Galatians 1:4

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

 

The Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for us, not only did he leave his throne in glory but He also gave up his life.  Why?  For our sins, because of our imperfection, the Lord died for us.  Why?  The purpose is because He is going to deliver us.  From what will we be delivered?  This present EVIL WORLD.  What does this mean, first we know that we will be delivered from the world, which will be happen in the rapture.  We will not go through the tribulation, but will be delivered out of here.  The other is the idea of being delivered from THIS PRESENT evil world is to know in Christ we don’t have to live like the world, but we can live like saints.  We don’t have to live ungodly but we have the power to live Godly through Christ.  The power of sin does NOT have dominion over us.  Why? Because this is the will of God.  It is His desire that we don’t live like the world, it is His desire that we don’t go through the tribulation, and it is His desire that His Son died for our sins.  Isn’t it wonderful to know some of the desires of the Creator for us, and this should help motivate us to live Godly.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

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2 Timothy 2:17-18

17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

 

In the ministry and in churches there are always those who try to deceive. Paul tells us in Acts 20 that these come in as wolves in sheep’s clothing and are among us.  Timothy is having this exact issue with a couple of people in his church.  Paul calls these men and their teaching a cancer that will affect the whole assembly.  What these men were teaching was that the resurrection, or as some may call the rapture, had already happened.  This doctrine is heresy because it is not the truth that Paul had been teaching to Timothy and that Timothy had been teaching to the saints.  This type of teaching was making some of the saints doubt or become confused in their faith in the truth that was being taught to them.  Why was it such a big deal to teach that the rapture has already happened?  Because it is this doctrine that would teach that the mystery and dispensation of grace is now over and that we are in the prophetic program.  When we teach this then we will no longer be living in grace but back under the law.  So let’s continue to study and preach the word of God rightly divided as it is the truth of God.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

Eph 1:7

 

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Philippians 1:22

But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

 

We have spent a few days talking about either living in the flesh or living in the spirit.  We see here that if we live in the flesh (in the context of this verse) there is a desire to depart and be with Christ.  There is no life in sin and as saints if you are completely engulfed in sin, then there seems to way out.  The fruit of the works of unrighteousness is death, which is a functional inactivity of your spiritual life.  We see also that there is a battle going on between the spirit and the flesh and Paul chooses to do what is right.  So if we see the apostle Paul struggle with the flesh we know that we also can struggle with the flesh.  We need to live according to the word of God in grace and obey from the heart the doctrine that we have learned.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

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1 Corinthians 3:1

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

 

As believers we are a different people, actually Titus 2:14 says that we are peculiar people, so what does this mean?  We are not to live in the flesh but instead we are to be sanctified and set apart from the world.  Paul is trying to teach the saints at Corinth some doctrine but he tells them that they are not spiritual.  So the opposite of being spiritual is being carnal which means they are fleshly or living in the flesh.  We are not to live in the flesh like the world but we are to live and walk in the Spirit.  The apostle Paul sees those in the flesh as those who are babes in Christ, not a mature saint.  The only way that we can “grow up” spiritually is to read and study the word of God.  Going to church one day a week just is not going to cut it.  So try to spend at least 5 minutes in God’s word on a daily basis and you will no longer be a carnal babe but a spiritual saint.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

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Matt 3:1-2

1  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 

Have you ever wondered what John was doing in the wilderness?  He was calling the nation of Israel to repentance, which is simply telling them to change their mind about their actions.  They were a people that were not thankful for what God had done for them and thought that they could do it on their own, sounds familiar doesn’t it.  We, at times, are the same way.  But the purpose of this is not why John was preaching but what he was preaching.  He was not preaching the gospel of the grace of God, he was not telling those that Christ died for their sins.  Instead he was telling them that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  He was letting Israel know that their King was there to redeem them.  John was in Judea, preaching to the Israel, not the Gentiles.  So when we read the scriptures, we want to know who is talking, to whom they are talking, when they are talking and what the context of the message is.  All of this will help us in understanding God’s word, especially the verses that are NOT written to us as members of the body of Christ in Romans to Philemon.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

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Romans 14:13

Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

 

Have you ever judged someone else or better yet has someone judged you?  I know I have done both and I have to remember that God did not ordain me or anyone to be judge over others.  Actually we are not to judge one another, we have a judge already and it is the Lord Jesus Christ.  What happens when we judge others is that we want them to live under our own standards.  When we do this we can make things a stumbling block for others.  So whether we think we should or should not do something, we shouldn’t judge others for it.  If we feel we have liberty to celebrate or do certain things and say others should do then too, we may cause that person to fall.  So let’s not be a stumbling block to others so that they fall but rather let’s minister to one another and give them support.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

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Romans 8:13

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

 

As saints there are times that we do things that we ought not to do, there are times that we just desire to please the flesh.  Paul says that we are living after the flesh, we fulfill the lust of the flesh, and so what are the consequences? We know that all of our sins are already forgiven because of the shed blood of Christ and His sacrifice for our sins.  Then what does Paul mean when he says that if we live after the flesh we shall die?  Does this mean that God is going to come down and punish us and we will die physically?  I have been told this in the past, I don’t know if it was to scare me into living right or not, but it took the joy away from my Christian life.   Is this death the second death and eternal separation from God in the lake of fire?  Again the answer here would be no because God is not going to kill us or send us to eternal damnation because of our sins.  Why is this; because Christ died for our sins and as Christians we have total forgiveness of sins.  So then what does Paul mean when he says “ye shall die”?  The death that Paul is talking about is our practical spiritual life, it is not functioning and practically no one can see the life of Christ living in us.  So as saints let’s not live after the flesh but live in the Spirit so that others can see the joy and life of Christ.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

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2 Timothy 3:17

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

 

As we looked yesterday at scripture is before this one, we saw that the word is God-breathed or that it is out of the mouth of God.  It is not man’s words but when you read the Bible it is as if God was sitting next to you telling you what he wanted you to know.  So what else do we need?   We have the scriptures and the Holy Spirit so do we need to go to a Bible seminary to know what God wants for us?  The answer is no, the Bible has been written so that the man of God may be perfect or complete not lacking anything.  Why is this, so that we would be furnished to do the good works that God would have us to do.  So as we think about the Bible it given so that we can live the life and do the things that God would want us to do to please him.  Remember –a Bible teacher, a preacher, or a college professor, no one is your final authority. The only thing that you need to read, believe and trust in is the Holy Scriptures for us today as English speaking people in the King James Version.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

2 Timothy 3:16

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

When I talk to people about the Bible one of the things that they mention is that this book is written by men.  One of the most important things to learn about the Bible is who wrote it and we call the Bible the word of God and it is because of this verse.  When it says that “all scripture is given,” it means everything from Genesis to Revelation is inspired of God.  What this means is that it is God-breathed or out of the mouth of God, the Bible is not man’s words but it is God’s word.  The reason that God wrote the book is to give doctrine or teaching, reproof which is discipline, correction, and instruction in righteousness.  So if you want to know how to live then you need to read the word of God, not as man’s word, but God’s word and we should read it daily to instruct us how to live our daily lives.

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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Romans 8:9

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

There are two groups of people in the world today, we are either a sinner or a saint, and we are either in Adam or in Christ.  Those that are in Adam are sinners by nature, not because they have sinned (which they do) but because they are part of a fallen race in Adam.  Thus if you are a sinner then the only thing that you desire to please is your flesh.  But if you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ then you are a saint and you are in Christ.  The moment you trust in Christ the Spirit of God indwells you and you are sanctified.  So if we do not have the Spirit of Christ then we are not in Christ and are lost and going to hell.  If you have never put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ you need to just believe and rely exclusively that Christ died for your sins, was buried and rose again the third day and you will be in Him.

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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Colossians 3:14

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

In the third chapter of Colossians there are many things that the apostle Paul told the saints to do towards one another, such as verse 14 which tells us to “put on charity.”  This is thinking about others first, considering them before ourselves.  We are to put this on through the reading of the scriptures.  Human nature is to think about ourselves.  The middle letter in “sin” is I.  This is the problem with the human race.  We want to do what we need to, to take care of ourselves.  We don’t think about others first, but Christ thought about us in eternity past when He decided to come to earth and die on the cross for our sins.  A human race that did everything against what he asked them to do, He still LOVED you and I enough to die for our sins.  When we think of others, think of them the way Christ thought of us and we will see that our attitude towards others will change.  We will then see that this is the completeness that the Lord wants the members of the body of Christ to have with one another.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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Isaiah 28:13

But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

As you read and study the word it seems very confusing at times.  One of the things that help is rightly dividing the word of truth as we are instructed to do in 2 Timothy 2:15.  But when we study we need to take things in context and we need to compare scripture with scripture.  We need to take a verse and compare it with other verses and continue to build upon those verses.  Also, to understand a verse we need to have the Holy Spirit because the Spirit only works with the word of God and the word only works with the Spirit.  I know I try to encourage others to read the word of God on a daily basis, but as we are told in 2 Timothy we are to STUDY the word of God.  When we do this, then the word of God will start to make some sense to us as we read it.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com

1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

The Holy Spirit talks about how there will be those that leave the faith.  There is a couple of different ways that they leave the doctrine.  The first way is by reversionism, which is living in reverse of who we are in Christ.  There are many good men that were in the ministry, believed the truth and even taught the truth, but are now living in the flesh.  They are no longer living as children of God and in the Spirit, but instead are living the way they want to live.  This is a choice that every one of us has and we need to continue in the doctrine.  The second way is by teaching another doctrine, no longer do they believe the truth that they used to believe but instead are teaching another gospel.  When they leave the doctrine, they go to teach something else and the scripture says that they give heed to deceiving spirits and teaching of devils.  Unfortunately, just recently there has been a departure from the teaching of the word of truth rightly divided and preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery.  Both types of departure are apostasy and this is a very dangerous thing, when men leave truth for whatever the reasons are.  We need to continue to pray for each other, that none of us “depart from the faith.”

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

Romans 5:1

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

We cannot go to heaven unless we are righteous, but there are none righteous no not one.  Yet we are declared righteous only one way and that is by faith.  We or anyone else could never be justified by works–doing good, or being good.  It is by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for our sins.  The moment that we believe in the Lord and what He did for us then we will have peace with God.  What this means is that we are no longer enemies with God and will not receive the punishment for our sins.  Instead God is our Father and we are children of God receiving all that he has chosen to give us by His grace.  Why is it that we have peace and will receive all things, it is only through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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Romans 8:6

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

The word carnal means flesh so to be carnally minded means that we are thinking in the flesh or worldly.  The result or what we deserve is death, but what kind of death are we talking about?  This death is not a physical death which means that God is not punishing us because we don’t live the way we use to.   The death is not the second death that happens when unbelievers are thrown into the lake of fire.  The death in this verse is talking about our practical spiritual life that is no longer functioning the way that it ought to– our Christian life is dead. But to be spiritually minded is to be thinking about spiritual things, heavenly things, thinking on the word of God.  When we do this the natural result is that our Christian life emits Christ’s life and people can see Christ living in us.  We also have peace, this doesn’t mean that everything is going great in our life and we have no problems but instead no matter what is going on, we have the peace of God.  So as you walk and live your Christian life, be spiritually minded to have life instead of having a fleshly mind that brings forth death.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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Romans 8:5

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Again, we see that there is a comparison between the flesh and the Spirit.  Those that live after the flesh are living in the old sin nature and have the desires of the flesh.  The natural result of a sinner is to sin so the natural result of the old sin nature is to sin.  If we choose to live after the flesh or after our old sin nature then we will only do those things that our old sin nature wants to do.  But if we walk in the Spirit and in the doctrine of grace then we will desire to do spiritual things.  We need to understand again that we are not under the law fulfilling the desires of the flesh but we are living under grace and should desire to do those things that are spiritual.  So let us mind spiritual things and not fleshly or worldly things.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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Romans 14:12

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

As I have dealt with people in the past they seem too concerned about what I do or believe.  What people need to understand is that we are not to judge one another because we will stand at the judgment seat of Christ.  At the judgment seat of Christ I will not stand there and give an account for you or anyone else, not even my wife or children, but I will give an account of myself.  When I stand there I will not give an account to you or anyone else but I will give an account to God.  What this tells me is that what I need to be concerned about is my understanding of God’s word rightly divided and how I take the doctrine and apply it to my life.  I can warn, teach and motivate others and I can through the word show them what they ought to do, but as for judging them for eternity, I will leave that to the one who will judge us in that day.

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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Romans 6:15

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

When I first started to truly understand God’s grace and that it gives us total forgiveness of sins without any work or confession on our own, I know I personally felt liberated.  I then started showing others this liberty in Christ and how they can know that ALL of their sins are forgiven and they don’t have to feel guilty.  This understanding came from knowing I was no longer under the LAW but under God’s grace.   Then came the attacks –that all I am doing is telling others that they can go and sin, that they can go and live any way that they want to.  Well first of all, no one ever needed my permission to go sin or live anyway that they wanted to because they were already doing that.  Since we are under grace and not under the law, should we go and sin?  The answer is a resounding NO!!! The reason is because of Titus 2:11-12 which I have quoted and mentioned a lot in the past.  The grace of God TEACHES us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts so that we should live godly and righteously in the world today.  No, grace does not teach us to sin, it teaches us how not to sin!

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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Romans 6:14

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Have you ever felt that you can’t stop sinning?  Have you wondered how you can have power over sin?  We see that sin shall not have dominion or power over us –how?  It is because we are not under the law but we are under grace.  This sounds very simple, now just go do it, but it doesn’t work that way.  In Romans 6, we need to know that we are dead to sin; we need to consider this to be true and we need to let it move forward in our lives.  The power over sin is not our battle but Christ’s battle which he took care of on the cross of Calvary.  So can I have power over sin and still obey and keep the law?  The answer is NO!  The law is what condemns us and proves that we are sinners.  Instead we need to live under the doctrine of grace that teaches us to DENY ungodliness but instead live godly and righteously in the world today, so when it comes to sin in your lives don’t let it have power over you, but instead you have the power over sin by God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

Galatians 5:18

But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk after the spirit and not after the flesh.  For years I never understood this until I compared it with Galatians 5:18.  If we are led of the Spirit then we are not under the law.  Okay, so what does this mean?  I understand not being under the law, but what is being led of the Spirit?  If the flesh and Spirit are contrary to each other we know that the law and grace are contrary to each other.  Romans 6:14 tells us that sin shall not have dominion over us because we are not under the law but under grace.  Well, now I have put 2 and 2 together, and come to find out that walking in the flesh is walking under the law.  So then walking in the Spirit and being led of the Spirit must then be walking in grace.  So to walk in the Spirit and not under the law is to walk in the teaching of grace that Paul gives to the body of Christ today in the dispensation of grace.

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

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