Faith is "to be persuaded". Faith in Christ is to be persuaded of the Good News about His Grace towards you. That is what saves you... placing your faith in His Grace (Rom 4:16... "Therefore it is of faith that it may be according to grace.."), That's being saved by Grace through Faith is (Eph 2:8).
Many place their faith in "Faith" (But, its NOT the "gospel of FAITH" that saves us - as no such thing exists - but it is the Gospel of GRACE! (Act 20:24).
Many place their faith in their own Good works or Service towards God.
Many "are persuaded" (have directed their faith towards) attending a weekly religious Ritual - or systematic church routine as a means unto Salvation.....
But only being Persuaded, or having your Faith aimed towards His Grace, as your means unto Salvation will suffice.
We all have the measure of faith (even non-Believers have the ability to be fully persuaded in all sorts of things) - even devils do (Jam 2:19), But only by placing that Faith in His Grace towards you - through the Cross and Resurrection, will you be set free to bear His fruit and enjoy your Union with Him.
The Father gave us His Life as a Gift because He loves us, Not as something we need to still somehow attain via Principles and '4-step' Formula's. Faith is NOT a formula, It is a response to His Love and it comes Naturally Effortlessly. If Faith is something we feel WE need to "perfect" or "work-up" to get "just right" in order to get a Response from God, then we have strayed from our Persuasion of Grace. Faith = Trust, and Trust = Rest. A Believer in Christ is someone who Trusts and therefore Rests in Fathers Love for them. They feel NO need to earn or maintain His affections because they are fully persuaded, via the Cross, that His love is perfect and unchanging.
Teachings about Faith and Gifts and so called "Kingdom Principles" may be helpful, but they are NOT the GOSPEL. Grace is the Good News (Gospel). And it is GRACE (not Faith) that is the power of God unto Salvation. Everyone who believes that Gods GRACE towards man is the Good News has therefore placed their Faith in His Grace and can Now experience Union with Him. Now that you are experiencing New Covenant Salvation, you have no need for lifeless Principles and Formulas because He leads you. His Spirit and your spirit have been made One and are in Union (Ezek 36)..... He has done it, He has joined the two together and created one new man - that is completely New and has never existed before - and what God has Joined together let NO Man separate.
Dont be fooled now, into believing "Faith" to be the Gospel....or any other Doctrine that primarily focuses on you or dictates what your response to Grace MUST now be.
The Complete work of Jesus - Life, death, burial and ressurection - when embraced, is intoxicatingly Good News that breeds Contentment/peace, and Joy. No other "gospel" will lead to this, hence Paul's querie to those who had fallen from Grace to go back to living by Principles.... "Who has stolen your Joy?"
Well meaning brothers and sisters will unwittingly lead you away from Grace, but with all of His strength, we can make every effort to stay in the Rest that He died to freely give us. He lives in us and delights to lead us into all truth. Lets trust Him. Lets Feast on His unceasing Love for all of us!
Love
Andrew
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Right Standing as a GIFT
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
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
Friday, January 8, 2010
Living in His Promises
So many believers today know that Jesus died for them to save them, but are very much unaware of the full implication of this. A huge step in the right direction towards victory in absolutely every area of our lives is when we really begin to believe what we know:
1Jo 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has in us.
The more we rest in what He has done for us on the Cross, the less we will strive in our own attempts to achieve a victorious life. This is an amazing truth!!
Rom 4:16 says that the way we receive the promises of God is NOT by self-effort and obedience to the Law (:a list of right and wrong behavior to inherit or loose out blessings).
Us, receiving the promises of God in our lives is dependent on us having Faith in the Grace (Unmerited/undeserved Favor) of God towards us.
But Andrew, how does simply believing that help my marriage?
God tells us that His Promises are received by Faith in His Grace. Now, one of God's promises' is that He brought life and life abundantly -that you would experience His Goodness towards you in every area of life.
Your marriage that may not be in an "ideal" place more reflects the work of Satan "to rob, kill and destroy" and is NOT reflecting "life abundantly" therefore still needs to line up to Gods word.
God says that if you are trying in your own strength to fix it, you cant receive Gods Promises, because His promises are not received by mans effort but by Faith in Gods Grace towards you because of Jesus' finished work.
"You mean to say I must just sit back and do nothing, and it will all "just work out"!
No, just make sure that what you do do, has the Love of God (the Good News) fueling it, and for that to happen.... you need to believe (not just know) the full extent of Jesus on Calvary.
This is why:
Scripture says:
1Jo 4:19 We love, because he first loved us.
We must see the "hugeness" of Gods love directed towards you by sending Jesus to take your place of Judgment based on Gods Holy wrath towards all of your sin, and in so doing, completely and forever removing it from Gods sight (Psalm 103) and memory (Jer 31, Heb 8) because of His Righteous acquittal of you.
He would now be UNRIGHTEOUS if He was still holding your sins against you.
When we see this amazingly Good News of His great love towards us, it causes us to love Him, and others.
We love, BECAUSE we know and believe His love for us, even while we were still in sin (unbelievers). It is COMPLETELY unconditional of you! Its ONLY CONDITIONAL of your perfect sacrifice - Jesus!
When you Just Believe the Gospel, the result is Love for others..... included your husband or wife. Even when they "dont deserve it", once you "know AND UNDERSTAND" His love for you - the fruit is Love for others.
Love for others is NOT a work of the flesh (self effort)..... it is a FRUIT that is borne by the Holy spirit living in you,(Gal 5)
His promise is that if we have Faith in His Grace, we will walk in His Promises.
Lets Trust that Sarah (Grace) is able to raise up Isaac (Children of the Promise) (Gal 4:21-31)
Keep living Blessed!!
Andrew
1Jo 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has in us.
The more we rest in what He has done for us on the Cross, the less we will strive in our own attempts to achieve a victorious life. This is an amazing truth!!
Rom 4:16 says that the way we receive the promises of God is NOT by self-effort and obedience to the Law (:a list of right and wrong behavior to inherit or loose out blessings).
Us, receiving the promises of God in our lives is dependent on us having Faith in the Grace (Unmerited/undeserved Favor) of God towards us.
But Andrew, how does simply believing that help my marriage?
God tells us that His Promises are received by Faith in His Grace. Now, one of God's promises' is that He brought life and life abundantly -that you would experience His Goodness towards you in every area of life.
Your marriage that may not be in an "ideal" place more reflects the work of Satan "to rob, kill and destroy" and is NOT reflecting "life abundantly" therefore still needs to line up to Gods word.
God says that if you are trying in your own strength to fix it, you cant receive Gods Promises, because His promises are not received by mans effort but by Faith in Gods Grace towards you because of Jesus' finished work.
"You mean to say I must just sit back and do nothing, and it will all "just work out"!
No, just make sure that what you do do, has the Love of God (the Good News) fueling it, and for that to happen.... you need to believe (not just know) the full extent of Jesus on Calvary.
This is why:
Scripture says:
1Jo 4:19 We love, because he first loved us.
We must see the "hugeness" of Gods love directed towards you by sending Jesus to take your place of Judgment based on Gods Holy wrath towards all of your sin, and in so doing, completely and forever removing it from Gods sight (Psalm 103) and memory (Jer 31, Heb 8) because of His Righteous acquittal of you.
He would now be UNRIGHTEOUS if He was still holding your sins against you.
When we see this amazingly Good News of His great love towards us, it causes us to love Him, and others.
We love, BECAUSE we know and believe His love for us, even while we were still in sin (unbelievers). It is COMPLETELY unconditional of you! Its ONLY CONDITIONAL of your perfect sacrifice - Jesus!
When you Just Believe the Gospel, the result is Love for others..... included your husband or wife. Even when they "dont deserve it", once you "know AND UNDERSTAND" His love for you - the fruit is Love for others.
Love for others is NOT a work of the flesh (self effort)..... it is a FRUIT that is borne by the Holy spirit living in you,(Gal 5)
His promise is that if we have Faith in His Grace, we will walk in His Promises.
Lets Trust that Sarah (Grace) is able to raise up Isaac (Children of the Promise) (Gal 4:21-31)
Keep living Blessed!!
Andrew
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