desire a life that is free from trouble and swimming in happy blessings.
How often our pleading prayer is for an escape from the fiery trials that we may be facing, without recognising that there are important lessons in all circumstances of life which God desires for us to learn; lessons which teach us spiritual truths that we might otherwise have missed.
He reminds us that, even though for a time we have to endure many trials in life, there is wonderful joy ahead.
Let us be increasingly aware that the trials of life are used by God for our eternal benefit and for His greater glory.
Paul discovered the wonderful truth that God's grace is sufficient to meet all the difficulties and dangers that we may encounter in life.
This is one who will grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the man or woman who chooses to take God at His Word and live their Christian life trusting all He says, no matter how much their emotions, feelings, or circumstances seem to scream the opposite, is the man or woman that will be taught by the Spirit of God and come to a deeper understanding, as He gently guides them into all truth.
He alone could stand in the gap for fallen man and offer His life as a ransom for many.And so, the incarnate God Who created all things from the beginning and through Whom all things hold together and function, was sent to earth in the likeness of sinful flesh. A body was prepared for Him in the womb of a virgin.
The heavy yoke of bondage to sin is a weighty burden we all have to carry on the treadmill of life, which causes physical weariness, spiritual fatigue, and emotional exhaustion.
Jesus is the well-spring of Life and the Light that has come into the world to give hope to all who will trust on His name for salvation, and His invitation to 'COME' is for whosoever will.
May we keep the Lord Jesus in His rightful position, at the centre of our life... for when He is the focus of our heart, other things are kept within a correct perspective.
And Christ's life is a testimony of the way God desires all men to live.
Jesus Christ lived His entire life in willing surrender to the leading and guiding of the Father and His entire ministry demonstrated His Messianic claims and served and a dependable witness to His God-given authority.
I can do nothing on My own initiative, Jesus informed them for He was living His life as God created man to live..
Paul was a man of prayer who believed that, although everything in life was subject to God's divine will, eternal purpose, and sovereign permission, God also hears the intercessions of the saints and answers the prayers of His servants - causing all things to work together for our good and for His own glory.
He loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son as the sacrifice for sin so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
It tells that Jesus was sent as an expression of the indescribable love of God for us: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
And so out of love for us, God gave His only begotten Son as the sacrifice for sin and to take the punishment that WE deserve: So that all who believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
But in His goodness, grace, mercy, and love, He gave His beloved Son to live a perfect life and die a sacrificial death so that all who believe in Him will not be condemned, but live eternally.
God loves sinners with a passion, but cannot look in sin, and so He Who knows the end from the beginning, predetermined in eternity past to redeem His fallen race by providing a substitute for sin; a perfect Man Who would pay the price of sin and receive the punishment that WE deserve so that WHOSOEVER believes on Him would not perish but have eternal life.
The forgiveness of sin, life everlasting, and the gates of heaven itself are flung open wide to whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
All who are thirsty will be given the living water of life to drink. They will not be hurt by the second death, their souls will be refreshed, and the Lord will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
But who is the one who says, It is done... I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.? Who promises to give the living water of life to everyone who thirsts?
He is the Anchor of our soul, the Bread of Life, the Living Water, and He is the One who gives the water of eternal life to whosoever thirsts, for He is the One Who has provided salvation, by grace through faith in Him.
Peace is one of many beautiful characteristics that are manifested as fruit of the Spirit in the life of a believer who is growing in grace and being conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus.
An attitude of tranquillity should be part of a normal Christian life, for we receive peace with God when we are justified by faith in Christ's finished work on Calvary, and we have ongoing access to the peace of God when we remain in fellowship with Him - in purity of heart - in the unity of the spirit.
As we analyse the conditions that keep us in fellowship with the Father and safeguard His peace in our hearts, we find it comes down to trusting God for all things, however difficult, through prayer and supplication, with a heart of thanksgiving and praise, and a life that honours our Father in heaven.
And because fellowship with the Father is broken when through sin, carnality, indifference, or unbelief, it is evident that Paul is urging these believers to live a life that is well-pleasing to the Lord in thought, word, deed, and motive.
And as we go through life, we are even called to rejoice in our adversities, knowing that adversity and suffering works endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
This is the time when God's wrath will be poured out on an unbelieving world which has rejected His many calls to repentance, both through various prophets of Israel and through the Christian Church, who invite ALL to COME, drink of the living water of life - and be saved.
Paul knew the Lord Jesus as his Saviour but desired to know Him more fully, for he recognised that the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ was the most important and precious thing in this life and in the life to come.
Paul desired to be inwardly formed into the image and likeness of Christ so that he could live the new-life in Christ, as much as he was able, in his weak, fleshly body.
He had already received the assurance of his bodily resurrection and everlasting life when he first believed.
He also knew that salvation is the first stride and not the final step in our Christian life.
And so he strove to attain the outworking of Christ's Resurrection in his life by dying to self and his own personal desires and living for Christ and doing all for the glory of God.
May we strive, day by day, to be conformed to His death in order that we may attain to the resurrection from the dead. And every day in the life of a Christian is a day when we can die to self and our own, personal desires and live for Christ and do all to the glory of God.
Most of that generation missed their Messiah and are placed under condemnation as prophesied, but the little remnant of Israel who accepted Christ's message of salvation at His First Coming, received the promised restoration; the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
They were the favoured ones who laid the foundation for the Church age, and like all who trust in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ, are no longer under condemnation but have been raised into newness of life in Him.
When Paul prays for his brothers and sisters in Christ, he does not focus on the day-to-day material needs of the saints nor on other physical matters and necessities of life.
He knows that unless our Christian life produces the fruit of the Spirit; long-suffering, patience, love, and joy, as well as humility, goodness, kindness, and self-control, it will profit us nothing and will not glorify our Father, Who is in heaven.
Indeed, it is only through the might of His power that the beautiful fruit of the Spirit can be produced in the life of a believer, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
The little book of Proverbs is overflowing with great truths which, if taken to heart by believers and applied to their every-day Christian life, would turn the tables on the wiles of the wicked one, whose evil desire is to render the witness of born-again believers as impotent.
God identified His name to Moses as: I AM that I AM, for He is everything that we need in every area of life.
David discovered the Lord was his Tender Shepherd Who laid down His life for the sheep, and Ezekiel worshiped the Righteous God Whose name is JESUS.
We are to hold fast to the Word of life and everything we do is to be done without complaining or questioning the providence of God.
Perhaps the little word 'ALL' is the pivotal crux upon which this directive from Paul rests, for it is easy to be content when life is pleasing or if people are thoughtful, caring, and kind.
What godly lives we would live if it were not for the foibles of others!But this life is fraught with disappointments and disturbances and we are warned that murmuring is the consequence of unbelief, while disputing is the product of a discontented heart which brings in its wake grievances, disease, envy, and sin, as exemplified in Israel’s forty-year long wilderness wanderings when the people murmured against God's wisdom and complained about His gracious provision.God, in His wisdom, knows that patient-endurance, humility of heart, and a soul that trusts in the Lord, does not spring forth from a stress-free life but is the out-working of a man or woman who has received God’s sufficient grace to face any temptation or trial which may happen along the way.Paul knew that a Christ-like character is not birthed from a bed of ease and that blameless integrity and spiritual maturity takes many long years, if not a lifetime, to fully develop as one is tried like silver or honed in a millstone of suffering. God uses the storms, sadness, disappointments, and dangers of everyday life, as well as the difficult people that cross our path, to conform us into the likeness of Christ.Let us, therefore, resist the temptation to enter into murmurings and disputes with one another and let us trust the Lord in all things so that our lives will be a living sacrifice that becomes, to Him, a sweet fragrance and we will become blameless and pure children of God, without fault in this warped and crooked generation.
We are not to be anxious about anything, but are to bring everything in life to the Lord in prayer.
The more we recognise God's sovereign hand in our daily problems and life's uncertainties, the more our anxious thoughts will melt away.
There is nothing too great and nothing too small that cannot be given to the Lord, and there is no area in our life or the lives of others, about which we cannot come boldly to the throne of grace.
When we worry, we focus on the circumstances of life, but in prayer, we focus on our Heavenly Father.
By grace through faith we are one with Him, and in the power of the Spirit have been imputed with the righteousness of God and have the sinless life of Christ dwelling within.
This selfish and uncaring attitude in a Christian does not invalidate their salvation as some like to teach, but it does show they are carnal and out of fellowship with the Father, for the love of God is not being reflected in their life.
David had a long life which was filled with untold blessings.
He recognised His power in the darkness of the waters and the thick canopy of clouds, and David blessed the Lord as he recalled elements of God's work in his life, during his kingly reign.
It appears that this psalm was written early on in David's life, and yet it seems to be one upon which the elderly king reflected, as the time of his death drew nearer.
It is the Lord Himself Who has life within Himself.
It is God Who is being exalted, for He the Giver of life and the Sustainer of life.
He is the deathless One, Whose endless life stretches from eternity past into the ages to come and eternity future.
And He gives life to ALL who believe on His name, and trust in the redeeming blood of His only begotten Son.
For just as the Father has life in Himself, He gave to the Son also, to have life within Himself.
It is no wonder that David opened his hymn of praise, proclaiming, the Lord LIVETH, for all who believe are transferred from the kingdom of death into His eternal kingdom of life.
All who are credited with righteousness through faith, have the new life of Christ breathed into our soul, for though Adam became a living soul, Jesus became a life-giving spirit.
And through faith in Him, we have newness of life, and are granted His everlasting life within.
No doubt, as David reflected on life and living, in the knowledge that the Messiah was coming one day to sit on his throne and establish an everlasting kingdom, that David cried out, blessed be my Rock and exalted be the GOD of my salvation. David knew his Saviour was coming one day, and together with all Old Testament saints, he looked forward to that day of redemption and rejoiced in the God of their salvation, Who was to come.
And we know Him as our Redeemer, in Whom are the words of eternal life.
May we ponder on the blessings of this life, the eternal life we have in Christ, and the abundant life that He has given to all who believe.
But let us also be careful to give this precious young virgin the honour and respect due to her position - for the responsibility, heart-ache, confusion, and even the disgrace of being pregnant before her marriage to Joseph, must have affected her deeply, throughout her earthly life.
No doubt the words of Gabriel remained with Mary to her life's end: Greetings, favoured one!
He raised the dead, forgave the sinner, gave relief to the poor and brought good news of great joy which is for all people - for He came as the light of the world in darkness, the bread of life for the hungry and the living water for those that are thirsty. He is the rock of our salvation - for in Him alone are the words of eternal life.
He came so that all who believe on Him would not perish but have life everlasting.
After 38 years of sickness this man was cleanses and made whole by Jesus, the Creator of the world - the Author and Sustainer of all life.
Life began to stream into the once empty void so that the air was filled with great flocks of flying birds, the land swarmed with all kinds of of living creatures, and the waters teemed with all sorts of aquatic life.
In his final greeting to the Church at Thessalonica, Paul gives various warnings and exhortations to the Body of Christ on how to live a godly life that is worthy of our position in Christ.
God has set clear biblical standards for the normal Christian life, as outlined in the Church epistles and which are founded on the teachings of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself being the foundation stone.
It was for love of the world that God sent His beloved Son to earth to be the sacrifice for our sin, so that whoever believes in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.
It was also for love of the Church, which is His Body, that the Lord Jesus willingly gave up His life, so that she might be set apart, perfected, and changed into His likeness, through a lifelong process of 'sanctification'.
No matter what life's circumstances throw at us and however difficult our problems may be, we have His great assurance and promise that He will be with us throughout life's journey, that He is coming soon, and that He is anticipating His return as eagerly as we look forward to His soon arrival.
He learned that despite the difficulties and problems life throws at each of us, a heart that praises God translates into a soul whose faith is fortified.
He came to fulfil His ministry of reconciliation and to offer His life, as the ransom price for sin.
However, figuratively, literally or both, Elijah will come, like a voice, crying in the wilderness during the Great Tribulation, Repent of your sin and turn back to the true and living God, and choose life rather than death.
Elijah will come to testify to the truth of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
However, there is no hope for those who deny the Son of God, in Whom are the redeeming words of eternal life and hope.
While-ever there is life, the offer of salvation remains open, but today must be the day of salvation for the sinner, if tomorrow is not to end up in eternal destruction.
May we fulfil our calling and become ministers of reconciliation between God and man so that some will turn from their wicked ways and trust in the Lord for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
They want them to flourish and prosper, and parents will often try to teach their children the values in life that they themselves have treasured.
Too often, however, the things that are valued by earthly parents come from the fleeting pleasures of this world and pander to the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - but in the book of Proverbs, we discover king Solomon giving wise advice to his son which we would all do well to consider and reflect upon.
Solomon had discovered that a reverential fear of the Lord is the first step towards godly wisdom and understanding which alone provides the fulfilment in life we all seek.
Solomon had been endowed with great wisdom that surpassed the wisdom of all others, but he spent much of his life seeking pleasure and fulfilment in the wrong places.
He discovered that life does not consist in the amount of wealth we possess, the popularity we gain, the accumulation of goods and shackles, or a powerful position in the community.
Solomon discovered, through his frenetic search for fulfilment in life, that the things this world values are ultimately a striving after the wind, but that The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
We see His plans and purposes unfurl as we come to a deeper understanding of Who He is through the life and death of His only begotten Son Who died for the sin of the world.
The sun was darkened, the earth quaked and a silent heaven looked on in wonder as man's Kinsman-Redeemer, offered His sinless life in full payment for the sin of the whole world.
How vital to abide in Christ and He is us, so that we may walk in newness of life and be enabled to stand fast in the evil day knowing that greater is He Who is in us than he who is in the world,
And it is not by self-effort, extensive training, mortification, or ignoring the presence of sin in our life that we can be forgiven of our sins and have our lives redeemed from death.
Their unloving attitude towards each other was manifest in many areas of life and so they were charged by Paul to act appropriately: But love does not behave itself improperly, for love seeketh not its own and is not selfish and self-centered.
Sadly, the thoughts of the minds of these carnal Christians were continuously evil, for they had reverted to living the way of the world where they were dominated by the old sin nature rather than walking in spirit, truth, and love, being subject to their new life in Christ and yielded to the indwelling Spirit of God.
Throughout His earthly life, the Lord Jesus was demonstrating to His disciples that He was fully God yet fully Man.
He was the one that was physically thirsty by the well in Samaria and yet He could cry, Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.
And throughout His life, the Lord Jesus sought to demonstrate that He and the Father were ONE - one in nature - one in Spirit - one in unity with each other - one God in three Persons.
He lived His life in submission to the Father and He walked throughout His life in the power of the Spirit, just as we should live in Him.
And throughout His life, His human body was the temple in which His Father resided, and the Lord Jesus lived and moved and had His being in the Father so that He could truly say: You Father are in Me and I am in You.
Just as Christ's life witnessed of His oneness and unity with the Father, so His prayer for you and me is that our lives are to be one with Him and in unity with each other so that the world may know that You sent Me and that You have loved them as you loved Me.
He boldly proclaims that nothing can shake his deep trust in his Lord his God and it rejoices his heart to make mention of the Lord's perfect righteousness and His never-failing faithfulness.This man proclaims that God had been his daily support in times past, and he bears witness that into the twilight years of his journey through life, the Lord alone remains his ongoing strength and everlasting song.
The duties of the day and responsibilities of life will continue to bear down upon this man, but God's servant has learned that those who wait on the Lord will have their strength renewed and their souls refreshed... for the Lord’s righteousness is immeasurable and His salvation lasts throughout all generations.No matter what fears and foes are crouched at his door and irrespective of the arrows that fly by day or the pestilence that lurks in the dusk, the psalmist has placed his lifelong confidence in the righteous Lamb of God to deliver him.
Wonderful though it is to see the Lord at work in the life of a child or young adult, there is something very special about the elderly saint who has walked with the Lord for many decades, who continues to proclaim the wonderful works of God and to rejoice in the righteousness that comes from His alone.
Today, we should endeavour to follow the whole counsel of God in our marriages and relationships so that our practice and principles should line up with God's Word and God's Word should be reflected in every area of our life.
Whether we are married or remain unmarried, may we be a living witness of a life that honours the Lord, in all we say and do so that others may see Jesus in us.
It was at this critical time in Abraham's life, that God gave His greatest promise to His obedient servant: And when He made this promise, since He could swear by no one greater, God swore by Himself.
God's promise to Abraham includes ALL who believe in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
The Lord is a Refuge from the storms of life and a Defence from the enemy that prowls around, as a roaring lion, seeking to sift the lone pilgrim as wheat, and to fling him into the miry depths of deep despair.And so... as the Rock on which we stand and the Fortress in which we shelter, the Lord becomes our Deliverer from our enemies, and our Strength in times of trouble.
Our Provider in times of need, and our Joy in times of sadness. David was never removed from the difficulties and danger of life, but he proved that God was the one that kept him safe in the storm and protected him from the attacks of the enemy.
David proved that the Lord our God is a faithful God, Who will not let us be tried beyond our ability to endure, but will also provide the way of escape, that we may be able to endure life's problems and pain, and we have all been given that same wonderful promise.
However, we are subject to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which is laid out in the New Testament epistles, and as blood-bought children of God, our conduct, behaviour, actions, attitudes, and motive is equally important if we are to walk in His ways and honour His name - and should be wholeheartedly embraced.
The eternal Son of God has had life in Himself from before time began, before space was created, before matter was spoken into being, and before man was formed from the dust of the ground.
The eternal Son of God Who had life in Himself from eternity past, was born into the human race that He Himself had created in His own image and likeness.
He was the perfect Son of Man Who would willingly give His own life as the only acceptable ransom-price for the sin of the whole world.
It would be through the sacrificial death of His own life, and for the sake of fallen man, that the perfect Son of Man would receive authority from on high to give His resurrected life to all who would believe on His name.
The Lord Jesus was not simply referring to the physical resurrection of people like Lazarus, Jairus' daughter, or the dead son of the widow of Nain, but to all who would hear and receive His message of salvation, and trust in His own redeeming blood for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
God alone can forgive sins and He alone can give life, but God is Spirit and only the shed blood of a perfect Man could atone for the sins of the whole world.
Only God in the flesh could pick up His cross, learn obedience by the things that He suffered, walk the way of the death and raise Himself from the dead so that His resurrected life could be imparted to all who believe in Him.
And so in His grace, the eternal Son of God stripped Himself of His heavenly garments and was made in the likeness of sinful man so that by His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, He would rise to life immortal and be given the authority from on high to give His resurrected life to all who would trust in His sacrificial death for salvation.
Nicodemus may have known the letter of the Law, but He did not know the Word of truth, the Word of life, the Word of light, and the Word of salvation about Whom the Scriptures were written.
And the beautiful gospel of grace brings with it eternal life, which is sweetness and light to all who believe.
Grace and truth came to us through the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the transforming light that streams into the inner recesses of man's bitter soul, bringing new life and new hope and new joy into the inner recesses of man's spirit.
Although Jesus was fully God in power and essence, He set aside His glory and came to earth as a man to live a perfect life in order to demonstrate how God designed man to live on earth - in perfect submission to the Father's will.
Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again so that whosoever believes on HIM will not perish but have everlasting life.No one comes to the Father but by Me, were the words of Christ to a lost race of sinners, for He is the Word of God Who was made flesh and was chosen to be the one intermediary, the singular intercessor, the sole adjudicator, the only Mediator between God and man.
Paul longed to know Christ and the power of His Resurrection, but his heart was also to share in Christ's suffering, for he desired intimate association with the Lord Who bought him, in the everyday circumstances of his life.
He identified with us when He died in our place so that we can identify with Him in the likeness of His resurrected life.
But as a member of His Body, we are not only grafted into His death but also joined together with Him in His resurrected life. We are united in life with our resurrected Lord.
His death became our death, but His resurrected life became our new, resurrected life, a life which is everlasting.
Paul knew the importance of having a close relationship with His Saviour, which caused him to rejoice and say, The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
When we are united with Him, the power of the sin nature is severed so that we are enabled to live in newness of life in which grace reigns; the new life of Christ within.
We are positioned in Him through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and it is by being baptised into the Body of Christ at salvation, that we become identified with His death as well as His life.
Like Paul, we need to acknowledge who we are in Christ and we should desire that close intimacy with Him in the everyday circumstances of life.
No matter what one's station in life, geographical location, or bank balance, Solomon identified purity of heart and graciousness of speech as the characteristics he found so endearing in those he chose to call his friends.
Purity and grace only comes through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but in Him we have everything we need for life and purity, goodness, and grace.
The law of sin and death has been replaced by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
Because the predominant audience for the book of Hebrews was initially Jewish believers in Christ, there are many references to Old Testament rules and regulations which have been superseded because of the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ Who gave His life as the full and final sacrifice for sin.
'SOUL' in Hebrews is interchangeable with the word 'LIFE'.
Saving one's 'soul' or saving one's 'life' does not refer to eternal salvation, but to living one's life in such a way that God is honoured.
It is a life that becomes progressively and eternally meaningful, as the child of God lays up for himself treasure in heaven, to the honour and glory of God.
Let us live a life that honours God so that our life produces fruit to the glory of God.
For an unbeliever, the saving of the soul is salvation by grace through faith, BUT when we are already born again, the saving of our soul occurs when a believer lives their life for Christ and dies to self.
Such a life will receive heavenly rewards and give glory to God.
But every attack on Christianity has its roots in Satan's demonic agenda which is designed to blaspheme the God of heaven and earth, to discredit His holy Word, to belittle the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross, to blind the eyes of the unsaved who are perishing, and to shipwreck the lives of those that have been saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The Christians at Galatia had started their Christian life so well... by trusting in the Lord Jesus for salvation by faith.
They became believers by simply trusting in Christ for their justification but once they were saved, they were soon urged by the Judaisers to continue their Christian life in their own strength, by their own effort, through their own merit, by legalistically carrying out fleshly works of the Law which sadly placed them in condemnation.
It is not sufficient to say that I can't control my thought life, for in Christ we have been given all that we need for life and godliness, and He has promised to supply all we need according to His riches in glory.
We are so designed, that taking every thought captive to Christ and fixing our mind on Him is a conscious choice, which we all have to make when problems and difficulties arise in our mind, or when life's circumstances weigh heavily upon our heart.
He won’t leave you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the Lord’s house is finished. These and other examples demonstrate that courage and faith are closely linked in the life of a believer.
He wanted to develop in them a godly courage that is fed by trusting the Lord in every situation in life, knowing that without Him they could do nothing - but that with Him at the helm, all things are possible.And so it is with us.
The new life we received at salvation is being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ, as we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and gain a more intimate knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
However, in his personal reflections and extensive research Solomon came to recognise the futility of life without God, and this wisest of all kings, whose understanding and wisdom surpasses all others, finally reached his ultimate conclusion, which contains prudent counsel for every-man, fear God, and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.
The new creation has been reconciled to the Father and enjoys the freedom of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, our Saviour.
Today in this Church age, there is no Levitical system - no rituals to follow, no religious practices to perform, no compulsory feast day or other legal requirements in which to engage... all who believe God's Word and trust in His only begotten Son for the forgiveness of sins, are not only saved by God's grace and declared righteous before Him, but ALSO have become part of a new creation, where the OLD nature was crucified with Christ and we have received a NEW nature - Christ's own perfect nature - His own resurrected life.
Not only have we been declared righteous by faith but also we have been given the indwelling Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which has set us free from enslavement to the old sin nature and freed us from the power of sin in our daily lives.
We are clothed with a new spiritual life by faith and not by works, and begin a process whereby we are being transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, Himself.
He would be the second Man - the last Adam Who would redeem humanity through the sacrifice of His own, perfect life and the shedding of His own, sinless, human blood.
He was the promised SEED of Abraham Who was preordained be born through Abraham, Isaac, and Israel - and through Him all the families of the earth have been blessed - and all who believe in His death, burial, and Resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, will be saved.
The gospel message is clear and uncompromising - that those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are not under condemnation, but have passed from death to life.
They have been forgiven and will receive eternal life.
They do not follow the Way and obey the Truth but rather they go their own way, they disobey the truth, and in so doing they reject God's free offer of salvation; the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus (which is accessed by faith) for God's wrath was poured out upon Him in our stead and we have been forgiven and have received the gift of eternal life by God's grace and through faith in Christ.
David learned many things about the Lord in his life-time, and one important lesson was that no matter how dark the night of doubt and sorrow, how mountainous the problems he had to face, or how fierce the enemy that stalks our path, God is our help and strength, and He is our shield and buckler.
Every other good thing that pertains to spiritual life; eternal life, eternal love, eternal hope, eternal joy, eternal peace, eternal prosperity, and eternal grace, is also given.
While-ever there is life, the unspeakably precious gift from God is still available to whosoever will accept God's indescribable gift - His only begotten Son.
There is no mountain too lofty that cannot be moved at His command; there are no waters too wide that He cannot bridge, and there is no occasion or circumstance in life that you are facing to which He will not respond.
All that we have to do is to appropriate them so that no matter how fiercely the storms of life batter our tiny boat, we have confidence in the One Who rules the tempest with His Word and causes the stormy seas to be still.No matter what life throws your way, you can have confidence in the truth of God’s Word and joyously proclaim, The Lord is my strength and He is my peace.
Both unsaved sinners and carnal Christians who carry out the works of the flesh, can display the ungodly characteristics associated with envy, jealousy, selfish ambition, and the pride of life which manifest in disorder and every evil thing.
Earlier, he taught about the freedom we have in Christ and that trying to reintroduce works of the Law into our Christian life, as the Judaisers taught, would place us back under its bondage.
In this section, Paul wants his readers to apply the truth of God's Word and appropriate what is already ours by faith in Christ, for we have ALL we need for life and godliness, as a gift of God's grace.
We are to live a life that honours the Lord Jesus Who bought us.
But as a good steward of the manifold grace of God, through faith in Christ, Peter urges us to live a God-honouring life, reminding us that as a soldier of Christ we should not be surprised when we suffer for His sake, but consider it both a privilege and an honour.
Suffering should be understood as part of a normal Christian life and when we understand and accept this, our whole attitude towards suffering will change.
But God, in His grace, had established a secondary Law that supersedes the Law of sin and death - the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
It is the love of the Father-heart of God that sent His only begotten Son into the world to be the sacrifice for the sin of humanity - so that whosoever believes on HIM would not perish, but have everlasting life.
And it is by His grace that we have passed from death to life.
It is by grace - through our faith in Jesus that we have been given eternal life and an everlasting inheritance that is kept for us in heaven.
The Almighty everlasting Word, willingly became flesh and dwelt amongst us - and humbly and obediently carried out the word and will of the Father in every area of His life - even to death on the cross.
Paul's life had been turned upside-down and inside-out as a result of his encounter with the Lord of glory..
Who is seated on the right hand of the Majesty on high -for He is our God and Saviour, Who laid down His life so that we might live.
Physical hunger requires food for the body, but spiritual hunger requires spiritual food for the soul and Christ had just announced that He is the Bread of Life, the spiritual food that came down from heaven.
God knows the end from the beginning and in His omniscience, God knows all who will one day exercise their God-given free-will and choose to believe on the only begotten Son of God for the salvation of their soul, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting.
The Father gives to the Son all who choose to place their trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Sometimes the urgent things of life have to give way to the thing that is really important, and sometimes the good has to be set aside or renounced for the best.
But being saved by grace through faith and clothed in Christ is not the end goal but the beginning of our new life in Him, and every day we should strive to know Him more, to love Him better, to listen to His voice, to obey His Word, and to develop an ever-closer relationship with Him. This demands a singleness of purpose, a sole objective – one determined aim.
Paul knew that knowing Christ was an ongoing process through this life and into the eternal ages to come.
He puts his body under subjection, harnesses his time, employs his talents, and fine-tunes his actions and attitude for the glory of God.Such a man keeps his eye on the goal of his calling as he runs the race of life through its many pitfalls and problems.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 15: I was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and all four Gospels trace Christ's life and ministry within Israel.
God used His life as a living illustration of Israel's spiritual adultery and gross apostasy, as contrasted with the long-suffering mercy, boundless love, and inexhaustible grace of God.
They were ready to use Paul and his fellow-labourers in the Lord as a pattern for life, just as Paul patterned himself after the Lord Jesus.
As the body of Christ, we are to be united in love, to walk in the way of the Lord Jesus, and to live the same type of life that He lived.
We are to die to self as we live for Christ, and so Paul gave us the admonition to live the same way that he lived and to imitate the way that he lived out his Christian life.
We have to have the absolute assurance that His grace is sufficient for every eventuality of life, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
May we never forget that we have an assurance that if we die to the old self-life and live the new life of Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit, (as did this great apostle of God), our consolations will more than compensate for the inevitable afflictions and difficulties that accompany the lives of all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Having laid out some important teaching on post-Cross Christianity, the final chapter of Hebrews gives an important overview of the actions and attitudes that believers should foster in everyday life.
He wanted to reassure these dear believers that God is able to take ALL life's circumstances, both good or evil, and use them to forward His eternal plans and purposes, for His greater praise and glory.
Jesus had been teaching His disciples the principles and practice of righteousness in the life of a believer and the spiritual priorities that should govern our behaviour.
He emphasised the importance of living our lives in dependence upon Him and charged us to live our life as unto the Lord and not for the applause of men.
Christians find it all too easy to pass judgement on another member of Christ's Body if their behaviour or life-style does not reflect their own walk with Christ (or what they think it should look like), but none of us has the right to judge the motive or conscience of another believer.
However, there are many areas in the Christian life where we have been given the right and authority to make judgements, which include disputes within a church body, the corrective role of elders in a congregation of believers, and especially in the area of doctrinal error.
And for a whole chapter, Peter reminds us of our glorious position in Christ and the privileges that accompany our new life in Him.
But since we have been partakers of the goodness of God, and since we have been born into a living hope in Christ Jesus, we are called to earnestly desire the milk of the Word, to guard against the lust of the flesh, and to flee from selfish pride and a carnal life-style.
The birth of every baby is a wonderful miracle of life, but the birth of the Lord Jesus was the miracle of new life that had been planned by the Most High God in eternity past.
He would live a perfect life, trusting His Father in submission to the Holy Spirit as an example of how unfallen man should live in a fallen world.
He would be falsely accused, cruelly beaten, and sentenced to be crucified on a Roman cross so that all that believe on Him would be given the wonderful miracle of His new life in Christ.
LIFE that only comes through trusting Him as Saviour, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father, David.
At first, he makes an appeal for Christian unity in every sphere of life and urges each of us to walk worthy of our calling.
We are to eschew all forms of jealousy, vindictiveness, and vengeful thoughts, for resentment and bitterness can give the devil an opportunity to shipwreck a life, tarnish a believer's testimony, or stunt a Christian's spiritual growth.
Let us rejoice in the enormous privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus, but let us also take on board the great responsibility we have for living a life that honours the Lord, by putting off the old man and putting on the new.
Our union with our God can never be broken, but our fellowship with Him and our daily communion can be severed when the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life causes us to stray from the path of righteousness into the destructive dead-end of sin.
Love is a product of the Holy Spirit in the life of a man or woman that is walking in spirit and truth.
It is a spiritual fruit that is expressed in the life of a spiritual Christian.
It has its roots in Christ and is only expressed in a regenerate life which is in fellowship with the Father.
The absence of divine love is an established, biblical fact in the life of an unregenerate man or the unsaved woman... although they may be well able to exhibit human affection through parental love, sexual love, inter-relational love or cultural love - it can never correspond with divine love which is a spiritual fruit from the Spirit of God that is manifested in a child of God.
The Bible reminds us that God is manifested through a concrete act - the gift of Christ as our sin-substitute: God so loved the world that He gave His unique and incomparable Son, so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
Paul was a man that was beset by troubles and trial and had to face many dangers and disappointments in his Christian life.
What a wake-up call to Paul, who in his religious fervour discovered that it was Jesus Who gave His life sacrificially, so that by faith in Him..
he might find forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
W hen Paul realised the depth of his sin and the grace of God that was offered to him - he desired to live his life as a living sacrifice unto the Lord.
Jesus lived His entire life in complete and utter dependence upon God, content to lay aside His eternal glory and pray in humble obedience: Thy will not mine be done.
Like the Thessalonian Christians, we know that coming 'Day of the Lord' is fast approaching, so let us be watchful and vigilant, and live a life that is pleasing unto the Lord, in eager expectation of Christ's any-day return.
The direction of our life, the tenor of our conversation, and the disposition of our hearts should always be pleasing to the Lord, for we are God’s children.
Hearts that seek the Lord learn to be satisfied in every situation of life and the person who is content is one that is not beset by envy or greed.
Being comfortable with our life situation, kindling a heart that is content with our lot, and keeping ourselves from an attitude of covetousness, will enable us to live a positive Christian life and the writer to the Hebrews instructs us in this way: Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He, Himself, has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.'
Contentment is one of the unnamed cousins of the fruit of the Spirit, for it has conquered the evil lust of covetousness which can be identified in many ungodly behaviours... like the lusts of the world, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life.
Let us ponder on these comforting words of the Lord when we are tempted to envy the life of another or allow seeds of discontent to be sown in our hearts.
Titus was a prominent minister of the gospel, and Paul recognised that the out-working of his life could be offered as an exemplary model of the Christian faith for others to imitate, for his godly lifestyle was a practical demonstration of the doctrine he taught: In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, Paul urged, Conduct yourself with purity in doctrine and be dignified and sound in speech, which is beyond reproach.
May we live a life that is so Christ-focussed that we become a practical outworking of the doctrine we have learned and a living testimony to the God we serve.
Today we often find life to be difficult and encompassed about by many problems, but we should take note of this call to praise and worship and lift up our hearts by praising the Lord, for He is highly to be praise and His greatness is indeed, unsearchable.
David learned that the way to live a victorious life is to remember the unsearchable greatness of our praise-worthy God.
While couching his accusation in flowery language, Eliphaz was basically telling Job that the reason for his downfall was due to unconfessed sin in his life.
He was saying God was sending evil on Job, but it was Satan, not God, who caused the terrible events in Job's life.
Neither Job nor his three friends were aware that it was Satan, not God, who inflicted the many misfortunes in his life.
The bruised reed in this verse is an illustration of a man or woman who has been battered and broken through life's circumstances and whose faith is failing or whose Christian resolve has worn thin.
When a broken life is placed in the hand of this skilled Servant of God, He is able to fashion it into an instrument that is of great value to the Lord.
The flame of a candle can so be easily extinguished by a sharp gust of wind, as can the glowing embers of a few, waxy stalks of flax which have been coaxed into life through a spark from a flint. Rather our gentle Saviour will protect it and fan it into a living flame, for He is the light of the world and He has called us to reflect His light in a darkened world.
He gives strength to the bruised reed and nurtures the smoking flax back to life.
They were to be God's ambassadors on earth, and He made a conditional covenant with them that they would be blessed in every area of life if they would but honour His name, trust His Word, and obey His commands.
Though already justified by God through their faith in Him, Moses set before them a choice - life and prosperity OR death and adversity.
However, once they were redeemed they started to murmur against Him, and their disobedience resulted in 40 long years of wanderings in the wilderness - saved from slavery and redeemed by the Lord, yet alienated from fellowship with God and living a defeated life.
That generation chose death above life - saved but living a defeated life.
Consequently, they did not enjoy the blessings and benefits of a victorious life which trusts the Lord, obeys His commands, and depends on His sufficient strength for the journey through life.
But once saved, God sets before us all life and prosperity OR death and adversity.
To live for God and trust His Word OR to live for self and doubt His Word... to obey His voice as we journey through life OR to disobey the Word of the Lord and waste the short time we have on earth: To save our life (our soul) OR to lose our life (our soul), as Jesus said, for whoever shall save his soul-life shall lose it (death) and whoever loses his soul-life for My sake shall find it (life).
We either live victoriously OR are defeated as we journey through life.
We either take up our cross, become Christ's disciples, and lay up treasure in heaven OR we live a carnal, fleshly life which dishonours the Lord and results in our fleshly works being burned up - saved, yet as though by fire.
This was the choice that lay before this second generation of Israelites as they prepared to cross into the Promised Land and that day, Moses set before them life and prosperity, victory and honour - through living a life of faith, OR death and adversity, defeat and dishonour - through living a life of disobedience.
A few chose to be strong and courageous by trusting the Lord and obeying His Word, and they lived a victorious life for His praise and glory, as recorded in the Bible - but most abandoned the God of their fathers, disobeyed His Word, lived a defeated life, and did only those things which were right in their own eyes.
a simple childlike trust in the Lord Jesus which gave birth to the salvation of the soul for the forgiveness of sins, life everlasting and spiritual growth.
He has the authority to give them life eternal if they would simply open their eyes to the truth and say LORD I believe, help my unbelief..
There IS an urgency in the message that Paul delivered to the Athenians, for the day IS coming when Christ will judge the world in righteousness, but the world needs to know the truth of the gospel of grace - that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised from the dead so that all who believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
How critical to let them know that there is forgiveness of sins and life everlasting for all who trust in the name of Jesus - Who died and rose again from the dead, on our behalf.
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake on that day: some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Oh, we are certainly being sanctified in this life as we grow in grace and mature in the faith through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, but even this group, whom we discover to be the most carnal Christians in the New Testament, have been sanctified in Christ Jesus and set apart unto God.
Should we not seek, day by day, to willingly submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our life, and seek to live godly in Christ Jesus, as we grow in grace? Should we not humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and cry out for Him to search our hearts, test our thoughts, and identify any offensive behaviour in our lives?
The child of God is to have an eternal perspective, and the hope of a reward laid up for us in heaven should be a far greater incentive for us to live a life that is pleasing to the Father than the accumulation of things that will soon pass away in this world.
We are encouraged to be on our guard against all covetousness, for our life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions.
The key issue in guarding against covetousness is the protection of our life, and the word 'LIFE' is often interchanged in the Scriptures with the word 'SOUL'.
Jesus said, He who gains his life/soul on earth will lose his life/soul in heaven, and he who loses his life/soul while here on earth will gain his life/soul in Christ's eternal, heavenly kingdom.
If we spend our earthly life focussing on the things of the world and coveting the things that we do not have, we are wasting our life, we are wasting our soul, for we are living like the unsaved and Paul calls this a carnal Christian life.
For whatever we gain in this life through covetous carnality, results in loss in the next, but those who guard their present life against covetousness by living a spiritual life that is pleasing to the Lord, are laying up treasures in the next.
But in the world to come, the life we lose here will be rewarded with much gain in the next.
How important, therefore, to take care of our life and to be on our guard against all covetousness, for our life does not consist of the abundance of our possessions, but of the treasure we have stored up in heaven.
He does this by providing all that is best for us, rather than all that we think we want.So many of the things that we need are the imminent necessities of life which are confined to this transient world and the fleeting life-span of time and space, which flows from birth to death.
Rather, may we live our lives on earth knowing that this life is fleeting and that our eternal home is in heaven.
Throughout much of His life, David was set about by many dangers and difficulties.
And as we examine the life and times of David the king, we see God working all things together for good. We see troublesome events and various trials in David's life, which God took and used for his own good.
Let us remember that God's loving faithfulness and sovereign power is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and let us seek to depend on Him and trust His promises, no matter what we have to face in this life.
This time had been scheduled from the foundation of the world and Christ's whole life, from His birth in Bethlehem, had been a journey towards this historic moment.
Whosoever will, may come to Him freely and drink of the water of Life, eat of the living Bread, and be transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son, by faith.
James is encouraging us to live a life that is so in tune with Christ that His gracious Spirit shines through our life, and His actions and attitudes are reflected in all we do, until Christ is seen in and through our lives.
James is promoting the lovely qualities of godly wisdom, grace, goodness, and gentleness that are manifest in the life of one who is walking in spirit and truth, while decrying the bitter envy and self-seeking ambition of those whose lives deny the truth and whose hearts are dull towards the Lord.
Such godly qualities are exhibited in a life that is dying to one's own self-interest, while looking to Jesus, and placing the interest and will of Christ at the centre and circumference of their heart's desire, not the promotion of one's own self-seeking ambition, adherence to the wisdom of the world, or engaging in unscrupulous controversies.
Jesus was born under the Law and throughout His life, He kept the Mosaic Law.
He resisted evil on many occasions in His earthly life.
Jesus not only taught the true meaning of the Law, He lived out its principles in His own life - for He was despised and rejected of men, He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, He was falsely accused and led as a lamb to the slaughter, but He did not open His mouth.
May we live a Christlike life, in thought, word, and deed.
Christ's life was one such pattern, and His life was lived in the way that God desires all His children to live - a sacrificial life of dependent trust in the Lord for all things, a holy life that is prepared to say, Thy will, not mine be done, to the glory of God.
Paul used his own life as an example of how to live in spirit and in truth - how to live by faith and not by sight.
He demonstrated a life that had died to its own desires and lived for Christ alone, until he was enabled to say, The life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God... it is not I that live but Christ Who lives in me.
Paul's life was not his own.
It was a life that was lived in sacrificial service to his heavenly Lord.
Just as his life was a living testimony of a godly life, so Paul's teachings are to remain as a benchmark for godly living and sound doctrine.
and not only be forgiven of our sin, but also receive in our body His very life.
Christ, the sacrificial Lamb of God paid the price for sin - so that His righteous - His eternal resurrected life could become the present and eternal possession of all who trust in Him..
The eternal, resurrected life of Christ is given to all believers, to empower us to live each day as Christ lived - in spirit and in truth.
Christ's righteous, risen, eternal life is not only a confident, future certainty but it is also our present, practical possession.
The eternal, resurrected life of Christ, which we receive at the point of our salvation has all we need for life and godliness in this earthly realm - and in the world to come, life everlasting.
Death had no power over the eternal Son of the eternal God for in Him is eternal LIFE.
And because Jesus lived a sinless human life..
The wages of sin are death but the perfect Son of Man lived a sinless life..
BUT God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to become the sin-substitute for the world and the Lord Jesus willingly gave up His own life in order to become the perfect sacrifice and the one acceptable ransom price for the sin of the whole world.
Jesus willingly offered up His sinless life in our place..
Death could not hold Him in the place of death once He had sacrificed His perfect, sinless life on our account.. And so on the third day, as prophesied in Scripture the perfect Son of Man was raised from up from the grave - conquering death on behalf of every man.. who would trust in His name.
But His resurrected, eternal life became our eternally resurrected life - for just as He identified with our sin and died on our account - so we by grace through faith are identified with His life. We died and were buried with Him through baptism into Him death..
and like Christ we too are raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
Christ has been raised from the dead and we too are identified with His resurrected life.
Christ, having been raised from the dead is never to die again - and we who are identified with His life by faith have the same relationship with death - for in Christ we have eternal life, never to die again.
The price of sin has been paid and death no longer has power in our life... for we are one with Christ forever and ever..
It is God Who ordains the life of a family and the same God Who ordains the nation-state.
May we take this warning to heart and be diligent to establish our life and home, our family and marriage, our church and community, our country and nation on Christ - the only sure foundation.
We gain some important understanding of the atoning power of blood in Leviticus 17: All life belongs to the Lord.
He is the one who made us with a spirit, soul, and body, and He is the One Who breathed life into Adam, making man a living soul.
Life was given by God, and all life belongs to Him.
It is in verse 11 that we read: The life of the flesh is in the blood.
The life of every living creature is in the blood, and God gave Israel the sacrifices to make atonement for their soul; to atone for their life: For it is the blood by reason of the life, that makes atonement.
Life is God's gift to man and life is in the blood.
Atonement for sin is found in nothing but the spilt blood of the correct sacrifice, as commanded by God Who is the Giver of ALL life.
Atonement for sin and the gift of life that accompanies it, comes through God's acceptance of the shed blood of the correct sacrifice, as written in God's Word.
For just as the mortal life of man's flesh is in the blood, so the eternal life of man's spirit is in the Holy Spirit.
Just as the LIFE of corruptible flesh is given by means of the blood, so the LIFE of the incorruptible flesh is given by means of the Holy Spirit of God.
Just as blood is required to maintain the life of mortal man so the Holy Spirit is required to maintain the life of the one who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ; for we have been given His life in us.
On many occasions, the resentful king sought to take the young man's life and in this psalm, we find David once more fleeing from his enemy, and crying out to the Lord to save him, to vindicate him, to hear his prayer, and to rescue him from the violent men who sought to take his life.
As we trace the life of this man from the hills of Bethlehem to the end of his life, we see his faith in God develop and grow.
Just as we are exhorted to learn from the mistakes of Israel, so we are to learn how to live a godly life from the mistakes of the early Church. We are not to remain uninformed about God's plan for Israel, the second coming of Christ, and the eternal ages to come.
He is the Word made flesh Who created the world, the great I AM of Old Testament times, the Good Shepherd Who gives His life for the sheep.
Jesus told Pilate the good news of the gospel of grace and that He was indeed a King, that He was born to be King, that He came from heaven above into this fallen world to tell the lost souls the truth of salvation, and that whosoever hears His voice and believes in Him will be saved: God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
This was the most important day of Pilate's life.
The King of Love was teaching Pilate that everyone who responds to His voice and accepts that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, will not be condemned.
Having presented the eternal benefits and positive virtues of our great salvation, Ephesians 4:17-24, gives a serious reminder of the kind of lives we once lived in our pre-salvation existence: Darkened in their understanding and excluded from the life of God - because of the ignorance that was in them.
We have an inheritance reserved for us in heaven and have been sealed by the Spirit of God Who permanently indwells our mortal bodies - and the law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death.
But not all believers choose the spiritual way of life.
The outworking of the new life that we received by faith in Christ, is set out clearly in the Word of God.
Paul was here acknowledging the Fatherhood of God as both the Creator of angelic beings and the Maker of humankind - for all living things in heaven and on earth owe their existence and life to Him - and upon whom everything residing in heaven or on earth is named.
It is only those that believe on the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting that are given the right to become Sons of God.
Through His shed lifeblood, our pardon for sin was secured and sealed, and life-everlasting was the gracious gift that we received - and all we had to do was to believe on His name.
He was prepared to stand falsely accused and unjustly condemned to death, knowing that the sacrifice of His perfect sinless life was the only way that sinners who were justly condemned and deserved God's wrath could be pardoned, forgiven, and receive the remission of sins.
Working hard for the Lord, obeying His call on their life, exhilarated at all that God is carrying out in their ministry and eager to share their stories.
And individually, should we not come aside from the rush of daily life by ourselves, to be with Jesus?
And should we not be careful to rest in Him, draw our strength from Him alone, and to drink from His overflowing fountain of life?
They had heard the astonishing claims of this 'Teacher' who swept aside the deeply entrenched traditional teachings of the elders by declaring, You have heard it said of old, but I say unto you... They were fully aware of His Messianic claims, as He proclaimed, I am the Good Shepherd, I am the door of the sheepfold, I am the Bread of Life that came down from heaven, and I am the Living Water, that will refresh your weary souls.
He was sent by God to be the Good Shepherd of His people, Israel, but He would be led as a lamb to the slaughter and would lay down His life for the sheep.
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through faith in the death, burial, and Resurrection of His only begotten Son.
These three had glimpsed the heavenly realm, but returned to the stark reality of a groaning creation, life's seemingly endless problems, and their own limited understanding which depressed their spirit.
Faith sets no limit on God's ability, for the one who is ready and willing to trust Him in all things, submit to His will, and not permit mountainous problems or seemingly impossible situations to adversely influence their faith in God's ability, is the one who will witness great things in their life.
Those that fall prey to the ungodly teaching of the Jezebel spirit are those who seek spiritual enlightenment apart from God and crave eternal life without believing on Christ's sacrificial death.
For the first 40 years of his life, the Lord used Moses' privileged position in the royal household to prepare him for the onerous task of challenging the bureaucracy of Egypt and becoming God's spokesperson before Pharoah.
It is a beautiful demonstration that the goodness, grace, and mercy of our long-suffering God, remains open to ALL who will simply trust in His Word, remember His goodness, genuinely return to Him with heart and soul - and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
It is the Holy Spirit of God that imparts life into the dead spirit of man - and it is that same Spirit of life that broods over the child of God and breathes hope into the heart and life of those that trust His name.
It was God Who searched for us, found us, and convicted us of our need of a Saviour, and it is the Spirit of God Who breathed the breath of life into our inner being by faith, when He found his sheep that was lost and we trusted Him as our God and Redeemer.
Those of us who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, are able to testify with David that we also sought the Lord for the forgiveness of sin and He graciously delivered us out of the hands of the enemy - triumphing over sin and death and redeeming our life from the pit.
His sinless life alone would satisfy as payment for the full weight of the sin of the world.
And then He had to live a sinless life and die a sacrificial death, in order to fulfil all the righteous requirements of God's holy law and satisfy God's anger against sin.
He was to be the one through Whom all the families of the earth would be blessed, by becoming the firstborn from the dead, the first of many who, by faith in Him, will rise into newness of life; body, soul, and spirit.
These are simple instructions, but how difficult to achieve when 'king self' is sitting on the throne of one's life.
Humility of spirit, gentleness of disposition, love for each other, and joy in the Lord, are all fruits of the Spirit which burst forth in a life that is centred in Christ.
Paul's earnest cry at the end of His life was: That I may know Christ.
He was crucified on a cruel cross to make purification for the sins of the whole world so that whosoever will may come to Him for everlasting life, everlasting light, everlasting hope, everlasting peace, everlasting joy, everlasting salvation.
Timothy was entrusted, by Paul, to be pastor of the church at Ephesus, but being the leader of a Christian community in the first century under Roman rule was no easy task, and Paul's letter to this 'son in the faith' contained personal encouragement, many warnings, and a lot of wise instruction on how to deal with a myriad of theological and practical issues that Timothy was likely to meet as he shepherded the little flock of believers in their spiritual journey through life.
The Christian life is a difficult struggle that contains many problematic pitfalls, which Paul describes as a good fight: Fight the good fight of faith, were his reassuring words to Timothy, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Fighting the good fight of faith is not so much hostile combat against a physical enemy, but rising to the challenges of our Christian life or confidently taking hold of the eternal life that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord.Each enemy is harmful to the soul and detrimental to our spiritual growth and so each must be earnestly resisted with fortitude and determination.
Praise God that this is not an evil fight but a good fight, for the battle has already been won by Christ’s victory on the Cross and we are to face all the challenges of life by maintaining an unfaltering faith in Him - trusting in His sufficiency to bring us through victoriously.We are to fight the good fight of faith by seizing hold of every opportunity, trusting His all-sufficient grace to bring us through by faith, rather than wilting at the enormity of a problem or caving in to the temptation that faces us.When we fight the fight of faith, we are trusting Him in all things and in so doing we are taking hold of eternal life.
Eternal life is not only about living forever in the life to come but is about living a victorious life in the here and now.
He had been willingly drafted into the army of God by Paul, but this godly young man had also answered the call on his life, like Isaiah, who cried out, Here am I, send me.
And like Him, our life is to be a testimony to His faithfulness – for it is as we run the race that is set before us, with patient endurance and a determination to do all to the glory of God, that we will also fight the good fight of faith and take hold of the eternal life to which we are all called – so that with Timothy and a great cloud of saints, we too may ensure a good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
As Peter nears the end of his earthly life, there seems to be an increasing urgency to warn the Body of Christ of the mounting danger of false teachers, whom the apostle identified as rebellious, mercenary, animalistic, and deceitful men who are persistent sinners.
We also have a great incentive to live a holy and blameless life that abides in Christ and is honouring to the Lord.
They were saved that first Passover night, but lived the rest of their life in defeat.
They started to murmur and mistrust God's Word, and because of unbelief, lived a defeated life.
Evil unbelief stopped them from living a triumphant life in a land of promise, where every enemy would be routed by the power of God.
The book of Hebrews is written to post-Cross believers to warn against foolishly following in the footsteps of Israel, and forfeiting the opportunity to live a gloriously, victorious life that will bring with it great reward and give honour to our Father in heaven.
He vowed to fight for them and defeat every evil enemy, but unbelief resulted in a defeated life that dishonoured the Lord until they were buried in the desert sand.
Once saved, we are enabled to live a victorious life that honours God so that in the ages to come, we will receive a reward for the work we have done through the power of the Holy Ghost.
It is also an important lesson for Christians today that we take care not to allow doubt and unbelief to fill our heart but to live a victorious life, through the power of the Spirit.
Not only is salvation given to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as a free gift of God's grace, but His ongoing favour is readily available to every believer, as we journey along the path of life.
James lays out his criteria on living a humble life that honours the Lord in the fourth chapter of his epistle.
Humility is a fruit of the Spirit that should be exhibited in every life that lives godly in Christ Jesus, but there is much misunderstanding about biblical humility and what it means to humble one's self before the Lord.
Jesus also came as the sweet-smelling savour to the Lord, for He stretched out His arms to the cross willingly, so that He could give His life for love of the Church.
I wonder if Pilate ever knew Christ as King of His life and Lord of all?
May we tell the truth of the gospel of grace while there is still time, for He is the only Way the only Truth and in Him alone are the words of eternal Life.
As we journey through the ups and downs of life, we are called to implement these rules for living in each of our lives.
In this passage, Paul wants to demonstrate that the purpose of the normal Christian life is to refuse to engage in ungodly pursuits, participate in fleshly desires, or be tempted by the alluring trinket and tricks of this world-system.
And although He appeared at God's appointed time as the sacrifice for the sin of the whole world, only those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are identified with Him, through the forgiveness of their sins; only they receive eternal life; only they are equipped by the Holy Spirit to live godly in this evil age.
The essence of Paul's teaching to Titus, and to us all, is that there are certain ungodly passions and fleshly pursuits which we as His children are to vehemently reject. There is also godly behaviour, biblical attitudes, a holy life-style and Christian conduct that we should keenly pursue in this present age.
In the Christian life, we are commanded to be honest, to be respectful to others, to conduct ourselves with integrity, and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves, for love is the fulfilment of God's perfect Law.
In the Christian life, we are instructed to walk in spirit and truth and to put aside anything that dishonours the name of the Lord.
We are not to allow the lust of the flesh and the pride of life to influence our spiritual growth, but rather we are to live as Christ lived when He walked the dusty streets of Jerusalem, and in all things we are to pray: Thy will, not mine be done.
We are to study to show ourselves approved unto God and we are to live our life in full submission to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, for He is the One Who has been sent to teach us all things and to guide us into all truth.
We must be constantly aware that we are not capable of harnessing our fleshly lust and worldly propensities in our own strength, for this can only be done through the power of Christ's indwelling life.
It is only as we dress ourselves in Christ and cover ourselves spiritually in the Lord, day by day and moment by moment, that we will we be enabled to make no provision for the evil cravings of our physical nature - for only as we are clothed in Christ can the power of sin and death be defeated in the life of a Christian.
The Law was a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, for only in Him is there forgiveness of sins, and only in Him can the free gift of eternal life be realised.
His death became our death - death to the power of sin in our lives and death to the curse of the Law over our life.
Rebellious man, pagan people, secular societies, and hedonistic nations are blinded to the truth of His Word, opposed to His way, cynical of His life, and hostile to Him, unaware that they could not draw another breath, either to bless Him or to curse Him, without His great, sustaining power.The nations of the world have chosen to rebel against the Lord, and His hand of blessing is being withdrawn before He comes to address the evil of this age during the 7 year Tribulation period.
Truly blessed are His people Israel and His Body, which is the Church, for He loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him should not perish but become inheritors of His coming kingdom and be given life everlasting – and ALL His promises, both to Israel and to the Church are 'Yes' and 'Amen' in Christ Jesus our Lord.
He felt constrained to teach and preach the good news that Christ died for our sin, was buried, and rose again on the third day so that by faith in Him, we could be forgiven of our sin and receive eternal life as a free gift of God's amazing grace.
The gospel he preached had everything to do with Christ's sacrificial offering of Himself as payment for man's sin, and the supernatural power to live a victorious life, in Christ which came through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul wrote: For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, MUCH MORE those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
But God's gracious response provided life; a full, abundant, satisfying, productive life in this world, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit working through us, and in the world to come life everlasting.
Sin and death may have come upon the whole human race through ONE act of sin which placed the whole of mankind under God's condemnation, but God in His grace provided salvation for the human race through ONE act of righteousness; Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection from the dead (so that whosoever believes on His name would not be condemned and perish, but would be forgiven and receive eternal life).
Through His ONE act of obedience, He justifies all who believe, clothes us in His righteousness, returns us into sweet fellowship with Himself, removes us from the kingdom of Satan and places us into the kingdom of His dear Son, makes us His children, provides access into the throne-room of God, promises us an eternal inheritance, and bestows on us the privilege of reigning with Him not only in this life but in the Millennial Kingdom and the ages to come.
The formation of the Church, which is the Body of Christ, is a wisdom which none of the angelic rulers of this age knew about, nor did they understand the significance of Christ's humanity, His sinless life, and His sacrificial death - until after his Resurrection.
The Messiah of Israel was God incarnate, and on this occasion He presented Himself as the Good Shepherd Who laid down His life for the sheep.
In this passage, we catch a glimpse of the approaching Cross, where the good Shepherd will lay down His life for the sheep - and not only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel but also for His other sheep which are outside the fold.
Our Good Shepherd is not only the One Who guards and guides, feeds and protects us, but He is also the sacrificial offering Who laid down His life for the sheep.
In the past, it was an innocent little lamb who died as a temporary covering for man's guilty sin, but here we read that it is the innocent Shepherd (God incarnate) Who lay down His sinless life for the lost and guilty sheep of the house of Israel - and not for them only, but for all lost and guilty sinners who will trust in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Sin has its inevitable consequences, and the result of Adam's sin was death, separation from God, and a curse of hard labour for both the man and the woman during their life-struggle on earth.
The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God, but the wisdom of God is life and health to those that obey Him.
God has purposed to carry out the works and activities of my life through my new life in Christ - my new, born-again nature.
Nor can he achieve His purpose in our life if we are proud or seeking our own glory, for anxiety, disobedience, fear, pride, and vainglory all emanate from our old sin nature.
God's will only works through our new-life in Christ until Christ is all in all to the glory of God the Father.
God desires that ALL the elect live a holy and blameless life.
While God desires all the elect to live a holy life, without blemish, the believer is also able to choose to walk in spirit and truth and to grow in grace OR they can neglect God's will for their lives and remain in spiritual infancy - eternally saved but forfeiting spiritual reward.
The former will result in a fruitful life while the latter will result in a life of lost opportunities – but in both cases, God is honoured.
The true Light of life, the Lord Jesus Himself Who is able to illuminate the heart and transform the soul, has already come into the world, but men love darkness more that the light because their deeds are evil.
Jesus is the true Light of the world Who was sent by the Father to bring light and life, health and wholeness to a darkened world.
He explains the only way to attain spiritual maturity is through faith; firstly, being justified by grace through faith in Christ, and secondly, by living a sanctified life of faith in Christ, day by day, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul was able to point to his own life and his conduct during the time he lived among them, as proof that he was a man of integrity who spoke the truth.
As we live our lives for Christ and share the gospel in word and in deed, may we demonstrate a life that is consecrated to Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit for the glory of God the Father.
From the fall of the first man, Adam, who rebelled against God and whose sin caused destruction to reign upon the earth (as the icy fingers of death began to be wrapped around the throat of every man), to the coming of the prophesied Messiah; the perfect Man Who came to save His people from their sin and graciously gives the water of life freely to whosoever will come and drink.
As the perfect character of the all-powerful and omniscient Lord is unveiled to humanity, we discover that the Good Shepherd of the sheep is the holy Son of God - the second Person of the Trinity Who took on mortal flesh so that He could become our Kinsman-Redeemer and sacrifice His sinless life to save the sheep of His pasture.
From the disappearance of the Tree of Life in Eden when Adam fell, to its glorious restoration in the book of Revelation, we trace the intertwining events and intriguing happenings in God's story of redemption and the restoration of mankind into fellowship with His Creator and Saviour.
And while the whole of Scripture is God's Word which can never be broken, this final book of the Bible is special, for it not only promises its readers a blessing in chapter 1, but in this final section it also gives some serious warnings: I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
God's Word of life is unchanging and unchangeable, and verse 19 warns that the punishment for anyone who tampers with the words in this book of prophecy will have their names removed from the Book of Life.
If a believer subverts God's Word, he will not lose his eternal salvation but will lose some or all of his heavenly reward, forfeiting his benefits found in the Tree of Life and the Holy City.
It is a shield through life's difficulties, sweeter to the taste than honey, and God has placed His Word above His holy name.
Indeed, it is the Bible that reveals to us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that by believing on Him we may have life - for He is the Word made flesh, in Whom has the Words of eternal life - and He willingly became the sacrifice for our sin.
Deborah was a woman whose life is an example to men and women alike... for she was someone who was willing and ready to be used by God and to carry out His plans and purposes in willing obedience - no matter what the difficulties and dangers.
May we fulfil God's call on our life with the same resourcefulness and faithfulness as this great woman of God.
and be sprinkled with His life-giving blood - in the midst of an evil and perverse generation.
Indeed everyone who has been saved by grace through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting is part of that elect group - we are all a member of that special group that God in His omniscient foreknowledge knew.
The Bible tells us that the most high God does not dwell in houses made by human hand, for heaven is His throne and the earth is His footstool, and yet the most wonderful news is that God makes His home in the heart of all who come to Christ for salvation: the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
The grace of God appeared on earth in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and through Him alone was salvation brought to all men (for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God - and the wages of sin is death but the gift of God's grace is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord Who appeared in Person, bringing salvation to ALL men).
Yes, the grace of God was made manifest in the unique God-Man, the Lord Jesus Christ Who brought salvation to all men so that all who believe on His name will not perish but have everlasting life.
We are not only saved by grace through faith in Him, but we are to be continuously sanctified by grace through faith in Him and to live our earthly life by grace through faith and dependence and trust in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Christ transforms our inner man by His sanctifying grace, through discipline and training in our daily life so that one day we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Paul is instructing his disciple Timothy on how to live the Christian life in a manner that is pleasing to God.
He is explaining how to live a spiritual life that is pleasing to the Lord.
Paul is reminding Timothy that he has been saved by grace through faith and now he ought to live his life by grace through faith.
Paul wants to impress on Timothy the truth that those who live by faith are pleasing to God, while those who try to live their Christian life in any other way will end up with a faith that has been shipwrecked. They will be living a carnal life that is not pleasing to the Lord and will actually have fallen from grace, like the Galatian believers, because they have tried to live their life by works of the law or by submitting to their fleshly desires rather than submitting to the Spirit of God.
Oh, this does not mean that a believer whose faith is shipwrecked has lost his salvation, but it does mean that he has made a deliberate choice NOT to hold fast to his faith by ignoring God's will for his life (to live by grace through faith as outlined in Scripture).
God is no respecter of persons and the joy and peace in believing in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting is for Jew and Gentile alike.
The glorious hope we have in Him is for bond and free, male and female, old and young, rich and poor.There is no one excluded from this glorious promise which already is 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ, according to His riches in mercy... and it encompasses plenteous redemption and abundance of life in the eternal ages to come.
Not only do we have an assurance of the eternal, heavenly glory that is to come – but His promises include this present age, which means that our entire life is secure in His keeping.We are safe in the arms of Jesus and nothing can separate us from our glorious God of Hope – neither the various trials of this present life nor the bitter circumstance we all have to face.
He longs that the people of God are filled to the fullness of Christ and continue to be filled every day of our life with His joy and His peace, as we maintain our trust in Him.
Paul's prayer is that we all may overflow and abound with that blessed hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Such a prayer can only be accomplished through the supernatural work of the indwelling Holy Spirit within the heart and life of a spiritual man or woman.
We have the overflowing and unfathomable peace of God within and the glorious hope that is ours in Christ, because of all He is to us, all He has done for us, all He is doing for us as we journey through life, and all that He has promised to us in the days to come.
We should all walk in close, intimate fellowship with Him, all the days of our earthly life.
Yes, Enoch both pleased God at the age of 65 when he was saved, and Enoch lived a life that pleased Him, as he maintained communion with the Lord for the next 300 years.
This faithful man's earthly walk with God depicts the type of life that each child of God should seek to emulate.
We are to be SAVED by faith, and then we are to WALK by faith for the rest of our earthly life.
Let us be faithful in prayer and let us be diligent to live a life of faith and to walk in spirit and truth with our heavenly Father.
Having been born-again, let us live by faith all the days of our life, despite the multiplied evils that flood our present age, and let us keep on walking with Him, and maintaining sweet fellowship with our heavenly Father, until we too are taken to be with Him, into heavenly glory.
Clouds without water suggests these ungodly infiltrators do not feed and refresh the flock of God, but withhold the life-giving teaching of the whole counsel of God, while describing them as autumn trees without fruit, is a big marker of their arrogant apostasy.
It was by His Resurrection that He broke the inescapable power of death and hell, guaranteeing eternal life to all who would believe on His name - on all who would believe that His death was the sacrifice for their sin and His resurrected life became our eternally resurrected life.
Life is in the blood, and God determined that the shed blood of a perfect, sinless, spiritual, heavenly Man, would be sufficient to pay the full price for His fallen, physical, earthly, mortal race.
Jesus shed His lifeblood on the Cross, and was resurrected with a life-giving spirit in a human body of flesh and bone.
Although fallen, fleshly, sinful bodies could never enter the heavenly realm, it was through His glorious Resurrection that BY FAITH, we became identified with His clean, pure, immortal, imperishable, resurrected body with the certain promise that we too would receive a pure, immortal, imperishable, resurrected body, like unto His glorious body - a body of flesh and bone which would be animated by the spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
While on earth, the life of the first creation is in the blood, but at the resurrection, the life of all who believe will be imputed to us through the 'spirit of life in Christ Jesus'.
No longer will our life-force be in the blood, but our life will be in the power of the eternal Spirit.
By faith in Christ, we all face physical death... but have a sure knowledge that we will rise to life immortal in a resurrected body of flesh and bone like unto Christ's body... for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable, but thanks be to God Who gives us the victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell through our risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
It was LOVE that caused the almighty God to send His only begotten Son into the world to become the sin-sacrifice for the entire race of humanity and it was love that caused the Lord Jesus Christ to lay down His life for us.
It was love that caused the Lord Jesus to be crucified on a cruel cross..willingly, so that all who believe on Him might not perish but have everlasting life.
The Lord Jesus offered the supreme example of ultimate love when He laid down His life for friends and enemies alike.
The eternal Creator God demonstrated His love towards us in that while we were yet sinners He laid down His life for us and became a curse and a hissing - as the weight of the accumulated sin of the world was laid on His shoulders - and He did it for LOVE of you and for LOVE of me.
and we know what real godly love is by this: that Christ Jesus laid down His life for us.
We can choose to yield to the Spirit's purifying work in our lives and to willingly submit to His refining fire cleansing our hearts OR we can quench the glorious work that He seeks to carry out in each of our lives and live a defeated Christian life.
Indeed, Jesus Himself in His earthly life demonstrated through the way that He lived, exactly HOW we should do the good works of God in a manner that is pleasing to Him.
It was by Jesus submitting His whole life, in thought, word and deed, to the leading of the Holy Spirit so that He ONLY said and did those things that He heard from the Father.
Christ therefore submitted His WHOLE life, in thought, word, and deed, to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
He set aside His deity in order to live a perfect human life.
To live a perfect life as a man, Christ had to submit to the Spirit, and this He did as an act of His human free-will.
When we submit our lives to the Spirit, day by day, we automatically do the good works that God has prepared for us to do, because it is God Who is working in us Himself, producing in our heart the desire to do the good works that He has prepared in advance for us to do, in the only way that is pleasing to Him (through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit), until it is not I that do the good works but the new life of Christ within.
The first verse of this opening Psalm gives a precise statement between the two choices every man is given in life.
He can choose life or death: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
What a warning to all God's children on how to live the Christian life and how to avoid falling from grace by being adversely influenced by this fallen world system.
May we drink deeply of the living water of life so that we will become like a healthy tree that is firmly planted by streams of water and produces the fruit of righteousness.
The way that God's righteousness is revealed in the lives of those who believe in Him, is through the demonstration of a transformed life.
There are certain characteristics and identifying marks of the believer who is walking in spirit and truth, and a changed life that is exercising the gifts of the Spirit and producing the fruit of holiness, is a testimony of the inner workings of the Holy Spirit of Christ which is transferred into the outward actions of the individual life.
Love seems to be both the guiding principle and pinnacle of the Christian life – for God is love. Indeed, it was love for the world that caused the Father to give His only begotten Son to die as our sin-substitute on the Cross, and it was love for the Church that held Jesus to the Cross, for He loved the Church so dearly that He gave Himself for her.
Although many years had passed since she and Elimelech had set out in search of a better life, she was still recognised by the women in Bethlehem who appeared to be shocked at her changed appearance and asked with incredulity, Can this be Naomi?
They went against God's will for His people by living in a pagan land, and even allowed their sons to marry Canaanite women, but how like some of God's people today, who flirt with the world and allow themselves to live in carnality and sin, and instead of trusting in His sufficient strength, they live a defeated, Christian life.
James also reminds us that those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ, also fall into two, distinct groups; those that are spiritual and those that are fleshly; those that are walking in spirit and truth and those that are living a carnal life with a worldly perspective and an arrogant attitude.
His epistle is clearly written to Christians, but it also identifies and condemns believers who have chosen to leave their first love and make friends with the world by adopting an ungodly philosophy of life and allowing the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life to engulf their thinking and to shipwreck their Christian witness.
In chapter 4, we find James warning that the pursuit of pleasure and relying on our own plans too often results in a compromised faith and lack of dependence on the Lord Who is the Giver of life and through Whom all good gifts come.
Sadly, a Christian who becomes entrenched in worldly philosophies and the pursuit of pleasure renders such believers as hostile toward God: Come now, James warns his readers, Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit,' and concludes in verse 14 by saying, Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.
Jesus certainly came as Saviour of the whole world: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him - Jew or Gentile - would not perish but have everlasting life.
It is not simply that our spirit is made alive and that the new life we received at rebirth will be conformed into the likeness of Christ, but our body will also be raised up on the last day.
But many prefer to chase after worldly food and the fleeting physical pleasures on earth in preference to spiritual food, life everlasting, and eternal joy with the Lord.
Jesus lived a sinless life so that He could willingly give His life as a sacrifice for you and for me, and God raised Him from the dead and gave Him authority to bestow His own eternal life on all who would believe on His name, making Him Head of the Body, which is the Church, so that He Himself would have preeminence in all things.
Like all who trust in Jesus Christ, Paul had been given a new nature, a new life in Christ which delighted to spread the good news of the glorious gospel of Christ in spirit and truth, and which loved these believers with a Christ-like love.
The only response required by God to be saved unto eternal life is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
No one is excluded and all who DO believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are given life - a new life - a new nature - the resurrected life of Christ.
All who do believe on the Son of God are made a new creation in Christ with a new life so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but should live for the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us AND WAS RAISED, and we must never under-estimate the enormity of that glorious Resurrection.
OH, our sins would have been forgiven at Calvary, but without a RESURRECTED Saviour, without a LIVING Saviour, death and hell would not have been conquered and we could never have been given the new resurrected LIFE of Christ.
Christ died for all, and salvation is a free gift of grace that is available to whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, but the gift of His resurrection life is only for those that trust in Him as Saviour.
All who trust on Christ as Saviour are given His resurrection LIFE, our new life in Christ.
Surely, we who LIVE: We who have by grace received His resurrected life, surely, we should no longer live for ourselves, but for the Lord Jesus Christ Who DIED for us and was also RAISED.
Paul also instructed them, in the name of the Lord Jesus: Keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and does not live according to the tradition which you received from us.
May we be disciplined in our Christian life and strive to live godly in Christ Jesus.
Paul makes it crystal clear that, love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilment of the law. We are commanded to do no evil towards the people we meet in everyday life and to love them in practical ways.
Loving the people that cross our path experientially, day by day, living a life of integrity and showing consideration towards others is the mark of a true believer who is walking in spirit, in truth, and in love.
While the Mosaic Law was given to Israel, and Christ's ministry was to the Jew first, Paul calls on Christians to follow this Golden Rule as well, for in so doing we will live a life that is well-pleasing to the Lord, honours our Father in heaven, and is the fulfilment of God's Law.
A supernatural love that mirrors the love of God is the essence of Christianity and can only be demonstrated in a life that is saved by grace through faith.
Only a sinner, saved by grace, has the capacity to love as Christ loved... but he must be prepared to 1) take up his cross, 2) follow Christ, 3) give his life as a living sacrifice, and 4) walk humbly before God.
As believers, we are instructed to live as Christ lived and do the will of God in every area of our life... where every word and deed is a reflection of His goodness and grace.
And so we find Paul (a bond-servant of God and a special messenger of Jesus Christ), delivering sound doctrine, exposing false teaching, preaching the Word, promoting the faith of those who would trust in Christ for salvation, and stimulating all believers to godly living - on the basis that God Himself has promised eternal life to all who trust in Christ for salvation and God's Word can never be broken, and His truth stands fast for ever and ever.
God purposed in the eternal council chambers of heaven that fallen man would be given eternal life as a free gift of grace through faith in the redeeming blood of His only begotten Son.
Christ is our blessed Hope, and we have been told in both the Old and New Testaments of our hope of eternal life by faith - an expectant and excited hope - a confident and a sure hope - a certain and an unwavering hope in the never-failing Word of God which He promised long ago by His holy prophets.
At salvation, we both received eternal life (as a present possession today), and were promised eternal life in ages to come.
When we are born from above, we are given Christ's LIFE as well as the assurance that a day is coming when our fallen bodies will be changed in a moment - in the twinkling or an eye - at the last trump, and this mortal body shall take on immortality and this corruptible frame shall put on incorruption.
Jesus Himself promised, He who believes on Me HAS eternal life.
And He also said, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My Word, and believes Him who sent Me, HAS eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but HAS passed out of death into life. And John the beloved apostle gave testimony: God HAS given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
He who has the Son HAS the life; but he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
And Paul in his opening words to Titus, reiterates the sure hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago to all who trust in Christ for salvation.
Never forget eternal life is our present possession.
Let us rejoice and be glad that God has given us eternal life both now and in the ages to come - which is ours by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
The free, unmerited gift of eternal life to all who believe in His name is the most wonderful addition to our redemption, but His glorious Resurrection from the dead is beyond our comprehension.
As Paul neared the end of his life, the wisdom he proffered to Timothy is as relevant today as the day on which he picked up his quill to pen his final message as God's chosen apostle to the Gentiles.
Christ was the final revelation to man, and the God-breathed Scriptures contain all that we need for life and godliness in our current generation.
It is the Holy Spirit that sealed us and baptised us into the Body of Christ at salvation, and it is the Holy Spirit that enables and empowers us to serve the Lord as we grow in our spiritual life.
When He died, we who are His seed died in Him - we died with Him - His death became our death - and His resurrected life became our new life in Christ - our new nature.
It was at the time of Christ's crucifixion that the power of sin in the life of all who would one day believe in Him was broken.
BUT at the point in time that we trusted in Christ as Saviour and became born-again as a new creation in Christ, the power of sin in our life was severed as a practical reality.
we are not sinless for we still have an old sin nature, and if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but sin and death have no power over our new life in Christ - our new born-again life.
Surely the love of Christ compels us who have trusted Him as Saviour to no longer live for ourselves but for to live unto Him Who died for us and was raised again, that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
He has promised that all who die in the Lord shall never die but have the light of life, when we shall ever be with the Lord.The first-fruit of a tree is the precursor that more fruit will follow.
Paul goes on to write: But when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'It was because the deathless Son of God, Who has eternal life within Himself, became the perfect Son of Man and gave Himself as a willing sacrifice for the sin of the whole world, that He broke the power of sin and death in the life of ALL who trust in His name.
But Paul was specifically charged with being a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, to act as a priest of the gospel of God, and to die to his own desires and life-opportunities.
He was to do this so that his life would become a sacrificial offering to God, in order that lost Gentiles might become acceptable to God, saved by grace through hearing the truth, and positionally sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
None of us are called to carry out the identical ministry to which Paul was called, but every one of us who is born of the Spirit is given all we need for life and godliness so that we will be enabled to carry out the ministry that God requires of us.
The wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of our Heavenly Father is eternal life for all who will believe in His name: For as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become sons of God - even to them that believe on His name.
And unless the price for sin is paid in full on our account.. we have no access to the kingdom of heaven and eternal life can never be earned by our own merit.
given the free gift of eternal life and become a citizen of heaven.
Jesus came to be the sin-sacrifice for all mankind..so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
The soul that thirsts for the Lord and pants for God (and keeps on and on thirsting and panting for Him), is the one for whom the Lord Himself will provide His deep well of satisfaction, brimming to overflowing with the refreshing waters of His life.
May we in humility of heart and gentleness of spirit, thirst and keep on thirsting for God, for the more deeply we sense our need of the Lord Jesus, the more passionately we will pursue the Living Waters of life.
All His righteousness, all His merit, all His life, all His grace, and all we can do is glory in these mysteries of the truth that have been made known to us by faith.
Life, we are told, is in the blood and it was His lifeblood that was shed for many for the remission of sins.
His LIFE was drained at the Cross for the life of all.
His life was that crimson flood that drenched the mercy seat of God to make a ransom for your life and my life and the life of all.
We read that it pleased God to reconcile fallen man back to Himself through the sacrifice of the life of His dearly beloved Son - and it is all of grace.
What a lesson for all God's people to seek first the things of God and His righteousness, not for what we get from Him, but for what we can give to Him Who loved us so much that He gave His life and we might live.
By faith, we have been given all we need for life and godliness and yet do we honestly put God first and give Him the first-fruit of our heart?
Do we offer Him our sacrifice of praise, live a life that honours His name in thought, word, deed, and motive?
He did not ask for wealth, power, or a long life, and his unselfish answer pleased the Lord.
Solomon believed in God, and no doubt his faith was reckoned as righteousness, but it seems that the profession Solomon made with his lips was insincere and despite the many spiritual gifts he received from the Lord, he engaged in carnal desires and indulged in fleshly pursuits, tarnishing a life that should have been a beacon of light and truth to his pagan neighbours.
Understanding, discernment, and a knowledge of God's great power, were good requests to make, but perhaps a deeper knowledge of God Himself; His character, His ways, His work, His will, and His glory, may have been more beneficial in this young man's life, and would have produced an abundance of spiritual fruit and prevented him from straying so far from the path of peace.
And we have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God Who guides us into all truth, convicts and corrects us, chastises and trains us so that we may mature in the faith and live a fruitful life that honours the Lord, as empowered by His sufficient strength.
As we consider that God has given us all we need for life and godliness in Christ, in Whom are hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, may we be careful to discover more of His character, to walk in His ways, to listen to His voice, and obey all that the spirit says to the Churches.
May we carry out His good work in our life, pray into His perfect will, grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, and be quick to seek His glory.
Throughout his life, David experienced God's deliverance.
But as he journeyed through life, the Lord continued to rescue him from many distresses and attempts on his life.
His grace is sufficient for every event and eventuality that we may encounter in life, and how fitting it is for us to sing a new song of praise for His fresh deliverance and the never-failing demonstrations of His power and wisdom.
They argue that He has never used His supernatural power to change the status quo - where the cycle of life and the continuous flow of nature, must remain constant.
He set in motion the rain cycle to bring life to the vegetation and refreshment to the animal kingdom and to man - who was made in the image of God.
A tree has twiggy branches, deep roots, and colourful leaves - and it produces buds, blossom, fruit, and seeds, in multiple colours and various hues... often producing sweet-smelling perfumes, life-saving medicines, and a vast array of tastes and tints, all of which are formed in their due season.
The life-giving serpent that Moses lifted up on a pole in the wilderness... was simply a shadowy precursor of Christ being lifted up on the Cross for the forgiveness of sin... and His eternal, life-giving Resurrection.
Similarly, the Sabbath day ritual, which was guarded so jealously by the religious leaders of Israel, was simply a pale shadow of the Lord Jesus Christ Who Himself, has become the Sabbath rest for the people of God, and for all who trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
His Resurrection became our resurrection and His righteousness became our righteousness - and He gives us eternal life.
To live as God desires us to live is to learn in all things to rejoice and say: My bread is to do the will of My Father - so that no matter what we face in life we can say with Jesus..
It is only as we draw our life from the one Who is the true and living Vine that we can say and do those things that are pleasing to the Father.
Jesus is the one and only life-giving Artery by Whom our new born-again life is energised.
Without His life flowing through us we are powerless to do anything that is of eternal value to the glory of God.
which results in a carnal walk, a fleshly lifestyle and a wasted life that is influenced by the old sin nature rather than being enlivened by the new life in Christ.
who lives a barren, unfruitful life and is of little value in the greater plans and purposes of God.
He lived his life looking to the Father moment by moment just as we are called to keep our eye looking to Jesus - the Author and Finisher of our faith
But there is also a secondary message which is a warning to all believers - that valuable opportunities to make a difference in our world can be lost through careless carnality or a lukewarm Christian life, which causes us to end up living a life that is good for nothing.
And let us beware that we do not lose our saver by walking in tandem with the world and living a lukewarm Christian life, but rather let us live our life unto the Lord and to His praise and glory so that we may not waste this life of ours, but be a worthy witness to the goodness and grace of our Heavenly Father Who loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
Paul would gladly pour out his life in sacrificial service to this group of immature believers, if this would bring them to spiritual maturity and godly living.
He came to pay the price for sin and to seek and to save all who would believe on His name, for He alone was God's acceptable ransom price for sin, and He alone could bear witness to God's truth.He came to do the will of His Father and to demonstrate God's incredible love to humanity, by being a light to the darkened world so that all who believe on His name would not abide in darkness but receive the glorious light of His abundant life.
He also came in the role of righteous judge and the divider of men.Yes, He came to die on the Cross and to reveal the Father-heart of God so that all who believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
His whole earthly life was set as a flint in this direction and from the foundation of the world God purposed that His death would mean life to the children of men.
He exchanged our fallen sin nature with our new life in Christ.
Every member of the human race is born a sinner and although death claims the life of every descendent of Adam because of our imputed sin nature, it was not until the time of Moses that God gave man His perfect standard for living.
Before the Law of Moses, sin was in the world and the icy fingers of death claimed the life of every sinner.
But he also brings God's incredible gift into focus: But the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Having an understanding of their pre-salvation life and the pagan culture in Corinth, gave Paul an opportunity to highlight the difference between the way the world conducts itself and the Christian life.
Just as he used Gentile culture as a teaching tool for holy living, Paul also used the history of Israel's exodus from Egypt to warn of the dangers of starting well, but failing to finish God's call on our life.
The whole generation of Israelites who were saved from Egypt may have started their new life beyond Egypt well, when they trusted God during the first Passover... but none of them lived the victorious life that was possible, because of unbelief.
Paul did not want those who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus to be rescued from the slave-market of sin, only to live a defeated life in this world, and fail in the work that God has prepared for us to do.
God blessed Israel greatly when He rescued them from Egypt, and the whole nation began their life of freedom well.
Like Israel, we too passed from death to life, when we were identified with Christ.
Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into His death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Paul was a seasoned traveller who faced many dangers on his journeys, and three times in his life he was even shipwrecked.
Paul had been visited by an angel of God who told him not to be afraid, reminding him that the Lord had ordained that he must testify before Caesar, so nothing could happen to God's servant before he had fulfilled God's purpose for his life.
Every life, including the captain, the sailors, the Centurion, the soldiers, Paul, and the rest of the prisoners in the ship would be saved.
And despite being nothing more than a prisoner in chains, we read that Paul stood up boldly and urged everyone to take courage, announcing that there would be no loss of life and that only the ship would be lost.
Paul knew that we are not only saved by grace through faith, but that we are to live each day of our life by grace through trusting the Lord to fulfil all His plans and purposes in his life.
This needs to be the way that all His children conduct their lives, not only in our present circumstances, but in every area of life.
Greater love has no man than this - that a Man lays down His life for His friends.
They came to an understanding that He was the Son of God, the living Water, the Resurrection and the Life.
They were beginning to understand the mysteries of the kingdom - that He was the Way and the Truth... and that in Him was Eternal Life.
They would to go forth into the world to tell the good news of the gospel of grace - to Jew and Gentile alike, and that whoever believed in Him would not perish, but become children of God, be clothed in Christ's righteousness, and receive everlasting life - as a free gift of God's grace.
All of us who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will be despised, rejected, persecuted, and killed because of Christ Who came to pay the price for the sin of the world and gave His life as the ransom price for whoever would believe on His name - but how few have ears that really listen.
As Christians, we are called to live a spiritual life and not to be carnal; to bear the fruit of the Spirit and not to produce our own works of the flesh; to live under grace and not under law.
To live the spiritual life that God requires of all His children means that we should be willing to submit to His will and authority, in every situation we meet.
Our regenerated human spirit and our old sinful fleshly nature will remain bitter enemies and in conflict with each other, throughout our earthly life.
But through the resurrected life of Christ, we have been given the means to walk by the Spirit so that we will not carry out the desires of our old, sinful, fleshly nature.
If even one part of the Law was left unfulfilled, Christ's perfect life and substitutional death could have become the topic of philosophical debate.All the legal requirements that were listed in the Mosaic Law with regard to the Passover Lamb, the sin offering, His high priestly office, and His genealogical heritage had been fulfilled to the letter, and many hundreds of additional prophecies in connection with His Person and Mission had already been fulfilled in minute detail.
And so He called out, I thirst, so that Scripture might be fulfilled in all details of His life and every facet of His death.Earlier, He tasted but refused the original mocking offer of wine mixed with gall, for this would deaden His pain and cloud His thinking.
The patience about which James is speaking is exemplified by a life that honours the Lord in thought, word, and deed, through good works and godly living.
It is demonstrated by one who believes God's Word and applies the royal law of unselfish and impartial love in every area of life: love of God and love of one's neighbour through the supernatural love of Christ within.
This time his instruction is not about maintaining patience throughout our earthly life, but is an exhortation to run a race of persistent perseverance to the very end of our life: Until the coming of the Lord!
He understands that it is often hard to be patient when life seems unfair, but warns against developing wrong values and adopting a worldly perspective, which considers wealth, position, power, and achievement to be life's goal.
May we take to heart James' exhortation to be patient in the difficult circumstances we face when life seems unfair, to love as Christ loved, and to be rich in faith.
May we be ready and willing to persevere under trials and tribulation and allow patience to blossom in our lives, knowing the day is coming when those who are approved will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Over the course of his life, his faith developed and grew and translated into actions that honoured the Lord.
But perhaps the most precious 'takeaway' from this story is the closeness of our heavenly Lord to all those who love Him, in every season of life and at every moment in the day.
This letter to 'The Chosen Lady' as she is called, covers some vitally important information because it teaches those who desire to walk in spirit and truth how they may develop Christian love and grace as they journey through life.
The love and grace He showed to us when we were lost sinners, is to be reflected in our own lives as we arm ourselves with the same Christ-like attitude and a corresponding godly purpose - as we travel through life.
Before our salvation, we were simply part of the world and were participating in the lusts of the flesh and the pride of our self-life.
But it is God's will that after salvation we put away such worldly pursuits and leave that old life behind us, together with those former desires, as we press towards the goal of our calling - just as the Lord Jesus set His own face as a flint towards Jerusalem, the Cross, and the redemption of mankind.
There is much that we, in the Church Age, can learn from the life of Nehemiah.
We can either permit New Age pantheism, contemporary polytheism, Pagan practices, transcendental meditation, Marian apparitions, false 'christs' and another 'Jesus', which is infiltrating the life-blood of the Church of God to affect us OR we can act like Nehemiah.
This little verse sums up in a nutshell what the Christian's life should look like and how the born-again believer should behave moment by moment, in word and in deed, in mind and in motive.
Were we to faithfully apply this verse in our everyday, mundane life, how quickly we would unbolt the portal to our pain and bathe our problems in His perfect peace.
Rather, He has exchanged my old sinful nature for a new-life in Christ.
I have a new-life-in-Christ which has to grow in grace and mature in the faith.
It is the new baby-life-in-Christ that was given to me when I first trusted Him as Saviour that is to grow in grace.
In this Church age of grace, the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life is to bring us into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Himself.
Behaviour modification of the old sin nature may produce a superficial change that meets the standards of the world, but only the Holy Spirit alone can transform the old life in Adam into the new life in Christ that we received at salvation.
Praise God that Jesus our precious Saviour and Kinsman-Redeemer drank the Father's bitter cup to its dregs so that you and I who believe on His name, would not perish but have eternal life with Him.
They touch on a wide range of subjects from righteousness to wickedness, from life to death, from success to failure, from integrity to dishonesty, and so on.
An over-indulgence in either food or drink does not glorify our Heavenly Father and is often the precursor to a failed ministry and fruitless life, and there is also the strong possibility that it will contribute to early death.
There is no mistake that lack of discipline in one's eating and drinking habits or the temptation to remain long hours in one's bed in preference to rising early and facing the challenges of the day, all have a notably negative effect on one's productivity, which can adversely affect many different areas of life and be the contributing factor to poverty and pain.
Although we are not under any legalistic requirements but under grace, that does not exclude the Christian from acting wisely in every aspect of life and living.
May we be disciplined in our behaviour, without becoming legalistic in our attitude or critical of others so that our lives are both fruitful for the Lord and become an example to others of a life that is lived for the glory of God.
May we choose the good, eschew what is evil, and never compromise our position in Christ, for God is not mocked, and what a man sows in life is what he will reap.
Living during the Church Age, however, does not mean that godly standards in life and living should be ignored.
For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. The Lord expects every one of His blood-bought children to live a consecrated life - body, soul, and spirit.
We should so conduct ourselves in purity of heart, that we grow in grace, mature in our spiritual walk, and live a life that is holy unto the Lord - so that day by day we are increasingly sanctified in His sight.
Paul's letter urges us all to be set apart for the Lord and live a life that is well-pleasing to Him.
We are to eschew all forms of impure behaviours, for God has called us to live godly in Christ Jesus, Who died to pay the price for our sin, and has called us to live a life that is consecrated to Him.
Indeed, Paul urges us to walk in a manner that is pleasing to God, by living a sanctified life.
God did not call us to a life of immorality, but one of consecration and personal purity.
Paul instructed us to walk in spirit and truth, and we learn from the Lord Jesus that this means that we are to abide in Him and He in us... as we journey through life.
And so, in this first epistle from Peter, we are offered some practical principles for a peaceful and fruitful life - even in the midst of great trials and tribulations.
There is no one that can harm us and nothing that can separate the born-again child of God from the eternal promises that are ours in Christ Jesus our Saviour: Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come... nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There may be certain consequences for those times when we fraternise with the world or lower our spiritual guard, but there is nothing that touches our life that can harm us if we prove zealous for what is good.
Paul knows that the godly conduct of a righteous man avails much and is reflected in a transformed life that honours God and considers the needs of his fellow man before his own.
Such a person should be a reflection of Christ.. in a life that brings forth much fruit..
Too many today place their trust in earthly kings and presidents, armies and elected governments, finances, physicians, and the fabric of material wealth, when the One to Whom we should always turn to for help is our Heavenly Father Who knitted us together in our mother's womb and scheduled every day of our lives, for He has promised to give us His sufficient grace in every eventuality of life, no matter what difficulties and dangers we may face.
One of the main reasons that Christ died a cruel death on Calvary's Cross and rose again on the third day was so that He could give life to all who believe on His name.
He would become the Lord of our 'new-life-in-Christ' that promises eternal life and life more abundantly.
Every verse in the book of Proverbs holds gems of wisdom from the Lord, whether they are words of warning or precious pearls of instruction, exhortation to live a godly life, or simply encouragement to trust in the Lord with all our heart and to keep the eyes of our heart firmly fixed onto our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
How true that the one who guards his mouth and the words of his lips will keep himself out of trouble and preserve his life, while the one who opens his lips wide in careless cackling will come to ruin.
While Paul gives a resounding call to patient endurance in life's difficulties, purity in personal conduct, and faithfulness in Christian ministry, he is equally eager to warn us of perilous times ahead, the ploys of the enemy to shipwreck our faith, and the insidious dangers of false teachers.
But above all, let us thank God that our names are written in the Lambs' book of Life.
But in considering the insignificant life-span of a little wild lily, whose covering dress simply declares God to be its sole Creator and Provider, we are charged to cast our concerns and worries upon Him, rather than to engage in anxious pursuit of worldly wants and waste our strength in fretting about our daily needs.
May we look to Jesus the incarnate Word made flesh, Who died and rose again so that we who believe on Him would never die, but gain forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
In the light of this truth, the message of the Cross should be, to you and me, the most important, exciting, and precious truth which should both thrill our soul, encourage our heart, and motivate us to share the staggering message: that Christ died for our sin according to the Scriptures, that He was buried and rose again......... so that whosoever believes in HIM would not perish, but have everlasting life.
We were born into this world as a slave to sin and until we were saved by grace through faith in Christ, our life was governed by our fallen nature - a sin nature which was at enmity with God and without hope in the world.
But the moment that we were born again we were given life - spiritual life - life from above.
We were made alive by the Spirit of God and given a new life in Christ... and we have that life because we were born into a new creation by the Spirit.
And because we have that new, born-again life, we are to live and walk by the Spirit.
Since we have life by means of the Spirit, we are to continue to live our lives by means of the Spirit: For if we have been MADE ALIVE by the Sprit, let us also WALK by the Spirit.
If we live by the Spirit (salvation - born again) let us also walk by the Spirit (sanctification - live our life).
We were saved by faith and, for the rest of our life, we are to live by faith, to pray by faith, to walk by faith - to walk by means of the Spirit.
To walk by the Spirit is to trust God to keep His Word, to depend on Him in every aspect of life, and not to rely on ourselves.
But as we live our Christian life, we have a choice.
We are being changed from glory to glory as we mature in the faith and grow in grace, for He Who began a good work in us the moment we were saved by grace through faith, will continue to transform our new born-again life in Christ, into the image and likeness of Himself.
There are two types of sowing in the Christian life, just as there are two types of Christians.
The spiritual believer sows his life unto the Spirit by knowing Christ, fellowshiping in His suffering, and pressing on to the end, and in so doing will reap a good and fruitful harvest that is well-pleasing to the Lord.
The carnal believer chooses not to die to self and does not take up his cross daily and will therefore sow his life as unto his own flesh, resulting in him losing heart and suffering loss.
But living our Christian life as unto the Lord requires patient endurance as we press on, day by day, in the footsteps of our Saviour to the goal of our calling, which is to be conformed into the image of Christ.
It is faith in the Person, the Work, and the Word of the Saviour that secures for us the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.It was by the sin of the first Adam that paradise was lost, the way to the Tree of Life barred and guarded by mighty angels with flashing swords, and it was by the sacrifice of the second Adam that paradise was regained, and the way to the Tree of Life was once again flung wide open, to whosoever will believe.The door to paradise was unbarred and the gates of heaven were thrown wide open to this repentant sinner who hung next to our Lord, for he gained the right to eat from the Tree of Life, which is in the paradise of God, simply because he trusted on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes on HIM will not perish but have everlasting life.
And by the power of His indwelling Spirit, we can exult in our tribulations and rejoice in our afflictions, knowing that the trials of life bring about endurance and perseverance.
May we never allow the joy of our great salvation, our identification with Christ, and the astonishing privileges, position, and promises we possess through faith in Him, to become commonplace in life.
Indeed, the fruit of the Spirit that forms in the life of a believer, is a manifestation of God's mercy and grace, working in and through His child, for Jesus said, without Me you can do nothing.
The exact attribute of the eternal Father of Old Testament Scripture is ascribed to the Lord Jesus Whom John describes as Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. God the Father made it clear to Moses, Isaiah, and other holy men of God that He alone is the first and He is the last, the beginning and the end, and that no other God is equal with Him: Before Me, there was no God formed, is Isaiah's great pronouncement from Yahweh, and there will be none after Me! And yet Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, was able to pronounce in this verse, I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, Who is and Who was and Who is to come, the Almighty.Jesus, the virgin-born Seed of the woman and second Person of the Trinity, rightfully claims equality with the Father, for He is the visible image of the invisible, triune God, sent by the Father to shed His perfect, human blood as the single, sacrificial offering for the sin of the world so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
No matter what we face in life, we can be assured that Jesus is always with us and that He is in control.
The quiet, unassuming prayer life of the Lord Jesus was very different from the showy pomposity of Israel's religious leaders, whose presumptuous prayers were designed for the ears of other people and were not offered to our Father in heaven.
The intimate prayer life of the Lord Jesus with His Heavenly Father, was very different from anything the world had ever witnessed before.
'The Lord's Prayer' was not representative of Christ's personal prayer-life, but an example of how sinners, saved by grace, should pray to our Heavenly Father.
As spiritual members of Christ's spiritual Body, we can honestly say with Paul: I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I that live, but the life of Christ that lives in me.
And because we have a new nature in Christ, we do not need to respond to the persuasive pull of the old sin nature, but rather, we are called to exercise our new life in Christ by faith so that we may grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord.
We were identified with His sacrificial death by faith, and we can be identified with His perfect life by faith when we walk in spirit and truth and keep the old sin nature nailed to the Cross - moment by moment, and day by day.
It is not attained by self-effort and self-reliance, but by letting the life of Christ grow and develop within as we submit to the Holy Spirit and look to Jesus for our sufficiency and strength.
Throughout our Christian life, we are to keep that old sin nature nailed to the Cross and live our life through the new nature that we received from our resurrected Lord at salvation.
All we need to do is to appropriate His new life in us.
He died to deliver us from the very influences of sin in our lives: Jesus died UNTO sin ONCE and for ALL, but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
The death that He died, He died to sin once and for all (as well as dying for our sin and paying the enormous price of sin), but the life that He lives, He lives to the glory of God.
Jesus not only died to pay the price for our sins but to release us from the Adamic-nature that we inherited from our forefathers so that He could replace it with His own Christ-like nature - His own resurrection life - the new-life-in-Christ.
Through His death, Jesus BECAME sin for us (as well as paying the price for sin) so that in return WE might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM: For He died unto sin once and for all, but the life that He now lives, HE lives to God.
We started our old sinful, guilt-ridden life, as part of the first creation in Adam when we were born into the human race BUT we started our new life in Christ the moment that we were born again by the Spirit of God, the moment we first believed.
May we never cease to praise our heavenly King Who not only died FOR our sins but died UNTO sin, and the life He now lives He lives unto God so that He can live His life through us - to His praise and glory.
For although our old sin nature was severed forever at the Cross when we were born into the family of God and given the new-life in Christ, our sinful nature remains with us, lusting against the new-life in Christ that is born from above.
Some, who certainly know that we DO still have an old sin nature that is at enmity with our new life in Christ, incorrectly mistranslate this verse by saying that whoever is born of God does not keep on sinning or does not make a practice of sinning, but this is not being true to the grammatical structure of this verse which simply says, Whosoever is born of God does not sin.
In point of fact, this is simply a reference to the new life in Christ that is given to each sinner by the Spirit of God, the moment that we believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and are born again.
Our new life in Christ does not commit sin.
Our new life in Christ will not sin.
Our new life in Christ cannot sin.
We are made a new creation in Christ and are given a new life - the life of Christ - a life that needs to grow in grace and be conformed into the image of Jesus, a life that cannot sin.
By God's grace, we are given the perfect, sinless, holy life of Jesus Christ as our very own life, which the Holy Spirit seeks to conform into the image and likeness of Jesus throughout our earthly life.
It is impossible for the sinless life of Christ within a believer to sin and so we read: Whoever is born of God does not sin; for His seed (the sinless seed of the sinless Christ), remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
When we understand this verse in its correct context, all that Paul writes in Romans 7 begins to make sense, for when he says, It is no longer I myself who commits evil, but it is sin (the old sin nature) living in me, we understand why, in Galatians, he is also able to say, It is no longer I who live, but Christ (my new, sinless life in Christ) that lives in me.
Let us live our life as unto the Lord, for WHOEVER is born of God does not sin, in their new, born-again Christ-life.
The holy Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world so that all rebellious human-kind could be offered the free gift of redemption for the forgiveness of sins, an escape from death's cruel sting, a release from the curse of the Law, and eternal salvation with life more abundant.
Much of the epistle deals with suffering in the Christian life.
As we read each book of the New Testament and every apostolic epistle, let us read it literally and take note of the author of the book, the wider historic context, the target audience it seeks to reach, and its particular focus, as well as applying the lessons it teaches in our own life.
Only a couple of chapters in the Bible were devoted to God's creation and the role that Man was to play in the plans and purposes of God, and yet the rest of Scripture opens up God's amazing plan of redemption which He purposed before the world was made: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that all who believe on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
Now, although pre-Cross Israel was certainly under the Law of Moses until Christ's crucifixion and Resurrection... and although many aspects of the Law certainly harmonise with Christian conduct and godly behaviour, the Bible makes it clear that Church-age believers, whether Jew of Gentile, are not under the Law as a rule of life.
They fear that if a Christian does not demonstrate good works in their life, their faith is dead - which they interpret to mean that they have lost their eternal salvation.
James is pointing out that a lack of good works in the life of a Christian demonstrates dead faith.
God has prepared good works for each one of his children to carry out in their Christian life.
The former has a living faith, while the latter who does not honour God in his Christian life, is said to have a 'dead faith'.
May we follow in the path of spiritual Christians and never forget that the Lord Jesus, not the Mosaic Law, is our pattern for life.
Faith comes by hearing the truth of the gospel of Christ Who is Himself the only way, the only truth, and eternal life.
May our feet be shod with the good news of peace with God, knowing that all who hear this proclamation and respond in faith to its call will be forgiven of their sins, made one with Christ, be clothed in His righteousness, and receive everlasting life by faith which comes by hearing, and hearing through the truth that comes through Christ - the living Word of God.
Let us be those who love each other deeply, fellowshiping with brotherly affection for the Body of Christ, and shining the lovely, life giving light of Christ into this sin soaked, darkened world.
He is the only Way to the Father, the only Truth about God, in Whom is Life eternal for all who trust in Him.And we, who by rights should have death as our payment for sin, have been redeemed by His blood, given the free gift of salvation in Christ, clothed in His perfect righteousness, promised eternal life in heaven, become part of a new creation in Christ, and adopted into God’s own family.
By His grace, through faith in Him, we have been granted the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
We are all saved by grace through faith, and God's Holy Spirit has individually and selectively conferred different and individually selected gifts and graces on all His children so that we are enabled to live by grace and serve Him in newness of life, by grace.
He knew the plan of God was to use the death of Lazarus to unfold a most wonderful truth; that HE was the Resurrection from the dead, and in Him is Life eternal.
Jesus used the death and resurrection of Lazarus as a type of His own, forthcoming death on Calvary for the sin of the world and His glorious Resurrection which would break the power of sin and death in the lives of all who believe on Him; for after two days in the grave He rose to life immortal, on the third day.
All are invited to come and partake of the living water of life.
All are called to drink deeply of its life-giving properties.
All is given as a free gift of God's grace. By grace and through grace, they would be blessed with the living water of life and partake freely of the wine of God's joy.
The Messiah of Israel is also the Saviour of the world and whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Let the one who wishes take the water of life come.
Unless head knowledge of His life and teaching is transferred into a heart belief in His sacrifice for sin, and His death defeating Resurrection - that knowledge is ineffective for salvation, the forgiveness of sin, and life eternal.
But it is no good simply believing in the historical FACT of Christ's life and ministry.
He alone is the incarnate Son of God - and we are saved by trusting in His redeeming blood for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The life of man is in the blood, and the Man, Christ Jesus, had to shed His lifeblood to redeem the fallen race of man.
Let us seek to broaden our own perception of God and see Him for Who He is - for He is the eternal, infinite, holy God of love, justice and grace - Whose mercy is everlasting and Whose Word stands fast forever and ever - Who set aside His heavenly glory to reside on the earth for a season so that He could freely lay down His own precious life - so that we might live..
But when the fullness of the time had come, God revealed Himself in a new and unique way by sending His only begotten Son as the Word made flesh, to live a perfect life, to die a sacrificial death, and to reveal Himself to a race of condemned sinners.
During His earthly life, Christ manifested the Word of God to His disciples and revealed to them the very essence of God's being in the life that He lived and the death that He died.
He was filled with the Holy Ghost and lived His life in spirit and truth.
May we receive the good news of Christ willingly and joyfully, and truly understand that Christ is One with the Father - for He came forth from the Father to be born as our Saviour so that believing on Him we might have life everlasting.
By faith, our old life in Adam died with Christ, we were made a new creation in Him, and given the life of Christ.
We became part of a new creation and were given a new baby life in Christ, for we died to the old life in Adam and became alive in Jesus Christ our Lord.
We were made a new man, with a new Christ-like nature and a new Christ-like heart, and day by day we are being conformed into His image and likeness. In the light of this wonderful truth, we should seek to live godly lives, as unto the Lord, and allow the new-life in Christ to grow and mature in our inner being.
We should keep the old sinful life nailed to the Cross and never allow the old life in Adam to regain control of our heart or rule our minds.
We were are bought with a price, the precious blood of Christ Jesus our Lord, and the life we now live in the flesh is His life, for He is our Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture.
Never let us forget Who it was that gave up His sovereign, universal throne to come to earth, to die on the Cross as the perfect sacrifice for sin so that ALL that believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God, might not perish but have everlasting life.
By grace, the born-again believer is not only forgiven of their sin but they are dead to sin because sin’s power and dominion in the life of every Christian was forever broken at the Cross.
Though sin’s influence remains throughout this earthly life, it is increasingly subdued as we keep the old self nailed to the Cross and daily learn to live unto Christ.
We did not have to do anything extra for we were placed into Christ from the very moment we trusted in Jesus, and when we are 'born from above' we are baptised into the Body of believers.We not only died with Christ and were buried with Him, but we rose with Him into newness of life and became a new creation in Christ.
When Christ rose from the dead, we were in Him and so we were raised into newness of life in Christ, and because we trust in the Lord as our Saviour, we are forever united with Him.May we never forget that there is a Man in heavenly places - Jesus Christ the righteous Who is presently seated at the right hand of God the Father and because we are in Christ, we are therefore seated with Him, today, in heavenly places.
They will be resurrected from their tombs and come forth from the grave. It goes on to say: Those who did good deeds (by believing on the Word of God) will come out of their graves to a Resurrection of LIFE, while those who committed evil deeds (by not believing on the only begotten Son of God) will come out of their graves to a Resurrection of JUDGMENT or DAMNATION.
He prompts his readers to hold fast to the text of Scripture, and to cling tightly to the glorious gospel of God and the unchangeable fact; that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
But we are also cautioned against indulging in the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, which too frequently manifest themselves in all types of impurity or greed, filthiness of heart and mind..
As Christians we should not be led astray by the enticing reasoning of the world, which seeks to undermine the truth of God's Word - but the more one allows the mindset of the world to influence our thinking the more that life reflects the worldly philosophy in outward behaviour and the inner thoughts of the mind - all of which conflicts with the gospel truth.
Jesus is the ideal blueprint of a life submitted to the Holy Spirit - a life that is sanctioned by the Spirit of God.
Jesus is the representative Man Who demonstrates to you and to me how we should live our lives, for His was a life that was attentive to the Holy Spirit and willingly obeyed God's Word - a life that prayed in the power of the Spirit and a life that in thought, word, and deed did only those things He heard from God, as led by the Spirit to the honour of the Father.
And so empowered, filled, led, and supported by the Holy Spirit, we discover Jesus to be the only Man Who, from the beginning to the end of His life, freely chose to walk in spirit and truth and freely chose to fully submit to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Christ is the only Man Who ever lived His life in total dependence upon His heavenly Father - demonstrating to us how God desires all men to live.
We see the Lord Jesus at the start of His ministry returning to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district, as He set out on His long, three year trek to the Cross where, as the sin-substitute for the whole world, He would pay the price for your sin and mine so that whosoever believes on HIM would not perish, but have everlasting life.
The Lord Jesus is the express image of the invisible God, and during His earthly ministry had been revealing the 'I AM' of the Old Testament as the Good Shepherd, the Door of the sheepfold, the Light of the world, the Bread of life, the living Water, the Resurrection, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (abundant life, eternal life), for in Him was life and His life is the light of all mankind.
Christ lived His life in total dependance upon the Father, fulfilling the will and purpose of the Father throughout His life.
Although He was fully God, the Lord Jesus Christ lived His life as fully man.
As Paul draws his amazing treatise on salvation to a conclusion, he ends with a section on how to live the Christian life in a way that is pleasing to God.
He argues that in the light of the amazing grace of God that has been showered upon us all, and the manifold mercies He has poured upon all His children (including our past justification, our ongoing sanctification, and our future glorification), we should live a life that is worthy of our calling.
Paul urges us to live a holy life, to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, to be separated from the world, to be transformed into the likeness of Christ through the renewing of our minds, and to use the gifts, talents, abilities, and works (which God has foreordained that we should do), wisely, diligently, cheerfully, and in an attitude of love.
It is the very love of God Himself, which is freely available to all believers and is freely given to those who are prepared to die to their own human natures, to take up their own cross daily, and to live the only life that is wholly acceptable to God – a spiritual life – a sacrificial life.
Such a life is available to us by means of the Holy Spirit and expressed through our new life in Christ, but only those who choose God-dependency over self-dependency can avail themselves of God's love.
The unregenerate man is born in sin, he is a slave to sin, and remains separated from his Creator throughout his life – until and unless he is saved by grace through faith in Christ.However, the man that is born from above is no longer a slave to sin.
Before being saved, a man is a slave to the power of sin, but after redemption, he is no longer a slave to sin because the power of sin has been broken in his life.
We are not to give sin a foothold in our life.
How do we stop the old sin nature from climbing back onto the throne of our life?
We are to know that the power of sin has been broken in our life – because we believe, by faith, in His sacrificial work.
Because we are in Christ and identified with His nature we have been set free from the power of sin and can be instructed not to let sin have sway in our body and not to obey the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
In Him, we are truly set free from sin and have the power to resist the old sin nature and live the life of the new man - which honours the Lord.
Rather, we are to reckon that sin in our life it already dead.
Christ took the punishment for our sin when He died on the Cross in our place which means that the price of sin has already been paid, and we must reckon this to be true by not permitting sin to have any sway in our life.It is a fact that the icy fingers of eternal death and eternal separation from God, which are the righteous wages for sin, have been cancelled forever for all who believe.
BY grace through faith in Christ, 'old man' is dead and we have a new life within - our old life is dead and we have the life of Christ.
They included cleansing rituals and different food laws, and the various rules and regulations concerning personal conduct in the everyday activities of life.
There were a wide range of laws connected with house and home, life and living, which touched on areas such as marriage and sexual purity, forbidden practices, individual rights, the growing and harvesting of crops, and storage of food, and many moral and ethical issues that simply expanded the familiar Ten Commandments.
But if the Law was given exclusively to Israel, how does this impact on the life of Christians?
Well, although Christians are not under the 'Mosaic Law' per se, we are certainly under 'the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus' which James calls: The royal law according to the Scripture, and there are many instructions that believers in the Church age are given on many of the issues that are addressed in the Law of Moses e.g.
And Paul is giving guidelines on the free-will choices we have in life and the attitude we should adopt towards those who choose an alternative.
May we respect the choices and decisions of others who lack the freedom we enjoy in our Christian life and be careful not to judge others who, for some reason, are less emancipated in their faith.
He gave His only begotten Son to be born into the human race so that He could become our Kinsman-Redeemer, sacrificing HIS perfect, righteous life in place of US.
God in His grace sent Jesus to be our Saviour, and HIS death was the single payment God required to pay the price for the sin of the whole world, such that whosoever believes on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
Peter had started keeping some particular aspects of the Law of Moses to appease certain Jews who could not accept that Christ had fulfilled the Law on our behalf (through living a sinless life and dying a sacrificial death on behalf of Jews and Gentiles who would believe on Christ's atoning work on the Cross).
Although he started his Christian life by grace through faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross, Peter reintroduced certain aspects of the Law into his Christian walk.
John's baptism in water was meant to be an outward sign of an inner change of heart, and he insisted that true repentance would be demonstrated by a changed life.
Johns words were certainly challenging and his expectation was that totally transformed lives would be manifested through the fruit of a broken heart and a changed life.
And we are told WHY we need to pray earnestly and regularly, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life, in all godliness and dignity.
Let us make sure that today, and for the rest of our life on earth, we offer entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, on behalf of all men.
And let us pray for kings and all who are in authority so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life - in all godliness and dignity.
All born-again believers are united with Christ at the point of salvation, and having been made one with Him we are instructed to abide in Christ. 'To abide in Christ' simply means that we are to mature in our spiritual life; to grow in grace and to maintain a close and increasingly intimate fellowship with our heavenly Father.
We are to live our life as Christ lived His life - in total dependence upon God..
BUT anyone who does not abide in Christ, throws away their opportunity to bear good fruit to the glory of God - and that life becomes withered and is discarded.
If we do not abide in Him we will live an unfruitful Christian life - saved but unproductive..
unfruitful Christian life, that does not give glory to God.
What a waste of a life - saved - but unproductive.
The believer that does not maintain close communion with the Father becomes an unfruitful, barren branch - a wasted life that did not fulfil the purpose for which he was saved - to glorify God.
And Paul warns that their life will be devoid of spiritual fruit and whatever they have done in their life will be fruitless and be burned up.
Saved - but a wasted life that dishonours the Father. Saved to the uttermost; but an utterly fruitless and wasted life.
He who saves his life shall lose it and he who loses his life for My sake shall find it. A believer saves his own carnal life by not abiding in Christ but living for himself or by trying to produce fruit by his own merit. Such a believer loses the one opportunity he has to honour the Father by denying himself, taking up his cross and abiding in Christ as a true disciple. Instead of growing in grace and maturing in the faith he is thrown aside as an unfruitful branch and his opportunity to live for Christ withers away.
The (spiritual) believer who loses his life for Christ (by abiding in Him) will find his life to be fruitful and will produce much fruit to the glory of God..
What a sad testimony that instead of abiding in Christ and reaping a fruitful reward that lasts into eternity to the honour and praise of the Father anyone who does not abide in Christ will be considered a barren branch that is cut off and allowed to wither away... a fruitless life that did not fulfil its purpose..
a wizened, dried-up soul that has not stored up treasure in heaven a wasted life the put self before Jesus..
or tries to produce fruit apart from the Vine, it will result in a barren Christian life.
Praise God that the rest of the book of Romans gives us clear guidelines on how to be saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, the one and only Saviour Whose sacrificial death paid the full price for our sin, and Whose glorious Resurrection imparted to us His resurrected life, making us part of an entirely new creation, children of God, and joint-heirs with Christ - by faith in HIM.
John spent over three years of his life with Jesus, listening intently to His gracious words, astonished by His amazing truth, watching Him attentively as He fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures, and beholding His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
He is the eternal Creator of the world Who is co-equal with the Father, and the Bible introduces Him as Jesus, the Word made flesh, the One from Whom emanates eternal light and life.
He came to give eternal life to those who were dead in their sins.
Jesus came to die for the sin of the whole world so that whosoever would believe on His name would not perish, but have the life of all living things.
They became His disciples and were astonished by the gracious things He said and all that He did, but most did not believe the Truth and crucified the Lord of Life.
As disciples of the Lord, we should not simply follow afar off but develop a heart-desire to know Him as our everlasting Life of lives and eternal Light of all lights.
He equips us to carry out His perfect will in each of our lives if and when we are willing to submit to His guidance, as we walk in spirit and truth, as we abide in Christ, and let Him live His perfect new life-in-Christ in us.
But carnal believers that seek to use their gifts and carry out the works the Lord has prepared for them to do in the power of their own flesh (or simply ignore them), will live a life that is unfruitful and in the end, they will suffer loss.
Oh, the 'loss' mentioned here most certainly does not refer to a loss of salvation, for the gifts and calling of God will never be revoked and our eternal life is a gift that can never, ever be taken away.
There are many enticements to sin and we can choose to disobey God's will for our life and foolishly step back into the darkness from which we have been rescued - but the consequences for carnality in a Christian is a loss of reward - eternally saved but a wasted life, loss of reward, and broken fellowship with our Father.
Yes, it is through the shed blood of Jesus, our Saviour, that we were cleansed at our salvation and brought into the light, and it is as sinners saved by grace, that we need to be continually cleansed of any post-salvation sin as we travel through this life.
When a sinner who has been saved by grace, chooses to live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, he has made a wise decision, for he will not only enjoy blessed fellowship with His Christian brothers and sisters who are also living in God’s light, but will enjoy unbroken fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, and sweet communion with the great Father of light and life and hope and love.
It is as we obediently abide in Christ, on Whom we feed and through Whom we draw all we need for life and godliness, that we will know without a shadow of doubt, we are walking in spirit and truth.
Love is manifest in practical righteousness and is closely linked with truth and hope, life and light.
Paul was a man who encouraged believers to follow his own example of trust in God... in a life wholly consecrated to Jesus Christ - Him crucified and risen.
And perhaps because of his physical absence and imminent martyrdom, Paul wanted to give examples of other godly men whose manner of life and dedication to the gospel of Christ, was worth emulating.
Indeed, we discover that this young minister was the one person who did not abandon Paul as his gruelling life drew to a close.
How we praise Him that He loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosever believes in HIM will not perish but have everlasting life.
To do so, renders works of the Law as the means for living godly in Christ Jesus instead our new life in Him!
But it is only by the work of the Holy Spirit within the life of a Christian (who willingly bows to His guidance through love and deep gratitude) that we are enabled to live a godly life.
Our initial salvation has nothing to do with the works of the Law and our Christian life has nothing to do with the works of the Law.
Being saved, staying saved, or living the Christian life, is not dependent on keeping any form of legalistic rules - whether it be the Law of Moses, the binding rules of any religious system or denomination, or even our own self-imposed laws.
We were not saved by works of the Law, nor can we live our life by attempting to keep the Law.
Only Christ's resurrected LIFE is able to keep us, for the life that I now live in this body is not my life, but Christ's life in me - it is Christ in me, the hope of glory - it is Christ's life within, working the work of God within my mortal body.
We received the Spirit by faith and we are to live the Christian life by faith.
It is the new life in Christ that enables us to live godly in Christ Jesus.
All children are born with a propensity towards evil, and training infants and young people in godly conduct, wise choices, and appropriate accountability for their actions and attitudes is a God-given, tool to help set a child in the right direction for their life.
All were atheistic, with some who hotly pursued the pleasures of life through sensual experience, whilst others favoured personal discipline and self-control, desiring to search out the truth.
The former enjoyed life without reference to God while the latter endured life estranged from God, but both world-views were fanned by the flames of pride.
Paul came to show them the true and living way: how to enter life; abundant life; eternal life.
Paul introduced to these lost and prideful men the God of creation, the God of history, the God of geography, the God of language, the God who breathed His own life-breath into man.
A vital aspect of the Christian life is recognising that we are all sinners and acknowledging that we fall short of the glory of God - that we all need forgiveness of our sin for the salvation of our soul and union with Christ, but we also need to ask for forgiveness when we fall short in our Christian life - for if we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We have an eternal, unbreakable union with the Lord Jesus, for we have been eternally accepted in the Beloved by grace through faith – but sweet fellowship with Him can be broken and our life can dishonour His name – for if we choose to walk in darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth.Holy living is not simply a spotless exterior but an inner mind that is clean, and a heart that is broken before the Lord; a spirit that rejoices in the truth; a soul that delights itself in the Lord.
There is no way that these envious and ambitions men were living the compassionate, Christ-like life of a child of God who is walking in spirit and truth.
Jeremiah spent most of his life warning his people of severe judgement to come, if the nation did not repent of their evil ways and return to the Lord their God.
As with so much of life, acquiring knowledge and understanding and seeking after wisdom is a choice for the individual.
We can turn our ear to seeking knowledge and can develop humility of heart pursuing the path of prudence and seeking after that which is more valuable than gold and will last throughout life and into eternity.
Although the unregenerate man can gain much value from reading the book of Proverbs and applying its wisdom in their lives, the underlying principle that should govern our acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and which should impact our entire life, is to reverence of the Lord in the beauty of His holiness, for doing so will not only influence the lives we live today in a positive way, but will enable us to reap glorious rewards in the eternal ages to come.
So, when times are hard, and we are tempted to doubt His Word of truth - how important to recollect Who He is and how He lifted us up from life's miry pit, through the perfect Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because every man falls short of the glory of God and His perfect righteousness, Christ Jesus came to fulfil the Law on behalf of fallen man so that whosoever believes on Him will not remain under condemnation and perish but will receive abundant, everlasting life.
The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life to all who believe that Christ died for our sin according to the Scripture and was raised from the dead according to God's written Word.
And so God sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, into the world, clothed in human flesh to live a perfect life and die the sacrificial death that would satisfy God's wrath against the sin of fallen humanity and guarantee eternal life to all who would believe.
Christ's sinless life and the shedding of His blood was the one, only, and perfect sacrificial offering which He made on our account and qualified Him to become the guarantee of a better covenant, as promised by God in the Old Testament.
It was not because of David's exemplary life or military successes that this great honour was conferred upon him, for during his life he was embroiled in many indiscretions, ungodly actions, and sinful acts against the Lord.
Let us never take our salvation for granted, and let us never treat as insignificant our eternal position in Christ, our future inheritance, the forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life - for what God has said He will fulfil - not because of who we are but for the honour of His holy name and to the glory of Jesus Christ - our God and Saviour.
Forgiveness of sin and life everlasting are two of the multiple blessings that are ours - in Christ.
He was born without a sin-nature and He lived a sinless life, in order to be qualified as our sinless Redeemer... for only a sinless Man was qualified to pay the price for the sin of the whole world.
And yet He chose to become part of the human race, in order to take the shocking punishment for all the accumulated sins of fallen humanity so that we would not have to go through being punished for our sin - but would receive forgiveness of sin, eternal life, and become part of a new and perfect Creation - by faith in Him.
Jesus went through ALL this so that He might free you and me... and all those who, through fear of death, are subject to slavery throughout life.
We were slaves of sin and we were enslaved by Satan because of our sin - and yet Christ willingly sacrificed His own sinless life, so that He might free ALL, who through fear of death, were subjected to slavery. How sad that so many refuse to be saved by rejecting God's offer of salvation, as a free gift which is ours by God's grace - through faith.
death received its full and final payment - but death had no hold on the eternal Prince of Life after He paid the price for sin..
for in Him is life eternal, and so He rose from the dead.
Christ's resurrection from the dead broke the power of sin and death in the life of all who trust in His name for the forgiveness of sins.
His death became our death and His resurrected life becomes our eternal life when we believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation.
And for three years Jesus had told them that He was Stone which the builders rejected Who would become the Chief Corner stone - that in Him was Life and that He was the Way and the Truth and the Life and that after three days the destroyed temple of His human body would be raised it up once again into an immortal Body.
Praise God that Christ died to pay the price for our sin but praise God also that His resurrection from the grave secured our justification and breathed into us the breath of eternal life..
Jesus Himself would later disclose: I am the Way and the Truth and the Life - no man comes to the Father but by ME. And there is no one that has a heart that longs to know the truth that will not discover Jesus, and be shown the way to eternal life.
Christ is the Alpha and Omega of our faith, the Way and the Truth; the Resurrection and the Life – and one day we will be with Him and see Him face to face.
No-one can lay any other foundation than Christ and those who build their life on Him will never be put to shame, but will carry out good works prepared by God, and they will be rewarded with gold, silver, and costly stones, when tried and tested in the furnace of life.
Let us in the power of His Holy Spirit, seek to develop that childlike disposition that is birthed from simple trust in His faithful Word, for both here on earth and in His eternal kingdom, the life that reflects the Lord Jesus is the child of God that gives glory to the Father.
The old Law was not given to achieve salvation - for in Christ are the words of eternal life and through Him alone will come the prophesied kingdom of heaven on earth.
Various unbiblical cults and religious sects seek ways to diminish Christ's eternal deity and divine authority and regard Him a lesser 'god' - for they are unwilling to come to HIM so that they might have life.
The inspired Word of God similarly lays claim to Christ's deity, for we are told that He is the visible image of the invisible God - full of grace and truth. Many do not believe that Jesus is fully God because they are unwilling to come to Him so that they might have life..
Although He was fully God, the Lord Jesus lived His life as Man was originally designed to live before the fall... in spirit, in truth, in total dependence upon God and in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
And the life of Christ gave undeniable testimony of His eternal origin and equality with the Father.
Men were unwilling to come to Jesus for salvation and life eternal during His sojourn on earth, 2000 years ago, And men continue to be unwilling to come to Christ so that they may have life.
But the same sad response is heard today as it was 2000 years ago ..but you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
The Scripture from start to finish is a witness and a testimony that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, manifest in the flesh as the perfect Son of Man, for these are they which testify to the truth of His claims - and in Whom are the words of eternal life - But sadly the majority of the world today have the same attitude that was discovered in the unbelieving generation of Christ's earthly walk - they are unwilling to come to Jesus so that they may have life..
Whatever the reason that this ruler of the Jews came to see Him at night, the Lord Jesus recognised a man who was earnestly seeking the truth, and so begins the most wonderful passage that outlines to whosoever will, how to be saved - how to be born again - how to be born of the Spirit - how to become a Christian - how to see the kingdom of heaven - how to have their sins forgiven - how to gain eternal life:
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
All those that are blood-bought children of God and who are walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus can be said to be walking in the truth of His Word – for those that are born again and living in fellowship with the Lord are those that are living their life in through their new, born-again spirit (their new life in Christ), and not living as carnal believers who continue to live their Christian lives under the influence of the old sin nature.
But there is only one truth and His name is Jesus: I am the way, the truth, and the life.
At salvation, we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our eternal life and heavenly inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession - until we are raptured into His presence.
Sin in the life of a believer, must be quickly addressed if close communion with Christ is to be re-established. If fellowship with God is broken, it is a flaw in us and not in the Lord - it is because of our sin and not because God has withdrawn from us.
He has broken the suffocating power they exerted over us and by grace through faith, has equipped us with His own sufficient strength to triumph over them in this life.
The time came when Moses was led to remind the Nation of the conditional covenant they had with God and urged them to choose life over death and blessings over curses.
A faithful steward who lives a life of trust in God will be rewarded with gold, silver, or precious stones, while one that produces works of the flesh will suffer the loss of reward.
He has promised to be with us on our journey through life and to stay with us through all the circumstances of life - even during those times when we prove faithless.
In this verse, at the end of his life, Moses was reiterating the promise that the LORD gave to His people - that He is the One Who would be with them and go before them.
And wherever we are in life, we have many precious promises to cling to - and His promises are ALL YES and AMEN in Christ Jesus our Lord.
They in turn, were to continue to trust His Word and not be afraid or discouraged about the difficult circumstances of life that would certainly loom up in their future.
We have His assurance that He will be with us on our journey, stay with us through all the circumstances of life, never leave us alone, and finally take us to be with Himself forever.
Paul instructs us not to lie to one another because as believers, we have laid aside the old Adamic nature and the evil practices that accompany our former - pre-salvation life.
We have died with Christ and have been raised up together with Him into newness of life... and a lying tongue or a mouth that practices deceit, is rooted in the old sin nature.
As blood-bought children of God, we have dispensed with the evil ways of that past life.
We are given a little insight into His birth at Bethlehem and a glimpse into His life in Nazareth, His visit to the temple at the age of 12, and this special preparatory time with John, which preceded Christ's three-and-a-half-year ministry that led to His sacrificial death on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection.
We can yield to the Holy Spirit doing a work in our new, born again life that we received at rebirth OR we can resist the work that the Holy Spirit desires to do in our new life and continue to live a carnal type of life under the power of the old sin nature (the old life that still fights for supremacy).
Jesus loves us so much that He died for our sin and gave us a new life that He longs will be conformed into His image and likeness.
Sadly, many believers, like the Laodicean believers, are lukewarm in the life they live for the Lord and are disinterested in the things of God.
They choose to live a carnal life that excludes the Spirit's work in their life and stunts their spiritual maturity, keeping the Lord at arm's length, and keeping the work of the Spirit outside the door of their lives.
Should we not harken to the call of our Lord Who died so that we might live in newness of life - submitted to His Spirit?
Hebrews is not simply written for early Jewish Christians to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of Christ's life, death, and Resurrection, or His interconnection with Old Testament Scriptures.
It contains vital truth for all born again Christians and reminds us of the importance to mature in the faith, to work the works of God, and to live the sanctified life of a Christian who is walking in spirit and in truth.
May our lives bear witness that we truly are the household of God, by remaining faithful to our life's end, knowing that this will give honour and glory to our Heavenly Lord.
From that time on, He began to teach in parables, so His Jewish listeners would not understand the meaning of His words and would crucify their Messiah 'in ignorance' - for to reject the Prince of Life knowingly, would place these sinners under eternal condemnation.
Jesus knew the futility of these answers, for these men of God testified of HIM Who alone has the words of eternal life.
This is the single, most important issue that every member of the human race must consider: 'What think ye of Christ?' The answer is critical, for the one who believes is not condemned, but receives the light of life.
The question the disciples were given that day is the same question that every one of us has answered, or will have to face at some time in our life.
But the blessing we all receive when we confess this truth and place our faith in Him, is the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
He breathed the breath of life into Adam and gave the man He created in His own image and likeness, the authority to rule over the beautiful earth He had made.
And this offer of salvation and the escape from God's wrath, is open to all: For it is not God's will that anyone should perish but that all should come to repentance, In other words, any unbeliever who changes their mind about the Lord Jesus Christ, believes on Him, and receives His free gift of salvation, will not perish but be saved and receive everlasting life.
May this truth motivate us to draw near to God, to share the gospel of grace with all we meet, and live a life of holiness and obedience to His Word.
May we be those that do not seek to sort out the troubling circumstances of life in our own strength, whether they are political, personal, social, or religious.
There is no difficulty in our personal life or on the political world stage, that is insurmountable.
Our Christian life and spiritual service should follow the will of the Lord and be done to the glory of God.
Personal dedication and basic consecration, where we present our lives as a living sacrifice unto the Lord, is naturally the foundational principle upon which any life that is walking in spirit and truth, must be based.
God has given us all that we need for life and godliness, because we trusted in Christ's finished work, by faith.
By His Word and through His Spirit, we have received all that we require, including certain spiritual gifts, so that we may live a life that honours His name.
This was done in grateful remembrance of the rock that was smitten in the wilderness, and from which streamed life-giving water into the dusty desert for the thirsty Israelites - but it also pointed forward to the Rock of our Salvation and the Living Water that streams from our Saviour's healing side, bringing spiritual life, spiritual health, and spiritual healing to all who drink - for Jesus is the living water.
He is the true water of life Who alone can satisfy the thirsty soul.
John knew that shortly before Christ's crucifixion, the Lord Jesus reminded them that He is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life, and that the Holy Spirit of truth Who indwells all believers, has promised to guide us into all truth.
The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, for as we read: If the Lord should mark our iniquities, who could stand?
Do this in remembrance of Me. Year after year, ever since the miraculous exodus from Egypt, the people of Israel had taken a little innocent, spotless lamb and slain it on the altar of sacrifice before the God of Israel, as a picture of the promised Messiah Who was to come and save His people from their sins and offer His life as a ransom for the whole world.
The Lord Jesus was the bread of life, the hidden manna that had been sent from heaven.
Paul's extended letter of correction is brought to a close with a catalogue of godly rules and instruction on how to live the Christian life in spirit and in truth, and how to avoid being deceived by Judaisers and other unscrupulous men in the future: Those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, he prayed.
In Hebrews 11, we gain a tiny glimpse into the life, expectations, and endurance of men and women of faith in Old Testament times.
The blessings these faithful folk in Hebrews 11 are to enjoy, are still future, for their blessings are to flow to them through the Person of JESUS, His Office and His Ministry, His death on the Cross, His resurrected life, and His victory over Satan, sin, death, and hell.
He urged them to separate themselves from all that is evil in the world and to live a life that is sanctified to the Lord.
He has not only provided us with all we need for life and godliness, but has given us the indwelling Holy Spirit of God, to guide us into all truth and to teach us all things.
Reconciliation with God, for an unbeliever, means to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Reconciliation for the Christian, who has left his first love or has become carnal in his earthly life, is to walk in the light as He is in the light, to separate from the world system, to die to self and to live for Christ, in order to be presented holy, blameless, and above reproach before Him.
He was showing us that earthly food will satisfy our physical needs and our earthly body temporarily, but He had come down to earth from heaven to provide us with heavenly food that would satiate our spiritual needs and our eternal souls, forever: I am the Living Bread that came down out of heaven, He explained, if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.
In this passage, Jesus already knew that He would be rejected by Israel as prophesied in Scripture, and He was starting to hint at the coming Cross of Calvary, where He would offer His life as the ransom price for the sin of the world.
He was starting to signal the truth of God's Word, that He was to be the sacrificial offering, whose broken body and shed blood is the only spiritual food and drink that fallen man can appropriate to gain life eternal, for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved.
A significant part of Paul's epistles are either encouraging us to live godly lives, explaining what is expected in our Christian walk, giving examples of how to live to the glory of God, or enabling us to grow in grace through faith in the glorious gospel of Christ - where JESUS is the centre of our life and our conversation is heavenly.
He will change our mortal frame, where the life is in the blood, into a body like that of Jesus Christ, where life comes by means of the Spirit of God; for we are no longer part of the old, fallen, condemned, dying creation, but members of a new, eternal, and better creation in Christ - where He Himself is our life.
gave witness that he was in Christ and that the Spirit of God was working in his life.
for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
Paul not only sought to demonstrate that God worked tremendous triumph out of his own personal tragedies but wanted his personal difficulties and distresses to become an encouragement to all of us - demonstrating that God desires to use the circumstance of our life as a springboard to further the Word of truth..
How wonderful to know that God will take and use every difficulty and danger that we encounter in this life..
What a joy to discover that God will use every situation in the life of everyone who is willing to die to self and live for Him..
And when we trust Him in every circumstance of life and hold fast to the Word of truth - it will prove ourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God, who are above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation - to His praise and glory.
Christ's death was in payment for the sin of the whole world (for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord), so that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life - and this is God's free gift of grace.
Throughout His life, Jesus increasingly found favour with God and man.
During His early life, Jesus submitted to His earthly parents in humble obedience, but at the start of His God-appointed ministry to a lost and dying world, Jesus had to make it plain to all people that His divine mission was not to be influenced by the whims or the demands of fallen man, including His own dear mother who was equally in need of His redemptive blood as you and me.
He was her God, and He was her Saviour, and she needed forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, just like you and me.
Let us be ready to hear His still small voice in whatever situation or circumstance of life we find ourselves, and let us trust His Word implicitly, for He knows the way that we should go if we are simply willing to listen to His voice.
But humility is not only a great grace that needs to be developed in those that are young in years or young in the faith, humility is a fruit of the Spirit that should be the goal of all Christian men and women, however mature in the faith they have become, or however young they are in the Christian life, for God gives grace to the humble as well as wisdom, faith, understanding, and holiness, but He resists and opposes all those that are proud.
In like manner, those that meekly take up their cross, in the power of the Spirit, and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, will grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus so that at the proper time, God will raise them up in to newness of life.
Because of Christ's perfect life, sacrificial death, and glorious Resurrection, we have the guaranteed certainty that what God has promised, He will perform.
We are enabled to come to our Heavenly Father with the sure knowledge that in the ages to come, we have life everlasting.
He came to fulfil the righteous requirement of God's Law so that we would not remain under condemnation but be raised up into newness of eternal life.It is with a heart of humility, a spirit of purity, an unblemished conscience, and in full assurance of our hope in Christ, that we have confidence in this glorious invitation to draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.We have been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God Who was slain from the foundation of the world.
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In a parallel passage, we read that whoever does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
True discipleships places Christ at the centre of a life and above everyone else.
It is offering our entire life as a living sacrifice which is set apart for God and remains holy to the Lord.
It is disassociating ourselves from our own wishes and personal desires, and living life with a divine perspective, where we are willing to say, Not my will but Thine be done.
To follow Christ as a disciple, may necessitate the forsaking of creature comforts, earthy ambitions, material riches, relational ties, and even life itself.
Let us die to our own desires and live our life for Christ alone.
and His glorious resurrection for life everlasting, we might be redeemed and adopted into the family of God and become part of the Body of Christ.
Day after day we are being 'Practically or Progressively Sanctified' - as by God's grace, the Holy Spirit lives in us and works through us, to complete the good work that He started in our life at salvation.
His Holy Spirit is the One Who is continuing to sanctify us as we are being changed from glory to glory during our earthly life.
and those whom He sanctifies are sons of God, who in this life are going from one level of glory to another.
God breathed the breath of life into man, and Adam became a living being.
Life is one of the most precious things we have in this world.
We desire long life, a good and challenging life, a fulfilled and happy life.
There is much research into extending life and combating death, for God has set eternity in the heart of man.
But there is much intrigue into what happens after death, for death is that looming shadow on the horizon of everyman, and yet the perspective that Paul had on life and death is far removed from the general outlook of humanity.
It is the Lord Jesus Who bestowed LIFE on all who trust Him as Saviour, abundant life, eternal life.
God, in His grace, had ordained that His only Son would be born into the human race so that He could live a sinless life and fulfil all the righteous requirements of the Law on behalf of everyone who would believe on His name.
The perfection of the new is infinitely superior to the old, for it offers life and light rather than death and failure.
It tells of the practical benefits we gain, the way to live godly in Christ Jesus, the place of the Law in our lives, and how the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the Law of sin and death.
We rejoice to know that the mind-set of those walking in spirit and truth is life and peace, through the power of the indwelling Spirit, and that by His grace we have been made alive, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
The simple truth is that we who were once dead in our sins and at enmity with God, have been made alive by faith in Christ Jesus, brought near to the Father, adopted as His children, and indwelled by His Spirit: And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us, that same Holy Spirit will also give life to our mortal bodies, through the Spirit who dwells within each of us.
We who have been positioned in Him through faith, will, in like manner, be raised from the dead both spiritually and physically, for the Holy Spirit is the One Who gave us spiritual life when we were born again and He is the same Spirit Who will give life to our mortal bodies at the resurrection of the dead. He is indwelling our bodies and empowering our lives.
SECOND: We are being SANCTIFIED throughout this earthly life.
We are going through a day by day process of practical sanctification, where our soul-life is being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ.
THIRD: We will be GLORIFIED at the resurrection/Rapture of the Church, when the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead and who dwells in our mortal bodies will also give life to our body through His Holy Spirit.
Melchizedek, perhaps more than anything else in the book of Hebrews, was a key in helping the Jews understand the significance of Jesus, and accepting Him as the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
We are to die to self and to live a sacrificial life, as we testify to the truth of His Word and intercede on behalf of others.
And our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Who suffered and died on our account, gave us the perfect example of how to live the Christian life to the glory of God.
So often, Old Testament Scripture provides New Testament believers with a picture of Christ's life or His character - or it portrays the pattern of living that God's desires from all His people.
He was ready and willing to GIVE His life as the full and final Burnt Offering to the Lord - as an act of mercy and grace so that all who believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
However, it should not be out of fear of reprisal that we live an honest, honourable, and truthful life, but out of love for our Heavenly Father Who loved us so much, that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
He was the sin-sacrifice for the whole world so that whoever believes on Him would not perish but have life - His resurrected life - His eternal life - His abundant life - the new life IN Christ.
And He died TO sin so that the power of sin in the life of a believer could be broken in our lives.
The gospel message of saving grace is the most important information that we will ever hear and it is most vital message that we need to share with a lost and dying world, for Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and then to live His life through them - by grace through believing that: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures.
To those who are lost and perishing, to those who have not trusted in the shed blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and God's free gift of eternal life, the message of the Cross is insane madness, stupid silliness, and illogical idiocy.
The shed blood of Christ as the redemptive price for the forgiveness of sin and His glorious Resurrection from the dead with its promise of eternal life and our blessed hope in Christ's soon return, is our glorious hope and our sufficient strength, for it is the power of GOD and the wisdom of GOD.
We have to be given a new life in Christ which replaces our old life in Adam.
While 'positional' regeneration takes place at the moment of salvation, regeneration is also an ongoing process in the life of all believers, as they are transformed and restored and renewed, day by day, into the likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus Christ.
The new birth is the glorious fact of regeneration and spiritual renewal by the Holy Spirit when a lost sinner believes on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
The Lord Jesus was sent by God to be the suffering Servant for the sin of mankind and throughout His earthly life He became the perfect example of dignity, greatness, humility and gracious service.
Jesus was One Who was eternally begotten of the Father and yet He graciously laid aside His glory to become the Servant of all, by willingly giving His life as a living sacrifice, as an example of perfect humanity.
Those of us who are born from above should take Christ as our perfect example of sacrificial servanthood and consecrate our life as a living sacrifice - holy and acceptable to God.
May we seek to live a life of dignity, greatness, humility, grace and service to others..
Only as we move forward in our Christian life, do we learn of the glories that are ours in Him.
The same Spirit Who indwells us at the point of salvation and empowers us throughout our life, will enable us to guard the precious treasure that has been entrusted to us, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
His entire life and sacrificial death was the perfect example of a sweet-smelling savour ascending to His Father, as He presented His prayers in the morning and lifted His heart to heaven at the time of the evening sacrifice.
Throughout His earthly life, the Lord Jesus was set forth as incense-offering to the Lord.
His entire life exuded a beautiful fragrance that was well-pleasing to the Father.
From birth to death - from His manger to the cross, His life was a sweet-smelling perfume that delighted His God, and He found favour with God and man.
His was a life of faith, a life of prayer, a life of praise, a life of worship - a life of sacrifice.
His was a life that from the rising of the sun to the setting of the same, demonstrated a holy life that, was set forth as incense before the Lord.
Although He was fully God, Jesus lived His life as fully man, to set us the perfect example of how God wants all of His children to live.
As incarnate God, Jesus laid aside His glory and power to live His entire life in the way that God desires every man and woman born from above to conduct their lives.
He is not a God Who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities because He became a man and was tried and tested throughout His life just as we are - yet He lived a sinless life.
BUT, because sin entered the world by one man's sin, God could offer His gracious plan of redemption to ALL through the perfect life of ONE MAN - our Saviour Jesus Christ.
How blessed we are to know that our Heavenly Father so greatly loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son - the Son of His love Who was in the bosom of His Father from eternity past so that everyone who trusts in Him will not perish, but may have the Life of Ages.
It is trusting in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ Jesus our Saviour for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, that overcomes the world.
Jesus lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death, and all who trust in Him are identified with HIM and His victory.
The broken Law demanded the penalty of death - for the curse of the Law is death and Christ's death on the cross paid the penalty for sin so that all who believed on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
As believers we are not under Law but under Grace because Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf..As believers we have been removed from the Law of sin and death by faith in Christ and are now under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus..
which means that HE is to live His life through us... so that it is not I that live but Christ that lives in me - to His praise and glory.
Without this core truth, our faith would be rendered irrelevant, for it is by Christ's death that we are forgiven and it is by His imputed, resurrected life that we too shall live.
For multiple centuries, the words of Job have been a comfort to many who are passing through the fires of testing, for they contain deep truths that formulate the warp and weft of the tapestry that is being woven in the life of every believer.
It is also Jesus to Whom the indwelling Spirit of God directs our gaze, and it is Jesus Who demands our worship and praise, our adoration and grateful thanks – for just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so that all who looked upon that bronze serpent would live, so Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour, was lifted up on the Cross of Calvary so that all who look to Him would be saved by grace through faith and have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.In this passage, we are exhorted to look away from all things that hinder or halt our spiritual growth and to turn our gaze trustingly, intently, and purposefully toward the lovely Lord Jesus.
We are to look to His earthly life as the most beautiful example of a living sacrifice that was submitted to the Holy Spirit.
We are to look to the Man Whose life was lived in spirit and truth – a life that only did those things He heard from the Father - a life that was governed by God, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Christ lived a life Whose joy and delight was to do the will of His Father in heaven – a life that was prepared to say in the Garden of Gethsemane: Thy will not Mine be done.
His was a life that suffered the intense pain and ignominy of the Cross for the eternal joy that lay ahead of His life of sorrow and pain.
Living the Christian life in this fallen world, is not an easy path to tread.
But we have His assurance that He has overcome this world and that His victory is our also victory, for His triumphant, resurrected life has become our new-life-in-Christ, and His perfect righteousness has been imputed to us.
Praise God that all who persevere under trial for Christ's sake, will be approved of Him and receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to ALL who love Him.
Once we are born again, we are no longer under the Law of sin and death, but under the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.
But how quickly we can be tempted to view the problems of life as being God's fault, instead of taking responsibility by responding to them in a biblical manner, taking every thought captive to Christ, and trusting Him to navigate us through the stormy times we are facing, as well as praising Him on those sunny days.
It is easy to look away from the Lord towards the blackening storm-clouds of life and the tumultuous waves of discontent, that are designed to shipwreck our testimony and set us adrift from the Anchor of our soul, but James encourages us to keep our eyes on Jesus, and reminds us in this verse: The one who looks intently at the perfect law of liberty (which is already ours in Christ) and abides by it, will be blessed in what he does.
We are to look earnestly and continuously at the perfect Law of the Spirit of life, which is ours by faith in Christ, and we are to keep on concentrating on Him and focussing on His Word, which sustains us with spiritual strength, guards and protects us from the ravages of the enemy, and guides us into all truth as we grow in grace and mature in the faith.
We can become careless in our Christian walk and drift away from the narrow pathway that leads to life.
Starting with a lament on the brevity of life inspires the need for the sinner to safeguard their soul by turning from sin and seeking God's divine presence in every circumstance of life.
Water is a cleansing agent, and the action of being 'baptised' in water was to demonstrate a cleansed heart, a purified life, an inner change.
JESUS took upon Himself our sins at the Cross so that by faith in Him we can 'die to sin' or 'give up' the sinful life and have it replaced with a righteous life; a life that identifies with Christ.
It is to demonstrate a dying to the old sinful life, and a being raised into newness of life in Christ, as part of His new creation.
Being baptised with the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ is perhaps one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Bible, but perhaps 1 Corinthians 12:13 offers the clearest description of this once-for-all, supernatural event that takes place in the life of every Christian, the moment they place their faith in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting: For in the power of one Spirit, we have all been baptised into one Body; we have been placed INTO Christ's Body; we have become a Member of Christ's Body, which is the Church, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bondmen or free, and have all been given to drink of one Spirit.
It was David that first lifted up these words of entreaty to the Father, as he sought to worship the Lord in spirit and truth, and to offer his life as a living sacrifice of praise, holy and acceptable to Him.
He longed that the desire of Israel's heart would be to place God in His rightful position, at the centre of their life's purpose.
The attitude that is reflected in David's beautiful, pleading prayer is of the spiritual man who seeks first the kingdom of God, and has chosen to have the King of righteousness, seated on the throne of his life.
When our will and purpose reflects the will and purpose of God, and His desires become the dear desires of our heart, the life that we live translates into His best will for us, and we will live to His praise and glory and fulfil the whole purpose for which we were created.
Yet restoration was promised to the nation when they turned from their wicked ways, while gracious redemption is pictured through the life-story of Hosea's adulterous wife when she was brought back into fellowship with her long-suffering husband - which will happen for Israel at the close of the 7-year Tribulation Period.
All who are called by His name, forgiven of their sins, and have been granted eternal life, will carry out their service of righteousness, in quietness and in confidence, forever.
Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? was a legitimate question that this man, who was an expert in the Mosaic Law asked the Lord Jesus.
But then the next words that came from our Savour's lips were shattering, for He continued, Do this, and you will live. DO THIS and you will live! DO THIS and you will inherit eternal life.
Jesus was graciously pointing out that inheriting eternal life through the works of the Law was an impossibility for fallen sinners.
The first commandment alone requires total dedication to the Lord throughout our whole life.
The demands of this one commandment alone requires 100% commitment 100% of the time for 100% of our life - and the plain fact is that the standard that God requires for entrance into eternal life is impossible - theoretically impossible, practically impossible, and spiritually impossible.
Keeping the Law is impossible for you and impossible for me, just as it was impossible for this expert in the Law who proudly considered that keeping the works of the Law would gain him a ticket to eternal life.
This proud lawyer was under the false illusion that he could DO something to gain eternal life and Christ used the Mosaic Law to demonstrate that this man needed to be born again and to be saved, in order to receive eternal life as God's free gift - but when a man or woman does not realise that they are lost and without hope in the world, they falsely consider that they can merit eternal life by good deeds or works of the Law.
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone, for there is no other way to the Father, except through the SON Who gave His life as a ransom for all who would believe in Him.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
And anyone in the human race who believe on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
How dare we in this age and generation stoop to such outrageous practices where man becomes obsessed with angels, the supernatural, a false spirituality and the invisible realm, instead of glorifying their Creator and worshipping His only begotten Son Who gave His life as a ransom for many.
The Lord Jesus lived His life following God's divine timetable.
Every day in His life was planned and prepared by the Father.
The Lord Jesus lived a life that from beginning to end cried: Thy will be done.
Christ had glorified God throughout His life, by His miracles, by His ministry, by His grace, by living in humble obedience to the Father, and by submitting to the power of the Spirit, for He had laid aside His pre-incarnate glory.
And as we look at their example, we are challenged in our own race through life, to forget the things which are behind, to discard anything and everything that might impede our progress or hinders our witness, as we reach forward to complete God's plans and purposes for our lives.It is the sin of unbelief that can so easily ensnare and entangle us, for unbelief can become an unbearable weight on our hearts which fosters fear and chokes our faith.
During those times when we are tempted to feel that we are the only one that is facing difficult challenges in life, it is good to reflect on that great cloud of witnesses who trusted God despite the enormous trials and tribulations they were called upon to face in their uphill walk of faith.
It is not so much that these Old Covenant saints are spectators of our progress through life, but their lives bore witness of their faith in God and trust in His Word - a faith that we are to emulate as we press on in our Christian walk.Life is a race which has a finishing line, and we are exhorted to set the eyes of our hearts and the determination of our spirits on to the goal of our calling – and that goal is a Person, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Knowing that we too are following in the footsteps of such a great a cloud of witnesses, let us endeavour to lay aside every weight that hinders our personal Christian life so that we do not fall into the sin of unbelief which can so easily beset us in the race of life – and let us run with patient endurance the race that is set before us, looking to JESUS, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
As a result of sin, death came into the world and reigns in the life of every man, for all have sinned and all fall short of God's glory.
Just as sin entered the world by one man who sinned, God purposed to abolish death through a perfect Man Who lived a sinless life, a Man Who would be tempted to sin like we are tempted and could sympathise with all our human weaknesses, yet was without sin.
Only the perfect God was good enough to live a sinless life, for there is none good, not even one.
If the eternal God Himself, became part of His own creation, lived a sinless life, and was willing to offer that life as the sacrificial payment for the sin of the whole world, death would be defeated forever, for death has no claim on a sinless Man.
If the wages of sinful man is death, the result of a sinless Man is life.
If the sin of one man brought death on every one of his physical descendants, so the sacrificial death of a sinless Man would be sufficient to pay the price for sin, abolish the icy grip of death, reverse the curse of the law, and give life to every one of His spiritual descendants.
He lived a perfect, sinless life and willingly offered His life as the ransom price for the entire, disgusting, swamp of humanity's sin.
His death became our death, and His resurrected life became our resurrected life.
Because He lives we too have an assurance of life everlasting.
The agreement they reached was that Rahab would tie a scarlet cord in her window and her life and those with her would be spared.
Because she trusted in God, Rahab was rescued from the doomed city and her life was transformed from sinner to saint, from condemned to justified, from being a pagan prostitute under Satan's authority to becoming the cherished wife of one of the spies she rescued!
That scarlet ribbon that streamed from the window of a sinner saved by grace, fluttering in the wind, is a beautiful picture of God's redemptive programme that threads its life-giving way through the pages of Scripture.
The wonderful grace of God that we read about in Rahab's life-story is no less true of every man or woman who is saved by grace through faith in Christ.
We should be so grateful for our great salvation, which has set us free from the bondage of sin and promised us eternal life, together with the many benefits that are ours in Christ.
He is that gracious Light, that streams eternal love into the broken lives of Adam's fallen race, and He is the pure Light - the redeeming Light, Who speaks new-life into the one who is dead in trespasses and sins.
He breathes His sanctifying-life into the one that trusts Him as their Saviour, their Jesus, their Lord, and their God.
Christ is the Word of the invisible God, Who created light and life when the earth was spoken into being.
And He is the incarnate Word - the Light and the Life of God, Who clothed Himself in human flesh, so that mankind could be redeemed, by faith in Him.
He is the One Who gives light to all men coming into the world, and He is the One Who speaks the light of life into whosoever will believe in Him for salvation.
He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.'
Jesus was offering these hard-hearted men the light that comes from God's presence - the light that produces eternal life - but they resisted His invitation, and remained dead in their sins.
Christ is the true Light of the World, but we who have received His new-life have been entrusted to carry the testimony of His light, His life and His love into a darkened world, and He has commanded us to live out our lives in a manner that is well-pleasing to Him.
We are to walk in the light as He is in the light and we are to point lost souls to the One Who lightens our darkness and breathes life into the lifeless soul.
Man has been given a free will to accept the light of the glorious gospel of grace, and all who trust in Him for salvation will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life as an abiding presence within.
Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, the only Life, and He is also the only Light.
Jesus is the one and only true Light from above that shines His saving light and life into the hearts of all who believe in Him - for salvation is found in no other name, but the wonderful name of JESUS.
And His sinless death paid the price that God required to cover the sin of the whole world: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
We do this as we trust His Word alone, die to our fleshly desires, and live our new life for Christ alone.
Although we are exhorted to share in one another's suffering and sorrows and help to restore those that have fallen, we are also to pay attention to our own responsibilities, recognising that one day we will stand alone before the judgement seat of Christ to give an account of the life we lived on earth.
In context, this is a passage that is contrasting the Old Testament Law of Moses with the New Covenant Law of Christ - for in bearing one another's burdens we are, in fact, fulfilling the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus: Bear one another's burdens, we are instructed in the previous verse, and thereby fulfil the law of Christ.
The spiritual man may be exhorted to carry the burdens of others when they are in trouble... but also remains responsible for the life that he lives, knowing that we will all be judged for what we have done in this life and not for the deeds of others.
He confirms that His ministry is according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, by faith... before addressing Timothy as, my dearly beloved son.
It has been suggested that God's grace is needed for every service and His mercy is necessary for every failure, while the peace of God is a requirement for every single circumstance of life.
The example of Paul's heart-felt concern and his prayer for grace, mercy, and peace over the life of Timothy, is an example to each one of us as we lift up our brothers and sisters in Christ to the Lord - in these increasingly evil days when the devil, as a roaring lion, continues to prowl about - seeking whom he may devour.
May God pour out His grace, mercy, and peace on all His children, until the day of Christ Jesus our Lord, and may we all follow the example of Paul in his ceaseless prayer-life, for all who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.
And it was as the nation once again rejoiced with joy in remembrance of God's promise that He is the Rock of their salvation from Whom flows the water of life..
for in HIM alone is life and light.
He is the Rock from Whom flow rivers of living water, which become a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
He was the Saviour Whom prophets foretold would save His people from their sins, and long after Jesus explained to Nicodemus that a man must be born again to receive eternal life, we discover a lawyer who was an expert in the Law of Moses, who also came to the Lord Jesus to a seek an alternative way of salvation by asking the question, Teacher, what must I DO to INHERIT eternal life?
This learned lawyer had developed the legalist view that keeping the Law was the route to eternal life.
This legalistic scholar had developed a perspective which meant that he had to DO something in order to obtain eternal life.
This student of the Mosaic Law approached Jesus under the assumption that eternal life is gained by carrying out works of the Law - and that getting into heaven requires a person to DO something in order to obtain everlasting life - but Scripture clearly teaches: A man is NOT justified, reckoned righteous, or in right standing with God by works of the Law.
Many today are seeking to enter heaven through their own righteousness simply because they are asking the wrong question (What must I do to INHERIT eternal life?) which demonstrates a legalist mind-set and a trust that one's own works are sufficient to earn eternal life.
His question was not what must I do to INHERIT eternal life, but what must I do to be SAVED… and the answer which was give to Nicodemus many years before was once again repeated: BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
The gospel of Christ is living and powerful, and when this living, God-breathed gospel of God's grace is planted in the heart of a spirit-filled, born-again believer and watered with living waters from on high, that tiny germ of life will begin to grow and develop and bring forth fruit - more fruit - much fruit, to the glory of God.
God in His foreknowledge, knew all that was to take place in the life of Joseph long before he was born, and God prepared the way for the brutish, bullying behaviour of his eleven brothers to be transformed into a precious picture of God's protection and loving-care for His people.
But this is not just a thrilling adventure story with a happy ending, this is a picture of the wonderful way that God takes and uses the most painful and difficult circumstances in the life of one that is trusting in Him to bring about good, not only for ourselves but for the many other people that touch our lives.
When evil and distressing situations happen to thwart our personal plans, we have a number of choices: We can wallow in the slough of despond, murmur against God for our misfortune, and bemoan our sorry state as we become embittered with our lot OR, by faith we can rest in the promises of God, knowing that no matter what happens in this life, God WILL bring good out of evil.
It was near the end of his life, when Paul knew that he had finished His earthly race and had steadfastly kept the faith, that he wrote to Timothy with even more serious predictions of shocking faithlessness that was occurring in the Body of Christ, and warned of even more difficult times to come.
The Bible tells us that the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps, and this is what took place in the life of Caesar Augustus, when he decreed that all the world should be taxed, which caused Joseph and Mary to travel to their ancestral cities at the time that prophecy was to be fulfilled and Jesus was to be born.
We are called to be saved by grace through faith but we are also to live by grace through faith as we apply the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus in our everyday lives.
If Paul, in these early days of the Church, was so viciously attacked by these legalistic, Pharisaic teachers who deliberately tied up heavy legalistic burdens on men's shoulders in order to entrap them, manipulate them, enslave them, and place them back under the curse of the Law... how much more do we, in these closing days of Christendom, need to be equally vigilant in our defence of the glorious gospel of God - for Christ died for our sins and rose again the third day so that by faith in His sacrificial work on the Cross and glorious Resurrection, we have been freed from the curse of the Law - which is death - and have been born anew where we walk in spirit and truth under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
However, although the Jews searched the Scriptures exhaustively (thinking that eternal life was contained within their pages), they missed the truth of Scripture and read them with spiritually blinded eyes.
They searched the Scriptures thinking that in them they had eternal life, and yet every jot and tittle of Scripture testifies to Christ's claim to deity and His role as Kinsman-Redeemer.
They tried to search out how they may inherit eternal life, but in attempting to decipher the letter of the Law, they missed the Word of God.
If only they had realised that He alone has the words of eternal life, for He alone was good enough to pay the price for their sin and for ours.
Let us remember that we are the slaves for whom Christ laid down His life so that we might become His friends and know the truth of the gospel of grace and do as He commanded.
No wonder that, without exception, those of us who are His blood-bought children rejoice to sing forth His praises - not only with our lips but in our lives, by giving ourselves up into His services and by walking before Him all the days of our life, in holiness and righteousness through Jesus Christ our Lord, our God and Saviour.
This great and mighty God has planned every day of our life and searches out each thought of our heart and every deep longing within.
May we come to a deeper awareness of the beautiful attributes of our glorious God, for He is the only source of grace and truth, mercy and love, peace and hope, salvation for the soul, and life eternal.
A holy seraph of God cleansed his lips with a burning coal from the heavenly alter, when Isaiah repented of his corrupt and iniquitous ways, and in response to God's call on his life, he cried out, LORD, here am I.
When his own sins were confessed and forgiven by God, Isaiah was ready and willing to be sent on a life-time mission to minister to his own, sinful nation who were blinded to their own faults.
The rebellious hearts of those to whom Isaiah would dedicate his life and ministry, would not recognise their evil ways nor repent of their sin.
God's wonderful plan of redemption and His amazing mercy and grace, beautifully unfolds within the pages of Scripture and streams through God's Word like a golden thread of hope; a scarlet stream of life-giving blood.
Noah found that trusting His Word leads to salvation and life, while rejecting biblical truth results in condemnation and death.
It was God's grace that excluded Adam from the Garden, lest he eat of the Tree of Life and live forever in a cursed body.
Just as redeemed Israel failed to live a victorious life that honoured the Lord, through unbelief, so the redeemed Christian can live a defeated life, and fail to complete the race of life honourably - through unbelief.
Israel passed from death to life - by faith, on that momentous occasion.
Jesus, the Seed of Abraham, was the sinless Son of God Who came to earth as the perfect Son of Man and Who willingly gave His life to pay the price for the sin of the world so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
It is unlikely that Isaac, who went willingly and without complaint with his father to sacrifice his life as an offering to the Lord, understood the picture his life was painting.
Worship and praise should be on our lips from morning to night, for the Lord our God is with us in every season and situation of life.
Magnification of the Lord and the jubilant exaltation of His holy name, should be a dear desire in the heart of all who have been forgiven of their sins by faith in Christ and have received eternal life by the goodness and grace of Almighty God.
and be saved by grace through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ - but that open door into full forgiveness of sin and life everlasting is soon to be closed and the floodgates of God's wrath are soon to be poured out on a God-hating, Christ-rejecting, sinful world in a coming time of terrible judgement - as foretold by the prophets of old.
and pray that in His wrath God will graciously remember mercy - knowing that the day is coming when those that have rejected His offer of salvation and free gift of eternal life..
The personal name 'Jesus' was given to Him at the time of His birth, for He shall save His people from their sins and redeem a lost world by means of His sinless life and substitutionary death.
But from the beginning, Mark's audience was primarily the Romans, and his emphasis is on Christ's servanthood, for we read: Even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.
And throughout His life, the Lord Jesus demonstrated the only way that humanity can live in fellowship with a holy God, by saying and doing those things that He heard from the Father, by abiding in the Father, living in total dependence upon Him, and walking in complete obedience to the Father's will.
Let us tell abroad the glorious truth of the gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ Who gave His life as a ransom for many.
Jesus had just told them that they were His friends whom He loved so dearly and for whom He was about to lay down His life.
There was no greater love that He could demonstrate to them or to us, than to lay down His life for His friends.
Christ is the friend of sinners, and by laying down His life for us, challenges us to reflect on our own opinions of Him and our relationship to Himself.
Do we simply consider ourselves 'sinners saved by grace' as indeed we are, or do we grasp the challenge to become His close and intimate friend, a friend who loves at all time, a friend that sticks closer than a brother, a friend who would be willing to lay down our life for our dear, heavenly Saviour and Friend?
We have a limited amount of time on earth and by God's grace, should seek to use it for His greater praise and glory, knowing that we have been given ALL we need for life and godliness.
Although positionally sanctified, they were living an unsanctified, fleshly life, which was more reminiscent of their pagan neighbours than godly men and women of faith.
They had reverted to spiritual infancy and needed to be brought back to the simple yet staggering message of the Cross, with its focus on Christ and call for a holy life of self-sacrifice, prayer, and praise.
How hard it is to know that you are in God's will and fulfilling His purpose in your life, and yet have powerful people opposing you, and jealous enemies trying to take your life.
He was called and chosen to be Israel's greatest king, and yet we discover that his life was plagued with adversity and surrounded by various enemies.
God has given us all we need for life and godliness.
In His divine power, He has given us everything required to live a holy life, through the knowledge of Him - through faith in Christ, Who called us by His own glory and goodness.
The Lord is my Helper, I shall not be afraid. The Lord is the strength of my life.
The freedom we have in Christ sets us free from the restrictions of legalistic rituals and religious regulations BUT we must be careful that we do not become entrapped in any activity which places us in bondage - or allow it to become an obsession in our life.
God knows the importance of praise, the power of prayer and the benefits that accompany a thankful heart in the life of a believer, which is why so many writers of scriptures exhort us to rejoice in the Lord, to pray without ceasing and in everything to give thanks - indeed the apostle Paul explains that this is God's will for all His blood-bought children.
It is by God's grace that the Father gave His only begotten Son to pay the ransom price for our sin, and it is by faith in His finished work on Calvary's Cross, that salvation (the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting) becomes our eternal possession.
The Gospel of John was written for one express purpose: That you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.
The reason that John's Gospel was written was to authenticate the claim that Jesus was that anointed Son of God and Saviour of the world, and that all who believe on His name would not perish but have everlasting life.
And then right at the end of his Gospel, John explains the reason why he chose these particular sayings, signs and situations: These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name.
John also makes it very clear that He wrote his Gospel as a witness to the world that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in His name, the lost will be saved, sin will be forgiven, and eternal life will become the everlasting possession through time and into eternity, of all who believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Paul had to endure many severe hardships and unjust imprisonments in his service to Christ, but we discover that his response to the difficulties and injustices that stalked his life display a deep understanding of God's greater plan for his life.
He wants the Philippians to know that this imprisonment has been a great cause to advance the gospel of God and has enabled him to have a renewed impetus in sharing the truth of Christ's love for mankind, His sacrificial death, and His glorious Resurrection, so that all who believe on Him might not perish but have everlasting life.
Paul does not consider himself a captive of Rome, but a prisoner of Christ and ambassador of heaven carrying out his assigned duty as a good and faithful servant - joyful in the knowledge that he is fulfilling God's will for his life.
May we become so one with our Saviour that like Paul, we consider it pure joy whenever we are called upon by God to face one of life's many trials, terrors, or tribulations, knowing He will use everything, however difficult and distressing, for our eternal good and for the furtherance of the glorious gospel of Christ Jesus our Saviour.
And Christ loved and cherished the Church so dearly that He gave Himself for it: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down His life for His friends.
He warns Titus to avoid the worldly habits of unkindly actions and deceitful words, but encourages him to live a life that reflects the beauty of Christ's gentleness and the glory of His grace and kindness.
Finally, Paul reaches the climax of this encouraging epistle: So that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Has this really sunk into our heads?
It is because of God's GRACE that He has declared us RIGHTEOUS and has given us absolute confidence that we will inherit ETERNAL LIFE.
The man or woman who inclines their ear to godly wisdom is the one who is guarded from evil on their journey through life, and is enabled to speak the truth with knowledge and understanding.
He gave us life when He spoke the world into being.
The Lord Jesus is the supreme example of a man whose life exudes wisdom - and we have the mind of Christ!
The Tree of Life stands like two majestic book-ends in the Word of God.
In Genesis we find this life-giving Tree growing in the midst of the garden of Eden, offering eternal life to Adam who was made in God's image and likeness.
Adam had the opportunity to eat of this life-preserving Tree or to disobey God's one, simple command: Do not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. The moment he sinned against the Lord, Adam died spiritually and began the slow process of physical death, which has been passed to all his offspring, for all are imputed with sin and all must face death because of his one sin.
As an act of divine grace, God immediately banished Adam and his wife from the garden of delight, preventing them from tasting the Tree of Life's life-giving properties.
He installed two angelic sentries to guard the way to the Tree of Life: Lest he put forth his hand and eat of its energising fruit, and live forever.
Had Adam eaten of the life-giving Tree in his fallen state, they would have become forever ensnared in a fallen body; eternally trapped in a sinful state.
In Revelation, we discover the return of the Tree of Life standing in the midst of the paradise of God: It produced twelve types of fruits, and yielded its fruit each month, while its leaves are given for the healing of the nations.
Paradise lost, in the beginning, becomes Paradise restored at the end and whoever 'overcomes' will be able to eat from 'the Tree of Life'.
Whoever's faith is credited with righteousness will be able to eat of its life-giving fruit: Whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.
Four times in Proverbs, we are given additional information about this wonderful Tree of Life.
We have all been taught that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and a knowledge of God gives understanding, and in Chapter 3, we discover: Wisdom is a Tree of Life, to them that lay hold upon her: and everyone that retains wisdom is blessed.
Those who feed on Christ in their heart by faith with thanksgiving, have eternal life and are freed from condemnation, because He is the Source and Sustainer of life.
In Chapter 11 we read: The fruit of the righteous is a Tree of Life and he that wins souls is wise.
The spiritual fruit of the believer who shares the truth of the gospel with others and points souls to Christ, brings life and truth and hope and salvation to the lost, while in Chapter 15 we find: A wholesome tongue is a Tree of Life, while perversity is a breach in the spirit. Both verses point to Christ as Word of truth, the Nourisher and Sustainer of the soul, for in Him is Life, and He is the wisdom of God and the power of God, for all who believe.
He is the One who holds the keys of death and hell, and He has within Himself the Words of eternal life.
Wherever the Tree of Life is mentioned, we see an important link with faith in Christ Who is the personification of all-wisdom, in Whom dwell the words of eternal life, and through Whom comes the fruit of perfect righteousness.
And here in Chapter 13, we read: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but desire fulfilled is a Tree of Life.
However, when aspirations are achieved and plans come to fruition, what rejoicing fills the heart: When the desire is fulfilled it is a Tree of Life.
As with all other biblical references to the Tree of Life, we can see a clear link with Christ and salvation.
Only He can forgive sins and only He has the words of eternal life.
He is the Light of the world, in Whom is life eternal.
He is the true Vine in Whom is life eternal; He is the Bread of life; He is the living water, the Rock of our salvation, and the Hope of all the ends of the earth.
And ALL who feed on Him in their hearts by faith, with thanksgiving, will eat of the Tree of Life and find Him to be their Source and Sustainer through time and into eternity.
There were many times in David's life when he was alone, afraid, and in great anguish, and Psalm 56 was written when the Philistines had captured him in Gath.
Not only did the jealous King Saul seek to take his life, but David was also in danger from the Philistines and other enemies that surrounded Israel.
No doubt these early childhood days with his mother, enabled Moses to be taught about his Jewish ancestry and to learn about the purpose and promises of God, before being educated in every aspect of Egyptian culture in preparation for his life's work.
For unless the heart of man is being transformed into the likeness of Christ, by the daily renewing of our mind, through faith in Him, a life can never be truly reformed.
Let us examine ourselves to see if we are walking in spirit and truth, growing in grace, and living a life that honours our heavenly Father.
Such a man or woman has not been instructed in righteousness, and is unskilled in the normal Christian life which is so vital for spiritual growth and Christian maturity.
We are to remember that we are in Christ and that in Him, we died to our old sinful past, and our life is now hidden with Christ in God.
He differentiates between the brevity of humanity's fleeting life, which ebbs and flows like a wave that kisses the shore for a fleeting moment, and the eternal state of the Lord.
But underpinning all his comparisons of a holy God with sinful man, and shining through all his contrasts of the eternal Creator with the fallen race of men, is a prayer that God has seen fit to answer through the life, death, and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
May the grace and favour of God continue to rest upon us, and may the beauty of the Lord Jesus be seen in us and through us as we submit to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit in our life, to His praise and glory.
Often when difficulties happen or when problems rise up in life, we need to turn our hearts to the comforting words of Scripture.
We need to grab a promise and hold on to that promise, knowing that we have a wonderful and faithful God Who has promised to be with us in all the twists and turns of life.
There is a wonderful rest that the Lord can give to those that are His, in the midst of the troubles that life which seem to shower over our heads or that try to bury us in the depths of depression.
Well, we simply need to remember that the Word of God is life and health.
He longed that they understood the privileged position they could enjoy in Christ, and that they too had received all they needed for life and godliness, which is the birthright of all God's children.
For 40 years the children of Israel had wandered in the wilderness instead of entering the promised land, due to their lack of faith. They were saved from Egypt, but because of unbelief, they lived a defeated life and failed to enter their promised rest.
Despite their redemption, they failed to live a sanctified life.
What a beautiful picture this gives to Church-age believers of God's redeemed people, and the call to live a consecrated life unto Him.
We are to live a life that is sanctified unto God - a life that is walking in spirit and truth - a life that is growing in grace, and a life that honours our Father in heaven.
Jeremiah treasured up the Word of God in his heart and it became his joy and delight and he readily received all that the Lord had to offer - in the same way as a hungry man devours a life-sustaining meal.
strengthening and life-sustaining - for in it there is all we need for life and godliness.
But the Word of the Lord also contains some severe warnings, for both nations and individuals as well as many lovely promises and none of us are free from the difficulties and dangers of life, nor are we exempt from the corrective hand of our God and His rod of discipline in our life and on our world, as Jeremiah also discovered.
In the second case, Christ died to break the power of sin in our life, which means that for the rest of the time that we live in this sinful world, sin does not have to have power over us.
When we are IN Christ, it means that we have His life living in us and it is His life that delivers us from the power of sin - His life is our life - our entirely new life in Christ - our new life and not the old sinful pre-Cross life (which is often referred to as the old sin nature, the old man or the Adamic nature).
Christ died UNTO sin: So sin shall not have dominion OVER you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Christ died to break the power of sin in our everyday life which means that sin does not have the power to dominate our lives as it does with non-believers.
These supernatural ministries occur once in the life of every believer at the point of salvation.
The Holy Spirit has other supernatural offices in the life of a believer that are set in motion at the point of salvation.
Although the filling of the Spirit is inextricably linked to our initial salvation, it is an ongoing ministry that continues throughout life.
In Ephesians, we are commanded: Be filled, and keep on being filled, with the Spirit, for when we abide in Christ, the indwelling Spirit is given authority to work the works of God in our life.
And when we walk in spirit and truth, we will grow in grace, mature in the faith, produce spiritual fruit, and live a life that honours our Father in heaven.
Sins we commit in life break the precious communion we enjoy with the Father, and broken fellowship must be restored through the confession of sin.
He made it clear that support should only be offered to those who are genuinely widows, she who is a widow indeed, and who has been left alone.. A widow with children or grandchildren should be supported by their own family, who must learn to practice godliness towards their aging relatives - not only to repay their parents for giving them life, but because this is well-pleasing to the Lord.
Whether we are in the flush of youth or in the twilight years of our life, may we determine to take to heart the instructions Paul gave to Timothy, and may we cheerfully and diligently seek to develop the godly character of the widow who has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.
Perhaps he simply believed Mary's report of the empty tomb; maybe he believed that Jesus was somehow alive (only a few days earlier he has recently seen Lazarus brought back to life, and maybe he really did believe that the Lord Jesus had indeed been resurrected from the dead, the first-fruit from the grave as Jesus had already taught them).
The people that were present during the life, ministry, death, burial, and Resurrection of Jesus belong to a unique generation because their life spanned the closing years of the pre-Cross dispensation of the Law (when Christ offered the kingdom to Israel, who rejected it), and the post-Resurrection dispensation of grace (where salvation is a free gift of God's grace, to all who will believe in Christ's death, burial and Resurrection for the forgiveness of our sin).
And that by believing we may have life in His name.
In laying out man's desperate need of salvation, Paul is able to start the next section which gives hope to all... for though the wages of sin is death, nevertheless, the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD.
and Paul lays out in no uncertain terms, our duty and delight towards the preeminent Christ - Who is our life.
which should be manifest in the life of all who have trusted Christ..
for the salvation of their soul and life everlasting.
and put on the new, for we died with Christ and have been raised-up into newness of life in Him.
How precious to realise that our new life is hidden with Christ in God and that the day is coming when we will be with Him in heavenly glory as well as in character and conduct.
Having listed the ungodly characteristic that should not be exhibited in a Christian's life, Paul continues to list the different fruit of the Spirit, which should be manifested in the life of all those who walk in spirit and truth.
And the inflow of God's love into the life of a spiritual believer is transferred into an outflow of that love to others - in a bond of unity and peace - and such is manifested in life who is walking in spirit and truth.
It was while the Lord Jesus was speaking with Moses and Elijah, who were conversing with Him about His fast approaching sacrificial death at Calvary and His own 'exodus' from this life into His resurrected glory, that: Suddenly a bright cloud covered them.
Let us be diligent to listen to all He says and to apply it to our lives, and let us comfort one another with the truth of the glorious gospel of grace, knowing that Christ died for our sin and rose again so that whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Having laid out the amazing victory we have in Christ Whose sacrifice on the Cross became a sweet smelling fragrance to the Father, Paul announces that in Christ, we too have passed from death to life and have been commissioned by God to be epistles of Christ, declaring the truth of the gospel not with letters that are written with ink, but ones that have been inscribed, stamped, and sealed by the Holy Spirit Himself.
How often do we look at the difficulties in life and the people that threaten us with pain and problems, and start to sink into an abyss of fear, a seemingly bottomless pit of terror of the shocking things of which we know that fallen man is capable?
Never forget that we have the indwelling Comforter living within our hearts and He is our ever-present help and comfort when all the difficulties and pressures of life try to swamp us.
It was John who wrote: God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
And he also reminds us that there is no greater love than this: That a Man should lay down His life for His friends.
Christ is our example and pattern for life, and the practical outpouring of godly love on others is the outward demonstration of an inward change.
Only believers are privileged to have the indwelling Spirit of love in their hearts, and that divine love can only be manifest in the life of one who is born from above.
This young Jewish man evidently considered that his own life was equally exemplary because he proudly confessed that he had kept the commandments from a young age.
This was a young man who knew, according to the righteousness that is of the Law, that he was blameless, but there seems to have been a little doubt in his heart that he had done enough and was good enough to inherit eternal life.
Jesus actually answered his question of what must I DO, because the only way to enter the kingdom is to live a perfect, sinless, holy life.
They also had to understand that Jesus was the Messiah, promised of old, Who would redeem them by grace through faith in Him: You believe in God, He challenged them, believe also in Me, for Jesus alone has the words of eternal life.
It was as he was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, that he was halted in his tracks and his heart and life was arrested by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rather, they were encouraged to be faithful - even to the point of death - and were reminded that Christ, Who died and was risen, had already secured for them eternal life.
What encouragement to discover that enduring suffering and faithfulness to the point of death, would also secure for them the coveted Crown-of-Life - which the Lord has promised to all that love Him.
The wonderful Crown-of-Life is not to be confused with eternal life.
Eternal life is a free gift to EVERYONE who believes in Jesus for salvation... and cannot be earned or maintained by good works.
However, the Crown-of-Life is an earned reward for special acts of consecrated service and perseverance under trial.
All who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ will certainly receive eternal life.
We are to walk in spirit and truth and to suffer persecution and even death, for the sake of Christ - and when this is done as outlined in this epistle to the church at Smyrna, it will qualify us for an additional reward - the glorious Crown-of-Life!
May we be those that not only trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, but continue to trust him throughout our Christian life and love Him with a holy love... prepared and willing to take up our cross and follow Him in spirit and in truth - no matter what difficulties and dangers we may face.
May we be those who are faithful to our calling and heed the words of Jesus, Be faithful until death, and I will give you the Crown-of-Life.
David exemplified a life that God can take and use for His own sovereign purposes - a life that trusts in the Lord with all their heart and does not lean on their own understanding.
In this verse, Paul gives a potted history of the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, covering the foundational doctrines upon which our eternal salvation rests.
It is only by believing the glorious gospel of grace that this great and magnificent mystery of godliness is able to be manifested in the life of a believer, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Only those who believe that Christ was God manifest in the flesh, that He was justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, and received up into glory, can genuinely manifest the mystery of godliness in their life.
Only the spiritual believer can demonstrate the beauty of Christ's life shining through them.
The mystery of godliness, where the resurrected life of Christ is manifested in the life of godly leaders and spiritual believers, will always stand secure on the glorious truths of the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Jesus Christ.
Paul equates correct doctrine and godly behaviour as two vital components in the life of all Christian leaders and spiritual believers.
Godliness is not something that we conjure up ourselves. Godliness is the spiritual fruit of a life that is lived in willing submission to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
May the great and glorious mystery of godliness, which had been kept hidden for ages and generations be evident in our lives so that the life of Christ may we seen in us, to His praise and glory.
The old sin-nature is at enmity with the new, born-again spirit of God, and the new life in Christ is at enmity with the old self-life.
However, believers that are living in spirit and truth will submit their life to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit.
The new, born-again life (the new life in Christ, where works emanate by means of the spirit) delights in the Word of God.
The inner man (the new life in Christ) joyfully delights in the law of the Lord and rejoices in His Word.
The former flesh-life is a slave to sin and displeases God, but the new inner self (the new life in Christ), is a slave to righteousness.
John tells us that this new life in Christ cannot sin; this new life always delights in the light and life of God's law, and rejoices in the truth of His Word of grace.
To live by means of the flesh, which results in wretchedness of heart because the new-life in Christ is in constant conflict with the old sinful nature. 2.
Then the inner man delights in the law of the Spirit of life Who has set us free from the law of sin and death.
God does not seek to change our old sin nature, but purposes to transform our new life in Christ into His likeness, as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
For instance, being saved must be differentiated from growing in the Christian life, and passages that were specifically written to Israel should not be confused with those that were written to the Church.
The fool who refuses to confess an eternal Creator, is prepared to dismiss the evidence that is encapsulated in the vast heavenly testimony of the starry heavens above with the warming, life-giving properties of the sun and the rejuvenating and invigorating coolness of a moonlit sky.
Men delight to theorise about a big-bang which took place billions of years ago, deep-sea vents, a deep-hot biosphere, or a primordial soup that evolved into life as we know it.
And the holy Mount of the Lord that Abraham was willing to offer up his dearly beloved son, Isaac (who himself was willing to lay down his life as a sacrificial offering to the Lord his God), was the same Mount of the Lord where God provided the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.
The four woes that follow are for those that want their best life now... at the expense of their eternal salvation.
Let us never forget that mercy leads to mercy and pardon will lead to pardon, while judgement results in judgement and the one that condemns will themselves be condemned - not only in this life but in the one to come.
When Jesus instructed, whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other cheek also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either, He did not simply say it with His lips... the Lord Jesus lived it throughout His earthly life as an example of how we should live in this crooked and perverse world - for Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death - even death on a Cross.
He reminds us that spirituality and godliness is manifested in a life that is emptied of self and is filled with Christ - a life that is walking in spirit and truth and in dependence upon the Father - a life that produces the beautiful fruit of righteousness in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Let us walk in spirit and truth and in utter dependence upon our Heavenly Father, and let us live a life that produces the beautiful fruit of righteousness in the power of the Holy Spirit, to His praise and glory.
Man was created by God to have dominion over the whole earth, over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the air, and all animals and creeping things that moved on the face of the earth... ALL that had in them the breath of life.
The mystery of the Triune Godhead is then beautifully echoed in the way God created Adam and Eve, which was distinct from all other forms of life.
He created Adam and his wife as ONE being, one unity, one person, one life, united in spirit, bonded in soul, and becoming one in body.
Following a life of hardship and pain where he determined to preach nothing but Christ crucified, we discover Paul at the end of his life, alone and in a Roman prison cell.
This is a verse about the foolishness of worry and the faithfulness of God as our gracious Provider, but too often we worry about the things in this life.
But there is a serious side to worrying about the needs and necessities of our everyday life, for in God's economy worry is a sin – the sin of unbelief.
God moves in mysterious ways to perform His mighty deeds and fulfil His plans and purposes for the redemption of mankind, and this is clearly seen in the life of Jesus.
Every detail of Christ's conception and birth appears to be rooted in problems and difficulties, far removed from the smooth, stress-free time one would expect for the arrival of the only begotten Son of God into the world, and yet, every aspect of His first advent was planned from the foundation of the world, and every day of Christ's life was scheduled to carry out the will of the Father.
Those that would believe on Him would receive life eternal, but those who rejected Him would remain under eternal condemnation.
When he was challenged by Christ on his journey through life, Saul asked the right question, Who are You, Lord? Saul had believed that Jesus the Nazarene was long dead and buried.
But when Saul asked that momentous question, his heart was open to receive the truth, that would change his life forever and influence millions more.
How important that like Paul, we listen, hear, and respond to Christ's call in our own life.
How funny and yet how sad that this prophet of God should desire to flee from the presence of the Lord and refused to carry out God's plans and purposes for his life.
But when God has a call on a life, He will move heaven and earth to ensure that His purposes are fulfilled.
God, in His grace, gave Jonah a second opportunity to fulfil His plans and purposes in his life.
Others, like Jonah, can be resistant to God's claim on their life and be unwilling to listen to His voice, heed His commands, and share the good news of the gospel of grace.
How grateful we should be, when God often uses the circumstances of life to cause us to fulfil His plans and purposes in our lives.
The Corinthians had in many ways abused the freedom they had in Christ and in certain cases were using their liberty as a license to sin, but such an attitude, then as now is diametrically opposite to what the Word of God teaches the Christian life should be.
Paul and the other gospel writers often used Israel's past history as an illustration of how - or how not to behave in our Christian life.
The apostle John forewarns believers against the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, but in this chapter, Paul strongly warns against the devastating effects of engaging in the lust of the heart.
Let us seek after righteousness, handing over every circumstance of life to Him as we take every thought captive to His guidance so that we too may have lips that praise the Lord and a mouth that sends forth words that rise like sweet incense to our Father in heaven.
He longs that they live a life that is pleasing to God.
Let us expel all pride and ungodly lusts that can creep into a heart that becomes enamoured with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the world, and the pride of life, and let us in humility of spirit earnestly draw near to God, knowing that He died to draw near to us.
OH while I live in this fallen body, my sinful nature lusts against my new life in Christ BUT I am no longer a slave to sin and under the curse of the Law because Christ has set me free!
But it also means that when Christ rose from the dead, I was also identified with His Resurrection - I also rose into newness of life with a NEW nature - a Christlike nature.
Now I am identified with Christ's resurrected life.
Just as His death became my death, so His resurrected life became my new, born-again, eternal life in Christ.
It is for this glorious reason that I can say with Paul, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
I have the new, born-again, resurrected life of Christ living in me.
While the first man, Adam, became a living soul, the last Adam, Jesus Christ, became a life-giving spirit.
The moment I trusted the Son of God as Saviour, my new life in Christ was born and the old sin nature in Adam (a link and heritage from my earthly parentage) was nailed to the Cross.
However, the nature of that old, fleshly, self-life, will remain throughout my entire life-walk.
That old sin nature will remain in bitter rivalry with my new life in Christ which must grow in grace and mature in the knowledge of Jesus.
The old man, which was severed at the Cross, is crucified, and yet continues to unleash its assaults against the new life in Christ which was born from above and lives forevermore.
It 'lusts' against the new life which, through re-creation, is dead to the world and dead to the law, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Saviour.
How dearly does my new life need to grow in grace, but how impossible in my own strength to combat the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life!
But God in His wisdom and grace, did not leave my new life in Christ to overcome alone.
When I was baptised into Christ as His newly born-again child, God sent His eternal, permanently indwelling, life-giving Holy Spirit, to become my life-Guide and my soul-Helper.
He is the Source that is leading and guiding my new-life in Christ in the things that I say and the way that I behave.
The more we die to self, the more we live for Him, until with Paul we will be able to say, I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
It was his life's mission to go into all the world and tell everyone that this same Jesus will return one day in power and great glory, to set up His everlasting kingdom - and so he writes: For we did not follow cleverly devised tales, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
Having been freed from the restrictions of the Law, through faith in Christ, Paul's earnest desire was to instil in us the higher life that we have in Him.
Our old nature has been put in the place of death - freeing us to live through our new, born-again life in Christ.
Because we are in Christ, we have been raised up into newness of life in Him, and because we are identified with Christ - we are no longer bound by food laws, religious feasts or keeping the Sabbath.
The only way that the sinful propensity of our old sin nature can be set free and separated from the legal requirement of God's perfect Law in this earthly life is the death of our 'old man' - severance from our old sin nature.
But the only way to sever our sinful nature from the law of sin and death is EITHER: to have our sin forgiven by the death of another OR: to die physically. Forgiveness of sin by means of a mediator or physical death are the only two ways that sinful man can be released from the power of sin and death over their life. The former can never be achieved by our own merit, and the outcome of the latter would still result in our eternal separation from our Heavenly Father.
But thanks be to God that we have a Saviour Whose own perfect life and sacrificial death broke the power that the Law had over our old sin nature, by grace through faith. Faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary alone can break that binding contract between the sinner and the Law.
His death became our death, death to the old self so that by His life HE could become our life, His new resurrected life, imputed to us at salvation.
His death annulled our relationship with the Law of sin and death, and His resurrection guaranteed all who believe on Him the new life in Christ, freed from the power of the Law and no longer bound by its righteous requirements.
Praise God that in Christ we have died to what held us in everlasting bondage so that we may serve our Saviour forever in newness of life, through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
He does this so that we may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God so that by believing, we may have life in His name.
The Word became flesh and lived His sinless life as the God-Man, but He remained fully God when He became fully Man.
Born in Bethlehem, teaching and healing the people as He proclaimed His Messianic role before being crucified at Calvary, raised back to life and appearing to many in His resurrection body of flesh and bone, Jesus was indeed the only begotten Son of the Father.
Paul is reminding us that we alone are responsible for our words, our deeds, and the way that we conduct our life, but so also are our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Let us take to heart this issue of personal responsibility and make it our primary motive to live a life that is honouring to the Father.
Let us take account of how we live, and let us permit others to do the same in their lives, without fear or favour, for we are only accountable to the Lord for our life and the life we have lived.
In the book of Proverbs, we are challenged that whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find it - they will find life, righteousness, and honour.
In HIM is life, and righteousness, and honour, and all who seek Christ Who is our righteousness, will be satisfied.
Good works do not save us but flow from a life that has trusted God's Word.
His offering of Issac on the alter was a consequence of his being justified earlier in his life.
The offering of Isaac was a work that flowed from a life that trusted God, from an already justified man who was already saved by grace through faith.
But there is a secondary issue in this verse that needs to be addressed; the meaning of justification in relation to salvation and its wider meaning in everyday life.
It is a 'salvation' label given to a child of God who is covered in Christ's righteousness, forgiven of sin, a recipient of eternal life, and many other incredible privileges.
He is using the world 'justified' in this verse to 'justify' calling believers to good works in their Christian life.
When the eternal Son of God was born into His own creation as the perfect Son of Man, He lived His life dwelling in the shelter of the Most High.
Throughout His life, the Lord Jesus was hidden under the shadow of His Father's wings, in Whom He sought refuge.
Throughout His earthly life, the Lord Jesus maintained ongoing and never-failing fellowship with His Father.
Throughout His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus was ready and willing to say, Thy Will, not Mine be done. He was able to trust the Lord with every circumstance of His life, for His undivided hope was in God.
Although the Lord Jesus was fully God, He lived His entire life as a Man.
He lived His life and faced His death in utter and total dependence on His Heavenly Father for everything.
Although the Lord Jesus was the eternal God, He lived His life as a perfect Man, setting an example to every member of the human race, showing every child of God how our Heavenly Father expects each one of us to live.
He did this so that all who trust in Him can identify with His death, burial, and Resurrection to a new life, and state confidently: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
We are moving nearer to the end of this life's dark night, where we will throw off this tent of flesh and be clothed in our new, glorified, resurrection bodies - and so we shall ever be with the Lord Jesus, for the rest of time and throughout all eternity.Do this!
We have been given the blessed hope of His imminent return, and we are to establish it anew in our hearts, every moment of every day. Throughout our Christian life, our focus should always be on Christ, but as the time for His return draws ever closer we are exhorted to WAKE UP, from our spiritual sleep, and remember that our salvation... i.e.
As faith begins to fail so fear starts to overtake the soul, and the prospect of life without Jesus plummeted His disciples into utter despair.
The Spirit works in the life of all believers in a brand new way - for He takes the things of Christ and discloses them to His redeemed people.
But Jesus is also the perfect Man Who fulfilled all righteousness through His perfect life - and having become the federal Head of a new creation, He has been given all things from the Father.
Wisdom does not depend on how much knowledge a man manages to acquire but on how a man conducts himself in his every day life.
Godly wisdom is exhibited in the way that a man applies all that he has learned from the Word of God in his everyday life.. and in the decisions and choices he makes.
The Lord Jesus is wisdom manifest in human flesh, and He is the living example of a life that is walking in spirit and truth.
God bases his 'choosing' on the freewill choices that each individual will make in respect of God's individual offer of salvation to them: That whoever believes on the name of the only begotten Son of God will not perish but have everlasting life.
And from the moment that we accepted Christ as Saviour, God's foreknowledge became a reality in our life.
Many believers think that our Christian life should be problem-free and devoid of trials, and yet Jesus warned that in this world we will have tribulation, while Paul also reminds us that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God.
James also wanted to explain that our personal trials are a test of our faith and the daily difficulties we face in life help to develop our Christian character and mature our spiritual walk.
He alone paid the full price of sin and thus broke the power of death in our lives and clothed us forever in His perfect righteousness: The wages of sin is death, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS.
From start to finish, the book of Ecclesiastes declares the utter futility and complete meaninglessness of life without God.
Whether it is referring to work or pleasure, wisdom or wealth, power or prestige, entertainment or virility, life or death, ALL is considered futile and worthless when God is excluded from the equation.
Despite his humble confession to God and his magnificent prayer at the dedication of the Temple, Solomon set out to discover the meaning of life using his own reasoning power and without the leading and guidance of God.
At the end of his life, Solomon discovered that his long search for fulfilment through his many accomplishments, was nothing more than chasing after the wind.
Despite his great wisdom, power, fame, and fortune, his search for the meaning in life proved ultimately profitless because he set out to explore life and its significance in his own human strength.
Great achievements, vast possessions, skilful work, linguistic expertise, and various accomplishments prove ultimately profitless and futile when that is ALL that life has to offer.
He realised that competition between one person and another is profitless and that life is very transitory, like the grass of the field which is here today but tomorrow is cast into the fire. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, Vanity of vanities!
HOWEVER, there is one verse that identifies the meaning and purpose of life: When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter under consideration is: fear God and keep His commands, for this is the whole duty of all mankind.
Had Joshua been self-assured, chosen to resist this Man, and taken control himself, his defeat would have been assured, just as our self-control, self-seeking, self-confidence, and self-importance, is destroyed when we allow the Lord His jurisdiction over our life.
We are to grow in grace, walk in newness of life, live in willing submission to the indwelling Holy Spirit, and love as Christ loved us, which can ONLY be carried out when we remain in fellowship with Him.
It reminds us of the importance to carry out God's will for our life and the need to keep the eyes of our heart on Jesus.
He restores my life, and He guides me along the godly way for the honour of His name. These beautiful truths that stream from the 23rd Psalm have granted consolation to many weary souls - both Jew and Gentile - both saved and unsaved.
He first restored our soul into newness of life, through the quickening power of His death and resurrection, when we first trusted in His name for our great salvation.
He continues to revive our fainting soul and reinvigorate our sagging spirit, when we find ourselves wearied by the world's pressures or discover we are exhausted, hurt, anxious, or simply worn down in this troublesome life.
Paul saw his four-year-long Roman imprisonment as God's gracious hand of blessing on his life, for it enabled him to share the good news of the gospel of grace with groups of individuals, both Jew and Gentile, that may never have heard the truth of the gospel of Christ.
The book of Acts was Luke's final commentary on the life of Paul and His ongoing ministry.
Rather, he finished his account by relating the spreading of the gospel into the Gentile world and the amazing accomplishments that can be achieved by a defender of the faith and a devotee of Christ, whose life is spirit-filled and completely surrendered to God.
We have been given a new nature as part of our new life in Christ.
We are all sinners and the wages of sin is death - but God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son to be the substitute for man's sin so that by faith in Him, we may be born again into newness of life and transferred from the fallen race of sinful Adam into a new creation of the eternal Christ.
But having at last received a little financial assistance from the believers there, Paul used this as a teaching opportunity to share the secret of godly contentment in every circumstance of life.
He explained that it is equally possible to be abased and live contentedly in humble circumstances, without even having the bare necessities of life..
Paul knew that God had promised to supply all his needs according to His riches in glory and that in all things God would accomplish his work through Paul and provide all that he needed for life and godliness - for it is Christ Who supplies our need and it is Christ Who strengthens our heart.
Although elsewhere Paul certainly stated that a workman is worthy of his hire and that it is right and proper to support Christian ministries and missionaries in their labour for Christ, nonetheless the important truth that Paul wanted to get across to Christians in Philippi was that he had learned how to get along in life in humble and meagre means - but also that he knew how to live in prosperity..
Paul was able to share his great discovery.. that contentment in life is found in Christ alone.
He wanted the Philippian believers to understand that there is nothing in life that we can do without Christ and nothing that we receive that does not come from His hand - for He is our strength..
and may we like Paul be prepared to live our lives humbly unto the Lord in joyful contentment - irrespective of whether we are abased and without the bare necessities of life or abounding in plentiful supply.
He died once to pay the price for the multitude of sins that mankind has committed so that all who believe on His name would not perish but have everlasting life.
Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again.
If He loved you so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die to save you from your sins, will He not much more provide for the daily necessities of life, knowing that we have need of these things, also?
The apostolic ministry of Paul, is an example to all of us of a life that was lived for God's glory and praise.
In this passage, the apostle detailed the characteristics of a man or woman of God, together with the distinctive marks of a minster of the gospel who is living a life that honours his Lord.
Although not every child of God will be called upon to endure all types of hardships, Paul points out certain godly qualities that will be developed when we endure life's difficult circumstances with patient endurance and a heart that trusts God's precious promises.
Purity, understanding, patience, kindness, sincerity, and love are just some of the spiritual fruit that are likely to blossom in the life of a believer who suffers such hardships for righteousness' sake.
They came to understand that the Messiah had to suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day, if the plan of salvation, which God ordained in eternity past, was to accomplish its great work of man's reconciliation to God, the redemption of human-kind, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, for all who would believe on His name.
As we walk along the pathway of our life, we will not have the physical person of Jesus join us on our earthly walk, to open our understanding to the Scriptures - but we are no less privileged than these two disciples on the road to Emmaus, for He told us that it was better for all of us that He went to be with the Father, so that the indwelling Holy Spirit of truth would be sent to be our permanent Companion and daily Comforter - to be with us and abide in us, FOREVER.
John knew that love for God and love for one another is an essential element of our Christian faith, and he recognised it in this lady's life, but biblical love can often become distorted when formalism, legalism, mysticism, socialism, and other 'isms' are added to the pure gospel.
And so John reminded her: Many deceivers have gone out into the world, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. John did not want her to lose what he and the other apostles had accomplished in her life.
He starts to catalogue the tender mercies of our God and the amazing gospel truths that have impacted the lives of so many who have trusted in the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
Despite their simplicity, his words of awe and wonderment engender in each of our hearts a timeless truth... that was as far-reaching in the life of David as it is today - a gospel that continues to reverberate down the corridors of time into our own redeemed lives so many thousands of years later.
We were given a new life - the resurrected life of the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself, and we are eternally clothed in Christ's own righteousness.
Our newly born-again life is being transformed, day by day, into His own image and likeness.
May His loving-kindness and eternal mercies engender in our hearts awe and wonder for this timeless truth: That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that ALL who believe on Him, will not perish but have everlasting life.
May we who have received the over-abounding mercy and grace of God in our lives, demonstrate a Christ-like character in our daily living - through purity of heart, the pursuit of peace, the compassion of Christ, the mercy of God, and a life that is walking in spirit and truth... even during these increasingly difficult days of severe suffering and increasingly intense Christian persecution.
It must have been hard to be a Jew listening to Paul declaring that a real Jew is not one that is descended from Abraham but one who manifests a godly life and that true circumcision is a matter of the heart and not in the cutting of the flesh on the 8th day.
What privilege to know that through His divine power, God has given every believer in Christ Jesus our Lord, ALL we need that pertain to life and godliness, and it is appropriated through a knowledge of Him.
God has already equipped us with the power to live a victorious Christian life - to live our lives as He intended us to live (in total dependence on Him).
His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness and comes through a true knowledge of Him.
After the Millennium, when there has been 1000 years of peace and prosperity and Jesus has ruled with a rod of iron, will be the Great White Thone of Judgement: And I saw a Great White Throne...........And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works............And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the Lake of Fire. What a sobering passage of Scripture that should renew every believer's resolve to tell all around us how to be saved and have their name in the Book of Life.
Death no longer has any hold on us, for we have received a new and eternal life in Christ. Our Lord Jesus shared our human frailty so that He could willingly give His life as a ransom for all who believe on His name.
He shared our humanity so we could share in His life.
Paul composed a lengthy and weighty letter to the Roman church that addressed every issue that is so vital to living the normal Christian life in this post-Cross era.
His extensive epistle is written in such a way as to provide a wonderful understanding of all Church-age doctrines and how to apply them in our lives today so that we are enabled to live a victorious Christian life – the life that God intended for all His children.
In a few, short, crisp verses, Paul sums up all that is necessary to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord and in verse 12, we are encouraged to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
We are to be of good cheer, knowing that His strength is sufficient to see us through every difficulty of life because He has already overcome sin and death – and we are united with Him and His victory.
Let us exercise all Paul's short, crisp instructions for godly living that are found in this final section of His epistle to the Romans, as well as taking time to study this lengthy and weighty letter that has been written for our learning so that we too may live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
We often call out to God for some restorative miracle for a friend or acquaintance who has been struck down with a serious health issue or life-threatening complaint, but too often we forget to give God the thanks and praise for His healing touch in our life, and for health restored.
However, we should not forget to offer prayers, supplication, intercession, and thanksgiving in every area of life and not only in connection with health and healing.
It is often as we intercede about the disability, distresses, cares, or concerns of others, that God sends wonderful answers to our prayers which affect many areas of our own life and have a positive and productive effect in the lives of many others.
It seems likely that David's health issue was life-threatening, for further on we read: O LORD, You have brought up my soul from Sheol.
God has scheduled each day of our life and none of us know the day or the hour when we or those we love, will breathe our last.
We are all aware that mornings of joy follow every night of weeping, but when a death-threatening illness has been reversed by God's grace and healing hand has brought life-giving health and strength, we should never forget to thank Him and to extol His holy name for His kindness in raising us up into health and wholeness.
But He set aside His glory and lived His entire life giving honour to the Father, and carrying out His Father's will, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
If we trust in the person and work of Jesus, we are saved by faith in Him, and saved unto eternal life as a free gift of God's grace.
But disciples are believers who move to the next level of faith, living life by faith, through a process of progressive sanctification.
Disciples are those that are enabled, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to produce spiritual fruit like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This fruit is only produced through a life of obedience, a life that abides in Christ, a life where Christ is permitted to abide in us.
This verse is a quote from Psalm 69 which was written by David, where he cried out to the Lord in distress because of his enemies who hated him without a cause: Save me, O God, For the waters have threatened my life. David writes, I have sunk in deep mire, and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.
The perfect, sinless life of Christ during His earthly walk was in direct contrast with those that rejected and hated Him.
During the last weeks of Christ's life, He had to give His disciples a crash course in their fast-approaching ministry where the gospel of grace would supersede the gospel of the kingdom.
His unswerving dedication to preach the pure gospel of God, in spirit and truth, was a demonstration of the indwelling Holy Spirit working powerfully in a consecrated life... so that the excellency of the power and the glory of the message he shared, may be of God and not from man.
those who hold fast to the truth of His Word rejoice because He is the only secure shelter from the storms of life.
Let us follow in the footsteps of king David, who is discovered to be a man that lifted his eyes above the circumstances of life and placed his confidence in the Lord - for he knew that there is no safer refuge than to be under the shadow of the Almighty.
Causing these believers in Christ to turn back to the Law, forced them to fall from grace which meant that Christ had become of no effect in their Christian life.
It caused these believers to live their life apart from the sufficient strength that is supplied through the indwelling Holy Spirit, which takes place when a Christian is walking in spirit and truth and remains in fellowship with God.
He is the life-giving Living Stone Who was rejected by men, but is choice, precious, holy, and beloved in the sight of God.
He suffered at the hands of wicked men so that we could be clothed in His righteousness, drink of His spiritual milk, and be fed on the Bread of Life, by faith in Him.
May we come to JESUS as to a Living, Life-giving Stone, rejected by men but precious in God's sight.
Spiritual regeneration, the baptism of the Spirit, His sealing of believers, and the Holy Spirit's indwelling ministry in the Body of Christ, takes place only once in the life of a believer; at his or her salvation.
However, there are many other wonderful offices the Spirit undertakes in the life of a Christian that are ongoing throughout our time on earth, and are often called His 'experiential' inner workings.
However, the Spirit's indwelling ministry is necessary for every other office He undertakes in a believer's life.
An unbeliever is barred from all the ministries He performs in the life of a Christian, but because a believer has the 'unction' of the Spirit or the Spirit's 'anointing' (because a believer is indwelt by the Spirit), they have access to His other Church-age ministries.
He helps us in our prayer life and guides us into all truth.
He comforts and corrects us and bestows spiritual gifts on each child of God and He causes spiritual fruit to bud and blossom in the life of those that are walking in spirit and truth.
Paul refers to the Scriptures as the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And during His earthy life, the Lord Jesus used this same 'sword' that John saw in this terrible vision, to silence Satan when He said, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
For the rest of his life, Joshua would be commanding his troops and fighting physical battles.
But the battle to maintain his trust in the Word of God and to faithfully carry out the commands of the Lord, would be fought every day of his life, from that day forward.
We are given a blessed new life-in-Christ in exchange for our filthy, old, sinful, unsaved heart of stone, when we trust Him as the sacrifice for our sin.
We will see God... because our sinful heart has been cleansed, by faith, through the shed blood of Christ, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
We who, at some point in our life, have chosen to accept His gift of salvation, were elected as God's children before the foundation of the world.
God has given every man and woman volition to choose their eternal destiny, either faith in Christ as Saviour OR rejection of the One Who died for their sins and rose to give life to all who would believe in His name.
Our election and calling is an integral part of our salvation and we confirm it in our lives by living a holy life, growing more like Christ, trusting in His sufficient grace, and depending on Him in all things.
Let us make every effort to confirm our calling and election by living a holy life, which is rooted grounded in the word of truth.
Jesus is the promised Seed of the woman, the coming Messiah of Old Testament times, and the incarnate Word of God Who was made Man and lived and died a sinless life, but He rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven in triumphant power and great glory.
He defeated sin by living a sinless life and offered His lifeblood as the full and final payment price for all our sin.
Christ defeated the grave by the resurrection power of a sinless life.
The power of His sinless life, sacrificial death, and glorious Resurrection secured authority over sin and Satan, death and decay, the grave and hell.
We have all been through a difficult circumstance in life, but it is only as we look back on all that happened that we come to a fuller appreciation of its deeper significance and receive greater understanding of all that God was doing in our life at that time.
This seems to be the case in Peter's life, when Jesus started to speak to His disciples with increasing urgency about His fast approaching departure.
Peter and all who believe on Him will suffer persecution, but Christ won the victory at Calvary, and there is laid up for Peter and all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ a Crown of life which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.
Identification with Christ means suffering in this life, but in the world to come, life everlasting.
We begin our Christian life by getting to know Him as our Saviour, but as we grow in grace and deepen our knowledge of Him, we come to know Him better, to love Him more, and to acknowledge Him as our Lord and our God.
No one can love God every moment of the day and in every circumstance of life.
Throughout His earthly life, Jesus was seeking to expose this deadly, sinful flaw in mankind's character.
Indeed, as we witness the faithfulness of God in the difficult struggles of life and experience His tender mercies in the painful circumstances through which we must inevitably pass, our love for God can only deepen and strengthen - as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him.
We are further urged to be self-disciplined, self-controlled, sober, and stable in our walk with God which comes from a heart that is trusting the Lord, eyes that are looking to Jesus, and a life that is submitted to the Spirit and anchored on Christ, the Rock of our salvation.
But in the light of our present position and privileges in Christ, we are given one further, important step in our journey through life.
The mutual love within the Trinity is incomprehensible to mere human beings, and yet for three very significant hours of deep darkness, Christ was separated from the Father He loved so dearly, and the Spirit Who had been the ever-present Lover of His soul throughout His earthly life.
He is the Author and Finisher of our life of faith, the Pioneer and the Perfecter of all we believe, for it was CHRIST that endured the Cross, disregarding its shame for the joy that was set before Him, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We rejoice that Satan, sin, death, hell, and all that is evil is thrown into the Lake of Fire, and we stand in awe of the coming of the King of kings with His armies of heaven, the unimaginable beauty of the New Jerusalem, the sparkling River of the water of Life as clear as crystal, and the return to earth of the Tree of Life with its 12 luscious fruit (which has been guarded by cherubim since sin entered the world, lest fallen man should eat of its fruit and live eternally in a fallen body).
We hear the final invitation of the Spirit and the Bride (which is the Church) calling whosoever will to come and drink, and THEN we read that final, sombre warning: If anyone adds to Words of this Book, God will add to him the terrible plagues which are written in God’s Word, and that God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
It is not only the subject matter within the book of Revelation that must not be 'added-to' or 'taken-away from' but within the entire Scriptures, for the content of Revelation is intertwined in the many prophetic writings throughout the entire Word of God: If anyone adds to the words of this prophecy, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book… and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
When a woman accepts that she has a different role, both within church life and home life, it demonstrates her compliance and submissiveness to God's fundamental design and purpose.
Let us be careful to take to heart the whole council of God in every area of doctrine and church life so that our homes and churches become places where God's Word is followed and the Lord is glorified through our actions and attitudes.
Prayer and praise are two vital elements in the Christian life, and yet they are perhaps the two essential components of a believer's spiritual walk that are most frequently lacking.
Suffering is the segment of life that should cause us to engage in much prayer and earnest entreaties, while Christ's gracious provision should elicit much rejoicing and cheerfulness of heart.
In every circumstance of life it should be a duty and delight to fly to the Lord in prayer - especially in times of trouble, for He is a God Whose ears are open to the cries of His children, and Who is our ever present help in times of need.
Indeed, no matter what changing moods and interchanging moments we face in life, we are wise when we lift up cheerful hearts of joyful thanksgiving to the Lord... through continuous prayer and trusting praise.
His arm is ever-ready to provide the help we need, and His ear is always open to our cry, but He wants us to approach Him through earnest prayer and cheerful praise so that our faith in Him and our trust in His Word may germinate, grow, blossom, and bud - and bring forth much fruit to His praise and glory, as we journey through life to our promised heavenly home.
It is trials and tribulation in the life of a Christian that refines our trust in God and increases our dependence upon the Lord.
The personal difficulties and dangers that we face in our everyday life, and our reaction to the distresses and despair of others is often the determining factor of whether we hold fast to what we believe of Christ's sufficient strength OR whether we allow seeds of doubt to darken our hearts to the goodness of God.
And when we doubt, we become tossed to and fro in a sea of uncertainty: But blessed is the man who endures such trials and tribulations, in the power of His might, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to all who love Him.
His strategy is to plant seeds of doubt in the mind of all believers so that their life is not fruitful, nor honouring to the Lord Who bought them.
Similarly, the poor man must never lose sight of the truth that God had given us everything we need for life and godliness and that IN Christ we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing: For greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.
The difficulties we face in life can trip us up and tempt us into doubt and despair, but blessed is the man who endures these trials and tribulations Because when he has passed the test he will receive the magnificent crown of life, which the Lord our God has promised to all who love him.
David, the man after God's own heart, was beset by difficulties and dangers and encompassed about by many enemies and those that would seek his life to destroy him.
For God alone is our salvation and strength, He alone is our Rock of defence, our Shepherd and King, our Lord and our Life - our Way, our End, and our God.
And so, despite the difficulties and dangers that encompassed king David and in spite of the enemies that would seek his life to destroy him, David, the man after God's own heart, waited in silence for God.
Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is one and only road to righteousness, for He not only speaks the truth, but He is Truth and He has the words of eternal life.
But the challenge to every Christian comes when life throws difficulties in your path, when things happen that you simply do not understand, or when God's Word seems to conflict with your own built-up human perceptions.
We are called to trust His Word in all things, for His Word is life and health and peace and hope, for He alone has the words of eternal life.
How we praise God that although we were born dead in trespasses and sins, Christ's sacrificial death paid the price for our sin and His glorious Resurrection broke the power of sin and Satan, death and hell, in the life of all who believe.
The one who is forgiven much is the one who loves much and Mary loved her Lord with a deep passion, for she knew the great gift of Salvation that Christ had brought into her life.
He had an important appointment in Jerusalem, for He was to give His life as the ransom price for many, but His journey took Him through Jericho because He knew that two blind men needed the goodness and mercy He had to offer.
He had come as the Light of the World, the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd, and the Living Water of Life eternal.
I wonder if these same two Jewish men who received their sight would become two faithful witnesses to the truth, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that in Him are the words of eternal life.
This remnant of Church-age Jewish believers who have trusted in Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, is small.
They not only place unbearable burdens on the people of God and deliberately distort the beauty of His creation and design, but they seek to undermine the Word of God which must remain the only plumb-line for life and living - and the only standard for truth.
John was eye-witness to the lovely life of Jesus Christ the righteous - and he saw and testified to the truth, that in Him was everlasting life and love and light and hope.
He was one whose entire life was dedicated to presenting the Person and Work of Jesus - the Messiah of Israel and Saviour of the world..
for John knew that Jesus is the only Way to God, the only Truth that stands fast for ever and ever, the only Life that is eternal and abundant and the only Light of the world, in Whom is no darkness at all.
He longed that others would know and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that by believing in Him, we may have life in His name.
John had experienced wonderful fellowship and sweet communion with his Lord and he wanted all who trust in Christ for salvation to know the beautiful Person of Jesus and to experience the same sweet fellowship that he enjoyed - for John had seen Him with his own eyes, he had touched Him with his own hands and the focus his entire life had been to bear witness to the Word of Life Who was manifested to him..
and Christ's other holy apostles and prophets who testified to truth and proclaimed the glorious gospel of Christ - Who is the only Way to God, the only Truth that stands fast for ever and ever, the only Life that is eternal and abundant and the only Light of the world, in Whom is no darkness at all.
Christ was judged for our sins so that we might live as unto the Lord and walk through our Christian life with Him.
But we can resist the Spirit of God and grieve Him, and we can quench the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives when we try to live the Christian life and walk the Christian way in our own strength and not in total dependence upon Him.
Oh, our eternal life is a free gift of grace, but we have the opportunity to lay up for ourselves treasure in our heavenly home.
We can live a life where our focus is on the good things of this life or we can keep the eyes of our heart focussed on the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect righteousness.
This is a non-negotiable, scriptural fact, and knowing God and trusting in the finished work of the true historical, scriptural Jesus Christ is life - eternal life - everlasting life - abundant life, for the Lord Jesus ALONE is the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Through His atoning work on the Cross, He paid the price for the sin of every person in the world so that all - yes, ALL who believe - ALL who trust in Jesus as Redeemer have eternal life.
As new creatures in Christ, we have already found true rest through our new, regenerated life of faith in Christ, while Israel's Sabbath is a picture, which simply points them towards the Person and Work of Christ the Saviour, in Whom they will finally discover eternal rest.
But at His crucifixion and Resurrection, Christ, the Passover Lamb and final Sacrifice for sin, was offered for us, such that all who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
We have been bought with a price and transferred from the kingdom of darkness into His glorious kingdom of light and life, and we are called to be holy as God is holy.
He explains that no matter what circumstances life throws at us, what difficulties beset us on our earthly walk, or what problems we may be called upon to face, God in His grace, gathers up each and every situation, using it for our eternal benefit and His greater glory.
No matter what circumstances of life may lie before us and no matter what difficulties may beset our path, we must never forget, that Paul's time-honoured question, in this amazing book of Romans, commands only one ecstatic response - NO-ONE, Praise His holy name!!
They were to teach that Christ died for the sin of the world, was buried, and rose again, according to the Scriptures, and that whosoever believed on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
When the godly attribute of mercy or any other spiritual characteristic is manifest in a life, it is through the enabling power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of a believer who has died to self and has submitted their life to the Spirit's leading and guidance - so that the beauty of Christ may be seen within.
God knows that when we start to come to terms with the unfathomable mercy that He has shown to us - in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us so that by faith in Him we might be forgiven of our sins and receive eternal life - that His perfect life will be formed within and we will be enabled to diffuse mercy to others because of the mercy that our Heavenly Father has so graciously bestowed on each one of us.
Let us redouble our efforts to tell all those we meet today, that Christ died for their sins and rose again to give them life everlasting - so that they too may escape this coming day of wrath.
fallen man had to be redeemed through the sacrificial death and life-giving resurrection of His only begotten Son.
Jesus was the first-born from the dead - uniquely resurrected with a glorified body, in Whom was eternal light and everlasting life - for all who would believe on His name.
Cheerful giving that proceeds from a heart that loves to do the will of the Lord in spirit and in truth is applauded while a gift that is given grudgingly, comes from a heart that has misunderstood the true purpose of giving and which sadly misses the blessings that stream into the life of a faithful and true disciple of the Lord.
We delight to remember His miraculous birth, His exemplary life and His sacrificial death on the Cross, and the eternal significance of His Resurrection from the dead, when the powers of death were shattered forever for all who believe on Him as Saviour.
Let us run to win so that we may lay up for ourselves good treasure in our heavenly home, for although our sin is forgiven and eternal life is our present possession, we will be judged for what we did in our lives, whether for good or ill.
Indeed, we have the God-given freewill to plan our life as seems best for us and for those around us.
We may consider that the plans we are constructing are a vital feature in our life, and even pray towards their fruition, but we must never forget that God is ultimately in control of our life.
Both the extended greetings at the beginning of Paul's many epistles and the lengthy farewells at the end, give us a wealth of information on God plans and purposes for His Church and teach us much on living the Christian life, in the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace.
Gentleness is one of the fruit of the Spirit that is manifested in a life that is abiding in Christ, walking in the Spirit, trusting in God, demonstrating His love to others, and obeying His Word.
As believers we have the indwelling Holy Spirit who is a Listener to every conversation, an Observer to our every action, a Guest at every mealtime, and a Guide and Comforter for every eventuality that life may throw at us.
It was the start of the principles that govern life.
Man was fashioned from the dust of the earth and God breathed life into His creation, and it was so.
God's creative act was the genesis of everything that we know and understand, in the structure of life, and the process of living.
From God's initial creative act, came life and light, marriage and families, languages and peoples, governments and sovereignty, culture and civilisations, science and music, and everything upon which life is founded.
In his Gospel, Luke wrote down all that Jesus began to do and teach during his earthly ministry, describing His birth, life, death, burial, and rising from the dead.
Like all of Christ's other 11 apostles, the new apostle, must have accompanied Jesus throughout His earthly life, and also been an eyewitness of Christ's death and His Resurrection.
And although Satan remains forever a defeated enemy in the life of all who trust in His finished work on Calvary, that evil and malicious serpentine enemy, who is called the devil and Satan, will continue his aggressive onslaught against all who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb.
Though a defeated enemy, the wiles and strategies of Satan continue to be employed in the life of all who are God's blood-bought children in order to shipwreck their witness and render their work for the Lord on earth as wood, hay, and stubble: But be of good cheer, the Lord Jesus encouraged His little flock: Take courage for I have overcome the world.
We became overcomers by faith at the point of our salvation (which was by faith), we were united together in Him by faith, and we are also to live an overcoming life, by faith.
May we continue to live the life of an overcomer during the remaining time we have left of this life.
Let it be our dear desire to live a victorious life knowing that our past, present, and future victory is secure in Christ.
Let us seek to live a godly life in Christ Jesus our Lord, and let us praise God that in all things we overwhelmingly conquer by faith in Him Who loved us, and gave His life for us.
How similar our reactions are today when, having been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, we discover an abundance of problems barring our walk through life.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit and needless pain we bear when we leave God out of the equation and try to address the issues of life by ourselves instead of depending entirely on the promises of God.
Self, the self-life, and all that is connected with the old sin nature must remain securely nailed to the Cross.
The world does not understand this kind of life, and carnal Christians have opted to keep self on the throne of their life.
Our life is to be a life of surrender, suffering, sacrifice, and service to Him.
If you give up your life for the Lord, you will not lose it but rather save it.
Following the Lord in surrender, suffering and service is a daily discipline, but with wonderful benefits not only in this life, but in the eternal ages to come.
The song of rejoicing that Zechariah sang at the celebration of the birth of his baby son, was a touching foretelling of the important, prophetic role his child would play in life and times of Israel and their promised Messiah.
May we be men and women of God who trust His Word, live by faith, and walk all the days of our life in spirit and in truth.
This simple command has far-reaching implications in the life of every man, for knowledge of sin comes through the Law and knowledge of the Law exposes SIN.
Humanity could only be redeemed by a perfect Man - a Kinsman-Redeemer Who was willing to lay down His life for His people.
But in the midst of his mourning and great grief, John received the glorious words that must have ignited his soul (and ours) with hope and joy, for as we read in Proverbs: Hope deferred makes the heart sick, BUT when the promised desire comes, it is a Tree of Life.
There were imposed standards of cleanliness, and various food requirements, as well as stipulations about interest on loans, the crops of one's neighbour, marriage and divorce, the safeguarding of life, and consideration for those in need.
The Lord attended to every facet of life and living, and provided for feast days and times of fasting... the appointment of kings and the duties of the priesthood.
We are under the Law of love - the law of grace - the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus - and we are to love as Christ loved and consider the needs of others before our own.
The apostasy, deception, and false teaching that John and Paul warned against, is flooding the Christian Church today, but it started its deceptive practice 2000 years ago, and Paul wanted to impress on young Timothy the eternal value of a life devoted to God, as opposed to the practices of the world: For godliness is profitable for all things.
He wanted Timothy to be aware that the systematic teaching of God's redemptive plan that operates by faith and a life that honours the Lord, is what is truly beneficial, for it produces an eternal weight of glory.
Not only did Paul warn Timothy that in the latter times, deceitful spirits, demonic teachings, and apostasy would infect the Church, but some Christians would foolishly pay attention to worldly wisdom and become entrapped in temporal pursuits which, though not sinful in and of themselves, offered little advantage: Bodily discipline is of little profit, while godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
He points out that while engaging in disciplined, physical exercise gives a little benefit during our time on earth, a life that is set apart for God is beneficial in every way, not only in this world but in the life that is to come.
We should recognise that godlikeness is a noble pursuit that holds promises for this present life as well as the one that is to come.
He lived His life as we should live our lives - by faith in the Word of God - in total dependence upon our Heavenly Father - in full submission to the Holy Ghost - and walking in spirit and truth by presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice unto the Lord.
And as perfect Man, He lived a perfect life and He died His sacrificial death - putting into practice the words of the Psalmist, I will put My trust in Him. In life and in death, Jesus demonstrated the trust that we too must place in our Heavenly Father.
But His life was lived and His blood was shed for our sake... so that by faith in Him we may become a part of His risen Body and a member of the new creation in Christ.
He was born into the human race and named JESUS - God is Salvation, for your sake and for mine, so that by grace through faith in Him we might be forgiven of our sins and have life everlasting.
God's plan of redemption for mankind was securely in place long before God breathed into Adam's body of clay the breath of life - when man became a living being.
And in Christ we have an absolute assurance in God's plan of redemption for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting..
for He is our Life and in HIM is life everlasting.
And all who place their faith and hope in Him will never perish, but have life..
Much time would have to elapse before the promised Blessing which God had pledged to this father of faith, would came to tabernacle among men and give His life as a ransom for many so that through Him, all the families of the earth would be blessed and many would be made righteous, by faith.
For God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, the promised Seed of Abraham, to die for the sin of the whole world so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but be blessed with the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The Lord is not only interested in us during the first flush of youth, our years of vigorous actions, or our blushing adult activities when we are motoring through the prime of life.
And He has promised to carry us and care for us in every season of life, because He is our Father and we are His people.
He has made us and He has promised to faithfully carry us, care for us, help us, and deliver us all the days of our life.
And at the end of our life, He will take us home to be with Himself in heavenly glory, for He has promised: And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.
There is nothing we can do to repay the Lord for all His goodness and loving-kindness He has shown towards us, but we can live a life that is pleasing to Him by trusting His Word and seeking in all that we say and do to live a godly life, to walk in spirit and truth, submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and letting the love of Christ shine through us in thought and deed, to the glory of the Father.
This verse of Scripture is part of a passage that denounces a range of heretical teachings and lays out the criteria for living a high and holy life in Christ Jesus.
It seeks to prevent these believers from becoming captive to false teachings or duped by deceptive philosophies, while encouraging them to develop an inner, spiritual, and sacrificial life in Him.
He warns against those who engage in false spirituality, by adopting an ascetic life-style or developing a passion for a fabricated humbleness and the worship of angels, which sadly robs believers of their heavenly reward.
When we are carnal, fleshly minded, and engaging in unacceptable heretical practices, we are NOT abiding in Christ, nor are we growing in our Christian life.
When Christians allow themselves to be sucked into unbiblical teachings, false doctrines, and humanistic philosophies, we become unfruitful and lose the heavenly reward that awaits all those that live a godly life in Christ Jesus.
No doubt, Timothy had often heard Paul's thrilling, life-changing experience on the road to Damascus, when he was apprehended by a vision of the risen, glorified Jesus of Nazareth.
Every one of Christ's blood-bought children has important work to do during their life in this dispensation of grace.
We may not have experienced the type of vision Paul had on the road to Emmaus, and we may not be a pastor-teacher like Timothy, but we all have received the same great salvation; the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, and we all have work to do in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Everyone is given an opportunity to become a completely new person, with a new nature and a new life.
The old life is replaced by the new - and by faith, we have become new creatures with a heavenly destiny and a glorious inheritance.
When the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven, He entered His new life - His heavenly ministry.
And by we are in union with that life.
Paul himself was a prime example of a life that was radically changed, by grace through faith in Christ.
From being the greatest persecutor of Christ and His Church, be became one of His most ardent admirers - dedicating his life for the One he loved so dearly.
As the greatest oppressor of the early Christian Church, the apostle Paul was supernaturally changed on that road to Damascus, when Jesus made Himself known to him, and Paul repented of his past life and turned to the Lord for His great salvation.
And Paul became a new creation in Christ - old things were passed away in his life, and behold, all things became new, as he boldly began proclaiming Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
This new life is an abundant life, with a totally new nature and an eternal destiny.
This new life in Christ is given to each believer as a free and eternal gift of God's grace.
Throughout His earthly life, Christ was 'in God'.
In the same way, the new life of a believer, which is in union with Christ, is to live out this earthly life in Christ and for Christ - only saying and doing those things that we hear from HIM - daily delighting to do HIS will.
It is not the old life that God reconditions or restores.
Through all the changing scenes of Joseph's life, we see a man who trusted the Lord in all things, even when things were difficult and painful.
Joseph's life is a wonderful example of Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
May we be encouraged as we read of Joseph, who enabled God to work through his life in some of the most difficult life circumstances, and determine to submit our lives to His honour and glory, even during those times when we do not understand.
They failed to recognise the freedom they were given in their post-Cross Christian life, which is by faith alone in Christ alone, and not by carrying out good works of the Law.
Our promised positions in Christ's coming Kingdom and the many precious pledges that God has made to all who believe in His only begotten Son for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, are equally certain, totally true, and unquestionably unbreakable - for God cannot lie.
In consideration of all that God has given us freely, by faith in His Son, there should be no question that we should live our life in thanksgiving and praise for His goodness and grace, and offer to Him our acceptable service - with reverence and awe.
Those who pay attention to his words and apply his directives are wise indeed and will gain a right understanding, a clear direction, and a respect for justice and equity - as they journey along the path of life.
It is not an academic, head knowledge of God's Word that is important... but a consecrated soul whose heart is fully submitted to Him, and whose life is a living sacrifice unto the Lord.
Earlier James pointed out that the man who perseveres under trial is truly blessed - for God uses such trials and temptations in life to mature us in the faith..
But too often our deceitful enemy uses the trials of life and the circumstances we face to cast doubt on the sovereign character of God by causing us to doubt His Word, question His goodness or blame Him for the difficulties we face in life.
How easy it is to blame God or hold others accountable for the problems we face instead of taking responsibility for our own life and choices.
The plain truth is that none of us deserve any blessings from the Lord - but in His goodness and grace He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places and given us all we need for life and godliness..
and it is all by His grace through our faith in Christ, Who is our life.
Paul's Damascus Road experience also portrayed the profound change that takes place in the life of a sinner who is saved by grace through faith in Christ.
Paul was arrested by incarnate Truth, and discovered the Way to Life eternal.
Paul responded to Christ's claim on his life on that road to Damascus.
But she who desires to be holy and virtuous, gracious and good, can only achieve this spiritual fruit through the power of the indwelling life of Christ.
A man can hold a high position in life and have thousands under his command quickly standing to attention whenever he enters the room.
Our situation in life is in His hands, and no matter what life throws at us or what difficulties we face, God will take them all and use everything in the lives of all believers to work together for our eternal good so that it will bring glory to God (when we are fitting into His perfect plan for our lives).
Our times are in His hands, and every day of our life that we have left in this mortal realm can be put to godly use or foolishly frittered away.
Never let us forget that through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we have boldness and confident access to God. Day by day, let us know and apply this glorious truth in our situation in our life, and in the time we have left on this mortal realm.
Today is the day that we are to live our life as unto the Lord and to produce spiritual fruit which will verify that we are truly members of His holy household, and citizens of heaven.
We are to grow in grace, mature in the faith, and live a life that identifies us as His hallowed household.
He took the punishment we deserve and whosoever believes on Him will not remain under eternal damnation but receive everlasting life, as a free gift of God's grace.
This section in Scripture is addressing the attitude and behaviour which should epitomise the godly man or virtuous woman, irrespective of their status in life or their position in society.
God's children are to live a life which honours Him, even in the most difficult of situations.
When any believer lives in newness of life, as unto the Lord, they have His assurance that they will receive the reward of their inheritance.
Once we are saved by faith, we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ and no matter what our situation or station in life, we remain His children - justified by faith.
The important message that Paul is sharing with the Colossian Christians is that no matter what role we hold on life, whether a wife or husband, child or parent, master or slave... it is to be carried out in a humble and godly spirit that honours the Lord.
They rejected the Lord of life Who was the Word made flesh and the Messiah of God.
The majority of them were unable to divorce the negative bias they felt for Jesus from the gracious message of life and truth that He was proclaiming.
They were so critical of this local lad with the shocking scandal that surrounded His conception and birth and the dis-interesting normality of His simple, family life with his younger siblings, who themselves were disparaging about His claims, that the people of Nazareth dismissed the possibility that this Man in their midst was the eternal Son of the Most High God Who had come to save His people from their sins.
We are not simply directed to love our neighbour as we love ourselves, as were saints in Old Testament time, but we are to love one another with the same love that Christ loved us, when He willingly came to earth to be born into the human race so that He could give His life to pay the price for our sin.
The fear of the Lord is displayed in a reverential affection for God, and is the first principle in gaining godly wisdom and a good understanding of Who He is - Whom to know is life eternal.
God has set eternity in the heart of man and believing in life after death is part of our human make-up.
The 15th chapter of first Corinthians is the most comprehensive treaties on the absolute assurance that dead bodies will come out of their graves, some to the FIRST 'Resurrection of Life Eternal' and others to the SECOND 'Resurrection of Everlasting Damnation' and the lake of fire.
And it is only by faith in Him we can be forgiven of our sin and receive His gift of eternal LIFE.
BUT if Christ had not risen from the dead, there could be no resurrection to Life.
Our sins would be forgiven, but without the Resurrection of Christ to life eternal, death would have gained its prey.
If Christ had not risen from the dead there could be no 'resurrection to Life Eternal', and everyone who ever lived would remain in their graves without hope in the world.
Christ is therefore the 'Firstfruits from the Dead' and we who have trusted Him for the forgiveness of sins have received His free gift of eternal life-in Christ, and the promise of our resurrection to life.
Only those saved by grace through faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection are Christ's at His coming and are destined to be part of the 'Resurrection to Life'.
Paul shows that the first to be raised to life are: The dead IN CHRIST, at the Rapture.
The 'Resurrection to Life' is also called the 'First Resurrection' and covers ALL the saved of history, from Adam to today, who are credited with righteousness, by faith.
The righteous of every other dispensation are also part of 'The Resurrected to Life' but will be resurrected in God's foreordained order.
While we can lose our heavenly rewards, become a carnal Christian, remain a baby believer through our Christian life, and not mature in the faith.
He cannot contradict His Word, which reminds us that nothing can separate us from Him - For I am convinced, Paul wrote, I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We are not of this world but have become a citizen of heaven - and we are sealed by the Spirit of life, Who has set us free from the law of sin and death.
Paul is not saying that the downside of the Christian life is the fact we must go through difficulties and dangers.
Only the death of an innocent, spotless member of mankind was qualified to willingly lay down his own life as full and final payment for a fallen race.
And packaged in our great salvation, is not only justification (when we first believed) but sanctification (as we grow in grace throughout our Christian life) and also glorification (when Jesus returns to take us to be with Himself in heaven).
Although this counselling in good morals and ethical behaviour can be applied to any area of life, its focus in this passage is sexual purity and integrity in marriage.
Solomon's advice to his son is to gain wisdom in every area of life, but in this passage he specifically lays out guidance in preserving sexual purity in marriage.
Forbidden water may taste sweet for a moment but leaves the bitterest aftertaste for the duration of one's entire life.
Whatever the circumstances of your life or the decisions made in the global corridors of earthly rule, God is firmly and eternally in control, both of your life and over the governments of the world, and He has scheduled a time when He will put all principalities and powers under His feet.
However difficult we find the circumstances of life, within our family unit, or our national boundaries, we must never forget that God uses the difficulties of life to hone and strengthen our faith, and to draw us into closer fellowship with and dependence on Him.
And though He instructed His children to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars, He never once deviated from His overriding life-principle, to give unto God the things that belong to God.
We are to give unto Ceasar the things that are Ceasars, and to God the things that are HIS, and when we trust Him in every situation of life, we will find that His grace is sufficient and that His power is perfected in our weakness.
Jesus is the one who made the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, the blind to see, and the dead to rise into newness of life - for every attribute of the Almighty, Everlasting God, pointed towards the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the incarnate God, and perfect Man - The Lord our Healer.
He redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion. - How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven - whose sin is covered.
At the point of salvation, immeasurable blessings are poured out on all God's children, eternal life becomes a present possession, we are justified in the sight of God, we have passed from death to life, we have been quickened - made alive by God.
And during His earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus made it increasingly clear that there is no more important relationship in the life of a believer that our relationship with HIM.
Jesus came, first and foremost, to do the will of His Father Who loved us so much that He gave Jesus to pay the price for the sin of the world: So that whosoever believes on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
The Lord Jesus was not dishonouring the people in His earthly family, but was demonstrating that the only way to get close to God is to make Him the most important Person in our life.
In the same way that Christ's delight was to do the will of His Father, so we should be enamoured with the Lord Jesus, that no one is more important in our life than Him, and nothing is of greater significance than gaining a deeper knowledge of Him, obeying His Word, doing His will, and remaining faithful in the task He has given us to do.
As children of God, we have been called to live in newness of life, to walk in spirit and truth, and to grow in grace and Christlikeness.
We are exhorted to die to self, walk by faith, and live a holy life of self-sacrifice and praise as a testimony to the truth of God's Word - which is well-pleasing to our Heavenly Father.
That I may know Him, was Paul's passionate heart-cry: My goal is to know Him intimately, together with the power of His resurrected life and to be willing to fellowship in His sufferings, by conforming myself to His death - death to self and a life that is lived for the honour and glory of God.
It was in this context that Paul exhorted the Philippian Christians toward a heavenly walk, as exemplified by his own life: Brethren, he pleaded, join in following my example, and observe those who, like me... walk according to the pattern you have in us.
The Christian life does not consist of what God can do for me, but what I can do for Him Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Paul was calling for the Philippian Christians to follow His own example of Christian living and become imitators of his life of self-sacrifice, suffering, and praise.
He was able to hold up his own life as a model of complete and utter devotion to his Lord and Saviour, which others should try to emulate.
May we, by God's grace, become so Christ-like in our actions and attitude, minds and motive, words and walk, that we, like the apostle Paul, become an exemplary life to others and a pattern upon which they are able to model their own lives - for His greater praise and eternal glory.
We have the resurrected life of Christ, raising us up into the newness of life - for our body is the very temple of God and we are one with Him.
Let us in everything, by prayer and supplication, with humble thanksgiving of heart, praise our heavenly Father Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ... in Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, according to the riches of His grace.
Yes the Lord is indeed the good and faithful Shepherd of His people - Who willingly gave His life for the sheep, and we discover Micah praying into these precious promises, on behalf of the nation of Israel.
He came to His own people as the good and faithful Shepherd Who gives His life for the sheep.
Blessed is the one whose confident hope is in the Lord, for he will be like a tree planted by the rivers of living water that extends its roots into His life-giving streams.
That man or woman will not fear when problems and life's difficulties arise, but will hope in the Lord for strength and deliverance.
Those that search the Scriptures daily are not only wise, but truly blessed of the Lord: For blessed is the man who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates therein day and night. He will be like a tree securely planted by streams of life-giving water, which yields much fruit in its season, to the glory of God.
The psalmist is not referring to the specifics of the Mosaic Law in this verse, but to the undivided law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which has made us free from the law of sin and death.
We are to stand for the truth of the Word that we have been given, for God's Word is LIFE.
We are not to love the things of the world nor to be conformed into the practices and standards of the world, for the things of this world are deceitful and deceptive, and flirting with the world system is both dangerous and futile. We have been given God's wonderful Word, which is light and life, health and joy.
Just as Moses was the one who was chosen as a prophet of the Lord to lead Israel and give them the Law, so Paul was chosen as apostle to the Gentiles to give deeper insight into the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
John stood before the eternal God, Who had become the glorified Man... through Whose blood we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting... according to the riches of His grace, that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
The man knelt respectfully before Him with a question that was obviously burning in his heart: Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Unlike those who wanted to trap and discredit Jesus, the nature of this question and the earnest enquiry on how to live by God's standard, seemed to be the motivating factor in this man's question to Jesus: Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
This man did not ask what must I do to be saved... but what must I do to inherit eternal life.
Justification for Jew and Gentile alike is by faith. One must believe on God and the Lord Jesus Christ Whom He has sent, in order to be saved. Eternal life is not gained by doing something: What must I DO to be saved? Eternal life is gained by believing on someone: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
And so it was not his question on inheritance that immediately grabbed Christ's attention... for forgiveness of sins, eternal life and a heavenly inheritance is God's free gift to all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as their perfect Kinsman-Redeemer and substitute for sin.
Eternal life is not gained by what we do, but by what Christ did.
Eternal life and entrance into the kingdom of God is gained... not by what we do but by what we believe. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
We do not hear any more about this young man and whether he was one who came to understand that the way, the truth, and the words of eternal life are found in Christ alone.
It is a problem or a difficulty an individual may have in their life, which inhibits them in certain ways.
It may appear that Paul had something to boast about in life - but he discovered that the only justifiable boast that a redeemed man or woman has... is to boast in Christ and Him crucified.
The hindrance Paul had in his life, was designed by God to make his ministry even more effective.
As born-again believers, we have the life of Christ within and the power of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide.
Whether we have a specific 'thorn in the flesh' or whether we are simply encompassed about by the difficulties and dangers of normal life, God is no respecter of persons, and the grace and strength that Paul received throughout his ministry is the same grace and strength which is freely available to all who have been saved, by grace through faith in Christ.
And no matter what difficulties, dangers, or 'thorns' we may encounter as we journey through life, may we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before our God so that our lives may be a living sacrifice to Him, and a faithful testament of His sufficient grace.
There are none that are good and not one can brag that their kindly deeds; financial contribution; pious prayers; saintly religiosity or ecclesiastical duties contributed towards their forgiveness of sin and everlasting life.
He even imputed us with Christ's righteousness - making us citizens of heaven and bestowing on each of us eternal life.
The lost sheep of the house of Israel had received three long years of Christ's invitation to drink of the waters of life and to eat of the bread that was sent down from heaven.
In summing up his first epistle to the believers in Thessalonica, Paul admonishes them (and us) to live a life that is pleasing in the sight of the Lord; a life that glorifies our Father in heaven.
Christ spoke only those words to us that were given to Him by the Father, that we might KNOW that He is the Christ the Son of the living God, and in Him have life and have it more abundantly.
This is the most glorious message that anyone will hear in their life, but the verse cautions us that it will not be accepted by the world.
EITHER, we are justified by living an entirely sinless life, from beginning to end, and never breaking the slightest jot or tittle of any Law in thought, word, deed, or motive.
Justification is the initial work that takes place when a lost sinner places their trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Justification is the point in a sinner's life when God declares them to be righteous, because they trust in Christ alone for their salvation.
In our Christian life, we are entreated to continue steadfastly in prayer, to pray continuously, to present our needs before our heavenly Provider, to lift up others to the eternal throne of grace, and to bend our ear to His gentle promptings.
Prayer is to become as regular as breathing, but too often prayer is the first Christian 'duty' to be dropped when life starts to close-in on us, or time seems to be at a premium.
Often, an irregular prayer life is the first slippery step on the downward path to complacency, carnality, and an ineffective Christian witness.
We live in fallen bodies with an inherent sin nature and hindering the prayer-life of the saints is a top priority for the enemy of our soul: Keep alert in prayer, we are all charged: Watch and pray, with an attitude of thanksgiving.
Prayer should not be the quick after-thought of a busy believer, but an attitude that permeates one's whole life.
So often, in the Word of God, the believer is expected to be clothed in righteousness, strength and humility, shod with the gospel of peace, and covered with a garment of gracious praise, and each virtue that is manifested in the life of a believer is simply the reflected glory of Christ's own perfect righteousness and His gracious humility.
But when these gracious qualities of virtue and strength, excellence, dignity and honour are displayed in the life of a Christian, it is simply the fruit of the Spirit being shown forth in the man or woman of God, who is humbly submitted to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
But they have strayed from living by faith, that depends on His work within, to living a Christian life through personal performance and their own human merit.
Mary must have been so confused, but like the rest of His disciples, she had failed to hear and understand that He was man's Kinsman-Redeemer Whose sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection would bring life to all who believe in Him, would bring glory to God, and would destroy the works of the evil one.
Let us shun any form of idolatry and every idolatrous behaviour... and let us keep our eyes fixed on the true and living God - Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour in Whom are the words of eternal life.
Now we have the promise of eternal life, a citizenship in heaven, and an inheritance that is reserved for us in heavenly places.
If Jesus learned obedience by the things that He suffered... why should we expect to steer clear of problems of life and the chastening of the Holy Spirit?
It can be instructive, corrective, life-preserving, chastening, and character-forming.
God the Father is the eternal Vinedresser Who will prune away all the old, dead, unproductive parts of our life so that we may bring forth much fruit to His glory.
Jesus lived a sinless life so that all who believe in Him might be forgiven of their sins and clothed in His righteousness, but it is only as we die to self, live to Christ, and walk in spirit and truth in the power of the Holy Ghost, that our life can be holy unto the Lord.
It is only my new, born-again life-in-Christ that can walk in spirit and truth and not the old Adamic life that is saturated with sin, and remains at enmity with God.
Christ's death was so inclusive that it is sufficient to pay for the price for the sins of every man who ever lived so that whosoever believes on Him might not perish, but have everlasting life.
Knowing that the Day of the Lord is fast approaching, and also knowing that our citizenship is reserved for us in heaven by grace through faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, Paul outlines what sort of life a believer should live.
Close to the top of his list of godly instructions on how to live a fruitful Christian life is: Pray without ceasing; pray continuously, pray and keep on praying. Prayer is fellowship with the Father and was a vital part of Paul's own Christian walk.
We are instructed to preach or proclaim the truth of Scripture, for the Word is life and light, it is hope and it is peace, for we preach Christ crucified.
After his customary introduction to Timothy and his charge to identify and deal with distorted doctrine and silence false teachers, Paul continues his letter to this trusted, young pastor, with important instructions concerning Christian conduct and Church life.
The first few verses in chapter 2 deal with the power and effectiveness of prayer, in the life of a godly man or woman.
Paul knew the importance of prayer in the life of all born-again Christians, and urged this godly man to go boldly and ceaselessly to the throne of grace, for help and mercy in time of need.
He had a desire to depart this life, knowing that his death would usher him into the presence of the Lord.
Most people dread the approach of the grim reaper, and those that do desire death, often view it as the lesser of two evils... in a world that has pushed them to the brink of despair, due to life's cruelties and difficulties.
and the urgent demand for a teacher to train up the body of Christ in the life of faith, caused this conflict in his thinking.
Death is generally an approaching reality that most people try to defer for as long as possible, while those who wish to die, are too often overwhelmed by life's problems and pain, gripped by fear, immersed in depression, and weary of the cruelty and aggression with which they are surrounded, but Paul's desire to depart was the blessed hope of leaving this fallen world and going to be with Christ - forever.
Throughout his life, this man of God had to endure the sneers and derision of the people to whom he was sent.
Jeremiah is a man that was well known for his desperate lamentations as his prophecies to Israel were utterly rebuffed by people and leaders alike, but throughout his life, we catch some amazing glimpses of hope.
Having spent his life warning Israel to repent of their apostasy and return to the Lord, Jeremiah prayed to the Lord to give him understanding.
He was a prophet of God who spoke the truth, yet throughout his life, his words of warning were ridiculed.
Come, and drink of the water of life, is the beautiful invitation. Drink, and do so freely.
Their invitation is to come and receive living water, which is life eternal: The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come'.
And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, take the water of life without cost. This is the most lavish of invitations and whosoever will, may come!
What the Spirit and the Bride are offering is the opportunity to come to JESUS - to drink of the Living Water - to receive forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
JESUS is the Fountain of Life and Source of all life.
He is the Living Water and the Bread of Life that came down from heaven, and the invitation to those who are thirsty is to come.
This is a pleading call to everyone who wishes to partake of the water of life.
This invitation is open to every person in each generation, no matter what their gender, race, or station in life.
One is an entreaty to those that are dead in their sins and facing a lost eternity to come and drink of the water of life, while the other is the call of the Church for Christ to return and set up His earthly kingdom, in power and great glory.
And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, take the water of life without cost.
The Lord Jesus gained victory over death and hell through His own sacrifice on the Cross and His glorious Resurrection, but throughout His life He gave solemn warnings that an hour was coming when the tombs of all who were dead would hear His voice; some to the resurrection of life but others to the resurrection of condemnation.
One that He mentions, is of the man or woman dead in their trespasses and sins who comes to Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and by grace through faith in Him are raised into newness of life and receive the free gift of life everlasting.
Christ also referred to that momentous time when the power of death would be broken in His own life and in the lives of all who trust Him for salvation.
It is because of His perfect work on the Cross that Jesus received authority from His Father in heaven, to raise the dead and to give His resurrected life to all who would believe on His holy name.
Those who by faith have trusted Christ for salvation will come forth to the resurrection of life.
And we know that this is eternal life: That they know God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent. But those who rejected God's free gift of salvation will come forth from their earthly grave into the resurrection of condemnation.
Those that are 'in-Christ' will hear His voice and come forth to the resurrection of life.
But we also have His unfailing assurance that the blood of Christ has overcome sin, the world, and the devil, and that every single circumstance of our individual life, as well as the global, satanic plans of the enemy are all working together for God's glory and for the eternal good of ALL who are called according to the purposes of God - which is to be conformed to the image of His Son.
If our faith is firmly founded on the truth of God's inerrant Word, we will be thoroughly equipped to preach the Word in every circumstance of life and encourage, reprove, rebuke, and exhort our brothers and sisters in Christ, with great patience and instruction.
Christ Himself reminded us that it is hard for those that are rich to enter the kingdom of God, and argues of the futility of gaining the whole world at the expense of one's soul-life: No one can serve God and money at the same time, Jesus further informed us, and any wealth we may have in this life is a gift from the Lord to be used in His service.
Nowhere in Scripture are we promised wealth and financial prosperity during this earthly life.
Earlier in this passage, James deals with the trials and temptations of this life, which God uses to increase our faith in Him and develop godly patience and a Christlike attitude.
He points out that godly wisdom should be the true treasure we pursue, and reminds us that irrespective of one's station in life, whether desperately poor or fabulously wealthy, our purpose in life should be to honour the Lord.
All believers should walk in humility of heart and rejoice that their name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, for everyone's earthly life, whether rich or poor, is as fleeting and temporal as the wayside flower or the grass of the field, but OUR hope is in Christ.
Paul begins to offer practical advice on living the Christian life from the start of Ephesians, chapter 4.
We should no longer live like the unsaved, in the futility of our minds which excludes us from the life of God and fellowship with the Father.
Our former ways should be rejected and our life-practice should demonstrate integrity, honesty, and purity of heart: He who steals must steal no longer, but rather let him be industrious!
Stealing can be dressed up in lots of different ways, and Paul is instructing us that this prohibition against theft is carried out in spirit and in truth - in every facet of life. Paul not only insists on a positive change in our outward behaviour, but demands that it flows from a changed heart that loves and honours the Lord and demonstrates a genuine care and concern for the well-being of others.
Not one secret sigh that crosses the portals of our minds, nor one stabbing pain that cuts deep into our hurting hearts is missed by our gracious God of love - for He is our great God of comfort and Lord of life.
Because of Christ's offering of Himself, we are able to rise up into newness of life, where pain and sorrow will flee away - what a wonderful day that will be!
There are those who consider that saints who have wasted opportunities in life, strayed far from the Saviour during their earthly walk, failed to grow in grace, and remained stunted in their Christian development, through indifference or carnality, will be overcome with remorse and grief..
We may not understand why we have to endure some of the things in life that cause such heart-ache and pain, but let us never forget that His eternal perspective is broader than our restricted view.
He reminds believers that we should no longer behave like the Gentiles who walk in the futility of their mind which has darkened their understanding and excluded them from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them.
Whether we like it or not, it is good to recall that there was a time in our life when we were dead in our sin and at enmity with God.
We have passed from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His dear Son, for we have received the forgiveness of sins and newness of eternal life in Christ Jesus, our God and our Saviour - and nothing can pluck us out of His hand, and no one can pluck us out of His Father's hands, for ever and ever, AMEN.
May we not grow weary of well-doing, but tell forth good news of the gospel of grace - that Christ died for our sin, that He was buried, and rose again - so that whosoever believe on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
Let us pray for those that are overseers in local churches and shepherds in the Body of Christ today, that each one may take to heart this important command to be on their guard for their own spiritual well-being, and to take responsibility for protecting all the flock of God with sound doctrine and a disciplined life.
Jesus paid the full price for our sin and for the sin of the whole world so that whosoever believes on Him might not perish, but have everlasting life.
We will not be asked to give evidence for one another, but we will be required to stand alone and give an account of how we lived our Christian life; whether for good or ill.
Let us keep our eyes on the goal of our calling, and may the life we live in the flesh be lived by faith in the Son of God so that in all things we will be well pleasing in His sight.
If we walk in the way of His love and live a life filled with His love, we will be following the example of Christ Who loved us and gave Himself for us as a willing sacrifice, a pleasing aroma to God.
But only the life that is walking in spirit and truth, a life lived in humble submission to the leading of the Holy Spirit, can love others as Christ loved us.
Only when the old self life remains nailed to the Cross and the new life in Christ feeds on Him in our hearts, by faith with thanksgiving and praise, can that love of Christ be manifested towards others: And this is the way that we will know that we love God's children, if we love God and obey His commandments.
Elimelech, his wife, and their two sons left their home and lands in Bethlehem to go and seek a better life in a pagan land, where the people worshipped false gods.
But instead of repenting of their ungodly ways, this man sought his fortune away from the Lord, but the works of the flesh are futile, and a life without God brings barrenness.
The most important life-choice anyone will ever make is their response to this fundamental question: Choose today, Who you are going to serve.
Will you serve God or Satan, the spirit or the flesh, light or darkness, life or death, faith or fear, the truth or the lie, for its answer has both temporal considerations and eternal consequences.
Belief in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's tree, dictates life or death for the sinner.
Having carefully reiterated the entire history of the nation in their ears, and having reminded them how God had brought them out of Egyptian bondage, fought for them in many battles on both sides of the Jordan, and provided all they needed to sustain life and godliness, Joshua simply stated the obvious choice they should all make by setting an example: But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
The man or woman, mother or father, boy or girl who is prepared to lead in this important life-choice, will most likely be one that will influence those in their own 'household' in this eternally significant decision, and will be able to say with Joshua: As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Our parched soul has been revived and satisfied by the living water of life, which has become an inner spring of water, welling up into eternal life. Indeed, we know that we have a blessed hope and an eternal inheritance in Christ, that is kept for us in heaven.
He has promised to lead us and to guide us at ALL times and in ALL ways, through ALL places and throughout ALL the circumstances of life.
He has promised to be with us when life's many pressures and problems seem to blot out our hope, for I will NEVER leave you nor forsake you - cast ALL your cares on ME.
Although half of the world's population will die by the sword, famine, pestilence, or demonic entities, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved... and everyone who is saved will have their names recorded in the book of life.
Whether they live or are martyred, everyone whose name is found written in the book of life, will have a place in Christ's coming kingdom.
Those that are saved by grace, because of their faith during this terrible time of trouble, and yet are killed for their faith, will be resurrected to life immortal.
However, at rebirth, we received a NEW nature - a second nature - a godly nature - the life and nature of Christ.
We were given a new life in Christ, which is a sinless nature.
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, (my human body) I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
May we keep our 'old man' in the place of death and may we grow in grace, by allowing our new nature to live godly in Christ Jesus - Who is our life.
As Son of God and the Seed of the woman through His forefathers Abraham and David, the Lord Jesus was born without sin, and lived a sinless life in order to pay the penalty for the sin of the whole world..
Not only would all who believe in Christ be:- 1) identified with the death of Christ for the forgiveness of sins - but they would also be: 2) identified with His resurrected life and become part of a new Creation..
By God's grace through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Son of God we are born-again for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
It is a beautiful reflection of universal harmony where Christ is the head of the Church Who loves His Bride so dearly that He gave His life for love of her.
In the marriage union, both are equal in the sight of God and yet maintain His perfect order in their marriage and home-life, where the wife submits to their own husband and the husband love his wife with a Christ-like love.
But Paul knew that while there was still life in his body, his work on earth was not complete, and much of that work was striving to keep fellow believers faithful to the fundamentals of the Word of truth, contending earnestly for the gospel of grace and withstanding those that would distort the Word of God.
The judgement seat of Christ is that coming event, when Christians will each be rewarded for the things we have done in this life.
But the things that were carried out in the flesh, for our own personal gain or prestige - a life that did not fulfil the good work that God prepared for it will suffer loss; eternally saved, but their works burned up as wood, hay, and stubble.
His plan is that the new-life-in-Christ that we received when we were born again, grows in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and that the beautiful character of Jesus is formed in us, as we live our lives in spirit and truth by submitting to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit within.
The liberty that we have in the Church dispensation causes some believers to worry that Christians who do not have a series of do's and don'ts to comply with in the Christian life, are likely to think that our liberty is a licence to sin.
A brief look at the gracious life of the Lord Jesus, Whose prayer was always Thy will not mine be done, together with a study of the directives of Paul in his Church epistles, tells us very plainly how God expects each of His children to conduct their lives.
And as we walk in newness of life, may we grow more like Jesus, day by day.
Paul knew that his life was soon to end, and that this second letter to Timothy would be the final epistle he was to pen before His death.
Both in his letter to Philippi and in this final letter to Timothy, Paul was content, even joyful, to know that his life was being 'poured out' in martyrdom and death for the sake of the gospel, and that the living faith of believers would always be a beautiful sacrifice to the Lord.
No doubt, when Paul described his life as a drink offering being poured out to God, he recalled the three mighty men of Israel who courageously broke through the enemy lines of the Philistine army to draw water out of the well of Bethlehem for the king, but we read: David would not drink thereof but poured it out as an offering of praise unto Jehovah.
Just like Noah before him, Moses also found grace in the eyes of the Lord - and that same grace is extended to ALL who will believe in His Word and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting: LO, I am with you even to the end of the age.
We know that in the theatre of life, this is the final scene in God's redemptive plan, when every enemy will be finally defeated, including the last enemy, which is death.
The wages of sin is death, and the only way for man to be saved is EITHER - to live a perfect, sinless life, OR - to accept God's offer of salvation, for the forgiveness of sin, through Jesus Christ.
There are NONE that live a perfect, sinless life!
ALL need a Saviour, and the price of everyman's sin, from Adam onwards, was paid at Calvary's Cross, such that whosoever believes on HIM, will not perish, but have everlasting life.
God's offer of salvation, for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, is open to ALL.
Though the wages of sin is most certainly death, the gift of God is eternal life to all who believe in the sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son.
Many in the early Church found it very difficult to recognise that there is a difference between the way God dealt with Israel, pre-Cross (through the conditional Law of Moses) and the post-Cross Church (through the unconditional 'Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus').
We are to focus on our work for the Lord and not to be diverted by the unimportant things of life and we are to be honourable representatives of our Lord and Saviour so that man may see our good works we do and hear the good news we tell - and glorify our Father in heaven.
Paul received revelation of the gospel of grace directly from God, not from the twelve apostles or from any other eye-witnesses of Christ's earthly life.
It was the gospel (good news) of salvation by grace through faith in Christ (justification) and it was the gospel (good news) of life and liberty in Christ (sanctification) and not the legalistic bondage suffered under the Law and the curse that brings in it wake.
Jesus gave His life for our sins in order to save us from this evil world in which we live.
But Christ gave Himself for us because this was the will of the Father in heaven Who loved the world so much, He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him, might be rescued from this evil age and have life everlasting.
Yes, Paul was commissioned to call men and women from every tribe and nation to faith, and to deliver to them the good news of the glorious gospel of grace so that by repentance and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, they might be saved by grace through faith in Him, and receive life everlasting.
Yes, salvation is given as a gift of grace to whosoever will come so that through Him whosoever will call on the name of the Lord would not perish, but have everlasting life.
Neither the things of the world that blacken our life nor the imaginations of the heart that cloud our mind, must shift our trust in this Word of comfort that comes directly from God, the Father of all comforts.
He was not only the Messiah of Israel, the Son of the living God, but He was God the Son, the incarnate Word in Whom are the words of eternal life.
We live in a world that is filled with stresses and strains, and although we are not able to prevent the pressures of life, we have an assurance from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself that because HE overcame the world, the flesh, and the devil, we too are overcomers in Him, for THIS is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith in Christ.
He has redeemed our life from death and corruption and has crowned us with His loving-kindness and tender mercy - which is new every morning.
And in His grace the Lord has made known the way of salvation and life, through the living Word of God... Who became flesh and dwelt amongst us.
There is nothing in our own character, accomplishments, achievements, or ancestry, about which we can glory, for the record of our life is blotted with crimson-coated sin and is indelibly stained with innumerable ungodly acts.
Our hearts are polluted with un-sanctified imaginations and our life is under the curse of sin.
I shall forever boast in the God of my salvation... for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes on HIM would not perish, but have everlasting life.
And Christ only did what the Father told Him to do, giving us the perfect example of a sanctified life that was set apart unto God.
The sole aim in our life on earth is to glorify God through the Lord Jesus Christ and in consideration of all the faults and flaws of His apostles, what a joy to hear Christ words of commendation: I am glorified in them, for if Christ was glorified in the lives of His imperfect disciples with their many failings and frailties, the Lord may also be glorified in our lives, if we will but listen to His voice and obey His commands.
Christ had set apart this little group of men to be His witness to the world that Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and on the third day rose from the dead so that all who believe on Him might not perish but be given His life and be conformed into His likeness through the process of sanctification.
Rather, just as Christ set His life apart unto God and only said and did those things that He heard from the Father, so we are to grow in grace day by day, only saying and doing those things that we hear from the indwelling Holy Spirit and through the study of His Word.
Since the creation of the world, there were unmistakable evidences and irrefutable proofs of God's invisible attributes, His eternal power, and His divine nature, but man chose to be the creator of his own illusions and the god of his own little life by rejecting the clearly discernable proof of God's creative handiwork, His invisible character, eternal power, and divine nature
It is only achievable as we live and move and have our being in our new born-again life in Christ, and not as we live and move and have our being in our old, fallen nature in Adam.
When we are born into God's family, the Holy Spirit comes to take up permanent residence within our hearts, and He starts a sanctifying work within our new, born again life in Christ.
We are to grow in grace so that in His power, we will be conformed into the likeness of Christ, but the Spirit will ONLY sanctify our new life in Christ and not our old original sin nature.
But when, by faith, we submit to the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit and allow Him to govern our new life in Christ, it means that we put to death those ungodly lusts.
It means that we allow the Holy Spirit to do a good work within our new life in Christ, which will grow in grace and become more and more conformed into the likeness of Christ.
Jesus lived a holy life and demonstrated how we too can live a holy life.
Jesus lived His whole life in submission to the Holy Spirit.
As we allow the Holy Spirit to govern our new life in Christ, we will also be holy in all our conduct and behaviour.
There is nothing more beautiful than to rejoice and praise our Almighty God Who loved us so much, that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
May we pay heed to the letters of Paul which give such encouragement and instruction on growing in grace, living a victorious life, trusting in God, holding fast to the truth, and maintaining an unswerving focus on Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour.
Many of David's writings bewail the injustices of life, where the innocent are hounded or persecuted, while the guilty appear to prosper and go unpunished.
Save my life from the lions.
David acknowledged his faith in God when he called on the Lord to avenge him, rescue his soul from the bitter raging of his enemies, and save his life from his adversaries who were baying for his downfall and clamouring for his defeat.
LORD, rescue my soul from their ravages and LORD, save My only life from the lions.
It was difficult for Jews to discover that the Law of Moses had been superseded by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, and many refused to accept that the dispensation of Law ended at the Cross and had given way to the dispensation of the grace of God.
In Israel's early days, God instructed parents to teach their children to commit the Word of God to memory, to meditate on Scripture day and night, and to do all that is written within the sacred text so that they, and their children, may have success in life and live to the glory of God.
King Solomon was the man to whom is attributed the book of Proverbs, and its contents give an abundance of sound advice on how to live an honourable, productive, and rewarding life.
In the first four verses of this section, the older man describes the way that the young man needs to behave if he is to acquire the knowledge that his father is offering, and live a wholesome and productive life.
And in His goodness and grace God has also revealed Himself fully and finally in the written Word of God and through the life and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son - Who died to pay the price for the sin of the whole world..
Indeed, God loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to come to earth to suffer and die, in order to pay the enormous price for our sin - so that we might be forgiven of our sin and receive eternal life.
They would tell the world that by faith, they would be free from the condemnation of death, which is upon all men due to sin, and by faith they would receive the free gift of everlasting life.
A critical moment had arrived when the Lord Jesus started to set aside His temporal, earthly ties in order to develop an eternal, spiritual bond with all who would believe on His name - and so we read that Jesus started to teach the people in parables so that although they heard His Messianic teachings and saw His Messianic signs, they would not understand His Messianic message: that He was the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.
Everyone has the opportunity to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
He is the One Who died and rose again so that by faith in Him we might live in newness of life, and the duty and responsibility of ALL is to KNOW God and to KNOW Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, to glorify Him forever, and to tell forth the glories of His holy name, to all.
Whether saved or unsaved, man's destiny, from start to finish, is overshadowed by utmost sorrow in life and separation from our Creator due to sin.
But for the lost sinner who knows that his Redeemer lives, his life will end with the most glorious reconciliation.
Job was unaware of the heavenly wager that had been allowed in heaven and that Satan, that crooked serpent who deceived Eve and caused Adam to bring death and disease upon his fallen race, was being permitted to test Job's loyalty to the Lord God by robbing this unsuspecting man of all that he had, whilst sparing his life.
Following a series of dreadful calamities where his vast herds of oxen, donkeys, sheep, and camels were stolen away or consumed with fire, his many servants slain by the sword, and his ten adult children killed in a horrific 'accident', Job worshipped the Lord with his notable declaration: Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will leave this life.
And so began a prolonged debate between Job and his three 'comforters' which opened with a lengthy lamentation from this hurting man where he cursed the day he was born, bemoaned the fact that he had not been miscarried or stillborn, questioned the misery all men have to experience in life, and expressed his desire to be dead and buried: In death the wicked cease from raging, and by departing this life the weary soul is at rest.
Job deeply regretted that death was not his portion, because his life was in turmoil.
He lamented of his life and considered death would have been a welcome escape.
In many ways, those who go through prolonged and intense difficulties in life can empathise with Job's distress, but unlike him we have a peep behind the heavenly scenes and a real understanding of the spiritual war that is raging in the heavenly places.
He came into the world as LIFE; to breathe 'new life' into the lifeless spirit of man that lay dead in trespasses and sins, and with no hope in the world.
That same eternal Son is Life and Light.
When the Lord Jesus came into this world as the Light of Life that lightens every man that comes into the world, they did not comprehend Who He was or why He had come.
Only in Him is Hope, and Joy, and Life everlasting, for God the Father decreed that God the Son should come to shine the Light of God's Life and Love into the world so that all who believe on Him could be enlightened by the truth, reflect the light of His love, and be enlivened with His life, but He was rejected as a result of man's sin.
Christ Jesus is that LIGHT that has been shining from eternity past, and it is only through Him that God's light, and life, and love, and hope, and joy, and peace will flow, for God has decreed that Christ is all in all.
When God sees unconfessed sin in a Christian's life, He takes steps to correct it through a programme of godly child training.
May we all have a teachable spirit and learn all that God would teach us from His chastening work in our life - so that we may grow in grace and mature in the faith, to the glory of God the Father.
On occasions, he feared for his life... and at other times he was concerned for spiritual growth within the Body of Christ for whom he laboured so tirelessly.
When we are called upon, by our heavenly Lord, to suffer persecution and pain, may we also, like Paul, have the grace to be joyful in our tribulation and allow the beautiful comfort that we receive from our heavenly Father to freely flow-out to others from us - so that they too may be comforted with the same comfort that we have received - so that they too may be enabled to patiently endure whatever difficulties they may have to go through - as together we journey through life, towards our heavenly destination.
It seems to imply that salvation depends on the meritorious works and good deeds that we carry out in our life, and that God will render to each person according to his deeds.
Well, the Bible never contradicts itself and this passage gives greater illumination to the truth that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone, and that forgiveness of sin and everlasting life is not dependent upon our good deeds but on His good work on the Cross.
Although the unsaved have the opportunity to worship and serve the Creator, those that choose to reject God's gracious offer of salvation will be judged on the good works that they carry out in their life.
However good and noble the deeds of the unsaved are in this life, they will ALWAYS fall short of the glory of God and be judged accordingly.
In the meantime, let us walk in spirit and truth and live in newness of life as we submit our lives to the work of the Holy Spirit within so that when we are judged for our works at the judgement seat of Christ, God will render to each person according to his deeds.
And in His grace, God has made us ministers of the New Covenant; not of the letter, but of the Spirit: For the letter kills and condemns, but the Spirit gives life and hope.
As fully Man He was required to die as a man, body, soul, and spirit, but as the sinless Son of Man Who willingly gave His life as a ransom for many, He paid the purchase price that God demanded and received the full fury of God's wrath for those three devastating hours.
It is finished, was His triumphant cry and so He breathed out His life.
Christ was put to death in the fleshly realm, when He shed His blood on the Cross for you and me, but He was quickened by the Holy Spirit and made alive in the spiritual realm, with a body of flesh and bone so that we too might have newness of life in the spiritual realm - forever.
In Nehemiah's life, we see the supernatural work of God being carried out in answer to the faithful prayers of His servant, for when plans are conceived in prayer, prayer is the foundation on which God's answer rests.
May we practice powerful, prolonged, and effective prayer, and be ready to be used by God to fulfil His plans for our life.
He would keep the righteous requirement of the Law on behalf of all mankind by living a sinless life... and He would pay the price for humanities sin through His own, substitutionary death.
The conditions of the Law were not set aside, but through the birth of Christ into the human race and His sinless life and ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, God purposed that Jesus would fulfil every legal requirements of God's holy Law on behalf of every fallen sinner - and the single requirement to benefit from His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection, was faith in HIM - to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ - and by believing, be given salvation as a free gift of God's grace: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
They are to reflect His own shining luminosity, for He is the One that floods our inner heart with truth, and our outer life with His own beauty and the radiance of His own glory.
Instead of being flooded with the light of life, a soul is shrouded in a deep, inner darkness.
How important, therefore, to keep our spiritual eyes clean and clear as we look away from that which is evil and worldly and focus our eyes on Jesus Who is our singular source of light and our sufficiency in life.
They had to break free of the restrictive rites, rituals, and religiosity that enslaved them under the Law, and they had to embrace the law-of-the-Spirit-of-Life in Christ Jesus.
Indeed, it contains valuable information and important instructions on living the Christian life and growing in spiritual stature, to the glory of God.
Paul was selected to be God's appointed apostle to the Gentiles so that the truth of the glorious gospel of Christ might bring many sons to glory - not only in his life-time but down through many centuries of time.
The grace of God is beautifully demonstrated in the life and witness of Paul - for this blasphemous, murderous, pharisaical Jew was arrested in his forward march of spiritual blindness and eternal damnation into a position where he was commissioned by God to be His personal representative on earth, so that many might be saved from the wrath of God - by grace through faith.
The Lord Jesus was truly the righteous One Who died for the unrighteous; the eternal Son of God Who was sent from heaven to lay down His life for the sin of the whole world; the perfect Son of Man Who was born of a woman, in order to lay down His life for lost sinners: That He might bring us to God.
He was the substitute Man Who died once for all on the Cross of Calvary: In order to bring you to God. He was the righteous God-Man who laid down His precious life for a race of sinful, rebellious, prideful men, with the supreme purpose that He might bring us to God.
Paul's life is getting near to its end and he has experienced many different kinds of hardships and sufferings in His life, for the sake of the gospel of Christ.
Now as his life draws to its close, Paul is reminding his spiritual son, Timothy, of the key elements in his teaching that are so vital to sound spiritual growth and development.
But our life will be filled with suffering of some kind, if we are living for the Lord, as Jesus Himself promised.
Let us learn obedience through suffering, and let us endure hardship with patient endurance in the place where the Lord has placed us so that we can join the army of Christ as a good and faithful soldiers and servants to our life's end.
He is the only One in Whom are the words of eternal Life, for all who believe in Him.
Both Jew and Gentile alike are summoned to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, Who has paid the price for our sin and has, in Himself, the Word of eternal life.
Jew and Gentile, old and young, male and female, bond and free, are all exhorted to: Enter His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. Everyone is summoned to: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and to: Bless His holy name forever, for Christ died to pay the price of our sins and is risen to give us life immortal.
They had been redeemed from Egyptian bondage, but had to live a defeated and barren life, wandering aimlessly around the desert.
Israel's failure to enter God's rest is a cautionary tale which warns Christians not to follow their example of unbelief: Redeemed but living a defeated life on earth; Saved, but forfeiting all that God planned to do in us and through us during our journey in life; Saved from eternal death by faith in Christ, but living a defeated Christian life and forfeiting our spiritual inheritance.
Because of unbelief, they forfeited the power to live a victorious life when surrounded by trials and difficulties.
The warning of this cautionary tale is that we do not to lose faith in the precious promises of God, for He has promised that His grace is sufficient in every difficult circumstance of life, and no matter what 'giants' we may encounter as we journey through life, we have His assurance of a victorious life with spiritual blessings - and rest for our soul.
God, Whose Holy Spirit indwells all believers, will use the prayers, praises, ministry, and life of the saints to finish His good work in the destruction of evil.
They were to repent of their careless attitude towards their Saviour - and they were to return to the devoted service that characterised the early days of their new life in Christ... to return to the days of their deep love for their Lord. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
After the Lord Jesus corrects them, He does not leave them comfortless and goes on to promise, to the one who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.
What a great privilege for us to know that the Tree of Life, from which man was barred due to sin, is once again freely accessible to those that have trusted in Christ Jesus for salvation.
What a privileged certainty - to know that we have been given all we need for life and godliness in Christ and to know that we have a citizenship in heaven, an eternal inheritance that will not fade away, and the right to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God - all because we trusted Christ for salvation.
We are to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Holy Spirit of God, for when we submit to His leading and guidance we are delivered from a life of bondage to all sorts of fleshly inclinations and set free from legalistic practices, laid down by law.
And the sad consequence of a fleshly Christian life means that we forfeit the beautiful freedom we have in Christ and place ourselves back under slavery to sin and legalistic practices, which rely on self and not on God.
Although a fleshly Christian life and a legalistic leaning does not necessarily mean gross indulgence in sexual immorality and other unseemly practices, it does mean that our actions are in opposition to the will of God for our life - for the appetites of the flesh are not necessarily sinful, but they do refer to any works of the flesh that emanate from the old sin nature (our fleshly heritage before we were born-again) rather than the new-life-in-Christ which we received as a result of our faith in His finished work on the Cross.
As born again believers, the old life that we received from Adam, through our earthly parents, was crucified with Christ on the Cross of Calvary and must remain nailed to the Cross if we are to stand fast in our new-life-in-Christ, walk in newness of life, and be led by the Holy Spirit of God.
Christ identified with our sinfulness so that His death would became our death - death to all that belonged to our past heritage in order that His resurrected life would become our new-life-in-Christ.
A life that stands fast in spirit and truth and is led by the Spirit of God will be fruitful because it is being lived in union with our Heavenly Saviour in spirit and in truth.
And if we walk by the Spirit and live in the light of His truth, we will not gratify the desires of our fleshly lusts or the works of the law, for the old sin nature, with its fleshly inclinations and legalistic practices, stands in stark opposition to all that the new life in Christ represents.
Similarly, the new spiritual life we received at rebirth lusts against the ungodly, legalistic propensities of the old sin nature, for fleshly pursuits and legalistic practices are incompatible with a spiritual walk where one is led by the Spirit of God.
However, after reflection, David wisely turned away from looking at life's problems and those that sought His destruction, and fixed his eyes on the Lord.
But this requires us to be able to say NO to the continuous pull of the flesh and to resist the old sin nature, that constantly and consistently is at enmity with our new life in Christ, our new born-again spirit which was made alive by faith in Christ.
The preeminent battle in the life of every believer is this ongoing fight against the lusts of our old, internal, sinful nature which, though severed at the Cross, is still rooted within our inner soul.
For only in the power of the Spirit we can overcome external temptations and trials of life and do all that God desires of us.
No wonder both Paul and Peter BESEECH us to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against our very life - our soul.
When we yield to the Spirit of life, we will be victorious.
He prays for a life that carries out every good work that God has prepared for us to do in the power of His Spirit, a life that lives and functions in the grace and sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ, a new-life in Christ that can say it is not I that live but the mighty power of Christ Jesus Who is living in and through me.
The writer of Hebrews was inspired by the Holy Spirit to pray that God would prepare and equip all believers to say: Thy will not mine be done in me, and to live a life that glorifies God forever and forever, through time and into eternity!
It also speaks of the promised regathering, restoration, and ultimate redemption of a remnant of righteous Israel, and despite the shocking proclamation that their King would one day be led as a lamb to the slaughter, Isaiah also trumpeted a message of hope for the righteous remnant who trusted God's Word and lived their life by faith.
James is teaching that God is the Author of all that is perfect and good and should never be blamed for the problems of life, for He is the One Who makes all things work together for the eternal good of those that are fitting into His plan, and for His own, greater glory.
The Word of God is the plumb-line for life and truth and we should be ready and willing to hear His Word and put it into practice.
The truth of God's Word should be put into practice as we go through life.
He likens God's Word to a mirror, and its beauty and loveliness should be reflected in our daily life and put into practice, moment by moment.
The complaint James has in this verse is against those who hear the truth of God's Word but do not act on it by changing their behaviour - professing Christians who know the truth but do not reflect a Christlikeness in their daily life.
An inner change of heart by grace through faith in Him should be translated into an outward demonstration of a changed life that is being transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ, through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
It records the prophecy of Simeon and the testimony of Anna, the old prophetess, and allows us glimpses into His life in Nazareth, His extraordinary visit to the Temple at the age of 12, and the many silent years He spent as a young carpenter when: Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
And this verse gives a little of the limited information we have about Christ's early life, for we read: The Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.
During His life, Jesus fulfilled every requirement of the Law.
Living after the Cross, in the age of grace, we are no longer under the Law, as was Jesus, but His life, from beginning to end, is a shining example to all of us on how to live for the glory of God, for He lived His sacred life and died His sacrificial death for the honour and glory of the Father in heaven.
Jesus lived His entire life in total dependence on the Father and was willing to say NOT MY WILL, but Thy will be done.
Paul is not simply laying out the hopelessness of man's destiny, but is listing this shocking truth, through these devastating statistics, as the foundational groundwork to give hope to the hopeless and eternal life to those that deserve eternal death.
Paul is exposing the fallen nature of man so that He can announce the glorious hope we have in Christ and the amazing grace that God has shown towards us - in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us so that we could have life.
Paul is showing that all have sinned, Jew and Gentile alike, but that God loved the world so much, that He gave His only begotten Son into the world to pay the price for the accumulated sin of the entire race so that whosoever believes on Him, whether Jew or Gentile, would NOT perish but be reconciled to God through the shed blood of His dearly beloved Son... and that through faith in Him, they may be forgiven of their sin and receive life everlasting.
We can saturate ourselves in His presence and impregnate ourselves with the water of the Word of life until we are filled with all the fullness of God.
God can bring beauty from ashes and He can turn any obstacle in your life into a blessed opportunity, where the gospel of Christ can be preached and the name of Jesus lifted up.
And He is able and willing to do this in the life of anyone who is humbly submitted to His leading and prepared to say, Thy will be done in my life.
We have a great inheritance, which is reserved for us in heaven, and this glorious, future perspective is to encourage us and to lead us to a godly life and holy living, which will result in our internal victory.
We are instructed to resist the fleshly lusts that war against the soul, and this is an ongoing battle between the old sinful nature and our new holy life in Christ.
This is a conflict raging within our innermost being, a war against the soul-life of every believer.
As a believer we can either operate by an internal principle that is from God or submit to these external pressures, which battles for supremacy in our earthly life.
When like Paul we discover our old sin nature waging war against our new life in Christ, attempting to once again make us captives to the law of sin and death (that emanates from our fleshly nature), may we never forget that it is Christ alone Who will rescues us from this body of death.
But this is a Scripture that we would do well to recall to mind on those occasions when the stresses and strains of life cause our faith to be tested, or on those occasions when the pressures of life start to bear down on us or we find we despair or doubts flood into our being.
He is our all-powerful, omniscient God Whose ways are unsearchable, and yet he even sees the little sparrow that falls to the ground and clothes the wild lilies that are watered by His abundant rivers of life.
Let us often call to remembrance that no one can measure the depths of His understanding, but that we are His children whom He loved so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die that we might be partners in His everlasting and eternal life, for ever and ever, amen.
It was love that caused God to send His only begotten Son into the world to be the propitiation for our sins so that we might be born of the Spirit and empowered to live a life of godly love through Him.
And it is this same divine love which is the preeminent fruit of the Spirit, and is displayed in the life of a spiritual man or woman.
He wanted to show that death is not the end of life but the start of a glorious and eternal future AND that this body of ours is nothing more than a temporary lodging place. He likened our mortal frame to an old, deteriorating tent that can be taken down at the end of our life-journey; a temporary covering for the soul on our brief journey through life.
We want to be clothed in our new, eternal, bodies so that mortality may be swallowed up by immortality and death may be enveloped by life.
The encouraging truth in verse 3, is that having been born again into the family of God by faith in Christ, we have an assurance that when we pass from this life into the next, we will be given a new, glorified state.
And so we read that the Word, Who was destined to be the Lamb of God, was made flesh... and was slain from the foundation of the world, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have their names written in the Lamb's book of life.
He was the only acceptable sacrifice for humanity's sin and all who trust in Him for salvation, have their names permanently recorded in the Lamb's book of life.
The whole world will wonder after the satanically inspired beast, and except for those whose names are recorded in the Lamb's book of life by faith, they will discover themselves to be part of a lost, deceived, unbelieving humanity - and will face eternal separation from the God Who made them.
Praise God, that the Lamb, Who was slain from the foundation of the world, fulfilled God's redemptive act on Calvary's cross, and our names are already written in the Lamb's book of life.
However, those who deny His name will not have their names written in the book of Life - their names will be blotted out of His book because they have not believed in His only begotten Son - and will face eternal separation from their Creator God.
The life and times of the apostle Paul were fraught with difficulties and dangers and in this short segment, on his third missionary journey, we read of a meeting that took place on the first day of the week, when the followers of Christ had gathered together to break bread.
We do not deserve forgiveness or eternal life., and yet by His grace - through faith - we have been eternally saved and fully forgiven.
God's free gift of salvation was not only for the Jews but reaches out to whosoever will believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God - whether they are Jew or Gentile - for all have equal access to His goodness and grace and all receive His forgiveness and life everlasting - by faith in Jesus Christ the righteousness.
Water baptism (though not essential for salvation), is a beautiful outward expression that is carried out in our physical body, which demonstrates the precious, inward, spiritual change when by grace through faith we died to the old self and were raised into newness of life, in Christ.
Paul reminds us that we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, and whether this is singularly seen as figurative (in reference to being baptised into Christ's body at salvation), or literal (through a believer's experience in water baptism), the precious truth remains the same: Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life.
When we are saved, the old self is dead and buried with Him so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might be given His indwelling life and be empowered to walk in newness of life.
This spiritual baptism means that the new believer has passed from death to life, has been brought into a totally new, yet severed relationship with sin, and placed into a totally new and eternal union with Christ.
Believe that He rose again the third day to break the power of death in your life, and believe that God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven, to live a perfect life on our behalf so that He could also die a sacrificial death in our place.
But there is only ONE way to be saved, there is only one way to gain forgiveness of sin, there is only one way to receive life everlasting, and that is by faith in Christ's finished work on the Cross.
Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.' WOW!
Without Jesus, we do not know what is the truth, and without Jesus, there is no way to live life or to face death.
He is a life-giving Spirit.
Only Jesus was equipped to answer Thomas' question, and tell His disciples, I AM the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
Jesus Christ is THE Life, Who breathes His own resurrected life into a fallen man, by faith.
But Christ is the Source of all spiritual life and in Him is eternal life for all who trust in His redemptive work.
Jesus is the life in Whom we have our hope.
There is no other way to God; no other truth about God; and no other life apart from God.
The one and only way, truth, and life is JESUS.
No other religion, no other faith, no other path, no other philosophy, and no other gospel leads the sinner to God the Father, tells the truth about Him, and gives us His eternal life - other than JESUS.
Jesus Christ is THE Way. Jesus Christ is THE Truth. Jesus Christ is THE Life.
May the truth of this simple yet profound statement permeate to the very core of our being so that our troubled heart will be stilled and our joy will be full, and may we be willing to share the good news that Jesus Christ is the Way and the Truth and the Life, with whomsoever the Lord may place in our path.
May we become like those that are on fire for the Lord and in love with our precious Saviour, exhibiting the characteristics of Christ in our daily life, walking in Spirit and truth, bearing much fruit-of-the-Spirit for His praise and glory.
We are commanded to abide in Him from the moment that we have been placed in Christ, and we can choose to abide and remain in Him and to walk in the new life of Christ OR we can choose not to abide in Him and walk in the old fleshly sin nature.
When we abide in Christ, remain in Him, and walk in newness of life, we cannot sin, for in Christ there is no sin and so when we abide in Christ we cannot sin.
The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is to make our new nature exactly like Christ, and in Him there is no sin.
BUT if we abide in Christ we cannot sin, our new life in Christ cannot sin, for no one who abides in Him sins.
Christ offered these Jewish 'brethren' something that the Law could never provide – the remission of sins and life everlasting.
The indestructible life of Christ Jesus, was greater than king David, for He was raised from the dead by the almighty power of God and was the perfect Sacrifice for their sin – and by faith in Him, redemption would be theirs.
Their eyes will be opened and their hearts will be grieved over their national sin, and many prophetic Scriptures will become crystal clear as they welcome back their True Shepherd of the sheep, the Good Shepherd of Israel Who laid down His life for His people.
All who have trusted in Christ are already forgiven of our sin and have received the gift of eternal life, and by His grace, the Church will accompany our God and Saviour on that incredible day when Israel recognises Jesus as their Messiah.
Our physical death is that time in our life when our born-again spirit returns to God and when our eternal soul is separated from our physical body.
Because He lives we too shall live, and whether we live or die - whether we are awake or sleep, we have an assurance that Christ's death and resurrection has secured for us eternal life - spirit, soul, and body.
When we breathe our final breath in this life, we simply transfer into the next - with Jesus, in heavenly places.
NEVER forget that God has promised ALL His children that whether we are awake and facing the challenges of life, or experience the inevitable death of our physical bodies, our future with Him is secure.
God has purposed that whether we live or die, our destiny is already written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
He came to offer His own sinless life as the ransom price for the accumulated sin of the whole world - so that whosoever believes on Him, would be identified with Christ and reckoned as righteous.
Those who believe would not perish, but be granted the life that was forfeited to Satan.
There are those that are saved, by grace through faith in Christ, and there are those that remain dead in their sins and are facing a lost eternity... unless they trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
The 'life' of Christ dwells within the new life we received at salvation - indeed John tells us that the new 'nature' we received when we were saved cannot sin.
we still have an old sin nature which tries to dominate our new life in Christ..
for the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit lusts against the old fleshly life... and as believers we are instructed to confess any sin that we carry out in our old, fallen, sinful nature.
As believers, we know that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one, but we also know that we are of God, and that in Christ we have the power to overcome sin and Satan, through Christ's imputed power and His sufficient grace - as we die to our old sin nature and live our new life for Christ, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
But He was quick to point out that their joy should not be focused on the gifts, abilities, honour, and acclaim, that God had graciously bestowed on them - but rather, that they should rejoice that their names were written in the Book of Life.
Praise God that in Christ, our sins have been forgiven and eternal life is our present possession.
Like so much of the Church today, these Christians in Corinth were not living the life of holiness and humility to which we have all been called, but had allowed the standards, morals, and attitudes of the world to infiltrate their position in Christ.
God gives His people both provision and protection, and though to the casual eye this may not always seem to reflect the bitter circumstances of life through which many Christians have to pass today, God's provision and protection is established in the eternal realms.
However, it is also true to say that although this heavenly provision and protection is eternally secure for all God's people, many stand witness to His miraculous hand at work in the everyday challenges and difficulties of life, through which we all have to pass.
The Lord establishes our steps is because He loves His children and is pleased to be our Provider, our Protector, and our Establisher, not only in this life but in the eternal realms to come, which are reserved for us in heaven.
How blessed we are to have a God Who delights in our way, Who is intimately involved in every detail of our life and Who upholds us with His righteous right hand.
He prophesied that this coming Son would receive an eternal kingship through the power of a deathless life, and Paul explained that Jesus, the One Whom they crucified, was the One about Whom David spoke.
God had revealed 'the path of life' to His servant.
The Lord had shown David the way to eternal life which filled him with great gladness in God's holy presence.
Having willingly paid the price for our sin by giving His life as the ransom for all who would believe on His name, the indestructible Son of God was raised from the dead.
and yet we know this to be a reality in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, for he is the Prophet greater than Moses, the singular Priest of the most High God after the order of Melchizedek, and the eternal King of heaven, from the lineage of David.
He abolished death and gave life and immortality to all who trust in Him.
His life, sacrificial death, and glorious Resurrection, brought eternal life and immortality to all who believe, bringing them from darkness into the glorious light of truth.
He abolished death, through the sacrifice of Himself, and brought life and immortality to light through the good news that Christ died for our sin, was buried, and was raised the third day.
The gospel Paul preached to Timothy is the same gospel that we adore, for sin and death have been abolished in our lives, and by faith in Him we have been given life and immortality.
to pay the price for MY sin. 'To believe in His name', is to rely on Him for the salvation of our soul, rather than relying on our own good works for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Men of Israel at the time of Christ who believed the voice of John the Baptist and trusted in Jesus as their Lord, have already received the many benefits of trusting in their prophesied Messiah, for their sins are forgiven, eternal life is their portion, and each one is being conformed, day by day, in the beautiful image and likeness of the Saviour, in Whom they placed their trust.
Other methods of salvation may be sold to the uninformed - but there is only ONE gospel of salvation, (that the Son of the living God was sent to be our Kinsman-Redeemer, Whose death alone would pay the price for the sin of the whole world and Whose Resurrection alone would give life to all who believe on His name).
He alone suffered, died, and rose again, so that we might be forgiven of our sin and receive life eternal - by faith.
And yet he knows from experience that the Christian life, for both rich and poor, is full of trials, tribulations, difficulties, and distresses.
It is for this reason that James encourages all believers to develop a joyful attitude in life, even when circumstances are screaming to the contrary, for faith is always tested in the life of a believer.
But if we face the tests and trials of life with a godly attitude and a heart that trusts God's Word, it will move us towards spiritual maturity and develop a heart that remains humble before the Lord.
A humble believing heart, a surrendered submissive will, a focused mind, and a life that is dependent on Him in all things, are vital factors in the life of every believer, and James knows that only those who have an unwavering faith in God are the ones who will do what is right in the sight of the Lord - for they will love mercy and walk humbly with their God.
He goes on to compare the consequences of such a life with the withering effect of the blistering sun or the searing wind on the fast-fading beauty of a drooping flower.
And yet some would argue that this superabundant grace not only permits the believer to keep on sinning, but encourages a life of sin.
We had become a new creation in Christ having been forgiven of our sin, imputed with His righteousness, and received the indwelling life of Christ within our hearts.
Because of Christ's substitutionary death, our old life is dead to sin and our new life is alive to Him.
Our position in Christ is perfect for He is perfect, and our life should be a reflection of His perfection, beauty, and grace.
Our practice in life should increasingly harmonise with all that Christ is, for we are in union with Him, one with Him, positioned in Him, indwelt by His Spirit, and in fellowship with God.
He died in our place and identified with you and me so intimately that His death became our death - and when He died, we died also: So how can we who died to sin continue to live a sinful life?
Moses was a steadfast servant who was faithful to God's call on his life, but like all sinners whose faith is counted as righteousness, he was only one part of God's vast household.
He is both Apostle and High Priest of our professed faith in Him, for He died for our sin, was buried, and rose again to break the power of sin and death in the life of all who would believe in Him.
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
The lesson that David learned throughout his life, is that when God is our light and our salvation, we have nothing to fear.
We are to take courage in our hearts and look to JESUS, and we will not only discover Him to be the strength of our life, but the Light to our Christian walk, and salvation for our soul.
It was not life's circumstances that had caused them to be detached from the close bond that had anchored them together in spirit.
This was not a parting of the ways, due to the ebb and flow of life, that so often happens when circumstances dictate that two kindred spirits are separated from one another.
He wanted the horrors of life that surrounded him, at that time, to be removed far away... but David had to learn that you can't run away from the circumstances of life, you can't escape from those that would do you harm, you can't live in this world and be free from trials and tribulations, you can't fly away to a deserted place and be at rest, for we live in a fallen world, we inhabit a fallen body and we live among a fallen race of fallen creatures.
However, the old apostle knew the wily ways of the devil who prowls around as a roaring lion seeking to shipwreck the faith of all God's children, through the lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
And so we discover Paul warning Timothy, his son in the faith, to separate himself from wicked men and to shun the many lusts of the flesh, the temptations of the eye, and passions of the heart, that are designed to separate us from fellowship with our heavenly Father and the many negative consequences that sin brings into the life of a Christian man or woman.
The baptism of the Spirit is a single event in the life of a believer which takes place the moment one is born-again and becomes a member of Christ's Body.
The work of the Holy Spirit within the life of a believer has far greater consequences that simply the forgiveness of sin through Christ's sacrificial death.
What use would the forgiveness of sin be if there were no physical resurrection unto eternal life!
We are not only co-crucified and co-buried with Christ for the forgiveness of sins - but we are ALSO co-resurrected with Christ unto eternal life - through faith in the working of GOD.
All is carried out in the power of God, Who enables us to live a new life in Christ - as we die to the old life and live for Christ.
But His righteousness is only given by grace through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
These were prophets who foretold of astonishing future events which would have little impact on their own earthly life, but it was revealed to each one that their ministry was being addressed to a future generation.
May we study to show ourselves approved unto God and rejoice in the riches of His grace, knowing that we have been given all we need for life and godliness, and it is all contained within the holy Scriptures.
Just as we remember Him as the Living Bread and Water of Life, so the spiritual sustenance Israel received in the wilderness represented Jesus, including the Water that flowed from the Rock and the Manna that came down from heaven.
They failed to gain their promised rest by living the godly life for which they had been saved.
Instead, of living a victorious life, an entire generation of God's redeemed people lived a defeated life, as they meandered through the desert for 40 long years.
How sad that these redeemed people fell into sin, idolatry, apathy, carnality, and rebellion and how important that Christians learn from Israel's failure, and do not end up as the redeemed of God, who remain in spiritual infancy, and live life, in utter defeat.
Everyone who is saved by grace through faith in Christ's finished work is given power from on high to live a victorious life.
We are ALL given everything we need for life and godliness through faith in Christ.
We ALL eat of the same spiritual food, and drink of the same living water of life.
The bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.
May we learn the lessons of godly living, which are laid out in the Word of God, May we learn from Israel's failure and feed on Him in our hearts by faith, with thanksgiving - as we die to self and life for Him.
Paul was born in the city of Damascus and spent much of his early adult life zealously studying Judaism and the traditions of his Jewish ancestors... but God had set Paul aside to be His witness and called him to be Christ's apostle, from birth.
Paul heard the voice of God on the road to Damascus and responded to His call on his life.
But like all the signs and miracles recorded in his Gospel, John's purpose in writing was to prove that Jesus was the Christ, and that by believing on HIM we might have life everlasting.
As we journey through life, may we never miss out on any close encounters that we may have with Christ.
The same mouth should not pour forth both sweet and bitter water, and this is not only an admonition for the few, but a warning that is applicable in the life of all believers.
Gracious thoughts and purity of heart is a manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in a life that is governed by God and walking in spirit and truth.
Humility, grace, peace, and love are the precious spiritual fruit that should be evident in the life of all God's children who have gained wisdom and been given godly understanding.
The Lord Jesus was the one Who, throughout His earthly life, demonstrated how all humanity was originally designed to live, and He remains the perfect example of a Man with godly wisdom and gracious understanding for He was meek and lowly of heart, and in Him we find rest for our soul.
If we are to live the sort of life that God intends, where good behaviour and godly deeds reflect the gentleness and wisdom of God, the old self must remain nailed to the Cross so that the life of Christ may live in and through us, to His praise and glory.
Peter knew that the Christian life begins with precious faith in the finished work of Christ and continues with maturing faith, as it is implemented day by day throughout our earthly walk.
And as we trust in the promises of God and depend on Him alone through all the eventualities of life, we may bear much fruit to the praise and glory of our Heavenly Father.
Peter knew that the spiritual qualities of godly living are all rooted and grounded in a life that is saturated with the Word of God, totally submitted to His will, and passionately in love with their God and Saviour Jesus Christ.
And by His divine power we all have been generously equipped to grow and mature in grace, to live a godly life in Christ, and to increase in spiritually maturity.
The advice we receive from the book Peter and the other apostles in the Bible should always be our first priority in life.
Let us take to heart the clarion call to be fruitful in our earthly life and seek to walk in spirit and truth from this day forward.
For if these godly qualities are ours and are increasing in our life, we will not be rendered useless but will bear much fruit, to the praise and glory of our Father in heaven.
The position and privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus and all that we will ever need to live a godly life which is pleasing to the Lord, were given to us as a free gift of God's grace.
As His children, we are called to live a life of godliness, to live our life in spirit and truth, and to live in total dependence upon our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
But it is only through His divine power that we have been equipped by God to live such a godly life, for we have been imputed with Christ's righteousness, indwelt by Christ's Holy Spirit, identified with all His goodness and grace, and have been accepted by the Father in the Beloved, by grace through faith in Him.
It is only by God's divine power that we were saved through faith in Christ's sacrificial work at Calvary, and it is only by God's divine power that we are enabled to live our Christian life as unto the Lord.
It is God's divine power that saves the sinner, and God's divine power that energises the saint to live a godly life.
All that pertains to life and godliness in a believer is achieved through the ministry of the Holy Spirit within our heart and the intercessory ministry of our great High Priest in heaven, for it is God Who works in us, to equip each believer to mature in the faith, to grow in grace, and to come into a fuller and deeper knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Let us never forget that our heavenly position and privileges are ours in Christ Jesus Who, by His divine power has given us everything that is needed for life and godliness.
Joy was much on Paul's heart as he wrote his letter to the saints in Philippi, and despite the fact that he himself was being held as a prisoner in chains, he did not allow the circumstances of his life to affect his joy in the Lord.
This is not a specific reference to drinking alcohol, for Paul suggested in his earlier letter that Timothy take a little wine for the sake of his digestion. The summon to be sober was a call to be watchful and wise, resolute and sensible in every area of life.
But as Paul's life was soon to cease, the urgency to remind Timothy to be sober in all things, to endure hardship, to do the work of an evangelist, and to fulfil the sacred ministry for which he was called, was close to Paul's heart.
We also have the responsibility to heed Paul's words of warning, his instructions on living the Christlike life, and to be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfil our unique ministry.
Almost every New Testament epistle gives grave warnings about false teachings and their erroneous doctrines, which can cause havoc in the life of an ill-equipped believer.
The whole of 2 Peter 2 is devoted to exposing the perilous destruction that follows in the wake of apostates, and the elderly apostle uses examples from the Old Testament to demonstrate the ramifications of making wrong choices in life.
There are certain theologians that consider Lot was never saved because it was not stated in the Scripture, and his life was far from godly.
His salvation may not be stated in Scripture, but this passage identifies Lot as a believer who made many mistakes in his life: Saved as Paul puts it, saved, yet as though by fire.
He chose to live his life to please himself and was adversely influenced by his materialistic wife and debauched neighbours, rather than seeking to please God.
But how blessed are our eyes who have seen the truth and how favoured are our ears which have heard the glorious gospel of Christ! The same warming sun that softens the wax will harden the clay. The same Word that brings life, is the One Who brings death; the same truth that brings repentance, joy, and eternal life to a believer, produces a deeper hardening of the heart to an unbeliever, together with despair, hopelessness, and eternal death.
The one who has much will receive more, and those with little will lose whatever they already have... is a general principle of life and living.
While the truth in John Chapter 3 is a comfort to all who believe, it is a serious warning to those who harden their heart to the truth of the gospel - For God loved the world so much that He gave His One and Only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
God loved us so dearly that He purposed to send His only begotten Son - the eternal Son of the most high God, to come to earth, be born into the human race, and live a sinless life, so that He would be qualified to give His life as the ransom price for the sin of the world - to offer up His sinless soul and shed His sinless blood as the full and final payment for the sin of the whole world - so that WHOSOEVER believes in Him would not perish but have ALL their sin forgiven and receive the gift of eternal life.
Nor would they believe in Him when He told them, I have the words of eternal life.
What a thrill it must have been as Philip opened the prophetic Scriptures to this God-fearing man, and revealed to him that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Son of God - in Whom is the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Many of Paul's epistles are written to encourage Christians towards such godly living, exhorting the saints to live their life to the glory of God..
but Paul himself is a wonderful illustration of a life that is lived to the glory of God - emphasising that joy in the Lord is the resulting legacy for all whose lives are offered as a living sacrifice..
holding fast to the word of life in Christ Jesus, which had set him free from slavery to sin..
His imprisonment was because he had faithfully preached the word, in season and out of season to a lost and dying world - and Paul described his life as being poured out as a drink offering for the sacrifice and sake of these precious saints in Philippi - who by grace through faith in Christ had been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son.
Many erroneously think that to try to carry out these beatitudes in their everyday life will give them access to heaven by the back door, but no man or woman can come close to the ideal standard that God requires, for it is only in Christ that this perfection can be attained.
In consideration of the great goodness and mercy that has followed us all the days of our life, should we not be those that in-Christ, demonstrate godly mercy and kindness towards others, for in so doing we not only reflect the mercy and love of God but we will receive God's bountiful blessing: For blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy, pressed down, filled up to the brim and running over.
We are positioned in Christ Who gave us His life, promised to do a good work within us, bestowed on us eternal life, and poured into us the riches of His glory, simply because we trusted Him as Saviour.
God has given us everything we need for living a godly life: Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, and yet Peter's desire for all God's children is that His grace and His peace be multiplied to us all.
May God's abundant grace and incomprehensible peace continue to be multiplied towards all His children as we seek to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk in humble submission before Him all the days of our life - in love.
No matter how fraught and restless our lives may become, He is the One that will lead us to the still water-pools of refreshment, for He Himself is the Water of Life.
When we have a heavenly Shepherd that supplies all our needs, how foolish to seek out the stagnant pools and broken cisterns of that this world supplies, and how careless to become engulfed in the floods of fancy that knock on our doors, or become embroiled in the whirlpools of life's disasters.
Either we are slaves of sin, impurity, and lawlessness, or we are slaves of righteousness, life, and truth, which is the path that leads us into sanctification (the lifelong process of being conformed into the likeness of Christ Jesus our Lord).
Before we were transferred into the kingdom of light with all the wonderful benefits that accompany this glorious gift of grace (which includes life eternal to all who believe in Christ), we were in the kingdom of darkness, children of Satan, slaves of lawlessness, saturated in sin, with no God and no hope in the world.
In Christ, we have become partakers of a heavenly calling and are to be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, for He has given us the Holy Spirit of life and truth, and we worship One God and Father of all Who is over all and through all and in us all.
Its implications are astounding, wonderful, glorious, and overwhelming, for in some inexplicable way the Church, which is His Body, is intimately and eternally united with Christ, for we died in Him and are risen together with Him into newness of life.
May we who have become His Body and Bride by faith, also live every day of our life by faith in the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself up for us.
Psalm 1 addresses the misconception that indulging in the lust of the flesh and 'getting on' in the world as the accepted way to a 'good life'.
The mindset of the world that despises the things of God and pours scorn on a life of purity, has bought into a worldview that is rooted in a satanic deception, and the first Psalm deals with this conflict.
And so he reminded his fellow believers that God's divine power has granted us everything that pertains to life and godliness, and that in Christ we have many precious and magnificent promises which have made us partakers of His divine nature and freed us from the corruption and lusts of the world system.
As his life drew to its close, there was so much that Peter needed to remind his fellow believers about.
No doubt, Peter recalled His Master's personal command to, feed my sheep, and provide food for My little lambs, as he sought to remind his readers to persevere in life's trials and grow in brotherly love, to be fruitful in their knowledge and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to make their calling steadfast and sure.
Peter had seen the empty tomb and had touched Christ's supernaturally resurrected body of flesh and bone, and Peter understood that he too, would one day 'fall into the ground and die, like a grain of wheat', so that like the Lord Jesus, he too would rise into life immortal, at the coming of Christ.
Although it is sown in weakness, it will be raised in power - and although we live a natural body in this life, it will be raised a spiritual body.
The outward actions of our life should be the transparent reflection of an inner soul and is submitted to His Word and His Will, a life that only says and does those things that are honouring and pleasing to His holy name.
It was not only Jesus Who explained that the Christian life would entail much suffering but also Peter, James, and the apostle Paul.
Suffering for Christ's sake and enduring many trials and tribulations on His account is part of the worthy walk of the normal Christian life, for we have not only been given the wonderful advantages of trusting in Christ for salvation, but also the holy privilege of suffering for Him.
For it has been granted to us on behalf of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, not only to believe in Him for salvation but also to suffer for Him as we journey through life in a Christ-rejecting sinful world that is lost in their trespasses and sins and is at enmity with our Heavenly Father.
Jesus is the Great Shepherd of the sheep, the Good Shepherd Who gives His life for the sheep.
He is the only Shepherd Who remains faithful unto our life's end.
He is caring for us and protecting us, providing for us and delivering us from the perils and dangers of this life.
We can abide in our faithful Shepherd and lie down in the green pastures to which He leads us in safety, for even when our life-journey is fraught with difficulties and hardship: We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Because we are a new creation and have left all the ties to the old creation behind, we begin a new life, which is why Paul explains that circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing to the born-again saint.
Simon Peter put into words the question on the heart of all the disciples: Lord, where are You going? Christ's cryptic message telling him that although Peter could not accompany him at that time he would follow later, emboldened the big fisherman to press the matter further by asking, Lord, why can I not follow You right now? and with his typical self-assured devotion, Peter boldly declared, I will lay down my life for You.
However, his fervent zeal was quickly checked when Jesus answered, Will you lay down your life for Me?
Early the next morning when Peter heard the rooster crow, his heart must have broken as he recalled the words of the Master he loved so dearly and remembered how violently he denied Him, three times: Will you lay down your life for Me Peter?
Everyone seems to be worried about this and that, about relationships and redundancies, life and living, health and happiness, food and finances, the government and global issues, sleeplessness, stress, strain, and supply.
But the Lord Jesus, in this extended dialogue to His followers, warns of the foolishness of fretting and futility of worry, for it results in a fruitless and defeated life.
Worry is not only an ungodly state of mind that is often triggered by circumstances of life, but is also a choice of the will, where we imagine the worst scenario, which gives birth to mental imbalance and a restless heart.
The Lord Jesus had just told a number of parables to illustrate the futility of worry and the wisdom in maintaining an eternal perspective throughout the ordeals of life, which we all inevitably face, which is why He said to His disciples: For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.
And so, to His disciples, Jesus gives the serious warning to take no thought for your life.
There is so much more to this life than the clothes that we wear, the work that we do, the food that we eat, and the life that we live.
Christ not only warns of the danger of following after the fluff and glitter of this world's dainties, but points out that an over-anxious pursuit of the simple necessities of life, runs counter to an attitude of utter reliance on God for our daily provision.
We will most likely have to face increasing hardship in this sin-soaked world, and sometimes it is those very difficulties that God is using to conform us, day by day, into the likeness of His Son Who had nowhere to lay His head, but spent His entire earthly life having utter trust in His Father.
But Jesus spent some considerable time instructing His disciples to trust Him and not to worry about the things we need in life.
May we call to mind the wisdom of Paul, who faced every kind of disaster and difficulty in life, and refused to translate it in to worry, but wrote in his epistle to the Romans: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, he wrote, and from the first day until now, I continuously make prayer requests for all of you... with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel. Paul was confident that the good work that God had started in the life of each believer would be brought to fruition in the 'Day of Jesus Christ' - that time when He returns in the clouds, to take us to be with Himself.
We are encouraged to live a life that is honouring to the Lord.
Conversely, the eternal security we enjoy in Christ, by no means extends leniency or liberality towards sexual immorality or other unprincipled acts in the life of a Christian.
But being moved by the Spirit of God, he determined to share nothing... other than Jesus Christ and Him crucified for their sin - and raised unto life eternal, for all who believe.
Paul knew that the wisdom of God appeared to be foolishness to the world... but that did not prevent Paul from maintaining his dependence upon the power and wisdom of God, and his willing subjugation to the Lord's authority in his life - as he shared the simple gospel message.
He knew that a good minister of the Word would keep this as a priority in his life and ministry, but he also gave stark warning of an infestation of false teachers and doctrines of demons, energised by Satan and designed to lead many people astray from God's promise of salvation.
Paul had confidence in the fixed hope we have in the living God; that Christ died for the sin of the whole world so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus became accursed of God so that whoever would look to Him for life would be saved.
Christ's death on the Cross paid the redemption price for the sin of the whole of humanity: So that whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Let us make every effort to preach the Word to a lost and dying world and share the glorious gospel of grace to all with whom we come in contact, knowing that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
The eternal Son of the Father was made a little lower than the angels for a season, but having been born into such humble surroundings, lived a life of loving and obedient submission to the Father, and having purged our sins at Calvary's cruel Cross, the Lord Jesus became the firstborn from the dead at His Resurrection.
Suffering is part of our passage through life, but when we willingly suffer for Christ (Who Himself suffered so that we might be forgiven of our sins and freed from the pain of eternal death to the joys of eternal life), it can become an opportunity for rejoicing, an opportunity to glorify His name.
The devil has been engaged in confrontation with humanity from the moment God breathed life into man and Adam became a living being, made in the image and likeness of God.
But he also referenced Lot who believed God's Word and yet failed to live the godly life that honours the Lord, and in so doing forfeited many spiritual blessings.
May we never be tempted to lose heart in life's difficult circumstances, nor despair when we see the wicked flourish.
While John's Gospel was written so that lost sinners might believe in the saving blood of Christ, be forgiven of their trespasses, be redeemed from the slave-market of sin, and have life in His name, the purpose of his first epistle is to enable born-again saints to enter into the fullness of the eternal life we received at salvation.
Although we have a new nature (our new-life-in-Christ), we are gradually being sanctified in Him as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
Despite the assurance that we will receive a new, glorified body at the Rapture (the resurrection of Church-age saints), the old sin nature will continue to lust against our new-life-in-Christ during our sojourn on earth, and for the rest of our life it must be kept nailed to the Cross, if we are to maintain close communion with the Lord.
Salvation assures us of eternal life and a heavenly inheritance, for all God's promises are 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ, but we do not reach 'sinless perfection' as some like to preach.
But the work that needs to be carried out in the life of each believer is a work of God, NOT a work of our own flesh.
God alone started the work in our life by faith when we were born again.
Only God can continue His work of sanctification during our earthly life, and only He can finish the good work He started, when we were declared righteous, by faith – for in no sense can a man make himself perfect - for by works of the flesh will no man living be justified, sanctified, or glorified.
A work of grace started in our life the moment we were saved. That work of grace is rooted in the divine goodness of the Father Who purposed to send His Son into the world to be the sacrifice for our sin. The work of grace in each of us will be completed when we see Him as He is - at the Rapture of the saints - i.e.
Only God can carry out the work of justification in the life of a believer.
It is by grace alone through faith, that we were redeemed from the slave-market of sin, and He alone can work the works of God in our earthy life in the ongoing process of sanctification.
Am I to sit and twiddle my thumbs and not be involved in the sanctification of my soul, during my earthly life?
Well, God can ONLY carry out the good works He has prepared for us to do in a life that is submitted to Him.
God will certainly perfect the good work He started in each of us - but may we live our lives in full cooperation with Him, as we present our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him... so that we achieve spiritual maturity in this life, and in the ages to come, will receive our glorified bodies and rich rewards.
David's popularity made king Saul jealous and resentful... and so this disgruntled man spent the last years of his life hunting David in the hills and caves of Judea in order to kill him and remove this threat to his kingly succession.
David had spared the king's life, and he hoped that his action would caused Saul to repent of his bitter hatred for David.
And although it caused Saul to tearfully acknowledge that his own vindictive hatred for David was unjust and that the actions of the future king demonstrated kindness and righteousness, Saul's change of heart was short-lived, and he pursued David for the rest of his life.
Saul painted a picture of a proud man who allowed his fleshly emotions to rule his life and permitted hatred to fester within his heart, while David demonstrated a man whose heart was right before the Lord, trusted Him in the most difficult circumstances, and allowed God to avenge his enemies.
He exhibited a reverence for His holy name, which is rare and very beautiful, while Saul allowed jealousy and hatred to rule his heart and destroy his life.
And He is also the eternal Resurrection and everlasting Life Who dwells in unapproachable Light.
For only as we are undergirded with truth, overshadowed with His life, and holding fast to Christ's righteousness, will we be protected from the assaults of the enemy.
But although God's way of salvation is foolishness in the eyes of the world, it will be to the eternal loss of all who do not repent of their worldly ways and recognise that the one and only path to eternal salvation and everlasting life comes from faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ - the eternal Son of God and perfect Son of Man.
The Temple of His Body was destroyed, but through death He conquered him who had power over death (that is the devil), and in three days that same physical Body was raised up so that all who believe in Him, might not perish but have everlasting life.
May we look to Jesus and be quick to keep Christ alone as the central focus of our life. May we be diligent to preserve in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace within the church meetings and fellowships we attend, and may we be diligent to stand firm on the truth of the glorious gospel of grace for His greater praise.
The apostle wanted his audience to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ His beloved Son, in Whom are the words of eternal life.
He wrote his Gospel so that we may know and believe that Jesus, the Son of Mary, and Carpenter of Nazareth, is the eternal Son of the Almighty, and that by believing in HIM for the forgiveness of sin, we have life through His name.
Early in his Gospel, John not only stressed that Jesus had come from above, but made it clear that the requirement for our reconciliation with God and our eternal salvation was a rebirth from above, the New Life in Christ that only comes by faith in Him.
However, believers today can never pray such a prayer, for we have the permanently indwelling Spirit of God, Who carries out a myriad of ministries in each of our lives, and equips us with His supernatural strength and never-failing grace for every eventuality in life.
He draws us closer to Christ and enables us in our prayer life.
The Holy Spirit also produces the fruit of the Spirit in the life of all who are walking in spirit and truth; abiding in Christ and following His guidance.
And so Paul wrote this second epistle to these faithful believers at Thessalonica, to allay their fears and encourage them in their Christian life.
But because of the suffering they were going through, he needed to remind them of things he had already taught them that the suffering or persecution we endure in this life is for Christ's sake, for we are 'identified with Christ, in His sufferings'.
Too often, unbelievers and uninformed Christians consider the Cross of Christ to be a sad occasion when evil triumphed over good, or a time when a good moral teacher was delivered up and His life cut short, causing God to have to quickly think again about how He was going to sort out the mess that man had left Him, following Calvary!
Shocking though this miscarriage of justice was, when the children of men slaughtered their Creator, they actually performed a major part of God's determined plan of redemption - so that whosoever believed on the Lord Jesus Christ would not perish but have everlasting life.
God has promised to finish the good work He has started in the life of all who are saved by grace through faith in Christ.
We are to live in spirit and truth, abide in Christ, grow in grace, and trust Him amid every difficult circumstance of life so that the name of the Lord Jesus is glorified through us, and we remain rooted and grounded in Him.
Everything that the world has to offer is described in this verse in one of three ways: 1) The lust of the flesh. 2) The lust of the eyes. 3) The pride of life.
They do not come from our Heavenly Father but emanate from the greed and desire of our fallen nature and are fed by this sinful world system, which is hostile to God: The things of this world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life, are not from the Father, but is from the world.
Each of the three strands of these worldly desires is brilliantly illustrated in Eve's sin, when she engaged in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
In Eve's case, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes became flattered through the boastful 'pride of life'.
He examines spiritual growth, sound doctrine, the practice of righteousness, love, and obedience, and the importance of hiding God's Word in our heart, but he also warns us against the many influences of the world and our own fallen sin nature: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
However, we are not of this world system and have received all we need for life and godliness.
Both are a picture of our great redemption in Christ through the forgiveness of sin and our life everlasting, and we are further reminded that we are covered in Christ's own righteousness and have found rest from our labour in Him.
The Lamb of God will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Praise God that they receive witness to the truth of His Word during the Great Tribulation and choose to believe in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, Who died as Israel's Passover Lamb and gave His life as the ransom price for His little flock in the Church dispensation - but Jesus also gave His life for these Tribulation sheep, just as He did for you and for me.
He is the one Who offers the water of life, freely and without cost to ALL who are thirsty, and He is the one who will wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Come unto Me all who are thirsty, weary and heavy-laden, is Christ's offer of salvation throughout the generations, and I will feed you with the bread of life, and satisfy your thirst with living water.
And the fleshly drive for prestige and a carnal desire for pleasure, is an ongoing battle between the flesh and the spirit - between the old-sin-nature and the new-life-in-Christ - between our former 'Old Man,' and our new position as a member of the Body of Christ.
The maturing Christian must not only speak the truth in love, but practice their faith in every aspect of their life.
We are not simply to believe in a statement of faith with our intellectual mind, but we are to live out our personal, trusting faith in Christ in every aspect of our daily life.
The life that we live is to be a true reflection of the life of the Lord Jesus Christ Who lived in total dependence upon His Father in heaven (through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving), and in willing submission to the leading and guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
During His time on earth, the Lord Jesus gave us a beautiful demonstration of what it means to abide in the Lord and rest in His love - for throughout His life, the Lord Jesus did only things that He saw the Father doing.
He lived His life in complete dependence upon the Father, and He delighted to do the will of His Father.
Although He was fully God, the Lord Jesus set aside His glory and lived His life on earth as God intends for all men to live - in utter dependence upon God.
And Jesus demonstrated to you and to me what it truly means to a live as God intended man to life.
Jesus learned obedience to the Father by the things that He suffered so that as He faced the Cross, He was able to say, Thy will not mine be done. During His time on earth, the Lord Jesus glorified His Father in heaven by abiding in Him throughout His entire life.
It is only as Man could Jesus be identified with the human race and offer His perfect life for the sins of the world, but only as God was He good enough to pay the price for sin.
If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
This verse recalls the prayer of a man that is severely afflicted by all the distressing circumstances of life that were battering him.
The prayer of a frightened man that started with a focus on self and his own mountainous problems, concluded with a prayer of assured faith and worship of his God, the Creator of the world – the Maker of heaven and earth – the omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, all-wise, loving, righteous God of the whole universe – Who knows each of us by name and cares enough to take the difficulties of life to cause us to turn our focus on Christ and not on ourselves.
In this everyday world, the struggles and strivings in life have become an accepted 'norm'.
This passage exposes the attitude of the majority, where a passion to accumulate wealth and the desire for more possessions, not only gives birth to greed and selfishness, but causes us to worry about things we need, strive for things we desire, crave things we want and fight to gain more 'things' in the roundabout of life.
Our minds should not cave into life's problems and perplexities, but should be fashioned in the likeness of the heavenly Man.
Worry is a fruitless exercise and too often has a detrimental effect on home-life and health, for anxious thoughts cannot achieve anything and are likely to increase fretfulness, spawn fear, and cause illnesses.
Redemption is becoming so fully identified with Christ Jesus our Lord, that we can say with Paul that the life that I now live in this mortal body is not me (my old former self, my old-man, my Adamic sin-nature), it is not me that lives and influences my life choices and thoughts, but the indwelling Spirit of Christ, Who has sway and influence on my newly 'born-again' human spirit.
Jesus lived a life encompassed by problems and perplexities, sorrow and scorn, disappointments and disease, rejection, hatred, and contempt, but He lived an exemplary life that was free from worry.
Although Jesus was fully God, He lived His life fully as a Man.
When we trust Him in everything His plan for our life becomes even better than the plans we make ourselves!!
Let us seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness, by seeking Christ and setting the eyes of our heart on the beauty of the Lord Jesus and trusting Him in every circumstance of Life, even when we don't understand, for in so doing, the worry of the world will be replaced with the wisdom of the WORD, as our mind rests in Him.
We are to take hold of the eternal life to which we are all called, and we are encouraged to make a good confession of our faith in the presence of many witnesses - and we are to do this for Christ's sake.
And by His grace, all needful instruction for life and godliness is to be found in the holy Scriptures, if we will but take the time to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest all that is needful for the soul.
His life was spent doing good as he demonstrated the way all men were created to live... so that by His death and Resurrection, He would break the power of sin and remove the curse of the Law - in the lives of ALL who would trust in His name for the forgiveness of sin and the salvation of their souls.
Throughout his life God had been training Joshua for the work that He had ordained for him to do..
All of his life he had looked to Moses as his inspiration and spiritual leader.
And God used every experience in Joshua's life to prepare His servant for this important position.
God seeks servants who are prepared to trust Him through all the difficulties and dangers of life and to step out in faith when confronted with the raging waters that hamper our progress or flood our path.
May we like Joshua live our life as unto the Lord - knowing that He is well able to finish the good work He started in us..
And we have been raised up together with HIM into newness of life - HIS life within us.
His death became my death, His life became my life, and His victory became mine.
My identification with Christ means that I died with Him, arose with Him, and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself for me so that I might no longer live for myself, but live for God, to His praise and glory, for ever and ever.
It centres on the good news of God's grace towards mankind and its singular focus is the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, Who died for our sins and rose again the third day so that whosoever would believe on His name would not perish but receive God's free gift of everlasting life, by grace through faith in Him.
Jesus became flesh and dwelt amongst us, living a perfect life so that He could offer Himself as the only sacrifice to God for the sin of the whole world, and by His death and Resurrection, redeem sinful mankind from eternal separation from a holy God.
We are to acquire wisdom and to develop good judgement, but we must be aware that there are two sorts of wisdom after which a believer can follow – the wisdom of man, which is folly in the eyes of the Lord, and the wisdom of God, which makes for godly living and a life that is pleasing to Him.
When we gain Christ, we are walking in the way of truth and life and hope and peace.
To learn of the unsearchable wisdom and knowledge of Christ should be our life-time desire, and we should seek Him (Whom to know is life eternal), with our whole being.
Never let us become so familiar with Christ that we lose the desire to know Him more, to turn our backs from Him, or to wander from the Way of wisdom and understanding – Whom to know is life eternal.
Athletes need to be disciplined in every area of life, so that the best is not forfeited.
Paul's great passion in life was to preach Christ to Jew and Gentile alike.
In the same way, our goal in life should be to meet others at their point of need and to share the truth of the gospel with whoever we come in contact.
There are many places in Scripture that remind us that the cares and concerns of this world can become a burdensome load in our lives. 'Independence' proudly proclaims that it has built up a range of coping strategies and self-help skills to deal with all the stresses and strains of life, while 'Pride' arrogantly announces that it is well-able to go it alone.
When the cares and concerns of this world are given to the Lord in humility of heart, He pours into that life His peace that passes understanding, and we discover we have a godly wisdom, an enlarged faith, supernatural love, and His sufficient grace, despite the circumstances that hem us in on every side.
The Lord is working in each of our lives from an eternal perspective and we are to develop the attitude that Christ demonstrated throughout His earthly life, as He submitted to the Father: Thy will be done in my life, was His heartfelt prayer.
We need to invite the Lord into every compartment of life and not exclude Him from any cherished sphere or withhold any embarrassing secret.
He cares about each compartment of life and can minister to every hurt, every difficulty, and every foolish mistake we make.
When anxiety is permitted to dominate a life, faith submits to fear, unbelief is substituted for a trusting heart, and dependence on our Heavenly Father is replaced with prideful self-dependency.
We may plant seeds of truth in the heart of a sinner, and point others to Jesus, but God alone breathes life into a spiritually dead soul.
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him - and I will raise him up on the last day. God calls sinners to repent and gives eternal life to all who come, but man must respond to His call and some are openly hostile to the truth and object to Christ's heavenly origin.
He warned that, No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day. In our fallen state, we need God to attract us to Himself, so that we can choose wisely, place our faith in Christ, and receive eternal life.
Earlier our Lord had said, Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Sadly, many were willingly ignorant of this truth because they refused to believe God's Word.
The reformed teaching of 'irresistible grace' removes man's volition to choose or to reject God's pull on their life.
Jesus was explaining that the importance of hearing the Word of God, and responding positively to His Holy Spirit's ministry in their life, lines up with the rest of Scripture.
May we remember that the same Son of God, who warmed the hearts of His disciples and drew them into His loving arms for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, is the same Son of God Whose purifying presence hardens rebellious hearts in an oven of pride, jealousy, and unbelief.
Before the Law, men had no righteous standard by which to live - but they were still sinners and so death continued to reign in every life - for ALL fall short of God's glory.
Though we all became sinners through the single sin of one man, we all have the opportunity to be made righteous because of the single sacrifice of One Man - Jesus Christ the righteous, and whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
Once sin is exposed in our life - the more precious the grace of God and the forgiveness we receive by faith becomes.
Paul portrays the life of Jesus as the exemplification of what a godly life should be.
but His life stands as a witness to what a godly life should look like..
a life that is lived in accordance with God's plan for humanity.
Jesus is held up as the perfect example of a life lived to the praise and glory of God, in a sinful word and hostile environment - Jesus is seen as living His earthly life in the way that God intended mankind to live, when God formed man in His own image, and breathed into him the breath of life.
The life of the Lord Jesus demonstrated a God-focussed man that chose to please God before self..
Jesus was the perfect example of a man that loved the Temple of God and applied the Word of God in every area of life - for it was of Jesus that the Psalmist wrote these words: zeal for Your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
Jesus indeed demonstrated His zeal for the House of God as exemplified in His life and actions, when he overthrew the tables of the money changers and cried out in fury: You have made My Father's House into a den thieves.
Jesus lived His life as unto to Lord and for the eternal benefit of all mankind.
David's first thought was that his sickness had been sent as a punishment from God, but although bitter circumstances can result from the consequences of our own our ungodly choices, we must by no means attribute all difficulties and distresses in life to God's displeasure.
Although Christ was fully God the Son, He lived His whole life in full submission to the indwelling Holy Spirit of God and in total dependence on God the Father, only doing those things which He heard from above.
Christ, the eternal Son of God, set aside His pre-incarnate glory and was born into a race of sinners, to live and to serve, to suffer and to die so that fallen man might be given eternal life by believing on His name: God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Peter had to make a huge adjustment from being a devout Jew who lived under the Law of Moses, to becoming a mature member of the Body of Christ who lived by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.
He laments that while evil men manage to avoid problems and pain, both in life and in death - difficulties, dangers, poverty, and pain, stalk his own peculiar path, and the lives of all the godly.
He must choose between life and death, light and darkness, good or evil, blessings or cursings, forgiveness or condemnation, - salvation or destruction.
There is nothing evil about prosperity or creature comforts when treated righteously, but too often 'the good life' causes us to trust in worldly riches rather than placing our trust in the Lord.
Praise God that today, and into the eternal ages to come, our feet stand securely on His sufficient strength, His right-hand takes hold of our right hand as He holds us through every eventuality of life.
When Jesus rose from the grave, He broke the power of death and hell in the lives of ALL who are identified with Christ and positioned IN Him, all who are saved by grace through faith in Him, all who have been born of the Spirit of God and have received a NEW and eternal life in Christ.
We not only identify with His death (sins forgiven) but also His Resurrection (life eternal).
But after we are resurrected from the dead, we will not only be saved from the PENALTY of sin and its POWER over us, we will also be set free from the PRESENCE of sin, when our old, sin nature will be fully discarded for the new, sinless nature of Christ, 'the new life' we received at salvation.
All were given the opportunity to drink deeply of His life-giving Spirit for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
He was being led by the Spirit to go to Sychar, where a whole Samaritan village needed to discover that He was the Messiah of Israel, in Whom were the words of eternal life.
Her life-style seems to be somewhat suspect, and she even appeared to flirt with the Jewish Rabbi, who asked for a drink! But her eternal salvation was at stake and she soon realised that Jesus was a prophet of God and asked some searching questions, that brought her to faith in Him and cause her entire village to welcome the Saviour into their midst, and to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was the prophesied Messiah of Israel.
The woman was immersed in worldly worries and drowning in the chores of this life.
She liked the idea of a constant flow of water, which would make life easier, but did not understand the eternal significance of Christ's offer.
How often we also seek after a 'tap of flowing water', a bank-balance that never ran dry, a life of ease and plenty, or an insurance policy that covered all eventualities, instead of looking to Jesus and simply trusting in His promise to supply ALL our needs, according to His riches in glory.
The woman's interest was in a plentiful supply of rain-water for her physical need and the daily necessities of life, and so she said to Him, 'Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?' Jesus was offering her the living water of eternal life.
He wanted to give her a living spring of water within her soul, welling up into eternal life.
Jesus was offering this despised Samaritan woman Himself - for in HIM are the words of eternal life.
When our only focus is the tap of water for our daily supply, and our only concern is the bank-balance, the difficulties of life, or the dangers that are likely to befall us, we demonstrate the short-sighted attitude of this Samaritan woman.
He lists the praiseworthy behaviours that should be exhibited in the life of a godly man or a virtuous woman... for in Christ, we have sufficient strength to resist the multiplied deceptions of the world system.
Paul also talks about putting off the old Adamic life, which is dead in sins and at enmity with God, and putting on the new life in Christ where we are covered in His own righteousness.
How foolish therefore, to cling to religious rituals, denominational rites, and legalistic regulations in the hope that they will secure our heavenly home, rather than clinging to the Cross, and hoping in Christ - in Whom are the words of eternal life.
“In the midst of life we are in death,' is a well-known saying that is very true of every member of the human race, for we are born dead in our sins and we are spiritually separated from God.
and the choices we made in life will be forever fixed and final.
However difficult and problematic our life may be in this lost and fallen world we have a blessed hope and a revelation from God that our future is secure in Him.
In the midst of this life we may be in death - but death for the Christian holds no fear.. for the enemy of our soul was defeated at the Cross..
His righteousness is to be manifested in our life.
The new-life in Christ is to work through His children.
It was the perfect life of Christ that qualified Him to be our Saviour and only His sacrificial death is sufficient to pay the legally required penalty for sin.
But our whole life should be lived in the knowledge that we really do have the most wonderful eternal hope, prepared for us in heaven.
Our salvation is the first step on our Christian journey through this life, simply because we believed.
But our Christian walk through life, should also be seen as the first step on the great adventure of eternity – simply because we believed in the One Who is faithful and true.
And since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we have a firm assurance and an established confidence that God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus.Death is a natural part of life that affects every member of the human race, but for those who have been born from above, death takes on an entirely new and wonderful perspective.
We should never be ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for by His hand we were created, by His blood we have been saved, and by His Resurrection we have been made a new creation and given eternal life in Him.
He was built from the dust of the earth in the image and likeness of God Who breathed His own life into the heart of man.
Let us never forget that He is the immortal, invisible God Who has set eternity in the hearts of all His people and that by faith in His only begotten Son we have the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Such praise is founded on the sure knowledge that the Lord is not only our protection through all the changing scenes of this life, but that death, which is man's greatest enemy, will be finally conquered.
The sweet psalmist of Israel concluded his song of praise with these wonderful words of complete assurance in the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting: For You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.
He believed the Lord was his Refuge and Strength in every eventuality of life.
The confidence he displayed is reflected in verse 11: You will make known to me the path of life.
He disregarded the shame, knowing that the path of life-eternal opened the way into His Father's presence, where there is the fullness of joy and eternal pleasures for all who trust in Him.
Sorrow may well be our lot in this life, for we have been told that in this world we will suffer trials and difficulties, but we must be of good cheer, for we have His indwelling Holy Spirit.
As we focus our hearts and minds on the loveliness of our risen Saviour, we receive His fullness of joy, love, and His peace, not only in the world to come, but every day of our earthly life.
There are many mysteries of our new life in Christ that are hard to understand, which remain a reality in the life of all who believe, and Paul's illustration of a believer's 'death to sin' through their 'baptism into Christ' is a difficult concept to grasp, while remaining a glorious truth in which to rejoice.
WE have been buried with HIM through baptism into death... so that just as CHRIST was raised from the dead, through the glory of the Father, so WE TOO might walk in newness of life. But why?
How can we walk in newness of life?
There are many mysteries of our new life in Christ that are hard to understand, but this one staggers the mind.
He willingly died on the Cross to pay the price for OUR sin, so that HIS death becomes our death and His burial becomes our burial, and as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might be raised and walk in newness of life.
He CHOSE to be born as a perfect Man and live a sinless life, so that as His spiritual offspring - who might be born into this world thousands of years later, would be identified with His death - would be baptised into His DEATH.
The reason we are baptised into His DEATH is so that we could also be baptised into His LIFE.
Christ was RAISED through the glory of the Father, so that we, His spiritual children, might also live in newness of life, and not have to live by the letter of the law.
In reality, there are two ways to be saved!! 1) Keep the letter of the LAW perfectly, which is impossible for fallen man, or 2) Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ so that HIS death becomes our death, His burial becomes our burial, and His resurrected life becomes our new resurrected life.
WHY should the eternal Son of God, become a Man and live a sinless life, only to be despised, rejected, falsely accused, and nailed to a cross to pay the price for MY sin and YOURS too?
Therefore, we have been buried with Him through baptism into His death, so that in the same way that Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of God the Father, so we too will be raised into eternal life and walk in newness of His life.
But they were so keen to demolish Christ's teaching and testimony, that they missed the heavenly Lord of life Who holds the keys of death and hell.
These religious rulers were so biased against the Lord Jesus that they condemned themselves to die in their sins, because they refused to recognise the truth... that they were from below, but Christ was from above and had the words of eternal life.
We are all born dead in trespasses and sins, but by faith we are given new life IN CHRIST and made a new creation in HIM.
Fellowship in the life of a believer should be both vertical and horizontal.
However, we are surrounded on every side by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, and Christians that choose to forsake joining together with other believers in Christian fellowship (as the Body of Christ), isolate themselves from the encouragement, exhortation, correction, and reproof of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
Jesus' death was only six months away and His pleading cry was for all to believe on Him, for in so doing, their thirsty souls would be satisfied eternally through this gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, welling up within unto eternal life, and they would be used of God to draw others into His arms of forgiveness.
His cry to lost sinners to come and drink and be filled with Himself still stands fast today, for as the Scriptures have said: Whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life, and out of his inner being will flow rivers of living water.
All the writings of the apostle John are pointing us to Jesus so that we may believe on His name and know that we have life, wonderful life, the life of Christ within us, the Spirit of life indwelling us, abundant life, eternal life.
Since Christ received a resurrection body, we too will receive a resurrection body, and John wants this knowledge to be fixed in our heart so that as a believer you may KNOW that ye have eternal life.
In like manner, the priests were to give a tenth of the Temple offerings back to the Lord, using the remaining ninth part of the tithe for their daily needs and the necessities of life.
How important to realise that everything in the old order was pointing us to Christ and the new order; the new birth into a new creation, with the life we enjoy in Christ and our new position in Him.
Over the years, Eliezer had witnessed Abraham's faith in God and seen the Lord working in his master's life.
And like his master, this servant was a man who learned the importance of trusting God in every circumstance of life, and seeking Him in prayer.
The Lord had foreordained the union of Isaac and Rebekah, before the world began, but Abraham and Isaac, as well as the servant and the girl, had learned the lessons in life that caused them to be willing participants in carrying out the will of God.
He would be tempted like we are... but would live a perfect, sinless life and willingly die a sacrificial death.
He would freely give His lifeblood as the ransom price for the sin of the whole world - so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
This condensed book of Titus is simply a short, sharp, brisk message on salvation - but it is an important one, because it instructs us on how to deal with life.
Indeed Paul reminds us that before we were saved by grace through faith in Christ we spent our life in malice, envy, bitterness and hatred towards one another... and also towards God - for unsaved man is self-centred, self-deluded, self-important and lacking spiritual discernment..
He became our sin-sacrifice, our scapegoat, our crucified Saviour so that we could be forgiven of all our sins and raised up together with Him into newness of life.
He came as the Word made flesh, the Light of the world, the Bread of life, God's sacrificial Lamb, and Saviour of all: You believe in God, Christ taught them, believe also in ME!
While the first man sinned and brought death and destruction into the world, the last Man was to bring back righteousness and restore life to the children of men.
Trusting in the power of God and His faithfulness towards His people, together with a dedicated prayer life, is often the process God uses in forwarding His own plans and purposes for the redemption of His people.
Peter was one who had himself followed the true Shepherd of Israel, and heard Christ proclaim, I am the good Shepherd, for He laid down His life for the sheep.
The way that Peter addressed his fellow elders, as he sought to equip those that came after him in proclaiming the gospel of grace, forwarding the cause of Christ, and feeding the flock of God, demonstrates true, Christian humility, and a life that is dedicated to equipping others to carry on the message of salvation by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord
He travels to and fro on the earth seeking whom he may devour, but we are called to resist him and to stand firm in the faith, knowing that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing similar kinds of persecution and pain, as together, we journey through life from the Cross to the Crown.
As we journey through life, we are to die to self and live for Christ.
We are to depend on Him through all the difficulties and dangers of life, for although the sufferings and trials of this temporal world are but for a moment, His glory in us is secured for eternity.
Paul knew that only the divine love of God that flows into our hearts from the indwelling life of Christ can effectively abound in godly love towards others.
He knew that only the new-life in Christ can be enabled by the Holy Spirit to approve those things that are good and excellent so that the man or woman of God may live a life of godly service that is sincere and blameless before the Lord.
Paul knew that only as we abide in Christ and He in us can we live as God intended all His children to live in total dependence upon Him - a good and excellent life that is without offence, blameless and holy before our God.
He is rejoicing in the wonderful promises that are founded on the blood of Christ – the gospel that removes all who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ from the condemnation of the Law, for the free gift of God is eternal life to all who believe on Christ.
Because of the glories of the wonderful gospel of Christ, where the life and light of salvation flows to all who believe, Paul rejoices to teach the good news of God's saving grace and to set out the truth of Scripture because he knew that it was only by God's grace that he himself had been saved.
The more one rejects the glories of the wonderful gospel of Christ, where the life and light of salvation flows to all who believe, the more hardened their hearts become, and the more the god of this age is able to blind their minds. Those that are perishing (whose eyes have been blinded by the god of this age), are perishing by their own freewill choice.
The living-spirit and life-soul of Adam was breathed into his lifeless, dusty frame, by the life-breath of the eternal Holy Spirit.
It is only when new-life is breathed into the lifeless spirit of a man, at the point of salvation, that the eternal barrier between God and man, which was erected at the fall, is removed.
It is only at the point of the 'new-birth', when the Holy Spirit of Life breathes the resurrected life of Christ into a sinner saved by grace through faith, that the human spirit is revived and spiritual death is changed into spiritual life.
Without the new-life of Christ being breathed into the one that is dead in their sins, the entire life of that man is lived out with no capacity for spiritual things.
It is marrow to the bones, honey to the taste, the wellspring of light, life, love, and hope.
Having faith in God is the fountain-head of all that is good – and it pleases our heavenly Father, for without faith it is impossible to please Him.Trusting the Lord with all of our heart is not only a positive and beneficial duty, but it negates the elements of fear and doubt, it holds us firm in life’s storms and stresses, and it replaces self-confidence with a trusting 'God-confidence.' Trusting the Lord with all our heart is to set aside one's own desires and imaginings to do His will.
How foolish to drink from the brackish waters of this world's broken cisterns when He floods our hearts and lives with the sparkling river of life.His ways and thoughts, wisdom, and knowledge are so far above our little ways, limited thoughts, and foolish imaginings, and yet so often we choose our own fleshly wisdom and scant understanding to direct our path.
There were times in Paul's experience that he was hard-pressed on every side, perplexed about many situations, and even in despair for his own life.
God allows all the troubles and tribulations of life to work together for good... to those that love the Lord and for the eternal glory of His holy name.
A message that will continue to be taught to a lost and dying world until Jesus comes in the clouds to take us to be with Himself - the gospel that proclaims that Christ died for the sin of the whole world ..that He rose again and is seated at the right hand of the Father, so that whosever believes on HIM will not perish but have everlasting life.
Christ was not only to build His Church during this dispensation of grace, but He was to give each born-again believer His own resurrected life: Which is Christ in You the hope of glory.
As members of the Body of Christ, let us remain faithful to the witness and testimony of the gospel of Christ Who said, I AM the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh to the Father, but by ME.
When, like the apostle Peter, we come face to face with a series of bizarre circumstances that seem to shatter our lives, we may not understand the reason for life's twists and turns but we can trust Him, knowing that His ways are perfect and His grace is sufficient.
Like the disciples on that night before the Cross, we may not be comfortable with the shock-horror that we witness or the unjust way that life seems to be unfolding.
We may not understand the spiritual significance of all that is happening in our life and the lives of those we care about, but we can trust our Heavenly Father for He is still in control.
Like Abraham, we were saved by faith, called out of the world, credited with God’s righteousness, promised an inheritance, and are travelling along the path of life towards the goal of our calling. We are now to live our life by faith – listening to His voice, trusting His Word, obeying His instructions, believing His promises to be unquestionably true.
From being a little shepherd boy on the Bethlehem hills, David demonstrated a life dedicated to the Lord.
Perhaps the Man Who sank into the deepest pit of destruction and Whose patient endurance eclipses all others is our Saviour, Jesus Christ Whose trust in His Father never failed, despite the cesspool of sin into which He willingly sank when crucified on a Roman cross so that we might be raised up from our pit of destruction into life immortal, by faith in Him.
There are many pressures in life that make us fearful, and all too often it is fear that causes man to seek to escape life's problems through ungodly means.
If anxiety or worry causes a man to be controlled or restricted by his circumstances, or if he seeks to escape the consequences of life's pressures by committing some sort of evil act, then that man sets a trap for himself.
Many passages in the Word of God give a believer encouragement and reassurances, but they often come in the form of contrasts; sinners and the saved, death and life, darkness and light, carnal and spiritual, unbelief and trust.
In every situation in which we find ourselves and in each life-problem we meet, we have irrefutable assurance in God's Word that He is able and willing to deliver those that trust in the name of His only begotten Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Remember, it is fear of man that spawns death and dis-ease BUT the one who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ honours the Father in heaven and brings life and release.
When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask Him to come and save the life of his slave. They came quickly to find the Lord, and earnestly implored Him to help this well-respected member of their community.
We can choose to live our life in spirit and truth, honour the Lord in all we do, and receive a reward, or we can deny the Lord Who bought us and suffer loss of reward at the Bema seat of Christ - eternally saved but suffering loss of reward.
Depending on the life we live, Christians can be faithful to our calling or we can dishonour the Lord Who bought us.
We can grow in grace as we abide in Christ, (and receive a reward) OR we can spend our Christian life in spiritual infancy as we ignore His Word and grieve the Holy Spirit, Who indwells us. (and suffer loss of reward at the judgement seat of Christ).
Since Christ had suffered in the flesh for him, Peter wanted to dedicate his life to his Lord no matter what cost or how unjust the suffering he himself had to face.
We who have been bought with the precious blood of Christ Jesus our Lord, should arm ourselves with the same courage and determination and to accept suffering in this life for the sake of our God and Saviour.
However, we can choose to live the spiritual life or walk the carnal way.
We can take the easy route in life and compromise the truth of the glorious gospel and indulge in worldly ways and ungodly alliances or we can take the path of purity and righteousness by eschewing all that is evil and bearing the reproach of Christ in our suffering and shame - for how can we continue to be slaves of sin when the Lord Jesus, Who died for us and rose again, has set us free from slavery to sin and broken its suffocating hold on our lives?
How important that we come to the realisation that all we have is in Christ and all we need for life and godliness is to be found in Him, alone. So many Christians today are searching for something outside of Christ..
having a form of godliness but denying the wisdom, the power, the glory and the majesty - but our hope, our life, our light and our truth is found in Christ and Christ alone.
In this passage, Paul encourages each one of us to remain in the place where God has put us, while seeking to live our life in humble obedience to the Word of God and to the greater glory of His holy name: For we were bought with a price.
We are to resist the idea that the externals of life contribute to our inner joy, godly contentment, spiritual growth, and His perfect peace in our heart.
Whether we perceive life's-circumstances to be good or ill, socially fair or socially unfair, just or unjust, easy or difficult, encouraging or humiliating, the issue is that we were bought with a price, and however good or bad we perceive our situation to be, we have been purchased by God Who has seen fit to put us where we are for a particular reason.
It has its fruit in a person that remain true to their heavenly calling, and it is manifested in a life of faithful obedience; a life that is lived to the glory of God; a life that faithfully fulfils its heavenly calling.
No matter what life-circumstances throw at us, we have a heavenly calling which is carried out in our earthly walk.
The answer to every question in life is Christ, for it is only in Him that we have true contentment and lasting joy.
On one hand, he acknowledged the faithfulness of God to finish the good work that He had started in his life and to fulfil all that He had promised to this man after God's own heart.
But David was also too easily swayed by the immediate circumstances of his life.
In his final words to this group of believers, Paul was challenging them to test themselves and examine their hearts and behaviours, to see if they were truly living the life of faith.
He explained that His whole life was to do the will of the Father and to carry it out in the power of the Spirit so as to please the Father, by only saying and doing the things that He heard from the Father.
Jesus finally summed up this important teaching that spelt out the clear message of His eternal deity before saying: Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My Word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.Jesus had simply explained the gospel that we read in John chapter 3: That whosoever believes on the Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus laid out this truth very emphatically by starting what He said with the words verily, verily: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
If we believe that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, then we have heard His Word, believed the Father Who sent Him, and are given eternal life, and will not come under judgment but have passed from death to life.
The urgent cry of help from this deeply distressed man at the beginning of this psalm, is a prayer from one who is overwhelmed by life's circumstances and the ongoing reproach of his enemies.
This unnamed psalmist felt that life was not only passing him by like a wisp of smoke, but that death was closing in on him.
He starts to contrast the temporal state of man's fleeting days and the ever-present difficulties and dangers of this transient life, with the ceaseless existence and permanence of the eternal God.
And by God's grace through faith in Him, we too have an assurance that no matter what troubles and trials we may face in this life, God will use them for our good and His eternal glory, for we are His children and the sheep of His pasture.
May we always consider this fleeing life in the wider context of eternity.
Living a good life, helping the poor, giving money to worthy causes, or spending our life performing philanthropic acts, cannot save us, nor can working in the mission field, attending church services, participating in feast days, or doing all manner of kind deeds.
We were conceived by parents who were themselves sinners and the most beautiful baby will eventually pay the wages of sin; for the end result of every life, is death.
Sin has to be punished, and no man is good enough to pay that price, so God gave His only begotten Son to be born into His own fallen creation so that He could live a perfect life and die a sacrificial death, as payment for the sin of the entire world.
The salvation we received is a free gift, which costs us nothing, yet it cost the Father the death of His beloved Son, and the price the Lord Jesus paid was His life.
We do not earn righteousness by works, but are imputed with His righteousness by faith, which takes us OUT OF Adam and the domain of sin and death, and places us INTO Christ and the realm of righteousness and life.
Sin cost the Father His Son and sin cost Christ His life.
Stephen's faith in Christ and his godly life did not exempt this man from the vicious darts of the enemy, nor did it prevent his apparently premature death.
By faith, we became One with Christ and identified with Him, such that His righteousness became our righteousness, His resurrected life became our eternal life, His heavenly inheritance became our glorious inheritance, which will never fade away, but is kept for us in heaven.
Although our baptism into Christ (our union with Him) takes place at one specific point in time, we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, day by day, and to walk in spirit and truth throughout our Christian life so that we may enjoy holy communion with our Heavenly Father and remain in sweet fellowship with Him as we obey His Word and follow His leading.
And Christ loved the Church so much that He willingly gave Himself up for her, and meekly offered His life as a ransom for many.
Jesus Christ died on the Cross for all mankind as humanity's representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice so that all who believe in Him might not perish but have everlasting life.
The unsaved man is without God and without hope in the world, but in Christ we have a living hope because our Saviour has breathed His life into our bodies - our new life in Christ.
Our new, born-again, eternal, glorious life is the very life of Christ Himself, and it is all by grace through faith in Him.
Let us live from the new, born-again life of Christ within, until we can say with Paul: It is not I that live, but Christ that lives in me.
Areas such as our new birth and the deity of Christ together with the subjects of our justification, sanctification, growing in grace, and our Christian development, are areas that both apostles taught in their writings, together with Christ's sinless life and His eternal power.
Earlier in his epistle, Paul systematically set out every doctrinal truth that relates to our salvation and living a god-honouring, Christian life, and as he begins to draw his letter to a close, he warns us: The night is almost gone, and the day is near, therefore, we are encouraged, lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light.
The present time in which we live is like a dark night of sin in a broken world of problems and pain, but as His children we are to live our life in moral purity and godly kindness, and be alert to the soon return of Christ for His people.
Putting on the armour of light and living a godly life that honours the Lord, should be the daily activity of every believer, especially as we see the day of His return drawing ever closer.
We want to be those that are living by faith, carrying out His will in our lives, and living a life that is honouring to God as we lay aside every deed of darkness and any activity that discredits His name.
Praise God that we have been given ALL we need for life and godliness.
Paul knew that his faith was not vain, and was able to confess that he knew the One in Whom he trusted, and was persuaded that God was able to finish the good work He had started in His servant's life.
May we give encouragement to the saints and be a faithful servant of our heavenly Lord in our own sphere of life, and may we honour Him in the lives we live as did the testimony of these three men in their various ministries; Paul the apostle, Timothy the pastor, and Onesiphorus, the 'Bringer of Help'.
It is the inner man that is dry, and fearful, and unable to flee from the pressures of life that pursue us unrelentingly, that discerns their need of God.
He is the fountain of life and He is the well-spring of satisfaction for the weary soul.
And without the water of life, that streams into our hearts from above, and provides health and healing for the whole man, we too would be nothing more than a spiritual corpse that is left exposed and naked, with nowhere to hide.
And so they concluded their song by praising God in the knowledge that He would deliver them from all that would harm them, and provide all they needed for life and godliness.
Unless overshadowed by the Lord our God and refreshed and revived from His living water, we too would find ourselves spent by the heat of life’s difficulties and exhausted from the enemy’s unbroken onslaught - because we live in a Christ-rejecting, sinful world.
And in His grace, He finally sent His only begotten Son into the world as the sacrifice for sin, so that ALL who believe on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
He explained in his gospel how sinners might be saved, God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. He who BELIEVES is not condemned.
The life of Jesus was the demonstration of a Man Who lived His life in a spirit of dependant humility, goodness, and grace, Who would not compromise the good news of the gospel of God, but spoke the truth in goodness and love.
As sins are confessed and as we seek only to follow in the steps of our prayerful Saviour with joyful praise, grateful thanks, continuous fellowship, and powerful intercessions, we will learn how to pray in spirit and truth and so develop a prayer life that is both effective and honouring to our Father.
When a Christian desires to pray: LORD, teach ME to pray, he needs only to look to Jesus Who demonstrated throughout His entire life what it really means to PRAY.
And God wants each of His own of His children to rejoice in this wonderful truth; that we can all enjoy a personal and intimate relationship with Him, every day of our life.
As the apostle Peter neared the end of his life, he taught about the coming 'Day of the Lord' and warned the little flock of Christ that in the last days, mocking men would ridicule the truth of Christ's return demonstrating their ignorance of the God's Word, and their foolish assumptions that things are going to continue on ad infinitum.
Let us share the life saving news of salvation to all we meet; let us love one another as Christ loved us; let all we do in the days we have left on this earth be to the glory of God.
It was after David had pleaded with the Lord to keep him as the apple of His eye, protect him under the shadow of His wing, save his life from the onslaught of the enemies, and vindicate him from the accusations of his adversaries, that he compared the final outcome of these proud, prosperous people with his own glorious future.
David realised that these deadly men of the world, who were so keen to rip him asunder, as a lion devours its prey, have received their entire portion during this earthly life.
They may have filled their pockets with all the good things of this would, all of which are provided from above, YET their reward is only for this short life.
It is only by grace through faith, that we have been called out of the darkness of sin and death into the marvellous light of His righteousness and life.
To walk in the light means to live in accordance with His perfect life and character.
He pardons all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from the pit, and by grace has crowned us with lovingkindness, tender mercies, and great goodness.
The very God of gods, Who is eternal in substance and holy in nature, leads us beside still waters, and provides the refreshment we need - spirit, soul, and body, as we travel through life.
so that through Him, we may run the race of life and not be weary, we may walk in storms of difficulty and danger and not faint.
Let us never fail to bless the Lord with our whole being, and not forget all His benefits - for He pardons all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from the pit, crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion, and satisfies our years with good things.
Other eldership qualities in Paul's list include being gentle in disposition, gracious in demeanour, and living a life that is a good testimony to Christ, and one that honours His name.
Paul is making a valid point that appropriate management in a man's home-life, is likely to translate into expedient leadership within the body of Christ.
Keep My commandments and the directives I am giving you, so that you will live a godly and righteous life.
Although in later life, Solomon strayed from his father's wise instructions, it is obvious that he had a great deal of insight into the true meaning of life and the best way to live - and many of his wise words are found in the book of Proverbs.
A heart of peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. - Proverbs 14:30.
God is Spirit and in order to be identified with man and take on the role of Kinsman-Redeemer He had to enter the human race in a physical body and live His entire life in exactly the same way that we live:- living, breathing, eating, sleeping, working..
with His own life-blood pulsing round His human frame and subjected to every trial and temptation that is common to all humanity.
Christ's whole life from start to finish was an education on how man should live his life the way God expects man to live.
He had to learn how to resist the many and diverse temptations that we all are faced with in this life.
To live as God created man to live is to remain entirely dependent upon God as sole Provider and great Protector - and Christ lived His life this way, by obeying God's every Word and carrying out His every Will in thought word and deed - for although He was the eternal Son, Jesus learned how to be obedient to God's Word and Will - and He learned this through the things that He suffered.
God in the Person of Jesus Christ chose to be born into the race that He Himself had created, so the He could live His life exactly as God created men to live.
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
And John told us that we receive this gift by grace through faith so that all who believe in Jesus would not perish but have everlasting life.
John pointed people to the Lord Jesus, for Christ Himself was sent to bear heavenly witness of the invisible God Who loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
Believing in the existence of Jesus does not result in eternal life, for the historical evidence of His existence (in both sacred and secular writings) is irrefutable.
Eternal life is only received by believing that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and that salvation is a gracious gift of God.
Eternal life is only received by faith in His cruel death and His glorious Resurrection.
God has given Christ the power and authority to bestow everlasting life on all who trust in Him for their salvation and it is granted simply by believing on Him: For He who believes in the Son has eternal life.
But the chilling words that follow warn us that whoever chooses to reject the clear teaching of the gospel of grace, will experience shocking and eternal consequences: For he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
Life is in the Son, and He who has the Son has life and there is no condemnation to those that have placed their faith in Him.
Christ's clear command to all sinners is to believe His heavenly testimony: For whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life, and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
For this is the work of God as well as the command of God to all who are dead in their trespasses and sins: Believe in Him Whom He has sent, believe in Christ's finished work for the forgiveness sins and life everlasting.
We need to understand that the sin nature remains with us until our life on earth is ended - but the blood of Christ has given us victory over the functioning power of the sin nature within our life.
The unsaved sinner is permanently 'plugged into' the old sin nature, which is the only power behind the functioning of the life of every unbeliever.
At rebirth, Christ's work on the Cross permanently severed the power that flowed from the old sin nature into the life of the new believer.
However, the old sin nature is still there, and the believer has the free-will to plug himself back under the power of the old sin nature which causes our thoughts and actions to be influenced by the world, the flesh, and the devil, instead of the new life in Christ.
The power working in a believer either comes from the old sin nature or the new life in Christ.
But the Author of life and Fountain of all grace, has filled our hearts with the True Light of the world; the Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Son of Righteousness and 'the Bright and Morning Star'.
When the heart of a sinner is ignited in the gospel of Christ, God works His wonderful regenerative work in that life, and a blacked, sin-sick soul, is illuminated with knowledge of the Light that shines out of darkness.
The Lord Jesus Christ, is our dazzling and eternal Day-Star and He is the Light of life, in Whom we have received forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The glorious love of God has been poured into the very person of Christ, for He is the exact representation of the invisible God, Who not only reflects the beauties of the Lord, but is Himself the Source of all light, the Fountain of all life, and the bottomless Reservoir of all love.
Having been saved by grace through faith on that epic journey... his entire outlook on life and his understanding of the Law was radically changed.
Indeed, Paul began to realise that the Law not only exposes the sinfulness of man's fallen nature and makes us aware that we need a saviour... but it indirectly points us to Christ, the one and only God-Man Who fulfilled the Law perfectly and sacrificed His life for the sin of the world - to the glory of God and for our eternal redemption.
Romans chapter 7 is the preeminent chapter that explains the Christian's relationship to sin... and the place of the Law in the life of a believer.
In this chapter, Paul explained his own personal frustration that although his desire was to do good and obey God, to be perfect, to live a holy life, and to fulfil the Law, he discovered that fallen man is incapable of doing good and obeying God.
Paul discovered the answer to living a godly life was found in Jesus Christ Whose grace is sufficient... for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
but His priorities throughout His life placed obedience to His heavenly Father's Will and Word as the highest priority in His life - as it should be for all of God's blood-bought children.
Although He was fully God and was well within His right and ability to turn stones to bread... to do so would have been to act independently of God, just as Adam acted independently of the Lord in the garden of Eden - and to do so would have disqualified Him from the plans and purposes of God, which was to live His life in total dependance on His heavenly Father.
Jesus lived His life as fully man..
Obedience to the Word and Will of God, by not seeking to act independently of Him in every area of life, no matter how pressing the need or how legitimate the activity..
Trusting Him in every eventuality of life, however pressing the need..
Let us, therefore, encourage one another and seek to build each other up in our most holy faith, praying in the power of the Holy Spirit, as we wait for the any day appearance of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ Who has given us eternal life, by grace through faith in Him.
Scripture alone has the word of life and light, of hope and salvation.
We have been adequately furnished to live our life as God intended man to live from the beginning - in total dependence upon Him and not reliant on self- merit or works of the flesh.
They believe many of the facts that surround His life and consider Him to be a good man and one of the finest moral teachers ever to have lived.
When belief in the historical Jesus becomes faith in the person and work of Christ as Son of God and Son of Man, He is removed from being an unapproachable historical figure to a very present personal Saviour Who loves us and gave His life for us.
When He moves into our life, He becomes a very part of us.
When Christ moved within to become our personal Saviour, He provided life - true life - eternal life - life more abundantly, for His is the Bread of Life and the Water of Life.
He is that eternal well of water within, that springs up into everlasting life.
And He calls to all who are thirsty to come and drink at His fountain of life.
And some of the very last words Jesus speaks in the book of Revelation repeat this blessed truth about living water: The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, take the water of life without cost.
We are not only credited with righteousness by faith in God's Word, but we are to LIVE our life by faith: The righteous will live by his faith.
Eternal life is a free gift to ALL who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and once we have been covered in Christ's righteousness we are called to LIVE the rest of our life BY FAITH.
May we have that assurance that eternal life is already ours, because we have been justified by faith, and having been justified, by faith, may we LIVE by faith as we trust in Him to supply all our needs, day by day.
Our salvation depends entirely on Christ’s worthiness, and the work that He carried out on Calvary’s Cross, when He offered up His sinless life to pay the price for our sin, freeing us from the guilt of sin and the penalty of sin – and breaking the suffocating power of sin in our lives.And all that humanity has to do to receive this eternal gift of salvation is to believe in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of the Father.
No matter what we may be called upon to suffer in this transitory life, we KNOW that God is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear, but will make a way of escape so that we may be able to bear it.
Christ's glorious Resurrection made us a new creation in Christ and gave us His indwelling life (in the Person of the Holy Spirit).
This new-life in Christ saves us from the power of sin.
It clothes us in His righteousness so that by grace through faith, He may live His life through us until it is not I that live, but Christ living in me.
His life was a testimony that delighted to do the will of the Father, for God's Law was treasured in His heart.
But however glorious our salvation and privileged our service, our calling first and foremost is to worship at His feet, to delight to do His will, to treasure His Word in our hearts, and to remain in the centre of His will for the rest of our life.
Today God is working through the Church, which is the Body of Christ, but He is ready and able to use any of his people who are willing to die to self and live their life for His praise and glory.
The world at large and man, in particular, has for thousands of years been on a desperate search for meaning in life – for love and health, for peace and prosperity, for youth and beauty, and for a perfect dwelling place of eternal bliss and over-abounding happiness.
Each one longs to escape the pain, suffering, and disappointments that are the inevitable product of a fallen race living in a cursed creation - separated from their Creator.Man was made in the image of God, Whose perfect character and eternal attributes encompass all that man desires and needs, but the world in general, and man in particular, is separated from the one source that gives meaning to this life, and in the eternal ages to come... life everlasting.
The only salvation that can bring the world in general, and sinners in particular, back into fellowship with the only source of life, light, love, and peace, is found in the one name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved – the Lord Jesus Christ.
They long for eternal life and never-ending beauty but refuse to acknowledge their sinfulness and need of salvation.
They knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and that in Him were the words of eternal life, and light, and truth, and love.
They have built a range of false illusions which they suppose will bring meaning to life, but all are empty vessels.
Because physical impurity can often be reflected in a sexually transmitted disease of the body... it is sobering to realise that spiritual impurity is likely to be evident in the shipwrecked life of a carnally-minded believer.
But as the time for his departure drew ever closer, Moses once again ratified the terms of God's covenant with these words: I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.
So choose life in order that you may LIVE.
The same choice between life and death (the blessing and the curse), is extended to all people, and although the specific terms of the Law of Moses applied to Israel alone, we are all born dead in trespasses and sins, and we are all placed under the curse of the Law.
It was only by grace that God selected Israel to be His chosen people, and it is only by grace that the choice between life and death continues to be extended to all people because Christ took the punishment that the Law required on our behalf.
The choice of life and death is still on offer today, and all who will turn to Christ and trust Him as Saviour choose LIFE.
The choice between life and death is still on offer today, but the one that rejects the free gift of salvation chooses DEATH through their own volition.
Those who choose death bring upon themselves the curse of the Law, as well as everlasting separation from the God Who loved them so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in HIM would not be cursed, and punished, and condemned, and perish, but have everlasting life.
The sacrificial death of Christ paid the penalty for our sin, but His glorious Resurrection broke the power of sin and death in our lives, for we were made a new creation in Christ and given a new life in Him.
By His grace we were given His indwelling, holy life, in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
The first Adam lost dominion over the earth which was entrusted to him when he sought to be independent of God and sinned, but Christ lived His life in total dependence upon the Father and learned obedience through the things that He suffered.
He died to pay the price for our sins but He rose again to give us His life - eternal life and life more abundantly.
The facts of the Christian life are so simple that a little child can understand the good news of the gospel of grace, which is set out in Scripture.
He lived a sinless life and died willingly on the Cross to pay the price of the sins of humanity so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
But as one traces the life of this famous and fabulously wealthy king through Scripture, we discover that he did not always make the best choices in his own life, as king of Israel.
During his life, Solomon used his position, power, and prosperity, in an effort to discover the meaning of life.
However, the resounding result of his in-depth lifelong search into the mysteries of life, which was recorded in the little book of Ecclesiastes, was that without God, everything in life was meaningless.
In his search for meaning and truth, Solomon often adopted a human mindset and explored the meaning of life using the world's frame of reference, rather than a heavenly one.
He concluded that the pursuit of politics and religiosity are vain and valueless, and that the cycle of life and death is unaffected by a man's position, power, prosperity, or poverty, for all are destined to die.
He even considered that being dishonoured in life was better than being celebrated after death - suggesting that he would rather be a living dog than a dead lion!!!
Based on his own, personal perspective, Solomon lamented the many injustices in life, and bitterly complained that it is not always the swiftest runner that wins a race, nor the strongest army that triumphs on the battlefield.
However, because he often excluded God from his research and looked at things from a human perspective, he concluded that life was empty and meaningless, and in this verse he compares human injustices with a little fish caught in a treacherous net - or a bird entrapped in some hidden snare.
In one part of his extensive research, Solomon likened a little fish caught in a net, or a pathetic creature captured in a snare, with lost humanity, whom he described as being, helplessly entangled in an evil time. While Solomon observed that we can all be caught up in life's injustices, and that time and tide wait for no man, we recognise that he foolishly excluded God from his dialogue.
Throughout most of his discouraging dialogue, Solomon demonstrated that human effort is futile and that nothing in this life has any permanence or lasting security.
The entire book of Ecclesiastes appears to cover how the injustices and disadvantages of life are common to all people, and that no one escapes the final consequences of being born into the human race - i.e.
The important lesson of Ecclesiastes is that no amount of learning, experience, wealth, privilege, or power, can compare with the secure position we have in Christ - but that when wisdom, skill, prosperity, and power, are under God's sovereign influence and subject to His control, then life has meaning.
May we take to heart this compelling message of Ecclesiastes - that life is meaningless without the Lord sitting on the throne of our lives, but when God is put in His rightful position in our heart, then we are kept by His almighty power.
Our power does not come from our own clever conversation or witty words, but is evidenced in the man or woman who lives in full dependence upon God... and relies on Him for His sufficient strength and godly wisdom - to guide them through life towards their spiritual home.
Down through the centuries, the normal Christian life has been one of intense persecution, pain, rejection, ridicule, subjugation, and death.
Timothy, like us all, needed to be reminded that we have the permanently indwelling Holy Spirit of God Who has gifted us and empowered us with all that we need for life and godliness, no matter how difficult or dangerous life in this world may become.
We all need power in our lives, but true strength does not come from relying on our own capabilities but on Christ Who has promised that His grace is sufficient for all the difficulties and dangers of life we may have to face.
But it also means that we are to be raised to newness of life (the new, born-again life in Christ).
We are to keep the old 'ME' nailed to the Cross and allow the new 'ME' (the new life in Christ) to abide in Him, rest in Him, be nourished by Him, and depend upon Him in all things.
By grace through faith, we have put off the old Adamic self and put on the new life in Christ, for having been baptised into Christ's body and becoming a new creation in Him, we are to remember that we have also been baptised into His death.
They were about to face the most traumatic few hours in the history of the universe, when the Son of God and Son of Man willingly spread wide His arms of love to embrace whosoever will with His everlasting forgiveness, and crown all who would believe on His name with His gift of life eternal - His own, righteous Life in exchange for our sad, sinful lives.
For 3 years, Jesus had taught His followers that He alone is the way to the Father, His Word is true, and in Him is eternal life.
He has promised to keep our life from all harm and danger, to protect our minds from discouragement and despair, and to safeguard our hearts with His perfect peace.
However, despite being redeemed from Egyptian bondage on Passover night and escaping through the Red Sea which God miraculously opened up as they fled from the pursuing Egyptian army, they lived a defeated life in the wilderness instead of a victorious one in the Promised Land.
As blood-bought children of God we must avoid the many mistakes Israel made and be careful not to fall into apostasy, doubt God's Word, or live a defeated life due to lack of faith.
There is much we can learn about living a life that is honouring to the Lord.
Throughout life, every-man gropes pathetically to become 'master of his own destiny'.
Each soul seeks some hidden wisdom or spiritual illumination that would bring in its wake light and life, salvation and peace, fulfilment, love, and hope.
God has set out His unique way of life and salvation, peace, fulfilment, love, and hope, in His Word of Truth.
None other than God could have loved fallen humanity so deeply as to send His only begotten Son to become that true, life-giving LIGHT to all who will believe on His name.
Isaiah penned the life-changing words that have brought such comfort and hope to a world in darkness and distress: The people that walk about in darkness see a great light.
He came as the Light of the world, the life-giving Light of men, the bright Light that shines in the darkness.
God has promised in His Word to be an ever-present help in times of trouble and to work all circumstances of life together for the good of those that love Him with all their heart, fit in with His plan, and do not lean on their own understanding.
Paul is setting out the only two options for life that are given to believers.
and they depend entirely upon which of the two paths we choose to take in our Christian life.
Paul explains that there is a principle of life for every one of us.
We are either a slave to sin, under the authority and rule of sin in which case we obey sin in our everyday life..
Whoever we choose to obey in our everyday life is our master and we have two options - Sin or Obedience.
Having set out this important life-principle Paul finally explains the reason for his forceful emphasis - having been freed from sin, by grace through faith in Christ we became salves of righteousness.
And having been freed from sin, we became slaves of righteousness - and our duty to our heavenly Redeemer is to be obedient servants under God's perfect rule of righteousness - BUT during the rest of our life on earth..
Throughout His earthly life He walked in spirit and truth, in-dwelt by the Holy Ghost, only saying and doing only those things that He heard from His Father in heaven.
Throughout His earthly life, Christ's face was set as a flint to His eternal destiny, and the Cross drew ever closer.
The first creation IN-ADAM had failed through sin, but the second creation IN-CHRIST was to be brought into being through the life, death, and Resurrection of God's only begotten Son.
And as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted the perfect Son of Man to have life in Himself too.
In Him therefore was LIFE and that life was to be imputed to ALL who would trust in His name for salvation.
This new-LIFE-in Christ was to be breathed into all who would believe in Jesus as their Saviour.
And in the same way that the living God sent the eternal Son into the world to live a life of total dependence upon His Heavenly Father, we too are sent into the world by Jesus to live a life of total dependence upon HIM, by faith, and through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
When the Lord spoke of eating His flesh and drinking His blood to the unbelieving scribes and hypocritical Pharisees in this passage, He was pointing them to the Cross, where His body was soon to be broken for them and His life blood was soon to be poured out so that whosoever believes in HIM by faith might be saved and LIVE: For whoever eats of Christ's broken body and drinks of His shed blood by faith, is saved, placed IN-Christ, and abides in Him forever, and He is us.
When the sacrificial offering of Christ on the Cross is believed by faith, His resurrected life is imparted to ALL who trust in Him as their substitute for sin, which is why the Lord Jesus said, As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats Me, will also live because of Me.
The wages of sin may be death, but the gift of God is eternal life to all who trust in His substitutionary death and glorious Resurrection: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
His life imputed within, is one of the many things that takes place in the life of a Christian the moment he trusts in Christ as Saviour.
We have been bought with a price and received the life of Christ, but too often we allow the old sin nature to surface in our lives, and Paul warns that allowing sin to take control in our hearts rather than the new life in Christ, causes the indwelling Spirit (Who has sealed us unto the day of redemption), to be grieved and distressed.
However, from verse 17, the author introduces the theme of faith that is tested through life's trials and tribulations and the blessings that come through faithful obedience to the Word of the Lord.
Isaac was to be a picture of the only begotten Son of God Who would die as a sacrifice for the sin of the world and be raised to life on the third day.
By obeying God's instructions, Abraham effectively received his son back from the dead when he was halted at the last moment, and serves as a great example of a man of faith who believed God and lived his life by faith.
Indeed, young people in general are more likely to respect and respond to a pastor who lives out his Christian life with probity at home and in the wider community, rather than the one whose daily actions do not correspond with his Sunday teachings.
He is reminding him to demonstrate appropriate Christian behaviour in his own life, so that the instruction he offers to every group of believers, both young and older, will inspire them all towards a sanctified life that honours the Lord Jesus.
Every area of life should be impacted by the purifying effect of a leader's life that is established on the gospel of Christ.
He should so conduct himself: That any opponent would be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. Speech that is honest and true does not simply refer to the words we say, but to the doctrine that is taught, and Titus was being encouraged to preach the pure Word of truth, and translate it into everyday life, for the God-breathed Scriptures are living and powerful.
When instructing Titus on the importance of teaching young men self-control in every area of life, Paul used a two-pronged approach; sound doctrine combined with a godly example.
It is not sufficient to be doctrinally sound while living an unsanctified life.
Paul may have been instructing Titus on his pastoral role and the importance of sound teaching and a sanctified life, but his wise words need to resonate in the ears of all of God's people, and be translated into daily action if we are to be used in His service and bring praise to His name.
We are told that these three, spiritual fruit of God’s amazing grace will continue and will remain and abide into the eternal state - faith, hope, and love.In this earthly life, faith must remain a high priority.
Both faith and hope are a beautiful manifestation of the love of God in the life of a believer, because we live by faith and not by sight; and we live in hope of our promised, eternal state...for we live in incorruptible bodies.
When heaven is reached, the faith and hope we exercised in this life will be brought to a beautiful completion.
And it is by reflecting His love that we are to resemble the Lord – for God is Love and the love of God is broader than the span of our greatest imaginations, and the fondness of our Father towards us goes beyond our wildest dreams.But this life is the first step into an eternity of love with God; the love of God and our love for God, and these three graces of faith, hope and love must of necessity all continue beyond this mortal sphere, for the attributes of God are incomparable in their beauty, His perfections are unlimited in their number, His excellence is everlasting in its duration and splendour is absolute in its span.We, who have been saved by grace are to enter into the glories of the celestial sphere and our understanding and knowledge of God must continue throughout the ages to come.
Because unsaved man is enslaved to sin and Satan, death and hell... he is freed from any association with goodness and grace, life and hope.
Freedom from righteousness is futile and fruitless, but it is the eternal state in which the unsaved sinner will find himself, through time and into eternity, unless he turns from his sin to Christ, and trusts in His redeeming work on the Cross - for the forgiveness of his sins and life everlasting.
Sound doctrine is life and light to him who believes.
It is the truth of God and the way to God and is unambiguously linked to faith in Christ's death, burial and Resurrection as the only acceptable sacrifice for the forgiveness for sins and life everlasting.
May we be ready to fight the good fight of faith and take hold of the eternal life to which each of us have been called.
Jesus is the living Bread, Who not only has Life in Himself but is the giver of Life and Who gave His Life as a ransom for many.
Jesus is the Bread of Life, in Whom is life-everlasting, because He is the eternal God of all gods, Light of all lights, and Life of all life.
Jesus is the divine Bread from heaven Who came to earth in the likeness of sinful man, in order to give His sinless life as the ransom price for the sin of the world, for in Him alone is abundant, eternal life for those who trust in His name.
He is the true life-Giver, and the only life-Sustainer, and all who believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God receive His life within.
His precious blood not only covered the scarlet sins and shocking shame that separated us for ever from a holy and righteous God, but His very life became the propitiation for our sins so that in Christ our sins are forgiven forever, and have been removed as far as the east is from the west.
Nor could they disconnect the idea that a drink, which cleanses and refreshes the human body could spiritually be seen as the Blood of Christ, which cleanses us from all sin and which becomes a spring of living water, welling up into eternal life for all who will believe on His Name.
But when we who have trusted Jesus as our Saviour recognise the enormity of this truth, we come to realise that the more we eat, ingest, imbibe, and drink of Christ Jesus our living Redeemer, the more He comes to dwell in our heart by faith and live His life in us, as an abiding reality.
Every Church-age believer has been cleansed of their sins, clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and consecrated to God, because Jesus became our substitutionary sacrifice for sin and breathed into us His own perfect, abundant, and eternal life.
Even though we were in the pitiable state of death because of our sins, He gave us life in Christ.
Our present condition is irredeemable for a fallen creature can never change, but when He raised Christ from the dead, God exchanged our old life in Adam for our new life in Christ.
When HE died, WE died, and when Christ was risen, we too were raised from our state of death into newness of life.
But we have not been raised to newness of life for no purpose.
These actions and works can only be carried out through our new abundant life in Christ, which is to be governed and guided by the Holy Spirit working in and through us, so that the works that I do are not of me (my old self), but my new nature in Him.
Daniel means 'God is my Judge' in the Hebrew language, while his new Babylonian name was Belteshazzar which means 'Protect the Life of the King' OR 'Bel's Prince'. 'BEL' was the name of one of the Babylonian gods, and it is evident that a new name would provide a new identity, with a very different focus. This move was designed to remove all traces of Hebrew roots from the mind and memory of these young noblemen, and replace it with Babylonian philosophy.
Our mortal bodies are made from the dust of the earth and for the duration of our earthly life we live in frail, feeble, perishing bodies, which are decaying and dying.
It is through faith in Christ Jesus that we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the incomparable greatness of the power within, will come from God and not from ourselves.The new, eternal life of the resurrected Lord Jesus was breathed into our bodies, which were dead in trespasses and sins.
And the Holy Spirit of God took up permanent residence within our weak, mortal frames, from the moment we trusted Christ Jesus, for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
The almighty Creator, Who caused light to shine out of darkness, is the One Who has shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ – so that His life may dwell in us and His love may shine into our hearts, so that we may be made ministers of His grace and show forth the excellency of His power to those that remain dead in their trespasses and sins.There is no merit in us that we should be so honoured, as the contrast between our frail, feeble, perishing bodies and His divine strength and eternal light demonstrates – but by His goodness and grace, this heavenly treasure has been placed in earthen vessels - our human body, which is Christ in us the hope of glory, so that the excellency of that power may be shown forth in our lives.We are the earthen vessels into which the glorious truth of the gospel of God has been poured, causing our mortal bodies to become the temple of the Holy Spirit, Who uses this gospel light to guide us into all truth and as we proclaim the glorious gospel of grace to others.
Many long years passed, and the Lord was silent in his love towards this man of God, and Abraham may have thought that this happy state of affairs would continue on - but his life was soon to be shattered by the next communication he received from the Lord, for we discover in the following verses, that God instructed him to, Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.
In His grace, God has promised those who remain faithful in trials and tribulations, will one day receive a crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
God desires that ALL His children grow in grace, mature in their Christian life, and come into a deeper and more intimate knowledge of His character and His will.
The full council of God, the deity of Christ, sound doctrine, the non-negotiable truth, the coming judgement, Christ as the one and only way to God, and repentance of sin, have been replaced with extra-biblical revelation, religious talk-shows, dreams and visions, ungodly worship, transcendental meditation, a desire for some self-induced emotional experiences, and a happy, prosperous life now.
Death to self, persevering in prayer, identification with Christ's suffering, and a life of sacrifice for the glory of God, has been replaced with enjoying your best life now, living for self, and making great spiritual proclamations and positive confessions (where self-incited 'faith' becomes a force that creates one's own reality, or commands God to carry out everything that you speak forth!!) This is not biblical Christianity.
He was destined to live a perfect life in fulfilment of the Law.
It was predetermined that He would die a sacrificial death, so that whoever believes on Him, (both Jew or Gentile), would not perish but have everlasting life.
Being justified by faith is the first step on a journey through life where the redeemed are also called to live their daily life by faith and not by deeds of the law.
Justification is not the final destination in our 'so-great-salvation' but the first step into a life where we are called to live by faith so that the life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
He gave us one commandment – a new commandment – a commandment that incorporates every other godly command and gracious act – the only command upon which the spiritual life of a believer must be founded: A new command I give you, Love one another as I have loved you, so love you one another.
The Lord wanted his disciples to recognise the futility of worry and fretting over the essentials of life, like food, clothing, and shelter.
They had come to an understanding that Christ was the Son of the living God, in Whom are the words of eternal life, and had obviously placed a certain amount of faith in God for their eternal future, and Jesus wanted that faith to extend to all things.
The disciples only needed to have a little faith in Christ as their Redeemer to secure their salvation; the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
By saying that Solomon in all his glory and greatness was not dressed as beautifully as the simple little insignificant wayside flower, was not intended to suggest that God did not care for Solomon - but indicated that our heavenly Father provides for absolutely ALL the needs and necessities of life. If God takes such care to clothe an insignificant little wild lily, growing at the side of the road – how foolish to allow anxious thoughts to flood our minds.
The lost sinner is saved by grace through faith in Christ, but once that man or woman has been redeemed from the kingdom of Satan, and transferred into the kingdom of Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that believer is expected to continue living his or her life by faith.
Not only did the apostle John write his epistle, so that believers may know without a shadow of a doubt, that we have eternal life in Christ Jesus, but in this verse, he wants to establish our assured confidence in the privilege of prayer, the power of prayer, and the preciousness of prayer, THIS is the confidence we have before Him, John writes, THIS is our confidence, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
The security of our salvation and the assurance of everlasting life, is founded on the unchangeable Word of God and His unchanging character.
God is no respecter of persons and all believers have been given the same opportunity to walk in newness of life and allow Christ to be formed in us.
Christ not only did this by dying on the Cross for us and taking the punishment that we justly deserve on His own, sinless shoulders, but He also did it by living the sinless life that we are unable to life.
And those who are in-Christ, are not only identified with His death, but also identified with His life.
Jesus was required to live the perfect life in our stead so that by faith in Him, His death became our death and His life became our life so that His righteousness could be imputed to us.
Jesus submitted His whole life to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and depended on God by faith, all for you and for me.
Jesus prayed, Not My will but Thine be done, every day of His life so that after His death, burial, and Resurrection, His life could become our life, just as His death became our death.
He gave His life a ransom for many and in so doing became our Kinsman-Redeemer.
The Lord Jesus is that unblemished and spotless Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world and gives us spiritual life in return for spiritual death.
He willingly identified Himself with our sin and voluntarily offered up His own sinless life in our place - as of an innocent little lamb.
In order for believers to be united together in love, joy, peace, and harmony, we are to let the mind of Christ dwell in us richly and to display the same beautiful disposition that Jesus displayed in His earthly life.
He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world so that all who believe on His name would not perish but have everlasting life.
As believers, we are perfect in Christ, but we still reside in our fleshly bodies and we still retain our old sin nature, which will fight against our new, perfect-life in Christ for the rest of our life on earth.
And so we are exhorted to purge out the old leaven – to get rid of the sin that is lurking within our hearts and live a life that is unleavened.
This is done only as we submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our life until it is not I that lives but Christ that lives in me.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and reverencing Him is a fountain of life to all who believe.
It bestows on us many spiritual riches, honour, confidence, and life... and knowledge of the Holy One provides us with a place of refuge.
The secrets of the Lord are beyond our human comprehension, for they relate to the New and Better Covenant, where forgiveness of sin and life everlasting are two of the many hidden secrets the Lord has already made known to ALL who fear Him.
God promised to give them a spirit of grace - through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of life and love.
This wonderful promise to the nation of Israel was cut at Calvary, and the wonderful promise to give His people a new heart and put a new spirit within is fulfilled in the life of ALL who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of their soul and the Mediator for their sins - Jew and Gentile alike.
It was revealed to Peter, that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God... and the content of John's Gospel was written so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing on Him we might have life in His name.
The perfect righteousness of God was fully satisfied when the shed blood of the innocent Lord Jesus was willingly offered as that full and final payment for the sin of the whole world - YES, the wages of sin is death - BUT the gift of God is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Salvation (which translates into eternal life and all its attendant benefits), is His gift of grace to all who believe in Him, through faith.
The price He paid for us was His own life and as believers we should be living unto the Lord, living to please our Saviour for the honour of His name and to the glory of God.
He is our perfect Priest, Who by virtue of His own spotless sacrificial life-blood which streamed over the heavenly mercy-seat, has once-and-for-all atoned for all our sins.
And we who have trusted in His death, burial, and Resurrection for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, have been called to hold fast to our confession.
We are commanded to stand firm on the witness of the Cross: Jesus is the Son of God; Jesus is our great High Priest; Jesus has put away our sin forever by His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection; Jesus ascended into heaven by passing through the heavens on our account; In Jesus are the words of eternal life.
Daniel did not try to plead for his life or declare that the request was unfair, unrealistic, or impossible. He did not attempt to flatter the king into changing his mind, nor did he question the king's sanity in giving this crazy command.
Daniel's calm and wise action, when faced with this life threatening situation and the wise way he dealt with this serious crisis in Babylon was a demonstration of his character, and a testimony to his unwavering faith in God.
May we, who have passed from death to life, love others as Christ loved us, and imitate the grace of God in our lives, knowing that the one who does good is of God, while the one who does evil has not seen God.
God in His wisdom and grace gave man a free-will, to make his own choices in life..
Yielding to temptation or resisting temptation is a matter of individual choice, and we alone are responsible for the choices we make in our own life and the consequences that follow.
The truth is that each one of us is tempted to sin when we get carried away and enticed into sin by our own leud, lustful leanings - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life.
Solomon was a man whose life seemed to overflow with the sort of blessings that so many chase after today: fame and fortune, glory and honour, prosperity and power, riches and authority, longevity and foresight, talents and skill, cleverness, aptitude, artistry, and wisdom: Wine, women, and song.
Solomon sought to follow his own advice, which was to enjoy life to the full, but he chose to do so for his own self-gratification and to the exclusion of God.
As children of God who have been chosen and called to follow Christ, we too have been given all we need for life and godliness and have access to the riches of His grace.
But unless our vertical relationship with our Heavenly Father is founded upon the Lord Jesus Christ, our life becomes futile and our fellowship with Him is broken.
But although having foolishly spent his precious life and God-given opportunities by chasing after the wind, and having discovered that all that this world has to offer was vain and purposeless, he finally arrived at the one and only satisfactory conclusion: That when all had been been said and done, and everything has been tried and tested, the only fulfilment in life is to fear God and obey His commands, which should be the duty and joy of all His blood-bought children.
There is not only a 'resurrection to life' for the redeemed but also a 'resurrection to condemnation' for the unsaved.
It is because Christ rose from the dead and broke the power of death that we too will rise to life immortal.
The simple answer is that death must claim the life of all who are physically born in-Adam, and death will continue to claim the life of its victims until the end of the millennial rule of Christ, when all His enemies will be placed under His feet.
But it was also a picture of the Father's relationship to Christ Jesus, His Son, Who lived His life as God's, perfect bond-servant.
Christ's finished work on the Cross gave every member of the human race the opportunity to be bought back, from the slave-market of sin and Satan, and to become free to live the rest of our life as Christ's bond-servant - through faith.
He not only releases us from the penalty of sin and Satan that enslaved us before our salvation - when He paid the price for our sin on the Cross, but He ALSO offers us freedom from the ongoing power of sin and its unholy influence upon us as we journey through life.
The freedom He gives every born-again child of God is EITHER, an opportunity to choose to remain Christ's bond-servant, out of love for all that He has done for us, and to be protected by His mighty power to save, as we face life's ongoing difficulties and dangers... OR we are left free, to wander through the wilderness of life relying on our own abilities and our own power instead of His supernatural ability and all-powerful strength to keep and to save.
May we choose to have our spiritual ear pierced with His holy awl and consecrate the rest of our lives to His service out of deep love for the One Who purchased us with His own precious blood, and sealed our life into His protective care forever.
May we be careful not to fall into the careless ways of Israel, but to learn from their waywardness, so that we may live godly in Christ Jesus... in our words, in our deeds, and in our manner of life, in love, in faith, and in purity of heart, to the glory of God.
Because of our faith in Christ, we have the right to be called 'sons of God' and through His glorious Resurrection, we will participate in the first resurrection - the resurrection to life.
We are to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Who is the perfect example of how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
And in these closing chapters of the epistle to the Hebrews, the maturing believer is encouraged to live a life of worshipful praise to our Heavenly Father.
We are exhorted to keep looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our life and our faith.
We are positioned in Christ, and as members of Christ's Body we are not only identified with His death when we died to sin at salvation, but we are also identified with His resurrected body and eternal life.
Our spirit was made new at salvation and our soul continues to be progressively sanctified for the rest of our life on earth - as we walk in spirit and truth.
Indeed it is the desire of most Christians to be fruitful and to live a life that is honoring to God.
we have been given all we need to live a life of godliness - because God in His goodness and grace called us out of darkness into His glorious light, by faith.
Oh, there were others that had been brought back to life through the power of Almighty God, in both the Old and the New Testaments, but their lives on earth would ultimately end in death.
But the glorious Resurrection of Christ to eternal life, is unique in the history of mankind and magnifies His distinctive position in the human race as the second Man, the last Adam, the federal Head of the new creation, His Body, the Church.
The host of heaven and shining stars were created of God in one mighty moment: Let there be... But God formed one man from the dust of the ground that He had just created: And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being in the image of God.
Instead of repenting and returning to the Lord, one man named Elimelech left his home in Bethlehem and took his family in search of a better life, in the pagan land of Moab.
May we always call out to the Lord for help during times of trials and life's many problems.
They were eternally saved, but totally defeated for the rest of their earthly life.
Instead of enjoying God's promised rest, they died defeated men and women; saved, yet excluded from His rest; redeemed from the slave-market of sin, yet failing to fulfil God's will for their life.
By faith, we have already been given ALL we need for life, godliness, and all we need to live victorious lives as we rest in Him and He in us.
But like the redeemed Israelites who wasted their lives in defeat, Christians can also remain defeated in the wilderness of life.
Like this generation of Israelites, we too can miss out on living a victorious and productive life, or we can end up with a wasted life of worry and unbelief that discredits the Lord.
Eternally saved by grace through faith in Christ, and yet living a defeated life in the wilderness of their own fleshly wanderings.
May we take to heart this warning in Hebrews and seek to live a God-honouring life, and not forfeit His perfect peace in our heart, His rest for our soul, treasure in heaven, and any reward that could have been ours, for a defeated Christian life is the ultimate tragedy of disobedience, apostasy, and unbelief.
Paul was ready and willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice for love of the Lord Jesus, and he considered his life-breath which was soon to expire on the executioner's block, as a drink-offering that was about to be poured out to the Lord he loved so dearly.
Paul knew that having completed the work that God had given him to do, that in the life that is to come, there was reserved for him the crown of righteousness - an honour which the Lord, the righteous Judge of the earth, would give to him when He comes in the clouds to take the Church to be with Him... and to ALL who have longed for his His appearing.
But Paul also learned that the Christian life is a spiritual battle and a continuous struggle against evil.
He had survived dangers in the city, hazards in the wilderness, and perils on the sea - but Paul discovered that God's grace was sufficient in EVERY eventuality of life that he faced.
Paul had learned that living a spiritual life and maturing in the Christian faith, did not depend on his own ability, wisdom, intelligence, or efforts, but on the power of the indwelling Spirit of Christ, working in him and living through him.
We are to acknowledge that His grace is sufficient in every detail of life so that in His strength we may put to death all the sinful deeds of the body, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
And when we are confronted with the problems and difficulties of life, we are to work these out in the power of the Spirit, by looking to Jesus and by facing every life-challenge through prayer and praise with thanksgiving.
We are to work out our salvation, in our own lives, by living our life for the Lord.
It is by humbling ourselves in the sight of God and fulfilling His call on our life.
We will lose the inexpressible joy and peace that comes from a life walking in close communion with the Lord, resting in Him, and looking to Him in every circumstance of our lives.
But God in His love and grace gave His only begotten Son, to be born into the human race so that His sinless life would become the one and only payment to fully and finally satisfy the righteous requirements of God's perfect Law.
But foundational faith in Christ's sacrificial death needs to continue into a life that is lived by faith, for as we grow in grace and mature in the faith we move from one degree of faith to another measure of faith.
But thanks be to God that He deals with us on the basis of grace AND truth so that whosoever believes on Christ will not perish but have everlasting life.
But when my imperfections are compared with Christ's perfect life, then I realise what a wretched man I am trying to keep God's impossible law when, as a result of Christ's finished work on the Cross, I have been clothed in Christ's perfection – by grace.
Because Christ fulfilled the whole Law in His life and death, the whole Law was nailed to the Cross.
Jacob had lived a full and fruitful life, and as the end of his earthly life approached, he called his twelve sons into His tent: Assemble yourselves, Jacob commanded, that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come.
What an astonishing privilege we find within the pages of Scripture – for the Spirit of God determined our fallen and eternally condemned status in the world, but in His goodness and grace, outlined all we need to receive His promised blessing of salvation, the forgiveness of sin, and life everlasting.Scripture is a supernatural document that has been delivered to us all through the pens of the apostles, the prophets, and the life of the Lord Jesus, which explains that we are all prisoners of sin and under the authority of Satan... with death, hell, and eternal separation from our God, as the bitter fruit of our fallen nature.
All have received eternal life as a free gift of God's grace, and all have been granted an inheritance that is kept for us in heaven.
Every one of us has areas of life in which we are weighed down, discouraged, and deeply burdened, and the instruction to 'come alongside and help one another' is identified as fulfilling the law of Christ.
The Lord Jesus, Himself, explained the distinguishing qualities of this 'law of the spirit of life' which is found in John 13:34 where we read: A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.
Love for God and love for our brothers and sisters in Christ is the fulfilling of the law - but it can only be carried out by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in the life of a spiritual believer i.e.
Maturity is a life-long process, which takes place over time as we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, study His Word, and apply its principles in our life.
The more we die to our self-life, and live for Christ, the more we mature in our Christian walk, and the more Christ-like we become.
At any given point, we are spiritual OR we are not spiritual! At any given time in a believer's life we are EITHER walking in the spirit and truth OR we are living in fleshly carnality.
Let us die to self and live our life to the glory of God so that we may mature in the faith, grow in grace, live a spiritual, God-honouring life, and become a living testimony to the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But through this bitter test Peter learned the importance of “girding up the loins of his mind' day by day and trusting in God for all the eventualities of life.
He had placed his faith and hope in Christ's sufficient strength to support him through this troublous life and in faith and hope he looked forward to that wonderful day when Christ would fulfil His promise to return to take us to be with Himself - when He will be revealed in all His glory.
And so in the light of our superabundant blessings, the multiplied glories of salvation and our eternal inheritance which is kept for us in heaven Peter encourages us not to faint at the problems and persecutions that pepper our path through life - but to allow our trials and temptations to develop in us a tried and tested faith, that trusts God no matter what - so that as obedient children, we will not be conformed to the former lusts of our fleshly sin nature - which was ours in our former ignorant state, but instead..
The death He died was accepted by the Father as FULL payment for our sins - payment for every sin so that whoever believes on HIM, will not perish but have everlasting life.
He prayed that we would increase in understanding and knowledge, and be granted greater illumination and spiritual revelation of our Father in heaven and His anointed Son, Jesus Christ, Who died for our sins and rose again the third day to give us His abundant life, according to the riches of His grace.
What about the pain that others inflict on you or your loved ones, when lowering clouds and tempestuous storm rip asunder your life – when relationships sour, loved ones are lost, jobs are in jeopardy, or finances are causing concern?
This is also a day that the Lord has made, for He scheduled every day of your life and He weaves the dark strands of disappointment and pain in with the golden thread of joy.
Earlier in the psalm, we find David praising the Lord for His righteous judgment in times past, while the last verses contain a petition for safety in his current situation and future life.
We are God's children and have His assurance that we are secure in His hand, for we have received the forgiveness of sin and His promise of life eternal.
The Lord's teaching in His extended 'Sermon on the Mount', gives step-by-step information to believers on true discipleship, followed by structured teaching on how to live such a life.
If we are to abide in Him, we will adhere to Him in every way - we will be united with Him in mind and motives; resting in His gracious love; abiding in the arms of the beloved Son of God – and having a deep, trusting dependence on Him, in every area of life.
This was not a teaching for the unbeliever, but a warning to those that are born-again, that if we are to be fruitful in our Christian life and honour our Father in heaven, we will abide in Christ and bring forth much fruit.
If a Christian fails to abide in Christ, he will live a defeated life and suffer loss of reward, in the ages to come - saved, yet as though by fire.
But if a Christian obeys Christ's command to abide in Him and He in us, he will bring forth much fruit - 10-fold, 50-fold and maybe 100-fold, and he will hear Jesus say, well-done good and faithful servant.To abide in Christ and to rest in His love is to know, with absolute certainty, that He alone is life’s sufficiency and to act on this knowledge.
Wonderful though “abiding in Him” is to the believer, it is only half of the equation, for as we rest and abide and remain in Him, so He abides in us.As our hearts cleave closely to Him and our minds are flooded with His beauty, so His Spirit abides within each one of us, teaching and training, leading and guiding, helping and comforting with an ever-increasing intimacy, as we grow in His grace and in a knowledge of our precious Saviour.Let us seek to rest in His love and abide in Him, moment by moment and day by day, for He will take each burden and all the pain of life and provide for each of us, the wisdom and strength we need to face the future, until abiding in Him and He in us becomes as natural as breathing.
This beautifully explains that the Lord is the Originator and Owner of the little life within the womb.
God's supreme sovereignty over every newly formed life, is the meaning behind this verse, for the Lord formed my inward parts.
God has the ownership rights over every human life, which should be treated with reverence and respect, but too often the Lord is held in contempt by those He knitted together at their conception - and too frequently the value of the unborn is considered inconsequential, or a matter of unfortunate inconvenience.
God in His grace, takes an interest in the life of every conception, for each one is specially created.
The Lord forms and fashions every single one, and the psalmist rejoices that God lays out the life-plan of each - and schedules every day of our lives.
Psalm 139 is a most beautiful sacred song, which brings our rapt attention to the hallowed essence of the child in utero, and of God's sovereign role in each little life.
Though abortion is a sin, and the loss of life through terminating a pregnancy is a travesty, Jesus died to pay the price for the sin of every man and woman, including this one.
There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, for He even gives forgiveness and healing to those who commit this sin, both in their pre-salvation and post-salvation life - for if we, who have been justified by faith, confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness - including this one.
Let us read through this beautiful Psalm of David, and recognise that the life of the unborn is given as a sacred trust, and that God is sovereign over all living things - and let us give Him all the praise and glory for the wonder of life.
The same God who breathed life into Adam and made a covenant with His people, Israel, is the same Holy One of Israel Who gives strength to the weary and increases the power of those that lack strength.
These words of Isaiah were indeed good tidings of great joy to the little, faithful remnant of Israel, but they are words of great comfort and succour to all who are weary and heavy-laden, both Jew and Gentile alike, for He sent Jesus to be the good Shepherd of the sheep, the Door of the sheepfold, the Way, the Truth, the Life, and the Light to all who would trust in His name for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
David wanted to know how long the bitter trial and manifold difficulties that were flooding into his life would continue, before the Lord would step in..
and although that does not preclude him from having to go through the inevitable trials and tribulations of life- his confidence stands firm in the goodness of the Lord and his bitter pleas for help..
Indeed the difficulties and dangers that we face in life today..
As she stood alone waiting for His verdict on her heinous sin, she heard Him say, Neither do I condemn you, and He charged her to go and sin no more. As she heard His gracious pronouncement of forgiveness upon her that day, little did she realise that soon He would be despised, rejected of men, and led as a lamb to the slaughter in order to die on the Cross - to pay the price for her sin, for the sins of her accusers, and for the sin of the whole world: For whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
John is an aging apostle who, throughout his epistle, still continues to make known to his little children the glorious truth about the eternal and sovereign character of the Word of Life.
His first epistle concentrated on God's grace and our great salvation, our priestly calling, living a life of holiness, and carrying out our Christian responsibility.
Parables and proverbs are often illustrated stories that teach life-principles clearly and simply.
Houses and tents, sun and rain, animals and birds, parents and children, planting and harvesting, have all been used to teach important lessons on life and living.
Although fire has many benefits and a wholesome tongue is like a tree of life, that same fire can cause havoc, distress, and devastation.
How sad when a Christian life is marred by wrong speech, and a godly testimony is stained by gossip, talebearing, whispering, slander, grumbling, or false accusations, all of which give rise to discord among brothers; contention, brawling, dissension, dispute, and argument.
He wants us to come to him in prayer and praise regularly and to expect HIM to deliver us from every eventuality in life - for He knows that the testing of our faith through the things that we experience and the afflictions that assail us, produces patient endurance, a Christlike character, and steadfast hope in God, that will never be disappointed.
The only substitutional sacrifice that was acceptable to God for a man's sin was the death of a close kinsman of the sinner, who must be willing to give his own life to save another.
JESUS is that Kinsman-Redeemer who gave His life for us.
Just as true wisdom is spiritually discerned so godly love is only possible in the life of a believer, who is walking in spirit and truth.
a love that has died to all self-centered, human motivation.Godly love is a love that allows the supernatural love of Christ to be freely manifested within a believers life.
Human love is influenced by emotions, whereas divine love is a matter of the will - a will that is guided by the indwelling Spirit of God and a heart that is content to say, 'Thy will not mine be done in my life'.
The divine love of God flows from an attitude of heart that places Christ in the centre of every aspect of their life.
As we journey through life we are going through a process of sanctification which is only finally completed when we go to be with Jesus and see Him as He is.
The sanctification process starts at our point of rebirth, and depends on the choices that we make in our Christian life, whether we live as unto the Lord and die to self, OR live to the flesh and please our carnal nature.
That torn curtain in the holy of holies was the dramatic end of the earthly order of priests, for as both High Priest and Sacrifice, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect, innocent Sin-Offering to the most High God: Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, and by His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain of His flesh into the Most Holy Place for those who believe.
Jesus told His disciples to remember the word of life, the light of Christ, the love of God, and the blessed hope we have in Him - which He taught them during His sojourn on earth.
We can forgo blessings in this life by not abiding in Christ, and we can forfeit rewards in the life to come, by living a carnal, legalistic life, rather walking in spirit and truth.
No wonder they called out: 'Brethren, what are we to do?' But by God's grace Peter was to tell the men of Israel the next chapter in God's eternal plan of salvation and many repented of their sins and found life in Christ Jesus their Saviour.
The New Covenant is not one based on the original 'Letter' of the first covenant, but on the 'Spirit' of the second testimony: Not of the 'Letter of the Law', which kills, but of the 'Spirit of God, in Christ' Who gives life to all who believe.
Praise God that we are not called to serve in the old letter of the Law, but in spirit and in truth. Praise God that the Spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and of death. Praise God that in Christ our trespasses have been forgiven and that He will remember our sins no more.
We live in a world that has systematically eliminated the Creator and His Christ from every area of national, governmental, educational, social, scientific, and family life, and replaced it with a flawed system of rationalism and relative thinking.
The never-ending rhythm of life and the continuous cycle of the seasons and years is based on the incorrect hypothesis that since the fathers fell asleep, everything continues the same, since the beginning of creation.
We have been given eternal life and have been told that eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has man been able to imagine the wonderful things that God has prepared for those that love him, and the gift of the Holy Spirit to all believers is God's unbreakable surety to us.
But a life that is lived seeking the Lord with all their heart - a life that is submitted to the leading of the Holy Spirit– a life lived with ears open to hear His Word and eyes open to see His truth, will be a life that speaks the truth in love, with gracious speech and seasoned with salt.
God has done mighty works in the life of all believers, for all who have been saved by grace through faith in Him have been forgiven of sin and received everlasting life as a free gift of God's amazing grace.
May we take time to demonstrate in our own prayer-life, a like-minded trust in the goodness and faithfulness of our God and Father - for we have a great assurance that He hears and answers the prayers of His children, when they come from a heart that is in fellowship with Him.
But living a life of practical righteousness and transmitting the unconditional love of God to others, which demands that we bless those that curse us and pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us, is a human impossibility.
Godly love is only possible in those that have the indwelling Holy Spirit and it can only be expressed when that life is completely submitted to the Lord in thought, word, and deed.
The unconditional love that comes from above is the divine life of Christ being manifested through the physical life of a spiritual believer.
Such a person is one whose life is a living sacrifice, which is consecrated to the Lord.
to pay the price for our sins, but He also died TO sin - His death broke our relationship to sin, which enables us to walk in newness of life.
Because we were identified with Christ in His death we are similarly identified with His life through His resurrection.
The power of sin, which was broken in the life of all who are identified with Christ by faith..
Just as we identify with His death - so also we identify with His resurrected life..
His eternal life in a glorified body which is freed from the power of sin and death and hell.
Our new, born-again life in Christ is no longer a slave to sin but a servant of righteousness - and praise God that identification with His life is also part of that thrilling doctrine of identification with Christ.
and we are joined in life to our resurrected Lord by grace through faith.
and our new life in Christ, (which we received at salvation), is risen with Him.
It was our old sin nature that was identified with Christ's death - and it needs to be kept nailed to the cross - but praise God that in Christ we have all we need for life and godliness..
Our new life in Christ that is identified with His resurrected life..
and seeing that we have died with Christ, and have received His new resurrected life - we believe that we shall also live with Him.
What a thrilling doctrine - that because we shared in the death of Christ we will also share in His life..
his heavenly life -
Our eternal life, began the moment we were saved by grace through faith..
but although our eternal life began at the moment of salvation it is incomplete and will not be fully and finally completed until we are changed into the likeness of Christ when we see Him as He is.
for we who are identified with His death and life will also live with Him through time and into the eternal, never-ending ages that are to come.
And God in His mercy, grace, long-suffering, and great love intervened in the chronicles of history when He sent His only begotten Son to die on the Cross so that all Who believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
It is only by grace that we are clothed in Christ's righteousness, and our names are written in the Lamb's book of life because we too believe what the Lord has spoken to us - will be fulfilled.
But the Lord met with him on the way and turned his life upside-down.
This transforming incident altered the course of Paul's life.
But in the life of men, it is not only disregarding our innate, human conscience but can often be resisting the Holy Spirit and impeding His convicting work in our life.
Throughout our life on earth, a believer's old sin nature lusts against our new life in Christ and needs to be kept in the place of death.
God's purpose for us is encapsulated in this precious verse, for the Son of God came in the likeness of sinful flesh and suffered the most shocking ignominy, insults, and death so that sin and sickness, want and weariness, destruction and death, and all that is encompassed in the works of lawlessness and evil, might be forever destroyed in my life and in yours, in order that Christ is all in all.
He alone would fulfil the Law through living a perfect life so that the sacrificial offering of Himself on the cross, would be sufficient to satisfy God as the full, and final payment for the sin of the world, which would also redeem the fallen race of man.
Because of all the things He had taught them, up to this point, Jesus continued... For this reason, I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? And using the little birds of the air and the fragile flowers of the field, Jesus gently explained that if God showed so much care and concern for birds and flower, should they not trust Him to supply all they needed according to His gracious goodness and lovely character?
Too often it is fretfulness and worry that causes the Christian to remove our eyes from the God of our Salvation and Lover of our soul, onto the looming circumstances of life, and the more we feed our fear and fret over the future, the quicker our faith in God crumbles.
The apostle John tells us that sufferings, imprisonment, persecution, and even death, await many Christians in this life - but a crown of life is the promised reward for those that are faithful during the time of trial, and who patiently endure in the day of trouble.
But we are called to rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that affliction works perseverance in the life of a saint.
The man or woman who walks in newness of life, who has died to self and who lives for Christ, is the one that is growing in grace and maturing in the faith as they stand firm on the Word of truth.
David sought the Lord in the early hours or the morning, and he ran quickly to the Lord for the refuge and strength that he needed as he faced the challenges of everyday life.
None of us are exempt from the trials, tribulations, and temptations of life, nor are we immune to the disappointments, discouragements, and dangers that we may meet.
But we all have the choice to become a man or woman after God's own heart by trusting Him in every eventuality of life, by beginning each day in prayer and praise, and by engaging in ongoing fellowship with our Father in heaven.
Let us choose to walk in spirit and truth all the days of our life, to depend on the Lord from morning 'til night, to submit our lives to the guidance of the Spirit of God, and to pray: Lead me in Your righteousness; make Your way straight before my face.
May our prayer be: Thy will not mine be done, as we face the challenges of life, in this Christ-rejecting, sinful world.
The apostle Peter stresses the importance of the Word of God in the life of all believers, knowing that Christendom is awash with false teachers, doctrines of demons, and a willing ignorance of the truth of Scripture.
It was our loving Father Himself Who formed us, in secret, in our mother's womb and scheduled each day of our life.
And it was the Holy Spirit of love Who wooed us and challenged us, convicted and finally breathed new life into our fallen frames, birthing us into God's family, and enlightening us with the abundance of His life.
Kept in social isolation for half his life, he was in the despised vocation of sheep-herder, and lived in the parched, arid wilderness, where his self-will was broken.
Self-depreciation may lead to the marring of a useful life.
Death is the bitter fruit for all humanity, and there is no possible way for man to reach out and eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the paradise of God.
The only possible way for the Lord to forgive man's sin, is if a perfect, sinless man was prepared to give his own life, in exchange for the life of the sinner - as a payment for sin.
He would have human blood pulsing through His physical body - and as life is in the blood, He would give His life-blood as the ransom-price for mankind.
And as the resurrected, righteous son of David, Jesus could equally declare, and in ME is life everlasting for ALL who believe.
First, He would baptise with the Holy Spirit - for salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life, and second, He would baptise with Fire - for judgement, condemnation, and eternal separation from God.
Christ is the strength of God and Christ is the visible representation of the the invisible God in Whom are hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom; ALL the treasures of knowledge; ALL the treasures of life and ALL the treasures of matter and space in the material and spiritual realm, that you and I will ever need through time and into eternity.
Let us rejoice and be glad that we have been saved by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection - for Christ is the Head of the Church and we are members of His body and in HIM we have all we need for life and godliness and we are complete in HIM - and accepted by God in HIM
He is the Saviour of the World, and He is the Resurrection and the Life.
And as we allow Christ to live His life in us, we are enabled to reflect the light of His love and to share the glorious gospel of grace with others in a lost world of deep darkness.
And although our 'fleshly' nature will continue to be in opposition to our new human 'spirit' during our journey through life, we are instructed to yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit of God: For greater is He that is in us that he that is in the world.
The truth of this Scripture is an offense to all that are in the world, but to those that have been saved it is life – eternal life – abundant life, by grace through faith.
Jesus is the One that is full of grace and truth and Who walked all His life in willing obedience to the Spirit of God, and we are called to follow His example by denying self and crying, Thy will not mine be done.
Paul had faced many other hardships, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst... but God's grace was always sufficient, and He used every circumstance in Paul's life for his eternal good, and for God's own glory.
As we look down the periscope of life to the birth of the Lord Jesus, we are reminded in Luke's gospel that the love-story that blossomed between Ruth and Boaz - which is recorded in the final chapters of the book, was beautifully orchestrated by the Lord in the progressive unfolding of His wonderful plan of redemption, for we read that the Lord Jesus was, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz....
He needed to know if they were searching for the way, the truth, and the life, or if they had some superficial motive in latching on to Him.
Are we wanting to know the most important answer in life about the Person and Work of Jesus or are we simply giving Him a cursory glance before moving on to the next interesting passer-by.
They knew in their heart, that Jesus held the answers to all of life's questions and their simple reply demonstrated that they needed Him to answer many more issues that were on their hearts.
The good news this angelic choir delivered was for ALL humanity, for God loved the whole world so much that His gave His only begotten Son into the world, to be the sacrifice for the sin of the world - so that everyone in the world who would believe on Him would not remain at enmity with God, but would be forgiven of their sin, regain fellowship with the Father and receive life everlasting.
Who by the sacrifice of His life would reestablish Man's rule on God's earth - but it would be at the enormous cost of the death of His only begotten Son.
and crowned with honour and great glory - and have everything placed in subjection under HIS feet, so that by faith in HIM we might have life and have it more abundantly.
He explains how God uses the suffering in our life as a way to test our faith, for James knows that faith in God must be exercised, even when we do not see or understand the reason for our pain: For the testing of our faith produces patient-endurance, which must flourish and develop so that as we grow in grace, we may become spiritually mature - perfect, as our Father in heaven is perfect, complete and lacking nothing.
So often when we are suffering, we cry out to God for help and strength which is a natural thing to do, but too often we forget that the Lord has given us all we need for life and godliness, and we tend to forget that God uses these times of suffering to develop our faith.
It is not simply getting through the trials and tribulations of life that is important, but coming through victoriously by exercising our faith in Him and learning the lesson that God is teaching us.
We should never waste the circumstances of life, but ask for His wisdom as well so that we may grow in grace and spiritual understanding, knowing that all things work together for good to those that love God and are fitting into His plan.
We are urged to live a life that is becoming of one that has been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus, and upon whom our Father in heaven has lavished so much grace and favour, forgiveness, mercy, and love.
We are urged to be long-suffering and to patiently endure (with thanksgiving) the difficult life-circumstances in which we may find ourselves.
Let us leave the self-life nailed to the Cross and live out our new-life in Christ (which we received at salvation), in humility and gentleness, patiently enduring with grace, tolerance, and love.
A perfect Man Who alone can save us from our sins and bestow upon us eternal life.
When we start to look to Who Christ is and how He impacts every aspect of our life and death, we discover that there is nothing more vital and no-one more important to every member of the human race than Christ Jesus our Lord: And you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.
His incarnation and unique birth, His tests and temptations, His sinless life and obedient death, His Resurrection, Ascension, glorification, and exultation are all aspects of the person of Christ: And you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God.
False teachers who profess to be Christians, and unbiblical doctrine that is not founded on Scripture, is not only evident today, but was starting to seep into church life during the times of the apostle.
Together with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, false teaching was one of the main problems in the early Church and was vigorously addressed by all the apostles.
Like all the apostles of Christ, John is calling all believers to walk in spirit and truth and to live a life that is consecrated to God.
Someone who has been saved by grace through faith in Christ whose life is not a testimony of the truth (though they are eternally saved and secure in Christ because of their faith in Him), will live a defeated life and dishonour the Lord Who bought them.
Their life will be saved, but they will not receive a reward for living godly in Christ Jesus.
We are ALL called to grow in grace and become spiritually mature, but not all believers develop at the same rate and sadly, some spend part of their life in fleshly pursuits.
Only the Spirit of God can breathe life into him, which is by faith in Christ.
Perfect love, divine love, the holy love of God which, first loved us, is surely established as the ultimately highest pinnacle of our Christian life and the capstone in our relationship with the Lord, for as Paul reminds us in Corinthians... the greatest of all is love.
Let us not only reflect in deepest gratitude, our love for the Lord, Who willingly sacrificed His life to save us all, but let us also contemplate in reverent awe and hushed wonder His amazing grace, His eternal perfection, His gracious character, and the immeasurable excellencies of the God whose nature is pure Love.
It is during our earthly life that we are engaged to the Lord and it is during this time of espousal, that we are to carry out acts of righteousness which God Himself has planned and prepared for us to do.
From that point forward, we are called saints who are to live our life by grace through faith in Christ. We are justified by faith but we are also to be sanctified by faith, as we die to self and live for Christ.
And it is works of righteousness that are carried out in this life that will add to our bright, clean linen garment.
The wages of sin have been paid in full and we have received the free gift of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
This is truth, but many Christians do not take to heart the truth of Scripture and live a defeated life, through unbelief.
The power of sin that enslaved us, condemned us and separated us from God has been broken, because we have received a new life - the new life of Christ, which we were given when we first believed.
Our life in Adam was part of the old creation - which condemned us, but our new life is now hid with Christ in God, for we are part of a new creation - which is outside the realm of sin, the influence of death, the jaws of hell and the jurisdiction of the law, for there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus..
The old sin nature lusts against our new life in Christ and vice versa, but in Christ we have all we need to keep the old self in the place of death - for His grace is sufficient - His power is made perfect in us..
And so, Paul is writing to this little band of believers while being chained up in a Roman prison-cell, to offer encouragement in their Christian life and to give instruction and direction on how to grow in grace and mature in the faith.
Paul urges these believers to live a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ, to live as citizens of heaven and not to be influenced by the evils and enticements of this wicked, seductive world: Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, he writes, so that whether I come and see you or am absent from you, I may hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, as you strive side by side for the faith of the gospel.
First, their manner of life should be worthy of the gospel of Christ.
In word and deed, action and attitude, they were to become a worthy witness to a wicked world, of the glorious gospel of Christ that transforms a doomed sinner in the clutches of Satan into a saved saint; redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, transferred into the kingdom of God's dear Son, and living a life that is being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ.
God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed into him the breath of life, and Adam became a living being created in the image and likeness of Almighty God Himself.
Adam was given free rein to eat of every single shrub and tree in that beautiful garden, including the fruit of the glorious tree of life, but there was one exception: Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.
And so before the foundation of the world, in His grace and mercy, God purposed in His heart to send His only begotten Son to become the perfect Sacrifice for the sin of mankind so that whosoever believes on Him would not remain condemned and perish forever, but be redeemed by the blood of the spotless Lamb of God and receive the free gift life - eternal life - and life more abundantly.
Having believed the truth of the gospel of Christ for salvation, an outward demonstration of a holy life should be the result of that inward regeneration through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Having been renewed in the spirit of our mind, the inner fruit of that new life in Christ should, through God's almighty power, be made manifest by a life that is righteous and holy.
Because we have put on the new self, we have a brand new position in a brand new creation, with a brand new life and a brand new nature.
That brand new life was given to us directly from God's Holy Spirit when we were born-again, and that brand new self, which is in the image and likeness of God, has been created in the righteousness and holiness of God Himself.
Let us make the right choices in our lives and seek to life a righteous and holy life as unto the Lord, for we have been commanded to be holy, because our Father in heaven is holy.
In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth and brought everything into being; time, matter, space, and life.
God spoke, the Spirit moved, and in six days He not only established the world and breathed His life into Adam, but gave man dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every animal and creeping thing that moved on the face of the earth: And God saw it was good, very good.
To achieve His redemptive work, God required the life of a perfect Man Who was willing to be our sinless Kinsman-Redeemer, and die for our sin.
When we are positioned in Christ and united with Him by faith, we receive all we need for life and godliness.
We are given God's sufficient grace and His supernatural strength through the indwelling Spirit of Christ, Who causes us to be victorious in our journey through life, and enables us to be triumphant in every situation we meet.
There is a time in the life of every man when we have an uncircumcised heart, and Paul is reminding these believers, in Ephesus, that formerly... as Gentiles in the flesh - i.e.
Rather, we are to rejoice that our names are recorded in the Lamb's book of Life.
May we NEVER hold Christ's sacrifice for us lightly, nor try to identify things in our life that we consider make us worthy of our salvation!
We are to follow His example and use Him as our role model for our inner life, and our hidden moments... as well as our outer behaviour and attitude towards others.
Indeed, the time that the Lord Jesus lived on earth can be described as a life-walk of love - a life which from start to finish was exercised in love.
The life of Jesus is characterised, in conduct, conversation, attitude, and action by an outflow of loving grace, and compassionate mercy towards those with Whom He came in contact.
Christ exemplified the walk of love, which we are exhorted to follow, for His life was one of supreme surrender to the Father.
His was a life of self-sacrifice for the whole world. He demonstrated a depth of love for the Church we will never fathom - for Jesus gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God.
His whole life was as a fragrant aroma to His Father in heaven.The Lord Jesus Christ was indeed the personification of the bloody ‘sin offering’ that was demanded by God to pay the price for the sin of the world.
He gave His life as a ransom for many so that by faith in Him we might be united with Him in spirit and truth.
It is not only in the outshining of our Christian walk that is important... as our life crosses the paths of others.
May we seek to develop similar priorities in our own Christian life, so that we may grow in grace, fulfil the work that God has prepared for us to do, and live our lives in a way that honours our God and Saviour - Jesus Christ.
How amazing to realise that the abundant overflow of grace and the amazing gift of righteousness can reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
So then... as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life-giving justification for everyone.
How we praise and thank our Heavenly Father that through the Law, we are able to recognise our sinfulness and turn to Christ as Saviour, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
As believers, we are saved by grace through faith, and once we are part of God's family, we are to mature in the faith and to live our Christian life as unto the Lord.
Having started our Christian pilgrimage by grace through faith, we are to continue living our Christian life the same way.
We are to build our life on the right foundation.
We are to build our life with the right materials, which are the spiritual gems of wisdom and godly nuggets of truth that are found in the precious Word of God.
We are to build our life according to God's plans and purposes, which is laid out for our learning in Scripture where Christ is all in all, and not according to our own human wisdom or our own legalistic works of the flesh.
Once we are saved, we can choose to live a spiritual, godly life where we mature in the faith OR we can take the carnal, legalistic route which results in an immature Christian life.
But the second example is a man who lives according to self, resulting in fleshly works, an unspiritual, immature Christian life, and a loss of reward.
As believers, we are all saved by grace through faith, but if we live our Christian life in our own strength and not in dependence upon the Lord Jesus, we will still be saved but we will suffer loss - for the wood, hay, and stubble that results from works of the flesh will be consumed in the fire that tests each of us.
We were born into newness of life and given a regenerated spirit, a new life in Christ.
It was awash with lusts and deception, but we were taught with reference to our former way of life, to lay aside the old man (to put off the old sinful, lustful nature) which was being continuously corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires of our flesh and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds.
Because we are no longer are part of the old life in Adam but the new life in Christ, we should no longer exhibit our original corrupt nature but our new, born-again nature, and this is done, by the renewing of our minds.
It is the God-breathed Scriptures that renew our minds, day by day, and enables our new life in Christ to grow and mature.
Having detailed our unity in the Spirit, our union with Christ, and the unsearchable riches of God that have been freely bestowed on us by grace, Paul contrasts the corrupt lives of unregenerate man with the normal Christian walk, which should exhibit the tenderness, forgiveness, and grace that we see in the character of God and the life of Christ.
These are beautiful qualities that are exhibited in a life that is living in spirit and truth, under the guidance of the Spirit, in union with Christ, and in fellowship with the Father.
We are called to be like Christ; to follow His example, to imitate His life and character, to grow in grace, and to be conformed into His likeness.
Rather, we are to imitate the beautiful life that Christ lived by living our life in the same way that Christ did – by walking in spirit, sharing the truth in love, growing in grace, and learning obedience through the things that we suffer.
A corpse does not have the breath of life within its frame and cannot perform any actions.
However, they are not living the victorious life that the Lord desires for all His children.
They are not living in a way that honours their Heavenly Father and could land themselves under His discipline, for he chastens all he loves when they fail to carry out His will for their life.
They are not applying the Word of God in their life.
They are not walking in spirit and truth, but living a fruitless and useless life that is a poor testimony and dishonours the Lord Who bought them.
Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the power of God, so too the believer-in-Christ will be raised into newness of life, through the same wonder-working power of the almighty God.
Life continues on into the eternal future.
However, instead of being burdened with the many restrictions this earthly 'tent' affords, we will receive a new, glorious body, of flesh and bone - a body, like HIS glorious body, For indeed, Paul wrote in chapter 5, while we are in this mortal tent, (of flesh and blood), we groan and are burdened. But one day, what is mortal will be swallowed up in life.
We want to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed-up by life, - the new-life in Christ, which we received at salvation.
For just as the life of this mortal body is in the blood, so the life of our new, heavenly body is given to us by the Spirit - a spiritual body that is animated and enlivened by the Holy Spirit of God.
There is a well-known saying, that 'in the midst of life we are in death', and living in this mortal realm, will eventually result in death - when we discard this physical covering.
In the same way, the physical body of a believer is a temporary tent - a transitory dwelling to keep the spirit and soul covered during our short sojourn through life.
All of us have been assured that we will be given an eternal body that will be energised by God's Holy Spirit of life.
Christ suffered greatly in His earthly life... and as members of His Spiritual Body, we too are likely to be called on to suffer - individually and corporately.
But, however painful and distressing life may become, we can also rejoice in the midst of our suffering, knowing that when His glory is finally revealed, we will rejoice with exceeding great joy.Paul tells us that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us, while James adds that suffering in this life develops, in us, a godly character and patient endurance, which is honouring to the Lord.
As members of Christ’s Mystical Body, should we not joyfully identify with Christ’s earthly suffering – knowing that He lived and died so that we might be identified with His heavenly glory and live eternally?Yes, we should rejoice - exceedingly, that we as members of His Body and partakers of His sufferings – for it is by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection that we have not only been forgiven of our sin and clothed in His righteousness, but we are His blood-bought children, who have a blessed hope, a glorious future, and life everlasting - amen.
We have been declared righteous by the Lord and showered with every spiritual blessing, simply because we have trusted in the shed blood of Christ for the remission of sins and life everlasting.
When we praise our Heavenly Father and glorify His holy name, the focus of our attention is removed from our own, limited life and petty predicaments.
When we turn the attention of our inner heart onto Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith, the Sustainer of our life, and our Blessed Hope, circumstances of life and matters of living fall into their correct perspective.
He deserves our grateful thanksgiving and whole-hearted trust in every area of our life.
When Jesus Christ, the Son of God walked the earth, He demonstrated this truth, for He lived His entire life in utter dependence upon the Father: I can do nothing of Myself, He said, I speak only that which I have seen from my Father.
Though Jesus Christ was fully God, He lived His life in His humanity.
He demonstrated how man should life.
He lived His life so that the life of God could be lived through the Son of Man in His humanity.
We are to walk in spirit and truth and to do only those things that we hear from Christ our Saviour so that His life may be lived in us and through us.
We are to abide in HIM and allow HIS Spirit to live HIS life through us, just as He abode in the Father and did only those things that He heard from the Father: For apart from Me you can do nothing.
We are given into the glories of eternal life in Christ Jesus.
We were released from the bondage to sin and death, which was fed by gross deceitfulness and lustful living, and changed into a new-life of true righteousness and godly holiness.
When we become a Christian, we take off our former way of life and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, are severed from our old, original, self-centred, Adamic-life which corrupts by deceitful desires of the flesh, into precious union with our Saviour into and sweet communion with our God.
That is because we took off our former way of life, which was corrupted by deceitful desires, and put on Christ.
None of us want to invite pain and suffering into our lives and Paul is an example of a man who went through much suffering in this world for being a Christian. At times he despaired even of life, and yet despite his terrible persecution and many imprisonments, Paul willingly endured his suffering with godly grace, patient endurance, and unspeakable joy.
If we had to endure unimaginable trials every day of our earthy life, for Christ's sake, it would pale into insignificance, by comparison with the glory that God has prepared for those that love Him.
As God's children, we have been promised that His grace is sufficient to deal with every eventuality we may meet in life.
There is no affliction that we have to face alone, for He has promised to provide us with the sufficient strength we need to endure it - no wonder Paul describes life's mounting difficulties as a momentary, light affliction.
And yet this was the simple secret that Paul openly shared in many of his writings – that the evils of this life will one day be lifted like a silken shroud, which will quickly pass away like the melting mist of the dawn, which evaporates into the first golden rays of the early morning sunlight.However great and burdensome the afflictions of this life may prove to be, the magnificent rewards of the eternal glories that are ours by faith in the Lord Jesus, are by comparison very small, very insignificant, fleeting, and momentary.
It is often when we are in deep distress that we cling more tightly to the God of our salvation... for there is no one else to turn to, for He has the words of eternal life.
Job had set a precedent in his life, which stood him in good stead when life became unbearable.
but our position in Him needs to be worked out practically - a practical sanctification that needs to take place in our everyday life and living.
Practically we know that sin works within our members every day of our life, but the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is to bring us to practical sanctification.
However it is a life-long process which is only completed when we go to be with the Lord - whether through the door of death or at the return of the Lord in the clouds for His saints.
Man cannot live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and the Scriptures are the spiritual food that God in His grace has given us for our Christian life and spiritual growth.
Positional sanctification means that we are declared righteous, which takes place the moment we are saved by grace through faith in Christ - but practical sanctification is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our life as He conforms us day by day into the image and likeness of Christ - and He does this as we read the Word, study the Word, learn the Word and apply the Word in our everyday lives.
The wonderful thing about the Christian life in this Church dispensation is that in those non-essential doctrines, we are given the grace to follow our own consciences - knowing that each one will give an account of their own lives to the Lord Himself.
If we have believed the glorious gospel of grace and been taught in accordance with the God-breathed Scripture, then we KNOW that Christ is the truth as well as our life and our light.
As we travel through life, let us stand firm on the Word of truth, the Rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ Who told us: I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life.
The daily round of life and the common tasks we face seem to go around in circles, and the fires of affliction and pressures of life, at times, seem hard to bear.
But inevitably sometimes, as He turns us on the rotating wheel of life, His training can feel very unpleasant. Sometime as He squeezes us into the shape of His choice, it can become so uncomfortable.
Sometimes, as we are being baked in the fiery kiln of life, the pressures we face become unbearable.
However, the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow his servant, who died in the belly of the monster but was brought back to life after three days to complete his mission.
This 'sign of the prophet Jonah' is the most amazing sign they could have been given, for the Resurrection of Christ is the sign that secures the resurrection to life of all believers, for He is the First-fruit from the dead.
However, only the perfect God is good enough to pay the price for sin and only a sinless Man could die on the Cross and shed His life-blood as payment for humanities sin.
Life is in the blood and only the shed blood of a perfect Man was sufficient to pay the price of sin.
Only the God-Man could die for us and be resurrected to life - so that in HIM we might be forgiven, through his blood, and receive His life.
He gave His life for us that we might have His life forever.
He simply set aside His glory for a time, so that He would live His life as all men ought to live... in total submission to the Father.
He wrote this psalm when Saul's hatred of him began to be openly displayed, and the bitter-hearted king sought out ways to murder David - who had to flee the country to save his life.
His enemies may still seek his life, but David knew in Whom he believed and was convinced that the Lord was able to keep him, deliver him, protect him, and fulfil the promises He had made to His servant.
David knew the God of his salvation and was comforted to know that the Lord had scheduled every day of his life and that his name was written in God's precious book.
He is our Refuge in the day of my trouble and our Stronghold from the storms of life.
Indeed, the 'normal Christian life' of recent years, is far more accurately labelled the 'abnormal' Christian life', for down through centuries of time, Bible-believing Christians have been hunted down, brutally persecuted, frequently killed, and treated abominably, for righteousness sake.
At the end of his life, as he faced death for Christ's sake, the apostle Paul's deep desire was, that I may know Christ, and the power of His resurrection and fellowship in His sufferings. Paul was ready to be identified with Christ's suffering and shame - and we should seek to follow his example.
The future life of all believers will be free from sin and Satan, death and hell, but for this brief span on earth, we are called to share in the suffering of Christ - for righteousness sake.
Let us recognise that the normal Christian life in this fallen world, will inevitably result in persecution and pain.
We are one Church with one truth, one life, and one blessed hope.
We are a fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and we share a message of hope, encouragement, and life.
To the saved it is the aroma from life to life, but to the other is a stench - from death to death.
To those of us who believe that Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again the third day for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, Paul's message is like a sweet, aromatic perfume.
The gospel of grace is an aroma from life to life... from a new, spiritual life in Christ at salvation... to everlasting life with Christ Jesus our Lord - in the eternal ages to come - for those whom He justified He also glorified.
No wonder Paul wrote that there are not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty according to man's viewpoint, and not many noble that come to accept the message of the Cross, for they have substituted Self for God on the throne of their life.
We are to ensure that we are submitted to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit, by faith, and living our life in total dependence upon the Lord, in truth and in grace.
Christ lived a perfect life, fulfilling the demands of the Law on our behalf.
He died on our behalf to pay the price for our sins and then rose again on our behalf so that He could give us His perfect life in the Person of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Instead of rejoicing in Christ's finished work on their behalf, these born-again believers forget they have a new Christlike-life within and work at achieving an unattainable righteousness through their old sin nature.
Let us keep that old self nailed to the Cross and let Christ live His life through us, as we rest in Him - by grace through faith.
He lived and died a perfect life so that He might redeem those who were under the Law so that He might save those who fall short of the glory of God and give them eternal life.
He gave His life so that we might be adopted into His family, simply by believing on Him.
Job had no understanding of why his life was falling apart.
He was unaware that the life he lived, the actions he took, or the decision he made to trust in God would be used to encourage countless saints that were to come after him.
In the same way, the one who is not enslaved to keeping the Law, but justified by grace through faith in Christ, is the one who has reached the age of maturity and has received the promise - Christ Jesus our Lord Who gives us victory in this life and great reward in heaven.
The first is a vision of a valley filled with dry bones, representing the dead nation of Israel being resurrected into new life, while the second prophecy is a symbolic act, where the prophet used two sticks to relay God's message to His people.
However, when the Lord God reiterates a truth, it is because He wants to emphasise a matter and we would do well to listen to the Word of the Lord and to read, mark, learn, inwardly digest, and take to heart all that He has to teach us and to apply it in our life.It was the Spirit of God that moved over the face of the earth, in the beginning, to bring light and life to a darkened world.
God's Holy Spirit breathed life into the empty shell of Adam, causing man to become a living soul, who was made in the image and likeness of God.
And just as the Spirit of God caused the breath of life to trigger the creation into being and breathes new life into the one who is born from above, He is also the One Who causes flowers to fade and the grass to wither with a single blast of His nostrils.
It was also the Holy Spirit of God who moved holy men of God to pen the Old Testament Scripture and cause the New Testament prophets and apostles to write the gospels and epistles, which are so necessary for our learning, if we are to grow in grace, mature in the faith and live a life that is honouring to the Lord, in thought, word and deed.
But Israel would not harken to the Word of the Lord, and the prophet Isaiah used withering grasses and the fading flowers of the field to illustrate the transient nature of mans’ life, in an attempt to encourage Israel to repent of their sin, leave their apostate ways and turn back to the Lord.
Isaiah used the familiar grasses and flowers that grew everywhere to show the contrast between with the permanence and stability of God’s eternal Word, with the fleeting nature of wayside grasses and fading flowers, for the grass withers and the flowers fades; but the word of our God stands forever.The stark comparison of the fleeting life of a frail little flower with the transient passage of human existence is intensified by the striking contrast of the permanently established and eternally enduring Word of God.
How feeble and frail is the transitory, impermanence of all humanity and yet how steadfast and secure is the Word of the Lord – for God has even placed His Word above His holy Name.All human life is like grass, which appears as nothing more than evaporating vapour, which lasts for a little while but quickly vanishes away. Man’s glory is likened to both the grass of the field, which dries up in the noon-day sun and the short-lived flowers, which droop and drop and wither away when the breath of the Lord blows over them.
The transitory nature of fallen man whose days are but as grass, is starkly contrasted with the permanence of the everlasting Word of our God, which stands forever and ever.The Word of the Lord not only refers to the God-breathed scriptures but also to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ – the incarnate Word of the Father – the eternal Son of God, for He is the only eternally abiding reality in this world - and in the world to come, life everlasting.
The fifteenth chapter of first Corinthians provides the most comprehensive treaties on the resurrection of the body, and life eternal for the believer, in Scripture..
The Corinthian Christians had become sceptical of this teaching, causing Paul to detail the whole counsel of God in this area, together with the good news of the gospel of grace, which promises eternal life to all who believe on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The apostle explained that from the beginning, the holy Scriptures were pointing forward to the promised Messiah of God, Who was appointed to die, for the sin of the whole world, according to the Scriptures, and that He would rise again, according to those same Scriptures, so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
He wanted these Corinthians Christians to understand that because Christ sacrificial death and glorious resurrection broke the power of sin and death, ALL who believe in Him have the same victory over sin and death and will also be raised to life in a new, incorruptible, resurrected body.
Because we KNOW death has been conquered and eternal life with Christ Jesus our Lord is our free gift of grace, we should delight to do His will and never waiver in our faith, for our resurrection means that our work for God will not be ineffective.
Those who believe, have a most glorious assurance and thrilling confidence, that every promise of God will be fulfilled, including the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.
We are to listen to His voice and to trust in the Lord in every circumstance of life, even when the difficulties we face seem to tower over us like the walls of Jericho - and then we are to act on our God-given instructions that are found in the Word of God.
The narrow way, which is found by few, is rightly seen as a difficult path which is found by grace through faith in Christ, knowing that He is the only Way to the Father, and He is the only Gate into eternal life and heavenly bliss. The broad way is therefore identified as the road that the majority of the human race will take and is conversely seen as the easy path which leads to destruction and the fires of hell.
Jesus was teaching His followers that there are two ways to travel through their Christian life: The spiritual gateway; which leads to an abundant and victorious life as we travel through this world where the Lord is glorified in us, or the carnal gateway; where the final result will be loss of reward for a wasted, defeated life where God was dishonoured by one of His blood-bought children.
Only they were warned that wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to a destroyed life.
Only they were forewarned of the consequences of entering through the wrong gate which results in destruction - self-destruction - a life lived without meaning - a wasted life where Christ was not central and God was not glorified.
They will be eternally saved, yet as though by fire (as Paul explains to the Corinthian Christians), for they will have lived an unfruitful life and suffer loss of reward.
Let us strive to enter in by the narrow gate and live a victorious and abundant life here on earth, where self is nailed to the cross and Christ is glorified in our bodies, to His praise and glory.
No one can ever be justified in the sight of God through works of the Law, and yet many having started their Christian life by grace through faith and then seek to continue their Christian walk by reverting back to legalism, trying to live by the law instead of living by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.
At our salvation, we were imputed with Christ's righteousness and received the indwelling life of Christ (the new life in Christ).
We started our Christian life by faith, and we are to continue our Christian walk by faith.
Faith is simply trusting God's Word and living a life that is fully dependent upon Him for everything.
Let us meditate today upon this simple, yet life-changing truth.
This is how the Lord Jesus put it: God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
In his defence, Paul was relating his life-changing event on the Damascus road which caused Him to renounce his Jewish faith and place his trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Paul had applauded the crucifixion and was diligent in persecuting the Church, only to discover his own belief system was wrong and Christianity was the Way to the only Truth and eternal Life.
We who have believed on the Lord Jesus for salvation, underwent a similar life-changing event when we trusted Christ as Saviour.
During His earthly ministry, prayer was not only a vital part of life - but a subject about which the Lord taught often and an issue that should rejoice our hearts and become a vital element of our Christian walk.
Praise God that we are saved by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary and receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting as a free, unmerited gift of God's goodness and grace.
It must have been an exciting hiatus in the humdrum life of simple fisher-folk like Peter..
When an egotistical man or prideful woman is convicted of their sinful self-life, it is shocking to the core.
Peter came to understand that despite his own cleverness and skill the Lord Jesus alone must become the central focus of his heart and life.
Peter was to learn that old life which stands guilty and condemned before God must remain nailed to the cross..
so that the life of the Lord Jesus is able to conform us into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ Himself - with every passing day.
It probably took Peter many years to learn that Christ is all in all and that His divine power has given us all that pertains to life and godliness..
May we come to a fuller understanding that forgiveness of sins is dealt with by the blood of Christ, but that our old sinful self is dealt with by the cross - as we die to self daily and life for Him. For although the shed blood of Christ procures our pardon from sin - it is the cross that procures our deliverance from the power of sin in our lives. May we learn to die to self daily..
Because we trusted the Lord Jesus as Saviour, all that we need for life, godliness, and spiritual growth is ours already, but it is accessed by faith.
We started our spiritual journey by grace through faith in Christ, and we are kept throughout our life-journey by the power of God by faith, but we are to exercise that faith in Christ by believing the truth of His Word, by trusting our lives into His hands, by abiding in Him and He in us, and by learning to say, Thy will, not mine be done.
And as we journey through our Christian life, we are to: Add to our knowledge temperance or self-control; and to self-control we are to add patience.
And finally, may our patient endurance grow into godliness, brotherly affection, Christian love, and Christ-like behaviour, knowing that the more we grow in these virtues, the more productive and useful we will become in our Christian life as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
John walked with his Saviour for three wonderful years, and wrote his Gospel so that we would believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing we may have life in His name.
However, John's Gospel only touches on the fringe of the inexhaustible fullness of all that Jesus did - for words are insufficient to capture the infinite riches of His unparalled life.
Jesus is the door of the sheep-pen, and the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep.
But this Great Shepherd of Israel is our Good Shepherd too - for we are the 'other' sheep that this Good Shepherd has that are not of the fold of Israel, and He lays down His life for us as well.
The burden of Hebrews is to keep on living our life by faith, and its target audience is not the unsaved, but believers who are encouraged to persevere despite the temptations and trials we inevitably face.
Our Christian life is not to oscillate between spiritual progress and spiritual decline.
We are to live a life of faith; we are to run the race of faith and not be weary; we are to walk by faith and not to faint.
Christ is our great High Priest and wonderful Lord, and because of our position in Him we have been given all we need for life and godly living.
At salvation, we were declared righteous by God and covered in Christ's righteousness, and in HIM we have all we need to keep on living a victorious life that honours the Lord.
We are justified by faith, and now we are to live a sanctified life by faith, as this verse tells us: My righteous one will live by faith, and if he draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.
Similarly, He takes no pleasure in his born-again children when we do not live a life by faith, because He has clothed us in the righteousness of Christ, sent the Holy Spirit to live in us, and given us the Word of God.
Three times, New Testament writers use quotes from Habakkuk; expressing the importance of God's righteous saints living by faith, emphasising the importance God places on the justified man or woman living their life by faith, and continuing, day-by-day, to live a life of faith and not to draw back into a fleshly carnality or unbelief and fear.
The main thrust of Hebrews is for Christians to persevere in the Christian life and to 'keep on keeping on' to the very end, while it gives a severe warning against following the same path as Israel who fell into unbelief and fear.
May we read, mark, learn, and apply the truth that threads its way through the amazing book of Hebrews and live our life by faith.
Life's pressures can start to take a severe toll on our relationship with the Lord Himself, as intimate contact with the Lord Jesus is edged out by urgent time constraints... and too soon we discover He is pushed outside the door of our helter-skelter lives.
Life is full of pitfalls and snares, and we often make wrong choices, but it is comforting to know that no matter what trials we may be called upon to face, or what foolish choices we have made in the past, we can go to the Lord and ask Him for godly insight and spiritual understanding, and He has promised to give us all that is needed for the task.
It must have been shocking for this young man to discover that the brother whom he had treated with such contempt, during his life, was his Lord and his Saviour.
James began his lesson on wisdom by pointing out that the suffering of this life produces patient endurance, which will furnish us with spiritual maturity.
But James was a young man with a teachable spirit, who was quick to embrace the wisdom of faith he lacked, and encourages those of us who are deficient in spiritual insight to ask the Lord for the necessary wisdom we need – and not to doubt that He will provide for us liberally.James also knows that trusting the Lord for godly wisdom as we travel through life..
is a tool the Lord uses to test and strengthen our faith in Him, and which helps to produce in us the patient endurance that is so needful for our spiritual growth – but we are reminded to stand fast in the faith unwaveringly – if we are to honour the Lord Who bought us with His precious blood, and to come forth as gold.How much we all need God’s heavenly wisdom in the tests and trials of life’s disappointments and difficulties, which are so much a part of our everyday lives.
We all desire to grow in grace and in a knowledge of Jesus and we all long to cultivate an undivided heart, that is unruffled by life, as we submit to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and walk in spirit and in truth.Awareness of our lack in any of these areas of our Christian walk or recognising that life’s problems are swamping our fainting hearts is wisdom indeed – and a prudent step towards solving such problems is to ask the Lord for wisdom.
After salvation, throughout our entire Christian life, our soul is being made new through a process of practical sanctification... as day by day our soul-life is gradually being conformed into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus as we grow in grace and mature in the faith.
And one day we will be like Him, reflecting His beautiful, eternal, righteous life in every way.
The destiny of the believer is eternal life, which was secured at the Cross of Calvary and made a reality by faith.
They are going to be raised incorruptible, having received everlasting life and will serve in the Temple of God for 1000-years, as priests of God and of Christ.
The Spirit breathes life into the sinner saved by grace through faith in Christ, and removes him from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Christ.
All the three members of the eternal, holy Trinity bear record in heaven that: God has given us (mankind) eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost unite to witness that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
He has sealed us with His Holy Spirit, come to dwell within our mortal bodies, and has also given us an everlasting assurance that in His sight we are saved, sanctified, glorified, and have already been given eternal life.
Fellowship with the Father is broken, future rewards can be forfeited, spiritual growth is stunted, and instead of having a victorious Christian walk, through His sufficient grace, they are defeated in the race of life.
May we also be mindful that it is only by ongoing faith in Him - living a life of faith and walking in spirit and truth, that we can enjoy ongoing fellowship with our heavenly Father - and Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour.
Christ's discourse in John Chapter 10 thrills the heart of every child of God, for Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd, Who not only knows our name but lays down His life for the sheep.
Jesus is truly the Son of God and God the Son, Who chose to die for the sin of the world, as the Son of Man - so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
Both the gospels and the epistles give multiple examples of the call to love one another, as Christ loved us, and to think more highly of our brothers and sisters in Christ, that we do of ourselves - no matter what their station in life.
To the one an aroma from life to life. To the other the stench from death to death.
His life displayed an indescribable beauty, an intangible tenderness, an inexpressible sweetness, and an indefinable goodness, and yet to the hypocritical leaders of the Jews and those that were blindly following them, He became the most obnoxious stench.
To the unsaved, the Christian man or woman can become a nauseating stench of death, whereas fellow Christians smell the sweet fragrance of the life of Christ.
What we say and what we do is a matter of life to those that are saved - and death to those that are lost in trespasses and sins.
Peter was one who witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit falling on a group of despised, inferior, Gentile 'dogs', simply because they believed in their heart that Jesus Christ died on a cross for their sins, rose again the third day, and that through His name everyone who believes in Him would receive forgiveness of sins, life everlasting, and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Our salvation rests of the finished work of Christ on the Cross of Calvary: So that all who believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
We have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Christ, and so we should glorify God in our body and be eager to do the good works that God has prepared and foreordained to carry out in the life of each of His children.
He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit, and generously poured out His Spirit upon us, through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
David knew about living a life full of difficulties.
His was a life full of wars and rumours of wars, fleeing from the wrath of the increasingly evil king Saul, surrounded by enemies on every side.
As David was surrounded by the accumulating difficulties in his life, he acknowledged God to be his portion and he prayed to the Lord to lead and to guide.
Like David, we need to be men and women that delight ourselves in the Lord and meditate upon Him in our waking moments and during our times of rest, as well as throughout all the twists and turns of life so that when the storms of life whip-up around us we are not dismayed, but with David are able to claim, You are my rock and my fortress; For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me,
We have a positive responsibility to obey His Word and apply it in our everyday life, for when we walk in the unity of the Spirit and live in holiness of heart, we mature in the faith, grow in grace, and produce the fruit of humility, patience, gentleness, and love.
From the moment we are regenerated, the old self-life is to be put off and should remain nailed to the Cross, and we are to put on the new.
We become a new man with a new life; the in-breathed life of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
God had something greater to achieve in Elijah's life.
At the moment, we are passing through life not quite understanding why certain things are taking place in our lives - but if we are prepared to listen to His still small voice and follow His gentle commands, we will all one day gaze in awe and wonder at the whole, magnificent tapestry of life... of which we are one small part.
The truth of the transient nature of God's creations is not designed to bring us to the brink of despair, but to grab man's attention and teach us the impermanence of this life, the futility of chasing after the wind, and the fleeting value of material possessions and elevated positions.
A tiny babe is born into this world with nothing - not even a covering for his little naked body, and although a wealthy man may be buried with great pomp and circumstance in a jewel-encrusted coat, and laid in a costly granite tomb, this is still a statement of the fragility of life - for everything he owned remains behind.
While worldly riches are not evil and can be put to good use during the course of a man's life - death is the great leveller, for it teaches the vital lesson that we were born into this world with nothing, and we cannot take anything we accumulate between birth and death with us.
But death is also a gracious tool that God uses to cause men to search for truth and life - which is only found by faith in Christ Jesus our God and Saviour.
Paul knew that seeking after the glittering prizes of life and the accumulation of riches, can often lead us into temptation or entrap us within a materialistic mind-set, which can so speedily catapult us into ruin and destruction.
Paul knew that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and an understanding of the passing nature of the material world, is an effective method which God uses to teach us this life-changing truth.
As Christians, we are the most blessed people on earth, for in Christ we have become victorious in life - and through Him we have been declared triumphant over death.
We are identified with His Person, His perfections, His glorious victories, and His resurrected life - and it is all by faith.
Because we are in Christ by faith, we have passed from death to life-eternal and are one with Him.
Paul tells his readers that he was pressed out of measure and attacked by the enemy of our souls, insomuch that he, despaired even of life! He was tossed about by every possible difficulty and danger, but Paul learned a valuable lesson... that he must not trust in his own abilities but only in God.
Paul knew that in his own strength he could not overcome the sin nature that governed his life.
Despite all the difficulties and dangers that encompassed his life, Paul was able to i) experience in his life... ii) declare with his lips... iii) write in this letter to his Christian brothers and sisters in Corinth that the answer to all our needs and the antidote to all our fears is Christ, but thanks be to God, was Paul's victorious cry when he discovered the truth, thanks be to God, Who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
Paul's bold confession of God's sufficient grace and victory over every issue he faced, gave witness to a life that had died to self and lived only for Christ.
It demonstrated Paul to be a man who followed in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus Himself Who lived in total dependence on His Father by presenting his life as a living sacrifice - a freewill offering - a burnt offering that is holy and acceptable unto God.
Perhaps the one that most typified the life of Christ and the life of the apostle Paul, was that of the burnt offering which was a freewill offering - given to the Lord out of love and not out of duty.
Paul explains that when we are able to continue to trust God even during those tough times when we are pressed out of measure, tossed about by every possible difficulty and danger and attacked by the enemy of our souls, then our life becomes a sweet aroma to the Lord... such that the spreading of the glorious gospel of Christ becomes the wonderful consequence of a life consecrated to God.
All we have to do is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, and by His grace we have become ministers of the new and better covenant.
As believers, we have the life of Christ within us and the good works that God has prepared for us to do, are to be accomplished in our new Christ-life and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The works God has prepared for us to do cannot be achieved through the power we exert from our old self-life.
The gracious words of the Lord Jesus are light and life, health and wholeness, truth and love, and they are words of great comfort for all His children.
The gracious words of the Lord Jesus are light and life, health and wholeness, truth and love, peace and comfort, and these words are spoken to you that you may be kept from stumbling.
He had come as the Light of the world and Lord of life, and I am sure He was keen to share the truth of the gospel with the friends and neighbours He had known since childhood.
May we saturate ourselves in the promises of God and be careful to fulfil all the principles and precepts that we are required to uphold in our Christian life.
May we study to show ourselves approved unto God, as we meditate and memorise the words of life, so that our hearts may be saturated with truth and light.
At salvation, we were justified by faith in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting.
The process of sanctification starts the moment we are saved by grace through faith in Christ and continues to our life's end.
Paul is teaching the important principle of hard work, willing obedience, and patient endurance in the Christian life - even in the midst of suffering and pain.
Because we are identified with his life, we are being saved from the power of sin throughout our Christian life - through the ongoing process of sanctification.
Paul tells of the paradox that death leads to life, weeping comes before joy, the cross is carried before the crown is worn... and suffering for Christ leads us to reign with Him in glory.
But every believer has the free-will to choose to either 1) suffer hardship as a faithful servant of Christ or 2) to try to escape life's problems by denying the Lord His right to govern their life.
The first results in a victorious Christian life while the latter leads to a defeated Christian life - saved but suffering loss of heavenly rewards.
Every believer is bought with a price - the precious blood of Christ, but if we deny Him His right to our life through unbelief or carnality, we are warned that He will deny us.
We are not denied eternal life which is a free gift of God's grace to all who believe that Christ died to pay the penalty for their sin.
We are to persevere in the arduous race of life like a committed athlete.
Following his conversion on the road to Damascus Paul had spent his life in sacrificial service to the Lord for the joy of seeing others come to a secure, trusting faith in Christ.
Paul rejoiced to see them grow in grace and mature in their Christian life.
Paul had been the first person to bring the good news of the gospel of Christ to the citizens of Philippi, and in a beautiful way Paul expands the self-sacrificial spirit he observed in these Philippians Christians to include his own involvement and joy in the maturing of their faith. Over the years Paul's life had become intertwined with the lives of these believers to the glory of Christ Jesus their Lord..
And in spite of his imprisonment in Rome, Paul's epistle to these saints gives a beautiful and joyful description of his own life and work as a drink offering which was being poured-out..
And some, like these foolish Christians at Corinth who were so full of their own importance, allow the trivial issues of everyday life to divert their attention away from the power, the wonder, and the wisdom of the Cross of Christ.
The death and Resurrection of Christ was a complete and final victory over sin, for Christ not only died FOR our sins so that we might be reconciled to God and saved from the consequences of sin (which is eternal separation from God), but He also died UNTO sin so that His life would become our life and the strangle-hold that sin held over us would be broken forever.
This beautiful verse is in a section of Scripture where Paul deals with one of the basic aspects of the Christian life; believers are in union with Christ, we are one with Him.
Because of Christ's finished work in the past, sin is no longer an issue in my life now or forever.
But it is even better... Because Christ was raised from the dead, we too share in the same life that He has.
We are in union with His life and our life is now and forever hidden in Christ.
This position of safety was secured in the past at the Cross of grace and the tomb or life and continues to be the case in our present life today.
Being in union with Christ means that the past, present, and future aspects of our life are now and forever tied up and remain in union with Christ, and it began at the Cross when we died with Him.
The condition of our lives may appear to contradict this truth, when difficulties rain down upon us, but no matter what life throws at us our union with Christ is 100% secure.
We are the possessors of eternal life because when the Lord Jesus was raised, we who are in Christ and are His seed were raised at the same time.
And in God's economy - because Christ was raised from the dead, we were raised at the same time into newness of life.
As far as God is concerned, our new life is already eternal because we are in union with Christ: For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
The question is often asked why both Death and Hades were mentioned, and the answer must be that Death refers to physical death, when life expires and body and soul are separated.
Let us testify of the joy that could be theirs in Christ and warn of the wrath to come and the eternal sorrow that awaits those who refuse to believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Paul knew there were evil workers among the body of Christ, who placed their confidence in the flesh rather than in the Lord Jesus, and because of his narcissistic, pre-salvation life, Paul recognised that the zeal of these self-righteous legalists placed them in opposition to Christ!!
However, when fleshly pursuits impinge on our walk of faith, when our will rather that God's will is the focus of our life, or works of the Law are substituted for a life of trust, the shocking truth is that we find ourselves out of fellowship with the Lord, and labelled as enemies of the One Who bought us with His own blood.
As we journey through life may we allow nothing to impinge on our walk of faith, and may we be ready and willing to die to our own desires and live for Christ alone.
Instead of trusting God to keep His Word, they suffered the consequences of unbelief. They were redeemed from Egypt, but fell short of their promised rest. They were saved - but lived a barren life and did not fulfil God's purpose for their lives.
Christ is our promised peace, and we gain that peace that will guard our hearts every day of our life if we rest in Him and trust what God has said in His Word.
Similarly, although Christians are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we can forfeit our spiritual rest during our journey through life.
His grace is sufficient for every eventuality in life, but we have to appropriate what is already ours - we have to seize hold of what is already ours by faith.
Although we are eternally saved, we may live a defeated life if we do not hold fast to the assurance, if we do not walk by faith, if we allow fear to dominate our mind, if we fail to take hold of all that has been promised us - through Christ.
We are to hold fast to our faith to our life's end, as we abide in Him, rest in Him, and trust Him in all things.
Baptism is simply an outward and public demonstration of an inner, supernatural work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit, which takes place in the life of a man or woman who trusts in Christ for salvation.
The baptism of the Spirit happens once in the life of a believer.
Spirit baptism takes place when Christ's sacrifice for personal sin becomes a reality in the life of a guilty sinner - and from that point on we are to walk in spirit and truth and to be filled day by day..
and God knows the very moment that a guilty man, woman or child trusts in Christ for Salvation and baptism is the next inevitable step of obedience in the life of a Christian.
Jesus said; For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
There are many that believe in the historical Jesus and His moral teachings without believing in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection for the forgiveness of their sins and life everlasting.
Jesus said; For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
But He is full of tender-love towards His creation, and in His mercy and grace (and at the enormous cost of the life of His only begotten Son), God set in motion His amazing plan of redemption to save mankind from eternal separation from Himself.
But as a demonstration of the amazing love that God has for Adam's fallen race, He sent His only begotten Son into the world so that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
He is the eternal Son of God and He is the perfect Son of Man Who is the Light of the world and Life eternal for all who trust in Him: In Him was life and His life was the light of men.
This verse follows arguably the most famous verse in the Bible which tells us: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
But how many believers continue to live the life under a self-imposed condemnation, simply because they do not read God's Word or believe what they read.
but the rich, self-satisfied person, who desires to be master of his own life and destiny, He simply sends the empty away.
Whatever the circumstances of our individual lives, whether we be rich or poor by worldly standards, let each of us come to the Lord, confessing our need of Him in all areas of our life.
Let us approach Him in humility of heart and poverty of spirit, for He has promised to fill all those that hunger for Him with good things, both in this life and in the age to come, while those that come to Him in selfish, self-satisfied pride and carnality of soul, will receive the bitter fruit of inner emptiness.
If anyone is hungry, he has an open invitation to come to JESUS, the bread of Life and be filled with good things.
Sometimes we forget that Abraham, that great man of faith, was named Abram for much of his life.
It was not until he reached a certain point along life's spiritual journey of faith, that the Lord changed his name from Abram to Abraham.
One of the first things God did to test his faith was to send a famine to the land of Canaan - but Abram chose to trust in the fleshpots of Egypt rather than rely on the Lord to provide all he needed for life and godliness.
God also used Abram's nephew, Lot, to teach him other important truths about trusting the Lord with all his heart and not to walk by sight, rely on his own intuition, or become unsettled by life's difficult circumstances.
God used Lot to teach Abram that the Word of God is not only true, but that the lust of the eye and the pride of life can end in destruction. And after he and Lot decided to part company, God brought Abram to a deeper understanding of the dangers of fleshly lusts and the need to remain separated from the pagan nations and the enticing trinkets the world offers.
It was at this special point in his life that God gave Abraham the covenant sign of circumcision.
God worked in Abraham's life with a long-term view, and He works in each of our lives from an eternal perspective.
We have all had earthly parents and we have all been corrected by them, and those in authority and during our life we remained under their charge and subject to their jurisdiction.
The chastening rod that comes from the Lord is a life-long training programme, which is designed to increase our faith in God and strengthen our dependence upon Him.
God had promised that if Israel honoured Him by keeping the conditions of the covenant, He would multiply blessings upon them in every area of life, BUT He also warned that if they broke their covenant with Him, they would be cursed and He would scatter them among the nations.
John 6:29. 'This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent.' John 17:3. 'Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus'. Galatians 2:16. 'For we hold that one is justified by faith..
It is one thing to know about God the Father, but it is an entirely different thing to KNOW the Father, to be SENT by Him, to be ENTRUSTED with a mission that has eternal consequences; an undertaking that touches the life of every member of humanity.
Christ was not simply born to be another member of the human race Who lived a good life and become an example of high moral standards and exemplary teachings.
May we remember to keep in mind the many pitfalls we will face in our Christian life and maintain our faith in His promises to sustain and keep us.
May we keep the eyes of our heart on Jesus and apply the truth of the Word, knowing that we too are the apple of His eye and have been given all we need for life and godliness.
Everyone who is justified is called to spiritual maturity through a life-process of sanctification.
As a result, David received a promise from God that he enjoyed for the rest of his life, I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
He was to surrender His imperfect will so that the perfect will of God may be fulfilled in his life.
May we allow His counsel to lead us in the decisions we make in life - for when we delight ourselves in the Lord HE gives us the desires of our heart.
Folly and Foolishness is often personified as an unwholesome prostitute who will lead gullible men astray, and cause them to fall into poverty, deep distress, immorality, and even death... whereas Wisdom and Understanding is frequently used to characterise a virtuous woman, whose godly life and beautiful attributes result in wealth, prosperity, success, and a profitable life.
The value and importance of wisdom in the life of a believer, runs like a silken thread through much of Scripture, and in this verse, Solomon teaches an important lesson of the value of wisdom and its far-reaching impact. Wisdom is better than weapons of warfare, but one sinner can destroy a lot of good.
While a wise and insightful strategy can only forestall a bitter conflict between people and nations, it only takes one fool-hardy sinner, or one act of treachery, to wreak much havoc and devastation in his own life and the lives of others.
And in like manner, applying the wisdom of God in every area of our life, is far superior to adopting worldly strategies in overcoming the evil one.
When pride is recognised as the antithesis of grace, we begin to understand its destructive nature in the life of a believer and the wisdom to counterbalance it with godly humility.
The urgency of Peter's message in his second epistle is that the Christian's life, which begins with faith, must grow and develop into Christian maturity and produce spiritual fruit which is so honouring to the Father.
As believers, we are not left on our own to forge through our Christian life blindly, depending on our own personal potential, business acumen, innate abilities, or educational excellence, for to do so would cause us to become shipwrecked: Without Me, ye can do nothing.
However, in His grace God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him Who called us by His glory and virtue.
And for our part, we are required to diligently apply in our daily life, all that have been given us in Him.
We are to die to all that is of self and to live our life for Christ alone.
We are to break free from all that comes from the old life that was dead in trespasses, sins, and in bondage to Satan, and walk in newness of Christ's indwelling life in spirit and in truth, as we depend totally upon God and are fully equipped by His Holy Spirit.
And so the urgency of Peter's message in his second epistle is that our Christian life, which began at the point of saving faith, must become a growing, developing, and sanctifying faith.
Despite all the suffering, pain, hurt, and distress that the prophet Jeremiah faced in life's school of affliction, the Lord was teaching him many lessons about the great faithfulness of the Lord and His never-failing mercies, which are new every morning.
However, this verse addressed a little remnant of faithful believers, commending them for their good deeds and godly life: But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
They were 'overcomers' by faith, who were not only living a victorious Christian life, but continued to enjoy fellowship with the Father and were promised that they would walk with the Lord Jesus, dressed in white garments.
No doubt, the clear comparison between the 'few faithful people' and the vast majority in Sardis was designed to challenge those with a fruitless life and dead faith, to come to repentance and return to living a productive and triumphant life that honours the Lord Who bought them with His precious blood.
Some discovered Him to be the Word made flesh, in Whom is eternal life and love divine, and they gladly acknowledged Him as Lord and Saviour - but most remained in unbelief.
Let us comfort one another with these words and sing praises to Him with thanksgiving with every passing day, knowing that we are been saved by grace through faith in God's only begotten Son, Who loved us so much that He gave His life so that we might live.
In this world we will have tribulation and trials and the Christian life is not a bed of roses, as is so often taught today, but we are to be of good cheer, for Christ has overcome this world and has gone to prepare a place for us.
The price He paid for our forgiveness was His own precious blood so that we could be forgiven forever of all our sins and receive eternal life as a free gift of HIs grace.
And we can be confident that God knows what is best for each of us, and humble obedience and utter dependence on Him blossoms into an enriched spiritual life and a closer walk with God.
God in His grace permits the trials and difficulties of life to act for our eternal benefit and for the glory of His name.
Israel's way of life and standard of conduct was to become a light to lighten the Gentiles, and they were to bring others into fellowship with the God of Israel.
Peter taught that only a perfect member of the human race, Who lived a sinless life, could qualify to shed His human blood as the acceptable purchase price for humanity's sin.
All Scripture directs our attention to the unique Man Who would come to offer His life as the ransom price for mankind's sin.
Jesus became the Firstfruit from the dead. - the first MAN to rise to life-immortal.
Not only was Jesus a perfect Man, over Whom death had no claim, He is also the eternal Son, in Whom is life eternal.
As the sinless Man, He gave His life for us.
His work on the Cross means that ALL who believe that Christ died for their sin, was buried, and rose again according to the Scripture, will not perish but have everlasting life.
This miracle of salvation by grace through faith in Christ, is freely available to ALL, just as it was when Peter stood up on that first day of Pentecost and taught this life-changing truth.
He was sent to fulfil the Law and the prophets by living a sinless life so that He would be qualified to die on the Cross and to pay the price for the sins of fallen humanity.
He came to bind up the broken-hearted, heal the sick, and set the captive free, so that by grace through faith in Him, we might not be condemned, but have everlasting life.
Paul concludes his inspired writing with these wonderful words: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The story of Ruth has a wonderful ending which reminds us that we have a Kinsman-Redeemer Who was willing to lay down His life to make us His Bride.
Like all of God's children who choose to live independently of His will for their life, Elimelech and his family were permitted to go their own way.
But when faith is replaced with unbelief and when God's will is set aside for self-will, the difficulties and problems of life become insurmountable and everything seems to fall apart.
Sadly, like this certain man from Bethlehem-Judah, we too often walk away from God's will for our life, and drink from broken cisterns and eat the unfruitful works of darkness, instead of walking in spirit and truth and trusting in His perfect will for our life and future.
Let us believe all that God has spoken to us in His Word and trust Him in every eventuality of life and not rely on our own imperfect and flawed self-will.
For thirty-three years, the eternal Son of God lived a perfect life as Jesus of Nazareth, dwelling in a perfect, sinless body that had been kept untainted from the inherent sin nature that is passed from father to son; the fallen sin nature that is the portion of all who are born in the image and likeness of Adam.
Christ Himself was discovered throughout His earthly life in earnest prayer to His Heavenly Father, and we would do well to take heed of the reason for prayer.
To pray in the Spirit is only possible when we are living in unbroken fellowship with the Father, for a life that is living, walking, and praying in spirit and truth is one is submitted to His leading and guidance, for the one that lives in helpless submission and dependent upon the Holy Spirit, is the one that truly prays in the spirit.
They were under Roman oppression and longed to be free from the pressures, persecution, and pain of life in this fallen world.
Although Christ was fully God, during His life on earth, He lived His life as fully man, demonstrating to you and me how we should live our lives, in total dependance on Him. The blasphemy of denying the deity of the eternal Son must be vigorously refuted.
He had witnessed many wonders and had seen the supernatural hand of God working in his life on numerous occasions, but he had not heard directly from the Lord for many long years.
It is often in the life of a seasoned saint who has been walking with the Lord for many decades and been witness to God's miraculous workings in many areas of their life, that the Lord is ready to test His servant.
God can test his children at any point in their earthly walk, but as spiritual maturity develops, the trials of faith often become increasingly painful, as God searches to and fro, for that man or that woman, who has an undivided heart that is turned toward Him - no matter what life's circumstances may throw at them.
Abraham had not only been saved by faith, he was also required to live his life by faith.
it was not feeding the masses with tasty food or raising dead people back to life but feeding the soul with every word that proceeds from the mouth of God and helping to raise spiritually dead souls into newness of life..
and the Church today, was to be founded on the spiritual work we are called to carry out - work that is to be accomplished in the lives of lost sinners who are dead in their trespasses and sins, estranged from God and facing eternal separation from Him - so that they might hear the good news of the gospel of grace, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, become a new creation in Him - and receive forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The apostles and certain others had been given the power to do miraculous signs during Christ's earthly life in order to authenticate His Messianic claims and those supernatural gifts continued to function during their lives, but the greater works that the apostles performed were connected with the salvation of the souls of lost men and women.
James knew that the human response to the difficulties and dangers we face in life can either cause us to doubt God's goodness or increase our trust in His sufficient grace.
He knew that disbelief in God's goodness and power during times of great problems and pain means a man or woman is unstable in their faith, resulting in them being buffeted and bruised by the circumstances of life, and victims of the situation they are facing.
But the walk of faith is a life that is lived trusting God in the midst of difficulties, holding fast to His precious promises, and knowing that God's Word stands fast for ever and ever.
There should be a patient, kind, gracious love that comes only from the indwelling Spirit of Christ Who is our life - for in Him our soul is refreshed and we are equipped to edify others, which glorifies our Father in heaven.
Christ was the one and only uniquely begotten Son of the Father, and all that trust in the beloved Son of His love, are begotten of God – born of God - born-again into newness of life – saved by grace through faith.
Christ died for the sin of the whole world so that whosoever believes on Him might not perish but have everlasting life, and Paul systematically dismantled every claim made by these Judaisers.
He may have been sincere in his desire to please God and be a highly moral man who lived an exemplary life, but Paul was sincerely wrong.
May we never forget that Christ alone paid the penalty for our sin by His sacrificial death, and He alone broke its power in our life through His glorious Resurrection.
An unbeliever cannot earn his salvation through works of the Law, nor can a Christian live a God-honouring life through deeds of the flesh.
Faith is believing all God has said in His Word - first, for our justification and then, for living a sanctified life.
The Christian life of faith appears to be a paradox, for it seems to fly in the face of logical thinking.
Walking by faith in this life, means we are to rely completely on all that God has said in His Word.
The life of faith filters our thoughts, actions, attitudes, and words, through the holy Scriptures, as we listen to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit, follow His directions, and trust in the Lord with all our heart.
But sadly, many Christians are diverted away from this path of faith to living by sight, by signs, by senses and emotions, by imagination, by feelings, by worldly philosophies, or extra-biblical revelations, especially when they see life's stormy seas and the mountains of difficult circumstances rising up to block their path.
However, the man or woman that lives by faith as well as being saved by faith, accepts the truth that God uses all the storms and problems of life, as well as times of great joy and rejoicing, to remove all the pride and selfishness of our old sin nature, as He gently conforms us into the beautiful image of the lovely Lord Jesus.
The man or woman who lives by faith uses life's stumbling-blocks as stepping stones.
Happy is the one who understands that faith is not only required for salvation, but is the necessary ingredient to live a victorious Christian life.
Once we are saved, we are to be firmly established in the Word of the Father, established in our new life in Christ and established in the truth of the Spirit.
Because we are children of God, we have been given everything we need for life and godliness, and all we need to do is to appropriate what is ours through the power of God, Who establishes us.
However as the aged apostle John neared the end of his earthly life, he was given an amazing vision of that terrible future time, which will culminate with the heavens being opened: and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
At that time He offered up His life as a ransom for many..
Christ was born to die, and for 33 years He set aside His glory which He had before the world was created, and lived the life of an obedient servant in utter dependence upon God.
His perfect life would qualify Him to be the one and only Sin-Sacrifice for mankind, and to demonstrate how God intended all humanity to live - in utter dependence upon Him.
He marched steadily, obediently, and willingly through life to drink its bitter gall.
Should not we in willing obedience seek to do the same, knowing that Jesus not only died to save us, but also rose again to live His life through us?
Stephen was the first Christian martyr, but his death stands as a witness to the world, of a man who lived a NORMAL Christian life.
He lived the sort of life that should be lived by every man or woman of God, who has placed their trust in Christ, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The life that Stephen lived should be the standard for all of God's blood-bought children.
He was a godly man who knew the power of the resurrected Christ in his life, and was ready and willing to fellowship in the footsteps of His Saviour's suffering.
Both the life and the death of Stephen is a beautiful example of a man who is faithful to the point of death, and a man who will one day receive that promised crown of life.
In his life, he reflected the love of Jesus and was identified as a godly man who could be trusted.
Let us seek to live the normal Christian life so that like Stephen, the first Christian martyr, we too may be faithful to the point of death and win the promised crown of life - to the honour of God the Father and the praise of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
We are one with Him, we are identified with Him, we are clothed in His righteousness, and privileged to share His life in us - and we are further privileged to be fully identified with Him in His humanity.
Forgiveness of sin and life everlasting is ours because of our faith in His sacrifice on the Cross.
Having been declared righteous (justified) we are to live a sanctified life - and it is all by God's grace.
The moment we believe we are saved, but for the rest of our life we are being sanctified as we are changed into His image and likeness.
However, throughout our earthly life we are to continue to be washed day by day, by the purifying effect of the Word of God in our life.
Not only are they called to be even-tempered in their dealings with others, honourable in all aspects of their home life, self-restrained in their business and financial dealings, and hospitable towards others, but they are instructed to stand firm in the faith, to hold fast to sound biblical doctrine, and to be able to exhort and encourage others in the furtherance of the gospel of God.
And He helps us in this amazing personal, intimate way, in every part of our lives, even in our prayer life: The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
The life and times of Samuel, spans the period when Judges ruled over the nation of Israel until the times of the Kings.
Making a vow to God she prayed, Lord of Hosts, if You will take notice of Your hand-maiden's affliction... if you will remember and not forget me, and give Your servant a son, I will give him back to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.
The distraught woman pleaded with God to give her the son she longed for, and in return she would give him back to the Lord all the days of his life.
It is not the selfish prayer that says 'give me what I want', that reaches the heart of God, but the unceasing heart-cry of helplessness that says 'without You Lord I can do nothing' - 'Thy will be done in my life' - 'use me Father, to fulfil Your plans and purposes'.
But He is able to do over and above all that we can ask or think when we trust Him with both the enormous tasks at hand, as well as the insignificant things of life.
May we be ready and willing to be used by God to forward His plans and purposes in our life, and for the glory of His name.
It was the Father's love that Christ came to display, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
SURELY - if, while we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
The supernatural love which was demonstrated in Christ's life towards His beloved disciples, can equally be manifested in our lives, for Jesus is the Light of the world, Who was sent by the Father to dispel the shadows of darkness.
The enemy, who has sought to shroud the truth of the glorious gospel of God, and seeks to prevent it from shining into the hearts of those that trust His word, was defeated at Calvary.... and we have been given ALL we need for life and godliness.
He prayed that our lives would be so in tune with one another that we would reflect the godly perfection and intimacy that exemplifies the relationship between the Father and the Son, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. May Christ's beautiful High Priestly prayer for the unity of believers, be answered in my life - to His greater praise and eternal glory.
The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to become conformed into the very image and likeness of our glorified Saviour.
Paul knew that like every other believer, his sanctification was a life-long process, which would only be completed when he finally stood in the presence of Christ Jesus..
His ambition in life was to fulfil the purpose for which Christ had saved him when he was apprehended on that road to Damascus.
Sanctification is a life-long process for all believers and like Paul none of us can boast that we have obtained all that God wants to do in our lives - for we each have our own special place of service and we each have our own personal goal that has been established by Christ.
Pressing towards the goal of our calling is the responsibility of all Christians and our objective in life should be to finish the race that is set before us and seek to attain to conformity to His death - which is death to the self-life - so that the life that we now live is a unsoiled reflection of the beauty of Christ in us.
Rather than endeavouring to escape the child-training programme that God has for our life, we should rather embrace it and try to discover the spiritual lessons that the Lord desires us to learn so that we may grow in grace and mature in the faith.
When we were released from the slavery of Satan's dark kingdom of sin, death, and fear, we were transferred into God's kingdom of life and light, hope and freedom.
The finished work of Christ does not only refer to our initial salvation when we first believed, and ongoing sanctification throughout our earthly life, but Christ's work at Calvary incorporates our final glorification the redemption of our bodies, when Christ returns to claim the Church as His Bride – the time when we are officially adopted as sons of God.
Let us never doubt God's Word, even when we are surrounded by the trials of this life: For you have not received a spirit of slavery that leads you into fear again.
He is Salvation to the sinner, Refuge to the saint, Comfort to the afflicted, Strength to the weak, Health to the sick, and He is the Resurrection and Life-everlasting to those who trust in His name.
The Lord our God is holy, and He will deal justly in every segment of our life, where sin is hiding, for He is a fair judge and a righteous God, Who will not abide iniquity.
Let us glory in His wonderful name and let us trust Him in all things, seek Him with our whole heart, and increasingly flee to Him as the Hope of our salvation and our Tower of refuge - for He is our Comforter, our Joy, our Light, and our Life.
So much in the family of Abraham and the nation of Israel is used by God to teach us lessons on living a sanctified life that is honouring to Him, while highlighting many fleshly behaviours and carnal attitudes we should avoid.
How sad to see the spiritual decay that marked the end of Isaac's life - and what lessons we can learn from his failure.
Such love can only be manifested in the life of a believer, who is walking in spirit and truth.
John, who is so often referred to as 'the apostle of love', wrote at the sunset of his life, Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment, which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. (through the ministry of Jesus Christ our Lord.)
Christ did this in love, so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
He was simply emphasising a teaching that had been his life mission, since he watched in awe and wonder, as Jesus was taken up into heaven, with the instruction to, go into all the world, and to preach the glad tidings of the gospel of Christ, to all the people.
Having received the anointing of God, the indwelling Spirit, and the abiding life of Christ Jesus our Lord, every believer has an assurance that those who walk in spirit and truth will be guided into all truth.
It was the prophets of old that foretold of the coming Messiah and prophesied of His birth, His life, His crucifixion, and resurrection, and it was through them that signs and warnings were given in connection with His first and second comings, as well as much that will take place in the millennial reign of Christ.
We however have been given all we need for life and godliness in this Church dispensation, and it is to be found in the Word of God for our learning.
How important, when we are tested and tried through the many difficult and disappointments in life, that we recognise it for what it is - an evidence of God's love for us and His perfect child-training programme, which is designed to perfect us.
The eighth chapter of Romans begins in no condemnation and concludes in glory, and in this beautiful passage we are gently led into a fuller understanding of the wonderful ministry of the Holy Spirit that takes place in the life of a believer.
Next, we discover that the work of the Spirit in our lives is in bitter conflict with our old, carnal, fleshly nature, causing the believer to have to choose to either walk after the Spirit or to walk after the flesh – but that is a choice that we all have to make in our Christian life.
Some may choose to be led by their fleshly nature and walk through much of their Christian life in the flesh, but all children of God who have matured in the faith, will at some time have made the choice to be led by the Spirit of God: And all who are led by the Spirit of God are called SONS of God.
In the knowledge of what God has done for us, through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ - shouldn't we be joyful, with exceeding great joy?
True joy and genuine happiness is a gift of grace from our heavenly Father, for genuine joy and true happiness is a heavenly grace we receive from the Spirit of God, as we walk in spirit and truth and live in newness of life.
May we find comfort in the life and times of Joseph and guard ourselves from the sort of parental favouritism or sibling rivalry that is evident in this verse... and may we be quick to listen to all the Lord has to say to us, wise in the things that we share with other people, and careful in the words we say and the attitude we display.
The Christian Church is composed of all individuals who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
in line with the will and character of Christ, and He would grant it. The Lord Jesus was not choosing these men from the sea of unsaved humanity to salvation and eternal life.
In Proverbs we are told that: the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that wins souls is wise. Paul outlines the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 and reminds us in Ephesians that the fruit of the spirit is, in all goodness, righteousness, and truth - and we are called to go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain.
He died in our place so that by faith in Him we would not be condemned, but clothed in His righteousness and receive life everlasting, as well as His perfect peace.
A little earlier in his prophecies to Israel, Isaiah called to their remembrance that God is their refuge and strength in every trial they face, and their everlasting Rock in the storms of life.
The apostle John points to the deity of the lovely Lord Jesus so that many will believe and trust Him as Saviour, and be given eternal life through Him, by grace.
But it is the Spirit of Christ that convicts man of sin, it is Christ Himself Who builds His Church, and it is His Word that causes men to look to Him and believe – for His Word is life and health and wholeness and peace.
He knew that Israel's continuing relationship with God was of greater value than every square inch of the Promised Land - for, without the Lord, life would be meaningless.
I wonder if we have the same intense love for our Lord Jesus and as deep a desire to maintain sweet fellowship with Him as we see in the life of Moses.
I am sure as Paul reflected on his life, in that dark, dank, dreary dungeon in Rome, his heart was gladdened when he thought of Timothy, his spiritual son in the Lord.
And in this final epistle of encouragement and warning, he trumpeted a call to faithfulness in ministry, courage in the challenges of life, and patient endurance when facing the inevitable hardships that pursue all who live godly in Christ Jesus.
When we join together to partake of the bread and wine in memory of Him and to reflect on the enormous sacrifice Christ made on our account, and when we recognise that His bodily resurrection guarantees all who trust in Him eternal life, it is a thing most wonderful to ponder upon as we rejoice together.
It also realigns our focus on what we, as members of His mystic Body, should be doing in our daily lives - as we present our own life as a living sacrifice, holy unto the Lord.
Christ is the Bread of Life upon Whom we each, individually feed - and He is the Hope on which our eternal future is founded.
And the Spirit of God can only be observed in the life of a believer by a lifestyle change, a more godly attitude, and more gracious behaviour.
Our new life in Christ cannot be felt or fully explained.
Our new life in Christ is the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in the very heart of a believer, by faith.
We are to live our life in spirit and truth, to walk in the spirit, and to pray in the spirit as guided by Him.
And as we bow to His leading and guiding, promptings and training, so the indiscernible, unfathomable movement of the Spirit of God can be observed in the man or woman whose life is yielded to the Lord.
The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer may or may not be seen.
Let us be ready and willing to yield to his moving in our life and not seek to control His work so that the love of Christ bears the fruit of the Spirit in each of our lives.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd Who has said He would never leave us nor forsake us, no matter what situation we find ourselves in, no matter what difficult life-circumstances we face.
But those who believe that the LORD has laid on HIM the iniquity of us all, are not only forgiven forever and given eternal life, but the Lord has laid on US the unsearchable riches of His grace and clothed us in His robe of righteousness.
But God knew they would reject His authority and crucify the Lord of Life, and so, for a season, Israel was set aside.
To those who believe... He becomes their springboard into eternal life and everlasting light.
God determined that those who believe were destined for eternal life while those who did not believe were destined for destruction Paul describes such people as, vessels of wrath, prepared for destruction, and Scripture clearly teaches that those who believe will be saved, and receive eternal life, while those who do not believe in Christ, will be damned, and face the eternal Lake of Fire.
Every man has been given the free will to EITHER believe and be saved OR not to believe and be damned... and everyone is responsible for the choices they make in life.
Every man is responsible for the choices they make in life.
The choice between Eternal Life and the Lake of Fire is their sole responsibility.
May we recognise the serious nature of the choices we all have to make in life, and choose the good and reject the evil.
He will lead him in the path of life, instruct him on the pathway of justice, restore to him a knowledge of the holy, and show him the way of wisdom, for all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth and all His ways are righteous and true.The man that humbles himself before the Lord in godly fear need not worry about the arrow that flies in the daytime nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness... for He is our refuge, our fortress, and the God in Whom we trust.
Rather, we are under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which... by faith in Him, has set us free from the law of sin and of death.
Some allow the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life to dominate our mind - catapulting us into an ungodly, carnal lifestyle that is detrimental to our spiritual growth, disastrous to our Christian witness, and dishonouring to the lovely Lord Jesus Who bought us with His own blood.
We are to live as Christ lived... in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life... and we are to love and serve one another in the same way that Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.
No wonder that Paul reminded the Christians in Galatia that carnality is as abhorrent in the life of a Christian as legalism, which binds us to keeping the Law which we can never attain.
The wages of sin is death and only as the perfect, sinless Son of Man, could Christ willingly offer up His sinless human life as the ransom price for the sin of mankind.
Satan may have the power of death and harass us in this earthly life... he may even sift us as wheat and prowl around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may destroy.
However, physical death can never take away the eternal, spiritual life of a believer... and those that have died in Christ will one day arise from the grave into life everlasting - for by the sacrifice of Christ's sinless life on the Cross, the power of death has been defeated.
Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sin and break the power of sin in our lives so that we could live with Him in the eternal ages to come... and he is there for us, no matter what temptations we may be called upon to face, and no matter how difficult life's circumstances may become.
We identify with His life, His death, His resurrection, and His righteousness. Those who trust in Jesus as Saviour are made a new creation in Him and receive a new life in Christ - His death becomes our death, His resurrection becomes our resurrection, and we are clothed in His perfect righteousness.
Christ came to earth and lived out His life, from beginning to end, as the perfect role-model for all mankind.
Although He was the eternal God, Jesus lived His life as a perfect man to show us how all God's blood-bought children should live.
We who have trusted in the finished work of Christ on Calvary's cross have already received reconciliation; redemption; the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Therefore, even though this psalm, like other psalms, prayers, and praises of David is an ever-present source of comfort and encouragement to all believers, and rightly so, this verse is a prayer that the Christian can never pray, for in so doing it demonstrates a lack of understanding of the permanent, indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of ALL believers - following Christ’s finished work on Calvary's Cross.
Kings, prophets, and selected individuals would be indwelled by the Spirit for a specific ministry - and He would leave when their task was completed or if that believer sinned (as was typified in the life of king Saul).
But this is very different from the permanently indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of ALL believers, ever since He was sent, by Christ, at Pentecost.
He redeems our life from the pit and crowns our head with faithful love and gracious compassion.
Surely the goodness and mercy of God shall follow us all the days of our life, and we should not hesitate to delight to sing His eternal praises, and offer Him the thanksgiving and honour that is due to His holy name.
Those that are children of the flesh and enslaved by the Law, are not children of promise. The bondwoman and her son were cast out, which foreshadowed the replacement of the Old Covenant with the New Covenant - where the law of sin and death is replaced with the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
He had to be born into His own creation as a perfect Man and live a sinless life..
God has to set aside His people Israel for a time but God has not abandoned His earthly inheritance- for as Paul reminds us: if Israel's rejection has meant reconciliation of the world - what will their acceptance be but life from the dead.
The earnest desire of Paul's heart was to know Christ more, to live for Him, to die daily to self, and if necessary, to give his life for the precious Saviour he loved so dearly.
The determined purpose of Paul's heart was to exalt his Saviour for the greatest glory of God and to continue to his life's end, declaring the goodness of his gracious Master.
Paul fully expected and hoped that he would remain faithful to his life's end and never be ashamed of his Saviour, but would continue to be as bold for Christ as he had been in the past, trusting that his life would bring honour to Him, whether he lived or died.
He knows that if we acknowledge Him in all our ways and trust Him in all the ups and downs of life, He will direct our goings out and our comings in, and He will govern our lives in a way that is best for us and those around us.
We are to trust Him in the temporal as well as the spiritual; to trust Him for things of the body as well as the soul; to trust Him in time and into eternity; to trust Him in all the ages and stages of our lives; to trust Him in the insignificant menial tasks of the day as well as the grander decisions that face us in life, and to trust Him in every aspect of His great plan of salvation.
And we are to do this in the knowledge that He is with us in the insignificant menial tasks of the day, as well as being our guide in the grander decisions of life that face us.
No matter what happens in life, our times are in His hands and we are called on to trust all into His hands – for this is good and honouring to Him.
And He will feed us like a Shepherd and guide us through all the valleys of life.
God in His grace takes and uses ALL things - both the good and the bad, the difficult situations and the easy times, the disappointments of life and the blessings we receive - the works of evil and the prayers of the saints... and He works them together for the good of His people..
He catalogues the divine power that is ours in Christ, for in Him, God has given us all we need that pertains to life and godliness.
The thrill of teaching others the glorious gospel of God's grace, and how to live a victorious Christian life, that is honouring to the Father, was never eclipsed as the years rolled by.
While-ever there was breath in his body, the aged apostle Peter would sing forth the praises of Him, Who had brought him, (and all who trust in Christ) out of the deep darkness of sin, death, and hell, into His glorious light and resurrected life.
Peter knew that Christ was the First-fruit from the dead, and that in Him, he too would rise to life eternal.
Not one of us deserves the heavenly position, precious promises, spiritual privileges and eternal life that is ours through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The disciples had become careless in their personal walk and spiritual life.
May we cultivate the spiritual discipline and devotion that is so necessary in the life of every Christian in this world which so desperately needs to hear the truth of the gospel.
The syncretism and traditions of men do not have Christ as the focal point, and Paul was warning the Colossian believers not to adopt these basic, world philosophies of men or their legalistic laws, because they cloud the true concept of Christ, distort the biblical truth of the Lord Jesus in the mind of the believer, and they rob the Christian of a proper understanding of the wonderful sufficiency and amazing adequacy of Christ in the life of ALL believers.
These teachings rob the believer of the true perspective of all that Christ is in the Christian life. These philosophies add heavy burdens to believers by teaching that you have to add something more to the full, final, and finished work of Christ.
Nor is a belief that He was a great teacher, who did many miracles and was crucified by the Romans, which brings eternal life and gives us access to the mind of Christ - all of which are true.
He is the light of the world, in Whom are the words of eternal life.
And when our life is submitted to Him, in humble dependence and childlike trust, the Holy Spirit will instruct us, correct us, lead us, and guide us into all truth... just as the Holy Spirit of God led and guided the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly life.
Christians similarly must walk that same spiritual path as their heavenly Lord, with the same humble mind and the same teachable disposition that was displayed in the life of Christ Jesus our Lord - so that we too can access the mind of the Almighty Son of God, as we abide in Him and He in us.
Esau was a man who proudly boasted of his self-reliance and independence from God through the life he lived, the choices he made, and the pagan wives he married.
but throughout our Christian life we are to continue to walk by faith.
We need faith in the Word of God to sustain us, and we need to believe all God's promises to His children, for we are to live our entire life by faith in Him.
As we journey through life, we need to continue in sanctifying faith.
The greatest enemy we encounter is death - but Christ won that battle on our account, and by faith in His death, burial, and resurrection, we too have victory over death, and will be resurrected from the dead - because all born again children of God are given eternal life.
Christ's own eternal, resurrected life, becomes our life by faith.
In Him is life, and His supernatural life becomes our eternal life, through time and into the eternal ages to come.
It instructs believers that ongoing, sanctifying faith, is a necessary protection throughout our Christian life.
When the enemy seeks to instil worry in our heart or to whip up our frantic emotions - it is the Shield-of-Faith that is our protection - for God's Word is sure and we must stand firm on His truth, however fragile life's circumstances may have become.
He also uses the lowly shepherd as a beautiful picture of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, the good and faithful Shepherd of the sheep Who sacrifices His life for the sake of the sheep.
Not only did the PRICE of sin have to be paid-for, in order to secure our salvation but also the POWER of sin in the lives of believers had to be severed - in order to deliver us from the tyranny of sin and its enslaving domination throughout our earthly life.
His death became our death and His resurrected life became our new resurrected life in Christ.
It was His birth into the human race and His sinless life which qualified Jesus to become the perfect sacrifice for humanities sin - our kinsman-redeemer.
and who who place their faith in Him will also rise to newness of life, as part of that new creation in Christ.
By faith we were removed from the old creation and placed into the new creation - so that in the power of His resurrected life we are enabled to grow in grace to His praise and glory.
By faith in Him our sins have been paid but in Him we also died unto sin and our death with Him delivers us from the sin's hold on our lives and frees us from its tyranny and power, so that we are enabled to live godly lives - with Christ's own resurrected life working through us.
His death unto sin became our death unto sin and His resurrected life became our new resurrected life in Christ - so that with Paul we can say it is not I that lives but Christ that lives in me - so that having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
The amazing truth of the glorious gospel of grace is that repentant sinners who have fled for refuge to the Cross of Calvary for the forgiveness of sins do not come into judgment, but have passed out of death and into life.
John's Gospel was written in order that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living, invisible, immortal God and that by believing in Him we may have life in His name.
And He had to be willing to sacrifice His human life and shed His own, human blood so that His propitiatory death and glorious Resurrection would satisfy God's anger against sin and be sufficient to pay the full price for the sin of the whole world.
And The salvation of mankind would be accessed through faith in the supernational birth, the sinless life, the sacrificial death, and the glorious Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ - so that by faith in His name we might have life eternal.
I am the bread of life.
I am the resurrection and the life.
I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
Christ was fully God, but during His time on earth He set aside His glory and lived His life as a Man - demonstrating to the rest of humanity how God created Man to life - in willing and total subjection to our Father in heaven.
However, the life He lived was to reflect the will of the Father... and the Father's will was reflected in all Christ said and did.
Jesus demonstrated a life lived in full and total harmony with the will of the Almighty God... for the Son can do nothing of Himself unless it is something He sees the Father doing.
Nothing that Christ did in His life was independent or in opposition to the will of God for Christ lived His life as God determined that all humanity should live - in perfect harmony with the will of the Almighty God, to His praise and glory.
May we follow this perfect example of a man Who lived His life under the direction of the Spirit of God.
Christ: - the anointed Messiah of Israel, and Saviour of humanity, Whom the Father anointed to become the Redeemer of the world and sacrificial Lamb of God - and about Whose perfect life, substitutionary death, wonderful resurrection and eternal rule the prophets of old wrote about in the holy Scriptures.
brought back into a right relationship with Him, shall we be saved by His life.
Yes, Jesus identified with our death so that we might be identified with His life.
He identified with us so that we could identify with both His death and His resurrection - so that HIS death became OUR death (death to the self-life) and HIS life became OUR life (our new eternal life in Christ).
He bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to God, through the power of Jesus Christ our Lord and our Life.
When we move from being a sinner to being saved, we receive a new life (the resurrected life of Christ), and by the power of the Holy Spirit we are returned back into fellowship with our Creator, and finally have peace with God.
When we are reborn into the family of God, all our sins are forgiven, past, present, and future, and we have peace with God and life everlasting.
But the POWER of sin was also broken at the Cross for we were given a new nature that was free from sin, a godly nature, the 'New-Life' of Christ, and we became a 'New Creation' in Him.
And it is our 'New-Life-in-Christ' that must grow in grace and be conformed into the image and likeness of Jesus - but never the 'Old Man'.
We were imputed with the life of Christ when we were born again, and the power of our 'Old Man' was severed at the Cross.
The power to live godly in Christ Jesus comes from Christ Himself, for we received His life in us.
Let us choose to life our lives as unto Him, quickly confessing any sinful acts or attitudes so that we may quickly be restored into fellowship with the Father.
We are called to walk worthy of our Lord and to be fruitful in our Christian life, but this can only be achieved as we abide in Him, rest in Him, trust our lives into His safe-keeping, and walk in spirit and truth.
We have been given the new life in Christ.
If we trusted Christ for our redemption by faith and received the life of Christ as a free gift of grace, should not we also choose to live our life in spirit and truth?
It must have been encouraging for Paul to see Timothy, his young 'son-in-the-faith' being sufficiently established in his Christian life to be entrusted with pastoring the recently established Church in Ephesus.
Paul wanted to remind them that the Christian life is not an easy thing, but lovingly commended them for their perseverance in the midst of the deep distress they were going through - and so he wrote, therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions, which you endure.
Why could I not have the opportunity to try to live a sinless life so that I will not be subject to the consequences and outcome of Adam's ONE transgression?
God alone is good and His law is perfect... but to try to live a perfect life in an increasingly sinful world would inevitably fail.
And as the God the Son in human form, He lived a perfect, sinless life.
He came to fulfil God's perfect Law and live a perfect life on our behalf - taking upon Himself the punishment for sin that we justly deserve.
The transgression of Adam, which caused death to be passed onto all men, is very different from the amazing, abundant, glorious, and eternal life that is offered to all men as a free gift of grace.
All that is needed is faith in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of our sin - to Whom be all praise and glory, not only in this life but in the ages to come.
We should not fall into the trap of complaining about the fiery trials that befalls us nor should we be tempted to stray from the godly path that leads to life and light in the Lord.
His prayer life was regular, systematic, orderly, and faithful, and he prayed with expectation that God would answer his prayers.
But His way and His timings are always the best for each life, for He knows the way we should take.
Let us reflect the prayer-life of David, who was an example of a man who prayed regularly, systematically, faithful and expectantly, and who cried, In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.
We are to have a faith that holds firm through all the changing scenes of life, whether we face trouble or joy.
Though the Lord Jesus was fully God, He lived His life from beginning to end as God intended man to live - by faith in God.
Jesus lived His life in the way that God expects us all to live - in full dependence upon Himself.
Jesus set aside His own glory during His time on earth and lived his life by faith in God, for the joy that was set before Him - and we are to consider HIM.
We are to consider Jesus, Who endured grievous opposition and bitter hostility against Himself, and draw strength and encouragement from His example so that like Him, we will not grow weary but seek to follow His example of a life lived in utter dependence upon God.
Nation after nation is shutting God out, and it seems like every area of life is being infiltrated, such as education, health, and even the family.
Jesus has promised to be with us no matter what circumstances we face in life, and we should take comfort in the fact that the plans and purposes of God will one day be accomplished, no matter what the anti-God agenda of our day dictates to the contrary.
These older ladies who have greater life-experience, are directed in verses 3 and 4 to encourage younger women to love their husbands and also to love their children.
It is not sufficient to simply know the truth, but to live it out in daily life and apply it in our homes and families.
No matter what role we have in our home or Church community, we all need to submit ourselves to God and live a godly life that engages in roles and responsibilities as laid out in God's Word.
May each one of us seek to develop characteristics and attitudes that honour the Lord in every area of life.
They were not abiding in Christ and walking in spirit and truth, and they were accused by Jesus of being spiritually dead in their Christian life.
However, their soul-life was fruitless.
Though members of Christ's Body, with the indwelling Spirit of God, these Christians were deprived of the life and power of God.
They were living a carnal, unproductive, fruitless Christian life, and grieving the Holy Spirit, like the saints in first Corinthians.
He exhorted them to give some evidence of spiritual life.
A born-again Christian can only grow in grace OR regress in their spiritual life.
They were encouraged to change their ways with a wonderful promise, He who overcomes will thus be clothed in a white garment; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Some use this verse to suggest that truly, born-again Christians can have their names blotted out of the book of life - and yet in reality it teaches the exact opposite.
Our sins were judged at the Cross and by faith in Him, we have already received forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
However, the Bible teaches that believers who live their life in carnality will suffer the loss of any reward, which they could have won, by living as the Bible instructs - i.e.
The trials that Job endured are used by the apostle to remind us that the Lord has promised to be with us in every difficulty and danger of life.
He used this story to remind us that God's grace is sufficient for us, no matter what problematic or painful circumstances we may be called upon to face in this life.
And you have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings in his life - that the Lord is full of compassion and is most merciful. Yes, the ultimate result of Jobs suffering was a revelation of God's character.
Job was a godly man who overcame some of the most difficult and traumatic circumstances in life by maintaining His faith in God.
James both started his epistle and ended his text with the same important message, We count those blessed who endure. Men and women of God who patiently endure the difficulties and hardships of life should consider themselves happy, blessed, and enriched - because through it, they will grow in grace and develop spiritual understanding.
The immortal, deathless God had to become a mortal man so that He could live a sinless life and die a sacrificial death..
Living a holy life should not be a considered a burden or a strain but should be motivated by a reverential fear and unquenchable awe of God - combined with a heart of unending gratitude for the incredible price that God was prepared to pay for the price of our redemption.
Oh, He has committed the future judgement of condemned sinners into the hands of the Lord Jesus, but it is our heavenly Father Who with impartiality judges the thoughts and deeds of all who are His children - during our life-time on earth.
Through Peter, Paul and the other New Testament writers God has given Christians clear standards on how to live a godly life in this Church age, and He is the One Who judges the work and words of each of His blood-bought children..
But as Paul wrote his epistle, we discover that he was once again confined to a Roman jail where he knew that his very life hung in the balance.
He knew that should his life be spared, he would have the joy of living for Christ on earth.
His steadfast trust in his Saviour was unshakable for he knew life held the joy of fruitful labour for Christ (where the gospel would be preached, souls would be won, and heavenly rewards would be secured).
Our citizenship is in heaven and whether we live a fruitful life or die a martyrs death, may we do all to the glory of God the Father.
The significance of Christ's death, burial, and Resurrection for the believer is unprecedented, for as God's purchased possession, we too have died with Christ and rise into newness of life.
And when He comes to claim the Church as His Bride, we will all be changed into a body that is like unto His glorious body - for this is life eternal that you know God and Him Whom He has sent.
May we trust in the Lord with ALL our heart and not lean on our own understanding, for the Lord KNOWS the path we take, and has scheduled every day of our life for our eternal good and for His greater glory.
For by the first man - Adam, came sin, death, and eternal separation from God, but by the second Man, the Last Adam - Jesus Christ the righteous, came life and light, forgiveness, eternal peace on earth, and goodwill with God for men who believed - for as in Adam all DIE, so also ALL those that are positioned IN Christ, by faith, will be made alive.
Nothing in the life of a Christian happens without a purpose and every event that takes place, whether good or ill, is used by God for our spiritual growth and eternal benefit.
During our sojourn on earth, we are called to mature in the faith and to grow in grace, and God takes all the circumstances of life as an opportunity to develop our trust in Him so that we may discover a little more of His gracious character, His omnipotent power, His omniscient wisdom, His unfailing righteousness, His unapproachable holiness, and His unconditional love.
She was yet to discover that Jesus is incarnate God; the One Who holds all things together by His almighty power; the One in Whom is life everlasting.
Martha only had a limited understanding of God but she had come to trust His Word, and so God was able to work in the circumstances of her life to develop her faith and to deepen her dependence upon the Lord Jesus.
And to this grieving woman with her tiny 'mustard-seed faith' were spoken those earth-shattering words, I am the Resurrection and the Life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.
He is not only the God of tomorrow's promises, but the One Who is with us through all the changing scenes of life.
Martha's faith was expanded as she learned that she was to look to Jesus every moment of her life, from that day forward, as her ever present help in time of trouble, and not simply to trust God with a future programmed that will one day be accomplished.
Christ came to earth as the sinless Son of God to live life as God intended man to live; perfect in God's sight, fulfilling every aspect of God's Law, submitting to guidance of God's Spirit, depending entirely upon God the Father, and desiring to do His will.
And because of man's rebellion against God and man's imputed sin nature (due to His disobedience), Christ came to live as God intended man to live so that the life of God could be lived through a man; the Man Christ Jesus.
Although He was fully God, Christ lived as fully man so that God Himself could live His life through His only begotten Son.
Christ had finished the work of salvation that the Father had given Him to do in every aspect of His life as God incarnate; glorifying the wisdom of God, the faithfulness of God, the holiness of God, and the love of God.
Many suppress their desire, ignore their hunger, or even deny this deep-seated need, but it will remain in the heart of all men throughout their life, for God has set eternity within the heart of humanity.
Peter builds up these foundational facts in order to prepare us to live a victorious Christian life that is honouring to God during the time that we are sojourning on this earth.
We need to fix our eyes on Jesus and the truth of God's Word and nothing else, in order to be able to avoid our hearts being turned toward the difficulties and trials of everyday life.
Jesus set the stage for His important teaching on the Bread of Life by feeding a multitude of 5000 men, besides women and children, with 5 barley loaves and 2 small fishes.
Although God is our great Provider Who supplies all our bodily needs and the daily necessities of life according to His great goodness, His greater provision is the gracious offer of the salvation of our soul, the redemption of our body, the forgiveness of our sin, and life everlasting.
Jesus came to satisfy this hunger in the heart of all mankind: Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes (in Me) has eternal life.
The miraculous multiplying of bread and fish provided one small meal that left the people hungry on the following day, but the true Bread from heaven that Jesus wanted to offer these people, was the spiritual Bread of Eternal Life that would satisfy their soul through time and into eternity.
But when the Lord started to share this important truth - that He was the living Bread of Life Who came down from heaven to give eternal life to all who believe in Him, His message met with much resistance.
His glorious message was that anyone eating of this heavenly Bread would live forever because Christ's own life was to be given as the acceptable sacrifice for the life of the world.
At first, they complained that they knew his mother and father and refused to accept that He was God incarnate Who came down from heaven to offer them life eternal.
The Jews of Christ's day had a fixed perception of who the Messiah was, what He would do, and how He would arrive, and Christ's humble birth and simple life in Nazareth did not fulfil their expectations and caused the people great difficulty.
They could not acknowledge a suffering Servant, brought up in the despised area of Galilee, Who would be wounded for their transgressions, bruised for their iniquity, and would willingly give His life as the ransom price for the life of many.
We are credited with righteousness, our sins are forgiven, and we are given eternal life, when we believe in Jesus as our heaven-sent Kinsman-Redeemer.
It is God's will and God's desire that we believe that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes on HIM - whosoever believes on the Person and work of JESUS, would not perish but have everlasting life - and this was the message that Jesus delivered to the spiritually hungry souls who were dead in their sins and estranged from the Father: Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
Much doctrinal truth is reflected within the prayers that Paul prayed for the family of God, and much instruction and wise counsel on how to live the Christian life in a manner that is honouring to the Lord is similarly couched within the content of Paul's intercessions for the saints of God.
For in HIM are hidden all the treasures of wisdom, knowledge, truth and life eternal - for Christ is the power of God and He is the wisdom of God - and we are one with Him, by faith.
May we look to Christ, Who is the centre and circumference of our entire life..
A gracious correction or a gentle answer is more likely to divert an angry response: Gentle words are a tree of life, but words that are spoken in haste or harshly delivered stir up anger and strife: A deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
And within this sacred text we discover, from the prayerful lips of the Lord Jesus Himself, exactly what eternal life is.
Eternal life is not heaven (our ultimate destination) or the life hereafter, as so many people think.
It is not something for which to strive throughout our earthly life.
Eternal life is a free gift of grace that all believers on Him have as their present possession - NOW.
This is eternal life; that we know the triune God and that we know the Lord Jesus Christ Whom God sent to be the Saviour of mankind.
Eternal life is knowing God personally.
One in purpose; One in truth; One in life; One in Spirit.
Without God there is no life, and His life is that eternal life of Christ that is breathed into the one that is dead in trespasses and sins, the moment we trust Him as Saviour.
Without Christ there is no access to God and eternal life, for in Him is the light of life to all who believe.
God has given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as God has given Him: And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
In living a perfect life and dying a voluntary death on the Cross, the incarnate Son of God paid the full price for our sins.
Paul tells of the Spirit: That raised Jesus from the dead, and John reminds us that our Lord Himself confessed that He was given the power to take up His own life again, but here in Psalms it is David who joyfully announces that God the Father will not leave His soul among the dead nor allow His Holy One to undergo decay.
Praise God that through Christ's Resurrection, death has been destroyed for all who believe in Him, giving life and bringing immortality to light, through the gospel of grace.
While some passages systematically lay out doctrinal truth, they are interspersed with those that encourage us to apply what we learn in our everyday life or warn of the consequences of failure.
Nothing came into being apart from Him, and in Him was eternal life, which was the Light that shines into the heart of all who believe - and the darkness can never, ever quench this truth.
He encouraged this young pastor to endure life's hardships, like a good soldier of Jesus Christ, and not get entangled in life's pressures.
Timothy was encouraged to run the race of life like a top athlete - pressing on to the finishing mark, and Paul pointed out that to triumph in the race of life and to win the victor's crown, he must complete the race according to the rules.
These three illustrations of godly living: the soldier in the battlefield, the athlete in the race, and the farmer in his endeavours, pictured those with great perseverance, strength of character, and a determination to keep on keeping on in the midst of great personal challenges and life's inevitable hardships.
He was to trust in the Lord to sustain him in all his endeavours and to finish the good work He had started in Timothy's life.
We have been given all we need for life and godliness and we need to be ready to appropriate ALL that is ours in Christ.
We are to know and understand the significance of being identified with Christ... in both His death and His Resurrection if we are to live the consecrated life that Paul promoted and to which Timothy was called.
It is not our old sin nature that is given understanding in everything, but our new life in Christ - the new nature we receive when we are born from above.
May we never forget that the Spirit of God Who raised Christ from the dead is the same Holy Spirit Who will also bring our mortal bodies to life and empower us to endure life's hardships like a good soldier of Jesus Christ, to run the race of life like a top athlete, and to be like a hard-working farmer who reaps the rewards of his fruitful harvest.
By faith, we are positioned in Christ and have received His life.
We rejoice that our names are written in the Book of Life, but before we were saved by faith in Christ, we were all sons of disobedience and slaves of sin, who remained under the wrath of God and were headed for a lost eternity.
It means that His resurrected Life became our new eternal, resurrected life, and we became part of a new and perfect creation IN Him - simply by God's grace, through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of His only begotten Son, for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
All who have trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting are one with Him, identified with Him, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, for we are part of His Body - not only in this world but also in the ages to come.
No wonder Paul rejoiced to say, I have been crucified with Christ and the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
Although our old, sin nature will continue to lust against our new life in Christ during our sojourn on earth... nevertheless, we must reckon our OLD self dead to the desires of this world and our NEW life alive to God.
Before we were justified in the eyes of the Lord, by faith alone in Christ alone, we were also participants in the sinful lusts of the flesh and the haughty pride of life.
He warns against monetary greed and reminds us of the need to be content in all things - as we trust our heavenly Lord to provide for all the needs and necessities of life.
He is our spiritual food and the living water of life.
Jesus could have travelled to Jerusalem by an alternative route but Jesus HAD to pass through Samaria, for He knew that there was a wretched woman who was shunned by her community who was in need of the water of life and there was a city of lost sinners who desperately needed a Saviour. This was not a chance meeting that happened by accident along the way..
For much of His life Jesus worked as a carpenter in obscurity, in the little town of Nazareth, learning how to sit obediently at His heavenly Father's feet, as He humbly listened to His voice and was willingly guided by the Holy Spirit.
As a result of Christ's redemptive work at Calvary, God gave the beloved Son of His love His full sovereign authority over all humanity, which qualifies the Lord Jesus to bestow eternal life on all whom the Father has given to the Son.
God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes on HIM should not perish but have everlasting life.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect Man Who, of His own human volition, willingly lay down His sinless life as a ransom for His fellow men.
The Jews may have falsely accused Him and screamed out for His death, Pilate may have condemned Him and handed Him over to be crucified, the Roman soldiers may have driven the nails into His hands and feet, and your sins and mine may have been placed upon Him in those three hours of deep darkness, but He laid His own life down of His own accord.
It was by His own choosing - His human volition - His own, God-given free-will as a Man, that Jesus lay down His life.
He had authority to choose, and He chose to lay down His perfect life as a sacrifice for you and for me.
In His humanity, Christ had the authority to lay down His life for the sin of the world, and in His deity He had the authority to take it up again so that all who believe on Him might be given life and life more abundantly.
The Lord had blessed His servant mightily, protected his life, and brought him victory over his enemies, and David desired to honour Him by building a magnificent Temple in which to house the Ark of the Covenant.
While it is true that God is glorified in every eventuality of life, whether good or evil, the argument of let's do bad things so that God is glorified, must be recognised as trawling the depths of depravity and must be strongly denounced - and Paul succinctly concluded by saying, Their condemnation is just.
Jesus justifiably laid claims to being God - asserting that He has the authority and power to forgive sins, raise the dead, and give life to whomsoever He wills.
God has set a day when the only perfect Man to live a sinless life, will pass judgement on the entire race of humanity.
But first He had to come to earth as a Man, to become our kinsman-Redeemer, by being born into the human race, living a perfect human life, and dying a sacrificial, human death.
For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also, to have life in Himself.
And then Christ uttered this sober yet glorious truth - those who have done good deeds will be part of a resurrection of life, while those who have committed evil deeds will come forth to a resurrection of judgment and damnation.
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour) to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds (i.e.
Faith comes by hearing and those who HEAR the truth of the gospel of God, believe in their heart and trust in Christ, will rise into newness of His resurrected life.
We read a few chapters earlier - God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
They are justified and will be raised into the resurrection of life, but those who do not believe are unsaved..
May we who have come to a saving faith in the sacrificial death and glorious Resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ, take to heart the character traits that should be evident in the life of the spiritual man or woman.
He had to become a man and live as a man (but without sinning) so that He could voluntarily offer His perfect, sinless life as the ransom price for the sin of the world..
Death has not power over eternal life..
would be redeemed, forgiven of their sins, made part of His new creation; receive His resurrected, eternal life..
become an heir of salvation and be given power from on high to live a life that is honouring to God - simply by believing on the Person and work of Jesus.
Only Christ can proclaim: I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life; the Alpha and the Omega; the Author and the Finisher; the First and the Last; the Beginning and the End, for He alone is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Throughout His life, the Lord Jesus had demonstrated the very life that God created man to live; a life of utter dependence upon God, totally submitted to carry out the will of the Father; a life led by the Spirit of God and lived in humble obedience to God; a life that walked in sprit and truth and that always sought to glorify God and to carry out His will, both prayerfully and joyfully.
In order to carry out that commandment of love, we first need to live our life on earth in the way that God created man to live.
We are called to live a life of utter dependence upon Christ Jesus our Lord, and a life that is totally submitted to Him.
We need to be one who listens to His voice and carries out His will, living a life led by the Spirit of God and in humble obedience to God.
Let us love as Jesus loved us and live a life that walks in sprit and truth and that always seeks to glorify God and to carry out His will, both prayerfully and joyfully.
Christ laid down His life as the one and only compulsory sin-offering that was required to appease the wrath of a holy and righteous God, but Christ also laid down his life as a free-will offering - a burnt-offering - a voluntary sacrifice - a sweet savour to the Lord, and this is why the Father loves Him.
His death was required to pay the price for the sin of the world, but death has no claim on a perfect life and so death had no hold on the perfect Lamb of Christ.
He voluntarily remained in the grave for three days in order to fulfil Scripture, but on the third day He voluntarily took up His life again as a Man - a glorified Man - the Saviour of all who would believe on His name.
All authority in heaven and earth is given to Christ the perfect MAN, and by His own authority He laid down His life so that He took it up again.
David, the psalmist of Israel who penned these beautiful words, faced tremendous hardship and deep troubles, but the testimony of his life was that He looked back and recounted the compassion and grace that the Lord expressed towards His people, and he looked forward to the coming prophesied Redeemer Who was to personify the over-abounding loving-kindness and tender mercies to all His people.
The Pharisees poured over the Old Testament Scriptures because they thought that they would find the key to eternal life within their sacred pages, and yet they failed to recognise the very Person towards which all Scripture points, and about Whom all Scripture speaks.
We also read of the Tabernacle and its articles of furniture, the various Feasts of the Lord, sacrificial offerings, Sabbath day regulations, and other ceremonial dos and don'ts, all of which point to certain aspects or actions of Christ's character and life.
It is accepting, as an unchangeable fact, that the Life which God imparted to us through the Lord Jesus Christ, will save to the uttermost.
Without faith we are ships without a rudder that are tossed and adrift on the merciless sea of life, for the one who draws near to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Throughout his short life, Daniel had developed such a close fellowship with the Lord that his ears were open to God's voice and his heart was open to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
And in this final letter to Timothy, which Paul wrote near the end of his life, he reinforced the importance of knowing and understanding the whole counsel of God, which is able to make us wise unto salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The implication is that this 'golden rule' is the singular foundation upon which the Christian life is built, containing the total truth of God's Word.
The 'golden rule' is only one aspect in the life of a spirit-filled Christian.
Although it should be evidenced in the life of all believers who are learning to walk in spirit and truth, 'the golden rule' is only one element of the man or woman who is growing in grace and learning to love as Christ loved us, and gave Himself for us.
It should be a life-principle that impacts every area of life and is exercised on all with whom we come in contact.
Our Christian life should not simply be an absence of what is evil but the presence of that which is good, for the benefit of others and to the glory of God.
And may we live in such a way that the life of Christ is reflected in every part of our lives.
Jesus was to be glorified and to take His place at the right hand of the Father so that He could endow all His children with His abundant life, by means of the indwelling life-giving Holy Spirit.
And in love, He willingly laid down His precious life for you and for me.
Christ was the sin sacrifice Who would lay down His life to satisfy the wrath of God for the sins of the whole world so that all who believed on His name would be saved.
But the life of our Good Shepherd was also willingly laid down because of His deep love for His sheep, His Church, His Body, His Bride.
God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, but Christ loves the Church so much that He laid down His life for the sheep.
He laid down his life as a free-will offering so that He might take it again, and in so doing gave life to all who believe.
Praise God that the eternal Son became the perfect Man to lay down His life for the sheep, and to take it up again so that we too might receive newness of life in Him, forever.
It is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus that presides in our hearts.
We are governed by a higher law - a heavenly law - a limitless law: The Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus which set us all free from the limited law of sin and of death, that condemns every sinner.
Such language of sweet endearment is reserved for the closest of unions, and such was the life experience of the Lord Jesus... and He is our pattern for life.
Throughout His earthly life, Jesus showed us how to maintain close, adult fellowship with the Father, and throughout our earthly walk we are to walk as Christ walked and to live as Christ lived, in sweet, mature communion with Abba, our dearly loved Father.
Throughout His life, Jesus only did what He saw His Father doing and only said what His Father told Him - and we are to pattern our life on His life.
Indeed, not many months later a man named Lazarus... the brother of Mary and Martha, was brought back to life, and Jesus Himself rose from the grave - yet they refused to believe his message of salvation.
The challenge in each case is to display a Christ-like attitude before a world of unsaved people, so that our life honours the Lord, and stands as a witness to His goodness and grace - especially when His servants go through times of suffering for righteousness sake.
The life that Christ lived on earth is the standard upon which our own lives should be orchestrated.
He reminds us that Jesus is also the good Shepherd of the sheep, Who not only laid down His life for us, but is the great Shepherd, and Bishop of our soul, Whom God raised from the dead, through the blood of the eternal covenant.
Peter is pointing to Christ as the example of a godly life that we should seek to follow.
Whether a pilgrim, a citizen, a master, a servant, or whatever relationships we have in life, let us look to Jesus in humble obedience, and follow in His footsteps - by living in total dependence on our heavenly Father, and in willing submission to the Holy Spirit.
In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul was writing to a culture where slavery was a significant part of everyday life.
Some were cruelly coerced into slavery, some chose slavery due to life's bitter circumstances, and some entered more willingly.
But no matter the reason for a man's enslavement... when a slave was called by the Lord and trusted in Christ's sacrificial death and glorious resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, that man or woman became the Lord's freedman.
There were also times when slaves were awarded their freedom and they were called 'freedmen' - and again Paul wanted all such people who had been freed from their slavery, to consider the enormous debt they owed to Christ Who loved them so much that He gave His life as the ransom price for their eternal freedom.
But he also wanted to detail the incredible debt we owe to the One Who hung on the Cross for the sin of the world... so that by faith in His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection, we might have life - and have it more abundantly.
He used the images of freedmen and slaves to demonstrate that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death.
They heard that the only way they could live a victorious life was through power from on high, without which we are defeated by the world, the flesh, and the devil.
After having touched on tangible things like charitable giving, prayer, fasting, and one's attitude towards possessions, Jesus addressed issues like worry and anxiety and the need to place one's total trust in God for all eventualities of life: For this reason, Jesus told them, I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
The Lord's extended sermon on the true nature of righteousness, which is produced by faith in Christ, systematically covers every area of concern any of us might face, and the principles of living a godly life in Christ Jesus.
Peter tells us in his epistle, that God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, and in Ephesians we read that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, because of our faith in Christ.
How foolish, therefore, to waste time worrying about any aspect of our life.
For this reason Jesus said, Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
Only days before Mary's sacrificial service, her beloved brother, Lazarus, had been raised from the dead when Jesus made the astonishing proclamation, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.
And Gentiles came seeking Jesus when His hour was come to give His life to redeem mankind.
From His cradle in Bethlehem to the Cross at Calvary, Jesus is identified as Saviour of ALL - our Kinsman-Redeemer Who gave His life as the ransom for many.
He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
It was the Father's will that Jesus came to earth to give His life as the ransom price for the sin of the world.
Jesus had glorified His Father throughout His life by the way that He lived and He was to glorify His Father by the way that He died.
God was glorified through Christ's life and He was soon to be further glorified by His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven.
All men need the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, for all have sinned and all fall short of the perfection of God's perfect Law.
The purpose and plan of the Mosaic Law is fulfilled when it has achieved its work in the life of an individual.
Death for the sinner means eternal separation from GOD... for the wages of sin is death BUT... the gift of God is eternal life, through faith in Jesus Christ.
By His grace, the redemption price was paid in full by Jesus, so that when a sinner recognises their sin and seeks salvation by faith in Christ, the Law has fulfilled its work in the life of that sinner.
When knowledge of the Law causes a man to admit he is a sinner and turn to Christ for salvation, then the Law is established in their life.
The prime purpose of the Law is to expose our sinfulness and point us to faith in Christ's righteousness and when a sinner is saved by grace, the Law has been established in that life.
Too often a demarcation line is laid between the material things in life and the spiritual things of God - between what we say and do in our Christian life, and what takes place during the rest of the time.
When materialism and a love of money takes hold of a life, that person's desire for money will eventually take precedence over ones love for God.
When a believer's wealth starts to become a fixation in his life, he will become increasingly devoted to it, which leads to an increasing contempt for God.
When the heart of a man is set on money; the accumulation of worldly wealth and an obsession with temporal things - then God is excluded from that life..
But Christ came into the world to be the final revelation to mankind, and God gave us all that we need for life and godliness in His written Word, the holy Scriptures.
Their inspired teachings should be the only foundation upon which our Christian faith, our spiritual life, and our fundamental doctrine should stand, knowing that Jesus Christ is the Chief Cornerstone.
And we are to pray that as citizens of heaven, we are to live as His sons and daughters, in utter dependence upon Him for every area of our lives, knowing that when we live as unto to Lord in spirit and in truth, we are living the kingdom life with Christ ruling our hearts and enthroned in our lives.
The Lord Jesus was meek and lowly, full of compassion and great mercy – and the gracious words that fell from His lips were life and health and healing.
We are exhorted to let His Word dwell in us richly, both His spoken and written Word, for they produce in us an abundance of life and the spirit of true wisdom.
We should meditate and drink deeply on the Word of Christ, for His words bring light to the spirit and life to the soul.
Some of God's people may have returned to their homeland as the dead, dry, lifeless bones described in Ezekiel 37, but they have not been born-anew by the 'in-breathing' of eternal life from the Holy Spirit, which ONLY comes from faith in Jesus, their Messiah and King.
The day is coming when life is breathed into the 'dead bones' of Israel, and they will look on Him Whom they pierced, and acknowledge Jesus as Lord, King of Israel, and Governor of the whole earth.
Having been justified by grace through faith in Christ, forgiven of their sin, and given eternal life, they tried to keep themselves in God's good books by works of the flesh.
After having begun their Christian life by the power of the Spirit when they were born again, they were seeking to be made complete by their limited fleshly works!
His sinless life was a deathless life, for only the soul that sins shall die... and Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life.
Jesus was not deserving of death, but chose to give His life willingly, as the ransom price for the sin of the world.
The only payment God could accept in exchange for mankind's sin, was the sacrifice of a perfect, human life.
He was the eternal Son and the sinless Man and death had no hold on HIM and He rose again to LIFE.
But just as His death secured the full and final payment for the SIN of the whole world, so His resurrection secured LIFE for all who believe... Eternal life.
Abundant Life.
Immortal Life.
The imputed Life of Christ within.
He is the unique Man, the incarnate Word of God, Who has secured for us the forgiveness of sin, life everlasting, an eternal inheritance..
The life of the Christian should reflect his Lord.
The attitude of Jesus should be mirrored in the life of every believer, and yet... His was a life of deep pain and intense suffering.
His was a life of humiliation, rejection, betrayal, and death.
But His life of humiliation and death preceded His glorious resurrection and exaltation, and we too must share in His suffering, and die to self... if we are to live in newness of life and become a lovely reflection of the beautiful Lord Jesus Christ.
Jacob was chosen by the Lord to be one of the great patriarchs of Israel but throughout his life, God had to teach Jacob many lessons before he could be changed from being a carnal man into the spiritual 'prince with God' that he became.
Jacob had to learn to trust God in every eventuality of life.
From birth, he was known as a 'supplanter' and throughout his life, we see examples of Jacob using cunning schemes to get want he wanted out of life.
Jacob had been taught that God's promise to Abraham would be carried out through him, and yet Jacob spent much of his life scheming to fulfil God's Word through his own cunning and skill.
It was on his journey from Canaan to Haran that Jacob had a life-changing experience.
Jacob had to learn many lessons from the Lord before his name was changed from Jacob to Israel and every twist and turn of life, whether good or ill, was used by the Lord to hone Jacob into the man God knew he would one day become.
May we have an understanding heart and a listening ear to hear all that the Spirit says to us through the Word of truth, and may we rejoice that no matter what difficulties we may encounter in life or what problems may come our way, God has scheduled every day of our lives for His greater glory and our eternal benefit - and is transforming us, day by day, into the image and likeness of Jesus.
Jesus had been born for this hour and His whole life and ministry was focused on this even.
Jesus knew that His life must be lived in total dependence on His heavenly Father's instructions, for although He was fully God, He willingly set aside His heavenly glory to live his earthly life as a full member of humanity - for only a sinless man, who lived in perfect obedience to God would qualify to become the Saviour of fallen humanity and redeem everything that the first Adam lost.
He resisted temptation, learned obedience by the things He suffered, and lived a perfect life by depending on His Father, listening to the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit, standing on every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God, and praying without ceasing... in thanksgiving and praise.
Jesus knew that sin had corrupted the nature of man and that the only way to live a victorious life, in a fallen world, was to watch and pray continuously - in utter dependence on the Father through the power of the indwelling Spirit.
Although our old sin nature may cause us to fall into sin during our time on earth... nevertheless we praise our heavenly Father that we have a new nature - a new born-again life in Christ which is pure and holy.
And it is only as we abide in Him and His perfect, resurrected life abides in us, and works in us and through us, that the life of the Lord Jesus is enabled to live in us, grow in us, and work through us.
It is this new life in Christ that identifies us as children of God.
Only those that are born from above have the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus within... and only they can walk in newness of life and show forth the righteousness of Christ in their daily living.
May we who have been born from above, mature in the faith, walk in spirit and truth, grow in grace, and abide in Christ Jesus our Lord, day by day... so that His life and love, goodness and grace, may pour into our hearts from Him, and stream out in love to others.
But the answer he received must have shocked his piety and deflated his bubble of importance - as he alone heard the shattering reply that would change his life forever: I am Jesus Whom you are persecuting.
The message of the cross is that Christ died and rose again so that all who believe on His name would not perish but have everlasting life - and those that believe in Him are united together with Christ and placed into the body of Christ.
John was anxious to bear witness of Christ's life and to declare the good news of the glorious gospel of grace and the joys of eternal Life (Which was with the Father and Which was made manifest in the Person and work of Christ Jesus our Saviour).
But Christ is also our sanctification, for through His life and death He sanctified Himself so that we also may be sanctified by the truth.
When we are in Christ, God sees us as perfect through His Son, but we have a choice to LIVE the life that Christ lived on earth.
In order for us to follow His example, we need to submit to the Spirit and allow Christ to live in us so that we are not simply positioned in Him, but functioning through Him; allowing the very life of Christ to be lived in and through us, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Cross and all it stands for is foolishness to the Gentiles and a stumbling-block to the Jews, but to those who believe the simple message of the Cross as a little child, with Christ as God's unique and perfect sacrifice, the Cross and all it stands for becomes the power of life, the wisdom of God, eternal salvation to the soul, and PEACE - a peace from God which passes all understanding to the man or woman that trust God's Word and believes the simple gospel of God's grace.
He is the First-fruit from the dead and this is the thrilling truth: the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer, guarantees the resurrection to life of all believers.
Because He rose with a physical body of flesh and bone, we too will rise to life immortal with a physical body of flesh and bone, and this truth is systematically laid out in 1 Corinthians 15 where we read: And the last enemy that will be abolished is death.
No one 'took' His life.
Jesus gave His own life willingly: I give my life for the sheep, He said.
Death could not keep the deathless, everlasting Son of Man in the place of the dead, for in Him is life because He is the fountain of all life, and all who are in Him by grace through faith will rise to life immortal.
Christ is the first Man in God's 'New Creation' and His life gives eternal life to all who believe on Him.
Although unbelieving Israel is already back in the land as Ezekiel proclaimed, (chapter 37), they will not be brought back to 'life' until they cry out, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, at the end of the Great Tribulation when they acknowledge Jesus as Lord. (Luke 13:35).
Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity, Who was fully and finally revealed to the world through the birth, life, death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the perfect Word of God made flesh, through Whom the world was made and in Whom is life eternal.
For those with eyes to see and a teachable spirit, we discover many 'types' and pictures of His person, His mission, His atoning work, and His supernatural life.
Like them, we are not to be conformed to the lusts of the flesh and pride of life.
They insist that salvation depends on keeping the Law in addition to believing on the death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ, for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
At the end of his life, when all had forsaken him and Paul lay condemned, in a Roman cell, he penned an accurate description of the state of the world in the end times..
Because the eternal God became perfect man and lived a life that was pleasing to the Father, He was qualified to die a death that took the punishment for the full measure of humanities wicked ways so that people are declared 'righteous' because of His blood that was shed on their behalf.
It is free, but it cost God the very life of Jesus.
May we develop a Christlike concern for the needs of others and be ready and willing to provide for the necessities of life of those who are facing hardships.
It is only through saving faith in the gospel of Christ that man can be made a new creature and be raised into newness of life.
May we choose the good and eschew the evil so that our new, born-again-life in Christ (our new-nature in Him) may be increasingly conformed into the image and likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus - until it is no longer I that live (my old sin-nature in Adam) but Christ (the new-life I have in Him) that lives in me - ever prompting me towards Christ-likeness.
the offering of Christ on the Cross, (once and for ALL) Church age believers, in the dispensation of the grace of God, are under the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus, and Paul tells us that, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
We are not under the old Mosaic Law, but under the new Law of the Spirit of Life.
But the Word of God insists that ALL who believe should live a godly life that honours our Saviour.
The Law was the pattern of life given to redeemed Israel..
James is not telling us that Christians must keep the Mosaic Law as our pattern of life - CHRIST is the pattern of life for redeemed believers in the Church age.
However, he is saying that there is an equally severe penalty for Christians, who sin by breaking one part of God's Royal Law (the Law of the Spirit of Life), just as there were penalties for Israel who broke any part of the Mosaic Law.
We are given the Holy Spirit's power to live a righteous life, and not to be tempted into sinning - for we have received the life of Christ and His indwelling Spirit - and we are enabled to abide in Him and He in us, through the power of the Spirit.
Praise GOD that as Christians we are not under the BONDAGE of the Law of Moses, but are under the LIBERTY of the Law of Grace - the Law of the Spirit of Life.... and as such are called to walk in spirit and truth, to live as Christ lived and to remain in fellowship with our heavenly Father - in the beauty of holiness and to the glory of God.
It is as we stand firm on the foundational teachings within the Word of God, that we are no longer tossed about by the winds of different doctrines or disturbed by circumstances of life.
He is the Life within and the Truth we are to speak - and it is He Who causes each member of His Body to grow in grace and build itself up in love and respect for one another.
Certainly we should intercede for our world leaders, governments, nations and lost souls - indeed we are urged to make entreaties to the Lord through prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, on behalf of all men - and Paul specifically mentioned kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity - and certainly we should pray for the body of Christ, which is the Church - as well as for families and friends - yes, there are many instructions for Christians to pray and intercede.
Christ lived a perfect life so that He could attain God's perfect standard on our behalf.
But having lived a perfect life that was not deserving of death, God raised Him from the dead and highly exalted Him so that all who believe on Him would not perish but have life - eternal life - His resurrected life within - His new born-again life: And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
The surrendered believer who is walking in spirit and truth, is yielded to the guidance of the indwelling Holy Spirit Who works through our new life in Christ, and over time we discover an inner discipline at work.
The Holy Spirit is working in us, day by day, transforming our new life in Christ into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Not only have we been reconciled to God through Christ, but as members of His Body, we have been commissioned to carry out and continue the ministry of reconciliation that Jesus Himself started during His earthly life: For God has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.
We are commissioned to tell those in need of salvation, that all obstacles that separate sinful man from a holy God were dismantled by the Cross of Christ so that all who remain alienated from their Redeemer God through pride or ignorance, foolishness of folly, carnality or unbelief, heathenism or rebellion, may hear the wonderful news of salvation, sanctification, glorification, and eternal life - and be reconciled back to our Heavenly Father.
But despite repenting of their sin, many had yet to believe on Christ for the forgiveness of those sins, and life everlasting.
but like that little faithful band of Jews who had received John's baptism of repentance - we are to believe on Christ for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting - remembering that repenting of our sin and believing on Christ for the forgiveness of sin are two sides of the same coin - that are conjoined and cannot be separated.
He taught that when the truth of God's Word shines into our hearts, by faith, we are given the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ - but he also warned that the Christian life is not an easy one.
Paul was ready and willing to spend his entire life preaching the Gospel of Christ crucified, no matter the cost.
He knew that Jesus of Nazareth, Whom he had persecuted, had been delivered over to death on the Cross willingly for his sake... so that by faith in HIM, Paul would also be raised to life immortal.
Christ died for PAUL and Paul was willing to give his life to Jesus.
He was ready to be delivered over to death for Jesus' sake - so that Christ could live His life through Paul - so that God is glorified.
As a disciple of the Lord Jesus, Paul knew that he faced many difficulties and dangers which is why he wrote, for we who live... we who are saved, are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
But what did Paul mean when he said, we are continuously being handed over to death? What does it mean: that the life of Jesus might be displayed in our mortal bodies?
As we trust His Word and rely on the Lord the more we will grow in grace, walk in spirit and truth, and continue to be conformed into the likeness of the lovely Lord Jesus - until it is not I that lives - but the life of Christ that is manifest in this mortal body.
Paul knew that life comes through death, and joy is birthed through sorrow.
He was ready to give His life for his Saviour so that the life of Jesus might be manifest in his mortal body - and we must be ready to do the same.
The enemy of our soul has many ways to keep us from a knowledge of the truth, but just as Paul was ready to be delivered over to death for Christ's sake so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in his mortal flesh, may we also be willing to suffer for the sake of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, so that His life may be manifest in us and work through us, for God's greater glory.
And in this passage, we find him exhorting Timothy to be sure that purity of heart and righteous conduct was manifest in his life, and in the lives of all believers within the household of God.
The household of God are the men and women who are positioned in Christ, by faith, and have become the pillar and foundation of the truth of God's glorious gospel of Christ - for Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life - no man is reconciled to the Father except through faith in HIM.
Living the Christian life in the way that God ordained was the highest priority on Paul's list... and in each of his epistles we read of the identifying marks of a Christian who is walking in spirit and truth.
The person who is living a Christlike life is the one that loves as Christ has loved and who is ready to say, 'Thy will not mine be done'.
We read, the Lord thy God will circumcise your heart to love the Lord with all your heart and soul, so that you may have life - that you may have salvation.
The last half of John's gospel is concentrated into the final days of Christ's life.
as they had expected, Christ's crucifixion was imminent and in the last days and weeks of His life, the disciples were given a crash course for the future.
We journey through our Christian life from grace to glory; from justification to glorification; from the Cross to the Crown.
As we travel through life, there are many lessons that we all must learn, and the Holy Spirit is our teacher.
The Word of God provides all the instructions that we need for life and godliness, for our faith rests on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself being the chief Cornerstone.
On our journey through life, we are called to be humble and hopeful, and to show a loving concern for all of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
The inestimable and eternal riches of God are given freely to every-man at the expense of Christ's own life, and all one has to do is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
May we be ready and willing to be used by God to tell out the glories of the gospel and the privileges that are open to ALL who believe that Christ died to pay the price for their sin, that He rose again according to the Scriptures, and gives life eternal to ALL who believe.
And yet this is what happened in the life of this godly man, and is recorded for our learning.
For most of the book we read about the heart-breaking life-story of a man... married to a wanton woman, who repeatedly betrays him with many lovers, and which paints a graphic picture of Israel's unfaithfulness to the Lord, and the ongoing idolatry of the nation..
and it was love that caused the Lord Jesus to set aside His heavenly glory, and be born into the fallen, human race, so that He could shed His own life-blood on Calvary's Cross for the sin of the world - which alone has the power to forgive the sin of ALL who believe on His name for salvation.
Paul was not one of the twelve men chosen by the Lord Jesus to be a disciple during His earthly life.
Paul knew that His great salvation was a result of God's amazing grace and long-suffering mercy towards him - no surprise that Paul got to the point where he recognised that it was only by God's grace that his final destination had been changed from eternity in hell to everlasting life with Christ in heaven.
It is not surprising that Paul could only refer to himself as the very least of all the saints... and dedicate the rest of his life by proclaiming the grace of God which was given to him and to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable, unsearchable, incalculable, boundless riches of Christ to all who are saved by grace through faith in Him.
results in a Christ-like life of godly self-sacrifice and the production of an abundance of spiritual fruit - for the benefit of others and to the glory of God.
Paul describes the spirit-filled Christian as one who speaks to their brothers and sisters-in-Christ: in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs - demonstrating a life that rejoices in the truth..
which results a Christ-like life of godly self-sacrifice..
and in every area of our lives - so that our life may be a demonstration of the life of Christ living in us..
God has given to all who believe in Christ Jesus, His own Life - life more abundantly - and He who has the Son has the Life of Christ within.
And that Life of Christ is the Light of men that shines in our heart, searching the innermost parts of our being.
The human spirit is born dead in trespasses and sins, but once the Life and Light of Christ has flooded into our hearts by grace, through faith in Him, we become His hands to help, His feet to go, His heart to love, and His Light to shine forth His Life in our human frame.
We are not created with the capacity to shine ourselves - only the Light of Christ within our regenerated human spirit (our new born-again life in Christ), can illumine the spirit of man and shed light in a dark world.
He came to testify that Jesus is the true Light Who gives light and life to everyone coming into the world.
He was God in human flesh, full of grace and truth, the Author of light and life.
He must increase and I must decrease, were words that were not only spoken by this 'voice' in the wilderness, but were carried out in his life as John testified that Jesus is the Son of God, the Lamb Who was revealed to the world at the proper time Who came to live a perfect life, die a sacrificial death, provide forgiveness of sin, and give assurance of the eternal life to ALL who believe in Him.
He knew that their joy would evaporate if they did not fill their hearts and minds with all that is pure and lovely, virtuous and praiseworthy - and Paul knew that only those that imitated his Christ-centred life, and stood firm on the glorious gospel of grace - with thanksgiving, would experience the precious peace of God, which passes human understanding, and be equipped to rejoice in the Lord in every situation.
Paul never ever asked for financial help from any of the churches he planted, nor did he expect them to provide for the necessities of his life.
May we learn to trust Him in all things, to depend on His provision entirely, and not feel the need to look to others for financial help or the other necessities of life.
After laying this prophetic foundation and a brief reference to Christ's baptism in the Jordan, His temptation in the wilderness and John's disgraceful imprisonment, Mark plunges straight into Christ's extended Galilean ministry, which it the main focus of his short gospel - until that final week of Christ's astonishing life on earth.
so that whosoever BELIEVES on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
In Hebrew His name is Joshua, which means 'the Lord is salvation', and His life and death was poured out to pay the price for humanity's sin: sins past, sins present, and sins yet to be committed.
He was to be committed to the truth contained in this letter, and to give himself wholly over to living out these instructions in his life, as well as to teach and train others in these truths.
Timothy was to stand fast to the gospel of truth, to be patient in suffering, and to be faithful to the calling that God had on his life.
He was reminded of the blessed hope to come and the loneliness that would ensue from a life of dedicated service.
And then he was told by Paul to meditate on these things, to take them to heart, to take pains to be absorbed with these instructions, and to give himself wholly to them so that he would grow in grace and finish the work that God had called him to do, in order that his life would stand as a wonderful witness to the grace and glory of God.
We should compare Scripture with Scripture and pray that the Lord will guide us into all truth and protect us from any doctrinal error, false pride, or undue criticism, and to minister its truths to all that are placed in our sphere of life, as we progress towards an inner beauty that only the Spirit of God can produce in us.
Finally, he admitted that his message was 'deadly' to his legalistic critics who viewed him as having a stench of death, while the message he shared with true believers was a sweet aroma of life, and health, and wholeness.
He even lived in Corinth for eighteen months, during which time he gained their confidence and trust because of the godly life he lived.
How important to remember that it is not the praise of others that should be our motivation to live godly lives, but a desire to honour our Lord through the life that we live so that we become a sweet aroma to those that are saved by grace through faith in Christ, while having the stench of death to those who resist the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Jesus gave a detailed discourse about the Bread of Life to the same multitude who had just partaken of the five barley loaves and two small fishes.
Jesus referred to Himself as, the Bread of Life to emphasise the lesson He wanted them to learn.
I am the bread of life, He told them. No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in Me will ever thirst again.
Jesus told this crowd the truth when He called Himself, the Bread of Life, for in Him was Life.
In Him was Life everlasting.
He was the Giver of Life, and He is the Sustainer of Life.
When He referred to Himself as, the Bread of Life, He was meaning spiritual Life - eternal Life.
Jesus came down to earth from heaven to breathe new life into those who were dead in their sin and estranged from God.
The Lord Jesus did not simply come to sustain their physical life but to give eternal life, and this was the vital message He sought to teach this great multitude.
They were more interested in the material things of this life, than the spiritual food He offered that would feed their soul through time and into eternity.
Jesus was attempting to teach this unbelieving crowd that His life did not begin in Bethlehem as the son of Mary.
Jesus was the exact image of His Father's essence - in holiness and purity, in goodness and grace, in compassion and mercy, and in every godly attribute forever and ever. And yet, He was rejected by this unbelieving crowd, who were more interested in their next meal than their eternal life in the kingdom to come.
Aligning our human will with the sovereign will of our eternal God, is an important key to living a victorious and contented life in this world, while at the same time we will be laying up for ourselves treasure in heaven, in the ages to come.
But all too often, the old sin nature causes the lust of the flesh and the pride of life to rear its ugly head so that we desire foolish things and think and ask unwisely.
When we stray from the path of righteousness, we cause our carnal craving to give birth to sinful actions, evil attitudes, and a covetous heart.James picks up this human trait of covetousness which all too often can manifest itself in the life of a believer.
Let us, in our prayers, delight ourselves in the Lord and pray aright by aligning our will to the will of God so that we may live a victorious life and be content in all things, to His praise and glory.
In former times, an annual atonement was made for the sin of the nation, where the blood of animals covered the sin of the people for a single year. And yet through the sacrifice of His life, Christ Jesus obtained eternal redemption, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting for all who would believe in Him.
He willingly offered His life as the full ransom price for the sin of the world, through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.
May we never diminish the inconceivable sacrifice the Lord Jesus gave, when He left His home in glory, made Himself a little lower than the angels on our account, and clothed Himself in mortal flesh, so that by the willing sacrifice of His sinless life..
As children of the most high God, we should never fear the fierce storms of life, for we have His promise to be with us - for He is the great I AM.
Today we are pressed about by many difficulties and dangers, both at home and abroad, but the Word of God and the truth of Christ gives all Who are His children, the greatest hope and unfailing help in the midst of the most difficult and dangerous of circumstances of life.
Let us keep our eyes looking to Jesus and away from the circumstances of life, knowing that He is with us and will never fail us nor forsake us - for our hope is not in this world and our trust should not be in ourselves.
But God in His grace formulated a perfect plan of redemption for all mankind, by sending His only begotten Son to become a Man, so that His perfect life and sacrificial death would satisfy God's righteous anger against all sin - including my sin and including yours.
Those who trusted Him for salvation have already passed from death to life..
Those that rejected God in this life..
However the good works which they carried out in life will be judged at the judgement seat of Christ, (sometimes called the Bema seat judgement of believers), where rewards for righteous works that were done to the praise and glory of God will be given - (note - works of the flesh will be burned up as wood, hay and stubble).
We discover that at rebirth we not only died with Christ, but we are raised up into newness of life in Him.
Our new life in Christ, our born-again nature, is positioned in Him.
Our old sin nature was severed at the Cross, and our new life in Him is hidden with Christ in God, to His praise and glory.
One day, we will be glorified in Christ: When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
What beautiful truths are shared about our new life in Christ, where we discover that we are all members of His Body, united together in Him, free from bondage to sin and the curse of the law, each one with his own distinctive gifts and ministries, but each looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
Christ the eternal Son of God, was born to Mary as the perfect Son of Man Who lived His whole life in submission to the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit, and Doctor Luke wrote all that Christ began to do and to teach in this first letter to Theophilus.
When we trusted Christ, we were immediately given a new spiritual birth; a new spiritual life in Him, by means of the Holy Ghost.
He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the power of the Holy Spirit, and then generously poured out the riches of the Holy Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ, simply because we trusted Him as our Saviour.
Too often we are quick to identify the qualities, or criticise the defects we see reflected in the life of a fellow believer, but often we are not as swift to identify areas in our own hearts that need to be critically analysed and spiritually evaluated as unholy or detrimental to our spiritual growth, offered-up to the Lord, and purged.
Reverence and respect towards our heavenly Father, a Christlike love towards others, and inner peace, is often identified through the godly works, pure thoughts, and sound speech, that flows through our daily life.
It is the inner heart that identifies a life that is walking in spirit and truth.
As a man thinks so is he, and whatever becomes the central focus of that man's mind, influences his attitude of heart and is displayed in the out-working of his life, As water reflects the face, so the heart of man reflects that man's character.
His letter contained much to edify his readers and encourage them in their Christian life, and he also urged them to remain firm in the faith during the persecution they were going through.
Only a sinless Man could pay that price for the sin of the world, and God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son to be born into the human race and give His lifeblood as the ransom price for man's sin - so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
And Jesus was tried and tested as we are - yet, throughout the course of His earthly life, HE did not sin in thought, word, or deed.
During His earthly life, He prayed to His Heavenly Father and displayed deep reverence for Him in humble submission.
Jesus was perfected, during His life, to equip Him for His role as the Author and Finisher of our faith - He was the source of eternal life for all who would believe in Him and He was sent by the Father to give His life as the ransom price for the sin of the world and obtain redemption for all who would believe on His name.
It was not through the blood of bulls or calves, sheep or goats that Jesus became our holy Hight Priest, the heavenly Mediator between God and man - but through the sacrificial offering of His own life and the shedding of His own blood.
Paul reminded them that as Christians, they had been saved from the lust of the flesh, the lust of the world, and the pride of life, and as if to contrast the truly spiritual man with their own perverted carnality, he asked a searing question of them, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?
Jesus started talking to this despised, immoral, isolated Samaritan woman so that her need for His living water and the eternal life that He offers to all by grace through faith in Him, could be satisfied.
The uniting of Christ's humanity with eternal deity was so that He could come and search us out and offer each of us His living water of life.
And whoever drinks of the water that Christ offers shall never thirst, but that water will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.
As he draws his letter to the believers at Philippi to a close, Paul encourages all of us to live godly lives and to apply all the principles of spiritual living that we learned from him so that we may live a normal, Christian life that is acceptable to the Father and honouring to the Son.
We are warned neither to fret nor to become anxious about anything that life may throw at us, but rather we are strongly exhorted to depend entirely upon the Lord for everything, for His Word is true and His promises are all 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ Jesus.
Let us seek to live our Christian life as God intended, with right thinking, right speaking, right acting, and right praying so that the peace of God which transcends all understanding guards our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.
Indeed, one of the most difficult things for sinful man to accept is that salvation is a free gift of grace from God to those who simply believe on Christ as Saviour, those who believe that He died on the Cross to pay the price for our sins, and through believing on Him are given life everlasting.
But because He is rich in mercy and not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and turn from their sins, He washed away our sins and gave us new life in Christ, by the power of His Holy Spirit, and the one and only 'condition' is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
Because God is eternal, He has life in and of Himself.
God is the source of all life, the author of all life, the fount of life, and no other creature that has been made has life in itself.
No other created being has this life, yet God gave the Life that was unique to Himself to the Son so that His only begotten Son has that same life in Himself.
But Christ Himself also has life in and of Himself, for He is the Word that spoke all creation into being.
He also is the author of life, the well-spring of life, the fountain-head of life, and He is one with the Father in character and attributes, in holiness and power, in truth and in essence, in majesty and great glory.
Jesus Christ uniquely gave His life as the ransom price for the sins of humanity.
It is true that the Father loved the world so much that He gave his only begotten Son so that all who believe on His name would not perish but have eternal life – but only the Son spilled His human blood on Calvary to redeem mankind with His life-giving power.
Eternal life is received in no other way except through believing on Christ.
He that has the Son has life, but He that has not the Son of God does not have life – because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God, as Saviour and Kinsman-Redeemer.
And John was given a glimpse into the awesome throne room of heaven, where he saw Jesus perfectly embodying both these roles; the Lamb of God, slain to give humanity eternal life, and the Lion of the tribe of Judah, triumphant and able to judge the world.
God has put all things into Christ's hands until Christ is all in all including the gift of eternal life, the authority to judge, and the keys of death and hell.
This is not implying that a man or woman is sinlessly perfect during their post-salvation life, for we occupy a sinful body and we live in a sinful world.
It is during this life that we are being prepared for our heavenly home.
At the moment of our salvation, we were given all we need for life and godliness, and our sanctification will be finalised at the Rapture of the Church, when the dead in Christ are raised.
But as we travel through life, we are to make our sanctification complete by actively depending on Him in all things..
The life of Paul and the prayers that he prayed give witness to his own redeemed position in Christ.
This same heart of love is evident in the apostle John who also reminds us: We know that we have passed from death to life because of our love for the brethren.
The love of Christ that was demonstrated in the life of Paul is not a love that can be fired up through the emotions, achieved through training, or developed by strictly following man-made rules.
When we abide in Christ and willingly submit to the good work that the Holy Spirit started in our life at salvation, then the love of Christ grows in our heart as spiritual fruit and we are enabled by Him to love one another as He loves us.
The book of Esther may be a fast moving thriller, with plot, counter-plot, conspiracy, and intrigue, but it teaches many spiritual truths and life-principles that can be applied in our own lives, for our eternal benefit, and God's greater glory.
Another important principle to learn is that we all need to be concerned with the things of God and not to allow worry or fear to hamstring us, and that God is able to use anyone who is available to Him to forward His plans and purposes when they, like Esther, are willing to say: If I perish, then I perish, nevertheless, Thy will be done in my life.
May we be ready and willing to let Him work in our life in whatever way He chooses.
Only by faith in the sacrificial death of the Son of God, can our sins be forgiven and eternal life received.
for it is only because of His glorious resurrection from the dead, that we have the unshakable assurance that our bodies will also be raised to life immortal.
He is the Light of the world and the Door of the sheepfold, into life eternal.
Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life eternal..
We were not redeemed from our futile life with perishable things like silver or gold.
Faith in Him alone secures the promised hope of our bodily resurrection and life with Him in the heavenly realm.
Christ shed His blood for our sin... but His resurrection from the dead, in a body of flesh and bone, is our assurance that we too will rise into life immortal.
But Christ has been raised from the dead, never to die again - and we are raised into newness of life in HIM.
The Lord Jesus was raised back to life and ascended into heaven to take back the glory He set aside when He came to earth as the Messiah of Israel and Redeemer of the world.
Jesus naturally started speaking to them the word of life, and proclaiming the good news of the gospel of God and the coming kingdom, for He knew that they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Christ had promised to send the Spirit of comfort into their hearts after His departure into heaven - the Spirit of love and life and joy and patience and hope and wisdom and grace and PEACE.
But His life was also lived in order to set an example to His followers of How to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord..
Jesus delighted to do His Father's will and demonstrated how to please the Father by the life that He lived - in order that those who were to become His witnesses would know HOW to live to the glory of God in a Christ-rejecting, God-hating sinful world - the CROSS before the CROWN - the night of suffering before the morning of joy.
so we also are sent by Jesus to preach the gospel of Christ to a lost and dying world - that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life - but never forget..
Surely the life of the centurion who uttered these earth-shattering words, by divine revelation, was never the same again.
Surely, for all who can look to the Lord Jesus in His death and resurrection and declare, truly this is the Son of God - this is the Saviour of the world, - life can never ever be the same again.
The earth was shaken to its very foundation, and the sun was blackened as thick darkness shrouded the bloody scene of 'life-giving death'.
The veil of the temple was torn through, from top to bottom, and the Son of God, Who had drained the bitter cup to its dregs, placed Himself into His Father's keeping, willingly giving up His life for all.
Surely the life of that centurion, who was witness to Christ's redemptive payment for his sin, and the sin of every member of the fallen human race - including your sin and mine, was never the same after he watched Jesus on the Cross, and witnessed the earthquake, the darkness, and the many things that were done to our Lord.
Surely the life of the centurion who witnessed his Saviour dying on that Tree of crucifixion, and who uttered those earth-shattering words by divine revelation, was never, ever the same again.
It is that same Jesus Who demands that we honour Him, yield to Him, reverence Him, and submit to His leading and guidance, as we journey through life and face the many trials and tribulations that will stalk our path.
Our victory has been secured, by Christ - our heavenly Commander. Our victory was secured at the Cross... for His truth is unchanging and His grace is sufficient for every eventuality that life may throw at us - for we are on the Lord’s side and He is our God and Saviour.
Christ is God incarnate Who came to earth to pay the price for the sin of the whole world - so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
Man received both honour and glory from the hands of His Maker and was endowed with a nature like unto God's own nature - and a spirit, a life and a freewill to make his own free choices, under the gracious direction of His all-wise Creator.
as mankind's kinsman Redeemer, are also to participate in His universal dominion, His heavenly throne and His eternal life - as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.
As God's children who are saved by grace through faith in Christ, we can walk in spirit and truth OR we can live our life in the lust of the flesh.
However, instead of living as a spiritual believer and walking in spirit and truth to the glory of God, we behave as a carnal Christian walking in the desires of the flesh, and taking heed to Satan's temptations as we succumb to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.
He also gives us various steps to achieving a spiritual walk including submission to God, drawing near to our Heavenly Father, humbling ourselves before the mighty hand of God, and not giving Satan a foothold in our life.
After the Lord Jesus confessed that He only carries out the will of the Father, He explained that although He is living His life under the authority and direction of the Father, He still retains His Deity.
He honoured the will of His Father to the point of death, and the Father in like manner honoured the Son of Man with power over life and death, by raising Him from the dead.
Just as the Father raises the dead and gives us life, the Son also gives life to whosoever He wishes.
The more we take the Word of the Lord to heart and trust in the many precious promises that are ours in Christ, the more we are enabled to appropriate these words of comfort in our everyday life.
We discover that the Lord Himself breathed His own life into the inanimate body of Adam, and that He made a special garden for the man He made.
God even placed the tree of eternal life within easy reach of Adam's fingers..
for all who eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God, will never die.
Christ would readily submit to His Father's commands and live His life as God intended that all man should live - in utter dependence upon the gracious Creator - in humble submission to His Father, out from a heart of love that passes human understanding.
All who are saved by grace through faith in Him, receive His life and are given rest for their soul - for Christ is our Tree of Life, and that life is eternal.
Praise God that the glory of the Cross includes Christ's resurrection from the dead, as well as his death on the Cross... for God raised Him from the dead so that all who trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins would not perish, but receive His everlasting life.
and the Bible also give us clear and godly principles on how to live the Christian life in a manner that is pleasing to God and in a way that honours His name
the rest of us should be equally determined to feed on the Word of God daily - so that we may grow in grace and mature in our spiritual life.
And the same warning had to be reiterated by Paul to the carnal Christians at Corinth who, although having been saved by grace through faith in Christ, had not grown in their Christian life.
The believers to whom Peter was writing were facing hard times of persecution and difficulty, but his advice to them was based on king David's song, when he found himself in deep distress and facing life-threatening danger.
Both David and Peter encouraged others to have a positive attitude towards life, by faith in God Who has promised to be with us always, even when things are difficult, even when we are facing persecution and problems.
To love life in the midst of trials is a deliberate act of the will and is honouring to the Lord, for it expresses an attitude of faith in God, it demonstrates a spirit of trust in Him, that He is in control and will work all things together for the good to those that love Him.
But how different from the negativity of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, who expressed his hatred of life and considered it so burdensome.
Peter expanded on his advice to love the life that God has graciously given us, and to make the most of time that we have on earth, by faith with thanksgiving; by commanding us to keep our tongue from speaking evil and our lips from telling lies.
Too often the problems of life are spawned by a wrong attitude towards our circumstances, our acquaintances and even towards God.
Let us follow the example of Peter and David, and by faith make the most of the life that God has given us by fostering a gracious attitude, a thankful heart, and conversation that is full of grace and seasoned with salt, that edifies and encourages, to the glory of God.
God is more than the Creator, He is the LORD God Who is in the midst of us; loving us, caring for us, protecting us, defending us, indwelling us, and Who died so that we might have life and have it in superabundance.
God is not there to condemn us, but He delights to bring us to salvation and He pours out eternal life and life more abundantly with exultant gladness, upon all who trust in His name.
But at the end of his life, we discover him to be a gracious old man of God whose desire was to build up the Body of Christ and teach us more of the love of God.
He exhorted us to develop a Christlike character and expounded the value of a victorious and obedient life.
John no doubt recalled Christ's words of wisdom and His life-give teachings as he reflected on those three amazing years when Jesus walked with them in the way, taught them by the sea, was transfigured before their eyes on the holy mount of God, and transported up into the heavens following His glorious Resurrection from the dead.
It provides insight into plant life and fauna and helps us understand the alternative way the earth was watered in those early days of man.
It is from chapter 3 that we discover that the shocking consequences of sin affect the life of every member of the human race.
God's overflowing grace began to be poured out into the world and His precious gift of salvation came to reign in life, through the one Man, Jesus Christ - Who became the atonement for the sin of the whole world.
Not only was Jesus the Good Shepherd Who gave His life for the sheep, but He also claimed, I am the door. He said, I am the door of the sheepfold, if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Israel was the means (the door) through which Jesus entered the world, for He came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel as the Jewish Messiah of the house of David... but He also came as Saviour of the whole world - in Whom are the words of eternal life.
Anyone who believes in Him will receive the free gift of SALVATION: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, Paul told the Philippian jailer, while the Gospel of John made it clear to Nicodemus, a teacher of the Jews, that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son to be the Door to bring us back into His holy presence, for whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
He is the Light of the world, and in Him is Life, for He is the Fountain of Life, the Water of Life, the Tree of Life, the Bread of Life - the Resurrection and the Life.
Praise God that Jesus is the Door through Whom we will pass from death to life, by faith... and that anyone who enters through Him will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture, not only in this age but in the ages to come - for Jesus is the One Who protects us from the evil schemes of the devil, guards us from the dangers of this fallen world system, secures salvation for all who believe, sustains our spiritual health, promises us a place in Christ's heavenly kingdom, and is keeping, for us, an eternal inheritance in the eternal ages to come.
May we, who have gone through the Door of Salvation and been brought into the heavenly realm by faith in Him, enter into the fullness of Christ as we feed on Him in our hearts by faith with thanksgiving, growing in grace and in a knowledge of our God and Saviour - Whom to know is life eternal.
Let our hearts desire be to reflect the yearning desire of the ageing apostle Paul, who near the end of his life cried out, That I may know Christ and the power of His resurrection and participate in the fellowship of His suffering, so that our Christian religion may be pure and undefiled, and our relationship with the Lord Jesus become increasingly intimate.
Throughout the book of Galatians, the apostle Paul seeks to demonstrate that salvation by grace through faith in Christ is not only the first step in the Christian life, when a sinner is born from above, but that we are also to live our entire Christian life from that point forward, by grace through faith in Christ alone.
Christ fulfilled the perfect requirements of the Law, not only by the perfect life that He lived, but in the WAY that His life was lived.
Christ not only 'kept' the written requirements of the Law, but throughout His whole life He did ONLY what the Father willed - He said ONLY what He heard from the Father.
Christ rising from the dead gave proof of His perfectly fulfilling the Law, and we are similarly identified with His resurrection life.
And so, like Christ, we are to live that life as God intended - by grace through faith and not by works of the Law.
Only as Christ's life is lived in and through the believer, by grace through faith, are we living as God intended man to live, in utter and total dependence on Him.
In a few brief words, Paul outlines the four most important things in life:
A few short phrases outline everything necessary for a victorious Christian life.
The accomplishment of His Resurrection raises all that believe in Him from spiritual death to a new life in Christ.
Oh, the Cross gave forgiveness of sins, but the Resurrection broke the power of sin and death that reigns in the mortal body of fallen man so that we too may rise to newness of life, in Christ: That I may know this mighty power of Christ's Resurrection.
Christ was the perfect example of what a perfect Man should be, but He had to learn obedience through all that He was called upon to suffer throughout His life, as He kept the goal of His calling forever in His sight.
And we who are saved by His blood, baptised into His death, and risen with Him into newness of the new life, are to be perfect as He is perfect.
His sermon was an authoritative teaching that laid out general principles for life and living.
These principles can be applied to every facet of life and are relevant in every situation we may encounter.
EITHER, live a sinless life by keeping the entire Law OR believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
The Jews proudly considered that their Jewish heritage automatically granted them this favour - but Jesus corrected this thinking by teaching, the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Those who attempt to get into heaven through their own merit are on a path to destruction, for the gate is small and the way is narrow, that leads to life, was Christ's sober lesson, and there are few who find it.
They dismissed His teaching and would not heed the truth from One Who said, I AM the way; I AM the truth; I AM the life - no man comes to the Father except through ME.
Today there are still proud, legalistic, self-righteous, religious-minded men and women who are blinded to the narrow WAY that leads to life.
There are many that refuse to accept the TRUTH and do not find the path that leads to LIFE everlasting.
The first Adam had failed miserably to fulfil the will of God for his life, rendering the entire human race dead in their sins; at enmity with God; under the curse of the Law and in bondage to sin, self, Satan, death and hell.
the Lord Jesus had to live a sinless life, in total dependence upon the Father by walking in spirit and in truth.
As the representative of the human race Jesus would have to live in willing surrender and total obedience to His heavenly Father in the power of the Holy Spirit - every moment of the day, for the rest of His life...
To walk in spirit and truth is to be entirely surrendered to the Word of God, so that the life of Christ may be lived in and through us. Instead of being identified with the first Adam and his sin and death..
we are now identified with Christ and His righteousness and life - and in the power of the same indwelling Holy Spirit that led the Lord Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of Satan and raised Him from the dead - we have the power of the same indwelling, life-giving Spirit - Who will guide us into all truth as we live in humble submission and willing obedience to His leading.
Having been made righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ, while we were still enemies of God and wallowing in sinful rebellion, and having received the free gift of eternal life by grace through faith in Him, how much more certain is it that, during this life, we shall be delivered daily from the dominion of sin in our lives through Christ's resurrection life?
How much more certain is it that having been brought back into right relationship with the Father, we shall be saved by the indwelling life of Christ,as we travel through our journey of life?
Well, the apostle Paul considered these things and everything else that life and living has to offer, as worth nothing by comparison with the surpassing value, joy, wonder, worth, and glory of knowing Christ Jesus.
In Paul's estimation, knowing the Lord Jesus in an increasingly intimate and personal way was of far greater value that all that this world could offer, and yet right up until the end of his life, Paul's passion and greatest desire was to learn more of his Master and Lord: to KNOW Christ.
Before his conversion, Paul had all that this world could offer but, like Moses before him, he refused to be enticed by the benefits and advantages that this life had to offer, recognising that by comparison, knowing Christ Jesus was of paramount importance.
It is so beneficial to shut ourselves away in our prayer closet for intimate communion and deep fellowship with the Lord, but it is equally profitable to be in constant touch with the Lord in every place in which we find ourselves, no matter what the circumstance of life we happen to be or in what company we are keeping.
Praise God that we can approach the throne on grace boldly, and give over to Him all of our anger, anguish, resentment, and malice, making the way clear for us to life up holy hands and pour out our praises, petitions, and thankful worship to the One Who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.
Teaching in parables became an important tool as Christ's ministry progressed, and it became the main vehicle through which revelation was given to those who followed Him during His earthly life.
He feels that his life is being pounded and pulverised into the ground.
As with so many of David's prayers and petitions, these verses feed the hungry soul, restore the fainting spirit, minister to those that feel overwhelmed by life's circumstances, and encourage a believer' heart.
Although certain illness and ailments may result from sinfulness, the eternal consequences of sin are far more terrible than a lifetime of sickness... for the wages of sin is death, which means eternal separation from God and all that is good - however, the gift of God is eternal life for all who trust in Him - through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Like Christ, Who is our superlative example, we are being perfected by the things that we suffer and through our response to the various trials and tribulations we face in this life.
And we live this life by grace, through faith in the work of the Lord Jesus on the Cross.
We love Him for all that He suffered on the Cross for us, for the life that He gives us through His Resurrection, and for the glory that He is preparing for us in heaven.
He died to redeem us, He rose again to give us His life, and He is preparing a heavenly home for us in glory.
Love is the source and the summation of righteousness, and love is the new commandment that Christ gave His disciples as He prepared to leave them to be His witnesses upon the earth: Love as I have loved you.Love flows from the heart of God to us, and love is to flow through us to others as we are filled and replenished with His love in our hearts. Love for the world emanated from the heart of the Father to a world of lost sinners, and love breathes new life into the dead spirit of all who believe on His name.
God does not always remove the painful circumstances in this life, but, as with Job and David, He will give us the sufficient strength to come through victoriously, and by His grace will give us a deeper knowledge and understanding of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
While we were yet sinners, God gave His only begotten Son to be the sacrifice for our sin - so that by grace through faith in Him, we might be redeemed, receive eternal life, and be returned into sweet fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
As members of the Body of Christ, we have been given ALL we need for life and godliness... and we have been instructed, in His Word, on how to live a life that pleases God.
Christ's entire life was an example of humble obedience, submissive service, and active dependence upon His heavenly Father.
He lived a righteous life and behaved in the godly way that mankind was designed to live.
Christ's entire life was an example of humble obedience, submissive service, and total dependence upon God, in order to demonstrate to each one of us exactly how God desires us to live - in spirit and truth, in active dependence, humble obedience, and passive submission to our Father's will.
The amazing way Christ lived His life and died His death, is the perfect example of how each one of us should behave in our Christian lives.
His life was an object lesson on how to live a Christ-like life that is well-pleasing to the Lord.
The purpose of Israel's Law was to point them to Christ and it was fulfilled in Him, for faith in the promises of God and His as Messiah was to be the criteria for righteousness. 'This is eternal life,' Jesus prayed, 'that they may know You,' (Yahweh), 'the only true God - and Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, Whom You have sent'.
The new was to replace the old, but throughout Christ's earthly life the religious leaders of Israel sought to hold on to the old familiar religion of Judaism, which had fulfilled it's purpose in Christ - by denying and eventually crucifying the very Person Whom God sent to save them from their sin. Their futile endeavour to patch up their old religious system and produce a righteousness of their own failed... but rather than admitting that the good works which they carried out in their own strength were rejected by the Lord and regarded by Him as filthy rags - these religious Jews sought to produce a righteousness by means of their own self-effort.
When Jesus gave this teaching He knew that one day every member of the coming Church would be imputed with the righteous life of Christ Himself.
The old self-life must give way for the new Christ- life - for a new righteousness must replace the old.
The new life of Christ which is given to all who believe..
which are rejected by God - OR they live their new-life in Christ and produce works of Christ-righteousness as He lives in and through them.
Christians can choose to EITHER be controlled by the former self-life which can only produce the unacceptable works of self-righteousness OR they can choose to walk in spirit and truth and be controlled by the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which will only produce acceptable works of Christ's own righteousness.
May we reckon ourselves dead to the old sinful nature and alive in the new-life in Christ.
May we keep the self-life nailed to the cross so that the imputed life of Christ may be manifest in all we do.
At the same time, our faith in Christ secured the salvation of our soul, and we were made a new creation in Christ and given His resurrected life (our new life in Christ), so that instead of following the lust of the flesh we were enabled to walk in newness of life, with the indwelling Holy Spirit as our Comforter and Counsellor, our Guide and Teacher.
Although the salvation of our soul was secured the moment we trusted Christ as Saviour, we can resist the work of the Holy Spirit and even quench His work in our life, meaning that we remain in spiritual infancy throughout our whole Christian life.
He knew that the enemy of our soul, as a roaring lion, seeks to extinguish the light of the triumphant teaching of truth, and to quench the witness of those that have come to the life-giving knowledge of the glorious gospel of grace.
But in Christ, Paul reminds us that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world, and although we may be afflicted in every way, we are not crushed, for the Lord is our life and our strength.
And although we may be perplexed by all the difficulties we are called upon to face for His sake, we will not despair for His grace is sufficient, and His life-giving strength is perfected in our weakness.
A genuine disciple is a man or woman who will forsake the things of this world by losing their life and dying to self, rather than seeking after the things of this world: For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul (his life).
Though this passage is often incorrectly applied to the unbeliever, the Lord Jesus was speaking to his disciples and pointing out the two ways that a believer can follow: 1) The carnal way, which is the way of the world where a believer lives for themselves, not understanding that the life we live on earth will dictate our future role in heaven. 2) The spiritual way, which is the way of Christ, understanding that the world is not our home, and only things done in the Spirit will last for eternity.
If our life-work is carried out in the flesh, it will be burned up, which means that the life that we lived for ourselves will be lost.
If we build up rewards on earth instead of securing treasures in heaven, and if we delight in the praises of men rather than that of the Lord, we will have nothing to show for the life that we lived.
If our life-work is carried out in the Spirit, denying self and living for Christ, when our works are tried in the fire they will come out as gold and silver and precious stones.
The life lived in spirit and truth may not gain the wealth and praise of the world, but will result in a share in heavenly rewards.
Two little lines I heard one day,Travelling along life's busy way;Bringing conviction to my heart,And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past,Only what's done for Christ will last.
Let us tell abroad to Jew, Gentile, governors, kings, people, and all with whom we come in contact, that THIS is eternal life: believe in GOD and believe also in HIM Whom He has sent, Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Every believer is holy unto the Lord at salvation... and from that moment, we embark on a lifelong process of sanctification, (practical or progressive sanctification) as the indwelling Holy Spirit works in our life to gradually change us, so that we become more like the Lord Jesus, Himself.
But for the rest of our life, we are being delivered from the power of the old sin nature... as the old flesh lusts against our new spiritual life and the spirit lusts against the flesh (our new life in Christ is at enmity with our old sin nature).
How can I conquer this body of sin so that I can please the Lord and live a holy life?
Well, Paul tells us that the secret of progressive sanctification is to KNOW the truth... RECKON it to be true... and YIELD one's life to the Holy Spirit.
He identified with our death so that by faith we identify with His eternal life - and we are therefore to reckon ourselves dead to sin and to reckon ourselves alive to Christ - we simply believe what the Bible tells us is true.
We came into our positional union with Christ at salvation when we received His new life within, and we are to continue living for Him by reckoning God's Word to be true and by acting upon it in our individual lives.
This can only be achieved as we yield to the work of the Spirit of God within - as we die to our own desires which produce works of UN-righteousness - and live for Christ, allowing His life to work in us so that Christ is glorified in our lives.
But unlike justification, which takes place at the moment of salvation and is not repeatable... ongoing sanctification is a day by day attitude of life where we allow the Word of God to dwell in us richly and to wash us clean with His cleansing flood.
When Christ is exalted in every area of our life, our bodies become servants of righteousness as He works His work within - so that day by day we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
When man sinned, he placed self on the throne of his life in place of God, but unless a believer learns the hard lesson of self-denial and sets out to live his life for Christ alone, by denying self, taking up his cross, living for Christ, and identifying with Him, his life will be fruitless.
Just as Christ identified with us and became sin for us so we might be made the righteousness of God in Him, we too are to identify with Christ in His rejection, suffering, shame, loss, and death, so that in Him we too may rise to newness of life - a life of faith - a life lived in the power of the Spirit - a life lived in submission to the will of God - a life that says: Thy will not mine be done.
Generally, man desires a life of ease, a life of comfort, a life devoid of troubles, a life of honour and happiness, and men often do all they can to accomplish this in their life at the expense of the next.
But in Christ's economy, when a man tries to 'save' his life here on earth, it means that his life (his soul, his rewards, his honour), will be lost in the next.
Oh, the believer who 'saves' his life in this world and lives for himself, will not lose his eternal salvation, but he will certainly lose his 'life', his soul, his rewards, and his honour in the next, for whatever self-gains in this life will result in loss in the next.
We are commanded to lay up treasure in heaven and not seek after the pleasures and comforts of this world system, for in God's economy, that is what it means to 'save' one's life.
Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Christ will find it.
It was once said that he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep (this life and all the pleasures it offers), to gain what he cannot lose (his eternal life and with it any heavenly rewards that come from dying to self and live for Christ).
The heart is the storehouse for wisdom and all that influences the life and character of an individual, and Jesus reminds us that we should love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, with every part of our inner being.
We are not left to guess at the reason for the intensity and urgency in this earnest plea to guard your heart above all else, for the heart is the source and well-spring of life, the heart is the repository for life - the treasury for truth - the warehouse of wisdom.
Christ is our life, our truth, and our wisdom, and the Lord searches the heart and tests the mind.
We are to guard the gospel truth that has been shed into our hearts - the knowledge of Him Who has brought us out of darkness into His glorious light and Who has taken us from the doors of death and breathed into us the breath of the new-life in Christ.
He was the very first member of a new race of people Who would rise to life immortal.
Paul explains that the physical resurrection of the 'dead in Christ' whose decomposing bodies are lying in the cold, dank earth, are returned to life in a split-second; in a moment of time, which the apostles describe as 'the twinkling of an eye'.
However, instead of blood pulsing through our bodies to energise us with life, it is the Spirit of God Who will enliven our resurrected bodies with His eternal, in-breathed life-breath.
God has designated that those in their graves will be raised into life-immortal first, and immediately thereafter, the living saints will also be changed into eternal beings.
The disobedience, indifference, and neglect that Israel demonstrated by ignoring the rebuilding of God's House and addressing important spiritual issues such as worshipping God, should cause us to consider if we are paying more attention to our own needs and necessities, rather that putting God's needs first in our life and paying attention to the good work that God has called each one of us to do for His praise and glory.
He alone is the faithful and true witness Who loved us so much that He offered up His sinless life, so that His perfect peace could flood into the heart of all who trust in Him for salvation.
Jesus Christ was, and is, and always will be this Faithful Witness, Who alone is the rightful King over the rulers of the earth, the appointed Prince over all heavenly authorities, the anointed Messiah of Israel, and the perfect Man Who laid down His sinless life, so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
He hated His followers and wished to wipe them off the face of the earth, but his encounter on that momentous day caused a radical change in the future course of his life, his thinking, his passion, and his ministry.
And God took this murderous, hate-filled man, and Paul believed the truth: God loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
Most of the New Testament epistles focus on living the Christian life as God desires - i.e.
Paul wanted to explain that believers are not ONLY justified by grace through faith when we are born again - but we are also being sanctified progressively throughout our Christian life... by grace through faith.
Sadly, today, there are those that hold fast to this false, works orientated, legalistic teaching - but we are to remember that if ANY works of the flesh are added to Christ's finished work on the Cross - His life was given in vain.
But in His grace God determined that the sinner's death sentence could be exchanged for the life of Another..
Who would willingly give His sinless life as the one and only ransom price sin for the sin of mankind - and God in His wisdom knew that His only Begotten Son was the one and only hope by which man could be saved.
And out of love for His creation God gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Let us rather live this life by grace through faith and in quietness, confidence, and complete dependence on Jesus Christ, Who is all that we need in this world, and in the world to come - life everlasting.
Let us choose to live each day for Christ, knowing that since we have been crucified with Christ: It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Our hope not only embraces the peace of the Lord and His wonderful sufficiency in this life, but unimaginable joy that is beyond human description in the life to come.
God is hated in this world and His Son was despised, rejected, and persecuted by unregenerate man, by the vast majority of the religious elite of His day, and by the forces of evil, and Christ warned us that because they hated Him we too will be hated throughout our earthly life.
The Law given to Moses was perfect but was designed to identify sin in the life of a sinner, causing them to recognise their sinfulness and need of a Saviour.
Many contend that Paul is saying that when a truly born-again believer falls into sin by trying to keep the Law, they are immediately cut off from Christ and have irredeemably fallen from grace, indicating that they have lost their eternal salvation. This erroneous teaching suggests that if believers do not live a completely righteous life, they are eternally lost and can never be saved again.
Rahab's own heart had become fearful for her life and that of her family, for she believed in strength and power of the God of Israel and was ready to risk her life, plan an escape route for the spies, and when necessary hide the two men from the authorities.
He offered His life as the sacrifice for sin and died to pay the price for the sin of the whole world.
In various passages, the Son of God is trumpeted as the first-born from the dead, and because He lives, we... who have trusted His name for the forgiveness of sins, will also rise to life immortal.
During His life, Christ only did those things that His Father told Him to do and He only said the Words which He heard from above... but they rejected Him and crucified Him.
Christ offered His life as the sacrifice for the sin of the whole world and died to pay the price for your transgressions and for mine.
He not only died for sin, by paying the penalty of sin - but He died unto sin, breaking the power of sin in our life.
He died for sin..when we were born from above to free us from the bondage of our old inherited sin-nature, and He gave us new spiritual life. At salvation we were actually imputed with Christ's resurrected life so that we could function without being under bondage to sin.
We are to reckon-on it as fact and apply in our life as fact. We must know and reckon that our old self was crucified with Christ, in order that our old sin nature might be done away with - rendering us no longer slaves to sin, but freeing us from its power and releasing us from the curse of the Law.
Now, we have to reckon on this as a FACT in our own life, and rejoice in this truth - which staggers the human understanding.
it already IS a fact in the life of all Christians.
Just as the wages of sin were paid by the death of Christ for the salvation of sinners - so the power of sin was broken in the life of believers, when Christ died - for we died with Him and, he who died is freed from sin.
We are now under grace; forgiven by God; accepted in the Beloved; covered in Christ's righteousness and freed from the power of sin and the curse of the Law because we DIED and our life is hid with Christ in God.
because Jesus took our sins upon Himself, giving His body to be nailed on the tree - so that we, being dead to sin in Christ, might be raised to newness of life in Him.
Let us reckon on this truth and start to live a truly victorious life for he who has died is freed from the power of sin.
The power of the Holy Spirit can be manifest in the life of all believers whose heart reflects the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, rather than permitting envy, strife, jealousy, or contentions to influence our behaviour.
I have even heard God being accused of child-abuse because it pleased Him to crush the Lord Jesus and to expose His Son to a difficult life of accusations, ridicule, hatred, and a cruel death of betrayal, ignominy, and rejection.
For it pleased the LORD to crush Christ Jesus and to put Him to grief so that He would be the guilt offering - the sin offering - the blood-sacrifice - the innocent Lamb of God through Whom man individually and humanity collectively could have forgiveness of sins, by faith: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes on His name would not perish but have everlasting life.
In Him, we receive an entirely new and eternal life.
We are no longer affected by the curse of sin and death, but are imputed with Christ's righteousness and are given His eternal life as a free gift of God's grace. Being positioned in Christ means that we are identified with Him in every way. All that was achieved by Him at Calvary we have secured in Him and through Him.
When Christ was crucified on the Cross FOR our sin, we were 'crucified TO sin' at that very moment so that all the benefits of His sacrificial death and glorious resurrected life became our personal benefits, which God imputed to us by grace.
We have been promised that the physical restrictions and fleshy limitations of this earthly life will be exchanged for the better benefits of Christ's perfect, eternal life. Temporal restraints will be exchanged for spiritual freedoms.
However, while we are still living in these fallen bodies, we have been given everything we need for life and godliness, in Christ.
We will all be part of the 'Resurrection to Life'.
But thanks be to God, for on that day, death is overcome by life. Death is consumed into victory.
May we determine in our hearts to earnestly desire the greater spiritual gifts within the Body of Christ, so that together we may grow in grace and learn to LOVE others as Christ loved us - which is the more excellent way to live our Christian life, as we wait for the any-day return of the Lord Jesus.
In every area of life, we are to demonstrate the same, spiritual maturity in the way we live, the words we speak, the things we do, and the way we react to others in these difficult and challenging times.
God knew that man would sin and ruin His perfect creation, but He also purposed to redeem mankind and to remove the curse from His beautiful world: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Through the eyes of Israel's great king David, we have a portrait of Christ, the perfect Man Who lived His life in utter dependence upon the Father in Whom He found His full sufficiency.
Just as David's was a man whose heart was right towards the Lord and who stood in stark contrast to those that worshipped other god's... and upon whose heads God will pour out great judgement and wrath... even so, Christ's earthly life is the exemplification of a man Whose heart was perfect before God - a life that demonstrates that the pathway to life and joy only comes through Him.
Jesus is the Author of a new creation, Whose resurrected life has become our new, born-again life.
Our old sinful self can never be made righteous and so God, in His grace, gave us a new nature - a new life - the resurrected life of Christ which He imputed to us by faith at the point of salvation.
When we were saved we were not only given the indwelling Holy Spirit of God to guide us but also a new, born-again life to be guided by Him.
At salvation, we received Christ's resurrected life, which gives us the opportunity to draw on His sufficient power, for without Him our old nature can do nothing, but in Him our new life can do all things for He is the power of God, from Whom our strength is drawn.
Let us be diligent not to slip back to walking in the ways of our old nature, but to keep that old nature nailed to the Cross in the place of death so that the life of Christ may grow from glory to glory as we are conformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit into the likeness of Christ Himself.
One could contemplate the wealth of truth packed into this single verse for a lifetime and only scratch the surface of God's amazing grace towards us, but praise God that in Christ as our representative Man, we are no longer slaves to sin and Satan, and we are no longer slaves to the law - for we died to sin and we died to the Law - and our life is hid with Christ in God.
Patient endurance, as we wait for the Lord to work in the difficult circumstances of life, encourages our faith in God to be strengthened.
Conversely, faith is often tested in those long and painful seasons of life, when patient endurance is called upon as we trustingly wait for the Lord to act, submissively waiting on the Lord's promises to be fulfilled in prayer, and praise, and thanksgiving.
God has always had a remnant of believers who trust His Word, believe His promises, and give glory to His name, even when the experiences of the life and the ungodly behaviours of others seem to indicate the reverse.
He was a man who would have to endure much hardship during his life, and he even witnessed the shocking ransacking of his beloved city of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, and wept as he watched the destruction of the Temple of God, when his people were taken into captivity.
Despite doubting his own ability to speak and showing concern about his age, Jeremiah had a calling on his life which was given to him by divine revelation.
Although the call on Jeremiah's life was devoid of great visions of heaven like Isaiah, or revealed to his parents like John the Baptist, the knowledge that he had been singled out by God and set apart for an important prophetic ministry, must have been a great encouragement to this young Levite.
Just as God had a call on Jeremiah's life, He has a call on the life of all who trust in Christ by faith, and God can use anyone in the furtherance of his redemptive plan if we are willing to submit to Him and be used by Him.
He loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son to be our Kinsman-Redeemer, so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish, but have eternal life and become part of that never-ending celestial chorus.
He should humbly recognise that he is a servant of God whose heart should be blameless before the Lord and who should be both doctrinally sound and above reproach in his public and private life.
The Church of the New Testament is not the same as the Israel of the Old Testament, but is made up of Jews and Gentiles from every race and tongue and clime in whom the Holy Spirit of God resides and through whom the new born-again life-of-Christ within, is being conformed into the image and likeness of Christ, by which we move from one stage of glory to the next.
Those who trust in Him for salvation are given a new life and are destined to live with Christ forever and share His glorious inheritance.
Christ is the Head of the Church, which is His Body, and in Him, the believer receives all that is needed for life and godliness.
At salvation, we become a new creation IN Christ and He gives us His life, a new born-again life.
At salvation, we receive the same eternal life of Jesus Christ Who rose from the dead in power and great glory, and triumphed over Satan, sin, and death.
In Christ, we receive life and health, daily nourishment and eternal glory.
Not only does the Spirit of God come to take up permanent residence within the body of each believer, but also the resurrected life of Christ is given to each one that has been saved by grace through faith in Him.
God foreknew whether you and I would place our trust in the death, burial, and Resurrection of His only begotten Son, and in ages past He preordained that our old sin nature would die to self, and our new life in Christ would be changed into the very likeness of Jesus in His humanity.
Jesus was a Man Who depended entirely upon the Father throughout His whole life.
We should not only reflect on the brevity of our time here on earth and recognise that our times are in God's hands and that He has scheduled every day of our life to bring glory to Himself, but also that we should make the best use of our time during our brief sojourn on earth, by redeeming the time and making the most of every opportunity we have on earth.
But every day of our lives is an opportunity that God has graciously given us to use wisely and diligently for His glory, for the victorious life that has been lived wisely and well is the one that has honoured the Lord in thought, word, and deed.
Only a sinless Man could pay the price for the sin of the world, and God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son to be born into the human race and give His life as the ransom price for mans' sin - so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
And Jesus was tried and tested just as we are - yet, throughout the course of His earthly life, HE did not sin in thought, word, or deed.
During His earthly life, He prayed to His Heavenly Father and displayed deep reverence and humble submission toward God.
Jesus was perfected during His life, to equip Him for His role as the Author and Finisher of our faith - He was the source of eternal life for all who would believe in Him and He was sent by the Father to give His life as the ransom price for our sin.
Paul was thankful for Timothy's spiritual heritage, and although he warned that the Christian life was not always easy, he reminded him of his holy calling and that the suffering and shame God's people have to endure in this life must be understood from God's vantage point (an eternal perspective).
Christ died to pay the price for sins committed in our lives so that we might be forgiven, and Christ rose again the third day to break the power of sin in our lives so that we may live the rest of our Christian life free from the powerful strangle-hold of sin within our hearts.
Paul paints in spectacular technicolour what it means to be children of God, accepted in the Beloved, dead to the power of sin in our lives, and alive unto God through the life of Christ, now resident within and able to work in us and through us, to the glory of God.
Because the power of death was broken by Christ it was also broken in our lives too - and in the life of every single man and woman that simply believes in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Once we believed in Him, the power of sin and death was broken giving us the choice to walk in our new godly life in Christ rather that to walk in the old sinful, fleshly life in Adam.
The second book of Timothy was written near the end of Paul's life as he faced certain execution at the hands of Rome.
Paul knew that his earthly life was soon to end, and he wanted to remind Timothy to remain faithful - to faithfully endure to the end and to preach sound doctrine.
Our privileges and position in Christ are beyond our comprehension and we have been given all that we need for life and godliness as a free gift of grace - and it is ALL by faith in Him.
In Him we are kept by the power of God, and one day in Him we will be finally glorified, for in Him we have all we need for life and godliness, in this life and in the ages to come.
How important to take our eyes off the trifling baubles with which the enemy entices us away from a fruitful and godly life.
The ultimate glory that we have in Christ is a maturing, fruitful, Christ-honouring life.
Through our union with Christ we lack nothing, for He has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Jesus Christ Who called us to His own glory and excellence.
How easy it is to start to worry about the necessities of life and to become anxious when we see that food is getting scarce, clothing is getting worn, the rent is overdue, or when we have to face the loss of a job or a home.
All such things are considered to be the basic needs and necessities of life, and how easy it is to find our heart racing and our minds spinning when we lack the basics that sustain our mortal life.
To adopt a heart of worry when we are faced with lack, is to step into the realm of the unbeliever, for Scripture reminds us that in the world system it is the unbelievers, the Gentiles, the pagans that fret over the basics of life and adopt an attitude of anxiety.
It is a pagan mind-set that has overtaken society today, an intellectual perception which has eliminated the truth that God is our provider, a worldview that has excluded God from the equation of life and adopted an attitude of self-sufficiency instead of God-sufficiency.
When our heart is trusting Him in all things and Christ is in the centre of our lives, we will find that anxiety has no place in our thinking and faith in His Word will increase, despite life's circumstances, until we come to know Him as our all-sufficient Provider as well as our all-sufficient Saviour.
The book of Titus gives brief but thorough guidance on living a consecrated and virtuous Christian life that is holy to the Lord and displays grace and love to others.
Paul wanted to ensure that this young pastor stood firm on the Word of truth, and that he presented a good testimony of God's grace in his own life, while encouraging others to live righteously as well.
It is in the midst of his introductory salutations, but before he wrote his customary greeting: Grace and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Saviour, that Paul seems unable to refrain from declaring, once again, the truth of the beautiful gospel of grace and the hope of eternal life which is given to all who trust in Jesus' name.
He was overjoyed for all the saints of God who rejoice in a knowledge of the truth and whose life is consecrated to the Lord Jesus.
Such a life, Paul reminds us, is underpinned and sustained by the hope of eternal life which is God's trustworthy promise to all who have faith in Him.
Scripture told of His coming, giving man hope of eternal life.
Christ was appointed by the Father to fulfil His plan of salvation and to secure it by the sacrifice of His righteous life - through the spilling of His holy blood on Calvary's Tree.
God, the Son, came to earth as the Son of Man, to lay down His life for His friends - displaying a supernatural love that is beyond our human comprehension.
The love of God for mankind, appeared in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who laid down His life for the sin of the whole world - so that ALL who believe in Him might not perish, but have life eternal as a free gift of God's indefinable grace.
It is as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of Him, that we discover our new-life-in-Christ exposes the old sinful nature we received from Adam's fallen race. It contrasts what we were, with all that we are becoming, as He works His work in each of our hearts and pours the love of Christ into our very soul.
Christ's life-giving, divine love, streamed out to all mankind through His blood - as He hung on a wooden cross, 2000 years ago.
He gave us life - the Spirit of life, newness of life, eternal life, and abundant life, because of the depth of His loving-kindness and sweetest compassion.
Because of the greatness of God's love for humanity, He stretched wide His everlasting arms of love and willingly gave up His life for His friends - for you and for me.
There is nothing we can do, in and of ourselves, to assist God's transforming work in our life, except submit to Him and acknowledge that it is through His goodness and grace, that we are being changed from glory into greater glory, so that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace, in His kindness toward us, through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
In the light of His great love, how silly to contemplate that any of our 'good deeds' or 'righteous living' could contribute so much as one droplet to the overflowing fountain of God's eternal, life-giving salvation and everlasting love for His children.
And so Paul encouraged each one to possess his vessel in sanctification, so that their outward behaviour reflected a life that was being progressively sanctified and becoming increasingly Christlike.
Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and our behaviour should be a reflection of Christ's beautiful life.
When a life is under the control of the Spirit of God and maintaining fellowship with our Heavenly Father, we are enabled to possess his vessel in sanctification and to the honour of the God of our salvation.
Today, in this Church age, there is a tendency to intermingle sections of the Mosaic Law, which were given uniquely to Israel, with the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which was given specifically to the Church.
Paul's whole heart was that he himself would decrease to nothing, while the Lord Jesus must increase in every part of his life until he could say: It is not I that live, but Christ that lives in me.
And so, Paul could say with utter confidence that he had not lived his life by the fleshly wisdom of the world, but by means of the gift of grace that he received from the Lord.
Paul grew in grace from the wretched man that we see in Romans chapter 7, to the liberated man of Romans chapter 8, and his life ministry was sharing with others the open secret of how to grow in grace and in the wisdom of God, and how to grow in love and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
How sobering to ponder the brevity of our life and the dust from which we were formed so lovingly by our Creator God.
He forgives all my sins.He heals all my diseases.He redeems me from death.He crowns me with love and tender mercies.He fills my life with good things.He renews my youth like the eagle's.
The Word of God is living, because He is the living God Who breathes life into us and in Whom are the WORDS of eternal life.
It can differentiate between words, actions, thoughts, and motives, that are looking to Jesus and words, actions, thoughts, and motives, that have placed self on the throne of their life.
Every spoken Word from the lips of Christ are Life and Truth.
The action of the Word of God on the spirit and soul of every believer is a life-long process that continues to cut away all that is of the old man and conform the new life we received at Salvation into the image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Throughout this life, the Word of God in all its fullness, continues to lay bare the truth, in the inward parts of man, silencing forever our own weak protests and unjustifiable defences.
The sharp, active, living, powerful, wonderful Word of God, is used by the Holy Spirit in each of our lives, to convict, convert, comfort, and conform us into Christ's likeness, and to prepare us... during our lifetime, for the spiritual rest, eternal life, and future glory, that is laid-up for us in heaven.
As Christians, our eternal salvation is secure - but once saved, we are called to walk in righteousness and not to become complacent in our Christian life.
Our eternal salvation is secure because Christ overcome on our behalf - through His life, His death, and His Resurrection, but our future rewards depend on the life we live now.
We are positionally secure in Christ, but our spiritual rewards and our place in His coming kingdom depends on how we live our Christian life today.
Will we grow in grace and overcome life's difficulties, in the power of the Spirit, or will we become lukewarm Christians and forfeit His promised reward?
No matter what the spiritual temperature of other believers may be, we are called to be faithful... and to keep Christ at the centre of our heart and life if we are to receive the promised reward.
Christ lived His life in spirit and truth and was totally dependent on His Father in heaven.
Carrying out the will of God was the focus of Christ's life... and His death and Resurrection demonstrated that He overcame all life's trials, to the glory of God the Father.
By faith, we have been given everything we need for life and godliness - and we have all we need to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Will we live as Christ lived and overcome life's difficulties through the same power that raised Him from the dead so that we too may overcome and sit with Him on His throne of glory?
Or will we forfeit our heavenly reward by adopting a Laodicean attitude towards the only true God Who gave us life so that we might live?
One who is 'born again' believes in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting.
Jesus had to lead this searching man into a deeper understanding of salvation and the kingdom of heaven - and using the TRUTH of God's WORD, Jesus gently led this man into a deeper understanding of Who HE was - the Light of the World, in Whom are the words of eternal life.
Jesus explained that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so HE would one day have to be lifted up on a Cross and be made sin for our sakes so that, like Nicodemus' disease-ridden ancestors in the wilderness who had to look and live, so ALL who would look to JESUS in faith would not perish but have LIFE.
Like all of us, Nicodemus had to learn that God loved the world so much that He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
I wonder, when Nicodemus accompanied Joseph of Arimathea to take down the bruised and bloodied body of the Lord Jesus from that cruel Roman cross, if his mind fled back to that life-changing interview, in the middle of the night, when he came to see the Lord and started to understand that unless he was born of water AND born of the Spirit, he could not enter into the kingdom of God.
They had allowed a misunderstanding of Scripture and life's difficult circumstances to influence their rejection of God's long-promised Messiah and King.
His death paid the price for our sins and the gift of His resurrected life is the power of God for our justification, as well as the ongoing process of lifelong sanctification for all who trust in His name.
It is no surprise that no-one could keep the Law completely, for God had designed His perfect Law to be a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, the one and only perfect Man Who lived His life, from start to finish, in accordance with God's perfect standard.
But every lesson that the disciples were taught in their three-year sojourn with the Lord, is an equally important lesson that we too must learn and apply in our journey through life.
Should we not rejoice that God has not only commanded us to be perfect as He is perfect, but in His love and grace He foreordained that through faith in Christ we may be perfect, entire, and lacking nothing, simply by an act of saving faith and an obedient life of sanctifying faith, trusting Him to finish the good work he started in us - in Christ.
And it was the Lord Jesus Himself Who gave His life as a free-will offering and oblation, out of love for the Father, to pay the price for the sin of the world.
His sacrifice was a sweet-smelling savour to God, but we read in this verse: During His earthly life, He offered prayers and appeals, with loud cries and tears, to the One who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.
He was the Almighty, eternal Creator of the world, Who laid aside His heavenly glory to be made in the form of a man so that He could lead a perfect life, die a substitutionary death, and demonstrate the way we should all live as God intended man to live; trusting Him entirely and living in active dependence upon Him.
Jesus, being the incarnate Word, is the perfect example of how to live a holy life of active dependence on God.
Christ's entire life was one of prayer and praise, thanksgiving and worship.
The promises of God pepper the pages of scripture like crystal droplets of sparkling rain, sprinkling life into a dry and dusty desert and scattering hope into the hearts of all God's people.
They will find Him to be the only Way, the singular Truth, and Life eternal.
Those that sincerely search for the Lord will gain the abundant Life He promises - a life that only comes through faith in Christ.
He came to His own people at God's appointed time - but they did not recognise Him as the only Way, the singular Truth, and Life eternal and He was rejected and cruelly crucified.
Let us, therefore, with wholeness of heart, fervency of spirit, sincerity of soul, and diligence of mind, freely abandon the good to search for the very best, knowing that ALL who seek the Lord, will find Him to be rest for their soul, healing for their heart, hope for the future, and life everlasting.
And so when we break our fellowship with our Heavenly Father through sin, this parable of the prodigal son gives us clear instructions on how to return into sweet communion with Him - we are to leave the old life behind, turn right away from our sin, return in penitence and obedience to the Lord our God, and confess our faults to our Heavenly Father.
Jesus had to shed His life-blood for the sin of the world so that we who believe on Him would be sanctified, identified with Him, and clothed in His perfect righteousness.
He was made sin for us and paid the full price of sin... so that by His life, death, and resurrection, He was able to reveal the Father to us and to proclaim His name to all who believe... even calling us His brothers and leading the congregation of the elect in singing hymns of praise and thanksgiving to our great Creator God and heavenly Father.
He also discovered that the man who trusts is the Lord is blessed indeed and likened to a well-watered tree that is planted by life-giving waters.
We are all fallen creatures, and although we praise and thank God that we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, have been made a new creation in Him, and have been given His resurrected life, our old, fleshly nature lusts against our new-life-in-Christ and our new nature lusts against our old, fleshly, sinful self.
As believers, we are united with Christ, and because the Lord Jesus broke the power of sin and death and hell when He rose from the dead, the strength of sin in our lives has also been broken and we have been raised up into newness of life, in Him.
We died with Christ, we are dead to the world and our life is hidden in Him, and yet we are daily to put to death the things that are of the world and the lust of the flesh.
We were raised up to newness of life and are complete in Him, we have put on the new man in Christ, and we are seated with Him in heavenly realms, and yet we walk this earth and are charged to keep on being renewed in our minds, and to put off the old self with its evil practices.
The early morning dew drenches the thirsty land with its refreshing life and vitality.
It descends secretly, silently, slowly, and unobserved, and yet each tiny droplet gently softens the iron-hard soil which allows the joy of life to pour into the withering plant; reviving, reinvigorating, rejuvenating, and replenishing.
Because He had carried out the redemptive will of His Father, to be born into the human race, to become a Man, to live a sinless life, and to die a sacrificial death for the sin of the whole world, He was able to proclaim, All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
Despite being fully God, Jesus was content to do nothing of Himself, which is why Scripture tells us that, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. Although fully God, Jesus lived His life as a Man.
He lived His life depending on the Father, as an example to us... and to reveal God to us.
The Lord Jesus lived in total unity of Spirit with the Father and confessed many times that He, only carries out the will of the Father. He explained that although He is living His life under the authority and direction of the Father, He still retains His Deity.
He lived His life and died His death in utter submission to His Heavenly Father’s will.
Jeremiah acknowledged his many limitations and used a possible speech impediment, a lack of learning, and his tender age as legitimate excuses to be released from God's demanding and overwhelming assignment on his life.
But when God has a call on the life of a man or woman, He equips that servant with supernatural strength and the sufficient grace to carry out the assignment and complete the task God has prepared for them to do.
Israel were to turn back to the GOD of Israel through John's Baptism of Repentance and Israel as a nation, were to believe on Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting - and by so doing they too would be baptised by the Holy Spirit into Church, which is the Body of Christ, and they would receive the indwelling Spirit of God, as promised of old, at God's appointed time - (Pentecost).
They were born-again into the family of God and baptised into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit - and these men of Israel demonstrated their trust in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and life-everlasting by going through the waters of baptism.
We are saved by faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness for sins and life everlasting: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, Paul tells us.
We are saved by trusting in His death, burial, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
We are not to drift through our Christian life in a careless and carnal way, but rather we are to give close attention to entering into God's rest by resisting temptation, by listening to His truth, by applying His Word, submitting to the Holy Spirit, and by being utterly dependent upon our Lord Jesus Christ.
However, throughout our life on earth, we are able to receive the peace OF God, which passes all understanding.
BUT GOD is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead.
The habits that we set up in our thinking, develop a fixed mental attitude which pre-determines the way that we respond to life-situations - a mind-set that influences our reactions to the circumstances that touch our lives, a disposition that constructs a set of self-imposed values and perceptions about God (and other people) that may be twisted or false, unless they are founded upon the truth.
The mind-set of a believer is able to be influenced by the old sin nature, which develops into a carnal Christian OR the new-life in Christ, which blossoms into a spiritual believer.
The carnally minded believer leads to death while the spiritually minded believer leads to life and peace.
Whatever mind-set develops in the heart of a believer, whether carnal or spiritual, his position in Christ and his eternal life remains secure forever, for it rests upon the faithfulness of God to keep His promises, not upon the unfaithfulness of God's blood-bought children towards their Heavenly Father.
But praise God we can rectify this sad state of affairs by changing the way we think - by habitually setting our heart on heavenly things - by continuously looking to Jesus - by fervently drinking in His Word - and by developing a spiritual mind-set that makes for life and peace.
These people were saved spiritually, but their choices caused them to live a defeated life rather than a victorious one and destroyed their soul-life.
Although a truly saved believer is justified (like those redeemed from Egypt), falling from grace into doubt and unbelief will eventually result in deliberate rebellion against God and a wasted life, which will end in the utter destruction of one's soul-life.
When believers become rebellious and live according to their own lusts, they will remain saved but their soul-life will be destroyed.
They will lose the opportunity to live a life that honours the Lord: Saved, yet as though by fire, as Paul puts it.
May we consider carefully this warning and seek to live victorious lives by walking in spirit and truth, trusting His Word alone, living in complete dependence of the Lord, and being ready and willing to say, 'THY will not mine be done in my life'.
Not only did the shed blood of Christ bring forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, but returns us into fellowship with the Father, when we confess our wrongdoing - for He is our Mediator and great High Priest, Who intercedes between man and God.
In Acts 4, Peter challenged the men of Israel proclaiming, Jesus is the Stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the Cornerstone, and in the closing years of his life he added, to you which believe, Jesus is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the Stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.
We are to train the eyes of our mind on things that are above and not on things that are of the earth... for when Christ died, we died with Him and our life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Let us never forget that we are a new creation in Christ, having been given His new, resurrected life when we were justified by faith.
How important, therefore, to lay aside the old Adamic life where we were dead in sins and enslaved to the evil one.
And although obedience to parents is not a ticket to salvation, (for children must trust in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins) - it is the Lord Who ordained that parental obedience in a godly home is the best forum to teach our offspring the important things of life... which will provide them with a long and productive life and a lifelong reverence for the Lord our God.
Those who know the Son know the TRUTH - for Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life'.
and the simple answer was, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. He was to believe on the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, the salvation of the soul, and life everlasting.
Believing the truth would transfer this man from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Light and Life.
Jesus Himself explained to Nicodemus that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
We live in a day and age when the foundations of our biblical faith and the fabric of godly living are being systematically attacked by every quarter of society and dismantled in all areas of life.
No matter what circumstance we face in life, our hope is in God and our trust is in His unshakable Word of truth.
It is at this point of rebirth that every sinner who is saved by grace is washed, sanctified, and justified in the sight of God, securing forever their eternal salvation and giving them eternal security as they journey through life.
But as Jesus taught on the night that He was betrayed, those that are fully cleansed by His blood and washed clean by grace through faith in Him still need to wash their feet and be cleansed as we journey through life.
But throughout our earthly life, we are also being sanctified.
As we journey through life, we go through the process of ongoing sanctification as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
How appropriate that he should quote that wonderful prophetic Psalm of David, who foresaw the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and foretold that the God of Israel would not leave their Messiah in a cold, damp, tomb to decay and disintegrate, but would raise Him up to newness of life so that all who believe on Him, would not perish but have everlasting life.
The Psalmist's joyful proclamation was not referring to himself, for he would die and be buried along with all the children of men, but it points to the irrepressible joy of the coming Messiah Whose heart rejoiced in God, Whose tongue delighted in His Father, and Whose flesh rested in the promises of the Almighty God, to raise Him to life on the third day.
It was decided in God's eternal council chambers, that the Son of God would come to earth and be born into the human race as God incarnate, and live the perfect life that God desires from all of us; a life that was empowered by the Holy Spirit, a life that was submitted to the will of the Father and not his own human will.
And even though they may not have been aware of this fact, those that despised the love of Jesus and rejected His salvation, also despised and rejected His Father in heaven, for the words that Christ spoke were from the Father, and the life that He lived was directed by the Father.
While on earth, we have a peep into His amazing prayer life where he said and did only those things He heard from the Father and gave everything over to Him in prayer, which glorified His Father in heaven.
Jesus came to the Jew FIRST, to fulfil God's unconditional covenant to Abraham, and His coming to Bethlehem in the land of Judah was one of numerous prophecies given to Israel, so they would recognise the eternal Son of His love - Whom God gave to be the Child, born of a virgin, so that whosoever believes on HIM would not perish but have everlasting life.
Indeed, in chapter 20, we discover the reason that John wrote his gospel: These things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, he wrote, and that by believing, ye might have life through His name.
Faith must be in the person and work of Jesus Christ, the Son of God... and it is by that faith in HIM that we have life in His name.
It was by the grace of God that Paul laboured more abundantly than all the other apostles of Christ, to spread the good news with the lost - yet at the end of his life, he prayed fervently: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.
Paul's fervent desire, at the end of his life of service, was... that I may KNOW HIM.
Jesus is the earthly representative of the immortal, invisible, triune Godhead Who died to pay the price for the sin of humanity - and rose again, breaking the power of sin and death in the life of all who believe.
The Son of God set aside His glory, for a season, so that He could live and die as the perfect pattern of human life.
Having set aside His glory for a season, Jesus lived His life through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
and to give His life as the ransom price for many.
How sad that spiritual myopia and foolish pride can cause men to miss the Redeemer of the world and remain in eternal condemnation - for only those that put their trust in HIM, for the salvation of their soul by faith, will not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus started to lay the foundation of Church age doctrine with a new commandment - to love as He loved and to understand that although He had to leave them, He would not only send the Holy Spirit of truth to indwell them, but that His own resurrected life and perfect righteousness would be imputed to them and they would learn what it means to abide in Me and I in you.
His convicting work is to bring a sinner to a realisation that sin separates them from God, and that only through Christ can they receive forgiveness of sins and life-everlasting, for only by faith in Christ can an unrighteous sinner be declared righteous in the eyes of God.
Praise God that we have come to a saving knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and we pray that many who have not known Christ as Saviour and received the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting are convicted of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement in the days that lie ahead - before it is too late.
But before all this could transpire, God had to prepare a body for His Son so that the eternal Son of God could be born into the human race (at the appointed time) as the perfect Son of Man in order that He could give His life as a ransom for many, including you and me.
How important that we are not enticed by the lawless ways of the world, which is at enmity with our Father, but that we live in humble obedience and reverence of heart before Him, all the days of our life.
The only way to live the Christian life is in total reliance upon the Lord, clinging to Him by faith, admitting our helplessness, and trusting on His sufficient strength.
His entire life was spent living the life of a man that trusted entirely on God, and He did only those things that He heard from the Father.
Some years ago, I discovered a truth that removed forever any concerns I had about God's will for my life, which path to take, which direction to follow, which decision to choose.
It all comes back to acknowledging Him in everything - trusting Him in every eventuality of life.
Acknowledging Him in all our ways, means to take note of His instructions in the Word of God and to apply each principle to our own life - not in a legalistic way but simply because we love Him and choose to acknowledge Him in all things.
This simple truism in the book of Proverbs does much more than express a life-truth or teach a nice lesson.
If it is our desire that God will make our path straight, He is to be acknowledged in all things, and in every area of life.
The truth of Proverbs 21 is clearly seen in the life of king Cyrus, for we read: The kings' heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water, and He turns it wherever He wishes.
It is only those who are born-again and positioned in Christ who are enabled to live each day by grace through faith in Him - for Jesus not only paid the penalty for our sin but broke the power of sin in the life of all who believe.
Paul discovered this shocking truth in his own life and cried out, O wretched man that I am!
The Christian life is not about 'me, myself and I', but is all about the Lord Jesus Christ and God's purpose and plan in bringing many sons to glory through HIM, by means of His sacrificial work at Calvary. In respect to the dispensation of the fullness of times in which we currently live (the Church age), God's purpose and plan is to bring all things into one in Christ.
Christ suffered once for all on the Cross, and Christ's 'once-for-all' sacrifice was sufficient to pay the full and final price for the sin of the whole world so that whosoever believes on HIM should not perish but have everlasting life.
The first man, Adam, was created in the image and likeness of God and had His very life-breathed into him: Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
The second and last Adam was God incarnate, and the life of God was within Him for He Himself was God: The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. The second man paid the price for humanity's sin and broke the power of death in all mankind: ..........so in Christ all will be made alive.
The first man, Adam, became a living being when God breathed His life into Adam's lifeless body that He had formed from the dust of the earth.
The second man and last Adam was the eternal Son of God Who became the perfect sacrificial Man Who, in willingly laying down His life for humanity, would break the ruling power of sin and death and become a life-giving Spirit for mankind.
The life-giving Spirit has taken up residency in our bodies, and while our bodies on earth are still perishing, we have the promise of being changed: For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
Jesus Himself was life and light, and He came to conquer sin and death and to terminate its reign over the lives of whosoever would believe on His name.
Praise the Lord that the last Adam chose to come to earth, to die on the Cross for the sins of all humanity, and to become a life-giving Spirit for all who believe in Him.
As with all his letters, the little epistle of first Timothy provides each of God's children with great encouragement and edification, authoritative instruction on living the Christian life, and wisdom in combatting false teachings, as well as the blessings of God's grace, the joy of His mercy and His perfect peace in our hearts, a peace which passes understanding.
They even rejected the One Who gave His life as the ransom price for mankind, and spilled His blood so that whosoever believes on HIM would not perish but receive life eternal.
The time had finally arrived when He would become the full and final sacrificial offering for sin Who would give His life for the sin of the world.
He had fed the multitudes, healed the sick, forgiven sinners, raised the dead, stilled the raging waters, and taught that He was the living water - for in Him were the words of eternal life.
He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
Jesus walked in the shadow of the Cross His entire life and ministry.
His whole life had been set to do the will of His Father and glorify His Father in heaven.
May we, who have the mind of Christ through the power of the indwelling Spirit of God, seek to glorify our Heavenly Saviour - Who died and rose again so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
He had, no doubt, studied the prophet's writings and recognised that the brevity of man's life can be compared with the fleeting passing of grasses in the field, for he quoted the gloomy truth: All flesh is like grass, and all its glory fades away like the flower which shrivels up, for, day by day, we witness this fact in our everyday lives as we watch the grass withering away and flowers fading before our eyes.
From Genesis to the Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are presented with God's gracious, redemptive programme for fallen man, as recorded in the Bible - that Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture, that He was buried, and rose again according to the Word of Truth so that whosoever believes on Him would not perish and pass away - as the grass in the field, but would receive the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.
The Word of Life also contains all we need to live a life that glorifies His name - for we have been given all we need for life and godliness.
John the Baptist had identified Him as the Lamb of God, many years before, when he was that voice, crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, and Jesus' ministry was authenticated by the very signs and wonders He performed throughout His earthly life.
Jesus Christ is the way and the truth and the life.
Christ bore witness of His own sinless life and His claims to Deity - and His Father in heaven also bore witness that the Person and Work of Christ was of God.
And having formed and fashioned the man that He had made, God breathed His own breath of life in to Adam's lifeless form, and Adam became a living being, made in the image and likeness of God with a mind to think, emotions to feel, and a will to make freewill choices.
And so God made a suitable helper to share his life, a helpmeet that corresponded to Adam's needs, a woman that would compliment Adam's position of ruler in God's creation.
The Lord Jesus has broken the power of Satan, sin, and death in our lives, and because we belong to Jesus, the power of His life-giving Spirit has freed us from the power of Satan.
The last chapter of Revelation is also the final chapter of the Bible, where we are treated to a glimpse of the Holy City - the New Jerusalem where the shining River of Life, with its wonderful healing properties, streams forth from beneath the throne of God and of the Lamb.
He saw the Tree of Life, which speaks of restoration, with its leaves for the healing of the nations, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, and growing on both sides of the crystal river.
The Bible begins with the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden, but due to sin, Adam was denied further access to its luscious, life-giving properties and he and his wife were banished from the glorious garden.
But the same Tree of Life has reappeared in this final chapter of God's Word, with a promise from the Lord Jesus that He is returning soon to finish the good work He started at Calvary - and to establish in His kingdom of peace and prosperity.
And everyone who is thirsty for the truth will be invited to refresh themselves with the water of life that streams forth from the throne of God.
As Christians, our identification with Christ's Resurrection is the absolute assurance that we who have been saved by grace through faith in Him, will likewise be raised from the dead into newness of life - for we are saved... spirit, soul, and body, and we will have resurrection bodies like unto His glorious body.
He then describes Christ as the last Adam, Who illustrates the heavenly, spiritual, immortal body, where His eternal life and righteousness has been imputed to us!
Who shed His life-blood on our behalf, according to His abundant mercy and great goodness.
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life are things in the world that massage the old sin nature into ungodly acts and unholy thoughts..
but we are to abstain from worldly pursuits, evil desires, sensual passions and carnal cravings, which cause an internal turmoil and inner conflict with the new life we received at salvation - and which can sadly result in an unfruitful life that does not honour our God and Saviour.
We discover from the Scriptures that His grace is sufficient no matter what we have to face, and that if we trust Him through all the difficulties and dangers of life, we are granted an ever deepening knowledge of His Person and an expanded insight into His gracious character, His eternal faithfulness, His amazing grace, and His unsurpassed glory.
Thus, Job is identified as a man who glorified God even when his life became unimaginably difficult, proving Satan's challenge to God to be false.
He gave wise instruction on how to grow in grace and live a godly life, and he encouraged them (as he encourages us) to live in harmony with our Christian brothers and sisters.
But there is one more piece of godly wisdom that Peter pens to all the elect of God who are set apart unto Him - a directive that we would all do well to note no matter where we live in the world and no matter what our life circumstances may be.
And although we know that God never 'tempts' His children, He uses the trials and temptations of life to test our confidence in Him, encouraging us to depend upon Him and not on ourselves when we face the trials and temptations in life.
Satan's deception had caused Eve to conclude that the Lord was withholding something that would enrich her life: i.e.
In toil you will eat of it all the days of your life, both thorns and thistles shall grow, and you will eat the plants of the field.
It was the ground that was cursed due to Adam's sin so that he had to toil by the sweat of his brow throughout this earthly life to provide what was originally bestowed in plentiful supply.
Death is imputed to all Adam's descendants because of sin, but eternal life is imputed to all who believe on God's perfect Kinsman-Redeemer, His only begotten Son Who came to earth to live a sinless life and die a sacrificial death.
And whosoever believes in Him will not be eternally separated from God and perish, but receive the free gift of eternal life.
But while he waited for the Lord to help him, he trusted the God of his salvation to lead and to guide Him, for he confessed that God is his Light of lights and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Like the psalmist, we need to realise that the antidote to despair and distress is hope in the Lord, and we need to apply it to our life on a day-to-day basis.
The fleshly, carnal, self-life can never fulfil this sublime command of Christ unless self remains in the place of death and continues to be nailed to the Cross so that the life of Christ Himself may be manifested in our bodies so that His resurrected life can live in us and work through us, until it is not I but Christ that lives in me, to His praise and glory.
As believers, we are not only given the new resurrected life of Christ at rebirth, which must learn to abide in Christ, depend on Him, grow in grace, and mature in the faith, but we also have been given the permanently indwelling Holy Spirit of God to help us in our weaknesses.
The one who abides in Christ and does not rely on the self-life, is able to rest in the love of Christ and He in him.
Let us be those that run with perseverance the race set before us, as we preach the Word and patiently endure the trials of life, by grace through faith.
A carnal Christian is sometimes called a fleshly believer, as he does not submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit, but rather seeks to live his Christian life in his own strength rather that in the strength of Christ.
He lives his life under the power of the old sin nature rather than the new, born-again life in Christ.
If we live as a carnal believer, it means that we rely on our self-life rather than on the life of Christ.
But it is only by relying on the Spirit, as we live our new, born-again life in Christ, that we can properly function.
They were lacking in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and as a result we discover them to be the most carnal believers to whom Paul wrote; and carnality results in a stunted Christian life.
Let us remember that every Christian has the indwelling Holy Spirit and when we live in carnality, we grieve Him or quench His life in us.
In Hebrew, His name is Joshua, which means 'the Lord is Salvation', and His life and death was poured out to pay the price for humanity's sin, for sins past, sins present, and sins to come.
Persecution, false teachers, godly service, fruit-bearing, promised rewards, and effective prayer, accompanied by a life of faith and a total dependence on the Lord, are required of all Christ's disciples, throughout this extended period.
A life of faith and dependent trust was Christ's call, both before and after the Cross.
While each member of Christ's Body receives unmerited grace, through our great salvation, each one is given the sufficient grace and enablement needed to live a holy life.
I wonder, as Paul reflected on his life and ministry, whether the instructions he gave in his later epistles were influenced by his sharp disagreement with Barnabas and his stark refusal to allow John Mark to accompany them.
The promise of a long life that accompanies the honouring of one's parents, may not only refer to longevity of life in this age, but may also refer to the promises that God gave to Abraham, Isaac, David, and the nation of Israel.
We read in Isaiah: Thy dead shall live, and my dead body shall arise, awake and sing, while we read in Daniel: And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to reproaches and everlasting abhorrence.
May we strive to walk in spirit and truth all the days of our life - and ensure that every day is lived in right relationship with our Heavenly Father - Who loves us so much that He sent His dearly loved Son to die on the Cross so that we might live in Him - by faith.
teach, train, rebuke and direct us in our Christian walk through this life.
would be replaced with a new Creation in Christ - (Who is our life).
and the invitation to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of our soul and life everlasting has been preached freely to whosoever will come by faith.
John is often called the apostle of love and throughout His Gospel and Epistles, we see him explain how to obey Christ's singular and impossible commandment to the coming Church; how to live as Christ lived, how to love as Christ loved, how to the fulfil the all important instructions that Christ gave to the early Church through His New Testament apostles and prophets, for it is only through the new, born-again life in Christ, which we receive at salvation, through which His love can manifest itself in our lives.
Bitterness is also like a tree which can branch into every area of our life and cause devastation, distress, and destruction, to ourselves and to others.
As we search the Scriptures with the leading of the Holy Spirit Who will guide us into all truth, our understanding of God will grow, our love for our Redeemer will deepen, and our faith will be strengthened. We will never be shown all the secret things that belong to the Lord in this life, but we will be shown exactly what we need at the right time and in the right way.
Wise choices in life are of true and lasting benefit, and the 'Proverbs of Solomon' are an amazing collection of maxims for profitable living.
They cover a wide range of subject matter which can help to prevent foolish behaviour and ungodly decisions in areas like relationships, friendships, finances, and a fruitful life.
This saying is a 'stand-alone' truth that is applicable to every man, but in order to discover the godly way to go, the correct choices to make, and the true path that leads to life and light, peace and hope, the entire book of Proverbs needs to be taken into account, for it records every aspect of living a godly life.
However young or old a person may be in physical years, the fleeting breath of this brief life is but a drop in the vast ocean of eternity as time tick-tocks away.
The time is fast approaching when we must recognise that however old or young a man may be in physical years, we will soon be standing in the presence of the Lord Jesus, to give an account of the life we lived for Christ.
It is a quiet willingness to listen to His voice and a readiness to depend on Him in the most difficult circumstances we face in life.
He teaches the lost the way of salvation and he teaches the saved how to grow in grace, how to live the Christian life, and how to mature in the faith.
There are many examples where the Lord Jesus Christ identified with the frailty of our human flesh and on occasions, we catch a glimpse of His withdrawing to a desert place or retreating to the ocean shore by Himself, helping us to understand that we also need times of mental and spiritual refreshment and demonstrating that we too need times to be alone with the Lord, as we come to terms with some circumstance of life that may be hard to bear.
How important not to miss that still small voice of God calling us to come aside from the busyness of life and to spend time in the company of our Heavenly Father.
Although Jesus was fully God, He was also fully Man and His life is a wonderful witness of the way that God requires all men to live, looking to Him alone, trusting in no earthly support and relying on no-one but our Heavenly Father to supply our every need and direct our earthly pathway.
How blessed we are to know that in His humanity, Jesus was able to sympathise with our weaknesses and understood the limitation of this earthly life, but He is also the only one Who can supply our deepest spiritual needs.
Praise God that Christ is still able to empathise with our pain, our grief, our disappointments, and our loss, as well as being our all sufficient Saviour, our light and our life.
Indeed, all Christians are warned against the pernicious growth of bitterness in their heart which is a destructive cancer that infects every area of our Christian life, including our fellowship with our Heavenly Father and our relationship with our fellow man.
The more we grow in our Christian life, the more we develop in our freedom from the sin nature that keeps us in bondage, and that freedom in Christ sets us free to live our life in spirit and truth.
The world in which we live is a fallen world; a place of sufferings and trials, and a time of heartaches and problems; a life of difficulties and sickness, and a season of disappointments and death.
And if this were all that life offered to humanity, we would indeed be the most miserable of species, for we would remain dead in trespasses and sins, without God and without any hope in the world.
Suffering is placed alongside great glory, sadness is contrasted with lasting joy, despair is put in contradistinction with the glorious hope that is set before us, while death is forever swallowed up in the abundance of everlasting life.
Suffering in this world also helps us to keep our eyes off the things of this world, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life.
He came to destroy the immovable sin-barrier and unbridgeable gulf that was erected by SIN - such that whosoever believes on Him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
One of the foundational facts upon which our faith is anchored, is that we died with Christ and our life is now hidden with Christ in God.
This phrase could better be written BECAUSE you have already died with Christ (a FACT which happened at our justification) - your life is hid with Christ in God (a FACT - because we are identified with Him).
The last three statements are not connected with our initial salvation but with how we live our post-salvation, Christian life.
However, Paul warns us in various passages that not all believers will receive rewards - for heavenly rewards depend on a life that is lived to the glory and praise of God - as we die to self and live for Him.
All who are saved by grace through faith were promised eternal life at the point of salvation - but not all will receive rewards for a life lived to God's glory.
Because our former life died with Him at the point of salvation..
our new-life-in-Christ, which we received at salvation, will also live with Him.
If we endure in this life and overcome, by faith in the power of the Spirit, we will also reign with Him.
Paul learned that it is not in our own strength that we live and move and have our being but in the strength of Christ - Who is our life and our light.
How amazing that we are called by God to complete every activity in our life of faith, so that the Name of our Saviour, Jesus Christ the righteous..
Not only have we have been reckoned as righteous, but have been given His new life.
We have been given the resurrected life of Christ - the deathless life of Christ - the eternal life of Christ.
Throughout our life the enemy of our soul causes much suffering, pain, persecution, and distress to believers, but the Bible tells us that suffering is part of the Christian course and in Christ we can become victorious, no matter what difficulties and hardships are strewn in our path, for no matter how fierce the trial and how severe the test, the full and final victory is already ours in Christ.
He will heal the sickness that scars our life and render us holy and set apart for Him.
The inevitable sufferings of life are designed by God to perfect us in our spiritual walk, to establish us in our Christian faith, to strengthen us in our daily life, and to settle us in our blessed hope.
Christ Jesus is the incarnate Son of God Who came to earth to reveal the love of the Father towards fallen man so that by grace through faith in His death, burial, and Resurrection we might be forgiven of our sins, be brought back into fellowship with our Heavenly Father, and be given God's life, light, love, and compassion in our heart as we abide in Him and He in us.
But His work on the Cross would also invalidate and destroy the works of the devil, transferring all who believe in Him from the kingdom of darkness and death into the kingdom of light and life, only found in Jesus Christ the beloved Son of the Father and Saviour of the world.
When we are born from above, we receive a new nature from our Heavenly Father, a new life in Christ, and a citizenship in heaven.
When we are saved by grace through faith in Him, we are given His resurrected life: And we know that we have passed out of death and into life because we love our brothers and sisters in Christ.
And we know that we have passed from death to life simply because we love one another, for he who does not love as Christ loves continues to abide in death, but when Christ is our portion we love because He first loved us.
Demas was a fellow-believer and one of Paul's fellow-workers, and yet Demas later deserted the apostle because he loved this present world, more than his life in Christ.
Let each one of us take heed of this sad and sombre tale of Demas' desertion from the truth, lest like him we should fall from grace, return to the things of this life, and in so doing, lose our heavenly inheritance (not a loss of salvation but a loss of reward).
The Lord Jesus had the words of eternal life, for He was the Light of the world, the Messiah of the Jews, and the Saviour of mankind Who had come into the world to save sinners from their sins.
However, there were certain of these Jews who did believe the words of the Lord Jesus; that all who believe on the only begotten Son of God are saved by grace through faith in Him and are given the gift of eternal life.
In this verse, Moses gives the listening congregation his concluding exhortation, which is a call to total commitment to the Lord their God, all the days of their life: And now, Israel, Moses concluded, what does the Lord your God ask of you except to fear the Lord your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, and to worship the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul?
Firstly, their firm faith in the gospel brought Paul much encouragement, for it brings eternal life to all who believe on Christ.
Three of the most important Christian virtues are expressed in these three spiritual fruit; faith, hope, and love, and together, they embody the essence of godly living, and illustrate the virtuous way that every believer should seek to live in their Christian life-journey.
Like the Lord Jesus, Paul seems to have developed the desire to live his life in an attitude of prayer, and throughout his writings, we find him encouraging the Body of Christ to pray without ceasing, in every situation to pray with a thankful heart, and having done all, to keep on praying, knowing that our sufficient strength comes from God alone.
He is our everlasting hope and strength, and the psalmist knows that the rejoicing praises of this life will reverberate to the farthest corners of the universe and inhabit the eternal ages to come.
Let us bless the Lord with our whole heart, knowing that the momentary troubles of this fleeting life will soon be over, and we too will be joining in the never-ending heavenly chorus of thanksgiving and praise.
Jesus knew that He could not commit His life and His important ministry into their safe-keeping..
Christ's whole life was the perfect example of a man that only said and did those things that He heard from His Father in heaven, while at the same time..
In Him was life. Of Him and through Him and to Him are ALL things, and God is quietly moving His creation to its ultimate goal, where Christ is all in all and we who are born again, are positioned in Christ, and Christ in God.
He has given us all things for life and godliness and has made us alive together with Christ.
From beginning to end, John points to Christ as the only way to God, the only truth from God, and the only life of God, in Whom alone is abundant life, eternal life, and the forgiveness of sins.
Love of the Lord Jesus and obedience to His commands are the focal points of John's writing so that all who believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God would know, without question, that they have eternal life in Him.
And He is the only way to God, the only truth from God, and the only life of God.
We are saved by grace through faith in Christ and once we are born again, we are to live our Christian life in a manner that is worthy of our position in Him.
Paul often uses images of an athlete to illustrate the way that we are to live the Christian life.
We are not to live our Christian life in a half-hearted manner, but rather we are to give it our all.
We can run to win at the office or at the supermarket, for the promised prize is for all who live godly in Christ Jesus and who conduct their Christian life in spirit and in truth.
Many times in life, we discover the folly of opening our mouth and responding in careless haste to the words and actions of others, and too often we react in annoyance or anger only to discover that we had misunderstood the facts of the matter, causing us to regret that we spoke so quickly and reacted so hastily.
But we are called to honour rulers and to pray for kings, presidents, prime ministers, and all who are in authority, so we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.
Satan implied that the only thing that Job desired was his own life - 'his skin'.
was his cruel accusation, Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life.
He implied the test was unfair because Job's life - his 'skin' was kept intact: Skin for skin!
Satan mocked, Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life... however, he added viciously, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh and he will curse You to Your face.
And so the Lord said to Satan, Behold, he is in your power, only spare his life.
So Peter opened their understanding and pointed to Christ, great David's greater Son, Who was condemned to death by wicked men, but rose from the dead to life eternal and has ascended to the throne of the most-High God.
Praise God that because HE rose we too will rise to life-immortal.
Throughout his life, Joseph demonstrated maturity that was far beyond his years which helped to ignite a burning hatred from his half-brothers, but an animosity which the Lord used for good.
For decades, Jacob had relied on his own strength and cunning to get on in life, but at Peniel, when face to face with God, Jacob reaches a spiritual crossroads in his life, and seems to realise the significance of what has happened when he says, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been spared.
The preferential treatment Joseph received, caused his brothers to despise and hate him, and eventually incited them to conspire to kill him, but God used all these circumstances in Joseph's life to bring about His purpose and plan for the redemption of his brothers.
Not only did Joseph serve his father well but throughout his life, he demonstrated an exemplary faith in God despite the many trials and difficulties he faced.
By God's grace, we have been given everything we need for life and godliness, and the apostle Peter wants us to keep this in the forefront of our minds.
He reminds us that as born again children of God, we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ and have been given all the power we need to live a holy life.
Each manifestation of the Spirit in the life of a believer is for the common good of all Christians.
What a privilege it is to be a member of Christ's Body, for we all eat of the same Bread of Life, we all drink from the same Living Water, and we all partake of the same Spirit of God.