My Answer is ... October 9, 2009

Q: For Christians, “YOU CAN WIN” is a false statement! “YOU HAVE WON” is the correct statement because every “battle” and “trial” was won in our life when Jesus shed His blood on the cross for us. “Declare” today “I WIN”…

A: To win is to "get possession of by effort or furtune." We know that our effot (works) amount to nothing, But, we know we are fortunate in that we are heirs of God (Gal 4:7). And as an heir we have an inheritance. And what is included in that inheritance we have? We are chosen by God (Eph 1:4), Saved by grace (Eph. 2:8-9), God is propitiated (1 Jn 2:2), we are reconciled to God (Rom 5:10), we are redeemed (Eph 1:7), Freed from the Law (Rom 7:4), totally forgiven (Col 2:13), totally cleansed (1 Cor 6:11), made holy and blameless (Col 1:22), hidden with Christ (Col 3:3), clothed wit Christ (Gal 3:27), given Christ's righteousness (Rom 5:17), justified (Rom 3:23-24), made at peace with God (Rom 5:1), freed from condemnation (Rom 8:1), sanctified (made holy) (Heb 10:10), made perfect forever (Heb 10:14), totally accepted (Rom 15:7), in fellowship with God (1 Cor 1:9), made complete (Col 2:9-10), given total access to God (Eph 3:16) and given everything (Eph 1:3; 2 Ptr 1:3). And there is much, much more. We have won, indeed!

Q: The bible says He who has found his life will lose it, but he who lost his life for my sake will save it..What does that mean?

A: Jesus said, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Mat 10:39)." The life He wants us to lose is our pursuit of unconditional love, acceptance and meaning and purpose to life in anything other then a relationship with our God. Jesus told the rich man to sell his possessions to the poor and the man "went away sad." When the disciple wanted to bury his father Jesus told him to "let the dead bury their own dead." How many of us put the cares of the world before the things of God? Some even expect God to bless them with the things of this world if they just pray hard enough for them or are "obedient" enough to Him. This is a lie. God has given us Himself! God has given us His life, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, to indwell us for all eternity. He has given us everything we need for life and godliness and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ so we would rest from trying to obtain these things from the world. When you realize the abundant life you already have in Christ you will forget about pursuing the life the world offers.

Q: What does it mean to live in the world..? Does it mean just material stuff?

A: Well, we do live in the world physically, but the battle is in our mind. Do we look for the world to meet the deepest desires of our heart that can only be met through a relationship with God? Do we think our earthly circumstances our a reflection of God's love and acceptance of us? I can't tell you how many people think that the direction in which their life is going is how God views them. How terrible is that? Instead of looking at themselves from God's perspective they look at themselves from the world's eyes. Bottom line is that too many Christians are looking for fleshly blessings rather than resting in the spiritual blessings they already have. It's all about more children, a bigger house, a better job, being healthier, having more money and thus they are never content. Thus we live in worry about what we don't have and never realize what we do have. Again, if God has given us everything we need and every spiritual blessing what is it we don't feel we have? And if you are still expecting something from God perhaps you are desiring something He didn't promise to give. Something to think about.

Q: Why do we need to "Pray"?

A: The purpose of prayer is to have personal, intelligent conversation with our Father in Heaven. This is the reason that Christ redeemed us. We pray in order to understand who we are in Christ and what we have in Him. And as we discover what we have we can apply that to our circumstances. Since God loves us we talk to Him. We are encouraged to do this secretly, on a one on one basis so as to be honest and open with Him. Prayer is not where we get God to move on our behalf to do our will. He is not a vending machine. God has already moved on our behalf, in Christ Jesus, and prayer is the way in which to understand what He has already done for us. There are no formulas, repetitive prayers or group sessions required in order for this to take place. We can approach God in confidence, praying unceasingly and making our requests known to Him because we are perfect, holy and blameless in His site. But we must remember to listen more than we speak and allow our prayer to be motivated by Him through His Word. And we respond by praying God's Word back to Him as it relates to our personal life, heartaches, needs, and aspirations. Amen!

Q: If Jesus has given us "Grace" for all our sins, can Christians live anyway they want too?

A: "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive (1 Cor 10:23)." In short we are free to "live anyway we want to." But, is how we live a reflection of who we are in Christ? We have been called to freedom. But, we are encouraged to use that freedom to serve one another in love and not indulge the flesh (Gal 5:13). We are not under law. We do not live a life of repentance and obedience to what is good and evil. We live a life in response to the unconditional love and acceptance we have in Christ. In turn, we live in dependence on Him to live the life only He can live in and through us. Until we realize that we truly are free in Christ we will never know what it is to rest in His finished work and allow Him to complete the work He began in us. It is the grace of God that teaches us to say to "no" to ungodliness. Discovering all that we have in Christ sets us free from having to find it in the world through sin. Understanding this truth is the key to growing and maturing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.