Showing posts with label John 16:33. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John 16:33. Show all posts

Sunday, October 30, 2011

The †GRACE† you don't deserve.-[PART-1]

Ridiculous arguments in trying to justify wrong.


…FOR EXAMPLE…


The Pot argument.


"Pots not a big deal, I mean, alcohol is way worse than pot"


As if that justifies the pot smoker, as if that makes it "Ok".
Or arguments that come down to..


"Well everyone else is doing it"


It's asinine. Those are not logical arguments, really they're not even meaningful.
It just shows that you can't justify your wrong doing at all. I could use arguments like that to the same effect


"Murder is way worse than beating someone to a bloody pulp and making them handicap"
So hence I can go around and do that..right?


Or how about a straight "Christian" guy who sleeps around outside of marriage,
and does nothing but gay bash, is being gay wrong? YES! but so is the hypocrite that is sleeping around outside of marriage.


or when people try to justify their sin by saying "Well everyones a sinner"
so that gives us the license to do whatever we want? This is the very problem that we are all sinners! it's a problem..it's not something to celebrate or use as an excuse so that you can continue living the way you want. Jesus didn't say " I come to sacrifice myself so people can continue living the way they want" He didn't tell the adulterous woman "Go and continue living in sin" He didn't tell the rich man who asked how he may have eternal life"Oh, don't sweat it bro…see that cross over there? I'm going to be crucified on it so you can keep what's more important to you in life and thats your riches"


I agree we are fallen by nature but we are not called to continue living for ourselves we are called to live for Christ! The only one who can change and has changed our very nature.
We don't keep willingly live for ourselves with a little Christ on the side like He is the side salad to the meal,CHRIST IS THE WHOLE MEAL!


"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will* have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."
John 16:33


YES while we are still living in this world we will have "tribulation" in a word we will "struggle" we will have affliction, pertaining to we will be fighting, and in Romans 7 Paul says:


For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but [how] to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will [to do], I do not do; but the evil I will not [to do], that I practice. Now if I do what I will not [to do], it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.
Romans 7:18-25


Paul hated his sin, and at the same time realized though he battled his flesh the only way to victory was through Jesus Christ. Paul wasn't advocating, which some do, "I'm a sinner but saved by jesus so I can continue living in my sins, because Jesus died so I can enjoy my flesh" Romans 6 clears that up pretty quick.


What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin [leading] to death, or of obedience [leading] to righteousness?
Romans 6:15-16


Now many fall down but seek to get up themselves by works,and it is only by Grace that you can get up…LOOK UNTO CHRIST! Yet still there're many who have fallen down like a pig in slop and convince themselves they are fine where they are at. Satisfied in the filth they don't belong in, and were never meant to belong in.


The question is, are we struggling? or are we oblivious to our sinfulness
to the point where we are convinced we are "fine". Lets say we have two men, and both.. being human, struggle with sin. The first man, who we will call Jack, is overwhelmed with his sinfulness and spends his life trying to be a good person.
Jack is a nice enough guy, he joins a church and on the outside looks like
a very moral and religious person, on the inside though he is tormented and
doesn't really have a relationship with Christ, because he doesn't know Christ, Jack has a relationship with a religion that tells him he needs to earn salvation by works.


The second man, who we will call Jim, looks like the world and unlike Jack, Jim doesn't bother putting on the "religious suit". Jim claims he said a prayer one time and accepted Christ, so now Jim who is neck deep in sinfulness doesn't care, and Jim says he is fine where he is... because Christ died so he can continue living in sin.


Which man is right? go ahead think about it it for a few minutes..


want the answer?


are you sure?


Ok, the answer is…………
they are both wrong, it was a trick question. It was really a way to explain what I was saying, you see… Jack is the man who tries to gain salvation by works, Jack is a pharisee what Christ Himself would call a whitewashed tomb.


Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead [men's] bones and all uncleanness.
Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Matthew 23:27-28


Just for future reference, when you have a Mormon/Jehovah Witness come to your door that's exactly what they are, whitewashed tombs.


What about Jim? Well Jim is the pig in the slop. Jim could actually be an "Atheist" but in this case I am describing Jim as one who claims to believe in the ONE true GOD. Jim in some aspects seems like he has it right, because indeed it's not about works and Jim knows this. However Jim slaps God in the face by abusing His grace, He claims to know God, but at the same time willfully lives a selfish life, that revolves around living for the flesh. Jim doesn't know Christ at all, because he thinks Christ died so he can continue living in sin. Jim doesn't "struggle" there's no tribulation in Jim's life because he doesn't care about his sins, hence he lives like the world so why would they persecute him? What would Christ say about Jim?


Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
Matthew 7:22-23


Psalm 40:8 describes how a man of God should be, it described Paul pretty well.


I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law [is] within my heart.


And to clarify it's all to the glory of God, and His mercy and grace that you or I am saved PERIOD. Christianity(Following Christ) is admitting we by ourselves can do nothing, we are wretched wicked sinful beings that rely completely on Christ.Christ is the unspotted lamb..we are far from unspotted and all hope relies
on Him. Christianity is not a ten step program, it's not following some rules to receive breakthrough or freedom. Breakthrough and freedom are already yours , Repent and surrender to the only one who can offer it.


For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8:3


Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:35


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, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39


more on the Grace you don't deserve neXt blog..

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Disciple of Christ III

These things I have spoken to you,

that in Me you may have peace.

In the world you will have tribulation;

but be of good cheer

I have overcome the world.

John 16:33


I've talked about being a "Disciple of Christ"

mainly about dying to self, and that generally speaking

it's not hard to be a follower of Christ. I want to get across

the fact that by saying "It's not hard to be a follower of Christ"

I do not mean... you will not face difficulties/tribulation.


You see generally speaking I don't think people

have a problem with "accepting Christ". Honestly who would

seriously have a problem with someone dying for every wrong

they ever did or will do, who would have a problem with someone

saying; give me your worries/burdens...answer? NOBODY...

that's probably why so many people claim to be "Christian"

because they have no problem with someone forgiving their

wrong doing, they just want to continue living selfishly and still

be of Christ. The problem is being a "Christian" and being "Selfish"

don't go hand and hand, as again that kind of gets in the way of

"Dying to self"


To get back on point about difficulties/tribulation, People seem to think

(Specially still on the bottle Christians) that when you become a

"Christian" all tribulation all struggles just magically disappear,

like all because "you decided" to follow Christ that He will just

heap blessing after blessing upon you and no trouble will

come your way. All because you decided to be "Christian" and you

go to "church" and you "Tithe your 10%" and you have your little

"Jesus fish bumper sticker" that God is just going to bless you with all

that your little heart desires. Don't get it twisted once again, I'm

not saying God doesn't bless people, I'm saying if you think

life will be all sunshine and lollipops and you deserve some kind

of credit for being "Christian"...pshhh.. THINK AGAIN, as a matter of fact

where are your priorities? are they on the things YOU want? are they on

the hope that you will go through no struggles? OR are they where they

should be... ON GOD ALONE...no matter what trouble/burden

that comes your way.


The fact is, trouble is going to come your way,

struggles are going to come and go...it's about what you do

when that struggle comes that defines you and your faith or

lack there of.


When things come around and knock us down, when tribulations come

as "Christians" we should remain positive, after all...things happen for a reason,

God is bigger then any worry/stress or tribulation that comes our way.

I've probably said this 100 times but why not 101...

YOU DON'T PROVE YOUR FAITH WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING RIGHT

YOU PROVE IT... WHEN EVERYTHING IS GOING ALL WRONG.


"An average view of the Christian life is that it means deliverance from trouble. It is deliverance IN trouble, which is very different. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High . . . there shall no evil befall thee" - no plague can come nigh the place where you are at one with God.


If you are a child of God, there certainly will be troubles to meet, but Jesus says do not be surprised when they come. "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world, there is nothing for you to fear."

Men who before they were saved would scorn to talk about troubles, often become "fushionless" after being born again because they have a wrong idea of a saint.


God does not give us overcoming life: He gives us life as we overcome. The strain is the strength. If there is no strain, there is no strength. Are you asking God to give you life and liberty and joy? He cannot, unless you will accept the strain. Immediately you face the strain, you will get the strength. Overcome your own timidity and take the step, and God will give you to eat of the tree of life and you will get nourishment. If you spend yourself out physically, you become exhausted; but spend yourself spiritually, and you get more strength. God never gives strength for to-morrow, or for the next hour, but only for the strain of the minute. The temptation is to face difficulties from a common-sense standpoint. The saint is hilarious when he is crushed with difficulties because the thing is so ludicrously impossible to anyone but God."

My Utmost for HIS highest

August 2nd


Difficulty is a part of life, troubles/worries... oh we all get our share,

and things obviously don't always go how we want them to,

but when you are in that moment when you are faced with

adversity, the key is just surrendering to God. Like the good saying goes:


"What doesn't kill you,makes you stronger"


Now this is all meaningless if it's just a nice "thought",

actions speak louder then words.


Seek to live for God, stop crying about the things that

seem to be going wrong and realize you have been

given everything you will ever need. How about

caring for someone else, showing love to someone

and lifting another up, instead of wondering why

"God is not blessing you". Do you not know that we

are called to show the love of Christ, how can you show

that love... when all you do is worry about yourself?

The truth is, Love as we know it, our love is imperfect,

hence why you need to "Die to self" and live for Christ,

live to the Holy Spirit inside of you... that knows how to truly love.


It's like Love has become about requirements I.e

I'll love you if you do this,that or this. Here's a question for you,

what did YOU do... to deserve Gods love?


Yeah, think about that one. (by the way, the answer is NOTHING.)

Further more people have no problem showing love to those who

show love back, but guess what? we are called to have more love

in us then that..


"But if you love those who love you,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners love those who love them.

And if you do good to those who do good to you,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners do the same.

And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back,

what credit is that to you?

For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.


But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. "

Luke 6:32-36


Forgive as we are forgiven, Love as we are loved...simply said,

but not easily done. It's not impossible though, people always like to say


"Well, we can't be like Christ! if we could he wouldn't have had to die

for our sins"


you are right, indeed we can not be perfect, you know what we can do

though? DIE TO SELF! we were crucified with Christ! stop thinking about

what "I can't do" and what CHRIST Can do through you!


Those who love those who love them, and those who love

only to receive something in-return should think long and hard,

and should be thankful that the God they claim to follow

wasn't and isn't like that.


A real Disciple of Christ, A real "Christian" doesn't have to walk around

saying "I'm a Christian" you will know them by the love that shines through them. NOT BY WORKS, no no no...NOT BY WORKS....but by the Love

of Christ that overwhelms their whole being.