To Esteem Christ

Jesus is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. To esteem Christ highly is the call of God on our life.

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To Esteem Christ

4-18-2010

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Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

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The prophet Isaiah writes of the Messiah coming. This Messiah would be despised, rejected and not esteemed! What does it mean to not esteem. It is not that Jesus was ignored. He was considered but not rightly so. He was not given due regard. As the prophet Isaiah wrote we did not esteem Him.

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The report given was 'Jesus is the Son of God'. The report said that He was the exclusive way to life -- the bread of life, the living water and the light of the world. Shall we believe the report and rightly esteem Him?

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John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

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Matthew 22:42 saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The Son of David." 43 He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying: 44 'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"'? 45 "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?" 46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

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What do you think about the Christ? What an awesome question! The answer one gives determines their own destiny.

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John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." 28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

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The report is given and who shall believe the report of the Lord?

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Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. 26 "Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 27 "All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. 28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

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The report is given shall we rightly esteem Jesus? Shall we rightly esteem the one who lifts the heavy laden? Shall we rightly esteem and give preeminence to the one who promises rest of for our soul?

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John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 "But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.

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Here is yet again the report of the Lord! Shall we believe the words “the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” Dare we repeat the voice of Jesus and esteem Him highly? Shall we rightly esteem the who spoke these words of life. Shall we give due regard to the bread of life?

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John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." *

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Who do you say Jesus is? Your answer determines your destiny!*

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Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

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The whole church is built upon the truth of who Jesus Christ is! He is the Christ (Messiah) the Son of the living God. He is the one and only who has been sent to save people from there sin!

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John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

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Jesus is in the bosom of the Father; from the perspective of being in the bosom of the Father, Jesus declares Him. Reconciliation to the Father through Jesus the Son!

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John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. 30 "I and My Father are one."

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Here once again is the very voice of Jesus speaking. The report is awesome! Do we esteem the One who brings the report? Shall we follow the One who has given the report. Oh such intimacy Jesus speaks of!

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2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, thatGod was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

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Highly esteem the One whom the Father sent! Hear the report, receive the report, believe the report; be reconciled to God!

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Be a Partaker of Redemption

Two weeks ago I shared 'The Fall of Man" and last week "The Redemption of Man". This week I am sharing "Be a partaker of Redemption". I pray it is a blessing to you.

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Be a Partaker of Redemption

Sermon notes 4-11-2010

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Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."

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The church is built upon the foundation of a genuine confession of faith in Jesus Christ. The confession is that which is spoken from the heart about Jesus the Messiah.

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Matthew 16:16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

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The bedrock of salvation is that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the living God.

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John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

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Scripture after scripture brings out the truth that faith in Jesus and receiving Him as your Messiah is where salvation begins. Let's examine just few more.

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John 6:28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."

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John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 "But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

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John 3:35 "The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

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1 John 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

How does one know if they have a genuine confession of faith? Jesus Himself spoke of the conditions of true surrender. Confessing Jesus as Messiah is a surrender of your life to His Lordship. No surrender no salvation; know surrender know salvation. Let's consider Jesus' words in Luke 14.

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Luke 14:25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it; 29 "lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 "saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 "Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 "Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

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This is a very strong teaching that Jesus spoke. No, His word is not teaching us to hate our family members. In this passage He speaks of the priority of your love. If you love your mother and father more than Him, or your children or brothers or sisters more than Him you can not be His disciple! Will you make your family members more important than your relationship with God? If you answer yes you have not truly made Jesus your Messiah. Jesus Christ deserves and commands preeminence. God has given Jesus the preeminence and if you accepted Him as Messiah you accept His God given authority in your life. True salvation comes from bearing your cross and coming after Jesus. That is a complete surrender of your will to the authority of Jesus. If you will not you can not be His disciple. Jesus made clear the terms of surrender! "Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple."

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One of the greatest burdens of my heart is that many have never come to the fullness of salvation because they have never surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. One of the greatest deceptions of the devil is to get one to believe they are saved when they are not! Beloved, examine yourself and see if you are in the faith. Have you passed the test that Jesus preached about? Full forsaking of all, no full surrender no salvation!

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The benefits of true surrender are immeasurable. You get to give him your sin, guilt, and shame and He will give you His righteousness. You can trade in your sorrow for His fullness of joy. You can trade in your broken heart and get a brand new heart. God will turn your mourning into dancing! He can take the wounds and turmoil of the past and bring a peace that passes all understanding.

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Ephesians 1 brings the truth of benefits of those who have surrender fully to Jesus.

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Ephesians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.

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The divine influence of God and the union that He brings is found exclusively in Jesus Christ.

1 God has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus

2 He chose you before the foundation of the world and it gave Him great pleasure to do so.

3 He has predestined you to adoption as his child by Jesus Christ.

4 God has made you accepted in the Beloved

5 In the beloved Jesus Christ, you have redemption and the forgiveness of sin measured by the riches of His grace.

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Your genuine faith brings you full access to God.

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Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

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Because of your faith in Jesus you have a right and privilege to come boldly into the throne room of God. I love it. You can come boldly in your hour of need! At the point you need His grace (divine influence) and mercy (God's goodness) the most you can come to Him boldly!

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True children of God can be full partakers in the redemption purchased by Jesus!

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Acts 20:32 "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

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The word of His grace is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified!

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Hebrews 13:9 Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.

Hebrews 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

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The Redemption of Man

Last week we covered how the fall of man came. This week God

stirred up in me to share " The Redemption of Man". In Jesus Christ

exclusively we have redemption.

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The Redemption of Man” --- Sermon notes 4-4-2010

Ephesians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

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The redemption of man is due exclusively to the man Christ Jesus! In Jesus Christ alone is the forgiveness of sins. This is all due to the abundant divine influence brought to mankind! Jesus came and destroyed the works of the devil all through the power of the cross we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Many are looking to be blessed; this place of blessing is exclusively in Jesus Christ.

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Hebrews 9:24 For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; 25 not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another; 26 He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

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Jesus appeared in the presence of God for us! He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Jesus strong sacrifice was enough to put away sin.

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Romans 5:18 Therefore, as through one man's offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.

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The obedience of Jesus Christ to the death of the cross makes it possible for many to be made righteous! One man’s obedience; Jesus Christ our redeemer. The object of your faith must be exclusively in Jesus Christ and in no other one or no other thing!

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Hebrews 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

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Isaiah 63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold;Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me;

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God was in awe there was no man who would intercede and call for the salvation of backslidden Israel. God declared He would bring salvation with His own right arm!

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John 3:14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

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Israel was sinning and God allowed serpents to come into the camp and many were being bitten and dying. Their leader, Moses, cried out to God and God instructed him to make a bronze snake and lift it up. Anyone in the camp who would look up at the bronze snake would be saved. Jesus spoke that he would be lifted up on the cross and if anyone would look up to Him, that one could be saved! Jesus said whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. Jesus did not come to condemn but to seek and to save the lost! The question is will we look to Him and be saved? It take complete surrender! It is Jesus only that can save and redeem you! He who believes in Jesus is not condemned!

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John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

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Believing in Jesus, receiving His as Savior and Lord is the exclusive way of salvation and there is not another way! These are the ones who are born of God.

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1 John 5:1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him…. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

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Faith in Jesus as your Messiah is what God built the entire church upon! If the object of your faith is in Jesus as your Messiah you have an overcoming faith. Jesus is the Son of God who alone has brought redemption to man and there is no other way of redemption!

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Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

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It is exclusively by the divine influence of God we have been saved. While we were yet sinners, Jesus Christ died for us to be redeemed. God did a work of redemption in us with the free gift of righteousness. We are God’s workmanship prepared to do good works. Not saved by those good works; however assuredly saved to do the good works God prepared for us to do!

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Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. 16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

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The handwriting of requirements that was against us in no longer there, being wiped out; Jesus nailed them to the cross. Jesus made a public spectacle of principalities and powers of the enemy of our soul. It is no longer in the food or the drink, or the festivals or new moon or Sabbaths. All of those things were imposed as a shadow of this things to come. The victory is now found in the substance Jesus Christ. Our victory over sin is found exclusively in Jesus Christ.

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Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

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We have been brought near to God exclusively through the blood of Jesus. There is not another way to be brought near to God. Jesus is our peace. That is, He is the one who brought oneness between God and man. There is no other way to come into that oneness. Jesus put to death the enmity between God and man. That is- Jesus ended the hostility between a holy God and sinful man. However the only way to come to this reconciliation is exclusively through the blood that was shed by Jesus Christ. Repentance and remission of sins is exclusively in Jesus' name and there is no other way to salvation! Through Jesus by one Spirit to the Father. Jesus is the only way to reconciliation. Jesus is the only way for your sin not to be counted against you. There is not another way. Then you become citizens with the saint and members of the household of God.

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Hebrews 7:22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant. 23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

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Jesus saves to the uttermost always living to make intercessions for those who have called upon Him as Savoir and Redeemer.

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Rom 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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God gave us Jesus to bring us redemption and through Jesus He gives us freely all things. We are more than conquerors because He loved us!

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Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Come and believe the much more message. Romans 5 is the much more chapter that much of the church has not learned to live by. If He would die for you while you were a sinner much more He will save us from wrath through Him. If we were enemies at reconciliation through the death of Jesus, how much more now that we have been reconciled shall we be save by His life! Jesus has brought the redemption of man. It is exclusively though Jesus and there is no other way of redemption!