This revelation is so simple, it really does take a theologian to mess it up.
We are forgiven of all our sins - all of them!
I used to live my life trying to preempt the hurt and upset in my mind.
It was a life of combing every hurt and trying to preempt the pain.
A sense of shame will come at us in our daily walk.
This world is saturated in condemnation, even if people think that they can ignore their conscience and do and say what they please.
This conscience inside of us does not die with neglect or busy work.
It takes the blood of Jesus, the blood which cleanses, and keeps on cleansing.
We are not supposed to feel guilty about. . .anything.
He took away all that guilt and shame for us at the Cross.
Now, as for how we learn how to live. . .
Doesn't that require shame, a sense of wrong-doing, for us to live right?
What does the Bible say?
"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:": (2 Corinthians 5: 14)
His love holds us in place.
The rules of "don't, don't, don't" don't cut it, either:
20Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21(Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh." (Colossians 2: 20-23)
If the "No's" don't work, then what does change us? The grace of God!
"11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2: 11-14)
We understand more about the grace of God, the more that we see Jesus:
"2Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord," (2 Peter 1: 2)
Guess what else transforms us? The Holy Spirit, as we see more of Jesus!
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3: 17)
and also
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12: 1-2)
This revelation cannot be stated enough. His grace, not shame, changes us!
Friday, December 11, 2015
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
No Sense of Shame or Hurt
This is still a new thing for me to learn.
I have lived so much of my life feeling bad and kicking myself for doing something wrong.
I had read as early as 2006 that immaturity defines a person who walks around in shame, who feels bad about things that they have done wrong.
We are not supposed to keep feeling bad.
We are not supposed to keep punishing ourselves.
Did the blood of Jesus not accomplish the work that needed to be done?
This is still a new revelation for me.
We are not supposed to revisit the Cross every time we do something wrong.
We are not supposed to go back to feeling bad or guilty and then try to feel un-guilty -- for lack of a better word.
That is wrong.
We are not supposed to feel guilty or condemned at all.
The next challenge to this revelation - how are we supposed to go from doing bad to good? How do we grow in life and respect for others?
That is where the grace of God comes in!
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2: 11-14)
Grace is a teacher -- shame and hurt do not teach anyone anything.
I have lived so much of my life feeling bad and kicking myself for doing something wrong.
I had read as early as 2006 that immaturity defines a person who walks around in shame, who feels bad about things that they have done wrong.
We are not supposed to keep feeling bad.
We are not supposed to keep punishing ourselves.
Did the blood of Jesus not accomplish the work that needed to be done?
This is still a new revelation for me.
We are not supposed to revisit the Cross every time we do something wrong.
We are not supposed to go back to feeling bad or guilty and then try to feel un-guilty -- for lack of a better word.
That is wrong.
We are not supposed to feel guilty or condemned at all.
The next challenge to this revelation - how are we supposed to go from doing bad to good? How do we grow in life and respect for others?
That is where the grace of God comes in!
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2: 11-14)
Grace is a teacher -- shame and hurt do not teach anyone anything.
Friday, December 4, 2015
No Sins Imputed
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”
(Romans 4: 8)
This is indeed a blessed promise.
The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, delivers us from all condemnation.
Yet if you grew up in the legalistic household which I grew up in, you would think that the blood of Jesus did not accomplish anything at all.
The falsehoods I was taught - they were just terrible.
In so many churches -- if they can be called churchces today -- the blood of Jesus means nothing, and oftentimes people do not even preach or teach about the ever-wonderful powerful cleansing of the blood.
It is really astonishing to me, after all these years, that I was reading and reading the Bible, yet I was believing such false doctrine.
God Almighty has provided the perfect pardon for all our sins -- all of them -- at the Cross.
The Alcoholics Anonymous cult would have us believe otherwise, that we have to keep ourselves clean, that we have to stay in check over ourselves and our perversions.
Since when did anybody get the idea that they could keep short accounts with God?
No sins are imputed to us. Even if we do something wrong, we need to recognize that God is not a fault finder anymore looking for ways to punish us.
Sin does bring forth death in our lives. If anyone claims that he is under grace, yet continues to live in sin -- he is lying, pure and simple.
This life given to us is not about staying one step ahead of our sicknesses. It is about living life, and that more abundantly. His life in us is about living in great power, and having all things provided to us and for us through Christ Jesus.
I will not say no to any of that.
As for AA, I will continue to rail against the frauds of this terrible cult.
This is indeed a blessed promise.
The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin, delivers us from all condemnation.
Yet if you grew up in the legalistic household which I grew up in, you would think that the blood of Jesus did not accomplish anything at all.
The falsehoods I was taught - they were just terrible.
In so many churches -- if they can be called churchces today -- the blood of Jesus means nothing, and oftentimes people do not even preach or teach about the ever-wonderful powerful cleansing of the blood.
It is really astonishing to me, after all these years, that I was reading and reading the Bible, yet I was believing such false doctrine.
God Almighty has provided the perfect pardon for all our sins -- all of them -- at the Cross.
The Alcoholics Anonymous cult would have us believe otherwise, that we have to keep ourselves clean, that we have to stay in check over ourselves and our perversions.
Since when did anybody get the idea that they could keep short accounts with God?
No sins are imputed to us. Even if we do something wrong, we need to recognize that God is not a fault finder anymore looking for ways to punish us.
Sin does bring forth death in our lives. If anyone claims that he is under grace, yet continues to live in sin -- he is lying, pure and simple.
This life given to us is not about staying one step ahead of our sicknesses. It is about living life, and that more abundantly. His life in us is about living in great power, and having all things provided to us and for us through Christ Jesus.
I will not say no to any of that.
As for AA, I will continue to rail against the frauds of this terrible cult.
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