Grace Abuse

Don’t be a slave to sin, but be free by grace

Previously we talked about God’s grace and the promise that through God’s grace we are saved by faith not by the things we do.  It is what Christ did for us, taking our sins and paying for them by nailing them to the cross.  So does that mean if we accept God’s grace and trust in Jesus that we could do whatever we want?  I would say yes and no.  Yes, we are free.  But, we are free from sin and if you have truly accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, you are changed.  You are a new creation.  Your old self has died and you now live for Him.  Your desire should be aligned with God.  You no longer want to do the sinful acts of your previous self.  The Holy Spirit will live in you and will guide you.  Now you can live by the Spirit and not by your flesh.  If you do not see these changes, if your desires remain the same, you have to question the sincerity of your acceptance of God’s grace.  You need to be reconciled to Him.  It does not mean that you will never sin or your flesh will never creep in and tempt you.  It will.  There will be a battle.  But remember that you are victorious because of the blood of Christ. Continue reading “Grace Abuse”

The Spirit is a Guarantee

guarantee sealedIn the previous post on God’s promises, we talked about the Holy Spirit promised by God to those who believe to help us, guide, pray for us, convict us.  The Spirit lives in us to help us grow.  God also reminds us that it is His great grace that gives us salvation.  Nothing we can do will earn our way into heaven or gain God’s favor.  He did it all.  He gave us grace, the undeserved favor.  Christ went to the cross to take away our sins.  His work saves us.  It is through faith we are saved.  And He gives us the Spirit as a guarantee of our salvation.  Continue reading “The Spirit is a Guarantee”

Resurrection Sunday…He has Risen!

I love you this much!
Easter is not about bunnies and eggs

Easter time…I call it Resurrection Sunday.  It is not about bunnies and eggs.  That is derived from pagan rituals.  I am not sure why some churches include these things during this time of year, like egg hunts.  Maybe I’m a scrooge, but I want to remember this day as a day of celebration of the sacrifice that Jesus made dying on the cross, taking the sins of the world with Him and putting them to death, being raised on the third day, and lives today to intercede for us.  He is our Light and our Salvation.  By trusting in Him, we have eternal life. Continue reading “Resurrection Sunday…He has Risen!”

Jesus fulfills Old Testament Prophecy

Christ died for our transgressions
He is not here…He is risen!

Today I would like to take another detour, though Jesus is a promise of God.  With Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday coming up, I wanted to share a little of who Jesus is, why He did what He did, and that God had prophesied these things hundreds of years earlier.  This is just one of many in the scriptures, but there is a lot  in this scripture from Isaiah of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, Son of God, God Incarnate, our Lord, our Savior.  I broke this scripture from Isaiah up with New testament scriptures that pertain to the prophesy and its fulfillment. Continue reading “Jesus fulfills Old Testament Prophecy”

God’s Promise: The Holy Spirit

Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation.  As one becomes a believer, the Holy Spirit gives him strength as He lives inside Him.  Not sure how this works, but I know the Spirit works in us to guide, us, to pray for us, to convict us to do the right thing and change from doing what’s wrong.  Sometimes He gives us the words to say as we share what God has done for us or when we have conflicts or whatever. Continue reading “God’s Promise: The Holy Spirit”