The Prophet Elijah - as human as you and I.
Elijah was trying of escape death at the hands of Jezebel. James 5 tells us--
17 "Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!"
Elijah was as human as we are: he felt the same gamut of emotions that you, I and your pastor feel today. That's Elijah who called down fire from heaven and had the prophets of Baal slaughtered afterwards in 1 Kings 18! He was bold and did mighty things by the power of God. Next thing you know, he was running away scared because Jezebel threatened to kill him after she heard what he did to her prophets, and telling the Lord in 1 Kings 19:14-
“I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
He was so sure that he was the only good person left in Israel and everyone else was bad! And that his goodness stemmed from his own self-will and self-discipline. This seems like the opposite of being humble. The Lord set him straight in verse 18--
"Yet I have reserved seven thousand in Israel, all whose knees have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”
Elijah wasn't the only one left afterall, and even his remaining steadfast and not bowing to Baal was because the Lord reserved him from being numbered among the worshippers of Baal! We see this expressed in Paul's reference to the incident in Romans 11.
But there is much more to this story than it being just a historical account. It's all about about Jesus and our salvation in Him. Romans 15:4 tells us--
“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”
The entire Old Testament is all about Jesus Christ and our salvation in Him. Recall Luke 24 where Christ preached the gospel to two of His disciples on the road to Emmaus? This was on the same day of His resurrection. See Luke 24:27 —
“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."
That same evening, Jesus appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem (the same Luke 24;) check out what He did in verse 45 (MSG)-
“He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way.”
All of this happened on Resurrection Day. The New Testament had not yet been written. Christ taught His disciples about Himself in all the Scriptures -- including the records on Elijah who thought he was the only good man left in Israel and was unaware that he was not a part of Baal's prophets only by virtue of God's grace-- undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour.
Believer, understand that all the while we were thinking that we were “standing” or living a life of morality by our self-determination, thinking that other people are just not trying hard enough, it was not us but God’s mercy in keeping us away from Satan’s sifting. See God’s word concerning why you and I who believe Jesus are not wallowing in horrid sins and Job-type calamities or denying Jesus up and down right now—
12 "So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously." 1 Corinthians 10.
If God was not screening and filtering, those trials where we fall flat on our face as Peter did with his denials, those sins or imperfections which we are often beating ourselves over, they would be the least of our problems. We would all be worshipping literal idols or worse, be six feet under like Judas who plodded on in his human might to make things right by now!
Even Elijah did not realise this truth, until the Lord God opened his eyes to see. Recall when this great man of God at whose word God rained down fire from heaven was fleeing for his life from Jezebel? See Elijah’s response when the Lord, in a quiet voice, asked him what he was doing in Horeb aka Mount Sinai where the law was given —
13-14 “When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there. A quiet voice asked, “So Elijah, now tell Me, what are you doing here?” Elijah said it again, “I’ve been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.”
15-18 God said, “Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. Meanwhile, I’m preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven’t bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven’t kissed his image.”
Elijah was not the only one left after all! In fact, if the Lord had not preserved him as He did the 7,000, Elijah could have been numbered among the prophets of Baal who were working for Jezebel!
And the result of Elijah’s self-righteous thinking that— “I’ve been working my heart out for God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,….I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me” — of think that he was being upright all by himself? The Lord said to him—-
“Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.”
Beloved, let he that thinks he is standing by his own strength take heed lest he fall. Elijah was as human as we are. The flesh (human effort) that was in Elijah is the same flesh that is in you, I and every single church daddy— “no good.” Only by God’s grace do we stand, walk uprightly and produce good deeds. Paul referenced this very incident with Elijah in his letter to the Romans —
“No, God has not rejected his own people, whom he chose from the very beginning. Do you realize what the Scriptures say about this? Elijah the prophet complained to God about the people of Israel and said, “ Lord , they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” And do you remember God’s reply? He said, “No, I have 7,000 others who have never bowed down to Baal!” It is the same today, for a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace—his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved. So this is the situation: Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have—the ones God has chosen—but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the Scriptures say, “God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear.” Romans 11:2-8
Elijah was standing and remained faithful only by God’s Grace— His undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour in choosing him. If God had not opened his eyes, he too would have been blind to the truth. But he thought he did good all by himself. Beloved, I could boast of so many things, but let our boast be in Christ alone:
If it seems as if you are currently serving God like Elijah or driving against sins with the skills of Louis Hamilton and you assume that it is by your own good and your own strength or sacrifices that you are prospering as Job thought before God opened his eyes, understand that the only reason why you think that you are standing is the same reason why Peter thought that his Maker was wrong about the matter of his then upcoming denials— God’s mercy in not letting you be consumed by heinous sins, and even Job-type calamities. Peter was not wallowing in sins when he made his God-challenging proclamation of “I will never deny you.” He probably thought that he was doing a good job of being a good person, like many among us today— so let he that is standing take heed lest he fall—
If you confess that you cannot drive but have Christ as both your Vehicle and your Driver, no Satan is going to bother to test or sift you for your driving skills. You no longer live. Is it Jesus Christ in you who is “Fine Flour” whom Satan wants to sift like wheat? If it happens that you need to drive or Satan taunts you for your inability to do so, you will overcome with perfection because you depend utterly on Christ who never disappoints as both your Vehicle and Driver and everything else; yet not you driving but Christ in you.
As believers, Christ as our Righteousness is the “Skeleton” who upholds us and keeps us from falling into sin. He is the Vine Life flowing through us giving us life in abundance. Apart from Him, we are and can do nothing. Knowing and believing so is God’s word’s interpretation of HUMILITY. But God’s mercy in propping many up from expressing the true sinful nature of man as was the case with Peter before his denials makes many pridefully think that they are good by themselves, challenging Christ’s word: “There is none good but God.” As it was with Peter, that kind of trust in self is what opens the door for Satan to sift a person like wheat for the good that he claims to be when Christ is saying—
“There is none good but God.”
Beware of false preachers who lead the flock to think that it is those one or two sins which one is committting that makes a difference between life and death. Beloved, no matter how good one thinks he is, even up to the righteousness-level of Nicodemus, only the blood of Jesus matters when it comes to having life or facing God’s wrath/punishment—
“And there is still much more to say of His unfailing love for us! For through the blood of Jesus we have heard the powerful declaration, “You are now righteous in My sight.” And because of the sacrifice of Jesus, you will never experience the wrath of God." Romans 5:9.
Our sins are not the issue, here. God knows that without Him, all will commit sins copiously, fail and even perish. There is no good in man of himself. As it was with Peter before his denials, God knows that worse sins we will fall into but for His merciful hand of restraint. His mercy is the “skeleton” that keeps man from devolving into the sins-ridden mass of flesh that man is of himself. So much to say here. Paul addressed this truth in Romans 1 where a group who “suppress the truth” of righteousness by faith (verses 16-19) devolved into sin after “God lifted off His restraining hand…” —
“24 This is why God lifted off His restraining hand and let them have full expression of their sinful and shameful desires…”
If God lifted off His restraining hand that restrains us from devolving into committing heinous sins and let us rely on our human effort/arm of flesh or will-power at keeping the law or doing good works to prove our faith or for whatever reason, like Peter who trusted himself before falling flat on his face three times, we would all devolve into horrid sin and see how utterly lacking in good we are of ourselves. What peace of mind we forfeit, what needless pain we bear, because we try to carry the load of being godly (be like God) by human effort and through dependence on the knowledge of good and evil (the law) like a certain pair in the Garden of Eden. Beloved, doing so only burdens one with guilt and condemnation after which must come judgment, for human effort/the arm of flesh will fail.
Beloved, the reality is those sins, imperfections and fails come to light or are expressed because we trust ourselves as Peter did before his denials, many times subconsciously— as evidenced by our impatience or exasperation with people who are still struggling with sins or who, in our opinion, are lacking in good works. This does not concern breaking the law or sinning alone, E.g. those “why won’t some people just work hard and stop begging?” kinds of posts. We forget Deuteronomy 8:18–
“You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today.”
Beloved, it is impossible for us to deceive ourselves in this matter:
if we knew and believed that it is Christ in us doing our good works and godly living and not our own might and power, it would be difficult for us to credit God’s freely-given provisions (including redemption from sins, good success and godly living) for us in Christ to useless human effort or arm of flesh-driven self-determination and discipline, useless works of the law such as our own obedience or 70 days fast, point accusing fingers at others who are still struggling with sin or threaten them with God’s wrath if they don't change. Rather, we would agree with Christ who says—
“There is none good but God."
We would see that the good that we do and our being kept from sins is by God's grace (unmerited favour) alone. When we see people committing heinous sins and are lacking in good works, we would know that the reality for us is—
“There I go but for the Grace of God."
As Peter saw after his denials and Job with his calamities, we would see how helpless man is to overcome sins, prosper and produce good works by himself; and like Moses who pointed the suffering Israelites to the bronze serpent, we point such to Christ who saves from sins and transforms the sinner who truly believes to live right and to bear much fruit, as it is written of Him in Titus 2:14--
"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."
Claiming to be able to be good enough to achieve even a tittle of the above job-description of Christ or boasting that “I can never do that” only gives Satan reason to test one for that power to be good that he claims to possess.
I fell victim to that very subtle — “How could you? I can never do that kind of thing!!” mindset recently — this child of Grace got really angry and bitter at someone’s failings, meaning that I thought that I was “better than that!“ Just like Elijah with his attitude of—-
“…I am the only one left” and everyone else is just a wicked sinner.
I was angry and bitter at my friend's behaviour and next thing you know, I was speeding down the exact same path of failure! This brings to mind Ephesians 4–
Many Bible versions translate the Greek word “parorgismos” as “anger” in the above passage. But according to its outline of Biblical usage, the word from which anger is translated (parorgismos) means-
“exasperation, wrath, irritation, indignation.”
It means to really have somebody’s buttons pushed. The Passion Translation of the verse is more expressive of this—
“But don’t let the passion of your emotions lead you to sin! Don’t let anger control you or be fuel for revenge, not for even a day. Don’t give the slanderous accuser, the Devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!” Ephesians 4:26-27.
We'll see how this gives the Accuser a foothold to manipulate as we read on, and why not going to bed in that state of anger is a gift of grace, not human striving.
So why was I filled with self-righteous indignation (dictionary meaning—anger or annoyance provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment) at my friend’s behaviour? Why was I exasperated (dictionary meaning— intensely irritated and frustrated) and unforgiving of this person’s behaviour?
Beloved, it is because deep down, I thought I was “better than that.” I would have been more forgiving if, at the time, I 100% believed what I always write about -- that man is 100% helpless to walk uprightly by himself and needs Christ to do so. That kind of “I can never do that” self-righteous exasperation (anger) at the faults of others is what gives “…the slanderous accuser, the Devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!” Hence—
“But don’t let the passion of your emotions lead you to sin! Don’t let anger control you or be fuel for revenge, not for even a day. Don’t give the slanderous accuser, the Devil, an opportunity to manipulate you!” Ephesians 4:26-27.
That anger or passion which is borne of self-righteousness (trust in self to keep the law) opens the door for the slanderous accuser, the Devil, to sift a person like wheat for the good that he claims to be when Christ says “There is none good but God.”
So I totally forgot God’s word’s counsel to us in Galatians 6 on how to handle such situations–
“Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.” Galatians 6:1-3 (MSG)
I totally forgot that the only reason why I was not in the same mess is written for us in 1 Corinthians 10–
12 "So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously."1 Corinthians 10.
If God was not screening and filtering…. just remember Peter with his denials. All will do the same things that they swore to never do, and copiously.
Thank God for His gift of Righteousness, His Restraint (I have none of myself) and His Restoration. And for His Spirit who keeps us steadfast in our believing. Only He keeps us from falling into sins and death. Thank God that, as we see in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 and just as He did using Peter’s denials and Job’s calamities, those temptations, tests or trials which are NOT from God but from the Accuser and which Satan the Accuser means to use to bruise/crush/batter us with accusations and unto condemnation and destruction, God measures their severity, nature and timing and uses them to make us see the futility of trusting in human effort (the flesh) for the attainment of godliness; He uses them to cause us to let go of PRIDE IN SELF and to cause us to put our trust in Christ our Wisdom from God alone—
“When swelling and pride come, then emptiness and shame come also, but with the humble (those who are lowly, who have been pruned or chiseled by trial, and renounce self) are skillful and godly Wisdom and soundness.” Proverbs 11:2
That “swelling and pride” is to think that one can, by human effort, keep as much as an atom of the law, resist temptation to sin in order to be anything with God, produce any good deed or even escape calamity in life— like Job who thought that his good deeds and obedience and plenty sacrifices for his children were why he was prospering. When his suffering began, Job lifted up his obedience, righteous living, good works and how he was “eyes to the blind” as why calamity should not befall him, as if God was being unjust; until the Lord opened his eyes and Job saw the utter “no good” nature of man of himself (apart from Christ,) that his so called uprightness which he lifted up were abhorrent to God and that even his very existence were all a matter of God’s mercy alone in propping him up; and Job wrote—
Having that kind of “I am good by myself” mindset only opens the door for Satan to sift a person like wheat for the good that he claims to possess or be able to do when Christ says “There is none good but God.” It is why bad things seem to happen to people who seem to be checking all the boxes of what the world describes as “a good person.” Failure is the result of dependence on human effort/arm of flesh at being anything before God; the arm of flesh will fail.
So what do we do when we have messed things up and are weighed down or battered by the weight of our sins and imperfections? Beloved, we simply let go of our silly efforts to save ourselves and freely receive God’s abundance of Grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited Favour) and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ, for He is the only Way to overcome. See Romans 5:16-17:
"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."
This is right believing, beloved. God’s Way of saving us from sin and death plus its symptoms of earthly ills such as lack and depression, it is foolishness and illogical to human reasoning—
“For the message of the cross is foolishness [absurd and illogical] to those who are perishing and spiritually dead [because they reject it], but to us who are being saved [by God’s grace] it is [the manifestation of] the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18.
Also see God’s counsel to us in Isaiah 30:15-17-
This is God’s Way, beloved. What comes from refusing to follow and instead, choosing to trust in self, it is not a pretty sight as we see in the very next verses that follow this passage from Isaiah.
When your believing is right, right living will follow. So ask our Abba Father to transform your heart to right believing, beloved— for even this is a gift of Grace as Christ shows us in John 6:43-46–
“Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over Me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do My work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End."”
The above is what Christ is doing right now in the life of every believer. Whether Elijah, Job, Peter or you and I, man of himself is flesh— absolutely no good. Can flesh move without a skeleton? Can it set itself on its feet or stand on its own? Can it produce anything without Life blood flowing through it? Even as Christians, whether we are “50 years as a pastor” or “five minutes born-again”, we are utterly weak of ourselves. We need Christ as our Righteousness and Strength to stand and to produce good fruit just as much as the vilest offender. To the same degree.
Why don’t you let our Abba Father love you into (w)holiness? Ask of Him today. No need for flowery prose or being in any particular place or position before we commune with our "Abba Father" in Christ, beloved. Simply pour out your troubles and heart- longings to Him. He will help you and enfold you in His loving embrace of True Grace. Hear it from the Word Himself in Psalm 62:8–
8 “Trust only in God every moment! Tell Him all your troubles and pour out your heart-longings to Him. Believe me when I tell you—He will help you!” (Selah)
Beloved, our Heavenly Father in Christ desires to hear it from you directly and not through an intermediary who makes you believe that you are too dirty and unworthy to be answered and helped by Him. Like Him, we prefer our little children's badly-written greeting cards to those made by the best designer-linguists. He is able and willing to love you into wholeness. Psalms 103:13-14 says of Him—
“I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
Also beloved, don’t let anyone paint our loving Heavenly Father who gave His own Beloved (His own Son) to die to free us from sin and death in the light of a harsh Taskmaster who demands that we be sinless by ourselves, sing for our dinner and grovel for 79 days on some mountain without eating before He will give us His own beloved children good success or good health— things which He gave up His own Son for us to FREELY have!—
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.
The way some “men of God” portray our Heavenly Father in Christ, eh, it will make even an earthly court judge charge Him with child abuse!
Good works are EVIDENCES of salvation, not CONDITIONS. Beware of such preachers who boast about how their car that they sowed in 1962 and 66 days fasting on the mountain is why God is blessing them today. Notice their own blessings from God is not “freely” given as is God’s Way of blessing us in Christ according to Romans 8:32? Theirs is through their righteous acts which Isaiah 64:6 describes as being thus in God’s sight—
“We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in Your sight…”
Even now, God is replacing such "Rain down fire from heaven to destroy" ministries with "Elisha" meaning "God is Salvation." See what He saves from in Matthew 1:21 beloved--
"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Luke 9 gives an account of an incident that happened in the same SAMARIA where Elijah called down fire from heaven and it destroyed those who rejected the Lord:
51 “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, 52 and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. 53 But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. 54 And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?”
The Samaritans rejected Christ, as was the case during the time of Elijah when the inhabitants of Samaria rejected the Lord. James and John knew their Scriptures very well and were angling for a repeat of what happened with those who died because they rejected the Lord in the time of Elijah; they wanted to “command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did.” But look at the response of our Saviour Jesus Christ:
55 “But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. 56 For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village.”
Believers, with Christ as our righteousness and strength, we are of the same "manner of spirit" that Christ speaks of: His Spirit. Not that manner of spirit that seeks to see people suffer or die by fire for their sins and misdeeds, disagreement with "anointed pastor" or their rejection of Christ, but one that desires for the world to be saved through Christ as it is written in John 3:17 -
"For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
Like Elijah, Peter and like Job before they were blessed with revelation-knowledge, many are yet to see that it is because of God’s mercy that “no good” man is not consumed by heinous sins and Job-type calamity.
Now this is not to knock fasting or other works. I fast. A lot. But not as a condition or payment to get my own heavenly Father in Christ Jesus to bless, save or deliver me. Good works (of faith) are EVIDENCES of salvation. They are not CONDITIONS.
Being in Christ and not having works of faith to show for it is as impossible as jumping into the sea naked without getting wet. At different times, people have tried to give me credit for being a dedicated Christian, generous, a good parent or for being a hardworking employee (well, more like that overzealous staff whom everyone gets irritated by;) and even tried to say that this is why God blesses me. But I know who I am of myself and apart from Christ in me- I am the worst of sinners! I have plenty issues that He is saving me from. These fruits are evidences of salvation in Christ, not conditions. I would be wallowing in sins and utterly lacking in good deeds were it not for the Grace of God (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) - Christ Himself- working in me. Even putting up restraints for me so I should not topple into horrid sins, for I cannot keep myself upright. God's goodness comes first. Then repentance (changing your mind about God and godly living.)
I cannot number the benefits that the Lord loads me with daily but by Grace and only by Grace, far be it from me to chalk His many benefits in my life down to money that I gave to the needy, my witnessing for Him, my (non-existent) self-effort at being a good person or my good deeds. None of these things would I be able to do by my own human effort (arm of flesh.)
Beloved of God, this is the way of the Lord: He works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13) and then He rewards us for the good deeds that He Himself gave us the desire to do and which He did in, through and for us. He makes us strong and able to do exploits. We see by Grace that of ourselves, our will-power to live right is utterly useless and that there is no good whatsoever in us as was Paul's experience in Romans 7:18.
“For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."
This is why it is difficult to find a true believer boasting in that abominable trade-by-barter “I sowed my car and paid tithe and got a jet” manner. With Christ, He gives us all things FREELY (Romans 8:32.) Empty of ourselves (menstrual rag dead works) and utterly dependent on His GRACE (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) who is the Person of Jesus Christ, God FREELY fills us to overflowing with His goodness and mercy so much that with what is spilling over, we cannot but be repenting (be changed from within,) live right, produce good works, even tithe and give beyond its lawful regulations and so much more, yet not us but Christ in us. He gets all the glory.
Beloved, those same sins and imperfections which false preachers threaten the flock with God’s wrath and hell for — including those ones in Revelation 21:8 that begin with “the fearful and the unbelieving”— Christ came to save us from them all, so that we who believe in Him “shall not perish but have eternal life.” This is why He gave His life for you and I— Titus 2:14:
“He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."
Beloved, Christ says: “There is none good but God.”
He gave His life to be our Good. In Him, having Him wholly as our Righteousness and Strength, God sees us as righteous, "even though we are guilty of many sins." Romans 5:16-
"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins."
This is the Good News about Christ: Grace- undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour.
The self-righteous who still trust in their arm of flesh that will fail to get godly traits (be like God) say He (Grace-Christ Himself) is blasphemy and "license to sin." Such push churchgoers to keep striving to be godly (be like God) by their own strength through dependence on the knowledge of good and evil (a typology for the law) as Eve was deceived into doing. But beloved of God, God's word says differently! His word says all who receive His abundance of Grace and His gift of Righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through Christ-
"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ." Romans 5:16-17.
This is the Good News: Righteousness by Faith. The gospel of the Grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) of God.
Our sins are what qualify us for His salvation beloved, so beware of preachers who make sin and its destructive consequences loom larger than our Saviour Jesus Christ of whom it is written:
“He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds." Titus 2:14.
“Humility” is accepting that we have no good of ourselves and receiving Christ as our only Source of Good and the only reason why we enjoy any benefit of God.
Have you ever wondered why the Lord's unceasing steadfast love (“Hesed” in Hebrew meaning Grace) and His unending mercies are new every morning? It is because everyday, we fail, and in many more ways than we can imagine. His mercies are new every morning not so that we should continue to wallow in sins that lead to death but so that we should live in triumph over sin and death. See the “logic” of our Heavenly Father in Christ in Romans 5:16-17:
"And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."
When your believing is right, right living will follow.
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