Understanding the Bible kind of grace

Psa 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Psa 91:2 I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

The Bible talks about a place where there is complete protection for the believer. And it does not require the believer to do anything, they should only remain very close to the most High.

Jam 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

The closer you remain to God in though, word, action or attitude, the safer you will be. Most people in our modern way of living is always trying to see how far they can stretch their boundaries without breaking the law or mauling accepted social taboo’s. There are those who flirt openly with criminality and overstepping the boundaries of morality.  Many will tell you that it is okay to explore and experiment as long as you are not caught in the act. Many people fail to consider why God gave Israel the 10 commandments. The 10 commandments were not given because God did not want people to have fun. Whether people realize this or not, the 10 commandments was given to Israel and to modern Christians as protection.

Think of a new computer, when you first load an operating system onto that computer using an original installation disk, that completed installation is considered to be a clean installation. It has not yet been corrupted in any way because no other data has yet been introduced to your fresh operating system. However, should you decide to browse the internet without first installing a suitable virus protection program, then you may soon have a badly infested operation system which will soon start to behave very strangely. If this situation is not dealt with the operating system may reach a point where it is so compromised that it simple can no longer function.

You see Adam was the perfect computer, which was loaded with a perfect operating system and God as a loving and responsible creator proceeded to provide Adam with all the virus protection required.

Gen 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

As long as Adam obeyed God the operating system continued to function according to the instructions given by God. However, when faced with temptation, Adam manually and willfully overrode the virus protection program allowing the virus supplied by Satan to penetrate the operating system and there all the problems for creation started.

A simple virus protection program was no longer feasible, not because the God produced virus protection program did not work, but because people continued to override the system rendering it useless against attacks from outside. That is why the 10 commandments even though it was a superior kind of virus protection continued to fail because it was constantly overridden by rebellious people who failed to understand why those commandments was given in the first place. Paul gives us some insight into his own struggle as far as obedience is concerned.

Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

This is the predicament in which every human being finds themselves. We are sinful and rebellious creatures who have been completely corrupted by harmful viruses to the point where doing good constantly does not come naturally anymore but rather it is a constant struggle between the forces of good and evil within us.

The story is told about a missionary who once spoke to an Indian chief and he asked the chief how he experienced the presence of good and evil in his life. The chief confessed the there was two dogs fighting constantly within him, a white dog and a black dog and he himself decide which dog will win any particular fight. This is exactly what Paul has described in the above scriptures, that doing good no longer comes naturally, even for dedicated believers, it is something which believers has to work at constantly. Fortunately, God once again has a solution.

Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Paul says that with his mind he serves the law of God but with his flesh the law of sin.

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.

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

God’s answer to all this was Jesus who Himself became our substitute, dying in our place on the cross of Calvary. Jesus Himself was the ultimate virus protection. When we accept Jesus Christ, our spirit is reborn and our sins is washed away and the guilt and condemnation is removed. Notice that verse 3 says that the law was made ineffectual because of the weakness of the flesh but Jesus taking on a fleshly body without succumbing to the weakness of that body became the perfect Lamb of God that succeeded in removing the one obstacles which continued to defeat humans.

I shared the story of the cross in a previous post, how the Israelites under Divine instruction set up their camp in the form of a cross. And this is why God was able to patiently endure the rebellion of those Israelites because every time God looked down upon them He remembered that there would be a cross, where His Son would be the substitute for mankind. If the coming crucifixion provided protection for ancient Israel, how much more will we be protected who live while the crucified Lord is in heaven where has become our mediator.

1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Respectfully how can God judge anyone when the One who paid mankind’s debt is sitting on the right-hand side of the throne of God speaking to God on our behalf.

Hebrews 8:1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

No this does not give us a license to sin but when we sin, we have the opportunity to confess those sins and to instantly receive God’s forgiveness.

1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

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

1Jo 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Verse 9 says that when we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Why is this? Jesus on the cross paid all our debts in full and guaranteed our pardon once and for all. Therefore, respectfully speaking, when you confess your sins, God has a legal duty to forgive you because you cannot be held responsible for something for which Jesus has already been punished. For the sake of complete clarity, one can go so far as to say that God has no other choice but to forgive your sins because Jesus your Savior is sitting on God’s right hand with the nail prints still visible in His hands and His shed blood on the mercy seat before the throne. God is completely just and fair and there is no way that God will condemn you while His blessed Son is in heaven to speak on your behalf.

However, we spoke earlier about people pushing the boundaries, always trying to see with how much they can successfully get away. They fail to realize that living in this way carries a huge risk. You become insensitive, sin and disobedience become a way of life and the more you violate your conscience the less effective will your conscience be and the more viruses is introduced to your operating system.

Ezra 9:6 And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.

The word blush appears three time in the Bible. In the above verse the persons conscious works as it is supposed to and he is so ashamed that he actually blushes and could not lift his face while speaking to God. This is the ideal situation for the child of God to be in, where we obey our conscience and where we are genuinely ashamed when we do things which are not right.

Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Here Jeremiah is faced with a different situation where Israel has progressed so far in their rebellion against God to the point where they are no longer ashamed and they no longer blush when they do things which are wrong. This situation is repeated in the next verse.

Jeremiah 8:12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

Becoming hardened in rebellion is never a good thing and it is possible to reach the point of return without realizing it.

Pro 29:1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

It is a very dangerous thing to willfully continued to persist in rebellion. You see God speaks to your Spirit and your conscious can be called the voice of God’s Spirit. If your conscious is no longer sensitive, you by your own choice have cut yourself off from God. Once you lose that Divine input your decline is accelerated ten-fold and you are quickly corrupted to the point where you are so infected with viruses that you declare all out war on God and everything which He represents.

Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

Heb 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Heb 10:18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

When you continue to reject God’s grace there eventually remains no more forgiveness for your sins.

1Timothy 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

 Having their conscience seared with a hot iron is language which a cattle farmer will understand. Cattle farmers use a hot branding iron to mark their cattle so that they can be identified in the event of theft or when the cattle stray too far and have to be located and identified. Branding destroys the sensitivity in that are where the mark is applied and likewise violating your conscience over a period of time will result in a conscience which is no longer sensitive and such a person will no longer blush when doing wrong.

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

The above verse says clearly that there will always be more than enough grace to cover the sins which are committed. Once again this does not give us a license to sin, doing so will be contrary to the true purpose of the cross which wants to deliver us from the power of sin. God’s grace is more than sufficient for all of our needs; however, it is entirely possible to remove yourself from God’s grace. This is regrettable and it goes against everything which God has done from the beginning until now.

Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

God has no desire that wicked people should die, rather He encourage them to turn from their wickedness so that they may live. Many people have a completely wrong impression of who and what God is and what He have done for them through the death of His Son. God’s grace is sufficient for you and your family and the Father is ready and willing to act on your behalf. All you need to do is to continue to believe. Continue to study the Bible so that you can learn who and what God is and how completely committed he is to His creation. There is nothing that God will not do for you when you stand on his promises.

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Thank you very much. God bless you, Amen.

God sent His Word and healed them

Psa 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

There is today so many opinions on the topic of Divine healing and many questions are being asked, such as, is healing really for today? Does God still heal people today? Why are there so many believing Christians that die daily from a variety of diseases? When looking at the Bible we can clearly see that this is a topic which is extensively discussed by many writers of the Bible. What is then the truth as far as Biblical healing is concerned?

Ex 15:26  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

God promises in the above verse that if His children put His Word first in their lives then they will not be afflicted with various diseases for God Himself is their Healer. There are many other verses saying the same thing.

Ps 103:3  Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

Here David say that God not only forgive the sins of His children but He also heal all of their diseases.

Ps 147:3  He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

Isa 30:26  Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

It is clear from the above verses That God is a healing God who have never intended that His people should suffer.

Isi 53:5  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. {wounded: or, tormented } {stripes: Heb. bruise }

1 Pet 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

2 Chron 30:18  For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one

19  That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.

20  And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

Ps 30:2  O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

It is clear from the scriptures that God wants to heal people. What is it that keeps people from obtaining healing?

Isa 6:10  Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Rom 10:10 says, For with the heart men believe.

However, if your heart is not prepared and ready to receive from God then obviously you have a very big problem. Likewise, if you cannot hear or refuse to listen there can once again be no solution to your problems because Paul says in Romans that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Likewise, if you cannot see with your eyes or refuse to see what God has given you then healing and other scriptural blessings simply will not come your way. Been converted to God’s way of seeing things is now quite impossible and therefore such a person cannot be healed, not because God is not able but because such a person has rejected God’s conditions as described in the Bible.

What can we learn from the ministry of Jesus?

Mt 4:24  And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Just like His Father, Jesus also healed people wherever He went.

Mt 8:8  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

Mt 8:13  And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Speak the Word only for there is tremendous power in God’s word.

Heb1:2  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;

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;

4 ¶  Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

Through Jesus God has made everything and through Jesus God also upholds or maintains all things. But what and who is Jesus and how did He come to be?

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

2  The same was in the beginning with God.

3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

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.

The above scriptures are clear that Jesus was and is the Word of God which was made flesh and who lived among mankind as Jesus the Messiah. God made all things through Jesus and the above scripture say that without Him nothing was made.

Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16  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:

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

Jesus looks exactly like God His Father and in fact His is a mirror image of God. Through Him absolutely everything was created and all creation is contained in Him. And it was this Jesus which God allowed to be crucified in our place. Now it is easier to understand another scripture when tells us exactly how much God has given us.

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

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?

You see in the above verses it becomes abundantly clear that Jesus not only created everything but He also upholds or maintains all things.

Uphold- Keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last / Stand up for; stick up for; of causes, principles, or ideals / Support against an opponent.

Jas 1:17  Every gift which is good, and every perfect boon, is from above, and comes down from the Father, who is the source of all Light. In Him there is no variation nor the slightest suggestion of change.

Ro 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. EMTV 29  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Irrevocable, binding, irreversible, final, unalterable, unchangeable, permanent, immutable and irretrievable.

Repentance, regret, sorrow, remorse, penitence, atonement, shame, contrition and penance.

This is strong language and it leaves believers with a clear picture of exactly what God is giving us in Christ Jesus. You see, if God has already given the creator and upholder of all things over for us, why on earth should God refuse us anything. The fact is He does not, He can’t, what God has given, He has given, it is never taken back. It is people themselves who decide whether they are going to accept God’s gift or not.

Mat 13:54  And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

55  Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

56  And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

57  And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

58  And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

This is extraordinary, Jesus is the Creator and the Upholder of all things, He has total power invested in Him but He did very few miracles among them because of their unbelief. It is important to remember that the problem was not on Jesus’s side. He could heal them and He wanted to heal them but God is not going to force Himself on anyone.

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.

You need to believe in order to receive anything from God and in order to do that you need to know what the Bible says about God and healing.

John 5:38  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.

Without God’s Word in your heart you cannot receive anything.

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

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

God’s word is the key to everything in the believer’s life. God’s word is the believer’s testament which tells us about our inheritance as heirs of Jesus Christ. Without knowing the testament, we will fail to receive everything which has already been given to us by God.

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.

Ps 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. {ungodly: or, wicked }

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

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.

James 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.

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

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: {For: or, For that }

25  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.

The Word of God is the key to success as a believer, without standing on God’s Word you will not receive anything. But how exactly does one receive Divine healing?

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

7  And there they preached the gospel.

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:

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

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

This lame man heard Paul preaching the gospel and hearing the message of good news resulted in strong faith in his heart and when Paul shouted Stand upright on thy feet he did not stop to reason but he jumped up in absolute faith.

Pr 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

You have to put all your trust in God, do not try to work things out in your own mind because that will lead to defeat and disappointment. Remember Peter walking on the water, when Jesus said, come, Peter got out of the boat and he started to walk on the water. Unfortunately, his faith did not last because he started to notice the strong wind and other contrary circumstances and he started to sink.

Heb 11:1 ¶  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. {substance: or, ground, or, confidence }

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 / The property of holding together and retaining its shape.

The Amplified Bible says that Faith is the title deed of things hoped for. A title deed is irrevocable proof of ownership. Genuine Bible believing faith is your title deed that whatever you hope for is already yours in Christ Jesus. God has provided his creation with absolutely everything which they may need in this life. However, it requires faith in God’s Word to receive all of those blessings. However, the crucifixion of Jesus is irrevocable proof that God is serious about providing His children with all created things and He will also uphold and maintain and heal all things such as our frail human bodies. We do not yet have all of those things because we do not believe God unconditionally. We do not yet comprehend what exactly Jesus has purchased for us on the cross of Calvary. This situation can be easily rectified by meditating on God’s word, by filling or hearts with the creative force of God’s Word. God’s word cannot fail.

Isi 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:

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.

Num 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

20  Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.

Ro 11:29  For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

God will honor His Word in your life, you do not have to worry about that, all He requires of you is that you shall have complete trust in His Divine promises.

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Thank you, God bless you, Amen.