Post by Les Brewer on Apr 29, 2012 12:45:04 GMT
John Wolf
Calvary's Cross Ministries
Preaching Christ Crucified...I Cor.1:18-25
From the Pastor's desk...
Hi to all.....
I have a prayer request today.I ask that you please pray for me and my back.It seems I've injured my back yesterday hooking my trailer to my truck.Please pray that I recover quickly so that I don't loose any time from work.Thank you so much and God bless you.
I've been doing some in-depth study of God's word in the book of Galatians written by the apostle Paul.The one thing we must constantly remind ourselves of is that,regardless of who actually penned the words of any of the sixty-six books of the Bible,it is all inspired by God.Which is to say,God told man what to write and man wrote it down.Similar to the way a court recorder writes down everything that is said in a court of law,so that they can have a record of what was said.What a court recorder writes down are not their words,but they are simply writing what is said.
We must bring ourselves to the understanding that God's word,the Bible,is not just another book among books,that is available to us to pick and choose what we want to accept and reject.
Remember,when light (truth),is rejected,the darkness that a person is in only becomes darker,and it becomes harder and harder for that person to recognize and accept truth.
Please read Galatians 5:16-26 for the basis on which I will discuss walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh.
Walking in the Spirit so that we don't fulfill the lusts of the flesh (sin nature),is not a well received nor much spoken of subject any more in churches.We have become so accustomed to listening to all the wrong voices that are out there in the world,that when truth is presented to an individual,it is either rejected as "that's just your opinion" or "you can't tell me what to do" or "that's your just your interpretation"
My friends,your spiritual well being and your eternal destiny depends solely upon your acceptance or your rejection of truth as plainly laid down in Holy Writ.
Verse 16 is not a suggestion,it is a command to walk in the Spirit,so that we will not fulfill the lusts of the sin nature.Love,true love,is the basis of walking in the Spirit (Gal.5:7-15).If we truly love God and our fellow man then we will first of all want to tell others of the salvation through Christ that God offers to all of mankind.In love we will warn others of God's judgement against sin and unrighteousness and His soon coming wrath upon a world that hates anything that has to do with righteousness.The day of God's wrath is about to be poured out on a world that hates Jesus Christ and all those who follow Him in truth.
Secondly,if we truly love our fellowman, as the Scripture enjoins us to do,then we will fulfill the law of the Spirit.We will not lie,cheat,steal,murder,commit adultery,fornication,lewdness or any of the sins of the flesh listed in verse 19-21.We must understand that if we are Christians,then we must learn to depend on the Holy Spirit's power to cleanse us of the sins of the flesh.
If you believe you are a Christian,but still walk according to the flesh and the sin nature with no restraints,and are practicing any or all of the sins listed in the context,then you need to know that you will not inherit eternal life,but eternal damnation (vs.21).
Let me clarify my statement.We can never work for salvation or can we ever work for sanctification (holy living).It comes solely through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ as the just payment for our sins.But if you have not changed the way you think about sin and unrighteousness,then you need to re-assess your position in Christ.For, if the Holy Spirit resides within your spirit,you will change your thinking regarding how you walk and live your life.If you love sin more than righteousness,you are not saved.But you can be,there is still hope.
Many people today approach the subject of salvation and faith in Christ just like they approach fire insurance."Well I'll just believe in Jesus to keep me out of Hell,but I'm still gonna live like the devil,I'm still gonna do what I want too,cause nobody can tell me how to live my life",my dear friend,if this is how you think,then you are living exactly how the devil tells you to live.You are his servant (Romans 6:16;I John 3:4-9).
Every true believer,is at different levels of their walk in the Lord.Some are babes in Christ,some are teens in Christ and some are fully grown and mature adults in Christ.I am not speaking about these believers.They are committed to the teachings of the word of God in the gospels and epistles.The difference is in commitment.Some do not want to spend an eternity in Hell,but neither do they want to commit to Christ their entire life.They still want to hold on to hate,lust,adultery,fornication and sins of all kinds,but still make heaven their home.This will never be.You must turn away,repent,from all sin,and commit to Christ and His ways.Jesus said it best,"except you repent,you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
Won't you consider your steps and where you go with your life and the things that you do.Jesus Loves you and He wants to set you free from the bondages of sin.He offers new life in Him,but you must be willing to turn from all sin in order to receive it.He will accept you like you are,but thank God,He won't leave you like you are.He will deliver you from alcohol,smoking,homo-sexuality,lust and anything else that is of the devil.He will set you free....He's waiting.....God loves you and so do I.....J.W.
Calvary's Cross Ministries
Preaching Christ Crucified...I Cor.1:18-25
From the Pastor's desk...
Hi to all.....
I have a prayer request today.I ask that you please pray for me and my back.It seems I've injured my back yesterday hooking my trailer to my truck.Please pray that I recover quickly so that I don't loose any time from work.Thank you so much and God bless you.
I've been doing some in-depth study of God's word in the book of Galatians written by the apostle Paul.The one thing we must constantly remind ourselves of is that,regardless of who actually penned the words of any of the sixty-six books of the Bible,it is all inspired by God.Which is to say,God told man what to write and man wrote it down.Similar to the way a court recorder writes down everything that is said in a court of law,so that they can have a record of what was said.What a court recorder writes down are not their words,but they are simply writing what is said.
We must bring ourselves to the understanding that God's word,the Bible,is not just another book among books,that is available to us to pick and choose what we want to accept and reject.
Remember,when light (truth),is rejected,the darkness that a person is in only becomes darker,and it becomes harder and harder for that person to recognize and accept truth.
Please read Galatians 5:16-26 for the basis on which I will discuss walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh.
Walking in the Spirit so that we don't fulfill the lusts of the flesh (sin nature),is not a well received nor much spoken of subject any more in churches.We have become so accustomed to listening to all the wrong voices that are out there in the world,that when truth is presented to an individual,it is either rejected as "that's just your opinion" or "you can't tell me what to do" or "that's your just your interpretation"
My friends,your spiritual well being and your eternal destiny depends solely upon your acceptance or your rejection of truth as plainly laid down in Holy Writ.
Verse 16 is not a suggestion,it is a command to walk in the Spirit,so that we will not fulfill the lusts of the sin nature.Love,true love,is the basis of walking in the Spirit (Gal.5:7-15).If we truly love God and our fellow man then we will first of all want to tell others of the salvation through Christ that God offers to all of mankind.In love we will warn others of God's judgement against sin and unrighteousness and His soon coming wrath upon a world that hates anything that has to do with righteousness.The day of God's wrath is about to be poured out on a world that hates Jesus Christ and all those who follow Him in truth.
Secondly,if we truly love our fellowman, as the Scripture enjoins us to do,then we will fulfill the law of the Spirit.We will not lie,cheat,steal,murder,commit adultery,fornication,lewdness or any of the sins of the flesh listed in verse 19-21.We must understand that if we are Christians,then we must learn to depend on the Holy Spirit's power to cleanse us of the sins of the flesh.
If you believe you are a Christian,but still walk according to the flesh and the sin nature with no restraints,and are practicing any or all of the sins listed in the context,then you need to know that you will not inherit eternal life,but eternal damnation (vs.21).
Let me clarify my statement.We can never work for salvation or can we ever work for sanctification (holy living).It comes solely through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ as the just payment for our sins.But if you have not changed the way you think about sin and unrighteousness,then you need to re-assess your position in Christ.For, if the Holy Spirit resides within your spirit,you will change your thinking regarding how you walk and live your life.If you love sin more than righteousness,you are not saved.But you can be,there is still hope.
Many people today approach the subject of salvation and faith in Christ just like they approach fire insurance."Well I'll just believe in Jesus to keep me out of Hell,but I'm still gonna live like the devil,I'm still gonna do what I want too,cause nobody can tell me how to live my life",my dear friend,if this is how you think,then you are living exactly how the devil tells you to live.You are his servant (Romans 6:16;I John 3:4-9).
Every true believer,is at different levels of their walk in the Lord.Some are babes in Christ,some are teens in Christ and some are fully grown and mature adults in Christ.I am not speaking about these believers.They are committed to the teachings of the word of God in the gospels and epistles.The difference is in commitment.Some do not want to spend an eternity in Hell,but neither do they want to commit to Christ their entire life.They still want to hold on to hate,lust,adultery,fornication and sins of all kinds,but still make heaven their home.This will never be.You must turn away,repent,from all sin,and commit to Christ and His ways.Jesus said it best,"except you repent,you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3).
Won't you consider your steps and where you go with your life and the things that you do.Jesus Loves you and He wants to set you free from the bondages of sin.He offers new life in Him,but you must be willing to turn from all sin in order to receive it.He will accept you like you are,but thank God,He won't leave you like you are.He will deliver you from alcohol,smoking,homo-sexuality,lust and anything else that is of the devil.He will set you free....He's waiting.....God loves you and so do I.....J.W.
