Posts Tagged ‘obedience’
Why Do Christians Embrace An Obsolete Covenant?
Heb 8:13
In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first obsolete. Now that which is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
It is amazing how many Christians, Pastors and individuals, are enamored with the Old Testament Covenant. Listening to Pastors on radio and television, one hears more sermons on Old Testament scripture than on scripture from the New Testament.
The Old Testament Covenant was a man-centered works based system of religion. It was a cause and effect religion, as is the New Testament Covenant, the difference being who is the cause and who is the effect.
The Old Covenant was a system based on laws, commandments, rules, regulations, ordinances and rituals that man was to do in order to receive favor from God. It was a blessings and a curse system like what is found in Deuteronomy 28 where you have Blessings for Obedience and Curses for Disobedience.
In this system, the cause was Israel. By entering into a Covenant with God, and doing what God required, the effect was God giving blessings for obedience. The same worked if Israel was disobedient; a curse was brought by God because of their disobedience.
Therefore, in a man-centered works based system all Israel had to do was to prove that they could be obedient as God wanted. Israel tried and failed.
In Hebrews 8: 8, 9 we read this:
Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Heb 8:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Do you see it? God said, “they continued not in my covenant and I regarded them not.” Because of their failure to be obedient, God dis-regarded Israel.
At this point God said that because of their failure to be obedient to the Old Covenant this is what He would do; continuing in Hebrews we read:
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first obsolete. Now that which is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
(Note: to find out about whom is the Israel mentioned in verse 10, read Romans 9: 6, 7 and Galatians 4:28. The new Israel is Christians.)
God intended, from the beginning of time, to replace the Old Covenant with a New Covenant; a Covenant of Grace where God’s works would be the cause and man’s response would be the effect, just the opposite of the Old Covenant, a covenant of failure.
In the New Covenant, man is born again by the will of God, and man is kept saved by the will of God and man is given eternal life in Heaven by the will of God.
No longer would God require man to be justified by his works of the Law as we read in Galatians 3: 11
Gal_3:11 (KJV) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
We also read this in Galatians 2: 16
Gal 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
However, as mentioned at the beginning, man still thinks he can be justified by his works and still tries to do what is in the Old Covenant. That is why many sermons are based on Old Testament scripture. It is amazing. Maybe that is why Paul wrote to the Galatians when some of them were trying to do this and he told them:
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Verse 3 above is exactly what being justified by the Old Covenant was to do – being made perfect by works of the flesh.
Yes, one can find history in the Old Testament scriptures, also some promises of God looking ahead to the covenant of grace and not of works, as well as beautiful poetry of the English language. Other than that, Christians should be focusing on the New Testament scripture verses, learning from them like:
Eph 1:11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
2Ti_1:9 (KJV) Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
These are but a few of the gems, the nuggets that can be found throughout the New Testament Covenant of grace.
As a Christian, you have but two choices when it comes to pleasing God. You can try to be obedient to the works of the Law found in the Old Covenant, which no one has ever been able to do, except for Jesus who did so for those who are saved, or you can do what the New Covenant of grace says in living by faith.
Gal_3:11 (KJV) …no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Remember…
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first obsolete. Now that which is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
What Does It Mean To Be “In Christ Jesus”?
What Does It Mean To Be “In Christ Jesus”?
Throughout the New Testament, numerous times there is mentioned the phrase “in Christ Jesus”, but have you ever looked into what it means to be “in Christ Jesus”?
As a refresher, here are several verses in which this phrase is stated:
Rom_8:1 (KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
Eph_1:1 (KJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:
Php_4:21 (KJV) Salute every saint in Christ Jesus.
1Pe_5:14 (KJV) Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
The little word “in” carries a big job in these verses for it is used to denote the following:
– A primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), that is, a relation of rest… give self wholly to, –
You see, once a person is born again and, by the faith of Jesus given to us with which to believe in Him, we not only submit our will but our whole being to Him. In other words, we enter into a unity with Jesus and become one with Him, to do His will and to be obedient to his commands so that we may grow in His grace. Just like when we read what Jesus said to His followers in John 15: 4, 5.
Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
For without me you can do nothing…
In order for us to grow and bear fruit, we need to become closer to Jesus, to learn of Him. We must give up our will to do what we want, in order to do His will, so that we can be at one with Him; He in us and we in Him.
When we give ourselves wholly to Him that is when we become someone who is “in Christ Jesus”.
Jesus, Politics and Peace
Too many people believe that Christianity and politics go together, especially among the evangelical community. However, what does God say in Scripture about Jesus and politics.
The results of the thesis mentioned are in the first verses you are going to see.
From 1 Timothy 2: 1, 2:
1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
How does the recent election year wrangling fit in with these verses? They do not. Everything that happened during that time went against everything that God said for Christians to do.
In addition, in everyday politics, with different parties seeing different views contributing to divisions among so many people, notably among Christians, these commands from God are not being obeyed; anything but being obeyed.
Here are a few other verses to read. See how politics fits into any of them.
2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Rom 13:1 let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
The premise of all of these verses is that Christians are to live in peace with everyone. In politics that cannot be done. It is that simple.
Voting is one thing, as long as we remember that when the counting is over Christians are to accept the results of the election, without reservation, because the results are God’s will. To rebel against the results of an election is to rebel against God.
One cannot be involved with politics and live in peace with “everyone”. You either follow Jesus, and be obedient to Him, or you follow your political party’s leaders and do what they say and be at odds with everyone who does not believe in your politics. Is this how you, a Christian, want to be?
As 1 Timothy 2: 2 says, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life – with everyone – in all godliness and honesty.”
You just cannot serve both Jesus and politics and have peace with everyone. It is one or the other. Choose wisely.
May God open your heart and give you insight and wisdom. Amen.
Christianity Is Not About Politics
Christianity is not about politics. Christians are neither Republicans nor Democrats. The job of Christians is not to directly influence the way to govern a country. It is the Christians duty to obey God.
In 2 Timothy 2 the Apostle Paul writes the following:
2Ti 2:3 You therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
2Ti 2:4 No man that wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier.
Politics: Noun
The activities of the government, members of law-making organizations, or people who try to influence the way to govern a country.
God, being sovereign, has power over all things that He has created, to do what He wills, and there is no one who can question Him, change Him or stop Him from doing as He wills. God puts people and governments in power as He chooses to accomplish what He ordains.
As we read in Daniel 2: 20, 21, it is God who rules over governments and people.
Dan 2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
Dan 2:21 And he changes the times and the seasons: he removes kings, and sets up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:
In addition, in Romans 13: 1 Paul says this in writing about governments…
Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
In every country, city and town, God puts in charge whomever He wishes. He does this for a reason and most likely, we will never know why. However, even though we may not like whoever it is that God has put in charge, even if we cast a vote, our faith in God’s sovereignty should be enough for us to trust that God’s will is always best.
As Christians, then, the most important thing that we are to do, that will have more influence on governments and individuals alike, than direct intervention, is to be obedient to the command that Jesus gave to His disciples:
Mar_16:15 (KJV) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.
The one thing that God wants for us to do, outside the Church universal, is to share the Good News of Jesus to all whom God directs us to meet.
God ordains governments and directs them to do His will. That is not for Christians to do. Politics is God’s business, not ours.
For it is God who rises up and takes down governments, and it is by His hands that governments do according to His will and purpose. If we do not trust in God for how to administer governments, what makes us believe that we can do better?
Only God can bring about what is to be, and it is by His power and might that governments do what He has ordained for them. Our trust is to be in Him and not in any work that we may do to influence any government.
In this world, it is God Who rules over governments and not His children.
How To Know That You Are Abiding In The Love Of Jesus
Are you really abiding in the love of Jesus? If you are a Christian you can know for sure.
Jesus knows that by abiding in His love you will be what the Father wants you to be. But, He has given one basic rule for you to follow in order to abide in His love. You can know how to abide in His love. Breaking this rule will not cause you to lose your salvation, that can never be done. However, it can break your fellowship with the Father, but that fellowship can be restored.
In the Gospel of John chapter 15 Jesus talks about abiding in His love and He is very specific when He says in verse 9,
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you: abide in My love.”
So, how can you know that you are truly abiding in His love. Actually it is very easy to know. He tells us how to abide in the very next verse, verse 10,
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
Think about that for a moment. If you are not obeying Jesus you are not abiding in His love. Look at what He said again.
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.”
It’s very simple, if you love Jesus and want to abide in His love you will be obedient to Him. He said this same thing earlier. In John 14 beginning with verse 21 Jesus said the following:
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
Some examples of being obedient to Jesus can be found in His teachings on sex. Basically any sex outside of marriage is wrong and should not be done. If you do, then you are disobedient and are living in sin. As for marriage, in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 19 Jesus said the following:
“Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Just these few examples will give you an idea of how well you are being obedient to Jesus. These will also let you know if you are truly abiding in the love of Jesus. Don’t kid yourself and say that Jesus loves you no matter what. That is not found anywhere in the Bible and Jesus did give you specific ways of how to know whether or not you are abiding in His love.
There is no way around it. Unless you are being obedient to Jesus you are not abiding in His love. You are showing by your disobedience that you either do not love Jesus or you do not believe in Jesus or both. And this is a grave mistake because both is proof that you may not have born again in the first place. And you are destined to spend eternity in hell. Is that what you want?
In John 15 beginning with verse 5 Jesus said the following:
“I am the vine, you are the branches. he who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned (being condemned to hell).”
You can know that you abide in the love of Jesus. It’s simple. Repent of your sins, your being disobedient to Jesus, and trust completely in Him that He knows what is best, what is true and what is right. No matter what the world says it’s what Jesus says that counts. And Jesus said:
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
So, now you know. From what Jesus has said to you. Are you keeping His commandments and abiding in His love?
Salvation And Obedience
Is Obedience Necessary For Salvation
For they who are being saved from paying the penalty for their sins, salvation comes only by the grace of God. We cannot earn salvation, we cannot be good enough to be deserving of forgiveness for our sins, and we cannot do anything to please God so that He will look upon us with the favor of giving us eternal life.
In Ephesians 2:8, 9 we read, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
This verse is very clear that there is “nothing” we can do to be saved. Salvation comes only by the grace of God.
So, what do we do with verses like Hebrews 5: 9
“And having been perfected, He (Jesus) became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.”
This verse seems to say that only those who obey Jesus will be saved. Then when you add to this what we read in John 14:21
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
As well as John 14:23
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”
These all indicate that only they who obey the commands of Jesus will be saved. Well, that is exactly what they are saying, but not in the way that you might think.
You see, being obedient to Jesus does not mean that you will be saved. No, what these verses indicate is that having been saved by Jesus means that you will come to have a great desire to be obedient to Him. In this desire to obedience shows that Jesus has become the author of your eternal salvation.
If we cannot be saved by obedience, and salvation only comes by way of grace then, obedience to Jesus is “evidence” of having already been saved. If you are saved by grace, from having to pay the penalty of your sins, you will come to have a desire to be obedient to the commands of Jesus.
As you grow in your walk with Jesus you will find yourself wanting more and more to be obedient to what Jesus wants you to do. You will have victories and you will have defeats. Having been saved, we still live in a body that is tainted with sin. We war and fight against it as it still has the same old lusts and desires that it had before being born again.
In my own case, on a daily basis I face desires and temptations that I had when I was not a Christian but, having been saved by the grace of God, I find that I now want to be obedient to what Jesus has for me. I constantly fight against the things that I no longer want to do yet, in moments of weakness I find that I have given in and have done or thought those things that I do not want to do.
At these times I come to God in shame and sorrow for having done so, and to ask Him to receive me back in to His arms to comfort me for my having lost a battle; for the sin that I have done. I have already been forgiven for my dis-obedience, but in confessing my sin, and acknowledging that I have given in to something that was wrong, I admit that I cannot be obedient on my own and I need to look more to Jesus for the strength to do so.
You see, when I look to myself for the strength to fight the good fight I will always fail. It is only when I cry out to the Father for strength to turn away from what is pulling at me will I ever have any chance of success in my being obedient to the will of Jesus.
Having been born again, we now have a new life within us and it is that life that will spend eternity with Christ in Heaven. That new life is what wants to be obedient to Jesus and it will be that life that will fight against the flesh for domination of our body.
In our Christian walk we will find ourselves wanting to do more for Him than for ourselves, and as we do so we will see that our obedience becomes easier than when we first began. Know this, obedience is evidence of our having been born again by the grace of God and of the new life that now lives within us.
If you say that you are a Christian, but there is no evidence of obedience in your Christian walk, especially if there is no desire of obedience, then there is a good expectation that you have not been born again in the first place. You may still be dead (spiritually) in you sins.
You will do well to make sure that you are saved. If you just “accepted” Jesus as a “personal” Savior but did not submit and bow the knee to Jesus as Lord, that is a good indication that you may not have been saved at all. Just because you “accepted” Jesus as a “personal” Savior does not mean that you are saved.
We are commanded to confess with our mouth that Jesus is “Lord”, and we are commanded to call upon the name of the “Lord”, and the only way we can call Jesus “Lord” is to put Him first and to acknowledge Jesus as the one who will control our life as we live in this world and in the world to come. We must bow before Him as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords and to dedicate our lives to serving Him no matter what the end result will be.
Have you done that? Have you declared Jesus to be Lord of your life? if not, why not do so now. For Jesus will not be a Savior to anyone who will not bow the knee to Him as Lord.
As Jesus said in Luke 14:33
“So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
Do this now, forsake all that you have, which is to forsake yourself, your wants, needs and desires, and to submit to Jesus as Lord of your life, and declare that from now on you want only to please Him.
If you can do that, you truly are a disciple of Christ because you have been born again into the family of God. You will know without a doubt that Jesus is the Author of your eternal salvation and your obedience will be the evidence that He has done so specifically for you.
Obedience is the evidence that salvation has been effectively applied to the one for whom Christ died. I pray that Jesus will reveal this to you now…
