Category Archives: Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

There Is Only One Way to Receive Forgiveness

Many people have a great variety of thoughts about how they think they will escape God’s judgment. Some openly mock God altogether. In truth, there is only one way to escape judgment. We must build upon Yeshua, our Messiah, as the cornerstone. Forgiveness through Yeshua is the only means to forgive and to escape judgment. Every other method, like relying on our own righteousness, will fall short. Do not mock God or His rebukes. Instead, take the opportunity to correct your attitude and actions in your life according to His word.

Isaiah 28:14-29

Judah Is Warned

14Therefore, hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers,
Who rule this people who are in Jerusalem,

15Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
And with Sheol we have made a pact.
The overwhelming scourge will not reach us when it passes by,
For we have made falsehood our refuge and we have concealed ourselves with deception.”

16Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone,
A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed.
He who believes in it will not be disturbed.

17“I will make justice the measuring line
And righteousness the level;
Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies
And the waters will overflow the secret place.

18“Your covenant with death will be canceled,
And your pact with Sheol will not stand;
When the overwhelming scourge passes through,
Then you become its trampling place.

19“As often as it passes through, it will seize you;
For morning after morning it will pass through, anytime during the day or night,
And it will be sheer terror to understand what it means.”

20The bed is too short on which to stretch out,
And the blanket is too small to wrap oneself in.

21For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim,
He will be stirred up as in the valley of Gibeon,
To do His task, His unusual task,
And to work His work, His extraordinary work.

22And now do not carry on as scoffers,
Or your fetters will be made stronger;
For I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts
Of decisive destruction on all the earth.

23Give ear and hear my voice,
Listen and hear my words.

24Does the farmer plow continually to plant seed?
Does he continually turn and harrow the ground?

25Does he not level its surface
And sow dill and scatter cummin
And plant wheat in rows,
Barley in its place and rye within its area?

26For his God instructs and teaches him properly.

27For dill is not threshed with a threshing sledge,
Nor is the cartwheel driven over cummin;
But dill is beaten out with a rod, and cummin with a club.

28Grain for bread is crushed,
Indeed, he does not continue to thresh it forever.
Because the wheel of his cart and his horses eventually damage it,
He does not thresh it longer.

29This also comes from the LORD of hosts,
Who has made His counsel wonderful and His wisdom great.

God is not to be mocked. Seek His counsel and His wisdom. Seek forgiveness through Yeshua and Him alone.  This is actually great news. We don’t have to be worthy on our own! We are forgiven through Yeshua and His payment for our sins.

Spend a few minutes in prayer reflecting on your own life. Do you acknowledge your need for forgiveness? From where are you hoping to receive forgiveness? Is it your own works and righteousness or through Yeshua? Ask the Spirit to help you understand truly where you are and then help you to go where you need to be.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

All Powerful / King of All, Hope, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Peace / Rest, Prophecy, Through Prophets

Find Peace Today Reflecting on the Return of the King

Isaiah 11 refers to the 1,000-year rule of Yeshua on earth (also referenced in Revelation 20:4-6) after He comes a second time. God brings earth and its people back under His rule. It will be very much like the days of the Garden of Eden before sin entered through Adam and Eve. I find hope, joy and peace fill me when I seriously look forward to such a time. The more real I let it feel in my mind, the greater and more encouraging my experience. It is good to look ahead and understand where we will finish from time to time. It can help take away some of the stress of the current situation in the world.

Isaiah 11

Righteous Reign of the Branch

1Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

      2The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

      3And He will delight in the fear of the LORD,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;

      4But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;
And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.

      5Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
And faithfulness the belt about His waist.

      6And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.

      7Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.

      8The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.

      9They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.

      10Then in that day
The nations will resort to the root of Jesse,
Who will stand as a signal for the peoples;
And His resting place will be glorious.

The Restored Remnant

11Then it will happen on that day that the Lord
Will again recover the second time with His hand
The remnant of His people, who will remain,
From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,
And from the islands of the sea.

      12And He will lift up a standard for the nations
And assemble the banished ones of Israel,
And will gather the dispersed of Judah
From the four corners of the earth.

      13Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart,
And those who harass Judah will be cut off;
Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,
And Judah will not harass Ephraim.

      14They will swoop down on the slopes of the Philistines on the west;
Together they will plunder the sons of the east;
They will possess Edom and Moab,
And the sons of Ammon will be subject to them.

      15And the LORD will utterly destroy
The tongue of the Sea of Egypt;
And He will wave His hand over the River
With His scorching wind;
And He will strike it into seven streams
And make men walk over dry-shod.

      16And there will be a highway from Assyria
For the remnant of His people who will be left,
Just as there was for Israel
In the day that they came up out of the land of Egypt.

Take some time to imagine yourself in this place in the future, under Yeshua’s rule on the physical earth. Experience the peace and hope in your mind and soul. Let it refresh you as you remember that God is ultimately in control of all that is going on around us.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for showing us a glimpse into the hopeful future! Thank You for Your promise to gather us together again when You return. Thank You for blessing and showing favor upon Your remnant that we flourish even in difficult times. In the name of Yeshua, our Messiah, we pray. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Grace / Patience, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Love, Money / Finances / Wealth, Patient, Peace / Rest

What Did Jesus Mean When He Promised an Abundant Life?

Today I am sharing some thoughts around abundant life which I found on GotQuestions.org. While we always want to test everything against scripture, I find that this is a well laid out site that has generally sound answers to many questions.

What did Jesus mean when He promised an abundant life?  (GotQuestions.org)

In John 10:10, Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (ESV). Unlike a thief, the Lord Jesus does not come for selfish reasons. He comes to give, not to get. He comes that people may have life in Him that is meaningful, purposeful, joyful, and eternal. We receive this abundant life the moment we accept Him as our Savior.

This word “abundant” in the Greek is perisson, meaning “exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, a quantity so abundant as to be considerably more than what one would expect or anticipate.” In short, Jesus promises us a life far better than we could ever imagine, a concept reminiscent of 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” The apostle Paul tells us that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, and He does it by His power, a power that is at work within us if we belong to Him (Ephesians 3:20).

Before we begin to have visions of lavish homes, expensive cars, worldwide cruises, and more money than we know what to do with, we need to pause and think about what Jesus teaches regarding this abundant life. The Bible tells us that wealth, prestige, position, and power in this world are not God’s priorities for us (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). In terms of economic, academic, and social status, most Christians do not come from the privileged classes. Clearly, then, abundant life does not consist of an abundance of material things. If that were the case, Jesus would have been the wealthiest of men. But just the opposite is true (Matthew 8:20).

Abundant life is eternal life, a life that begins the moment we come to Christ and receive Him as Savior, and goes on throughout all eternity. The biblical definition of life — specifically eternal life — is provided by Jesus Himself: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This definition makes no mention of length of days, health, prosperity, family, or occupation. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does mention is knowledge of God, which is the key to a truly abundant life.

What is the abundant life? First, abundance is spiritual abundance, not material. In fact, God is not overly concerned with the physical circumstances of our lives. He assures us that we need not worry about what we will eat or wear (Matthew 6:25-32; Philippians 4:19). Physical blessings may or may not be part of a God-centered life; neither our wealth nor our poverty is a sure indication of our standing with God. Solomon had all the material blessings available to a man yet found it all to be meaningless (Ecclesiastes 5:10-15). Paul, on the other hand, was content in whatever physical circumstances he found himself (Philippians 4:11-12).

Second, eternal life, the life a Christian is truly concerned with, is not determined by duration but by a relationship with God. This is why, once we are converted and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are said to have eternal life already (1 John 5:11-13), though not, of course, in its fullness. Length of life on earth is not synonymous with abundant life.

Finally, a Christian’s life revolves around “grow[ing] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). This teaches us that the abundant life is a continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming, because, in our present state, “we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day we will see God face to face, and we will know Him completely as we will be known completely (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will no longer struggle with sin and doubt. This will be the ultimately fulfilled abundant life.

Although we are naturally desirous of material things, as Christians our perspective on life must be revolutionized (Romans 12:2). Just as we become new creations when we come to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), so must our understanding of “abundance” be transformed. True abundant life consists of an abundance of love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), not an abundance of “stuff.” It consists of life that is eternal, and, therefore, our interest is in the eternal, not the temporal. Paul admonishes us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:2-3).

When I think of the reasons why Jesus came, two come to mind. One is to live the perfect example we are to try to follow. The other is that our sins would be forgiven, and we can be reconciled to God. So then, I also conclude that if Jesus came so that we could live abundantly, that these two things are part of the abundant life. We are set free from bondage to sin so that we can walk in the ways of the LORD with the Spirit dwelling inside of us. Who the son sets free is free indeed!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You that Yeshua came that we may have abundant life. Help us to walk closely with You and to achieve that abundance. Let us not miss out on the best life that You have planned for us. Help us to renew our minds and walk in intimacy with You through the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us. Help us to live our lives full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Help us draw near to one another as fellow disciples and to You as our Lord and Father. In the name of Yeshua we pray. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Church / Body of Christ, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Hope, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Peace / Rest, Prophecy, Through Prophets

Joy, Peace and Hope Are Available

Yeshua came not only for the Jews but for the Gentiles also. No matter our lineage and ancestors, Yeshua came and died for us. All who seek Him wholeheartedly can be joined together as the family of Yahweh, accepting one another to His glory. It matters not from which city or country we come. All are welcome.  All may seek to be filled with joy and peace in believing, so that they will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:7-21

  7Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. 8For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,

9and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
“THEREFORE I WILL GIVE PRAISE TO YOU AMONG THE GENTILES,
AND I WILL SING TO YOUR NAME.”

10Again he says,
“REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE.”

11And again,
“PRAISE THE LORD ALL YOU GENTILES,
AND LET ALL THE PEOPLES PRAISE HIM.”

12Again Isaiah says,
“THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT OF JESSE,
AND HE WHO ARISES TO RULE OVER THE GENTILES,
IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES HOPE.”

13Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

     14And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another. 15But I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, 16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. 18For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man’s foundation;

21but as it is written,
“THEY WHO HAD NO NEWS OF HIM SHALL SEE,
AND THEY WHO HAVE NOT HEARD SHALL UNDERSTAND.”

Reflecting on the scripture we also see how Paul, consistent with Jesus, points back the Old Testament scripture and demonstrates the consistency of God’s plans that were laid out in the Old Testament and are completely consistent with the continuation of His relationship with His people revealed through the New Testament. We see Paul teach about Christ by pointing back to Isaiah. Jesus’ life and death were not a surprise change of plans where God stopped one plan and created another. God wants to reach out to the Gentiles as well as the Jews. He makes no mistakes and knows everything even in advance. We should find great comfort in knowing God is in control and is never surprised. He never needs to change His plan based on new information. He had one perfect plan and we continue to have the chance to be part of it by discipling ourselves after Jesus Christ.

As we study, let us also not overlook the message within. Let us seek to be filled with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank you for Your word and those who help teach it with righteousness and passion, like Paul. Thank You for reaching out to the Gentiles and please continue to reach out to the Jews as well to draw them to You through Messiah. I pray Your people would be filled with joy and peace that would lead to hope abounding in us… hope not of our own making but of the power of the Holy Spirit! I pray this in the name of Yeshua, our Messiah. Amen. 

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God, Salvation

Many Are Zealous for God, but Lack Proper Understanding

Many are zealous for God but lack proper understanding. To be sure, this is not new. We see evidence about it throughout Paul’s letters as he addresses the early church across many cities. In fact, we see evidence in Paul’s himself. He was zealous for Yahweh but went about persecuting followers of Christ until Yeshua met him on the road to Damascus.

Studying and learning the proper understanding about God and His ways is important not only for our lives in this world, but also for salvation and our life after death. We do well to study and pray over the scriptures and then live them out in our own lives as best we can understand.

Romans 10:1-13

The Word of Faith Brings Salvation

      1Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

      5For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness. 6But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.” 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”

Paul was writing about people who strived to accomplish righteousness through obedience to the law rather than faith in Yeshua.

Romans 9:30-32

     30What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,

The truth is simple, yet many stumble in pursuing it. I certainly did based on false doctrine I was taught in church growing up.  First, we must be careful in reading Paul, as Peter warned in 2Peter 3:14-18.

 14Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

In particular, Paul writes in Romans 10:4,

4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Does this mean God’s law is over? Not at all. Paul writes about several “laws” in his letters including God’s law, the law of sin and death, the law of righteousness and others. Translation matters. Study the Hebrew root word that is translated in English to “law” and we see it refers more literally to “the way to go” or “instructions” rather than what we think of today as a legal code. Paul is referring to Christ being the end of people trying to achieve righteousness on their own, not the end of obedience to God’s law.

We cannot be made righteous through works or by following the law perfectly. We are made righteous through faith in Christ. True faith is revealed through our good works, open confession of Yeshua as Christ, and our desire to please Yahweh by obeying all of His instructions including the law. Neither those who ignore the law nor those who look for salvation through the law are in right standing before God.

The law is neither a path to salvation nor obsolete and meaningless. It is God’s instruction to His people. Those who truly believe Jesus is Christ should then model themselves after Him and His teaching… which included obedience to God’s law. We do so simply because that is the instruction of our Messiah. Why would we not obey if we truly believe Yeshua is Messiah? It would be like saying “I believe in gravity” but then stepping off the top of a building expecting not to fall. It does not make any sense.

To pursue meaningful depth of understanding around the truth of God’s word we must make study of the Bible and prayer a priority and invest time and energy in it. We cannot simply show up 1 hour a week or 2 and assume we will learn what God wants to share with us and how to apply it in our lives. We would not expect to fully understand and love a spouse or children with such a small investment in time… how then can we expect to know and love our infinite Father in heaven with such a small-time commitment?

Invest at least 30 minutes a day in prayer and Bible study as a start. Start with 10 if that is all you feel you can give, but do not stay there.  More than 30 minutes a day is even better. Over time you will observe yourself as you grow in your understanding of Yahweh, our Creator.

What do you want to hear when you reach the end of your life and face God?

Matthew 7:21-23

      21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

Take some time now, even if only 5 minutes, to get started coming before God in prayer. Read more on prayer with Learning to Pray Effectively.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Father / Yahweh, Holy Spirit / Ruach HaKodesh, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loving / Kind, Merciful

If God Is For Us, Who Is Against Us?

If God is for us, who is against us? This scripture is both concise and incredibly deep.

We sin and deserve death. Yahweh sends Yeshua to pay for our sins and make a way for us to be reconciled.

We get overwhelmed and may, at times, even have trouble praying. The Holy Spirit helps in our weakness.

We may make many mistakes or have enemies come against us. God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:26-39

Our Victory in Christ

      26In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

      28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.

      31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 33Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; 34who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36Just as it is written,
“FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG;
WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.”

37But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a wonderful and loving Father we have. Not even death can separate us from His love!

Take a few minutes to consider in prayer the gift we have in Yeshua based on scripture. Ask Yahweh to reveal to you fully the significance of the gift. Let it not be lost in the hustle and bustle of daily activities. Give thanks and praise to our Father for His love demonstrated in our Messiah.

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Righteousness / Serving God, Sin

Yeshua Sets Us Free from Which Law, Paul?

Many people become confused when Paul teaches us that Yeshua sets us free from the law. They mistakenly choose to use that as a means to excuse not obeying all of God’s law and instructions. The key question is, however… “which law, Paul?”

Perhaps it is worth highlighting here as a reminder that Paul was accused of not following the law throughout his ministry and argued in his defense that it was not true. Further, Yeshua was judged righteous and without sin by living out His earthly life as our example in full compliance with the law of God.

The answer to the question above is that the grace and life we find in discipling ourselves after Yeshua sets us free not from God’s commandments or instructions, but from the law of sin and death. This law of sin and death put simply is as follows. “We all sin. The penalty for sin is death.”

Romans 3:23

23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23

23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God’s law (e.g. commandments and teaching of the prophets) can not save us, but neither do we need to be set free from it. God’s law is not bondage. It is a guide to help us identify and reject sin. It is sin that holds us in bondage. It is sin from which we need to be set free. But we are unable on our own to stop sinning. How then can we be set free?

We are set free from the law of sin and death only through accepting Yeshua as Lord.

Romans 8:1-25

Deliverance from Bondage

      1Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, 8and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

      9However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

      12So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

      18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

Take care to study God’s word carefully. The sacrifice of Christ does not set us free from God’s word, from God’s law… that would be foolish since Jesus lived and taught God’s law. In fact Jesus is the Word made flesh to dwell among us. How could He come to set us free from Himself!?

John 1:14-15

 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”

Jesus came to set us free from the law of sin and death. Though we sin and deserve death, we have an offer of forgiveness through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We must choose to disciple ourselves after Him, turn from our sins and wrong ways, and turn toward God’s ways of doing things. It is not sufficient to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord… even Satan knows that! Truly believing Jesus is Lord will transform our lives and will be evident in our actions as well as our attitudes and thoughts.

Praise to Yahweh, who provided a way for us to be forgiven and reconciled with Him through Jesus Christ!

Learn more about the Law of God and what it means today. Understanding the Law – What Does It Mean Today?

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for sending Yeshua to set us free from the law of sin and death. Though we sin, we can be forgiven and reconciled to You! It is not through our actions or obeying Your law that we are saved, but through grace by faith in Yeshua. Please help us have discernment and wisdom and faith in living according to Your instructions! Amen.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Repenting from Sin, Suffering / Adversity, Wickedness / Evil

Should Saying “No” to Sin Be Easy for a Disciple of Yeshua?

For those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord, turned from our sinful and worldly path and endeavor wholeheartedly to disciple our lives after Christ, saying no to sin easy… right? Of course not! We are constantly battling between our old sin nature, the flesh, and our desire to follow after Christ.

Romans 7:14-25

The Conflict of Two Natures

      14For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

      21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

We can clearly see that man is not inherently good, but actually evil and selfish. Even as we desire to turn from sin and turn toward God’s way, we still have a battle upon our hands. The evil within us draws us toward sin.  Do not be discouraged if you are struggling with sin. The desire to sin does not just go away after we decide to disciple after Christ. It remains. We must pray and seek after the kingdom of God. Through Christ we can be set free from sin. Overcoming sin may not be quick and the potential for sin never fully goes away. However, we can be set free from sin and our lives transformed through Christ and with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us!

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, please help me to overcome my sin nature within me. Help me to live in a way that is pleasing to You. Let me not live according to what my flesh desires, but rather according to my spirit. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Grace / Forgiveness, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Sin

Under the Law or Under Grace, God’s Standard for What Is Right and Wrong Is the Same

I hear Christians often declare that we do not need to follow the law of God anymore, because “we are covered by grace through Jesus Christ”. It is true we are covered by grace through Christ, but that is not an invitation to disregard His life example and His teaching and just keep sinning or living in a way that is inconsistent with the law which He followed.  If we do this, how can we claim to be His disciples?

Truly for those who prayerfully reflect this becomes clear. Imagine a father who loves and forgives his children. Does this mean that the children are right to ignore whatever rules or instructions he provides that they do not like? Of course not. Will not the father measure out consequences for the children to address their unrepentant rebellion by refusing to obey instructions?  Further, some instructions are there for the children’s benefit. If the children refuse to obey, will they not suffer the natural consequences of their decision? If a child disobeys his father and plays in the busy street, will he not risk getting run over by a car and hurt?

We are not under the judgment of the law, which is that punishment for sin is death. Instead, we are under grace through faith in Yeshua. We can be reconciled to the Father and forgiven of our sin. We need not be slaves to sin as we can now be set free from bondage to sin. But none of this means we should disregard the teaching of the law of God as our guide to how we are to live.

Would it surprise you that Paul even specifically addressed this in scripture… and clearly? He did.

Romans 6

Believers Are Dead to Sin, Alive to God

      1What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? 3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; 7for he who has died is freed from sin.

      8Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

      12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

      15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

      20For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We need not remain slaves to sin when we submit to Jesus Christ as Lord. We are set free from sin and are called now to righteousness… living according to Yahweh’s word and Yeshua’s example.

You serve whom you obey. Ask yourself, and measure the answer by evaluating your actions rather than your intentions …“Do I obey sin or righteousness?” Pray for Yahweh to help you turn from sin completely… to be set free from it… and instead follow Jesus Christ in the ways of righteousness according to Yahweh’s instructions.

I invite you to pray with me:

Father, thank You for setting us free from bondage to sin. Help Your people to have discernment to live out their lives according to Your instruction in the scriptures and according to the example of Yeshua, who was judged perfect by the standard of Your law for us. Let us not use grace as an excuse to sin or redefine how we are to live. Open our eyes to the wonderful ways of Your law. Let the Spirit guide us consistent with Your word. Amen. 

 Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Merciful, Righteous, Sin

One Act of Righteousness

It is sometimes hard for me to fully understand how sin entered the world through one man in Adam. I wrestle with understanding why the rest of us would suffer sin and death as a result of Adam’s mistake. On the other hand, I conclude quickly that all of us are just as imperfect as Adam and would ultimately make a similar if not the same mistake that he did. In fact, we all make mistakes and rebel against God even today.

While I humbly admit I do not have all the answers, I know the one who does, and we can trust our heavenly Father.  He loves us and demonstrates mercy by sparing us punishment for our sin and grace by providing a sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sin on our behalf.  Yeshua lived a perfect and righteous life as both God and man and then died for our sins. His act of righteousness was sufficient for all of our justification, being forgiven and reconciled with God for our transgressions.

Romans 5:12-21

    12Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— 13for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

      15But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. 16The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. 17For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

      18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. 19For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. 20The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

I previously had a chance to dialog with a man who felt he had done too many bad things to be forgiven. He had served in the military and done things which he clearly regrets. People died at his hands in ways he wishes he could forget. He was convinced not even God could forgive him. I had the opportunity to share with him the grace and forgiveness of God through Christ. There is no transgression or sin too great to be forgiven when we humble ourselves, admit our wrong, ask forgiveness, and turn away from our sin to do things God’s way. I hope and pray that I was able to help that man to start to understand and accept the forgiveness available to him. I challenge each of you to take time to reflect on the sins and mistakes you have made in your life. Consider with thanks and praise… and humility… how gracious our Father is that we can all be forgiven.

I invite You to pray with me:

Father, thank You for offering reconciliation and forgiveness as a gift through Yeshua. Please help me to humbly accept that gift and change my life to be more like His example. Show me where there is sin in my life or misunderstanding of Your word so that I may increase in wisdom and obedience to You. Teach me Your ways and how to walk with You. Amen. 

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.