Ramifications Of The Cross

Ramifications of the cross. At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away...

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Ramifications Of The Cross

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1 Corinthians 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

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The apostle Paul declared he was determined to know nothing among the saints except Jesus Christ and Him crucified! Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil; that work was finished at the cross.

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1 Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

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Some of the so called church world suggest the way to grow the church is to take down the cross. “It may be offensive to some” as their justification for such nonsense. If Jesus Christ crucified is not preached you don’t even have the message of salvation.

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Galatians 5:7 You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. 11 And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.

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The leaven being offered was to abandon the cross for works of the law. The cross is offensive to those rejecting salvation. The cross is offensive to those who want to earn their salvation by their own good works.

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Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

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If your boast is in anything save the cross of Jesus Christ, your boast is in vain! Jesus Christ and Him crucified is where the power of salvation is at; there is no other way to be a new creation!

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1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

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It is through the cross that the enmity between God and man ended!

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Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

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The Father’s heart is a heart to reconcile man to Himself. The work is exclusively done through the blood of His Son at the cross.

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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.

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The forgiveness of sin was only made possible when Christ nailed to the cross the handwriting of requirements that was against us. That which was contrary to us Jesus took out of the way. Only at the cross was this work done.

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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.

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Jesus abolished in His flesh the enmity or hostility that was against us. Jesus made peace through the cross.

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1 Peter 2:21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness; by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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Jesus Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree. He became the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls! The bearing of sin was done when His own body was hung on the tree. At the cross is where our healing is and there is no other place for genuine healing.

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Galatians 3:11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." 13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"),

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At the cross Christ redeemed us from the curse; Jesus became a curse for us! Many look for deliverance in the wrong places. Your deliverance is at the cross and it is no where else!

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Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.

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The prophet Isaiah spoke of the cross of Jesus Christ. It pleased the Father to bruise Jesus and He put Jesus to grief. This all happened when Jesus soul was made an offering for sin. The Father seen the labor of Jesus soul and was satisfied. The offering of Jesus was and is enough! Isaiah testified that Jesus would justify many because he would bear their iniquities. At the cross the wrath of God was poured out on His only begotten Son!

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Psalm 103:8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;

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Here in Psalms is a prophetic utterance that God would pour out His anger this He did when Jesus was made the sacrifice for our sin. This is the only way God separates us from our sin. The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.

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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, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

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The Father has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ! God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them. Jesus at the cross made this available!

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2 Corinthians 5:20 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. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

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At the cross the trade was made; Jesus made it possible that we might become the righteousness of God.

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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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Roman 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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Whose obedience shall we trust in? Who is the one Man who brings righteousness to many! It is the man Christ Jesus! Put your confidence and faith in His obedience. There is no other way to righteousness.

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Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

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Jesus' obedience to the death of the cross fulfilled the purpose of the Father! That is why God highly exalted Him and has given Him the name which is above every name! Every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus.

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Revelation 1: 4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

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At the cross Jesus obediently washed us from our sins in His own blood. Because of the cross He has made us kings and priests to His God and Father! The divine order of God begins at the cross.

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Jesus Our Rock

Jesus our rock; the rock that followed the old testament saints was Christ, a picture and example of how our trust needs to be exclusively in Him.

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Jesus Our Rock

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1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.-

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The Children of Israel drank from the Rock Christ. However the victory was not in the provision. Israel enjoyed the provision; in spite of the provision there was failure! The victory is exclusively in the source of the provision. Jesus is the Rock the source of our provision.

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1 Corinthians 10:5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

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Satan could not curse what God had blessed; however he learned that if he could entice the blessed to give in to their own lust he could inhibit the work of God in their lives. The lure of the enemy is set for your weaknesses! Idolatry, sexual immorality are some of the blatant sins of lust; however the more subtle trick of the enemy is to have us tempt Christ with murmuring and complaining. The ploys of the enemy of our soul, most of the time, is subtle. Paul clearly has declared that these things were written for our examples. We should consider the outcome of their conduct and be warned.

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Complaining and murmuring is one of the strongest weapons and ploys of the devil. Time and again complaining and murmuring brought sorrow and heartache to the nation of Israel . It was the complaining of Israel that brought Moses into temptation and he struck the rock for the second time. Moses did not enter into the promise land because of it! Moses struck the rock out of obedience the first time; however, the rock did not need striking again! Remember the rock represented Christ in the midst of them. The next time Israel complained about being thirsty, God told Moses to speak to the rock and water would come out. Instead of speaking to the rock Moses struck the rock again! Jesus is our advocate and we as believers don’t need to strike the rock but speak to the rock. If we do sin we must come to our advocate to bring restoration to our soul. Lay aside every weight and sin that so easily besets us and look unto Jesus!

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Ephesians 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,

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Our own lust can be deceiving! Men who have walked with God have been deceived by their own lust because there was no putting off of the old man. Satan can’t curse what God has blessed; but if he can arouse our lust, we open a door for Him to have a foothold in our lives.

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Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another. 26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil.

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The schemes of the enemy are many; we have read just a few of them up to this point. Lusting after evil, tempting Christ by our complaining, allowing the sun to go down on our anger, and not speaking the truth to our neighbor. Many believers are not walking in victory because they have allowed the small foxes to spoil the vine. One of the biggest lies of the enemy is to get a believer to believe “I just can’t help it”.

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1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

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Take heed in what you are trusting in! Our exclusive way to escape any and all temptation is found in our faithful God! He has not left us to struggle on our own! God has made a way of escape so that we may be able to bear the temptation! Trusting in the obedience of Jesus Christ is the only sure way of escape!

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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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Jesus Christ is the Man of obedience we should have our exclusive trust in.

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Roman 6:7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Putting off the old man and reckoning yourselves dead indeed to sin and alive unto God is imperative to overcoming all temptation. Putting on the new man is realizing God has made you a new creation. You will never overcome temptations by reforming the old man. The old man had to die. It is training your soul by renewing your mind in the Word of God! When your mind is renewed your soul comes in line with the work God has performed in your spirit. The object of your faith must ever be Jesus Christ and it can be in nothing else!

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Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

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The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. The law of the Spirit is the victory over every temptation! God has made glorious provision and victory can be ours! However the victory in not in the provision itself; it is the source of the provision. What you think of Jesus Christ determines your destiny!

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Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

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Laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us can only be done exclusively in Jesus Christ and there is no other way. The object of our faith can not be in our own good performance; Jesus Christ alone is the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus is the source of the victory and your faith in Him gives you access to the provision He has made.

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Hebrews 12:3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 12:4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

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Consider Jesus who endured such hostility from sinners. When we are not considering Jesus we quickly become weary and discouraged in our souls. Jesus resisted sin to bloodshed on our behalf; consider Jesus in your hour of temptation.

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1 Timothy 2:8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

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When our exclusive trust is in Jesus it gives us the ability to lift up holy hand without wrath and doubting! Not forgiving one another is another temptation of the enemy of our soul.

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Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you. 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

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Giving into temptation grieves the Holy Spirit of God. Just as God in Christ forgave us, there is power to remit the sins of others. It brings joy to the Holy Spirit to walk with a tenderness in our heart toward one another. Release those who have done you wrong and let God take care of it!

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John 20:22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

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When the Holy Spirit’s breath comes we can forgive! If we retain the sins of others they will be retained by us, giving the enemy of our soul a foot hold by the lack of forgiveness.

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1 Corinthians 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

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The blood of Christ, the body of Christ is the place of victory over every temptation! Whose obedience are you trusting in? Partakers of Christ every temptation has a way of escape! Jesus is still the Rock; stand solidly in Him.

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The Altar of Victory

The altar Jesus Christ has provided for us to partake from is a place of absolute victory!

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- The Altar of Victory

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Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 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. 10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.

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Many times Hebrews 13:8 is quoted correctly but taken out of the context of which it was penned by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews was written for the expressed purpose of getting the Jewish believers to complete the transition of trusting exclusively in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Even in the book of Acts the Jewish believers were still submitting themselves to the priesthood established under the law of Moses. It was called the Levitical Priesthood. Hebrews clearly established the superiority of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Some believers have unwittingly submitted to the wrong priesthood worshipping at the wrong altar. It is time for every believer to fully surrender to the correct altar of grace and truth.

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John 1:16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

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We have an altar to worship from; it is the altar of grace and truth. Many have been carried away with all kinds of false doctrine; however, there is a clear call from the Spirit of God for our hearts to be established by the word of grace. The altar we have been called to eat from is not from those who served at the tabernacle of Moses.

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The question has been asked “does it matter?”. If we want to live in the high privilege Jesus prepared for us it matters absolutely.

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Hebrews 10:19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

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There is a new and living way to approach God. It is having the object of our faith exclusively in Jesus Christ! We as believers can enter the Holiest because the veil of His flesh was torn and broken. Jesus provided a way into the presence of God where the altar is. The blood of Jesus was applied to the mercy seat of God.

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Hebrews 9:9 It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience; 10 concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. 11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.

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The practices of the law of Moses was symbolic for the present time. It pointed to the time we now live in. Under the law of Moses there was no cleansing of the conscience. In fact, the sacrifice needed to be offered at the altar time and again and it reminded them of their sin. However the practice was only to be imposed until the time of reformation. Jesus is our reformation! With the new priesthood being established we have been given a new and living way. Jesus with His own blood entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. We have an altar to worship from that has greater provision than the priesthood the Levites were in charge of.

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Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

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How much more shall the blood of Jesus cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? This new and living way provides for a clean conscience from dead works. What Adam and Eve gained from eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil is a sin conscience. Some call it the sin nature. Jesus came with provision so we are cleansed from our sin nature or if you prefer we are cleansed from our sin conscience. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things pass away and behold all things are new! We have been brought in by the blood of Jesus. So many try to be brought in by the altar of good works; it will never suffice. We can only place our trust in the obedient work of Jesus Christ Himself. If the object of your faith becomes any other thing you will fail to walk in the Christ provided victory.

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Romans 5:17 For if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) 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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I often ask people whose obedience are you trusting in? It is one Man’s obedience that brings us righteousness. It is the Man, Jesus Christ. His obedience alone was the offering at the altar that the Father was pleased with. No other offering can be accepted; your complete and total reliance upon that perfect offering overflows into your own obedience. The object of your faith must ever remain in the atoning work of Jesus Christ; when placed anywhere else failure is sure to follow.

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1 John 1:8-2:3

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

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It is in the propitiation of Jesus Christ we gain victory over every sin; and there is no other way to victory! In this passage of 1 John the division by chapter and verse spilt up one truth and cause many to misapply the verses by taking part of the truth and leaving out the other part.

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John the beloved lays down some foundational truth with this passage. As a believer if all you do is confess your sin and feel a cleansing you have missed partaking in the altar you have been called to! Many believers have been on a sin, repent, sin, repent cycle with never finding complete victory over the sin. John point to an awesome truth that has been under stated and under preached. My little children these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if any one sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Jesus Himself is the sole propitiation for sins; and there is no other propitiation. Jesus is the substitute offering for our sin; Jesus is the annihilator of our sin. Its time for every Christian to walk with victory over sin. Move beyond sin repent, sin repent… If you sin, repent but run to your Advocate only in Him is the purging to the victory over the sin.

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In the Old Testament the worshipper came with a perfect lamb to be slain for the atonement of sin. The high priest would examine the sacrifice to see if it was good enough to make atonement. So much the more in this covenant, do sinners consider the Perfect Lamb of God? Is the sacrifice great enough? When we have sinned, repentance with a promise to do better is not enough. What if when we sin we walk in repentance with the atonement of Jesus Christ in mind; what would happen if we learn to rely exclusively on our Advocate? Reckon yourselves dead indeed to sin and alive unto God on the strength of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith.

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Romans 7:15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

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Many a believer can relate to this Romans 7 passage trying to do good and failing. Not doing what you want and doing what you don’t want. This is Paul's testimony of how he partook of the wrong altar. While trying to serve at the altar of Moses sin gained strength in His life. We are no longer married to the law: our new husbandman is Jesus Christ. We must learn to partake at the altar of grace and truth; those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat from.

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Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,

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Jesus Christ freed us from the law of sin and death! There is a higher altar to eat from, it is the altar of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus; it sets us free from the law of sin and death. Which altar shall we eat from? Run to the advocate, Jesus, and find your freedom from sin. He who the Son sets free is free indeed.

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Romans 6:7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Dare we believe we can reckon ourselves to be dead indeed to sin and alive unto God? It is the right and privilege of every believer to eat from the altar of grace!

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Hebrews 13:10 We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. 12 Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. 13 Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. 14 For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. 15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

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He offered His body so we must come to Him; He solely is our Advocate! We now come to Him and offer the sacrifice of praise to God! The fruit of our lips giving thanks to the name of Jesus. Praise you Jesus for becoming my sin offering! Your sacrifice was great enough to appease the Holy Father! Jesus, I will trust in the altar You have provided and will trust in no other!

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Quench Not The Spirit

Ignite the Spirit of God working in you by surrendering to His work.

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Igniting The Spirit Of God

7-3-2011

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.

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Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

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The Spirit of God desires to do a work in us! The Spirit of God has words of life and hope to share with us. We have been commanded from the Word of God not to quench the Spirit. We want to ignite the Spirit and flirt, if you will, with the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God can be grieved and quenched and the purpose of God can be missed. It is time for the church to come into intimacy with the Spirit of God.

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John 16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 "of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 "of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

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The Holy Spirit has been sent into the world with specific purpose, it is a tri-fold purpose! He has come to convict sinners of their sin. He has come to convict believers of righteousness. Finally, He has come to convict the world that Satan has been judged. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and He completely fulfilled His calling. Now the Helper (the Holy Spirit) comes to convict and convince.

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The Holy Spirit is gentle. He will not come where He is not welcomed and He will withdraw when He is grieved. We have been commanded to grieve not the Holy Spirit of God. We ask God to come in His strength and power and yet there are actions we can do that make us repel God’s Spirit; there are also things we can do to become that sweet smelling savor and aroma God loves.

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As I was praying I felt compelled to warn against a spirit of complaint. A spirit of complaint can grieve and quench the Spirit of God!

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Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

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Disputing and complaining can disrupt the moving of God quickly. It grieves and quenches the Spirit of God. If the enemy of your soul can keep you complaining about the circumstance he can hold you in defeat. A complaining spirit robs saints of a thankful heart. Murmuring and complaining stops the Spirit of God in His tracks. Ask God to let you begin to see circumstances and people around in the way that He sees them.

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If your actions are continually ordered by the complaint of your heart you will walk in misery and despair. Doing all thing without murmuring or complaining is not just a holy suggestion. If the purpose of God is going to be fulfilled we must learn to live a life of thankfulness and praise to God.

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2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.

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Our actions need to be compelled by the love of Christ. It will makes us consider one another differently. It is time for the body of Christ to see one another after the Godly point of view instead of according to the flesh.

As I was praying I felt the Spirit of God encourage to warn against speaking evil of His leadership. Our words of judgment for the men and women of God have come so easily; and yet complaining against God’s leadership can grieve and quench the Spirit of God.

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Acts 23:2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" 4 And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" 5 Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"

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Paul was cognitive of the truth to not speaking evil against God’s leadership. The leadership in this case was doing wrong. The high priest Ananias command Paul to be struck against the command of the law. Even in this case when Paul realized he was the high priest Paul corrected his own words against the priest. The words of our mouth can certainly bring us life or death. Speaking against God’s ordained authority is a way to grieve the Holy Spirit and quench His moving among us and through us.

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When Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses it grieved God. God required Aaron and Miriam to repent. The Song of Solomon brings us the wisdom that the small foxes can spoil the vine. If we desire to God to move and have His way in us, we need to pay attention to the damage the small fox can do to make the vine fruitless and barren.

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God had anointed David as king yet David refused to do harm to the appointed King Saul. David waited on the timing of God and respected the backslidden king Saul. If you will humble yourself God will exalt you.

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Our hearts must be open to the voice of God and we must be careful to walk in all He shows us. The Spirit of God can be grieved and quench; however the Spirit of God can be flirted with or if you prefer ignited in our lives.

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Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

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Here in Acts 4, they were having a prayer meeting; Praising and worshipping God brought a mighty move of the Spirit. Where they assembled was shaken. Not just one or two of them but they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

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Acts 16:23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." 29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

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If you are grieving and quenching the Spirit of God you will not be able to see the hand of God at work in the most unpleasant circumstance. What a testimony in Acts 16. Paul and Silas were beaten with many stripes. What would have happened if they were walking in the spirit of complaint? "Oh God how can you do this to us your servants?" "God I feel so bad, here I am doing what you asked me to do and now all I have to show for it is these stripes on my back and these chains holding me shackled". "God how come?" "Why God why?" "If you were truly God you would not have left me here in the prison!" The complaints did not happen! Instead they began to pray and sing hymns to God. Oh that we would subscribe to praising and worshipping God on our bad days. So many of us call and tell all our friends what a terrible days we had. Oh the missed opportunities. Here Paul and Silas were chained and in the deepest part of the prison. Their praise and prayer affected every prisoner that night. Their praise and prayer affected the warden and his whole house was saved. Oh that our hearts would become careful not to grieve or quench the Spirit of God. We miss our victory moments because we respond to bad circumstances with our spirit of complaint and murmuring.

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1 John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. 24 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us; eternal life.

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The anointing we have received from God keeps us abiding in Christ. A spirit of complaint can easily lead us into depression and a giving into our own lust and desires.

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2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

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Saint of God, His divine power has given us everything we need for the issues of life! We can praise and we can worship at all times because of the divine influence God has given to us. The power of God to live in godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue is the gift. What He has bestowed upon us qualifies us to become partakers of the divine nature. Do you dare believe you can be a partaker of the divine nature? If you want to fan into flame the Spirit of God working in your life, believe what Jesus did at the cross makes you a partaker of His divine nature. Denying this truth is grieving the Holy Spirit. God’s divine power has allowed us to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust! It is time for the church to arise and see itself as free from sin. He who the Son sets free is free indeed! It only comes by trusting in the finished work of the cross! Through Jesus Christ obedience many are made righteous. You can add to the virtues God has put in you by nurturing the truth of the work He has done. Those who will not nurture all that God has put in them has forgotten they were cleansed from sins. If any man be in Christ he is a new creation. Old things passed away and behold all things have become new. You don’t have to go get it; you were created in true righteousness and holiness. Now add by nurturing those things God has put in you. Make the Spirit of God joyous by delighting in His mighty working.

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