Tag: privileges

Posted on

Incredible Salvation!

For the last few days we have been reading through the book of Galatians which priovides marvelous practical thoughts from the Apostle Paul on what true justification and righteousness is. Today’s reading is from Galatians 4:

gal 4 gift of salvation2May 4th: Gal 4 “Incredible Salvation”

As we read Galatians 4 we are struck with not only how incredible our salvation is but the price that was paid to secure it. We are humbled and awestruck…there is no other way to say it.

Note Paul’s progressive argument:

  1. We were enslaved by our guardians (meaning the world system)
  2. God’s perfect timing came about – implication: God is in control of history’s calendar events
  3. God sent His One and Only Beloved Son (Matt 3:17)
  4. Son born of a woman (virgin birth Luke 1)
  5. Son born under the Law …He fulfilled it (Matt 5:17)
  6. The purpose: to redeem mankind who were in bondage to the Law (Eph 2:1-3)
  7. The reason: that we may as Gentiles be adopted as pure and legitimate sons with all of the rights and privileges thereof.
  8. The gift of the Holy Spirit is given as a seal of our inheritance (2Cor 1:22)
  9. Now we know (as a fact or truth) God and are known (so thoroughly that nothing goes unnoticed) by God

Think of this argument! Incredibly clear, incredibly profound, incredibly humbling…there are few words to express our gratitude when we read and understand Paul’s argument. We are saved by His grace once and for all eternity. Give Him praise this day as you worship Him.

There is no other way around this but to say, THANK YOU FATHER!

You can follow these discussions each and every day here: https://www.facebook.com/bible.org

Tomorrow the discussion will be on Galatians 5. You don’t want to miss it!

Posted on

Do You Have a Battle Strategy?

Romans 8:

One of the greatest privileges a believer in Christ has is his freedom from condemnation, both here and in the afterlife. Freed from the rules and regulations of the Law, the believer is freed to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and guidance regarding the standards of the Commandments. Today, in Romans 8 Paul continues his dialog with both Jew and Greek as to how to live as we face the battles between the flesh and the new nature. The battle begins in the mind and is carried out in one’s life.

Point 1: Know that you are no longer condemned by the law of sin. We are free in Christ to walk in newness of life.

Point 2: We will face struggles here until we leave for eternity. Therefore, we need to set our minds on the things of the Spirit not on the things of the flesh. The mind set on the flesh is hostile towards God and brings only death. The mind set on the Spirit is pleasing towards God and brings life. Our attitudes and actions reveal which one we have chosen.

Point 3: Our empowering comes from the Holy Spirit who illuminates our spirit to the things of God. In addition, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness by reminding us of our new walk, of what is sin, what is displeasing to God through conviction in our spirit. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in prayer at the throne of God with groanings that cannot be uttered by man. The Holy Spirit searches our hearts to see where we are astray and to redirect us. Lastly, not only does the Holy Spirit intercede for us in prayer but He intercedes for us according to the will of God because He knows the will of God whereas sometimes we are either ignorant or unwilling to accede.

Point 4: Paul has led us through this maze of thoughts to bring us to the crux of this whole issue which is what our total perspective should be as one changed from the inside out. Whereas the enemy seeks to undermine and to destroy, the Holy Spirit seeks to encourage. We are no longer condemned; therefore no one has the right or privilege to be against us spiritually speaking; no one or nothing can separate us from the love of God; and lastly through all tribulations we now can overwhelmingly rejoice and be conquerors.

So the question is why are we wringing our hands and weeping when we should be rejoicing? We are more than conquerors through Christ once we realize the battle begins in the mind and is transferred to our actions and attitudes.

This graphic, courtesy of David Austin, former Exec Direc of bible.org shows how this works.

Imagecopyright D. Austin

Optimized by Optimole