The Choice of Life

As a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you are eternally forgiven and made perfect in His death. Rom 5:19 For just as through one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Rom 8:1 Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, Rom 6:11 so, you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Rom 6:22 but now, since you have been liberated from sin and become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification--and the end is eternal life!

Prior to your salvation experience, you were born in sin and had no other choice but to serve Satan.

After salvation, each choice ( Romans 6:12 & 14 ) that you make is then either a good choice that brings honor and glory to God, or a bad choice that puts you back into servitude to Satan.

No Man Can Serve Two Masters. Matt. 6: 24

Obedience.

In your life, you are prompted by The Holy Spirit of God to move according to His guidance. When you defy Him and make your own choice, you have transgressed against Jesus Christ and abused the grace and liberty that He died for. For He has said, 1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so that you are able to bear it.

But now,

You have damaged your fellowship with Him. Rom 8:8 - 9 & 14 those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God. …All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons.

So,

Repentance and confession follows faith to restore fellowship with God.

 Repentance Brings Restoration.

Without this confession and repentance, you are a useless creature. You cannot be used by God as He wants to use you. You start to pretend that everything is o k between you and God. You become sad, defeated, and unfruitful.

Don’t Hide like Adam!

Don’t try to hide your transgressions from God. Live your life like an open book. God sees all anyway. Hiding sin is bondage to evil. Jesus is solid light. There are no dark corners to hide in.

1John 1:7 - 10 But if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say, "We have no sin," we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say, "We have not sinned," we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.  

John 3:20 for everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.

      And, a Word to the church: Rev 3:20  Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with Me.

Choose Life And Serve God.

Choose Light And Serve GOD!

Simple Salvation

Simple Salvation

Jesus did it all and we can do nothing significant without and apart from Him.  i.e. God made Adam (the first man) perfect. He had no sin in him and had never sinned. BUT God created man to worship God out of desire not forced obedience. Therefore, God gave Adam the ability of free choice (not free will). He wanted Adam to choose to worship his Creator.

God put two special trees in the Garden of Eden with special instructions. 1 the tree of knowledge that revealed good & evil (a conscious) and 2 The tree of life (Eternal Life)

God said eat every plant, fruit etc (no meat, no death yet!!) (Even eat from the tree of the SON i.e. eternal life,) BUT DO NOT EAT FROM THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE.

Adam was responsible for the actions of eve because it was to Adam the LAW was given. Eve ate in ignorance and Adam followed suit in full understanding of guilt he was to suffer.

(Recon why they didn't choose Jesus?)

This sin put a wall of broken fellowship between God and Adam. God will not fellowship with sin.

Part of mans punishment was that God allowed this brokenness to become a part of mans (genetic, if you will) design. This 'nature' to instinctively sin was passed from man (not woman) to child (boy and girl) for all time to come. When a child can understand the message of the cross, he is old enough to be judged by God for his sin.

God created LAWS (EPH chpt 3) to show man that he needed God. AND that man couldn’t do right in spite of himself.

So, God sent his son Jesus, who was fathered by the Holy Spirit (who was without sin so that this 'nature wasn't imparted') to a mother that was a virgin.  So that Jesus, the 2nd Adam (made perfect thru birth) could pay our sin debt.

Our debt to God for sinning is our death. Our death explained in this context is an eternal separation for our creator after our physical death. Therefore if we don’t believe on Jesus as the son of God who paid the price of our sins, we are destined to be where God isn’t (HELL)

After we are saved, ALL OF OUR SINS ARE BOUGHT WITH THE BLOOD OF JESUS. {IT IS ONLY THE APOSTALE PAUL THAT EXPLAINS THIS MESSAGE IN ITS ENTIRITY)

So Jesus, with his life, bought our sin NATURE and our JUDGEMENT for our sins. Now we that believe, we are prompted by THE HOLY SPIRIT in advance of sin so that we see it for what it is prior to the commission of it. AFTER SALVATION WHEN WE SIN WE CHOOSE TO DO SO. There is NOW NO JUDGEMENT FOR SIN IN OUR LIFE BECAUSE JESUS DEFEATED THIS PUNISHMENT (DEATH) AND GAVE US ETERNAL LIFE. WITH THIS ETERNAL LIFE HE ALSO GAVE A CHANGE OF HEART THAT DESIRES> DESIRES > DESIRES TO SERVE AND WORSHIP GOD. AFTER SALVATION WE NO LONGER ANSWER TO GOD FOR OUR SIN AS A JUDGEMENT {CHRIST PAID THE DEBT). / AFTER> AND ONLY AFTER SALVATION,> WE ANSWER TO GOD FOR OUR SINS AS ACTS BOTH GOOD AND BAD. AFTER SALVATION, WE ARE NOT JUDGED BY LIFE OR DEATH, BUT BY GOOD AND BAD

This is only an overview of the history of salvation. It’s important to know.  Before doing anything, read Romans chapter 1 -thru Chapter 8.

Then Explain in your own words using Bible as reference, what salvation is and how you were saved.

What are its elements and what do we have to do to obtain this salvation?

Take the time to consider what you believe and why you believe it. Where is you proof? Can you stake your salvation on what you think you know or are you sure? To prove an elementary thought: “How many times did Jonah march around Jericho?” 

If you said 7, you’re wrong. It was Joshua not Jonah. Also, if you said 7 you’re wrong again, it was 13. Look it up, I did.

God Bless

Why is the Apostale Paul so Bold When He Speaks?

In studying the book of Romans, it is important to indentify why Paul thinks he has the authority  to teach people he did not know, or win, to Christ. In Rom 1:1 he declares his authority and in 1:11 he reveals his gift of teaching. Rom 1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,  Rom 1:11  For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;   

In Galatians, Paul continues to explain his authority.

Gal 1:6-9  I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:  Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.  As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

In the above verses he is so bold to say that only his gospel is the right one.

What is his gospel and how can he say this?

Gal 1:11  But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

Gal 1:12  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The revelation by Jesus Christ to Paul, ‘began’ in the following Scripture.

Act 9:3-6  And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.  And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?

Paul was the ONLY Apostle commissioned to teach Gentile people. And we are Gentile people.

Act 13:44-46  And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.   But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. Eph 3:1 -5 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

Paul was the only Apostle to the Gentiles because Jesus said so and Peter confirmed it twice:

Mat 10:5-8 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Mat 15:24-26  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

Gal 2:7-9  But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

2Pe 3:15-16  And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

                                         

Here is when God placed the offer of the Kingdom of Heaven on hold. The Jews had exhausted all opportunity to claim faith in Jesus as their Messiah.

Rom 11:25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

And God  placed the Jew and Gentile in the same lost state whereby, the ONLY way to an eternal life was to accept Jesus as our last sacrifice and the son of God.

Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

1Co 15:3-4  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 1Co 15:8-9  And last of all he was seen of me (Paul)  also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

AND:

Pauls new revelation, commissioned him to take a mystery to the Gentiles. .Just as the Kingdom of Heaven was reveiled to the apostales, in part, thru the parables.

First, Jesus:

Mat 13:10-11  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Then, Paul:

1Ti 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.  Eph 6:19-20  And (pray) for me (Paul), that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.