Important Word About Faith

Greetings in the Lord!

Today's word comes from Galatians chapter 2:11-16~
"When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified."

~How interesting that even Peter, Barnabas, and other Jewish leaders gave into peer pressure and re-joined those in error who tried to live according to the Jewish law again (i.e. seeking righteousness by the following of the Law)...they were forsaking the freedom Christ died to give us! It must have been hard for Paul to work up the nerve to rebuke him in front of all the leaders---but it was imparative that he did so! Fellow saints, please hear the Lord today: it is only through faith in Christ that we are justified. Yes, you say, I know this. But read again the words of Paul: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God." 'Christ in us' is more than a simple, "Yes, I believe Jesus died for me!", and then going on to seek your own righteousness by living by man's laws or accepted theologies of Christianity. No fellow saints, it is Christ living in us. Therefore, not only are we free to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, that is necessary in order for us to become more Christlike everyday and to develop a deeper, more mature relationship with Jesus Christ, the risen Savior. He is alive!

Now I'm sure those false Jewish brothers were very persuasive to Peter and the others because they could quote the Old Testament scriptures to pressure them into behaving like "good Jews." But in actuality, these false brothers were completely ignorant of the freedom that comes with knowing who we are in Christ and being justified by our faith in Him instead of pursuing righteousness by works. Not only that, once we become deceived into pursuing our righteousness through works, we can easily be misled by people and taken captive into false teachings and godless myths.

For example, as Christians we know that Jesus Christ is the Healer and it is right that we put our faith in Him to heal us. However, what if the Holy Spirit directs us to go to the doctor and have human agents participate in our healing process? One who lives 'under the law' would forbid us to go to the doctor or try to dissuade us from following the leading of the Holy Spirit by quoting Bible scriptures about healing and pressuring you into following their ways instead of the guidance the Holy Spirit gave you. "Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?" (Galatians 3:5). Likewise, were not Job's friends wrong to accuse Job of unrighteousness, showing no compassion for him or offering to prayfully intercede on his behalf with petitions to God for his deliverance? Why did they act that way to their brother? Ultimately they associated his physical circumstances with unrighteousness and did not really know the heart of God, His ways, or His purposes...they lived under their own laws of how to attain righteousness. On the other hand, Job's faith was revealed when he kept his trust in God, even though he was honest to God and his friends about his feelings of betrayal, anguish, and confusion over his dire circumstances. "...'Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?' In all this, Job did not sin in what he said." (Job 2:10b) I pray today that the eyes of our hearts will be opened to the mystery of faith the Lord has revealed to us this day. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Intercessors, Cast Down the Betrayal!

Greetings in the Lord~ Well, a lot has happened since I've written last, but today is not for re-hashing, but to give a word from 3 different scriptures that call us to still pray and fast for our newly re-elected President, Donald Trump. First, from Mark 6:14-28 we read that Herod had John the Baptist killed because his wife, Herodias, ultimately bore a grudge against John.  First, she had him arrested for speaking against their marriage, then later killed at one of Herod's parties, after she seized the opportunity when Herod promised his daughter anything because of her mesmerizing dancing.  Herod himself, actually respected John a great deal, but could not recant his promise in front of his party guests. The second passage is from John 21:18-19, when Jesus gives Simon Peter the prediction of his death.  "I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go.  But when you are old, you will s
Read more

Approved to Receive a Reward

Greetings in Christ! Today's scripture comes from 1 Corinthians 3:3-4:21, but because that is such a long passage, I will highlight some verses from that and will hope that some of you can study the whole passage on your own, as it is a good read and timely message. 3:10-15) "By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. 4:5-6) Therefore, judge nothing before t
Read more

Fill the Cup of Mercy

Greetings in the Lord! Today when the Lord led me to read Lamentations chapter 1, my heart sank. Oh, how hard it is to give a mournful message to a nation that knows neither humility or shame. Selah. I pause here to let the Holy Spirit bring tears to your eyes to weep over the Word of the Lord today, for surely "the Lord loves a contrite and broken heart." V. 6-9 "All the splendor has departed from the Daughter of Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; in weakness they have fled before the pursurer. In the days of her affliction and wandering Jerusalem remembers all the treasures that were hers in days of old. When her people fell into enemy hands, there was no one to help her. Her enemies looked at her and laughed at her destruction. Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean. All who honor her despise her, for they have seen her ness; she herself groans and turns away. Her filthiness clung to her skirts; she did not consider her future. Her f
Read more

Step Out and Signs Will Follow

Greetings in the Lord! Today's word comes from Mark 2:8-12 & Mark 16:19-20: "Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, "Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins..." He said to the paralytic, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they parised God, saying "We have never seen anything like this!" "After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." (Mk. 16:19-20.) ~
Read more

Mathematics on Serving Christ

Greetings in the Lord! Today's word comes from John 12:45-26~ "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who s his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me." ~Much has been written this year already about the coming of revival to the nations of the earth, including our own, to be sure. Likewise, much has been preached about blessings and prosperity as well, especially in our nation. But once again, the Lord lays upon my heart a message of self-sacrifice and of a more balanced--and certianly less materialstic view--of blessings and prosperity. All week the Lord has been giving me scriptures and words in my private time with Him about the mystery of persecution. The Holy Spirit said, "You are blessed and highly favored when the Lord choses you to suffer for His namesake." Then today I was led to read from Philippian
Read more

Josiah Generation

Greetings in the Lord! Today's word comes from 2 Kings 23:8-25~ "Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the shrines at the gates...He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech. He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun....He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord...The king also desecrated the high places that were...built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the people of Ammon....The king asked, "What is that tombstone I see?" The men of the city said, "It m
Read more

Our Hope is in You

Greetings in the Lord! Today's word comes to us as a teaching; for if you've been discerning in your spirit that you ought to pray for your country, the word from the Lord today will guide you. It comes from Jeremiah 14:19-22: "Have You rejected Judah completely? Do You despise Zion? Why have You afflicted us so that we cannot be healed? We hoped for peace but no good has come, for a time of healing but there is only terror. O Lord, we acknowledge our wickedness and the guilt of our fathers; we have indeed sinned against You. For the sake of Your Name do not despise us; do not dishonor Your glorious throne. Remember Your covenant with us and do not break it. Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is You, O Lord our God. Therefore our hope is in You, for You are the One who does all this." ~Be blessed and be a blessing.
Read more