Archive for the ‘Salvation’ Category

« Older Entries

HIS FULLNESS

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

Day 277

“And you have been given fullness in Christ,
who is the head over every power and authority”
Colossians 2:10

As a child of God, just as Jesus was fully God, you are fully complete in Him. Think about that. You are completely saved. Nothing lacks in salvation.

This is a very powerful statement. There is nothing lacking in your salvation. Everything you need has been given to you. You are fully equipped for your life. Peter bears this out when he says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). Everything.

He is the head over every power and authority. There is nothing you will encounter in life that Christ does not have supremacy over. You need not rely on the world system. You need not be concerned about tomorrow. Christ is in control. You are His.

“And to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”   Ephesians 3:19

Tags:
Posted in Fulfillment, Salvation | No Comments »

THE GOD OF MUCH MORE – PART 2

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Day 245

“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 in His life”
Romans 5:6-10

Our Father not only takes (saves) us out of the world He brings us into the kingdom, just as He took the Israelites out of Egypt and brought them to the promised land. It does not stop there. His love is a love of commitment. He not only had compassion on us in our captivity and bondage, realizing our weakness and powerlessness to do anything for ourselves, but He died for us to make the way for reconciliation. And, after bringing us in, He gives us “much more.”

Salvation is not a one-time act, but a continuation of “much more”, a daily saving through His resurrected life. Paul declares, “I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ—right up to the time of His return—developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you” [Philippians 1:6, Amplified].

We who were God’s enemies are now His friends. God, and God alone, did this for us. We are objects of His love, “Who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us . . .” [Ephesians 2:4]. He not only looks upon as friends, but as His children, partakers of the divine nature.

Oh, glorious Father, how we thank You for Your love that we barely understand. Help us to know You more and more each day and the immense love with which You have loved us. We declare Your glory and goodness for Your grace and mercy has redeemed us. Amen.

Tags:
Posted in Goodness, Grace, Mercy, Salvation | No Comments »

THE GOD OF MUCH MORE – PART 1

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

Day 244

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then . . Romans 5:6-10

Our beginning point in understanding God should always start with God, not ourselves. Our entire makeup, culture, history, education, family, religion and experiences only serve to make our perceptions of God hazy. Our earthly mixture gets in the way of beholding the magnificence and glory of God. We need to study what the scriptures tell us about God to fully grasp Him and His awesome presence among us.

We see the greatest demonstration of God’s love in His actions. “While we were yet in weakness, powerless to help ourselves, at the fitting time Christ died for (in behalf of) the ungodly” [vs 6, Amplified]. This is not about our love. It is about His love and how He saw us in our captivity and bondage. He had compassion for us, realizing we were powerless to do anything to help ourselves.

This is the hardest part for us to accept. We have nature that cries out for self-reliance. Even in the midst of our Christian experience, there is a constant tension in us to be independent, self-sufficient, relying on our own strength. The greatest characteristic of Christian maturity is when we realize and live understanding we are powerless and He Himself, for His own reasons, loved and chose us to be in Him.

“No eye looked with pity on you to do any of these things for you, to have compassion on you . . . Then I passed by you and saw you, and behold you were at the time for love; so I spread My skirt over you and covered your nakedness. I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine, declares the Lord God”
Ezekiel 16:5,8

Tags:
Posted in Chosen, Cross, Deliverance, Salvation | No Comments »

CHRIST REIGNS

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

Day 241

“And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church”
Ephesians 1:22

When we read the first chapter of Job we are permitted a glimpse into the workings of the divine court. Amazingly, we read that Satan comes with the angels presenting themselves to the Lord and holds a conversation with Him. We learn that Satan is subject to God and his actions are limited to what God permits.

Several millenniums later, Christ descends into the underworld to declare His victory over Satan, sin and death and then ascends triumphantly into heaven with captives in His train. Jesus triumphed over principalities and powers, having disarmed them [Ephesians 4:9-10; 2 Corinthians 2:14; Colossians 2:15]. As God the Father had mercy upon the Israelites in their captivity for sin, He now has mercy on all of mankind and through Jesus Christ His Son crushes fallen man’s enemy and makes the way for him to be reconciled.

Christ has set us free. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of God. We have been rescued, delivered, and are now preserved by the finished work of Jesus Christ. We need to declare and walk in this truth. Tradition and unbalance give an undo place to Satan by either building up his presence or downplaying his existence. We are triumphant in Christ Jesus and through Him have been given the power to declare this victory.

“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your
feet shortly. The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”
Romans 16:20

Tags:
Posted in Conquerors, Cross, Overcomer, Salvation | No Comments »

JESUS, THE MAN

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Day 237

“But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law”
Galatians 4:4

Jesus was both God and Man. It was always part of God’s plan because the word says, “…at the appointed time God sent His Son.” He came from heaven to earth to live as man. It is an extraordinary revelation that God would send His Son to be man, live as a man and then permit him to die on a cross.

God could have executed His overall plan with a snap of His finger. He could have decreed it. He could make it happen anyway He wanted, but He did not. He chose to make Himself subservient by becoming one of us. He did this for a reason. He wanted to identify with us in our poverty and demonstrate His love. With the greatest love, kindness and compassion Jesus became the first man to obey perfectly the Father’s will. He pioneered the way for us by demonstrating that we could do the same in Him.

Jesus, as man, was intensely spiritual, completely natural and thoroughly practical. He experienced growth as we all do, living in a physical body, sleep, sorrow, hunger, weariness, and even experiencing our emotions. He was raised as all other children were and was trained by His father as a carpenter. This is our God and all of this was for you.

“Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, but being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:6-8

Tags:
Posted in God's Plan, God's glory, Salvation | No Comments »

BOUNDLESS LOVE

Monday, October 25th, 2010

Day 233

“In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, according the good pleasure of His will”
Ephesians 1:5

Our Father’s boundless love broke right into our fallen world with salvation. It destroyed the work of the devil who held the power of death, and restored us to His original plan. The glorious beauty of His boundless love not only restored us, but brought us to stand before our Father holy and without blame. We can fellowship with our God and call Him “Abba”-Father, a term of endearment.

The verse “He predestined us” further accents God’s glory. This is part of His original and ultimate plan. He determined before hand, before time began. It has never changed! Read this carefully—before the foundation of the world, before anything was, we were chosen in Him [Ephesians 1:4]. How can we fathom this? In the face of our rebellion and separation from Him, living our lives onto ourselves, He still remained steadfast, faithful and true to His nature. It is beyond our comprehension, yet it is the power, depth and magnificence of this love that overwhelms us.

God’s love reaches the highest expression as John states, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed (lavished) on us, that we should be called children of God” [1 John 3:1]. The Amplified says, “See what [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given …” We’ve been adopted as His children, given His Spirit. Why? For one reason, and one reason only—His love. It was according to the good pleasure of His will. He was motivated by love alone. He delights in the revelation of His divine plan, of restoration to His original purposes.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession”
Deuteronomy 14:2

Tags: ,
Posted in God's Plan, Love, Salvation | No Comments »

SAVING US FROM OURSELVES

Wednesday, October 6th, 2010

Day 214

“Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it”
Matthew 10:39

This and several other similar passages often perplex readers as to the exact meaning. Losing our life refers to our self-life. Our most destructive enemy is our self-life and self-interests. It is this very exercise of the self that usurped God in the garden. The essence of sin is choosing for self over God. It destroys our relationship with God as well as with others.

Jesus’ purpose was to do the will of the Father. Becoming one of us He accomplished what Adam and every man after Adam didn’t. He not only shows us how to fulfill the will of the Father, He illustrates how our self interests destroy us and makes us enemies of God. In this passage He is contrasting how our fleshly affections for others replace our love for God. Only God’s love bring us into righteousness—“Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you as well” [Matthew 6:33].

At the most momentous point of His earthly life Jesus showed us God’s love. At the Last Supper He humbled Himself to wash the feet of the disciples—a servant’s job. He thinks not of Himself, in the face of death, but of serving others. And His whole life as one of us, His suffering and death, are volumes of true love for us.

“We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.” 1 John 3:14

Tags:
Posted in Salvation | No Comments »

GOD HIMSELF WILL PROVIDE

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

Day 210

“Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and . . . sacrifice him there as a burnt offering”
Genesis 22:2

The story of Abraham provides an interesting study of God’s covenant with man. It is also contains one of the most dramatic events in the entire Bible. Abraham had longed for a son and finally, in his old age, he had Isaac. Long waited for, he was greatly loved. Isaac also was the object of remarkable promises made by God. He was and represented the very promise of God Himself to Abraham.

Some years later, when Isaac was probably a late teenager, God visits Abraham and requires him to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering. We know Abraham’s love for Isaac was very deep. We cannot imagine what ran through his mind. Although the recorded account does not give us a glimpse into his inner thoughts, it would not be hard to believe that he wrestled greatly with God on sacrificing his promised son. Yet, the only testimony of Abraham is that he obeyed the Lord.

Abraham hears God in the night and the very next morning he leaves with Isaac to fulfill what God has told him. He tells no one. Three days later he reaches the mountain, leaves the servants behind, and takes Isaac up to the mountain top. When Isaac questions his father about where the sacrifice is, Abraham says God Himself will provide. Finally, at the very moment he has Isaac bound for the sacrifice and he is ready to slay him with the knife, God intervenes stopping him. In the place of Isaac the Lord provided a ram for the sacrifice. Here on the mountain top, Abraham found God as His provider in a depth he never knew before. Long before Abraham was, God saw his need and made provision. Long before we were, God saw our need and made provision.

“The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” Psalm 121:8

Tags:
Posted in Cross, Provision, Salvation | No Comments »

THE LORD’S ARM IS NOT SHORT

Friday, September 10th, 2010

Day 188

“The arm of the Lord is not too short to save”
Isaiah 59:1

You will share in God’s glory. It is His word that we will ‘all’ be in His eternal glory [Romans 8:30]. Many of God’s people have a hopelessness and despair. You may be one. Are you lost in a prison of darkness? Have you substituted freedom for a prison because of your sins? Are you weak, have no ability to change or do anything? Do you weep and mourn? Have you sought help, but no one has come? Did you separate yourself from God?

What is God’s response to all this? Does God care? Have your sins taken you so far that it is too late? Have you continually asked for forgiveness to only do it again and again? Is God’s anger going to separate you forever? And, if He does care, is He able to save you? God does care and He is able to save you. Jesus is the guarantor of a better covenant and He is able to save to the uttermost – completely [Hebrews 7:22-25]. Yes, and He has heard you and the strength of the Lord will save you from the prison of darkness and your sins.

Our Father hates sin and injustice. He hates what sin does to His children. He hates the lies that deceive us and cause us to think He will abandon us. He will arise and rescue His children. Not one will be lost. Thousands of years ago He proclaimed to His people to “Arise, shine, for your light has come and the glory of the Lord rises upon you” [Isaiah 60:1] – and today it is the same call to you. Rise up in the glory of the Lord.

“When Christ, who is your life, appears,
then you also will appear with Him in glory”
Colossians 3:4

Tags: ,
Posted in Salvation, Sin | No Comments »

HE FREELY GIVES

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Day 182

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered
Him up for us all, how will He not also with
Him freely gives us all things?”
Romans 8:32

We are subject to many passions, moods, emotions and feelings. It is our state and none escape, even in maturity. These areas of our life often are enemies of who we are Christ. We tend to judge and measure our position in Christ according to our current state. Have you ever doubted your salvation? God’s forgiveness? His love? His protection?

As powerful as salvation and grace are in our lives, it is amazing how we see our performance related to our acceptance by God. Consider the verse today and the depth of what God has done for us. First, He made a sacrifice of His own Son for you – ‘the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.’ Yes, God Himself did not spare His own Son. And on the heels of that powerful and compelling truth, another great declaration is made – God our Father and His Son will freely give us all things! Do you realize what this means?

He will give us all that is necessary to keep us from now until we are called home. His Fatherhood and powerful love will not permit human weakness, demonic activity, sin, trouble, hardship, persecution, or any other thing separate us from Him. Saints, listen; He did not shed the holy blood of Christ to lose us or for waste. He is determined to rescue, restore and perfect us until the day of Christ Jesus. You are His forever.

“Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid”
Isaiah 12:2

Tags: ,
Posted in Life, Provision, Salvation, Word of God | No Comments »

« Older Entries