The Christian and overwhelming guilt

Lu 2:14  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.

God’s desire for earthlings is that they should have peace however, when one take a look at mankind throughout the ages they seldom enjoyed extended periods of peace. There were thousands of wars many of them over trivial matters and millions have perished over five thousand years because of the impact of all those wars. Even Christians washed in Jesus blood and trying hard to live Godly lives, often have needless turmoil in their lives because they listen to the devil instead of standing on God’s word. These precious people are often overwhelmed by guilt and a sense of unworthiness because they simply do not seem to be able to live the perfect lives that God expect them to live. However, God does not want His people to live in guilt and condemnation.

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Let’s find a way to explain this verse so that everyone will understand how far God will go to extend His grace to Christians.  When the Israelites where camping in the wilderness, God gave very specific instructions on how they should set up camp. People can read more about these camping arrangements in Numbers chapter 2. What it comes down to was that the tribes who were camping in the North was the smallest, those camping in the south were the most with those east and west in between. The question now is, what did God see out of heaven when He looked down on the Israeli camp and the answer is that He saw a cross.

This is undoubtedly one of the primary reasons why God was able to endure the stubbornness of those Israelites. God knew that at the determined time His Own Son would perish on a cross to pay the debt of the entire human race. We can see this same Godly nature revealed very clearly in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve deserved to die for their rebellion, but God after he told them the consequences of their actions, proceeded to kill an animal and He gave the skins of that animal to Adam and Eve as a covering.

Gen3:21 ¶  For Adam also and for his wife the LORD God made coats of skins, and clothed them.

Even though God would have been justified to let Adam and Eve perish, this is not the Godly way of doing things. This can be seen in Genesis 5 which on the surface looks like just another boring genealogy, but Dr. Chuck Missler maintains in his series Cosmic Codes that there is more to Genesis 5 than people would assume. Apparently if you translate the 10 names in Genesis 5 with a Hebrew root dictionary those names tell the Gospel story. It says that man was appointed mortal sorrow but the blessed God will descend from above, teaching that His death will bring the mourning comfort.

We who live after the cross is in a better position spiritually than those who lived before the cross. Today the Holy Spirit live inside Christians, while in Old Testament Times the Holy Spirit could only cover them. Today we have complete redemption while the old saints only had atonement. Atonement could only cover the stain caused by sin while redemption through the blood of the Lamb completely removes the stain. That is why it can be assumed that if God exercised extreme patience as far as the Israelites was concerned how much more would He not do for us who have been cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb.

John 5:37  And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

38  And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

39  Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

40  And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

It is faith in God’s word which makes the difference. Without intimate knowledge of the scriptures our lives are a mess.

Ho 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

People do not enjoy the benefits procured on the cross because they do not know God’s word. This is why Christians wallow in guilt and condemnation and they continue to believe the lies of the Devil that they are worthless and therefore they do not deserve God’s blessings.

1 John 3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

19  And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. {assure: Gr. persuade }

20 ¶  For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

21  Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

22  And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

You see, if you are guilty and under constant condemnation, you will never receive anything from God because guilt is just a form of unbelieve. It means we are putting more faith in our feelings than we are placing in God’s Word.

He 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

God wants us to approach Him boldly for whatever we may need and when we do we will obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. But we need to exercise our faith because faith pleases God.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

James 1:6  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7  For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Once you have taken a stand you must stand firm no matter what you may hear or experience because when you do, God will honor His word and He will provide whatever you may need. You will sometimes mess up and when it happens return to this scripture.

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Every saint has sinned at one point or another but the secret is not to remain in that unprofitable situation but to acknowledge your sin and to be instantly cleansed from unrighteousness.

Pr 28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

When you stand in righteousness before God knowing that your sins have been forgiven, there no longer any fear or feelings of unworthiness and then you are ready to receive from God.

Pr 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

This does not mean that you will not fail again but when you do immediately confess your sin and accept your forgiveness unconditionally. Failure to do so means that the guilt and the unworthiness will remain and when you are in that condition you are in guilt, in unbelieve and in defeat. You have no boldness, no confidence and no fellowship with God. Your prayers will not be answered because you are no longer acting on God’s Word.

Ro 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

All God ever wanted was to live in peace with His creation and He sacrificed His Own Son to acquire that peace.

2 Cor 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. {he is: or, let him be }

18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. {committed … : Gr. put in us }

20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The fact is that God have reconciled the whole world unto Himself through the sacrifice of Jesus even those who rejected Jesus. He no longer holds the sins of unbelievers against them but He still expects them to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is why the world is in such a mess right now because we are still in the dispensation of grace. God when He looks at this world before He takes action against sinners he first has to confer with His Son sitting at His right hand. Jesus is our mediator and God cannot act without the consent of His Son because legally Jesus has complied with all of the requirements of the law when He died on that cross. This is why we as Christians should not be living in guilt and condemnation. Doing so after all that Jesus has suffered is an insult. Accept God’s forgiveness and live life fully every day.

If this teaching has been a blessing to you, please consider supporting my ministry.

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Thank you very much. May God bless you. Amen.

Mountain Moving Faith

Mar 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

Many people read this verse without ever considering the awesome implications which this verse represent. If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believe. Not only some things, not sometimes, there is no extra conditions, all that is required is faith and you will have whatever you believe. This statement is repeated elsewhere.

Mat 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Elsewhere the Lord says more about a mustard seed.

Mar 4:30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?

Mar 4:31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:

Mar 4:32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.

Jesus is saying that faith is not an impossible thing, you do not require large amounts because a mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds but it turns into a very large tree when fully grown. The same thing is said in Mark 11.

Mar 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

Mar 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Faith in God’s word can and will move mountains and will resolve any problem which you may have.  And although there is a scripture that says:

Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Because of this many people falsely assume that there is of necessity a waiting period before the thing which you believe for will materialize. This believe is self-defeating because as long as you believe this you will sit with your problem and you will postpone the thing which you are believing for. Paul healed a lame man almost instantly.

Act 14:6 They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:

Act 14:7 And there they preached the gospel.

Act 14:8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:

Act 14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

Act 14:10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

What happened here? They were preaching the gospel a message of good news about God’s deliverance and healing and the lame man was listening and when Paul saw that his level of faith has increased sufficiently to make a miracle possible, he said to him, stand up and the man obeyed and he immediately was healed. There was no waiting period and this is also true about the woman who was healed of her blood flow.

Mat 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:

Mat 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

Mat 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

There need not be a period of waiting, God is able to honor your faith instantly. What about Peter on the water, when Jesus said come, he immediately stepped out of the boat and started to walk towards Jesus. Unfortunately, his faith did not last long because he started looking at the impossible circumstance, the strong wind and high waves. Then he became afraid, he started to doubt and he sank.

Mat 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

Mat 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Mat 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

This shows the importance of holding on to your faith because without faith you receive nothing.

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Jam 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Jam 1:7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

Jam 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Once you ask God for anything you must believe with all your heart that your request is instantly granted. Genuine word based faith is always now, if you are postponing it, its hope not faith.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

The Amplified Bible says that faith is the title deed of things hoped for.

Definition of substance:

The real physical matter of which a person or thing consists.

"DNA is the substance of our genes"

The choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience.

In other words, faith is substance from which everything is made. It is the ultimate creative force by which everything has been made. That’s why the amplified Bible is correct in saying: faith is the title deed of things hoped for. If you have faith, you also instantaneously possess the thing you hope for.

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

You receive faith by filling your heart with the word of God just like the lame man who listened to Paul and the woman with the flow of blood.

Joh 5:38 And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

If God’s word does not live in your heart you are not even able to accept the most basic gospel truths.

Rom 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

If we want to please God we must live by faith, we must daily live by faith in his word and we must put His word above our doctor’s diagnosis or the pitiful state of our bank account.

Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

The word of God has made everything and that word in our hearts and mouths has the same capacity to create or heal just like it was during the earthly ministry of Jesus.

Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

Not only has God’s word made everything, it also upholds or maintain all creation. The planets stay in motion because of the power of God’s word. Our bodies heal because God has commanded that they should.

Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Consist (Originate (in) Have its essential character; be comprised or contained in; be embodied in.

God’s word is everything we need to rule as kings on this planet. We are conquerors in Him, we do not need to remain in defeat and lack.

1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

God wants us to conquer, He desires us to live abundant lives.

Phi 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Psa 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

 

The Bible provide unassailable proof of God’s good intentions towards His creation.

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Rom 8:31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

The above scripture is probably the least understood of all scriptures, because if it was understood the person who lives by it will never fail. If God is for us who can be against us? We know God is on our side, He has proven that by crucifying Jesus in our place. Because God is on our side nothing can oppose us or harm us or steal from us. When His word is in us we know that Satan and his demons are defeated and they can never be a threat to us ever again because God is on our side and He lives in us. Unfortunately, far too many Christians do not know their inheritance they have not studied the testament which reveals their rights as heirs of the King. Like the Bible says: My people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge. However, Jesus said in Joh 8:31.

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Many Christians are not free for they have not yet learned the truth as it is revealed to us in the Bible. However, to come back to Rom 8:31 If God is for us who can be against us? Now notice the next part, He who did not spare His Own Son, but gave Him up for us, how shall He not with Him, freely give us all things.

Stop to think about this, who is God giving up for us, not just His Son, but also the Word of God by whom God has created everything and by Whom God also uphold or maintain all things. Now, the Jackpot question in my humble opinion is, if God has already given up for us the creator and maintainer of all things, what is there that is more important so that He may refuse to give us those things? And the answer has to be, absolutely nothing! There is absolutely nothing which God will not give to you if you stand on His Word!

Come-on, God already gave the most important possession which He has, refusing us anything after sacrificing His Son makes no sense at all. Saying, God will give me this or that when He thinks I am ready for it is an insult. God has been ready from before the foundation of the world, He was always a giver. The only things disqualifying us from receiving is our own unbelief. The same thing happened to the Israelites.

Heb 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,

Heb 3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Heb 3:9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.

The Israelites was delivered by God out of Egypt by a strong hand and through many miracles. He led them through the wilderness and proved Himself reliable and trust worthy and yet they still refused to trust in Him.

Heb 3:10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways.

Heb 3:11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.)

They could not enter because of their unbelief.

Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Heb 3:18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?

Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Jesus when He visited his hometown of Nazareth could do there no great miracles because of their unbelief. Not because Jesus could not heal them. 70% of the time when Jesus healed anyone, He said; your faith has healed you. God does not force Himself on anyone, He demands that His children trust in Him. Those Nazarites had the law of Moses and the prophets, they should have believed, they missed out on a miracle because God’s word did not abide in their hearts.

Heb 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

Heb 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Heb 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Heb 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

Heb 4:5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

Heb 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

Heb 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

It is the word of God that makes the difference, His word must abide in our hearts and we must speak that word with our mouth in order to create whatever we need.

Rev 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

Rev 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Rev 1:12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

Rev 1:13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

Rev 1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Rev 1:15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Rev 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

The word of God is the sword of the Spirit, when His word abides in our hearts and we speak His word in faith circumstance must change and obstacles must move.

Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isa 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

Isa 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

God’s Word cannot fail; it is our faith which fails because we allow ourselves to be influenced by our circumstances instead of trusting Gods word to obtain the victory for us. When God’s Word abide in our hearts like God commands us in Joshua 1:8 then we cannot fail to be blessed.

Jos 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Jam 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

God has given us everything which we might need to succeed in this life. There is no reason why we should not be healthy and prosperous. He that gave us Jesus has already given us everything else besides.

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God.

Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Jesus is the Word of God that became flesh. That Word is the Godly seed which turns us in to sons of God.

1Pe 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1Pe 1:24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

1Pe 1:25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

There is no doubt when we look at these scriptures that God has already done everything to bless and to prosper us. All He requires of us is to believe His word and to believe in Him. God is on our side, His children need to accept this fact and they should live everyday as sons and daughters of the King.

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