Blessed in His Grace

A good biblical definition of grace can be found in Philippians 2:13, "For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure." (AMP) Notice, it is "God who is effectively at work in you." In other words this has nothing to do with our abilities or strength, but Gods ability, His strength, His energy working in us through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the work of the Holy Spirit in us is to transform every believer more into the image of Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:18) This is an act of God's grace. Our only involvement in this is cooperating with Him in this wonderful work.

With that, let us consider the following two scenarios. The first is what we could say is a good day spiritually. What I mean is, you get up promptly when your alarm goes off and have a refreshing and profitable time reading the Bible and praying. Your plans for the day generally fall into place, and you sense the presence of God with you. To top it off, you unexpectedly have an opportunity to share the gospel with someone that the Holy Spirit has quickened in you who is truly searching. As you talk with the person, you sense the Holy Spirit helping you and also working in this persons heart who then accepts Christ as Lord and Savior. You return home feeling excited that Gods grace was at work in you and also at work with the person that had just accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. 

However, the second day in this scenario, is just the opposite. You don't arise at the first ring of your alarm. Instead, you shut it off and go back to sleep. When you finally awaken, it's too late to have a time in the Word and to pray. You quickly gulp down some breakfast and rush off to the day's activities. You feel guilty about missing your devotional time, and things just generally seem to go wrong all day and as the day rolls along, you become more and more irritable. To top things off, you do not sense God's presence in your life and then an unexpected opportunity to share the gospel with someone who seems to be interested in accepting Christ as Savior presents itself. You do not feel the Holy Spirit's prompting, you fumble at your words, the person does not receive Christ. Finally, you return home, tired and disappointed. 

In a sense, we could call one day a good day and the other a bad day. How do we suppose we would look at both days? Let's look at the following questions as to how we would feel about these two scenarios. Would we enter those two witnessing opportunities with a different degree of confidence? Would we be less confident on the bad day than on the good day? Would we find it difficult to believe that God would bless us and use us in the midst of a rather bad spiritual day? If you answered yes to those questions, you have lots of company among believers. Many believers would be less confident of God's blessing while sharing Christ at the end of a bad day than they would after a good one. Is such thinking justified? Does God work that way? The answer to both of these questions is no! Why? Because God's blessing does not depend on our performance or feelings. 

Why then do so many believers think this way? It is because they believe that God's blessing on our lives is somehow conditioned upon our performance. If we have performed well and had a good day, we can assume we are in a position for God to bless us. We know God's blessings come to us through Christ, but we also have this vague but very real notion that they are also conditioned on our behavior. The point of this good day, bad day scenario is this; regardless of our performance, we are to always and in all things, depend on God's grace, His ability, His strength, His energy working in and through us, through the Holy Spirit. 

The good news in this, is, the gospel message is God's grace is available to us on both our best days as well as our worst days. This is true because the Lord Jesus Christ fully satisfied the claims of justice and fu1ly paid the penalty of a broken law when He died on the cross as our substitute. Every day of our Christian experience should be a day of relating to God on the basis of His grace alone. We are not only saved by grace, but we also live by grace every day. This grace comes through the meritorious work of God in Christ. Look what the Holy Spirit reveals to us through the Apostle Paul, "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2) 

A significant part of the Mosaic Law was the promise of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28). Some Christians live as if that principle applies to them today. But Paul tells us, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4) 

Christ has already borne the curses for our disobedience and earned for us the blessings of obedience. As a result we are now to look to Christ alone, not Christ plus our performance, but simply Christ for God's blessings in our lives. We are saved by grace and we are to live by grace alone. When we pray to God for His blessing, He does not examine our performance to see if we are worthy. Rather, He looks to see if we are trusting in the merit of His Son as our only hope for securing His blessings. The Apostle Paul, when speaking to certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers tells them, "for in Him (Christ) we live and move and have our being." (Acts 17:28) So, let us let go of all the self-labors and works and bask in the amazing grace of God. Let us no longer do, to live, but live and do for His glory.

Let Love Arise

The word lord is defined as, "someone having power, authority, or great influence; a master or ruler." Now for most believers, the word Lord is a name that is attributed to the Living God, even Christ Himself. One of the verses of scripture that reveals this is, "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." (Psalm 110:1) With that said, some questions arises. If believers address Jesus as Lord, and He is, the one with all authority, (Matthew 28:18) the master and ruler over all, then shouldn't we obey and carry out His commands? If every believer, every congregation, every denomination, which is referred to as the church, were truly obeying and carrying out His commands, then why is there so much disunity? There are many things that Jesus has commanded the church to obey and carry out, such as, what we call the "Great Commission" (Matthew 28:16-20), however, let us look at what Jesus gives as a new command or commandment and the reason behind it. 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 132:34-35) To take this a step further, look at what Jesus tells us concerning His commandments, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) To command, is to give an authoritative order. The word "keep" means more than to simply hold on to, but "to attend." It implies to obey and carry out the authoritative order giving by a master or ruler. Now, let's look at what Jesus immediately says concerning loving Him and keeping His commandments, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." (John 14:16-18)  

In other words, Jesus knew that it would take His help, His strength, His ability working in and through the believer, not only to love as He loves, but to also obey His commands which are to be accomplished because we love Him. This is absolutely great news, because it is all about Jesus not the believer, nor any congregation or denomination. Throughout the New Testament we see a repeating fact that God calls all people to, especially believers. It is only this one thing that God has asked us to do, believe or have faith. Jesus said, "...You believe in God, believe also in Me." (John 14:1) This is only one example in John's gospel of the numerous scriptures that repeat this very important fact concerning Christianity. To believe or to have faith in Christ is one of the most expressed themes throughout the New Testament. The Apostle Paul tells us, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10) Humanities very salvation and the believers continuing salvation hangs on believing or having faith in Jesus Christ. 

Another example of this is found in Hebrews, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6) In Matthew we find recorded one of the greatest examples of a non-believer having a wonderful understanding of how faith works, "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.” And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” (Matthew 8:5-9

This is a highly important principle that all believes need to understand and not take lightly. The centurion not only gave commands to his subordinates, but was subordinate to others himself and carried out the commands of those who were master or ruler over him. He also recognized that Jesus was a man under a master or ruler, who was a master or ruler over sickness. It is apparent that the centurion loved his servant and was willing to humble himself, go to Jesus, and ask Him to simply "speak a word" knowing that anything subservient to Jesus, here sickness, would obey and carry out His command in the same way that those subservient to the centurion obey and carry out his commands and so on. This is a lesson in great faith as well as this non-believer going to Jesus, depending on Jesus, deferring to Jesus, relying on His strength, His ability not his own. Look at what takes place next, "When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!" (Matthew 8:10) 

The Apostle Paul also reveals more great news concerning believers living in the "new commandment" that Jesus gave us, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) Notice, this is not on the believers ability to love, but simply knowing that it is the Holy Spirit Who was given to us, Who gives us His ability and strength to love as God loves. Again, this all comes back to believing, to faith in Jesus Christ and not depending on ourselves. Solomon also gives great insight concerning believing or having faith in God, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6) 

Solomon uses the words "trust in the Lord." To trust is the have total confidence, to be fully convinced, to have faith in. Again, notice that we are not to rely on our understanding, but to make known to Him all our ways, to seek Him for His ways, depend on Him to order our ways, and He will direct our Path. I believe the Apostle John reveals the very thing that can hold believers in the realm of unbelief, that is, not totally relying on Jesus, more than any other thing. He tells us, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15) Keep in mind that "no one can serve two masters." (Matthew 6:24) The very things that believers hold near and dear to themselves that are of the world, are most likely the very things that rob them of letting the love of the Father operate in and through them. 

So, let us go beyond ourselves, our abilities and put our faith in Jesus Christ' finished work. Let's, let the Holy Spirit in us, lead us and teach us how to love as God loves so that "all will know that we are His disciples." As believers love in this way, we will see the walls, the prejudices, the political correctness, the doctrines that divide us, be wiped out and the church move in unity as one. We will see God move in ways that will make every revival and outpouring since the early church seem minimal. We will see millions and millions of non-believers come to Christ, be healed, delivered, set free from Satan and the worlds grip upon them. We will see the power of God's love destroy the schemes of the devil and the church once again will become the envy of the world. Envy meaning, having a great desire to be a part of. 

Finally, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity...It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing—life forevermore." (Psalm 133:1, 3) Jesus said, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) Let us no longer let the thief have his way, but let the abundant life of Jesus flow throughout the entire church as we love one another as Jesus loves us. Amen?               

Are You Watching

Shortly before Jesus and His disciples celebrated what is known as the "Last Supper," his disciples ask Him about the end times. (Matthew 24 - 25) The first thing Jesus tells them is, "take heed that no one deceives you." (Matthew 24:4) Although Jesus tells them, "For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many" (Matthew 24:5), the fact is, deception began in the Garden of Eden as the one who is the deceiver, (Revelation 12:9), who spoke to the woman. As we see Jesus telling the disciples, "many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ." Satan's tactics have not changed. His whole deceptive plan is to deceive people, even believers, away from the one and only true God and especially the deity and humanity of Jesus (1 John 4:1-3). He does this by deceiving them into believing his lies by continuously working at discrediting God and His Word. We see this through all the false religions, so called Christian cults, (I dislike using the term Christian and cult together, but that is what they are referred to) and occultic practices, not only in the world, but also accepted among many believers in the name of fantasy, child's play and or entertainment.  

After Jesus tells the disciples of the end time and after they celebrate the first communion (Last Supper) they head to the Garden of Gethsemane. One of the most important things that He tells them is, "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) Remember, He just recently told them to, "take heed that no one deceives you." Now He tells them to "watch." The word watch means, to be alert; stay on the alert; keep watch; keep watching. Why does Jesus tell them this? "Lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Satan is not only the deceiver, but he is also the tempter. (Matthew 4:3) 

These things are very important for all believers to know. Why? Even some of the strongest believers in the Bible were deceived and or tempted by the devil which caused painful consequences. Today, many extreme or unbalanced teaching takes place in the church, for one purpose, the devil uses them to deceive and or tempt people away from sound doctrine to believe a lie which leads Christian's into a life without any disciplines or power. (1 Timothy 4:1) The Apostle Paul warns us in 2 Timothy 3 of the apostasy that will come upon believers. This apostasy can happen to the strongest believer(s) if we do not continuously watch and stay alert.

So, we need to be watchful, staying alert and continuously looking at our lives to see if there is  anything that is contrary to the entire counsel of God's Word, not what we pick and choose to justify ourselves, but the entire authority of the scriptures. This is why it is so important that we have other believers, especially mature believers, in our lives, giving them access to our lives, to help us so that we are not deceived and are not led into temptation that may lead to sin. We must understand that if there is anything in our lives that does not align with God's Word, even if we ourselves do not see anything wrong with it, then we must conclude that the devil has deceived us. Solomon tells us, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25)  

This may be a hard word, but remember, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Satan will always go after the flesh with his deceptions and temptations to get to the believer. He used this tactic in the Garden of Eden, he used it against Jesus and uses the same today against believers. He goes after the flesh using, "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." (1 John 2:16) However, believers have the greatest weapons to expose, defuse and destroy the schemes of the devil, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and God's love.

If we are truly willing to weigh ourselves with God's Word and let the God kind of love take hold of our lives, then we will never give place to Satan's deceptions and temptations. We will see the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) completely replaced by the fruit of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) The Apostle Paul tells us, "And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." (Galatians 5:24-26) So, let us move forward in the power of His might, living victorious lives with one another, glorifying the Lord in all things. 

The Apostle James tells us, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7) So, let us be watchful, keeping alert, and "do not give place to the devil." (Ephesians 4:27) Amen?   

That We May Know Him

For centuries, many in the church have come to know God, that is, His will, nature, character, purpose and plan in a very non-biblical fashion. Many believers today also misunderstand or have a limited knowledge of God in this way, therefore, they miss out on the wonderful promises and manifestation of His Kingdom, Power and Glory that come through Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews records, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person (nature)..." (Hebrews 1:1-3) 

In and throughout the Old Testament, God used various methods in communicating his will, nature, character, purpose and plan to humanity. At times it was by direct communication and at times by dreams and visions. He did this mostly through the prophets. Although the prophets, were in a sense, great in God, the day came when God sent His only begotten Son into the world where He spoke to us in a way that brought the greatest revelation of His will, nature, character, purpose and plan. The writer goes on to say, that God's Son was the "brightness of His glory and the express image of His person." In other words, when Jesus was revealed in the flesh He was the "exact representation" of Father God. 

The Greek word translated "exact representation" finds its origin in the making of coins by striking them, thus creating an impression upon them. This word can be translated as coined impression or exact reproduction. The Greek word translated "nature" can be translated as real substance or essence. In other words, what these opening verses in Hebrews are telling us, is, that Jesus Christ is the exact representation, the coined impression, the exact reproduction of the nature, character, real substance, and essence of the Father. No one had ever revealed the Father so perfectly in every way until Jesus. This is one of the most important things that believers must fully understand if we want to know the perfect will, nature, character, purpose and plan of God. 

The Gospel of John expresses this fundamental, but most important truth concerning Jesus more often than any other book. The truth presented by the writer of Hebrews and, as we will see revealed by the Apostle John in his Gospel, can be easily taken for granted because at first glance it seems so apparent. Because it is so apparent, so obvious, it can be easily underestimated in significance. However, overlooking and underestimating the significance of this truth continues to be the main reason why so many believers have such a non-biblical perspective of God, in regard to His will, nature, character, purpose and plan, that is, who He truly and really is. We begin with the conversation that Jesus has with the eleven apostles (Judas Iscariot having left them to go and betray Jesus). Although the eleven are present, Jesus' conversation is directed towards Thomas and Philip. 

"Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." (John 14:6-7) Jesus tells them that He is "the way, the truth and the life." Jesus is the only access to the Father and He is the source of Truth and life. There is hardly a believer anywhere that would object to these rather obvious truths. He goes on, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." Notice that Jesus says, "if you had known Me, you would have known My Father also." In other words, to know Christ is to know the Father. The word "known" in this passage, by definition, carries the same meaning as, "Now Adam "knew" Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain..." (Genesis 4:1) It is to have an intimate relationship, and intimate connection with Jesus as a man with his wife.

Studying the life of Jesus will reveal the perfect will, nature, character, purpose and plan of the Father. If believers fail to believe that Jesus knows and reveals the Father in this way in all matters, their knowledge of God will be filled with misconceptions of who He truly is. Mysteries that were once hidden in the Old Testament, are now revealed in Jesus, through His words and actions. The conversation continues, "Philip said to Jesus, Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us. Jesus said to him, have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works." (John 14:8-10)  

This conversation reveals some important truths. Jesus tells Philip that when He is seen, the Father is also seen. Every word and every action of Jesus reveals the will of the Father. Jesus also reveals the special nature of the relationship between Himself and the Father. The fact is, Jesus is in the Father and the Father is in Jesus. The Father in Jesus gives Him the words to speak. The implication is that the teaching and commands of Jesus reveals the Father's perfect will, nature, character, purpose and plan in all matters. Jesus gives credit to the Father for His works. The miracles and healing in the life of Jesus were expressions of the divine purpose of the Father. Finally, in this conversation, Jesus reveals what this special relationship between Him and His Father will mean to His disciples in the future, if believers want to do the same kind of works. Jesus continues... 

 "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." (John 14:11-14) Faith in Jesus includes believing that He was and is in the Father. This phrase is of great importance. In context of these verses, Jesus has been teaching the importance of believing that He has been revealing the Father. In fact, Jesus commands His followers to believe that very thing. If believers fail to believe that Jesus reveals the perfect will, nature, character, purpose and plan of the Father, they will find that faith will be difficult for many of the things that Jesus did for humanity through His death, resurrection and glorification. They will also fail to understand and walk out in this life, the fact that Jesus calls upon all believers to replicate His ministry and do even greater things. 

This great promise, "the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do" is conditioned on the earlier statement that believers must believe that Jesus is in the Father and the Father in Him. That Jesus is an exact reproduction of the Father revealing the Father's perfect will, nature, character, purpose and plan in all matters. Believers must believe that the will, nature, character, purpose and plan of the Father was finding absolute perfect expression in the actions, attitudes, teaching and commands of Jesus. Now that Jesus has gone to be with the Father, the will, nature, character, purpose and plan of the Father can now be expressed through believers empowered by the Holy Spirit. 

We can now draw this important conclusion from what has been revealed in the above. Believing that God the Father was in Jesus expressing His perfect will, nature, character, purpose and plan through everything that Jesus said and did, has opened the door for believers to do similar and even greater works than Jesus. While many believes would be quick to agree with these things, if they fail to grasp the significance of this highly important matter discussed here, they will fail to experience the miraculous works that Jesus promised those who believe, would do. Simply put, this is not a matter of the intellect, but of revelation. Without seeking God for a revelation of these things, we will see Christianity as no more than any other powerless world religion. We will continue to develop doctrinal disclaimers that disagree with the perfect will, nature, character, purpose and plan of God and possibly never come to see God as who He really is.

So, let us be as Abraham, "Who did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." (Romans 4:20-21) Amen?

Resting in Him

The first Monday in September is a holiday, created by the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to strength the well-being of the USA. Through the years, the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. Through the following years other states passed laws to establish Labor Day. Finally, on June 28, 1894, the US Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories. Labor day has also become known as the unofficial end of summer.

Taking a rest from laboring is an important part of life. We see that God Himself rested after completing the work of creation, "Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made." (Genesis 2:1-3) God Himself sees the benefit of resting to the point where under the Mosaic economy He called for one day of rest, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." (Genesis 20:8-11) 

But what about today? Should believers have a day of rest? Yes, but not in the sense of a special day. The Apostle Paul tells us, "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind." (Romans 14:5) This is why I said that believers should have a day of rest but not in the sense of a special day. The rest for the believer starts with and continue in, Jesus Christ. First, Jesus gives all people an invitation to rest, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) 

Although Israel was to observe a day of rest, under the Mosaic economy, they never really came into true rest, "And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:18-19) "Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: And God rested on the seventh day from all His works, and again in this place: They shall not enter My rest. Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:1-6) 

So, let us see the true rest that God has promised by looking at the statement Jesus made in Matthew eleven. To "come" to Jesus is to come humbly and to come in faith. God provides salvation through Jesus Christ, which includes the fact that man must give himself to the Lord Jesus Christ in commitment before it becomes effective. Jesus said, “All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me,” and then immediately added, “and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” (John 6:37). Salvation is not through a creed, a church, a ritual, a pastor, a priest, or any other such human means, but through Jesus Christ, who said, "Come to Me." To come to Christ is to believe in Him and submit to His lordship.  

"All who are," indicates a condition that already exists. Those whom Jesus invites to Himself are those who already are weary and heavy-laden. "Weary," or “to labor,” carries the idea of working to the point of utter exhaustion. John uses the term to describe Jesus’ fatigue when He and the disciples reached Sychar after a long, hot journey from Jerusalem (John 4:6). Weary refers figuratively to arduous toil in seeking to please God and know the way of salvation. Jesus calls to Himself everyone who is exhausted from trying to find and please God in his own resources. Jesus invites the person who is wearied from his vain search for truth through human wisdom, who is exhausted from trying to earn salvation, and who continuously struggles trying to achieve God’s standard of righteousness by his own efforts. 

"Heavy-laden," indicates that at some time in the past a great load was laid on the wearied person. It suggests the external burdens caused by the futile efforts of works righteousness. In Jesus’ day, the teachings of the religious leaders had become so massive, demanding, and all-encompassing that they prescribed standards and formulas for virtually every human activity. It was all but impossible even to learn all the traditions, and was completely impossible to keep them all. Jesus spoke of the heavy loads of religious tradition that the scribes and Pharisees laid on the people’s shoulders, "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers." (Matthew 23:4). In a similar way, Peter, at the Jerusalem Council where the apostles and elders came together to discuss important doctrinal issues, noted that the Judaizers were trying to control believers with the same man-made “yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear” (Acts 15:10).

Therefore, to enter God’s rest is to cease from all efforts at self-help in trying to earn salvation. It is a place where God gives His children freedom from the cares and burdens that rob them of peace and joy. It is to have the wonderful assurance that our eternal destiny is secure in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. It is to be freed from vain philosophies, dead works, man's traditions and false doctrines, that is, freedom from dead religion that has no power, which puts the focus on self rather than Christ. When we enter into God’s rest, we are given the assurance that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

Finally, resting in Christ also means depending on Him. Believers can depend on our Heavenly Father with utter certainty, because, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19) "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24) "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:19)

Although "Labor Day" is a national holiday where the American worker can rest from their labors for a day, believers can find their rest in Jesus Christ every day. PTL 

Truly Free

When we look at or listen to the news we find that the present human condition affirms that the world at large is not "free indeed." Human history records an unbroken trail of bondage. Secular wisdom cannot unshackle the heart no matter how hard a person tries, no matter how educated a person may be. The changing of or improvement of living conditions, or equal rights will never set a person free with any lasting results. Only the Creator of humanity can do that. God alone has provided the emancipation of human suffering and captivity through Jesus Christ His Son, our great Savior and Liberator. Jesus said, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." (John 8:36) The Apostle Paul tells us, "It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed]." (Galatians 5:1 AMP)  

Jesus Christ of Nazareth, born of a virgin by means of a miraculous conception through the power of the Holy Spirit, became like one of us to completely set humanity free from sin and the tyrannical power of Satan. Luke records the ministry of Jesus to the world, which was foretold by the prophet Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19) The gospel of John also records the many claims that Jesus made regarding himself and his relationship to all of mankind. Those claims are extraordinary, absolutely amazing! One of the things He said of Himself was, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6) What He was proclaiming was that He alone was mankind's great Liberator, that He could and would set man free. 

The gospel is the Good News about Jesus Christ and the freedom that He gives. It is the Holy Spirit inspired presentation of that Good News that sets man free. Although the true gospel of Christ can be distorted or perverted, Jesus and his apostles preached a lifesaving, mind and heart freeing message from God. Numerous times and in different ways Jesus said, "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak." (John 12:49) The Apostle Paul tells us of his ministry in the gospel, "For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." (Romans 15:18-19)

It is the cross, that is, the cross of Christ the presents the Good News. The cross of Christ focuses on God's answer to man's need: life and freedom. The death of Jesus, the Son of God, is revealed in that historical event at Calvary. He died, according to God's Word, as a sin offering for man. This is the one and only way that mankind can be set free. It is an act of God's grace alone with absolutely nothing to do with mans efforts. Although freedom is by grace through faith, many believers have created doctrine and legalism, as an attempt to earn one's salvation by works rather than relying upon God's grace through Christ to save. The Apostle Paul tells us, "But if it is by grace [God’s unmerited favor], it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace [it would not be a gift but a reward for works]." (Romans 11:6)  Paul dealt with this very thing with the church at Galatia. (See Galatians 3) 

Although there are numerous barriers to freedom that rob people, even believers, from God's gracious and abundant provision of life that we have in Christ, (John 10:10), I believe that these three stand out, ignorance, pride and fear. Ignorance of the will, nature, character, purpose and plan of God through Jesus can keep one in darkness. The very darkness that Jesus came to set us free from is what keeps us from God's freedom and love. Jesus is the wisdom from God that dispels ignorance. He is the truth that sets men free. "For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6) 

Pride can keep us enslaved to our selfish egos and erroneous ideologies. Pride can cause people to presume that they have need of nothing outside themselves. This is the very issue that was the fall of  Lucifer, "For you (Lucifer) have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:13-14) God's Word tells us several time, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Pride is a self-righteous attitude that  robs one of their freedom in Christ because it is void of grace. Ignorance and pride are two deadly foes of the freedom that God's grace brings to those who would follow Jesus Christ. The final foe of freedom that I want to mention is fear. 

Fear is the root of anxiety and worry. According to the Apostle John, "fear involves torment."  (1 John 4:18) Fear can keep one in bondage, robbing them of the life that Jesus brought to humanity. Fear is not from God, it is and evil spirit. The Apostle Paul tells us, "God has not given us a spirit of fear." (2 Timothy 1:7) These three, ignorance, pride and fear are thieves that cheat us out of the joy of God's freedom through Jesus Christ.  

Freedom is a gift we possess only when we receive Christ as Lord and Savior and walk in it. A free person is not afraid to make up his own mind to settle for himself the basic issue of life. A person who desires reality must fearlessly pursue truth and be responsible for making decisions regarding that truth, that is, God's Word. Long ago, Joshua, a great man of courage and faith said, "Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:14-15) 

When one submits to the truth of the gospel and obediently trusts in God's abundant grace to save, then, that person will know what it means to be "free indeed." They will be free from ignorance; free from pride; and free from fear. The saving grace of a loving God as realized in Christ Jesus is the most liberating power known to man. However, a prisoner is not a free man if he refuses to leave his cell after the door is opened. God, through Christ has opened the prison door for all. So, as Joshua said, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" let us make the same declaration, believing and receiving the complete freedom that was freely given through the Lord Jesus Christ. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

The Greatest of All Is Love

The gospels record numerous times how the Pharisees, Sadducees and their disciples "plotted how they might entangle Jesus in His talk." (Matthew 22:15-33) However, the wonderful wisdom of God in Christ always corrected their hypocrisy with Truth. On one particular incident, a lawyer of the Pharisees "asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40) 

The Apostle Paul tells us, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." (Romans 13:8-10) So, who do you love? Who is your neighbor? For many believers, we can love those who fellowship with us; those who believe as we do; and possibly the unsaved, but, and unfortunately, for many believers, their love for their neighbor stops and oft times turns to criticism, judgment and even hatred for those who do not fellowship with us, believe as we do or even those criticize us for what we believe. Neither Jesus nor Paul ever said there are exceptions to the law of love. In fact look what Jesus says, “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same." (Luke 6:32-33) 

I believe the main reason for the lack of loving as God loves, is due to believers not breaking free of natural love and exercising the God kind of love. Every person has within themselves the natural kind of love. However, natural love is based on selfishness. One moment it says, I love you, and the next moment selfishness rises up releasing anger, jealousy, hatred and even murder. If all believers would exercise the God kind of love, the entire world would be changed. If you are born again, then know that "...the love of God (the God kind of love) has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5) Notice, that the God kind of love is in each and every believer. Paul also reveals this, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22) Notice, love is first. Paul also tells us, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13) 

To exercise the God kind of love simply comes down to choice. Am I going to yield to the God kind of love and let it prevail or let natural love and selfishness reign.  Look at the wonderful biblical definition of the God kind of love, "Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 AMP) 

The natural kind of love manifests in the complete opposite of the God kind of love shown above. Not to be critical or condemning but honest, many believers have followed after money, after pleasure, after the things that please our senses rather than following hard and relentless after God, who is love. (1 John 4:8) But if we are truly willing to follow hard after God, we will find ourselves going where love leads and doing what love suggests. That is the way Jesus lived. He followed after love. Jesus' path led Him to Calvary where the greatest expression and show of love took place, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)  

The God kind of love can stand the test of the things that come against us in this life. It is only His love that will enable us to love the unlovely, the disagreeable and the hateful. God's love will lift us up into God's class where we love the ungodly, the unworthy, just like Jesus did. It is only the God kind of love that will enable us to love them when they are doing all they can to injure us. It is only the God kind of love that will have us say as Jesus, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34) Yes, the God kind of love works. It makes hard, bitter people, gentle and loving as Jesus. It will take a man like Saul of Tarsus and turn him into Paul, a man who said, "For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us..." (2 Corinthians 5:14 AMP), a man moved and motivated by the love Jesus Christ. The God kind of love will take people out of the lowest depths of the slums and prisons, leading them into the streets and pulpits where they will lead multitudes to Christ. It continues to be a miracle of even today and will be forever. Why? As it has been already stated...

"Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]..." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 AMP)