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Abide in the Vine

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Truth that sets men free, can only be experienced when the Word of God is constantly obeyed and practiced.

TEACHING

LAYING AN EXCELLENT FOUNDATION

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Session 6

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Living and Walking in the Spirit as slaves of Righteousness

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Every Promise is YES ‘in Christ’

2Cor 1:19  For the Son of God, Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who has been preached among you by us, by myself, Silvanus, and Timothy, was not Yes and No; but in Him it is [always the divine] Yes. 20  For as many as are the promises of God, they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ]. For this reason we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God through Him [in His Person and by His agency] to the glory of God. 21  But it is God Who confirms and makes us steadfast and establishes us [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ, and has consecrated and anointed us [enduing us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit];

 

  • For the Son of God, Christ Jesus (the Messiah),

    • Who has been preached among you by us, by myself, Silvanus, and Timothy,

      • was not Yes and No;

        • Many teach that God sometimes says: Yes and sometimes No!

  • but

    • in Him

      • it is [always the divine] Yes.

        • There is ONLY ONE prerequisite for ALWAYS getting prayer answered – The YES answer!

        • We must be IN CHRIST

  • For

    • as many as are the promises of God,

      • they all find their Yes [answer] in Him [Christ].

        • God has made many promises to His people, both in the OT and the NT!

  • For this reason

    • we also utter the Amen (so be it) to God!

    • through Him [in His Person and by His agency]

      • We are IN Christ, when we operate IN or according to His Person and character and nature!

      • to the glory of God.

  • But it is God

    • Who confirms and makes us steadfast and establishes us

      • God has done it through Jesus Christ, but here Paul promises that God

        • continue to confirm / make steadfast and establish us

      • [in joint fellowship] with you in Christ,

        • God brings about joint fellowship between people!

        • Such fellowship is only possible when it is IN CHRIST!

    • and has consecrated and anointed us

      • What God has done is completed

        • God has: consecrated us – We are already perfected, cleansed and set-apart by God

        • God has: Anointed us – We are already fully equipped with the Spirit of God

      • [enduing us with the gifts of the Holy Spirit];

        • God has given us His Holy Spirit – We are already Holy and made whole!

        • When we have the Spirit we already have ALL the gifts of the Spirit in us!

Prepare the Way before the LORD YHWH

Isa 40:1 COMFORT, COMFORT My people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem, and cry to her that her time of service and her warfare are ended, that [her punishment is accepted and] her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received [punishment] from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice of one who cries: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord [clear away the obstacles]; make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God! [Mark 1:3] 4  Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. [Luke 3:5-6]

 

  • COMFORT, COMFORT My people, says your God.

    • The prophets prophesied about a time in the future

    • God is going to remove the blindness from the eyes of His people

    • People used to only see God as angry and fault-finding – Holy and righteous

    • God does not want to bring more judgement to His people, but rather wants to show them His LOVE

  • Speak tenderly to the heart of Jerusalem,

    • God is NOT angry at His people, it was their sins that destroyed them

    • God wants His people to see that He loves them in a very tender way

    • God has love and compassion upon His people

  • and cry to her

    • that her time of service

      • In the OT men had to live according to the LAW in order to be righteous before God

      • For men to live according to the LAW of Moses they must obey God and live a perfect righteous life

      • This kind of self-attained righteousness makes people self-righteous and religiously proud

      • God wants His people to know that they do not have to try and service Him to be acceptable anymore

      • God now accept them unconditionally in His love IN CHRIST

    • and her warfare are ended,

      • Many NT Christians goes into spiritual warfare in self effort

      • This kind of warfare brings people into more bondage than freedom – spiritual witchcraft

    • that [her punishment is accepted

      • God would do something that his people’s sins will be paid for

      • In His great love, God will find a legal way of accepting His people by an acceptable punishment

      • God, in His love, came down – and through Jesus Christ took our punishment

    • and] her iniquity is pardoned,

      • Many who teaches deliverance says that iniquity is sin that was carried over through a bloodline

      • If this was true – then God has also paid / atoned for bloodline sins

    • that she has received [punishment] from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.

      • God gave men grace instead of punishment! God actually gave us double love and blessing for all our sins

  • A voice of one who cries:

    • Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord

      • God knew that before we would be able to accept His love our hearts would have to be prepared

      • [clear away the obstacles];

        • There are things in us that wants to prevent us from accepting the truth of God’s love

      • make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God! [Mark 1:3]

        • God wants to prepare a massive highway in our hearts for His love and therefore His Glory to be revealed

      • Every valley shall be lifted and filled up,

        • God wants to remove all the LOW places in our lives

        • LOW places are places of depression / insecurity / insignificance / lack and limitation

          • Rejection /

        • God removes the low places by lifting and filling them up!

      • and every mountain and hill shall be made low;

        • God wants to remove all the HIGH places in our lives

        • HIGH places in our lives are places of self-righteousness / self-effort / independence / trust in self

          • Pride / haughtiness / selfish ambition / criticalness

        • God removes the high places be making them low – humbling with His LOVE

      • and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level,

        • God wants ALL the crooked places in our lives to be removed

        • The CROOKED places in our lives are the perverse places in our lives

          • Uncleanness / Sexual perversion / Unfaithfulness /

        • God removes the crooked places in our lives by MAKING them straight and level

        • God made our heats LEVEL by giving us His Righteousness

      • and the rough places a plain.

        • God want ALL the rough places in our lives to be removed

        • The ROUGH places in our lives are all the unkind places and harsh places

          • Harshness / Hardness / Un-tactfulness / impatience /

    • And the glory (majesty and splendour) of the Lord shall be revealed,

      • When the Light-beam of God’s glory appeared to me

        • God revealed that His POWER and GLORY is LOVE consisting in all the aspects of His LOVE

      • and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. [Luke 3:5-6]

Living and Walking by the Spirit of God

Promised In Old Testament

A New Spirit and a New heart

Eze 36:24 For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness; and from all your idols will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them. 28 And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

 

  • For I will take you from among the nations and gather you out of all countries and bring you into your own land.

  • Then will

    • I sprinkle clean water upon you,

      • God will come and wash us with His love, by His blood

    • and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness;

    • and from all your idols will I cleanse you.

      • God will overcome our uncleanness and idolatry - sin

    • A new heart will I give you

      • God will NOT renew your heart – He will give you a NEW HEART

      • God will give us His heart and mind

      • God will give us His feelings and desires

        • We will now desire what God desires – Being led by the Spirit of God

    • and a new spirit will I put within you,

      • God will not renew your spirit – He will give you a NEW spirit – Recreated in Christ

      • God has PUT a NEW Spirit in us – That Spirit is God’s Spirit

      • What is the purpose of the spirit of a man?

        • The spirit is that part of man that are able to commune and have fellowship with God

        • The spirit has connection with the supernatural world or the kingdom of God

        • Man lost connection with God – spirit of rebellion, alienated from God

      • The NEW Spirit

        • has perfect fellowship with God ALWAYS

        • is in perfect harmony with God ALWAYS

      • and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh

        • Our hearts used to be hardened by this world and sin

        • Our old heart belong to the old man, having an old nature

        • The old heart naturally tends to desire what is contrary to God’s character and nature

        • God took away the old heart and old desires

        • The Old heart was the old fleshly sinful fallen nature of man

      • and give you a heart of flesh.

        • God has promised us a NEW heart of flesh

          • Our NEW heart now are soft and gentle and full of love

          • Our NEW heart is patient and longsuffering and full of compassion

    • And I will put my Spirit within you

      • God has put His VERY OWN SPIRIT in us

      • and cause you to walk in My statutes,

        • God promises that we will no longer need to try and walk in His statutes

        • God overcomes sin and rebellion and natural hostility in us

        • God NOW CAUSES us to walk in His statutes

          • It is not done by our effort, but God gives us the will and desire and means to do it

          • God’s NEW Spirit in us has a NEW NATURAL nature to AUTOMATICALLY do the will of God

      • and you shall heed My ordinances and do them.

        • We will naturally be attentive to the ordinances or LAWS of God

        • We will no live by the LAW of the Spirit

          • What is the LAW of the Spirit? We want to do the will and desires of God

          • We ARE pleasing to God! God is well pleased with us

          • God now looks differently at us and we look differently at God

    • And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers;

      • and you shall be My people,

        • We will be God’s people / God’s children / God’s sons and daughters

      • and I will be your God.

        • We will love God and want to serve Him

        • We will not think God is angry with us anymore,

          • but will rather realize that He truly love us and do really care about us

        • We will not follow God out of LAW and fear, but our of love and a personal love relationship

          • Coming from appreciation and thankfulness

Not by might and power, but by My Spirit

Zec 4:6 Then he said to me, This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick, causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of Whom the oil is a symbol], says the Lord of hosts.

 

  • The prophet sees a strange vision through which the LORD God wanted to explain something to the prophet

  • Then he said to me:

    • This [addition of the bowl to the candlestick,

      • Above each candlestick was a bowl or oil lamp

        • 3 on the left side and 3 on the right-side of the middle stem

        • The lamp with its 7 candlesticks are lit by filling up the centre stem with oil

        • Above the centre stem was an abnormal large bowl which filled up the lampstand

          • This centre stem represents Christ Jesus who supplied ALL that was needed both

            • For the Old Testament saints’ righteousness

            • And for the New Testament saints’ righteousness

      • causing it to yield a ceaseless supply of oil from the olive trees]

        • God makes it clear that this supply is a ceaseless supply of oil

        • This oil can never run dry – God’s Love and provision will NEVER cease

        • The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was fading,

        • But the Holy Spirit’s Presence in the New Testament is abiding and unfading and ever increasing

        • is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel,

          • That which the prophet sees is a shadow picture of what was promised and made possible through Jesus’ righteousness

          • The prophet had to go and encourage Zerubbabel that God was with them and He would not ever forsake them

      • saying,

        • Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit

          • God reveals to the prophet that it was NOT possible by human effort

          • It was not even possible by human righteousness and holiness

          • It was ONLY going to be made possible by God’s Spirit through His righteousness

          • [of Whom the oil is a symbol],

    • says the Lord of hosts.

Fulfilled in the New Testament

No condemnation – No guilt

Rom 8:1  THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. [John 3:18]

 

  • THEREFORE,

    • [there is] now no condemnation

      • God has removed all punishment and judgement due to NOT being able to keep the LAW of Moses

      • (no adjudging guilty of wrong)

        • God does not find fault with us anymore

          • God does not judge us by the LAW

          • God now look at us through eyes of LOVE and GRACE

        • for those who are in Christ Jesus,

          • There are ONLY ONE prerequisite to this amazing love and freedom

          • We must be IN CHRIST

            • What does it mean to be IN CHRIST?

        • who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh,

          • When we are IN CHRIST we WILL NOT and cannot walk after the flesh

          • Does that mean we will naturally stop sinning?

            • NO – we are no longer judged because of sin

            • YES – This LOVE will propel us to NOT want to sin anymore

              • God removed what has caused us to rebel and to fear God

              • God therefore removed that power that sin had to cause us to want to sin

              • NOW God’s goodness leads us to repentance and holiness

        • but after the dictates of the Spirit. [John 3:18]

          • We now have the Spirit of God in us

          • We naturally desire to do the desires of God’s Spirit in us

          • We are more prone to feel prompted to do go than to fear and want to do evil

The desires of the Holy Spirit - Guided by the Spirit of God

Gal 5:16  But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). 17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do. 18  But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.

 

  • But I say,

    • walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit

      • So many times people say we must LIVE and WALK by the Holy Spirit

        • The question is how do I do it?

      • [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit];

        • We must learn to be controlled and guided by the Spirit of God

        • How do I do that?

          • When I am controlled by love and God’s love is my motive then I am controlled by the Spirit of God

        • I am controlled / propelled by the love and goodness of God

      • then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh

        • when we are controlled by fear we will also be controlled by the flesh

        • Only God’s love can truly satisfy our deepest desires

        • (of human nature without God).

      • For

        • the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit,

        • and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh

          • (godless human nature);

      • for

        • these are antagonistic to each other

          • [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other],

            • You can do the one and also at the same time do the other

            • You will either fear God and be in rebellion or love God and obey His desires

          • so that you are not free, but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.

            • Either you are a slave of fear

            • Or you are a slave of God’s love and goodness

          • But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit,

            • When we are guided by God’s Love and believe the GRACE God has shown us we are led by the Spirit of God

            • you are not subject to the Law.

Livng a Crusified life - Controlled by the Spirit

Gal 5:24  And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires. 25  If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]

 

  • And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah)

    • have crucified the flesh

      • We have crucified our flesh

        • How do I crucify my flesh?

      • (the godless human nature)

        • with its passions and appetites and desires.

  • If we

    • live by the [Holy] Spirit,

      • By living by the Spirit of God

        • How do I live by the Spirit of God?

        • By living a life as a slave of God’s love and goodness revealed through His righteousness

      • let us also walk by the Spirit.

  • [If

    • by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God,

      • let us go forward walking in line,

        • our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]

        • When we are controlled by the love of God we are controlled by the Spirit of God

Living by faith

Promised In Old Testament

Hab 2:4 Look at the proud; his soul is not straight or right within him, but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness. [Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11]

 

  • Look at the proud;

    • The proud trust in himself and try to work out his own salvation

    • his soul is not straight or right within him,

  • but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man

    • There are two kinds of righteousness – two ways of achieving righteousness / rightness / acceptability before God

      • Righteousness by perfect obedience to all the LAWS of Moses

      • Righteousness by faith – reaching what was not possible with man, by rather trusting in God

    • Old Testament saints had two options to become righteous:

      • They could do it be their own human effort – this was deceptive and impossible – All have sinned

      • They could rather trust God whose love triumphs over His judgment and be made supernaturally righteous – This was ONLY made possible by FAITH or TRUST in God’s goodness and mercy

    • In the Old Testament God promised that only those who accept His goodness and love will be able made righteous

    • shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness.

      • When we live by something then that thing is your motto in life

      • That thing is what determines your every thought and action

      • God tells us to LIVE BY FAITH – thus we shall live driven by a life of constantly believing in the love and grace of God

      • It is NOT a feeling and you do not need a feeling

        • It is purely by trusting and having faith in God’s goodness

        • The expectation of a feeling or the experience of a lack of feeling comes from the hardened old heart

        • We got the New Heart by accepting by faith what God promised

        • Feelings or lack of feelings has to do with quilt and inadequacy

        • Faith reaches what was impossible for sinful man

        • This why it says: The heart is deceptive and beyond cure!

    • [Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11]

      • The righteous shall live by faith

        • It is not a righteousness achieved by my good works that desires praise

        • But rather I will live constantly believing and accepting God’s Love revealed through the righteousness He granted us

How to live by faith motived by love

Gal 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

 

  • I have been crucified with Christ

    • Paul declares, by faith, that he HAS BEEN crucified WITH Christ – the Messiah and the Anointed One

      • This means the old man IS DEAD!

      • But why does the old man still so alive? How do I then put the Old man to death?

        • You do not need to kill the Old man / You do no not need to DO something to get dead

        • You need accept God’s love and accept His righteousness

          • Then you accept that your old sinful nature and heart IS paid for and thus DEAD

          • God HAS removed your sins from you are far as the east is from the west

          • God has not only forgiven your sins, He has forgotten them!!!!!!!!

    • [in Him I have shared His crucifixion];

  • it is no longer I who live,

    • When Paul speaks of ‘I’ he refers to the old sinful and guilty man

    • but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me;

  • and the life I now live in the body

    • When Paul refers to ‘I’ here he speaks of the NEW pure holy / free guilty man

    • I live by faith in

      • When Paul refers to ‘I’ living by faith – he refers to living constantly accepting the love of God by faith

      • (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in)

        • Trust is God shows a love for God

        • When we are not able to trust someone who is truly good we are still unable to believe He is good

        • the Son of God,

          • What must we trust in about the Son of God?

          • We must trust in His representation of the Father and His love for mankind

          • Who loved me

            • We must realize the love of Jesus Christ for us to die for us

            • Everything Jesus did for me was purely done out of love for us

            • We must make the love of God for us personal and intimate

            • We must realize our need for the LOVE of Jesus Christ

          • and gave Himself up for me.

            • What does the cross and all Jesus was willing to go through mean for you?

            • Does the love of Jesus Christ through the cross move you?

            • Allow yourself, by faith to be moved by the Spirit of God

            • At a certain point the love of God will break through the quilt and fear

Righteousness accredited because of trusting faith

Gal 3:6  Thus Abraham believed in and adhered to and trusted in and relied on God, and it was reckoned and placed to his account and credited as righteousness (as conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action). [Gen. 15:6] 7  Know and understand that it is [really] the people [who live] by faith who are [the true] sons of Abraham. 8  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify (declare righteous, put in right standing with Himself) the Gentiles in consequence of faith, proclaimed the Gospel [foretelling the glad tidings of a Savior long beforehand] to Abraham in the promise, saying, In you shall all the nations [of the earth] be blessed. [Gen. 12:3]

 

  • Thus Abraham believed in and adhered to and trusted in and relied on God,

    • If we truly believe God we will learn to truly put our trust in His promises

    • Satan’s greatest weapon is to make us want to believe God DOES NOT love us and that we CANNOT trust in God

    • When we trust in God we rely wholly upon Him

    • Because we know God has the BEST intentions of LOVE for us

      • we would want to follow His Word

      • and hold to it even when things does not make sense in our emotions and feelings

    • and it was reckoned

      • God knows our hearts and knows when we truly believe in His Love for us and therefore believe Him

      • When we believe with such faith in God – It is reckoned by God as pleasing to Him

      • When we do not believe the lie of satan, but rather the truth of God’s love – God is very pleased

      • This is WHY God is PLEASED with FAITH

      • When we are willing to believe God is good we please God, because He IS GOOD and LOVE!

    • and placed to his account

    • and credited

      • In the Old Testament the saint was waiting for the promise – Christ had not yet come

      • Therefore God put this trust in Him on credit! He temporary overlooked sin and forgave on credit

      • as righteousness

        • All Old Testament and New Testament saint

          • were saved

            • through faith,

            • by God’s righteousness

        • (as conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action). [Gen. 15:6]

          • When we are righteous we are in perfect conformity to the will and desire of God

          • We are right with God – God is NOT angry with us

          • God has gone so far as to find a way to overcome us being separated from Him due to not understanding Him as He IS – LOVE!

  • Know and understand

    • that it is [really] the people [who live] by faith

      • who are [the true] sons of Abraham.

      • Those who live by faith are NOT only sons of Abraham, but sons acceptable to God

      • They are now WELL BELOVED sons of God

  • And the Scripture, foreseeing

    • that God would justify

      • (declare righteous,

      • put in right standing with Himself)

        • God put us in right standing with Him

          • nothing in us can no prevent us from coming to God anymore

        • the Gentiles

      • in consequence of faith,

        • It was ONLY because of their attitude of trust,

          • willing to see God as a God of love and mercy

        • that made them righteous before God

  • proclaimed the Gospel

    • [foretelling the glad tidings of a Savior long beforehand]

    • to Abraham in the promise,

      • saying, IN you shall all the nations [of the earth] be blessed. [Gen. 12:3]

      • It was those IN ABRAHAM who was declared righteous

        • This was the gospel which God has chosen through which He would reveal Himself

        • This was that the gospel of righteousness by for those who trust in God’s love and mercy

      • Abraham was only a foreshadow of Christ

      • NOW ALL are WHO are IN CHRIST are declared righteous

        • What does it mean to be IN CHRIST!?

          • To have same understanding of God love and mercy as Christ came to declare!!!!

          • To live and be controlled by that love constantly like Christ Jesus was!!!!

          • Therefore – Jesus said: “Remain in my LOVE AS I REMAINED in my Father’s LOVE!!!”

The True Power of the Gospel

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God's power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, 17  For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith. [Hab. 2:4]

 

  • For I am not ashamed

    • When we realize the immense love of God for us –we will become unashamedly bold

    • of the Gospel (good news) of Christ,

      • This was the gospel that was revealed and preached or shown by example by Abraham

  • for it is God's power

    • There is a reason why the gospel of God in us does not have power as it should – It is NOT the gospel!

    • There is power in understanding the gospel of the goodness of God!

    • What we are willing to believe about God tells what we think of God

      • The gospel or doctrine we are willing to believe tells us what we think of God

      • How good is your God? What is you God willing to do for you?

    • working unto salvation

      • The love of God saves us on every level – spiritual, soul and body

      • [for deliverance from eternal death]

    • to everyone who believes

      • with a personal trust

        • We must make the gospel very personal for ourselves

        • Do you realize how much you need the gospel of God’s love?

        • How much do you struggle with your emotions that lie to you?

      • and a confident surrender

        • When we truly know God is LOVE and GOOD then we will have no doubt in God

        • We would rather confidently surrender in God and to God!

      • and firm reliance,

        • When we know God is LOVE we will not have any trouble to rely upon God

        • We will not second guess the true motive of God for us – We will only know that He IS LOVE!!!

    • to the Jew first and also to the Greek,

  • For

    • There is a reason why there is POWER in the gospel

    • God wants to reveal the REASON there is such awesome power in the gospel

    • in the Gospel

      • a righteousness which God ascribes

        • The gospel of God’s love reveals the immense love God has for all mankind

        • This love was revealed proved and demonstrated in the fact

          • that God washed away our sins

          • And made us white – made us perfectly righteous before Him

          • God did this our of His love and not because we needed to deserve it

        • is revealed,

      • both

        • springing from faith

          • This gospel spring / starts with faith

            • The very reason we could get saved was because of our acceptance of God’s love for His people who were lost and imprisoned by sin and quilt

            • We were saved by faith and trust in God’s love

              • and not as mere act of faith to be saved

        • and leading to faith

          • God even sows us an amazing way to go from strength to strength in faith

          • When we believed in God’s amazing love and accepted His grace and goodness, because of His love this leads us to more faith and trust as we learn to know and experience tis unfailing love for those who believe God is LOVE!

          • [disclosed through the way of faith

            • that arouses to more faith].

            • God once showed me an upward spiral – It will only go better and better!

            • Guilt causes a downward spiral – It just goes worse and worse

            • Faith leads to more faith – trust breeds trust then it becomes easier to trust

      • As it is written,

        • The man who through faith is just and upright

          • shall live

          • and shall live by faith. [Hab. 2:4]

          • The life of a Christian believer starts with a trust in God’s love and remains in trust and faith in God’s amazing LOVE

          • This will be a lifestyle of trusting God ALWAYS and CONTINUALLY in ALL THINGS

          • Now we can put on new glasses – Looking through the eye of God’s LOVE revealed through His gracious righteousness

Living in Righteousness

How do I enter into Righteousness?

Rom 5:1 THEREFORE, SINCE we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). 2 Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. 3 Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. 4 And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. 5 Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

 

  • THEREFORE,

    • SINCE we are justified

      • Justified = Just as if I’d NEVER sinned

      • (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God)

        • In God’s Love, we were given perfect right standing with God

        • What does true right standing with God imply?

        • What did God intend for man at first?

          • To be friends of God

          • To be heir of God

          • To be co-heirs with Christ

          • To be loved sons and daughters

          • To be crowned with glory and honor

          • To be kings and priests of our God

        • through faith,

          • This is all open and available for those who would love and trust God

  • let us [grasp the fact

    • There is something to be grasped!

      • We must click it!

      • We must get a personal revelation of God’s love

    • that we] have [the peace of reconciliation

      • When we realize God’s love and grace we will come into a place of peace with God

        • We will realize how much God loves us

      • When we realize we – the Old man – is sinful and corrupt to the core

        • Then we will realize WHAT God has saved us from

        • Then we will realize the love God had and has for us to save us

      • When we realize the kind of salvation God has given us in His love

        • We will realize how free God has made us in His love and grace​

      • When we realize how God has not only saved us but glorified us

        • Then we will realize what value God has for us in His great love

        • Then we will also realize that God is jealous for our love because of our value in His love

      • to hold

      • and to enjoy] peace with God

        • Spontaneous joy will WELL UP / bubble up

        • Spontaneous excitement will spring up

        • Joy will make us happy in all circumstances

        • We will Not be looking to God for the fault every time anymore when things seems to go wrong

        • When we are filled with spontaneous joy we will have a spontaneous hope

        • We will look at this world with a different eye and out of a different perspective

        • Peace with God give and person immense personal satisfaction and confidence

          • in His God

          • and in this world

        • There is a saying: “Favor favors the brave!”

        • Now we become a beacon of hope and light in a dark and hopeless world

        • through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

        • Through Him also

    • we have [our] access

      • (entrance, introduction)

        • The way to enter or get access to ALL the benefits that are in Christ is

        • by faith into this grace

          • God’s grace is immensely good, because God is immensely good and is LOVE

          • What is your perspective of LOVE? Change your perspective of God as a good God

          • (state of God's favor)

            • When we enter into this PLACE of right standing we enter into a STATE OF FAVOR

              • A STATE a condition where is ALWAYS remains the same

              • God is constant and never changes

                • He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

            • in which we [firmly and safely] stand.

              • This is NOT a PLACE in which we must get, BUT rather a PLACE in which we must STAND

              • God has already put us into this place we do not have to work for it!

              • We can calmly rest and accept what God has ALREADY DONE for us

              • Satan is trying to make us loose our place of confidence – this is his work

              • We must anchor ourselves in the LOVE and GRACE and MERCY of God,

                • So that nothing can move us out of God’s LOVE for us!

  • And let us

    • LET us is a spontaneous place from which we will operate if we are secure in God’s LOVE

    • We do NOT have to something to DO it! Not work is need to prove ourselves before God!

    • We only have to DO something NOT allow us to be pulled out of God LOVE

      • we must NOT believe God’s LOVE anymore

    • rejoice and exult

      • in our hope of experiencing

        • We will experience the glory of God

        • God wants us to experience His glory and power and might, because of His love for all people

        • When we know the love of God for people we will also know the WILL of God for all people

          • It is always God’s WILL, because of His LOVE, to heal the sick

          • It is ALWAYS God’s WILL, because of His great mercy, to set the oppressed free

          • It is always God’s WILL, because of His love, to prosper us even as our soul prospers

          • It is always God WILL, because of His immense LOVE to treat us as sons and daughters of the Most High God, who is LOVE!

          • It is ALWAYS God will and God always wants to BESTOW ALL HIS BENEFEFTS ON ALL who knows that He LOVES THEM UNCONDITIONALLY!

      • and enjoying the glory of God.

        • God has great glory and ability

        • How do you feel when you know a truly rich friend who is a very generous giver?

          • You want His to bestow some of His benefits upon you

          • You know that He would not even feel it when he blesses you

          • You have hopes and dreams and can’t fulfill them, if only he would give you a kick in the right direction you could fulfill your dreams

          • God can do immeasurably more than what we could think, imagine or dream or even ask

            • What are you willing to believe God for?

            • What are your dreams and desires?

              • God wants to fulfill them

            • Do you trust God to do supernatural things and show off His glory?

              • Do you want to see the sick healed?

              • Do you want to see creative miracles?

              • Do you want to see the blind see?

              • Do you want to see the lame walk?

              • Do you want to see the dead raised?

              • Do you want to hear God’s voice and see His shape?

            • What are you willing to trust God for? How LOVING and WILLING is your God to bless you? Does God really LOVE YOU!?

  • Moreover [let us also

    • be full of joy now!]

  • Let us

    • exult and triumph in our troubles

    • and rejoice in our sufferings,

      • How do we really see any kind of suffering?

        • Do you see it as God testing you?

        • What is God teaching you through this suffering!

        • Then God becomes a cruel God who make things difficult in life

      • We must see suffering for what they ARE – Satan trying to sift us as wheat

        • Satan will always come and try to move you from your new found hope in God’s LOVE

        • Satan want to make it difficult for you to believe God LOVES you

        • Satan is a seeking for prey – only animals who leave the pack of protection becomes easy prey

          • When we leave the security of faith in God’s LOVE and provision for us we become a prey

      • knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship

        • produce patient and unswerving endurance.

          • We must learn to identify hardships for what they are – SATAN testing

          • When Tested our faith gets refined and refined until we are NOT ABLE to be MOVED from God’s LOVE

          • We must also learn to enjoy the growing opportunity Satan has granted us

            • This will give us opportunity to hone and sharpen our faith in God amazing unswerving LOVE

            • When we constantly REMAIN in God’s LOVE and endure the test of SATAN we will start to spontaneously produce FRUIT and STRENGRTHEN and REFINE our faith lie Gold

      • And endurance (fortitude)

        • develops maturity of character

          • (approved faith and tried integrity).

      • And character [of this sort]

        • produces [the habit of]

          • joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.

          • there is a natural way of growing in spiritual character and strength

            • Suffering & hardship -> unswerving endurance & patience -> maturity of character -> Faith and integrity -> joyful confident hope -> Eternal LIFE

            • Those who trust WILL NOT be shamed / disappointed / deluded

          • Such hope

            • never disappoints or deludes or shames us,

  • for

    • God's love

      • has been poured out

        • in our hearts

          • God LOVES us unconditionally and intensely!

          • God wants us to LOVE like Him in this world

          • We cannot try to LOVE people

          • God has given us ALL the answers and has given all the ability or motive to LOVE

          • The LOVE of God motivates and give us the strength to change and to LOVE like He loves

          • through the Holy Spirit

            • God Spirit of LOVE – The Holy Spirit IS IN our hearts

            • We have ALL the ability and POWER to LOVE, already in US

            • We must just keep on meditating on the LOVE of God and it will spontaneously come out of us

            • Who has been given to us.

              • God did not hold anything back, but did ALL things to demonstrate and overcome our lack of understanding His love, by dying on the cross

              • God NOW gave us His Spirit that can give us the ability to understand and LOVE like His does

              • God freely gave us this gift – it is possible for anybody who are willing to live in LOVE

Entering a STATE of Righteousness

Rom 8:29 For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. 30 And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].

 

  •  For those whom He foreknew

    • [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand],

  • He also destined from the beginning

    • [foreordaining them]

      • to be moulded into the image of His Son

        • All those who follow Jesus Christ were called to become like Jesus in His glorified state

        • [and share inwardly His likeness],

      • that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

        • The only we Jesus could call us His brothers is when we become sons of God

        • God lifts us from slavery to sonship

  • And those whom He thus foreordained,

    • He also called; and those whom He called,

    • He also justified

      • (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified,

    • He also glorified

      • [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].

      • God did not only justify and saved us from our sins

        • But He also glorified us

          • When a person is glorified he has that same state of character like that of a son of God

            • He is honored in the sight of God

            • He is raised and given authority to rule mightily in the spiritual realm

Prepare the Way before YHWH

Isa 40:3 A voice of one who cries: Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord [clear away the obstacles]; make straight and smooth in the desert a highway for our God! [Mark 1:3] 4 Every valley shall be lifted and filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level, and the rough places a plain. 5And the glory (majesty and splendor) of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. [Luke 3:5-6]

 

  • A voice of one who cries:

    • Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord

      • [clear away the obstacles];

      • make straight and smooth

        • in the desert a highway for our God! [Mark 1:3]

      • Every valley shall be lifted and filled up,

      • and every mountain and hill shall be made low;

      • and the crooked and uneven shall be made straight and level,

      • and the rough places a plain.

    • And the glory (majesty and splendour) of the Lord shall be revealed,

      • and all flesh shall see it together;

        • for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it. [Luke 3:5-6]

Specific Conditions must be met

Psa 85:6  Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? 7  Show us Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, and grant us Your salvation. 8  I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people, to His saints (those who are in right standing with Him)--but let them not turn again to [self-confident] folly. 9 Surely His salvation is near to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, [and is ready to be appropriated] that [the manifest presence of God, His] glory may tabernacle and abide in our land. 10  Mercy and loving-kindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. 11 Truth shall spring up from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12  Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. 13  Righteousness shall go before Him and shall make His footsteps a way in which to walk.

 

  • Will You not revive us again,

    • that Your people may rejoice in You?

  • Show us Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord,

    • and grant us Your salvation.

  • I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say,

    • for He will speak peace to His people,

    • to His saints (those who are in right standing with Him)—

      • God was looking for people who would be in right standing with Him in the OT

      • In the NT God, in His great love for us, provided right standing IN CHRIST for us

      • Now in Christ the condition for blessing has been met

        • We must only surrender and accept the love and blessing from God’s hand of love!

  • but

    • let them not turn again to [self-confident] folly.

  • Surely His salvation is near

    • to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him,

      • When do we truly fear God?

        • When we realize how much He loves us and accept the great love He have to free us from SIN

  • [and

    • is ready to be appropriated] that [the manifest presence of God,

      • His] glory may tabernacle and abide in our land.

        • The Glory is the Manifested Presence of God

        • We want to Presence of God to abide in our lives and in our land

        • In order for us to achieve this the following conditions must be met

        • All these conditions were met IN CHRIST’s perfect POISE!

        • Mercy

        • and loving-kindness

        • and truth have met together;

        • righteousness

        • and peace have kissed each other

          • ​Something kisses each other when they meet in a pleasing way

            • God is explaining a perfect condition for His glory to be revealed

            • We must learn to constantly abide in that place or condition or state

            • God’s glory must abide in our lives

            • God’s glory is revealed when His Presence are manifested

      • Truth shall spring up from the earth,

        • We must accept the truth of God love and what He has done for us through His Son on earth

      • and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

        • We must accept what God has now richly and lavishly has imputed to us in His love from heaven

        • When these conditions met or kiss one another a perfect spiritual STATE develops where God favor and grace is revealed

    • Yes, the Lord will give what is good,

      • and our land will yield its increase.

    • Righteousness shall go before Him and shall make His footsteps a way in which to walk.

      • When we live in constant righteousness and the understanding of God’s love

        • Then righteousness goes out before Him and make our footsteps a way to walk in

        • God will do great exploits also through those who know their God

Revealing Righteousness

Rom 3:20 For no person will be justified (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight by observing the works prescribed by the Law. For [the real function of] the Law is to make men recognize and be conscious of sin [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance, faith, and holy character]. 21  But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets, 22  Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction, 23  Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives. 24  [All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favour and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,…

​

  • For no person

    • will be justified

      • (made righteous, acquitted, and judged acceptable) in His sight

        • by observing the works prescribed by the Law.

      • For

        • [the real function of] the Law is

          • to make men recognize

          • and be conscious of sin

            • No man can ever by his own human effort achieve perfect righteousness before God

              • I once saw a vision of how some people were trying to reach a certain house standing on a mountain peak

              • No matter how hard the people jumped they could not reach the house in the middle

              • Then the Lord showed me those who did not make effort, but by faith decided to walk over the edge, trust in God to help them supernaturally to reach the other side

              • Suddenly they walked on the invisible hand of God in the air over towards the house

            • [not mere perception, but an acquaintance with sin which works toward repentance,

            • faith, and holy character].

  • But now

    • the righteousness of God has been revealed

      • This righteousness was prophesied and made available and then revealed or disclosed after the death of Jesus Christ

      • independently and altogether apart from the Law,

        • The righteousness of God can only be attained and taken part of when we put our trust in God’s love, revealed through the cross of Jesus Christ

      • although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,

    • Namely, the righteousness of God

      • which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

        • The righteousness of the Law can only be attained by effort and perfect obedience to God

        • By putting our complete trust in God for our salvation we receive the righteousness of God

      • [And it is meant] for all who believe.

  • For there is no distinction,

    • Since all have sinned

      • The scriptures makes it clear that ALL have sinned

        • There is NOT one human being – apart from Christ who EVER could or ever will be able to live a perfectly sinless life

      • and are falling short of

        • In the picture God shows who all those people literally always fell short of being able to jump to the house in the middle

        • the honor and glory which God bestows

          • God has bestowed honour and glory on man when He made him

          • But men fell and that honour and glory which God bestowed on him was lost

          • Man lost their awesome ability to live and walk like God in character and nature of God

        • and receives.

    • [All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God,

      • freely and gratuitously by His grace

        • This priviledge of righteousness can not be owned and deserved

        • God, out of the love of His heart, for He is love, freely and graciously gives this righteousness as a gift to man

        • (His unmerited favor and mercy),

          • Included in this awesome and bountiful gift of mercy and love is the favour, glory and blessing of God

          • through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,…

The Teaching about Righteousness

The Doctrine of Righteousness

Heb 5:12  For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food. 13  For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]! 14  But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.

​

  • For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others,

    • you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word.

      • God expects us to know the spiritual principles and to teach them to others

      • You have come to need milk,

      • not solid food.

    • For

      • everyone who continues to feed on milk

        • is obviously inexperienced and unskilled

          • It takes skill and experience to life the doctrine of righteousness

          • Experience is what we get when we go and actually do the work

          • Skill is a way one learns to do things that works effectively

          • Skill is learnt be practice and mistakes

      • in the doctrine of righteousness

        • (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action),

        • What is the doctrine of righteousness?

        • We must become skilled in the doctrine of righteousness

        • Righteousness is LIKE a key that unlocks closed doors to heaven

    • for

      • he is a mere infant

        • [not able to talk yet]!

    • But

      • solid food is for full-grown men,

        • The word for full grown is also mature

          • The way to grow and become spiritually mature in Christ is through the training in the doctrine of God’s righteousness

        • for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained

          • We must learn to practice and train ourselves to constantly walk in God’s righteousness

          • When we train we do the same thing over and over until we have perfected it

          • Thus repetition plays a major role in training

          • by practice

            • Only when we practice the words of Jesus Christ will we learn to truly understand

            • to discriminate and distinguish

              • Growing in the doctrine of righteousness will sharpen our ability to discern

              • We will grow in our gift of discernment and also the discernment of spirits

            • between what is morally good and noble

            • and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.

          • When our mental and spiritual faculties are trained by righteousness we will be able to be sharp and sensitive in the Spirit, because we live by the Spirit of God

Training in Righteousness

2Tim 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

 

  • All Scripture

    • is breathed out by God

      • and profitable

        • for teaching,

        • for reproof,

        • for correction,

        • and for training in righteousness,

          • We must learn to train in righteousness – when we train we go into strict training and discipline

          • True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to discipline their lives

          • We must learn the discipline of God gracious imputed righteousness

          • Therefore Paul says we must become SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

      • that the man of God

        • may be complete,

        • equipped for every good work.

          • Once when we are trained by righteousness, we will be complete and equipped

Jesus lived and discerned through Righteousness

Isa 11:1 AND THERE shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David's father], and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit. [Isa. 4:2; Mat. 2:23; Rev. 5:5; Rev. 22:16] 2  And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord-- 3  And shall make Him of quick understanding, and His delight shall be in the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord. And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, neither decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness and justice shall He judge the poor and decide with fairness for the meek, the poor, and the downtrodden of the earth; and He shall smite the earth and the oppressor with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of His waist and faithfulness the girdle of His loins.

 

  • AND THERE shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David's father],

    • and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit.

      • [Isa. 4:2; Mat. 2:23; Rev. 5:5; Rev. 22:16]

  • And

    • the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him

      • the Spirit of wisdom

      • and understanding,

      • the Spirit of counsel

      • and might,

      • the Spirit of knowledge

      • and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord

  • And shall

    • make Him of quick understanding,

      • Jesus was quick to know what was going on in the hearts on men

      • When our spirits are sensitive we become quick to hear the voice of God

      • God Spirit in our spirit quicken our spirit and make it sensitive and sharp

    • and His delight shall be in the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord.

  • And

    • He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,

    • neither decide by the hearing of His ears;

      • We must learn not to look at the outward appearances of people (rich or poor)

      • We must learn to perceive in our hearts what men are thinking and what their true motives are

  • But

    • with righteousness and justice

      • Jesus used a certain why to be able to discern what people were thinking?

        • He used righteousness!

        • How do you use righteousness to hear the voice of God and to be sharp in the Spirit?

        • When we are in righteousness

          • Righteousness becomes like a plumb line in the Spirit

          • Then every other spirit that are NOT in righteousness we are able to discern by our spiritual senses

          • When the water is calm we are able to see the slightest change upon the water made by any disturbance

      • shall He judge the poor

      • and decide with fairness

        • for the meek, the poor, and the downtrodden of the earth;

  • and

    • He shall smite the earth and the oppressor with the rod of His mouth,

  • and

    • with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

  • And

    • righteousness shall be the girdle of His waist

      • Jesus’ girdle is righteousness

    • and faithfulness the girdle of His loins.

      • Jesus’ girdle is also faithfulness

      • When we are faithful to walk in constant righteousness then we walk in Christ and will see what Christ has promised – You will do what I have been doing and greater things than these!

      • God’s Righteousness even overcomes our faith

Slaves and servants of Righteousness

Rom 6:13 Do not continue offering or yielding your bodily members [and faculties] to sin as instruments (tools) of wickedness. But offer and yield yourselves to God as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life, and your bodily members [and faculties] to God, presenting them as implements of righteousness. 14  For sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy]. 15  What then [are we to conclude]? Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God's favor and mercy? Certainly not! 16  Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)? 17  But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. 18  And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action). 19  I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations. For as you yielded your bodily members [and faculties] as servants to impurity and ever increasing lawlessness, so now yield your bodily members [and faculties] once for all as servants to righteousness (right being and doing) [which leads] to sanctification. 20  For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21  But then what benefit (return) did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None] for the end of those things is death. 22  But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life. 23  For the wages which sin pays is death, but the [bountiful] free gift of God is eternal life through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.

​

  • Do not

    • continue offering or yielding

      • How do I know what am I continually offering myself to?

      • What do I think when I have sinned and missed the mark

      • your bodily members [and faculties]

        • to sin

          • Here it DOES NOT refer to sins as many sins specific which I have committed

          • SIN as in - Sin came into the world – Sin as a principle

          • To miss the mark or point in any way towards God and man is SIN

      • as instruments (tools) of wickedness.

  • But

    • offer and yield yourselves to God

      • We must yield to the underserved promises of God provided through Jesus Christ

        • We only truly yield ourselves to God when we yield His provided grace and righteousness, accepting the goodness of God

      • as though you have been raised from the dead to [perpetual] life,

        • We must realize that God made us ALIVE again, before we were dead

        • We might not be able to see that we were dead, we must know and live as ones who were raised from the dead TO LIFE!

      • and your bodily members [and faculties] to God,

        • presenting them as implements of righteousness

          • When we present something we freely given for serve

          • We make ourselves available to used

      • For

        • sin shall not [any longer]

          • exert dominion over you,

            • Sin has the ability to exercise and have influence over us

            • When we sin we have a guilty consequence

              • Guilt destroys us slowly – killing us spiritually / mentally / physically

          • since now you are not under Law [as slaves],

            • We are under the LAW when we are judged by the LAW

            • The Law will never be destroyed, because it represents the perfect character and nature of God

            • When we allow the LAW to separate us from God we and UNDER the LAW

              • Then the LAW judges us and determines the outcome of our case

          • but under grace [as subjects of God's favor and mercy].

            • When we are UNDER grace we allow the banner of GRACE to determine our thinking and reactions to sin

            • Under GRACE we are loves and accepted, but under LAW we are judged, rejected and condemned!

            • UNDER grace we are blessed and highly favoured by God

  • What then [are we to conclude]?

    • Shall we sin because we live not under Law but under God's favor and mercy?

      • This is a great dilemma for many who start to walk UNDER grace as servants of righteousness

        • We who are sinful seem to be freed without any boundary

        • But there is a new boundary or LAW that now rules over us – God’s LOVE and mercy

        • Grace is NOT a license to sin, but we must also understand how not to go back in UNDER the Law!

        • The goodness of God NOW leads us to repentance and NOT the judgement

        • We are now driven by God’s love for us and not by guilt, condemnation and fear

      • Certainly not!

    • Do you not know

      • that if you continually surrender yourselves

        • When we surrender ourselves over to someone or something we willingly make ourselves submit to it lordship and rulership

        • to anyone to do his will,

          • you are the slaves of him whom you obey,

            • We must NOT be deceived in two ways

              • ONE – If you obey and do something you are its slave

              • TWO – If I am unable to change and stopping sinning I am also a slave of specific sins

              • We must choose what we will OBEY and DO or PRACTISE

                • If our choice is driven by fear we are under the LAW

                • If our choice is driven by love we are under God’s GRACE

        • whether that be to sin,

          • which leads to death,

            • All sin and sins leads to death outside God’s righteousness

              • SIN = the curse of the LAW = leads to death

              • Sins = doing wicked deeds not rooted in love = shows an in ability to understand God’s love in a certain area of our lives

        • or to obedience

          • We must NOT confuse this obedience with obedience to the LAW

          • The obedience is obedience to God’s love revealed in His promises which can only be attain by faith or trust in God

          • This obedience is literally the acceptance of God rest in order to be righteous – Wow!!

          • This obedience is an acceptance of God unconditional character of love and mercy

          • which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)?

            • When we accept the free righteousness which God credited to Abraham we NOW ARE righteous in God’s sight

            • God is pleased with those who accept His outstretched arm of love to save them from SIN and so from sins!

            • We need to continually search our heart for sin and sins that crept in and repent from this CURSE and of those thing which have started to grow due to NOT knowing God’s love for us

  • But thank God,

    • though you were once slaves of sin,

    • you have become obedient

      • with all your heart to

        • the standard of teaching

          • Paul taught a certain teaching and expected a certain understanding and obedience to God’s love and grace

          • If we are still unwilling to change we are still blinded to the real love of God for us

          • in which you were instructed

            • This teaching is the teaching / doctrine of righteousness

          • and to which you were committed

            • We must fully commit ourselves to believe God’s goodness

            • Satan, through sin, empowered by the perfect law wants to continually cast us into doubt about God’s love for us

            • He want us to continually doubt the goodness and the real motive of the heart of God towards us – He wants a suspicion and a hostility towards God

  • And

    • having been set free from sin,

      • We ARE NOW free from SIN!

      • SIN has NO POWER to condemn us to death anymore

      • He whom the Son sets free is FREE INDEED

    • you have become the servants of righteousness

      • What is a servant? One who submit and humbles himself under His master

      • How do I live as a servant to righteousness?

        • By always submitting every thought to the bountiful free gift of God’s love shown in grace and revealed in His imputed righteousness

        • If it is not according to the goodness and love of God it is NOT from God

        • God is LOVE and we must know God has and always will love us unconditionally apart from SIN

        • God can overlook our sins. He can also totally forget our sins and never bring it up again

      • We must take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ love demonstrated in the cross

      • (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action).

  • I am speaking in familiar human terms because of your natural limitations.

  • For

    • as you yielded your bodily members [and faculties]

      • as servants to impurity and ever increasing lawlessness,

    • so now yield your bodily members [and faculties]

      • once for all

        • We must make a dedicated decision to NEVER look back and wonder if God loves us

        • We must make a strong decision never to doubt God’s motive and intention of Love

      • as servants to righteousness (right being and doing)

        • [which leads] to sanctification

          • Here we find a VERY powerful concept – continual righteousness leads to holiness

          • God brought a NEW WAY how to become holy, perfect, sanctified and like God

          • We must NOT confuse what God HAS DONE and what we STILL HAVE to DO out of a realization of God immense love for us?

          • God HAS MADE US righteous and holy in His sight, IN CHRIST

          • When we continually accept this perfect and dearly paid price of Christ demonstrating God’s love for us, we are driven to want to be holy and made perfect LIKE CHRIST

          • Once the Holy Spirit, through a sign in the heaven showed me an upward spiral, saying you know a downward spiral, but I have given you an upward spiral, where things just go better and better!

  • For

    • when you were slaves of sin,

      • you were free in regard to righteousness.

      • But then what benefit (return) did you get from the things of which you are now ashamed?

        • [None] for the end of those things is death.

  • But now

    • since you have been set free from sin

    • and have become the slaves of God,

      • you have your present reward in holiness

        • Because it was free we could never use it flippantly and irreverent

        • There is a great reward in accepting the free gift of righteousness

        • That reward is that we could even while we are living in this body on earth start to attain to kind of godly purity and holiness in which the saints of the past lived

        • We can actually start to become more and more like Christ in purity and holiness and godliness

        • and its end is eternal life.

    • For

      • the wages which sin pays is death,

    • but

      • the [bountiful] free gift of God

        • is eternal life

          • through (in union with) Jesus Christ our Lord.

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