"Justification by Works?""

“Justification by Works?”

You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.  In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.       James 2:24-26



Now, some of you are thinking that I have gone off the DEEP END.  But this is hopefully a good definition of FAITH and WORKS, and how they interact to produce JUSTIFICATION.  There are certain ways to view JUSTIFICATION; first, in Romans 3:24, we are told:  And all are justified freely by His GRACE, through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  Remember, GRACE is receiving what we don’t deserve.  FAITH is mankind’s response to God’s gift of His AMAZING GRACE.  So, we are JUSTIFIED by FAITH. (Rom. 5:1) Our FAITH is a product of God’s GRACE.



We are JUSTIFIED by BLOOD, Romans 5:9, Since we have now been JUSTIFIED by His BLOOD, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!  So, we see that we are JUSTIFIED, not only by FAITH, but by the BLOOD of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. It was the price that HAD TO BE PAID. 



We are JUSTIFIED by GOD, Romans 8:33, Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is GOD who JUSTIFIES.  Then we are JUSTIFIED by GOD’S POWER.  The POWER that RAISED Jesus from the DEAD.  The RESURRECTION shows us God’s SATISFACTION with the BLOOD SACRIFICE of His Son.  So, we are JUSTIFIED by the POWER of the ALMIGHTY GOD.



We are JUSTIFIED by WORKS,  WORKS are the PROOF of our FAITH, and it is evidence that we are JUSTIFIED BY: GRACE, the PRINCIPLE of God’s JUSTIFICATION, FAITH, which is the MEANS in which mankind receives GOD’S GRACE,  the BLOOD, which was the PRICE that had to be PAID, in order for mankind to RECEIVE GOD’S JUSTIFICATION.  GOD’S POWER, to RAISE Jesus from the GRAVE, and GOD, Himself, who is the ONE WHO JUSTIFIES.  And WORKS, which are the RESULT of being JUSTIFIED.  These are DIFFERENT ASPECTS of JUSTIFICATION for the TRUE BELIEVER, which were exemplified through the WORKS of Abraham and Rahab.



Have you been JUSTIFIED by GOD’S AMAZING GRACE?  WORKS alone will not bring you JUSTIFICATION, You MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. And BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT God’s gift of GRACE and SALVATION, and REMEMBER:  As the body without the spirit is dead, so FAITH without WORKS is DEAD.  So, Do this NOW while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

(Thankful for Ref:  BELIEVER’S BIBLE COMMENTARY, William MacDonald)

"Submitting to God"

“Submitting to God”

The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law nor can it do so.  Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.     Romans 8:7-8



SUBMIT: to give or yield to another power or authority.



Some find it hard and uneasy to SUBMIT, because they think it shows weakness or the inability to carry out certain tasks or ideas.  However, the Apostle Paul tells us that when our minds are GOVERNED or CONTROLLED by the FLESH, they are HOSTILE to God.  And they are UNABLE to SUBMIT to God and His Laws.  When we are in the flesh, we CANNOT please God, because the FLESH is SINFUL and God is HOLY, therefore, the things we do in the FLESH will NOT be PLEASING to GOD.  That is why we should SUBMIT to Him and His Laws.



When a person leaves God out of their lives and ignores the fact that God is RIGHTEOUS and we are NOT.  They put themselves at GREAT RISK.  Mankind cannot have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with God, without being made RIGHTEOUS, and this is something they CANNOT do on their own.  It MUST be done through the PROCESS of SUBMITTING to the HOLY RIGHTEOUS GOD of Heaven, which is carried out through the DEATH, and RESURRECTION of His One and Only Son, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.   Christ did this so that there may be RIGHTEOUSNESS for EVERYONE who BELIEVES.



So HUMBLE yourselves and SUBMIT to God, in order to have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP with Him, and be able to have His RIGHTEOUSNESS, and to become a recipient of His MERCY and GRACE.  And to CHANGE your DESTINY from an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, to an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  To do that you MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and SUBMIT TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  And ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be PLEASING to Him, because you have a RIGHT RELATIONSHIP.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The War Within Me"

“The War Within Me”

So, I find this law at work:  Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s Law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.                    Romans 7:21-23



The Apostle Paul explains, from experience, the WAR that is taking place within him.  This LAW or PRINCIPLE, not the Mosaic Law, is the CONSTANT presence of EVIL that is present within an individual who wants to do GOOD.  Paul goes on to say that “In my INNER BEING I delight in God’s Law.  Now this “INNER BEING” is his INNER MAN, that which makes him, the person that he is. It is the depths of his soul that DELIGHTS in God’s Law.  And yet he could recognize another LAW or PRINCIPLE at work in him.  It is the LAW of SIN, and it was WAGING WAR against the principle of his MIND and making him a prisoner of his SINFUL NATURE.



However, the REGENERATION of a TRUE BELIEVER, brings about a NEW NATURE, which produces the capacity for LOVING spiritual truths.  Thus the WAR between GOD’S PRINCIPLE and SIN’S PRINCIPLE is continually working in the MIND of the BELIEVER, trying to gain CONTROL over the MIND, and VICTORY over the BELIEVER and their actions. 



No matter how the TRUE BELIEVER strives to live according to God’s PRINCIPLES, they cannot, under their OWN POWER, resist their SINFUL NATURE.  This is why, the Apostle Paul, calls himself a WRETCHED MAN.  But Paul KNOWS that GOD CAN DELIVER HIM through the REDEMPTIVE WORK of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And he also KNOWS that in the END, HE will be the VICTOR of the WAR WITHIN MANKIND’S SOUL.  Whose PRINCIPLE or LAW are you following?



In order to FOLLOW GOD’S PRINCIPLES, you MUST BE WILLING TO TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  And CONFESS your SINS to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS. Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He, is ALIVE in HEAVEN, making intercession for you, before God.  ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and FOLLOW GOD’S PRINCIPLES, WIN THE WAR WITHIN YOU, ESCAPE HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and gain HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS and become a VICTOR in this WAR.  DO it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Sin or Obedience?"

“Sin or Obedience?"

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey---either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?  But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to, and having been liberated from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.       Romans 6:16



In the span of mankind’s life, there are two areas, one of which you will abide in, and being a SLAVE to that particular area.  Mankind is born with a SINFUL nature, and as they grow and mature, they become a SLAVE to SIN. And they LIVE according to the FLESH, which results in a SINFUL lifestyle.  Being a Slave to SIN leads to DEATH.  Verse twenty-three tells us that: The wages of SIN is DEATH.  So, if you CONTINUE to be a SLAVE to SIN, you NOT only die a PHYSICAL DEATH, but you DIE SPIRITUALLY ALSO.  And your DESTINY is an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY of ESCAPE.



However, being a SLAVE to OBEDIENCE (to God and His Word), leads to RIGHTEOUSNESS, and an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  This comes about when you are WILLING to LEAVE or TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, which liberates you from being a SLAVE TO SIN and you become a SLAVE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, which will CHANGE your DESTINY from an ETERNITY in HELL to an ETERNITY in HEAVEN. 



In order to have this TRANSFORMATION take place in your life, you MUST come to God with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART and CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then you MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS, God’s Only Son, died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT God’s gift of SALVATION, and become ENSLAVED to RIGHTEOUSNESS, and an ETERNAL LIFE, with ALL it’s BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"The Acceptable Time"

“The Acceptable Time”

For He says:  I heard you in an acceptable time and I helped you in the day of salvation.  Look, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.       2 Corinthians 6:2



What is the ACCEPTABLE TIME?  The Apostle Paul, says NOW is the ACCEPTABLE TIME, because the Lord God, says:  I heard you in an ACCEPTABLE TIME, and I helped you in the DAY of SALVATION.  This refers to the RESURRECTION of JESUS CHRIST.  Mankind’s ACCEPTABLE TIME, and the DAY of SALVATION, was brought about by the RESURRECTION of the LORD JESUS CHRIST from the dead.

So, the Apostle Paul, knew that the ACCEPTABLE TIME for the DAY of SALVATION to take place is NOW.  However, that ACCEPTABLE TIME is NOT determined by mankind.  They cannot decide when they will be SAVED.  It will be when the Holy Spirit of God, draws them, bringing them under CONVICTION for their sins, and providing an opportunity for them to ACCEPT or REJECT the LORD JESUS CHRIST as their SAVIOR and LORD.  John 6:44 says: “No one can come to Me (Jesus) unless the Father (God) who sent Me draws him and I will raise him up on the last day.”  These were the Words of the Lord Jesus.  In other words, YOU can NOT decide that you will wait until you are dying and then call out to God.  He may not deal with you that long. And, you could die SUDDENLY WITHOUT any advance notice or warning. 



So, NOW is the DAY of SALVATION, it is the ACCEPTABLE TIME for you to answer His call, if He has been dealing with you, CONVICTING you of your sins. Times when you feel GUILTY and UNEASY with your sinful lifestyle.  If you continue to REJECT Jesus as your SAVIOR and LORD, you will end up spending your ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  You MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, because it is the ACCEPTABLE TIME.  So, do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Obedience and the Word"

“Obedience and the Word”

But the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.        Deuteronomy 30:14



OBEDIENCE is the act of being SUBMISSIVE to someone or something.  Moses instructs the Nation of Israel, that if they OBEY the Voice of the Lord God, to keep His Commandments and His Statutes, which are written in the Book of the Law, and if they turn to the Lord God with ALL their HEART and with ALL their SOUL, the Lord God would BLESS the work of their hands.  He would bring them PROSPERITY. 



This COMMANDMENT, which he brought them was not too mysterious for them nor was it far off.  But the Word IS very NEAR, it was in their MOUTH, they KNEW it and SPOKE it.  It was also in their HEART, and therefore, they SHOULD DO whatever the Word commands.



The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10:9-10, that: “If you declare with your MOUTH, “Jesus is Lord,” and BELIEVE in your HEART that God raised Him from the dead, you will be SAVED.  For it is with your HEART that you BELIEVE and are JUSTIFIED, and it is with your MOUTH that you PROFESS your FAITH and are SAVED.”



In order to BELIEVE, you must FOLLOW or OBEY the WRITTEN WORD of GOD so that your FAITH will be in the Word, who was with God in the beginning, and the Word was God.  The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among mankind.  The Word of God is the Lord Jesus Christ.



For mankind to be able to have a relationship with God, and receive SALVATION, they MUST be OBEDIENT to the WORD of GOD.  They NEED a KNOWLEDGE of His Written Word, and a RELATIONSHIP with the Word that became flesh and dwelt among mankind.  This means you MUST READ and STUDY the Written Word, which is the Holy Bible, and SPEAK it to your friends and relatives, especially the children.   And have a RELATIONSHIP with the Word that became flesh by, ACCEPTING Him as your SAVIOR and LORD.



You start by:  BEING WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle, and TURNING TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and be OBEDIENT to His WORD.  And be able to ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and GAIN an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!

"Speaking Boldly"

“Speaking Boldly”

And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness.      Acts 4:29



The Apostles Peter and John were speaking to some people, about Jesus being raised from the dead.  When they were confronted by some priests, the officer in charge of the Temple guards, and some Sadducees, who were annoyed with what the Apostles were teaching.  So they arrested Peter and John.  But many who had heard the message, about five thousand, BELIEVED. 



Then members of the Council were amazed at the BOLDNESS of Peter and John.  So, they told them that under NO CONDITIONS were they to SPEAK or to TEACH in the name of JESUS.  But Peter and John answered: “You yourselves judge which is right in God’s sight---to obey you or to obey God.  For we CANNOT STOP speaking of what we ourselves have SEEN and HEARD.”



When the BELIEVERS heard what happened they all joined together in prayer to God, asking God to take notice of the threats that were made, and to allow them, His servants, to speak His message with ALL BOLDNESS.  Notice, they didn’t cower down, and wring their hands in dismay, but they PRAYED to God, that they might SPEAK His message with BOLDNESS.  And the result was:  When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was SHAKEN.  They were ALL filled with the HOLY SPIRIT and began to PROCLAIM God’s message with BOLDNESS.  (v 31)



Can you imagine, if ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, would SPEAK God’s MESSAGE with BOLDNESS?  When Peter and John SPOKE with BOLDNESS, there were five thousand who came to BELIEVE the MESSAGE of JESUS CHRIST.  We, who are TRUE BELIEVERS, seem to shy away from SPEAKING BOLDLY. Instead, we have a tendency to NOT SPEAK GOD’S message at all, much less to do it BOLDLY.  And I am GUILTY of NOT being BOLD in my witnessing too.  So, the thing to do is to PRAY that God would give US the BOLDNESS in SPEAKING His message to a LOST and DYING world.  And to let His Holy Spirit have COMPLETE CONTROL of our witnessing techniques. 



If we will be OBEDIENT to His command to:  “Go therefore and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe ALL that I have commanded you.” (Mat. 28:19-20), we could make a HUGE difference in a lot of people’s destiny.  If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God, then your DESTINY is an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS and NO WAY to ESCAPE.  But, SPEAKING BOLDLY, “SALVATION is found in NO ONE else, ONLY JESUS CHRIST, for there is NO OTHER NAME under Heaven given to mankind by which we MUST be SAVED!” (v 12) You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your sinful lifestyle and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  Then BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and start SPEAKING BOLDLY about what God has done for you.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!


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