A: Where would I be without Jesus? It is Friday. Without Him I would go to work as usual in anticipation of how I could get off early enough to meet my friends at Happy Hour. After all, one place we used to go to had 3 for 1s between 4:00 and 5:00, but I didn't get off work until 5:00. So, I had to scheme in order to get off in time. Then after spending hours at that location, it was off to a night club for more drinks, partying and, of course, ladies. Then sometime around 2:00 am my friends and I would stumble into some all night restaurant to grab something to eat. After an hour or two of irritating the wait staff and sober patrons we would all go our separate ways. Hopefully, we would make it safely home since nobody was a designated driver. Rather we were all designated drinkers. So, then I would climb into bed just before sun up to sleep off my intoxication. After missing half the day, I would begin plans to do it all over again. Thankfully, somewhere along that road, I started getting sick of myself and ran into Jesus. Now, it has been over 11 years since I drank and nearly 14 years in Christ. Who knows, I might not even be around to write this if it were not for Jesus. Being thankful is the least I can do, but doesn't seem like nearly enough. Be blessed.
"And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11)."
Q: What's the "purpose" of why Jesus "anoints" us Christians?
A: This is one of the most abused terms within Christianity. Often times anointing is misrepresented as some sort of special power Christians are given in order to manipulate the circumstances of their lives in order for us to receive blessings of the flesh. This is not true. To be anointed simply means that believers have been rendered holy, separated to God, in order that we may receive the knowledge of the truth. "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. (1 John 2:20)." The Holy Spirit of God is the very life of God that indwells each believer. Possessing the very life of God is what sets us apart from the world. It is because of His presence within us, and us in Him, that has sanctified us; making us holy and blameless. We also have access to the truth because Jesus, being God, is the Truth. "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him (1 John 2:27)." The Holy Spirit is what teaches us; not man. That is why John made this statement. "I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray (1 John 2:26)."
Who leads us astray? False teachers. They have us believing that being anointed means we are like little gods and we should not be subject to any problems here on earth. They ascribe every ailment or problem we incur to a demon, a sin in our lives or our unbelief in what they are teaching. If you are in Christ, you have the Holy Spirit to help you discern error like this. That is all the anointing is. "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)." The anointing is clearly seen as the Holy Spirit, the "seal of ownership" given to us by God, that is "guaranteeing" what is to come. Saints, having the Holy Spirit of God is huge. It is salvation; the restoration of the life of God, lost in Adam, received as a free gift to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, let us use that gift to guard us against lies that lead us astray into believing God has promised us something He has not. You have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, the Counselor, indwelling you. Because of that you are anointed. Now, we allow Him to live His life through us in order that the "anointing" we have can lead others to faith in Christ. Be blessed.
Q: What should we as Christians "only" do?
A: Nothing. If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have done the only thing that matters. The "only" thing now for us to do is rest. "Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only (Luke 4:8).'" How do we serve God? By letting Him, through the Holy Spirit, live His life through us. "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)." This principle is repeated throughout the New Covenant. Christians too often are focused on what to do? When a new Christian gets saved, instead of telling them who they are in Christ, they get put to work. Go to church, get baptized, start giving, get involved in some ministry, etc. Never are they told what Jesus has done for them "only" what they must now do for Him. Otherwise, if they don't do it, their faith or "commitment" to God is questioned.
"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing (John 15:5)." A branch "only" lets the vine produce the fruit the branch bears.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship (Rom 12:1)." The "only" thing a sacrifice can do is be at the mercy of the one doing the sacrificing.
The "only" thing we do is proclaim Jesus Christ through resting in all the blessings He has already given us (Eph 1:3; 2 Pet 1:3). The result is seen in what the Apostle Paul said. "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me (Col 1:29)." Notice he said he struggles "with all his energy." What energy in so powerfully working in Him? It is God's energy. The Holy Spirit. The life of God. This is something all believers have. We rest in His love and sufficiency while He works to gather Saints for the Kingdom. That is why it says, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (Gal 5:6)." Faith in Jesus, and His unconditional love for us, expressing itself to others in order that they may respond to His offer of eternal life. Be blessed.
Q: Jesus said pick up your "cross" and follow me. What does that mean?
A: The "cross" we bear is not something God has given us. And it is not something that is a heavy burden to bear. "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Mat 11:30)." The cross we bear is the suffering we endure for placing faith in Jesus Christ. By definition, a cross is an "affliction that tries ones virtue, steadfastness, or patience." Besides the actual wooden cross Jesus had to carry, what other "cross" did He bear? Peter denied knowing Him (John 18). His followers scattered when He was arrested (Matthew 26:31). His friend betrayed Him ( Mat 26:16). And His religious opponents plotted to kill Him (Mat 12:14). Now, we may all experience varying degrees of suffering for our faith, but it is expected and predicted by the Lord. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first (John 15:18)." If you have not suffered for bearing the name of Jesus, don't worry, you will. But, when you think about it, suffering for naming the name of Christ is actually a good thing. "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you (1 Peter 4:14)." What cross have you carried so far in your walk with the Lord?
As for me, I have been called "closed-minded" because of my defense of Jesus as the only means of salvation. I have been told that Christians are "arrogant" for believing that Jesus is the only way to the Father. These attacks came from close friends of mine at the time. While, it was strange to experience being attacked in this manner, there was a strange comfort that I felt. I believe that it is because the attacks only confirmed in my spirit the truth of the scripture and the words of Jesus. One of my favorite passages in the Bible is in Acts 5. The Apostles had just been arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin. Peter and the other Apostles had just replied to their accusers that they must obey God rather than men. Furious, members of the Sanhedrin wanted to put them to death. But then a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up and spoke. He said, "in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God (Acts 5:38-39)." Saints, the cross we bear will cause us to suffer things we never thought we would experience. But, rejoice because those that oppose us are fighting against God! Bear that cross and by doing so some of them might be saved. Be blessed.
Q: The devil made me do it(sin)...Is that a "true" statement?
A: Clearly, the devil does not make us sin. He can only tempt us to sin as seen in Matthew 4:1-11, 1 Corinthians 7:5 and Acts 5:3. The old adage "You can lead a horse to water..." comes to mind. We sin because we want to and nothing else. However, what Christians need to do is stop focusing on sin. It seems nearly every sermon these days is centered around sin. Unfortunately, when you are focused on sin, you are not focused on the Lord. It is all about how to stop sinning and what to do when we do sin to get "right" with God. You don't avoid sin by trying to find ways to avoid temptation and then ways to seek forgiveness after you fall into temptation. You avoid sin by discovering how God, in Christ, has met the deepest desires of your heart in Him. Furthermore, God no longer is counting men's sins against them (2 Cor 5:19), no longer remembers our sins and lawless acts (Heb 10:17-18) and there is no longer any sacrifice for sin (Heb 10:1-11) that will satisfy God as payment for our sins. Jesus did it once and for all.
Why do we sin, besides being in these fallen bodies? We sin because we do not believe the desires of our heart are being met through our relationship with God. We were created to receive unconditional love, total acceptance, meaning and purpose to life. And God, is the only One who can fulfill those needs. Apart from Him, the only place we can turn to try and get those needs met is from sin. What is the believers identity in Christ? We are unconditionally loved (Rom 8:38-19). We are totally accepted (Rom 15:7). And we have meaning and purpose to life (Rom 12:1-2). Furthermore, we have been given an inheritance from God through faith in Jesus Christ. We are totally forgiven, at peace with God, blameless, holy, sanctified, justified, clothed in Christ, seated in the heavenlies, made complete, reconciled, redeemed, freed from the law, safe from God's wrath, sealed in Christ, totally cleansed and have been given everything. We are to spend the rest of our lives resting in who we are and what we have in Christ. God did this so when temptation comes we can immediately recognize it for what it is. It is a false alternative and doesn't compare to what God has freely given us. That is how we avoid temptation regardless of who or what makes us do it. Be blessed.
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