HE LOVES US, LIKE A NEW BORN BABE
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My sense today is that our loving Abba Father, wants us to know that He loves us, warts and all.
"I am Gods beloved & I choose to believe it."
#Grace washed away every spot & blemish. He sees us as perfect in #Christ. Just as we see the innocent perfection of a new born babe & marvel- aaaaah!
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Col.1:22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
CONFESSION
1 John 2:12. I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
Confession of the sins that burden us is helpful and needful as it can help us off load our burdens of guilt and condemnation, heal relationships with others, and share with God the issues we need help with. However, we need to be clear in our understanding of confession: For a believer confession is no longer a prerequisite for God's on going forgiveness.
When we came to Christ we repented of our old life style and confessed our sin. We recognized our need to be saved from Sin and death. Now that we are in Christ ALL our sins are dealt with, past, present and future. The salvation and blood of Jesus is totally and permanently effective: we are forgiven, righteous and have eternal life. God no longer see us in Sin, He no longer calls us sinners, but sons. This is the offense the cross and His grace.
Sadly there is a false teaching which says that sin separates believers from God. It goes even further and says that if a believer dies without having confessed their current sins, they lose their salvation. Think about it, not only is this absurd but it totally denies the finished work of the cross, God's sovereignity and God's grace. It would mean that our sinful actions are more powerful than Jesus' atonement and righteousness which was imputed to us by faith when we chose to repent and believe.
The above cartoon shows in real and practical terms the absurdity of wrong thinking that makes our salvation conditional on our ongoing confession of sins. This wrong thinking causes believers to feel unworthy, condemned, unqualified to be intimate with God, and unable to receive any thing from God except His judgement and wrath. An unhealthy obsession with sin and confession actually leads to condemnation, insecurity and strangely enough, in the long run, to more sin.
On the other hand, putting our focus on Jesus and the finished work of the cross, brings true life and real change! So try confessing what Jesus has earned for you on the cross: "I am righteous, I am forgiven, I am loved, I am blessed, I am a child of God, I am Holy, I have eternal life, sin has no power over me". This will build you up, set you free from accusation and glorify Jesus and His death. He died on the cross for ALL our sins. We now have the ability to say no to sin and to live in holiness.
PS. The movie "Joan of Arc" is a good illustration of the bad fruit and instability which comes with the false doctrine that unconfessed sins separate us from God of condemn us to Hell.
JESUS HAS QUALIFIED YOU
If this is good news, share this link with a friend or like on the Facebook tab below, this will help get the message of grace out there: Qualified in Christ GRACE ALWAYS EMPOWERS
Through Jesus' work on the cross YOU have been qualified by the Father to inherit all the blessings and power of the Kingdom, not at some distant far off future event, but right here and right now.
Col.1:12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
In the world and religious systems you have to work and sweat to qualify for anything. But under the New Covenant of the Grace your qualification was imputed (transferred) to you by Jesus - the great exchange of the cross: Your sin (i), that disqualified you for any blessing and life >>>>> transferred to Jesus (sin kills so that's why he actually died on the cross) - while His righteousness (right standing with God) was >>>>>> transferred to you (ii).
Unbelievable but true! You are probably sitting there thinking "There must be something I need to do to get God's blessings and favor, otherwise it's unfair." Really! Think about it in real life. If your father leaves you something in a will; Did you work for it? Did you ask for it? Did you qualify yourself for it? Nope! You qualified for the inheritance simply because you were your father's child. And so it is in the Kingdom, you are a beloved child of God (iii) and a co-heir with Jesus .
BUUUT.....there actually is something you have to do...... accept the gift, draw on the riches in your heavenly account, accept the good news and learn to receive. Put your focus on Jesus and what he has cone for you on the cross. Christian life is about being totally dependent on Him and being lead by the Spirit within us.
Stop allowing the Law to condemn you. The Law is good for what it was intended, to expose everyone's sin and drive us into the arms of the Savior, Jesus, but it stops there, so come free of the false teachings of Law that condemn us and fill us with guilt. Stop disqualifying yourself by focusing on you sin (iv), your shortcomings, your circumstances and your feelings. Stop doubting God's goodness, stop doubting the effectiveness of the cross, stop feeling unworthy.
The truth is that YOU are righteous (v), you are worthy and you are beloved, because you are in Christ and He is in you (vi). God has qualified you... Jesus is good news. Enjoy and live in the power of the Holy Spirit within you.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF SOMETHING IS GRACE OR LAW?
We need to live in Jesus' grace by the leading of the Holy Spirit. It's important that we, God's people, free ourselves from the ministry of the Law because the Bible teaches that the Law brings condemnation and death - these manifest in passivity, depression and sickness (vii). Sadly brothers and sisters many believes are experiencing this horrible fruit of the Law, often convinced that it's God punishing them or training them.
Because most of us have grown up with a mixture of grace and religious law, many find it hard to distinguish whether what they are hearing or thinking is rooted in grace or Law. One can't generalize but over the years I have found that Believers can test by asking the following questions. This simple test that will normally expose if the root is Law or Grace.
1. If it points to Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross - it's normally grace. If it points to you and what you should be doing for God - its normally Law.
2. If the fruit in you is condemnation or guilt - it's Law. If the fruit in you is freedom - it's grace
3. If it's about God's judgment and punishment - it's Law. If it's about God' love and forgiveness - it's grace.
4. If it harps on about your sinfulness - it's Law. If it focuses on your Christ given righteousness - it's grace.
5. If it's about, techniques, methods and principles - it's Law. If it's about hearing and being lead by the Holy Spirit - it's grace.
6. If it restricts or discourages you form sharing and ministering - it's Law. If it encourages and releases you to share and minister - it's grace.
7. If it causes you to judge others - it's Law. If it causes you to see the God given potential in others - it's grace.
8. If it from the Old Testament without pointing to Jesus or the New Covenant - it's Law If it reveals Jesus and the good news of His New Covenant - it's grace.
9. If it accuses you, like Satan the accuser,- it's Law If it affirms you - it's grace
10. If it's focus is on you being God's servant or slave - it's Law If it declares you to be a beloved child of The Father, who is about the Fathers work - it's grace.
11. If it's about your performance - it's Law. If it's about resting in Christ - it's grace
12. If it's focus is you obeying - it's Law. If it's about Jesus' obidience - it's grace.
13. If it declares you cursed - it's Law. If it declares you blessed - it's grace.
14. If the focus on what you sow - it's Law. If the focus is on what Jesus has sown on the cross - it's grace.
There are many more that I'm sure you can think of, let me know.Be wise and be discerning, test all things, including this.
Blessing and love to you in Christ.
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(i) Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (ii) Rom 5: 17 ...those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (iii) John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name (iv) 2Co.5:19 God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. (v) Rom 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (vi) Col 1:27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Col 3:3 ....your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
(vii) 2Co 3:7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
GRACE SEES WHAT IS POSITIVE & GOOD
Grace always see the best in people. Grace is prophetic in nature: Seeing who people for who they are and what they can become as beloved children of God.
Law on the other hand always finds fault and condemns. And Satan always accuses - his name means "Accuser".
Remembering this, we must beware of fault finding, accusing and judging (Rom.7:1) others. To do so would indicate that every area of our lives are perfect, spotless and totally open for inspection, and let's be honest, who of us can claim that kind of righteousness and perfection except by the grace of God?
History has shown that the self righteous will always be put to the test and hypocrites are eventually exposed. Many preachers of judgment and condemnation have ended up doing the very things that they were quick to judge and condemn in other "sinners".
Sometimes the fallen inclination remaining within our minds may cause us to point out others sins and faults instead of their righteousness in Christ - but we can resist doing this by renewing the way we think. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us stop and instead show us the prophetic potential of each person and the positive things about them.
Jesus' grace is the solution to all sin, not our law, judgment, anger, condemnation and exposure of others (Rom.6:14). If you know someone who is battling, instead of judging and condemning them why not come alongside them in prayer and love.