Saturday, August 28, 2010

Jesus Christ - The Tithe of the world!

The Tithe is nothing else but our Lord Jesus Christ! The Tithe is not about your money offered to God. For many years we were taught the tithe is our money seed sown unto God and thus expect a return or a much more return of a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown (Mat 13:8) and often Luke 6:38 were used... "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." And you can't out give God!

Though it is true, you shall receive much more but not because you tithed but because in Christ... has given you all things. And beside... that mindset is nothing but selfishness and that verse is used out of context. It is about giving to the poor and not your tithe. Just a few verses before in... Luke 6:30 says... if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. ... If you expect much more in return in your tithe... isn't you like lending to God and expect return?

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love... in Him has given us all things exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. Thank You Daddy for given us Jesus, in Him we have all things! In Him we are complete! In Him... It is finished! In Him is our Tithe! Hallelujah!! Hear Him!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

1 John 1:9... What Say You?

When we read the Bible, we need to look at the context in which each book was written. If we don't do that, it's easy to misinterpret what a particular book or chapter is really saying. When that happens, we can easily come to wrong conclusions, which can then cause a lot of misunderstanding about the work of Christ on our behalf.

One example of this is that many people believe that although their sins have been forgiven prior to salvation, after salvation it is up to them to obtain forgiveness through their confession. Others believe that all their sins have been forgiven at the cross, however, they cannot experience forgiveness unless they confess each time they sin. The verse both parties use to defend their belief is 1 John 1:9. Let's read the first chapter of 1 John, and keep in mind two important questions: "Who was John's audience?" and 'What was he trying to accomplish in this letter?"

The audience was a confused church in Asia. The pastor there asked John to write a letter to help clear up some major doctrinal heresy called "Gnosticism." Gnosticism comes from the Greek word " gnosis", which means knowledge. The Gnostics were a group of people who believed they possessed superior spiritual knowledge. They believed that all flesh is evil and that only spirit is good. Because they believed that, they didn't believe that Jesus really came in the flesh - they believed He was an illusion. They also believed that because sin had to do with our flesh, there really wasn't sin - sin was also just an Illusion. (That's similar to people today who believe sickness is an illusion.) The church in Ephesus was filled with people who not only didn't believe Christ came in the flesh, they didn't believe sin was real.

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life" (1 John 1:1). In other words, John is establishing that he was an eyewitness to the fact that Jesus truly did come in the flesh. He did this to convince the Gnostics that Jesus was not an illusion.

"We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ" (verse 3). This verse says two things. First, John repeats the fact that he, the rest of the apostles and other people saw Christ in the flesh. He wanted the Gnostics to realize that there were many people who could testify to the reality of Christ. Second, he is saying that there are some people in the audience who were not in the fellowship with Christ.

"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all" (verse 5). John's message in this verse is clear: God is light and in Him there is no darkness. We are either in the light (saved) or in darkness (lost). Scriptures are full of this comparison between light (saved) vs. darkness (lost). Click on this link to learn more about light and darkness in the scriptures.

"If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." (verse 6). In other words, if someone says he has fellowship with Christ, but is walking in darkness (lost), he is lying and not practicing the truth. The Gnostics claimed to be in fellowship with Christ (saved), and yet were actually living a lie and therefore weren't practicing the truth.

"If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin" (verse 7). In other words, if we walk in the light (are saved) we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. To put it another way, once we are saved, we are permanently in the fellowship because the blood of Jesus continually cleanses us from all sin. Therefore, we aren't forgiven because we confess our sins. We are forgiven because of what Christ did for us on the cross.

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (verse 8). John is now addressing the belief the Gnostics had regarding sin because they didn't believe it was real and therefore believed they had no sin. The "we" John is using here doesn't refer to believers. He is referring to the Gnostics, who believed they were without sin. Because they claimed to be without sin, then they were only deceiving themselves and the truth (Jesus) was not in them.

However, verse 9 says that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." In other words, if the Gnostics were to confess they had sins, then God, Who is faithful and righteous, would forgive and cleanse them from their unrighteousness. In the Greek language, the words "forgive" and "cleanse" mean past actions that have results today and will continue to have results in the future. Also, the word "all" used in these verses means all. It doesn't mean that we are cleansed of our past sins and our past unrighteousness, it means we were cleansed of all our unrighteousness. And if God cleanses us from all unrighteousness, then we are cleansed forever!

"If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives" (verse 10). Basically this verse is a repeat of verse 8. To put it simply, it means that the Gnostics can't claim to be without sin and yet be saved. John is saying that because the Gnostics claimed they had no sin, they were actually calling God a liar and therefore didn't know the truth.

The purpose of the first chapter of 1 John was to compare the truth of God to the error of gnosticism. John was addressing the Gnostics, who were deceived by their own teaching. He wanted the Gnostics to understand that what they believed conflicted with what God said. He was not, however, addressing believers.

Today, there are people who believe that Christians must confess their sins in order to be forgiven. They believe that it is possible for us to be "in and out" of fellowship with God and that we must "keep short accounts" (or stay "fessed up"). The Bible doesn't teach that we are "in and out" of fellowship with God. A person who is saved is in fellowship with God - eternally. "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." (1 Corinthians 1:9). A person who is lost is not in fellowship with God. There is no bouncing back and forth. You are either in fellowship with God (saved, walking in the light) or you are not in fellowship with God (lost, walking in darkness).

Scripture also doesn't teach the idea of "keeping short accounts" (being "fessed up"). Teaching that we are to "keep short accounts" with God causes very real and damaging problems because we miss the point of what confession really is. Such popular teaching makes confession a mindless cure-all, a "bar of soap" we use daily to clean up our flesh. A common scenario would be of a person privately confessing to God a bitter attitude towards another and then asking for forgiveness. Afterwards, he doesn't think about it, feeling that he has adequately met the "spiritual" requirement.

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins" (Colossians 2:13) The fact is that while the sin issue is dead between you and God, it isn't between the people with whom we come in contact daily. When we realize we've wronged another, we need to go to that person and take steps toward reconciling the relationship with that person.

It is easy to "confess" our sins and continue on, thinking we have met a spiritual" requirement. But has there really been a change in our attitude, and not just our action? That would be like the little boy whose father angrily tells him to sit down and be quiet in church. The little boy does so, but tells his father that "I may be sitting down on the outside, but I'm standing up on the inside!" God is much more concerned with changed attitudes. As our attitudes change - through the truth of God's Word - our actions will eventually change.

Teaching we must confess our sins in order to be forgiven doesn't produce changed hearts. Why? Because we have placed ourselves under a "law" which demands that we confess every sin in order to be forgiven and stay in fellowship with God. However, there are no laws, Mosaic or man-made, that can free us from sin. The law was never meant to free us from sin because "the power of sin is the law" (1 Corinthians 15:56). Therefore, we usually end up repeating the same sin before the week (or even the day) is over and feel guilt and frustration over our inability to change.

This obsession with confession keeps us under the power of sin because we are consumed with thoughts of ourselves in a sincere desire to please God. As a result, though, we become so concerned about whether we are "in or out of fellowship" with God that we don't have time for our relationships down here. We are too busy keeping "short accounts" to be able to serve our brothers in love. Compare and see how many times the Scriptures exhort us to love one another versus confessing our sins. The emphasis is overwhelmingly in favor of loving our brothers.

We need to focus on the fact that God has forever settled the sin issue. Before Christ, men's sins separated them from God. Christ was the only solution to this dilemma. Then He hung on the cross and said "It is finished!", He meant it is finished! God has bridged the gap between Himself and man through His Son. "All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them... God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:18,19,21).

Since the Bible tells us that all of our sins are forgiven because of the grace of God, then what do we do when we do sin? Ignore it and say "I'm under grace, so it doesn't make any difference if I sin?" Many believe that teaching the forgiveness of Christ will cause people to go out and sin more. Paul dealt with this argument over 2,000 years ago. He responded, "By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Romans 6:2). He continues to tell us that "we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. . . In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. . . For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:6,7,11,14).

The more we understand our identification with Christ, the more we understand that we have been freed from the power of sin. We are freed from sin because of the work of Christ Jesus on our behalf, not because of our law keeping. Teaching the forgiveness we have in Christ is not a license to sin - we don't need a license to sin. The only reason people often believe this is true is because they lack an understanding of God's unconditional love, forgiveness and acceptance. They do not understand the motivating power of Christ's love for them.

The Bible tells us "to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:23,24). Concerning lying, for instance, we are told "to put off falsehood and speak truthfully to our neighbor, for we are all members of one body" (verse 25). Or, concerning stealing, Ephesians 4:28 says that "he who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need." In other words, stop lying and start telling the truth. Quit stealing and go to work so you can share with others. These are not laws we are to keep. Because we are children of God, it doesn't make sense for us to continue lying or stealing.

These are just a few verses that tell us what to do when we do sin. Not one verse says to confess our sins before we can go on with life. The motivation, instead, is found in Ephesians 4:32, which says we are to "be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." The only way we can ever love, forgive and accept others is because Christ has first loved, forgiven and accepted us. It is true that we will treat others the way we feel God is treating us. If we feel we have to perform for God and ask His forgiveness each time we sin, we expect the same performance from everyone else. If we believe God loves us only when we do the right things, then we tend to also love others when they, too, do the right things.

The opposite is also true. Only when we understand the unconditional love, forgiveness and acceptance of God will we ever be able to share that same love with those around us. It is impossible for us to love and forgive one another if we are constantly worrying about our own acceptance to God. The simple truth is that "we love because He first loved us" (1 John 4:19).

If we believe we must continually confess our sins in order to be loved and forgiven by God, we are actually mocking God and telling Him that Christ's work on our behalf was not sufficient. The damage caused by this belief is extensive. There are many who are in bondage to this "law" that was created and perpetuated by man. That's why it is so important to understand what the bible says about Christ's finished work on the cross and our identity in Him. As we understand these truths and keep our eyes on the Lord instead of ourselves, we will see our lives change.

Original post: http://www.realanswers.net/realaudio/forgiveness.htm

Monday, August 23, 2010

Is Grace against law and law against Grace?

From the beginning, God gave man only one law... Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." But man failed and because of that the earth became fallen and every man after Adam (the first fruit of the flesh) must die unless the law is fulfilled but none can do it.

But God is all love and merciful extended His Grace unto men by offering the tree of Life through His own Son Jesus Christ for all men. Because all men have sinned being born of the flesh, that law must be fulfilled. And Jesus Christ who was born not of the flesh but of the Holy Spirit died on the cross to fulfill the law and thus became the first fruit of the Spirit. For that, men have given another chance to choose between that two trees once again.

Some ask what is wrong with the law, I too used to ask the same thing. After all, the law is from God and it is Holy and just... but no men can keep the law. If we can, Christ died in vain! Gal 2:21. The law is directly opposing Grace. The law is of the flesh and Grace is of the Spirit...

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another...

Rom 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

Rom 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Gal 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

Gal 3:3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

That's why we say Grace is radical because Grace is Christ Himself, Grace is the tree of Life, Grace is 100% pure and Grace cannot be mixed with law! I pray that the Spirit of wisdom and revelation is upon you to see the Truth! John 14:6 Jesus said... "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Hear Him!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

What exactly does it mean to you when you say... "I am the righteousness of God in Christ!"?

Pang William What exactly does it mean to you when you say... "I am the righteousness of God in Christ!"?

August 17 at 4:03pm · ·
    • Datin Sri Kumang Ati right standing with GOD..sinless...:)
      August 17 at 4:14pm · · 4 people
    • Jeda Chakas i have d full acces of what Jesus had.. beautiful exchange @ d cross. i am God’s righteousnes i am 100porciento.. wink
      August 17 at 4:18pm · · 2 people
    • Alejandro Grace Ararat All the Jesus is [perfct obedience, perfect thoughts, perfect attitude, perfect obidence to the law, and perfect spiritual obedience above all towards YAHWEH] and blessings, healing, favor and much moe at redemption [the cross] was finish. Jesus was not finish but the work of salvation for sinners [me]. Therefore HE gave himself for me so I may receive His righteousness by Grace. Blessed be His name
      August 17 at 5:35pm · · 1 person
    • David Kosalim
      I'm glad you ask! becoz sometimes I do ask this question too!
      I think being the righteousness of God in Christ is something like knowing you are right altho the world says otherwise. take Bill Gates for instance. He quit college and established his own path and get successful. u dont have to follow regular rules. u can hear your heart and follow it. and if you're wrong? the heck! you are the righteousness of God in Christ!
      August 17 at 7:02pm · · 2 people
    • Sandy Crosby Excellent Queston Pang, It means relief to my soul when I declare it with my mouth aloud. I am the righteousness of God, therefore I am under grace therefore I am Highly favored, deeply loved, greatly blessed and protected, redeeemed from the curse of the law.!
      August 17 at 7:14pm · · 1 person
    • Sandy Crosby HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS IS MINE
      August 17 at 7:19pm ·
    • Pang William Think about this one too... As He is so are you in this world! :))
      August 17 at 7:34pm · · 1 person
    • Byron Mill You have been made acceptable to God's holy standards and accepted as a beloved child no matter what u do u are still His beloved. God has brought us up to His level so He can bless our socks off!
      August 17 at 7:54pm · · 3 people
    • Byron Mill Get this ..,Christ IS IN YOU!! So when God looks at us He sees Jesus because our flesh and all our sins and unrighteousness have been crucified and incinerated in Hell with Jesus so all that God sees in us is the perfection of Jesus, right now, at the judgement seat and forever. Thats why God can say As Jesus is so are you brother/sister. Christ is in you! This gives u assurance of sharing His glory!
      August 17 at 8:10pm · · 3 people
    • Mark Boyce I am completely, irreversibly, totally blessed, deeply, deeply loved and accepted beyond repair in the Beloved! I am the disciple whom Jesus loves!
      August 17 at 8:33pm · · 4 people
    • David Kosalim ‎@ Mark: wow! that is mighty!
      August 17 at 8:34pm · · 1 person
    • Mark Boyce Yea! I heard that going around the "block" and I make it mine!
      August 17 at 8:46pm · · 2 people
    • Ginger Pearce as HE is so am i.
      August 17 at 8:49pm · · 2 people
    • Nina Sianturi I can stand boldy before the Lord to find grace, If I fail I still can stand boldy before Him, I can expect the fullfilment of His promises in my life and have a confidence expectation of good. No matter what I am God is always my Abba, Father..and many more...
      August 17 at 9:07pm · · 3 people
    • Tina Willis It means I'm right & tight with my Daddy no matter what. He can't love me any more or less, He'll never leave me, and NOTHING can ever separate me from Him or His love. Wow. That's me... I AM the righteousness of God "in" Christ because I put my faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. Amen
      August 17 at 10:03pm · · 2 people
    • Pang William Think again... seek the Truth... what is the righteousness of God?
      August 17 at 10:32pm · · 1 person
    • Debbie Fowler
      I've often wondered EXACTLY what does that mean from the scripture's perspective and my own. Just now, I went to an online lexicon. I always find that there are many greek words that we translate as one, so sometimes we aren't getting what the scripture is saying. The scripture is 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

      We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

      The greek word in this instance is Dikaiosune which means

      "Definition
      in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God
      the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God
      integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting
      in a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due"

      It also states this word is a noun. For me, it is the wonderful exchanged life. Christ became sin for me, He paid the cost at the cross. And, now, I am living proof of God's pureness, rightness, correctness, justice, etc. Because I have become the righteousness of God.

      Wow, I still have to think on this one for a while. Sometimes I say words or phrases so many times that they don't have the full impact they should have on me. Would the scripture still mean the same if it was said like this.... I am God's righteousness? That sounds very strange to me, but is that not what the scripture says?

      Any comments on this one?
      August 17 at 10:32pm · · 3 people
    • Cathy Rheeder Exchanged lives,ive died&my life is hid with CHRIST IN GOD.NOW CHRIST LIVES HIS LIFE IN ME AS ME.SON OF MAN PRESENTED US TO GOD SO WE SONS OF GOD CAN PRESENT MAN TO GOD AS THOUGH WE ALL NEVER SINED.FROM FALLEN STATE TO UPRIGHT STATE.
      August 17 at 10:39pm · · 2 people
    • Tina Willis God's holiness. Because Jesus gave me His white robe, God seems me sanctified, holy. He see's me as He sees His Son. As Jesus is, so am I in this world... 1 John 4:17
      August 17 at 10:41pm · · 1 person
    • Sylvette Diezmo I am right with God no matter what happens, i am now His Child!
      August 17 at 11:02pm · · 3 people
    • Sandy Crosby Mary, I dont think a repentive heart is the right answer...and we are not talking about being equal to Jesus, only His Righteousness is ours by virtue of "a gift". And we are not talking about being mighty and dangerous against all evil yet that is true, what you should say here is that you are righteousness of God material because Jesus Lives in you!
      August 18 at 1:42am ·
    • Brandon J. Horner a righteous man's prayer availeth much.......means we have God's ear as His child, and we have taken on His likeness, clothed in glory on that day......right standing gives us all authority over all creation, we have a say in what goes on in this ole world......by grace through faith we are sons of God and co-heirs to all creation.....it is a gift from God.....a promise for all time and eternity.....hallelujah
      August 18 at 4:24am · · 2 people
    • Pang William
      To me... The righteousness of God is God Himself. The divine exchange took place at the cross. The question is how much do we know of that? As I ponder on it... a passion of love stirred up deep inside me. The more I seek, the deeper it gets. I can't tell you because I don't know how and I don't think it can. But I know one thing... Seek His love in you for He is in you!

      1Co 13:12 Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a mirror. But someday we will see clearly. We will see face to face. What I know now is not complete. But someday I will know completely, just as God knows me completely. 13 The three most important things to have are faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love.

      I love you all!
      August 18 at 9:32am · · 2 people
    • Stacy Smith Mims that is really beautiful Pang!! He is so amazing, deep call out to deep! I believe it becomes a fire shut up in our bones...what do we do but to tell the story of this love!
      August 18 at 9:47am · · 2 people
    • Brandon J. Horner exactly brother, love is greatest, Jesus expressed it best, now let us the body seek to walk as He did.....through the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of our Father who glorified the Son Christ Jesus whom we are the body of....hallelujah.....now is the time
      August 18 at 4:26pm · · 1 person