Either we have said this or some one has asked us this question sometime in our life: "Are you saved and when did that happen?" For many years I never could really put my finger to it, but I have always felt something was wrong with this doctrine. The Scriptures always place the 'saved' event in the past before the world was made, and accomplished as a done deal at Christ death and resurrection, it was something that occurred at that time for all of us. What I found out through my constant questioning was that When Christ said it was finished just before He died , what what He referring too? Everything was accomplished then, at that moment, and in our past. It is a done deal, we just have to be told of this already done accomplishment and start living in our new Spirit Identity as a fact. Here is a mini study on this topic.
When Were You Saved?
When were Christians today saved, and what works did they have to do to be saved?
Once I was at a lunch counter and reading a biblical commentary when a couple saw me and asked me if I were saved. I told them I was. They said that they were saved at a Billy Graham campaign some 12 years before and I congratulated them, but at the same time I told them I was saved in Christ long before that. They asked when I was saved? I then told them that the apostle Paul tells when I was saved and that it required not the slightest work on my part (whether that work was good or bad). They wanted to know where Paul said that. I told them to read II Timothy 1:9, Here is what the apostle stated as a foundational position of faith regarding our salvation.
"Who has saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."
I told them it was wrong to tell people what they have to do to get saved when salvation is "not according to our works." I informed them further that it was not proper to tell people how to GET saved, when they ought to be told how they GOT saved – that’s right, how they GOT saved in Christ Jesus before the world (or ages of man) ever came into existence. This is why "grace" is the only ingredient in the salvation secured for us by Christ. Our own works, no matter how good they might be, have nothing to do in the matter. And though it is true that a person has to express a faith and belief in Christ and his plan of salvation, even that faith, belief and will-power to accept the Gospel is a gift from God (Philippians 2:13). The fact is, all people who are now saved were saved in Christ, before Adam and Eve were ever placed on earth. This is exactly what Paul taught, and it is the real Gospel of Christ.
By the way, the couple did not like me showing them II Timothy 1:9. They left saying that I had better repent and do proper works (like working up a belief and working up a faith in Christ) or else I was on my way to an ever-burning hell from which I would never escape. They were as deceived as they could be on how salvation is obtained in Christ. I prefer Paul’s teaching in the above verse and elsewhere.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
ARE WE LACKING FAITH TO STEP OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE?
Here is a wonderful post and a pertinent question that I personally must ask myself: Do I really want to be healed? do I really want change in my life? do I really want out of this rut, this prison that I am in? Yes these are questions I must ask myself, and be honest with myself in. Do I really want out of my comfort zone even it it is killing me?
Wow , it is really high time I confront these issues in my life and really find out what I really want to happen in my life. It is funny, or maybe sad, that we are willing to stay where we are because it is so much harder not to. We must own up to our real situation here. I must take full responsiblity for my healing, and that healing can really only come when I hand it and all of it over to God.
God help me to see the true answer in my disabilities, and in my sickness, and the reasons for them. Help me to take up my bed and walk in your Salvation of my spirit soul and my body.Lord help me to see the error of my ways and to come to terms with the truth of them. Lord you know who I am, even when I fail or chose not to see who I really am. Lord please help me to get out of my comfort zone, and rely totally in your will for my life. Thank you Yah ' shua, Jesus , thank you Holy Spirit for revealing the true nature of my rut and comfort zone.
John 5:1-8 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, “Would you like to get well?” (v.6).
more>
He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds (Psalm 147:3).
next>
How would you answer Jesus’ question: “Would you like to get well?” Is there something you’re not willing to give up in order to get well?
Jesus once met a man who had been handicapped for 38 years. After spotting him lying near a pool in Jerusalem, Jesus asked him, “Would you like to get well?” (John 5:6).
At first, that sounds like a strange question. Of course the guy wanted to get well. He’d been handicapped for decades! In asking the question, however, Jesus acknowledged that sometimes people seem more inclined to remain in a crippled and broken state than to be healed.
Ironically, for some, the journey to restoration from personal brokenness seems too scary. Even though the wounds of life have crippled and imprisoned them, it’s what they have gotten used to.
Anyone can get so accustomed to living in a state of brokenness that they’re too afraid to leave it. It’s called becoming institutionalized. This term is used to describe the state of a prisoner who flounders at trying to live in “the real world” once he’s been freed from jail or paroled. Struggling with life outside the prison walls, some ex-cons will commit a crime in order to get sent back to the way of life they know and desire to experience again.
This frame of mind is similar to the one the Israelites slipped into shortly after God miraculously freed them from the bondage of Egypt. A life of slavery was the only life these people knew. And just a few days into their freedom, when the journey became difficult, they wanted to go back (Exodus 16:1-3). Following God into the wilderness toward the Promised Land might have felt too risky. They weren’t ready to “get well.”
God is in the business of restoration, but we need to know that the journey isn’t easy. It sometimes requires leaving behind what’s familiar and heading into new directions (John 5:8).
Here is a response to this devotion that I thought was well said:
BobbiLee says:
March 25, 2009 at 1:53 am
Both in the physical realm and the spiritual one, there are many lessons in this passage for us today as you have pointed out. We do like our “comfort zone.” Wellness requires responsibility and we don’t like to take that on. Instead, like the crippled man in this account, many people would rather take the easier, familiar path. Being dependent on others for our needs and being “spoon-fed” sure is a lot easier than taking responsibility for either physical or spiritual healing.
Some years ago I suffered a serious illness and almost died. It took the doctors eight months to come up with a diagnosis. During that time I depended entirely on the doctors for my healing and was confined to a chair all day and every day. After many months of sickness and pain, I finally realized that I had to allow God into my illness. I also had to take the first step if I ever wanted to get well and strong again.
So. . . one day, as difficult and painful as it was, I took a step, then two, then three. Daily I would take a few more steps than the day before. I stayed in the Word and God spoke to me there. I learned more of God during that time than in all my life before. You are right, the journey isn’t easy. Even in my spiritual life I can take a few steps, then more and more until I am truly walking with the Lord daily. This also takes time, effort and responsibility, but He is worthy and He is worth it.
Wow , it is really high time I confront these issues in my life and really find out what I really want to happen in my life. It is funny, or maybe sad, that we are willing to stay where we are because it is so much harder not to. We must own up to our real situation here. I must take full responsiblity for my healing, and that healing can really only come when I hand it and all of it over to God.
God help me to see the true answer in my disabilities, and in my sickness, and the reasons for them. Help me to take up my bed and walk in your Salvation of my spirit soul and my body.Lord help me to see the error of my ways and to come to terms with the truth of them. Lord you know who I am, even when I fail or chose not to see who I really am. Lord please help me to get out of my comfort zone, and rely totally in your will for my life. Thank you Yah ' shua, Jesus , thank you Holy Spirit for revealing the true nature of my rut and comfort zone.
John 5:1-8 When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, “Would you like to get well?” (v.6).
more>
He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds (Psalm 147:3).
next>
How would you answer Jesus’ question: “Would you like to get well?” Is there something you’re not willing to give up in order to get well?
Jesus once met a man who had been handicapped for 38 years. After spotting him lying near a pool in Jerusalem, Jesus asked him, “Would you like to get well?” (John 5:6).
At first, that sounds like a strange question. Of course the guy wanted to get well. He’d been handicapped for decades! In asking the question, however, Jesus acknowledged that sometimes people seem more inclined to remain in a crippled and broken state than to be healed.
Ironically, for some, the journey to restoration from personal brokenness seems too scary. Even though the wounds of life have crippled and imprisoned them, it’s what they have gotten used to.
Anyone can get so accustomed to living in a state of brokenness that they’re too afraid to leave it. It’s called becoming institutionalized. This term is used to describe the state of a prisoner who flounders at trying to live in “the real world” once he’s been freed from jail or paroled. Struggling with life outside the prison walls, some ex-cons will commit a crime in order to get sent back to the way of life they know and desire to experience again.
This frame of mind is similar to the one the Israelites slipped into shortly after God miraculously freed them from the bondage of Egypt. A life of slavery was the only life these people knew. And just a few days into their freedom, when the journey became difficult, they wanted to go back (Exodus 16:1-3). Following God into the wilderness toward the Promised Land might have felt too risky. They weren’t ready to “get well.”
God is in the business of restoration, but we need to know that the journey isn’t easy. It sometimes requires leaving behind what’s familiar and heading into new directions (John 5:8).
Here is a response to this devotion that I thought was well said:
BobbiLee says:
March 25, 2009 at 1:53 am
Both in the physical realm and the spiritual one, there are many lessons in this passage for us today as you have pointed out. We do like our “comfort zone.” Wellness requires responsibility and we don’t like to take that on. Instead, like the crippled man in this account, many people would rather take the easier, familiar path. Being dependent on others for our needs and being “spoon-fed” sure is a lot easier than taking responsibility for either physical or spiritual healing.
Some years ago I suffered a serious illness and almost died. It took the doctors eight months to come up with a diagnosis. During that time I depended entirely on the doctors for my healing and was confined to a chair all day and every day. After many months of sickness and pain, I finally realized that I had to allow God into my illness. I also had to take the first step if I ever wanted to get well and strong again.
So. . . one day, as difficult and painful as it was, I took a step, then two, then three. Daily I would take a few more steps than the day before. I stayed in the Word and God spoke to me there. I learned more of God during that time than in all my life before. You are right, the journey isn’t easy. Even in my spiritual life I can take a few steps, then more and more until I am truly walking with the Lord daily. This also takes time, effort and responsibility, but He is worthy and He is worth it.
Are We Living in Denial?
"The problem with letting ourselves off the hook is that we also disqualify ourselves for salvation. If Jesus came to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21), then only those who admit and repent of their sins can be saved."
Wow is this an eye opener! I read this on a devotional. This devotion was talking about seeing sin and faults in others but not seeing or overlooking and denying the same in ourselves. If we do not see our need , we will never have our needs met in Christ. If we think we are ok , and that we do not have any problems in our character that need fixing, we will never get fixed, period. Jesus came for those that see their need, for those who know they are not perfect, who knows that they really do not measure up, those souls who are honest with themselves, these are the one's Jesus came to help. Those who live their lives thinking they are perfect and have healthy characters, usually are the ones who really need the help, but because they do not see their faults or choose to believe the lie they tell themselves will never truly live an abundant life in Christ. We are all guilty of self deception and it is an evil trap we get ourselves into. We must endeavor to see the traps we set up for ourselves, we must be wise to the deceptions and the lies that the Deceiver hurls at us. We must always be diligent to the schemes of the devil and of ourselves. Let us come to the truthful conclusion of the matter, that yes , we really need help and that we really need His salvation every day of our lives.
"Lord I am well aware of my need for your salvation, I know I don't measure up to who I should be, Lord only by your Spirit am I ever able to live an abundant life here on earth. Lord save me from my sins, my faults, and my self deceptions. Lord, heal me , take my hand and guide me in the way I should go, because I really do need help in finding my way, for I am truly lost and many times I am unaware of the dangers that are lurking in the shadows. Lord I need your angels to watch over me and my loved ones, Lord I need you and I thank you for your salvation today and every day."
Wow is this an eye opener! I read this on a devotional. This devotion was talking about seeing sin and faults in others but not seeing or overlooking and denying the same in ourselves. If we do not see our need , we will never have our needs met in Christ. If we think we are ok , and that we do not have any problems in our character that need fixing, we will never get fixed, period. Jesus came for those that see their need, for those who know they are not perfect, who knows that they really do not measure up, those souls who are honest with themselves, these are the one's Jesus came to help. Those who live their lives thinking they are perfect and have healthy characters, usually are the ones who really need the help, but because they do not see their faults or choose to believe the lie they tell themselves will never truly live an abundant life in Christ. We are all guilty of self deception and it is an evil trap we get ourselves into. We must endeavor to see the traps we set up for ourselves, we must be wise to the deceptions and the lies that the Deceiver hurls at us. We must always be diligent to the schemes of the devil and of ourselves. Let us come to the truthful conclusion of the matter, that yes , we really need help and that we really need His salvation every day of our lives.
"Lord I am well aware of my need for your salvation, I know I don't measure up to who I should be, Lord only by your Spirit am I ever able to live an abundant life here on earth. Lord save me from my sins, my faults, and my self deceptions. Lord, heal me , take my hand and guide me in the way I should go, because I really do need help in finding my way, for I am truly lost and many times I am unaware of the dangers that are lurking in the shadows. Lord I need your angels to watch over me and my loved ones, Lord I need you and I thank you for your salvation today and every day."
THE ORDINARY EVERYDAY LIFE OF FAITH IN GOD
The greatest lessons of living the life of Christ in this journey that I am on, is found in my everyday , non eventful and sometimes boring life. Many come to the Faith in Yah'shua/Jesus with the notion that we must always have great works to do for Him, that we must always feel His presence in our life.That we are to have busy and profound experience in God all the time, that somehow we must live on the mountain tops all the time. But I have found that the greatest work the Lord does in my life is when it would seem nothing is happening in my life. There seems to be no mountain top even in my view, nothing but endless valleys. The days seem to be the same, I do my household chores, I study the word, I pray, and I try to cope with life in Chronic Pain and disability. Day in and day out nothing seems to be changing, in fact it seems everything is getting worse in my life, more pain, more disability, more trials, more lack it would seem. I don't seem to be making any progress instead more things seem to be piling up on me. I don't feel the presence of God's Holy Spirit in my life, and my every day struggles and problems seem to keep coming at me with full force. Sometimes it would seem that it is never ending. All the while I continue crying out to God "where are you in all of this?"
We have this idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing in our life, that surely He is preparing me and equipping me for some great and extraordinary work sometime in the future. But I have found, by reading biographies of people who seem to be living that extraordinary life and by reading about the men and women God worked in , within the pages of the Bible, that there were many years of learning in the mundane ordinary day in and day out struggles that truly prepared them for what they were doing now, and for the great things we have read about. We only see the now in their lives, but we were no where around while they were undergoing the training of God in their ordinary and many times boring lives.
But as I live and grow in the Lord I am finding that God is truly doing a work in me right now in this mundane and ordinary and sometimes boring life this very moment and in every moment of my ordinary day.
I am being taught that God is doing and performing His Work , His way in me, He is pruning and tending the garden of my soul , pulling out weeds and watering and feeding me what I need now in this moment. This time is not being wasted when I ,no matter what the circumstances keep my mind and my heart in Him. It is in the ordinary life that He does His best work, it is the training ground that I need ,to be what He wants me to be, for what ever purpose that He has for me . He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Heb.13:5, Not for any reason , not because of my sin, or waywardness, or sometimes fears and doubts that I may have. He never leaves me even when I do not see Him at work in my life. This wilderness time we all go through is the training ground so that we personally will know and believe that God is true to His word every time, and it is during these ordinary , day in and day out , ups and downs that we personally gain the assurance that no matter what ,God is truly there. God is in me doing His workmanship in me, even when I am unaware of it. This is what we need to get a hold on, this is the time our faith is truly tested, and this is the time we will begin to truly know what and who we believe in. Yes ,God does great things it would seem in other peoples lives, but we must believe that He is doing great things in our lives now , and in many peoples lives, the truly big and wonderful workings of God will be found in the ordinary life that we live in.
If we continue to rely on God's assurance and His word that He has never left us, we will find that we will have His Strength to aid us in keeping on keeping on. The word says that "the secret of the Lord is with those who reverently fear and honor Him"Psalms 25:14
We must endeavor to uncover the 'secret of the Lord' daily in our lives , if we seek Him and His righteousness, we must believe that what ever we 'need' in our lives will be given. The secret here is knowing the difference between need and wants.
Those of us who live very ordinary lives must realize that there really is no 'work' that we have to do for the Lord, His only requirement from us is to Believe in Him and have Faith in Him. It is so much easier for us to do something for the Lord than to merely Trust in Him, we think surely we must be doing more FOR the Lord, we say to ourselves.God wants us to walk 'with' Him not 'work' for Him, He is the one doing the Work, we are called to allow His work to be done in and through us. We must be as Christ was in the world , He said "behold I have come to do Your will O God." Heb.10:9 Jesus' obedience was to the Will of Abba, and this is what we are to do as well. The whole purpose of our training in the ordinary things of life is to get us into 'Right relationship' to the needs of God and His Will. Once God's needs are met in us , He will open the way for us to accomplish His will in meeting the needs of those around us.
Until we come to the point of total reliance on the Resurrection life of Jesus which is what brings us into complete Oneness with the purposes of God we will never be called to do anything else. And that total reliance of his Resurrection life and power is learned in the daily trusting and abiding in Him in the ordinary, commonness of the lives we live.
Lord help me to be aware of you in my ordinary life, help me to rely on your resurrection life and power, help me to see you in all things that happen in my life, help me to come to the point of truly seeking your Will and Kingdom in me. Lord as I live daily in this world, I will trust in you , I will believe in you, and I will abide in you, as your Spirit empowers me to do so.Lord I may not understand what may be going on in my life right now, but according to your word, I will not lean on my own understanding but in all my ways I will acknowledge that you are in control, and in doing so will trust that you will direct my path.
We have this idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing in our life, that surely He is preparing me and equipping me for some great and extraordinary work sometime in the future. But I have found, by reading biographies of people who seem to be living that extraordinary life and by reading about the men and women God worked in , within the pages of the Bible, that there were many years of learning in the mundane ordinary day in and day out struggles that truly prepared them for what they were doing now, and for the great things we have read about. We only see the now in their lives, but we were no where around while they were undergoing the training of God in their ordinary and many times boring lives.
But as I live and grow in the Lord I am finding that God is truly doing a work in me right now in this mundane and ordinary and sometimes boring life this very moment and in every moment of my ordinary day.
I am being taught that God is doing and performing His Work , His way in me, He is pruning and tending the garden of my soul , pulling out weeds and watering and feeding me what I need now in this moment. This time is not being wasted when I ,no matter what the circumstances keep my mind and my heart in Him. It is in the ordinary life that He does His best work, it is the training ground that I need ,to be what He wants me to be, for what ever purpose that He has for me . He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Heb.13:5, Not for any reason , not because of my sin, or waywardness, or sometimes fears and doubts that I may have. He never leaves me even when I do not see Him at work in my life. This wilderness time we all go through is the training ground so that we personally will know and believe that God is true to His word every time, and it is during these ordinary , day in and day out , ups and downs that we personally gain the assurance that no matter what ,God is truly there. God is in me doing His workmanship in me, even when I am unaware of it. This is what we need to get a hold on, this is the time our faith is truly tested, and this is the time we will begin to truly know what and who we believe in. Yes ,God does great things it would seem in other peoples lives, but we must believe that He is doing great things in our lives now , and in many peoples lives, the truly big and wonderful workings of God will be found in the ordinary life that we live in.
If we continue to rely on God's assurance and His word that He has never left us, we will find that we will have His Strength to aid us in keeping on keeping on. The word says that "the secret of the Lord is with those who reverently fear and honor Him"Psalms 25:14
We must endeavor to uncover the 'secret of the Lord' daily in our lives , if we seek Him and His righteousness, we must believe that what ever we 'need' in our lives will be given. The secret here is knowing the difference between need and wants.
Those of us who live very ordinary lives must realize that there really is no 'work' that we have to do for the Lord, His only requirement from us is to Believe in Him and have Faith in Him. It is so much easier for us to do something for the Lord than to merely Trust in Him, we think surely we must be doing more FOR the Lord, we say to ourselves.God wants us to walk 'with' Him not 'work' for Him, He is the one doing the Work, we are called to allow His work to be done in and through us. We must be as Christ was in the world , He said "behold I have come to do Your will O God." Heb.10:9 Jesus' obedience was to the Will of Abba, and this is what we are to do as well. The whole purpose of our training in the ordinary things of life is to get us into 'Right relationship' to the needs of God and His Will. Once God's needs are met in us , He will open the way for us to accomplish His will in meeting the needs of those around us.
Until we come to the point of total reliance on the Resurrection life of Jesus which is what brings us into complete Oneness with the purposes of God we will never be called to do anything else. And that total reliance of his Resurrection life and power is learned in the daily trusting and abiding in Him in the ordinary, commonness of the lives we live.
Lord help me to be aware of you in my ordinary life, help me to rely on your resurrection life and power, help me to see you in all things that happen in my life, help me to come to the point of truly seeking your Will and Kingdom in me. Lord as I live daily in this world, I will trust in you , I will believe in you, and I will abide in you, as your Spirit empowers me to do so.Lord I may not understand what may be going on in my life right now, but according to your word, I will not lean on my own understanding but in all my ways I will acknowledge that you are in control, and in doing so will trust that you will direct my path.
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