A: Thank you Jesus for reminding me that my past, present and FUTURE sins are ALL GONE. That before I was even born Christ's death "obtained eternal redemption (Heb 9:12)." Thank you for reminding me that I don't have to keep asking God for forgiveness, but that Christ sacrificed for sins "once for all when he offered himself (Heb 7:27)." Thank you for reminding me to put away the confession booths, the 1 John 1:9ing, the answering of altar calls, the keeping of short accounts, the repeating of the "Lord's Prayer," etc., because their "sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Heb 10:17-18)." Thank you for reminding me that progressive sanctification is not true because you told me that Christians "were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor 6:11)." Thank you for reminding me that because of Jesus death "everything is permissible (1 Cor 6:12)," but not to use my "freedom to indulge the sinful nature ; rather, serve one another in love (Gal 5:13)."
Thank you for reminding me that my sins don't cause me to lose fellowship with you, but that "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (1 Cor 1:9)." Thank you for reminding me that my sins are so terrible they deserve death, but that "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them (2 Cor 5:19)." Thank you for reminding me that my sins don't separate me from You, but that "Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God (1 Ptr 3:18)." Thank you for reminding me that I am blessed, not because of what I do to get more forgiveness, but because "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him (Rom 4:8)." Thank you for reminding me that Christians don't have to forgive others before You will forgive us, but that we "Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Col 3:13)." Thank you for reminding me that the Christian life is not one of trying to stop sinning, but when I do sin I "have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world (1 Jn 2:1-2)." Thank you for reminding me that every time I seek to get more forgiveness I am putting Christ back on the Cross, telling Him His death was not sufficient and trampling "the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace..(Heb 10:29)." Thank you for reminding me my sins are ALL GONE!
Q: What is the "true" meaning of "worship"?
A: True worship is "to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God (Rom 12:1)." This is done by entering the "Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his (Heb 4:9-10)." Making ourselves a living sacrifice is by totally surrendering, resting, from our own works and allowing God to live His life through us. Worship is not going to church, being involved in various ministries, bible studies,etc. It is a daily attitude of trust and dependence on God as we respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit. This is different for each individual based on their maturity in the faith. It cannot be defined by a church, another individual, a book or by imitating others. Often times we read that worship is being "obedient" to God's Word. That sounds good, but unless one defines the terms it will soon become an exercise in behavior modification through subjection to some form of law.
For example, if you ask you average Christian what is the first thing you do with a new believer, they will probably respond with something like, "We need to teach them how to be Holy." Then they will list out all the things to do in order to achieve this goal. It will be do this, this, this and this. And don't do this, this and this. The new believer will attack this with fervor because they don't know otherwise. But, in time, they will burn out as they realize they are just busy for God, but don't know Him. What a new believer, any believer, needs to know is who they are in Christ. That they have been given everything they need for life and godliness (2 Ptr 1:3) and been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3). As they realize that they are already holy, blameless, forgiven, have eternal life, sanctified, justified, righteous, safe from God's wrath, free from the law, free from condemnation, at peace with God and many other things, the response is a life of rest, thankfulness and trust in the Holy Spirit. The result of this is allowing God to live the Christian life, only He can live, in and through us. We sit in the passenger seat as He drives. We rest as He works. We bear fruit that He produces in us. That is why Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Mt 11:28-29)." You are not worshiping God unless you are at rest. Be blessed.
Q: What should Christians have there mind "set" on daily?
A: "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Col 3:2)." Christians should have their minds set on the things above rather than those things from the earth. These things from above are those things that God has given to us through our faith in Jesus Christ. How many Christians are focused on getting more blessings from God, getting more forgiveness from Him, trying to be pleasing to Him or trying to be faithful to Him? If this is what your mind is set on you are not setting your mind on the things above. Why? Because you will have to focus on what you are doing in the flesh, earthly things, in order to obtain these things. How would your life change if you knew the truth about who you are in Christ? A Christians identity in Christ is the most important thing to realize. Understanding how God sees you and what He has given to you through faith in Jesus Christ will set you free.
If you are trying to get more blessings from God it is proof that you are trying to have your flesh blessed. However, God has given you every "spiritual" blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3). Don't set your mind on trying to get blessings from God He didn't promise to give you. If you are answering altar calls, going to confession booths, keeping short accounts and so on to obtain more forgiveness you don't know about the forgiveness you have. God is "not counting men's sins against them (2 Cor 5:19)" and there is "no more sacrifice for sin (Heb 10:18)." Anything you do to get more forgiveness is insulting the Spirit of grace (Heb 10:29) and telling Jesus His death was insufficient. Besides, your bloodless sacrifice doesn't even meet God's requirement (Heb 9:22) for forgiveness. We know that "without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6)." Well, if you have put faith in Jesus Christ you are pleasing to God. There is nothing else you must do. "God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful (1 Cor 1:9)." God is faithful, not you. You are blessed. You are forgiven. You are pleasing. You are faithful in Christ. Believe! Set your mind on these truths from above and get your mind off of yourself, earthly things, and what you are trying to do for God. Be blessed.
Q: What is the number "one" thing a Christian must conquer in there life?
A: The number one thing a Christian must conquer in their life is not falling into a life of obedience and repentance. It is the quickest way to burn out as a Christian because you submit yourself to a life you cannot live. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Gal 5:1)." The yoke of slavery Paul talked about was living under the law. The law is not just the Mosaic Law, but any system designed around identifying what is good and evil and trying to be obedient to good or repentant of evil. This could be the Mosaic Law, the "law" of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, any church or denominational laws or whatever personal system of rules, commands, doctrines, principles, tenants, sacraments, etc we come up with. All it does is make you a slave to sin. If anybody comes up to you as says, "You must obey God," you have just met someone who is a slave to sin. "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace (Rom 6:14)."
When you put yourself under the law, any law, you will only stir up more sin in your life. Why? Because, what many don't realize is that the "sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law (1 Corinthians 15:56)." Remember, you were saved by faith and now you live by faith. "The righteous will live by faith (Rom 1:17)." If you are in Christ, the law has done its work in you by leading you to Christ. You don't now submit to it, or some form of it, in order to live as a Christian. You will never live up to its demands and will only find yourself further away from Christ then when you became a Christian. "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear (Acts 15:10)?" The Jews couldn't live up to God's law, so why do we think we can live up to it or some self-made copy of it? The Christian doesn't live a life of obedience and repentance, we live a life of trust and dependence on the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is the grace of God that "teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:12)." If you are living according to laws designed to control your behavior you are not trusting the Holy Spirit to guide you. We are already "more than conquerors (Rom 8:37)." Live like it by not trying to conquer your flesh through self-effort. It will never work! You are free! Be blessed.
Q: Is it a Christians "responsibility" to get people saved?
A: No, it is not the Christians responsibility to get people saved. Our responsibility is to always "be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Pet 3:15)." We should tell others about the evidence that has convinced us of why we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. The way you do that is "to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship (Rom 12:1)." In order to meet the deepest desires of your heart for unconditional love, total acceptance, meaning and purpose to life, God gave you Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit. In Christ God "has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2 Ptr 1:3)." God has also "blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3)." He gave us everything so we would rest from our self-righteous attempts of trying to obtain it from our works.
"There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his (Heb 4:9-10)." It is difficult to tell others about the grace of God, His love, His mercy, His forgiveness and His offer of eternal life when you are not at rest in His finished work. We often get our eyes off the Lord and on ourselves and call it the Christian life. Therefore, we spend each day trying to be more Christlike, hoping to get blessings of the flesh, trying to stop sinning, trying to stay forgiven and so on and never coming to a knowledge of who we already are and what we already have in Christ. The Jews were called disobedient because they tried to be like God through their attempts at obedience to the Law and their pursuit of the blessings of the flesh. They never succeeded. We won't either. Because of our faith in Christ, we can go to the lost and tell them "you are forgiven of your sins and Jesus Christ wants to restore the life of God to you. The deepest desires of your heart will not be met through indulging your flesh. They can only be met in Christ as He raises you from the dead spiritually." God gave us everything in Himself so we would rest from trying to live the Christian life in the energy of our own flesh. Let Him live His life in and through you, as only He can, in order to reach the hurting world with the Gospel. Be blessed.
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