Hi everyone. Its been such a long time since I last posted anything. God has spoken some really exciting things and reminded me of some outstanding prophetic words from years back and all the while, has been continuing to reveal the sweetness of His love in the simplicity of the Gospel.
Jesus, continue to reveal your amazing grace to us all, and the reality of your kingdom that is "at hand".
The amazing thing about the Gospel is that the more we see Gods Goodness revealed through his heart of love towards us, the more we realise his heart to do only good to us(Jer 32:40-41). And the more we see that His heart is to do only good to us, the more we receive from Him in faith. We begin to trust Holy Spirit and an expectancy grows to see His kingdom, His glory presence in our midst - on earth as it is in heaven.
An increased revelation of Grace leads to an increased expectancy of His Glory.
Most times, in my experience, those that are most "anti" signs, wonders and miracles, are also "anti" what they call "radical grace".
(I say, if grace isn't radical then its not Biblical.)
The Gospel of the Grace of God that Paul preached wherever he went (Act 20:24), was given to him by revelation directly from Jesus. It's this self same Gospel that deserves the center stage in every facet of Christian life, it is the be all and end all, it is Jesus, the perfect lamb that takes away the sin of the world and exchanges it with Gods righteousness for all who would believe it.
Paul goes on to say in Acts 20:27 after just saying 3 verses earlier that he only preached the Gospel of Gods Grace, that He had not shrunk back from declaring the "whole council of God" to them. That phrase "whole council of God" is not referring to a long list of doctrines and theologies, but rather, "the completed will/purpose of God". All of which is summed up in one word: Redemption.
Its Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, and all who would believe are made righteous by faith apart from works.
Gods plan to re-unite us to His arms was announced 750 years before hand:
Isa 54:14 In righteousness you shall be established;
When we receive His Righteousness as a gift, we become firm and established in our hope. We become stable, secure people, that are not tossed about, but seem to have our foundations on Rock instead of sand. As if, in a world at sea, we have an Anchor that keeps us stable.
It is this Righteousness that guards our hearts against the enemy as our Breastplate of Righteousness (Eph 6). It is this Breastplate of His Righteousness that keeps the soil of our hearts (our understanding) soft and ready to receive more revelation of His Goodness.
This Righteousness is given as a gift by believing the gospel.
If the "gospel" you are believing doesn't make you Righteous (give you perfect right standing before God) as a GIFT, then its NOT the gospel of the New Testament, and it can never cause you to become Established and stable:
Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
But Andrew, "We get saved and then we need to do stuff to maintain our right standing by doing good deeds. Jesus did His part, now we must do ours."
I say...
Col 2:6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, (You received Him "by grace through faith - Eph 2:8)
Col 2:7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.
If we fall short in our understanding of "He died for our sins once for all" (the Good News), then we will fall short in our understanding of "The Gift of Righteousness". If we fall short in our understanding of "The Gift of Righteousness", we will live with a perverted view of "Redemption", and If we live with a perverted view of "Redemption", then we will live with a False understanding of Gods LOVE for us, and if this is so, then we can never truly love others with Gods love and will never truly find satisfaction and rest.
His Gift of Righteousness to us gives us access to his lap!! To approach his Throne of Grace, to partake of His divine nature and the Glory of His Kingdom, here on earth.
Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Now, The Kingdom of God is a matter of RIGHTEOUSNESS (His, not yours), PEACE (Because you have right standing) and JOY (Because His presence is now always with you and "in His presence there is fullness of JOY......and He is really happy that we are now ransomed).
Then He says... and "HIS Righteousness"....
In the New Covenant - (post the Cross) - Scripture tells us that as believers are given Gods Righteousness as a gift.
It is only in Gods Righteousness that we can be established - not our own.
As long as we try to keep our "moral ducks" in a row in order to earn Gods favor, we will never attain the stability and consistency that Holy Spirit longs to bring through our lives to the world around.
When we embrace His Righteousness as our own (by faith), then... "all these things will be given to you" because now you deserve them because of your right standing before the Father.
Lets drink deep of the finished work of Jesus, and live boldly in His Love.
God blessed you
Andrew
