“Our Daily Bread” http://odb.org/
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie http://www.harvest.org/devotional
Written by bruce r. mills @ www.Godsmanforever.com
“The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ”
(Revised from 7/11/2013)
Here is the truth about sin, and how God’s grace through saving faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ is given by God, to those who understand and obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…
Romans 5:12… Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (NKJV)
Most people believe sin began in the Garden of Eden, but it didn’t. Sin began when God’s top angel Lucifer, decided to flex his power, and wanted to become equal to God…Isaiah 14:12-14…
Sin, by its very nature, is born into every human being, since Adam and Eve fell in the Garden of Eden, to the serpent’s (Satan’s) temptations. This natural sin nature is part of everyone’s natural make-up, from the time they are young children, until the time that they pass on from this life.
That 3 year old, who is told NO by their parents, goes right ahead and disobeys their parents at the first chance they get. This rebellion against their parents turns into rebellion against God, as a child grows older. God hates sin, because it is independent rebellion against God; and will devastate the lives of everyone that remains living in sin…in bondage to Satan and the ways of the world…1 John 2:15-16…
The sad truth about sin, is that it blinds the unbeliever…
2 Corinthians 4:4… whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (NKJV) (More about “the light of the gospel” of our Lord Jesus Christ, later)
Satan is the father of sin (John 8:44), and a master of disguise. The Apostle Paul warns us about false prophets, and Satan himself, in...
2 Corinthians 11:12-14… For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. (NKJV)
Thank goodness God sent His Son Jesus Christ, born to the Virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18)…who’s shed blood on the cross at Calvary, will cleanse the sins of those who are first drawn in by God…
John 6:44… No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (NKJV)
Upon understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the sins of the unbeliever will be replaced with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:9…&…2 Corinthians 5:21)…as God’s free gift of grace, through saving faith alone in Jesus Christ, fills the heart, mind, and soul of the new redeemed child of God.
Ephesians 2:8-9… For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. (NKJV)
There is nothing an unbeliever can do on their own merit. No amount of good works done in the name of the Lord, can cleanse away sins. All of our own righteousness is absolutely worthless…Isaiah 64:6… Jesus warns those who falsely believe that their good works done in the name of the Lord (like going to church every week), will forgive sins…when Jesus warns those around Him (and us) about this, in.
Matthew 7:21-23… “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (NKJV)
Having one’s lifetime of sins forgiven, is pure grace given to the unredeemed sinner by God. God’s grace is given by God to those who seek Jesus Christ to become their personal Lord and Savior, through a personal one on One relationship, that is established between the unredeemed sinner and Jesus Christ.
This is accomplished through saving faith alone in Jesus Christ, through obedience to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, when the sinner realizes they can in no way save themselves, and turns to the Lord to receive God’s grace… (More about obeying the Gospel of Christ later)
So why should you desire to become a redeemed child of God ?? Very simply, to be in-dwelt with the Holy Spirit by God, to be supernaturally empowered to defeat Satan’s temptations, and our own carnal fleshly desires constantly urging us to sin… 1 John 2:15-16…
The Holy Spirit living with-in the “born again” Christian, has been given to them by God to guide and direct EVERY facet of the redeemed child of God’s life… It is the Holy Spirit that helps the Christian grow and mature the fruit of the Spirit, which the Apostle Paul pens, in…
Galatians 5:22-23… But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (ESV)
Look at this list of attributes the Holy Spirit will empower you with !!
Love, Joy, and Peace, are the most important of these 9 fruit of the Spirit…
How would you like to have a supernatural love that surpasses your mortal knowledge (Ephesians 3:19)… A love empowered by the Holy Spirit that will enable you to love even someone screaming in your face, as Jesus tells us to do, in…Matthew 5:43-44…
And how about having a supernatural joy that enables you to go through life’s most difficult trial, and still be able to find joy… The Apostle James tells us about this joy, in…James 1:2-4…
And wouldn’t you like to have a supernatural peace that will allow you to look upon your own death…knowing without a shadow of a doubt that you will be face to face with Jesus in heaven, the instant you breath your last breath here on earth !! (2 Corinthians 5:8)
This supernatural peace surpasses our mortal understanding, as the Apostle Paul pens, in…
Philippians 4:6-7… Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (NKJV)
All of these God given blessings will be given to you by God, if you understand and obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… How is this done ?? You must pray to God, with what some call “the sinners prayer”, that should go something like this…
“Father I am sorry for my lifetime of sins… I believe with ALL my heart, that Your Son Jesus suffered and died on the cross, shedding His blood to cleanse away all of my sins… I believe that Jesus was buried, and rose again in 3 days… I repent and turn from my sins with godly sorrow and a repentant heart…seeking Jesus Christ to come into my heart to direct my life… Father, hear my plea to receive Your grace… Grant me eternal life with You… Fill me with the Holy Spirit…and I thank You and praise You in Jesus’ most precious name…Amen”
I can only tell you from my own personal experience…that I made this prayer seeking salvation several times, before God graced me with salvation. It’s not the prayer that saves us; it is a changed heart that is regenerated by God Himself… God knows our heart, and He will only grant saving grace to those who seek Jesus with ALL of their heart, mind soul, and strength…
God finally graced me with salvation when I prayed with true godly sorrow and a repentant heart…and I absolutely knew beyond any doubt, that I was just then a redeemed child of God…(Romans 8-16) It is God’s decision, and God’s perfect timing, to grace someone with eternal life with Him in heaven.
Failure to obey the Gospel of Christ before you die will result in eternal separation from God, and you will forever forfeit your place in heaven…
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9… in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (NKJV)
All Christians who are Walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), should absolutely, positively know for sure, that they are indeed a redeemed child of God. The Apostle Paul tells us this, in…
Romans 8:15-16… For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (NKJV)
There should be no doubts for the Spirit filled Christian about where they will be headed upon their death. No wondering if they are good enough to get into heaven. Because none of us are good enough…
Romans 3:23… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (NKJV)
The power of the Holy Spirit can and will conquer sin, by those who without question, have placed their lives in the hands of the Lord. The Apostle James says this best, when he penned this, in…
James 4:7-8… Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (NKJV)
My friends, these blessings of spiritual fruit are totally indescribable, and have to be experienced to be believed !!
For those who have been graced with salvation…we must do our best to remain walking in the Spirit… We see this penned by the Apostle Paul, in…
Galatians 5:16… I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (NKJV)
We as Christians can only remain filled with the Holy Spirit (as the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:18-20), if we live in obedience to God’s will and God’s ways… Any unconfessed sin will leave us in a state of broken (or at least hindered) fellowship with God…
To become righteous again in God’s eyes (from a practical standpoint, because we are always positionally righteous before God), we must confess our sins before the Lord…repent of them…and turn from them… We see this very clearly, as penned by the Apostle John, in…
1 John1:9… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (NKJV)
Living for the Lord, with the Holy Spirit in total charge of your life, is a blessing that I pray everyone will come to experience…
Heavenly Father, Your Word is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…Hebrews 4:12-13… I pray Lord, that You would draw to Yourself those that don’t yet know You as their personal Lord and Savior…John 6:44… And that the truth from Your Word through obedience to the Gospel of Your Son Jesus Christ, would set them free from Satan’s chains of bondage to sin and shame…John 8:32… I pray for this fullness of Christ in all of our lives, in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…
Blessings in Christ, bruce r. mills
(Message me here, or send me an e-mail @ brucermillslast@comcast.net with any questions)
P.S. For those who still believe they can earn their own way into heaven, listen to John Piper’s audio on… “Can My Good Works Outweigh My Bad?
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/can-my-good-works-outweigh-my-bad
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“We would rather be ruined than changed. We would rather die in our dread than climb the cross of the present and let our illusions die.”—W. H. AUDEN
We want real change, to be transformed, but we want it on our own terms. And this is the very thing that’s preventing it from happening. As Rohr said, most of us won’t actually go through this painful process of “death to self” (which is not the same thing as self-sacrifice, and certainly not self-loathing) until this fragile facade we’ve been protecting comes crashing down.
