LIFE AFTER THE CROSS: 2015

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Requirements for forgiveness

Pre-Cross system required the people to do something FIRST before God will do something.

Mark 11:26 (AMP)
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.

Matthew 6:14,15 (NIV)
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Forgiveness is important so you can be free of the issue, so you won't be stressed, and so you won't give power to that person. Also, so your healing can take place. However, the order has changed from us doing something FIRST to what Jesus has done FIRST. Since Lord Jesus has done something FIRST, we are now enabled to do, for God's strength and ability enables us.

The requirement after the Cross is based on Jesus forgiving us FIRST, then it makes it easier for us to forgive our self and others.

Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Colossians 3:13 (NIV)
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Requirements for loving God and people

Mark 12:30-31 (NIV)
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

This is an Old Covenant pattern/requirement, because to keep this command would be based on your own strength and ability. Humans aren't able to love God and others unconditionally unless God loves us first and puts His love in our heart so we can do it...keep the command...operate in it.

He First loved us: 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
We love because he first loved us.

God put His love in us: Romans 5:5 (NIV)
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

This is the love requirement/pattern after the Cross. God loves us FIRST so now we are enabled/empowered to love Him and others.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

How to Rightly Divide the Word

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The difference between the Old and New Covenants are major. We must study the Bible and interpret everything in the light of the finished work of Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:15 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

When Jesus went to the Cross everything changed. The pre-Cross system is an invalid system to operate in; for us who live post-Cross. It's like using an invalid credit card number, and you are trying to figure out why you cannot make purchases. You're going to have to come on the other side of the Cross where Lord Jesus has died and shed His Blood, and has prepared for you a credit card with a valid number. Now when you make purchases everything will go through; you're get results.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Pt. 2, Requirements for the Blessing and Salvation

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Saturday, April 4, 2015

Requirements for the Blessing and Salvation

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Prior to the Cross, the requirement for the blessing was conditional. It required the people to do something first (Obey the Commandments) and then after they obeyed, the LORD was enabled to bless them. If the people didn't obey they were cursed (Deuteronomy 28). However, after the Cross...after Jesus shed His Blood at Calvary, He changed the order. Now under the New Covenant of Grace, the blessing comes to us because of what Jesus did first. He perfectly obeyed God's commandments on our behalf, and He paid the full price for our redemption. He redeemed us from the curse of the law so the blessing of Abraham will come on us (Galatians 3:13,14). We are blessed because of Jesus' perfect obedience to the law. I'm blessed because of my faith in Jesus.

Now, obedience is not a requirement to obtain the blessing. My faith in Jesus and His perfect obedience enables me to get the blessing. I am blessed because of Jesus' perfect obedience to the law. Obedience is still important, but since we aren't capable of being perfect in our self…our own self effort (Romans 8:3), it's faith in Jesus' perfect obedience that causes the blessing to come on us. Romans 5:19 tells us we were made sinners because of the disobedience of Adam; however, we are made righteous by the perfect obedience of Jesus. What Jesus did enables us to do.

Our obedience is a fruit of the new creation/new birth. Our obedience now is a response to what Jesus has done. Jesus has made us righteous so now a righteous life style will produce righteous fruit. Obedience is a fruit of being made righteous. Our life is now about bearing righteous fruit because now we have the nature to do so; the root and the tree is in us. Christ in me is the hope (An earnest expectation of good) of glory (I can expect to see Christ in me).

Before the Cross, the requirement for salvation was to keep the commandments (Matthew 19:16, 17); however, after Jesus shed His Blood we are saved by God's Grace through our faith - we only have to believe (Acts 16:30,31) in Jesus and accept Him as our Savior and Lord. It's not by our works so no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8,9).

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Living Life After the New Birth Experience

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Note: The purpose of the law was to shine a light on sin in order to expose it (Romans 7:7,13). The law is holy and good (Romans 7:12), it just shows people what their problem is but it cannot solve the problem of sin - the law cannot cure sin. The law says: "I can tell you why you are dying; you have sin in you. But I cannot do anything about it, for you have a nature problem. This weakness in your flesh cannot be solved by me. However, I will let you know there is someone coming (Lord and Savior Jesus, the Christ) who can do something about sin. He will eradicate your sin nature, and He will perfectly fulfill me. When He does this, then I will no longer be able to condemn you. I will no longer be used to shine a light on sin."