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Showing posts from October, 2019

The Flesh - Turning A Good Law Into Sin

Before we move on and learn what it means to "Walk in the Spirit", let's deal with a misunderstanding that many believers have concerning the Law  and Grace . A lot of times you'll hear these two topics discussed as if they were rivals . Many ministers will teach that you can either  obey the Law found in the Scriptures or  you can live by grace...but you can't do both. This is a silly and Biblically illiterate idea, as we'll soon see. The truth is: You are either obeying the Law and  living by grace both, or you aren't actually doing either. The Law Is Good Romans 7:12 " Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. " Psalm 19:7 " The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul... " Contrary to popular opinion, the Law of God - contained in the commands and rules He gave mankind - is perfect . It is one of the most important gifts we have ever received. Throughout mankind's history, even ...

What It Means To "Walk In The Flesh"

" I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. " - Galatians 5:16 If you're anything like me, you may be reading this verse  completely different  than the way it was written. Most believers read this as a  command  to stop fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. But that's really the opposite of what Paul is saying here. It's true that this passage contains a  command   - but that command is not to " stop walking in the flesh ." The  command  is to "walk in the spirit". "You will not fulfill the lust of the flesh" isn't a command - it's a  promise . If you'll just walk in the spirit, you won't have to struggle to keep yourself from the sins of the flesh. The freedom from sinful cravings is a  promise ...one that will be fulfilled in the lives of those who walk in the spirit! The problem is, we don't understand what it means to walk in the spirit. Sure, the idea  sounds good,...

Grace, The Power To Obey

One thing every Christian knows: Grace is free  - at least free to us. It cost Jesus His blood; but He offers it to us free of charge! It's simply a gift that He gives because He loves us. Up to this point, we've learned that:  - God's grace will completely forgive and wash away every sin we've committed, or will ever commit.  - All it takes to access this forgiveness is a turning away  from our sin and a turn to  God.  - Grace will convict us of our righteousness and teach us the right way to behave. Now we've come to the edge of what grace was always intended to do. Today, we'll begin discovering the  power  that comes from grace! If you want to serve God effectively, you must believe this truth: God has never given a command that didn't also come with power to obey it! Power to Split the Sea After being miraculously delivered from their Egyptian masters, Moses and the Israelites stood at the edge of the Red Sea. The Egyptian army w...

Grace Teaching You To Obey

" For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age... " - Titus 3:11-12 Now we come to second function of God's grace - instruction in godliness. We've already found out that God's grace will forgive us when we commit sin. To be sure, that's great news for us all! But would anything change in our lives if that was all  that grace did for us? What would it look like if the grace of God was only about forgiveness ? Grace IS NOT Forgiveness Only! The fourth verse of Jude answers this question: " For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of God into lewdness  and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. " Jude warns us that there are dangerous "teachers" that have crept into church - people who turn the...