Saturday, June 17, 2006

How could you ever merit, unmerited favor?

"Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness."


Isn't it amazing how difficult we have made the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Do you realize that a Covenant/Promise was made with Abraham some 4000 years ago that still remains to this day. Are you aware that the law, which was added some 430 years later, did/does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. What then was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed..."Jesus" to whom the promise referred, had come. (Gal. 3:17-19)

Notice that the law was added because of transgression, not lack of obedience,.... what is meant by transgression..... Not trusting God, rebellion, and/or our unbelief. This was the failure of the Israelites and continues to plague most modern day Christians today. You see, Jesus dealt with all your failure to measure up to the Mosaic Law, He took all judgment upon Himself, "For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son" (John5:22)

My Point! How could you ever merit, unmerited favor, which is the Grace of God? Stop trying to please God by doing stuff to seemingly keep God happy. Your perceived "disobedience" does not change how God relates to you and/or thinks about you. In fact, God never intended to ultimately relate to you by law. He desires that you believe.....that's IT! The sin that will kill you is not adultery but unbelief. Trust Him! What did God say in Luke 18:8 concerning when the Son of man comes...was He looking for obedience... or "will He find Faith on the earth?" Do you hear me? Many fear God is mad at them because of their present unfortunate circumstance. The question might be, "what did I do to cause this to happen to me?" Performance and Perfectionism still demand a standard, which can be measured, other than the standard of Jesus Christ. Do you know that your "Life" is hidden with Christ in God. "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3). How is it that we still believe that our actions/inactions cause a Covenant/Promise to be null and void? God keeps no record of sin for Dead people. There is no judgment in Grace!

Do you remember what Paul shared with the Romans....."For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; (Rom 4:14) Now read the next two verses, "...for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith/belief, in order that it may be in accordance with grace (unmerited favor), so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith/belief of Abraham, who is the father of us all."

Child of God, stand in the freedom appropriated by the cross. Do not let the devil intimidate you into thinking that God is judging you by the law/standards of performance. For you are dead to sin and alive to Jesus Christ. A
covenant can only be broken by death. Believer, He died so you died.....the law can not go beyond the grave.

"So, my friends, this is something like what has taken place with you. When Christ died he took that entire rule-dominated way of life down with him and left it in the tomb, leaving you free to "marry" a resurrection life and bear "offspring" of faith for God. For as long as we lived that old way of life, doing whatever we felt we could get away with, sin was calling most of the shots as the old law code hemmed us in. And this made us all the more rebellious. In the end, all we had to show for it was miscarriages and stillbirths. But now that we're no longer shackled to that domineering mate of sin, and out from under all those oppressive regulations and fine print, we're free to live a new life in the freedom of God." (Romans 7:4-6) msg

Be Free!!!

Tripp

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Diet coke and Mentos Experiment

Turn your sound up and have a little Fun!

Live "Life"