More on grace.
Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
Love, not self-sabotage. The law came to kill sin, but man was too sinful for the law. Therefore, God Himself became the law in the flesh and fulfilled it on our behalf. In so doing, He took away the condemnation of daily sacrifices and our constant awareness of sin as those who were under the law. In Christ we are no longer bound by the law; on the contrary, we become the law (for it is Christ in us).
What a real walk with the Holy Spirit feels like
He who became the law works in us to fulfill the good works of righteousness. When you believe in your heart and speak in faith, you are delivered. However, we are not eternal like Christ; therefore, His works take a while to manifest and mature in us. For by continuously reading His word and keeping His word (the law) by how we live, we give Him a chance to grow and work much greater works through us. Just like you don’t quit smoking in one day— it is a habit that breaks along a painful and rewarding process —so is salvation.
It is a painful but rewarding journey. For Christ called us to be like Him: to live in the flesh but dead to the world; on the contrary, alive in the Spirit. Not conformed to the patterns of this world but according to the will of our Father in heaven.
Why should no preacher deceive you?
When we were still sinners, He reconciled us to Himself. We love Him because He loved us first. He sent His own Son to die for you!
How much more dead would you be if it wasn’t for Christ?
For if those who saw the law (eye to eye) in the times of Moses were not spared for their lack of belief and rebellious hearts, and if God destroyed the world in the times of Noah, how much more are we likely to be destroyed — we who have been born in a more perverted and wicked generation?
It’s by grace that we stand, not by works, lest any man should boast. Let no pastor, reverend, teacher, prophet, nor apostle deceive you that you are very sinful. We are all justified by grace; by His mercies are we able — nothing more. Not by constant offertory, tithe, or acts of goodness. It’s by His mercy that you are called a child of God.
Don’t get confused though: grace is no licence to sin. For even though you are free to do whatever you need, you should not be mastered by anything. As you know, you are slaves to that which you continually submit to. And if it be sin?
Maturing in faith beyond phobias of religion
For Christ purified everything — be it food, be it water, or animal. Everything was made new through Christ.
Don’t be so picky or dissociate with those eating what you may consider vile (maybe pork or some other rare food). It is no sin for someone to eat something as long as their faith is able to sustain them. This goes on into dressing and hair; however, do not be deceived — this doesn’t mean you should now use this privilege to do vile and abominations.
If your conscience testifies to you that it is sin, then surely even before God it is considered sin. Therefore, if your conscience is against it, do not do it. On the contrary, a brother in faith whose conscience considers certain things normal is by no means a sinner! This is the paradox.
As a man thinketh, so is he.
In some instances, when your action may cause a brother to stumble or think otherwise of your faith, that is sin. If he has weaker faith and sees you involved in something he considers vile, and it causes him to think otherwise of faith, that is accounted on you as sin. You are free to do anything, as long as it doesn’t cause another to stumble or doubt.
Coming back to actual faith, it is not in the outward appearance that we are considered pure, but from the heart.
Don’t be bothered a lot by the outward appearance of a person; look a lot at their thinking — by that I mean what comes out of them. As Jesus put it: ‘It is not what enters that defiles a man, but that which comes out of him.’ Therefore, watch what you let in, for this determines what eventually comes out of you.
This is not asking you to let your guard of righteousness down, but rather to clear your mindset of self-doubt and constant negative talk. Our God is love, not condemnation. Our God is life, not death. But to live is to die, and to die is to live. Therefore, brethren, live as though you are dead, and you will live as though you will never die.
There is a huge debate on which is true faith among the many Christian denominations… and many of us don’t know which one is true. Let me show you what the bible actually says is the true faith here.
