Q: Don’t let the devil “lie” to you and say there is no way YOU can overcome..Jesus has a great sense of humor and says to the devil, ”SHUT UP” I GOT THIS..When I went to [college] the devil said “there is no way he can overcome the odds in his life... see what God did; it will encourage you this day that God is bigger than any situation you go threw!
A: One of my favorite passages of scripture is Hebrews 11. We love to go down the list of the Heroes of the faith and imagine God doing similar miracles through us. I mean who wouldn't mind not experiencing death, conquering kingdoms, shutting the mouths of lions and having their weakness turned to strength? However, many Christians don't finish the chapter. "Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground (Heb 11:35-38)." My point is that we have already overcome regardless of what happens in our physical lives. When something positive happens let's be thankful. But, let us also find ways to be thankful when we don't "score a touchdown" in our lives. God's love is not seen in what we accomplish as much as who we are in Him. You already are more than a conqueror and have overcome the world because of your faith in Christ. Rejoice in that and tell the world about Him regardless of how life is treating you. Be blessed.
Q: After Jesus redeems us, are we "still" a sinner saved by grace or a saint?
A: We are Saints. The phrase "sinner saved by grace" is not in even in the Bible. Moreover, Christians are children of God. "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (Jn 1:12)" As children of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, we have been called out and set apart for the work of the ministry. All one has to do is look at the New Testament letters, specifically the Pauline epistles, and see how Christians are addressed. "To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints (Rom 1:7)." "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus (Eph 1:1)." "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons (Phil 1:1)." God is not identifying His children by their biggest fault. He is identifying His children based on their faith in Jesus Christ.
How many of you have children? Would you identify your child as a sinner? Here is my fornicating daughter. I would like to introduce my alcoholic son. Of course, you wouldn't do that. It is not an indication of your love for them do so. As a Christian, if God introduced you to someone else, He would say, "This is my child whom I love." He wouldn't say, "This is my sinner saved by grace." How depressing would that be? Furthermore, God is not even counting our sins against us and no longer remembers them. Therefore, why would He then identify us by that which He is not even acknowledging anymore? Man's problem is not that we are sinners in need of grace. Man's problem is that we are dead and in need of life. "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins (Col 2:13)." Saints, we are alive to God because we have His life indwelling us. Our sins are forgiven, put behind His back, never to be seen again. God isn't judging us based on sins, but on a new life in Christ. Stop identifying yourself by your sinful behavior and start identifying yourself by Christ's sinless behavior. Be blessed.
Q: What is the most important thing we as Christians "must know"?
A: The most important thing to know is our identity in Christ. For far too long Christians have gone about trying to get from God through vain attempts at obedience and repentance that which they already have through faith. We are still trying to get right with God by continually asking Him to forgive sins He is not counting against us. We are trying to get blessings from Him He didn't promise to give by our behavior and missing out on the blessings we have been given through our faith in Christ.We are trying to claim promises given to Jews under the Old Covenant for ourselves and not understanding the fulfilled promises Christ has freely given us under the New Covenant. Until you come to an understanding of who you are in Christ you will always feel like something is missing in your life. Plus, you will always be vulnerable to pastors, teachers and fellow Christians who want to control you and separate you from your time, money and talent. As long as you are focused on yourself and what you believe you need to do for God or get from God you will be in jeopardy of feeling that God is disappointed in you. This is because you will never get all the sin out your life and you will never be obedient enough to receive His blessings. The bottom line will be you won't know your God and He probably won't know you.
Do you know right now what your identity in Christ is? You are chosen by God. You have been saved by Grace. God is propitiated (satisfied). You are reconciled to God. You have been redeemed. You are free from the Law. You are totally forgiven, totally cleansed and have been made holy and blameless. Your life is hidden with Christ. You are clothed with Christ. You are sealed in Christ. You have Christ's righteousness. You are totally justified and sanctified. You are safe from God's wrath. You are at peace with God. You are free from condemnation. You have been made perfect forever. You are totally accepted. You have been brought from darkness to light. You have been brought from death to life. You are born again, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, a temple of the Holy Spirit, a new creation and a child of God. You have been adopted in to God's family, made an heir of God, in fellowship with God and made into a holy and royal priesthood. You have total access to God. You have been made complete. You have been given everything. What else do you need? This is not something you have to earn, keep or maintain. You have it because God gave it to you as a gift because of His love for you. Rest in it. If you don't believe you have received this it is because you are believing something wrong about God. You "must know" this or will never experience the fullness of your relationship with your God. Be blessed.
Q: What is the "one" thing that the devil wants us (Christians) to do?
A: He wants us to try and be like God. The devil is the father of lies. And the greatest lie he ever told is repeated each day by many Christians. The devil told Eve, ""For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Gen 3:5)." We don't say it quite so bluntly, but we still try to be like God. However, we mask it more Christian sounding terms. We say we have to strive to be more sinless in our behavior. Or we will encourage each other to be "better" Christians, which is another way of encouraging trying to get all the sin out our life. And finally, we say that we must be more "Christlike" in our walk. Well, all these things we say are encouraging us to be like Jesus. And Jesus was God. Therefore, it is the same lie that Adam and Eve fell for back in the Garden. The Christian life has become an exercise in trying to be like God through a lifestyle of obedience and repentance to the knowledge of good and evil. Depending on the church or denomination we belong to the laws we subject ourselves to, in order to try and obtain this goal, can vary. But, each denomination can be defined by the laws it subjects its patrons to. The sad thing in all this is that we end up living an impossible life of trying be like God.
God gave the Jews the 613 Mosaic Laws in an effort to show them what they needed to do in order to be like Him. They failed. Jesus, continued this theme, by amplifying the Law with His Sermon on the Mount. Christians have been trying to live up to this impossible standard for nearly 2,000 years. We have failed. Jesus said, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Mat 5:48)." If you want to be like God you have to be perfect. This should lead you to say, "I can't do it." And that is exactly what it should do. The Mosaic Law and the amplification of it by Jesus was given to lead you to the realization that you can't be like God. Therefore, your only alternative is to come to Jesus by faith. "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith (Gal 3:24)." Through faith you have been given everything you could not obtain through trying to be like God through your attempts at obedience to the knowledge of good and evil. Your sins are no longer remembered by God (2 Cor 5:19). You are holy in God's eyes (Heb 10:14). You have every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3). And you have everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). All you do now is rest (Heb 4:9) from your attempts to achieve through self-effort what can only be received through faith. Stop eating from the wrong "tree" and start abiding in the true "Vine". Be blessed.
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