Part 3 (2/2)

But I am addressing this because it is possible. There are scriptures that deal with renouncing your salvation, but it is never something that could happen by mistake or accident. And it is never something that happens because of a particular sin. Again, if a sin could cause us to lose our salvation, which sin would it be?

You weren't forced to get saved and you're not forced to stay saved. You have to maintain and hold fast your profession of faith without wavering. And as a mature believer, if you ever renounce your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, you can throw salvation away. You cannot be robbed robbed of your salvation, but you can of your salvation, but you can willfully give it away. willfully give it away.

Living Free in Jesus Free in Jesus .

Most of us have not had a correct concept of being righteous, pure, and holy in the sight of G.o.d. We have not understood eternal redemption. We have thought that our spirit was less than what it really was. We have seen ourselves as being defiled and we have come before G.o.d seeing ourselves that way.

It is true that our flesh gets defiled by sin. This is the reason 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But you do not have to confess your sins and be forgiven after you are born again But you do not have to confess your sins and be forgiven after you are born again to stay saved to stay saved or reestablish your relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d. If you did, what would happen if you missed one? What makes you think you've been able to confess every sin that you've ever committed? That thinking implies you had better keep accurate records, because if you fail to confess one sin you'll be headed straight for h.e.l.l. or reestablish your relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d. If you did, what would happen if you missed one? What makes you think you've been able to confess every sin that you've ever committed? That thinking implies you had better keep accurate records, because if you fail to confess one sin you'll be headed straight for h.e.l.l.

No, 1 John 1:9 is dealing with the physical realm. There is a cleansing that takes place when you confess your sins. It restores the quality of your fellows.h.i.+p quality of your fellows.h.i.+p with G.o.d, but your with G.o.d, but your relations.h.i.+p relations.h.i.+p is always intact. The problem with sin in believers' lives is, they are submitting themselves to Satan, giving him a legal right to dominate them. is always intact. The problem with sin in believers' lives is, they are submitting themselves to Satan, giving him a legal right to dominate them.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?Romans 6:16 What happens if you have yielded your flesh to sin? What happens if you have given Satan direct inroads into your life? How do you cope with it? You confess it and say, ”Father, I confess my sin and I ask forgiveness.” You are not asking forgiveness to reinstate your salvation or make your spirit born again, again. Your spirit has been cleansed and born again forever. You are simply restoring your intimacy with G.o.d and kicking the devil out of your life.

If you are born again, G.o.d has forgiven you of all sin - past, present, and future. You may ask, ”Brother, how could G.o.d forgive you of a sin you haven't committed yet?” Well, you better hope He can do that, because when Jesus died for sins about 2,000 years ago, none of your sins had been committed yet!

Your born-again human spirit is forgiven of all sins and totally perfect. If we sin, we should confess our sins, but not to get saved again! Confessing our sins restores our fellows.h.i.+p with G.o.d, but our relations.h.i.+p was never broken.

You will never question your worthiness to walk boldly into the throne room of grace if you understand who you are in Jesus Christ. No matter how big the problem, how terrible the sin, how grave the disease, or how strong the demon, G.o.d is there for you. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor princ.i.p.alities, nor powers, nor tilings present, nor things to come, For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor princ.i.p.alities, nor powers, nor tilings present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of G.o.d, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:38,39

Chapter 5

G.o.d's Grace for the Believer Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Colossians 2:16,17

The Old Testament was just a shadow of things that were to come. According to this pa.s.sage of Scripture, it was not the exact image of things the way G.o.d wanted them to be. The way He dealt with people under the old covenant was not His preference. Somebody may say, ”Well then, why did He do it? Doesn't G.o.d do whatever He wants to do?”

I could spend a lot of time on this, but - to put it in a nutsh.e.l.l - not everything that happens is what G.o.d wants to have happen. This is because He gave mankind free will. G.o.d committed a tremendous amount of authority to us when He gave Adam dominion over the earth (see Genesis 1:26,28), and man really messed up His original plan.

G.o.d did not want the transgression in the Garden of Eden. G.o.d did not plan for us to go through the Dark Ages. G.o.d did not plan for the Church to have the Spanish Inquisition or for the people who believed in G.o.d to be martyred. G.o.d did not orchestrate these events, and He does not control everything that happens to us. There are forces in operation in this earth because of the place given to Satan and his human followers, and I guarantee you there have been times when G.o.d has not had His perfect will manifested.

G.o.d's overall will is is going to manifest eventually. G.o.d is going to win this whole battle here on the earth. There's no doubt about that! If He has to raise up a donkey again to speak His Word, He's going to get it done, and Jesus is going to return victoriously. But I'm saying that G.o.d uses people - and people can thwart, prolong, and hinder what G.o.d wants to happen. I don't believe anyone can totally overthrow G.o.d's will from eventually happening, but people can surely hinder it. You can especially hinder His will in your own life. His will doesn't automatically come to pa.s.s. going to manifest eventually. G.o.d is going to win this whole battle here on the earth. There's no doubt about that! If He has to raise up a donkey again to speak His Word, He's going to get it done, and Jesus is going to return victoriously. But I'm saying that G.o.d uses people - and people can thwart, prolong, and hinder what G.o.d wants to happen. I don't believe anyone can totally overthrow G.o.d's will from eventually happening, but people can surely hinder it. You can especially hinder His will in your own life. His will doesn't automatically come to pa.s.s.

People who believe nothing happens except what G.o.d ordains to happen get violently upset when I start preaching this! But I can't understand why they get so upset. If n.o.body could do anything except what G.o.d ordained, then I couldn't be teaching this unless G.o.d ordained me to teach it. So the people who believe G.o.d causes everything to happen contradict themselves by telling me it is not G.o.d's will for me to teach this!

The truth is that not every word said and not everything done is totally orchestrated by G.o.d. Because of that, G.o.d was not able to manifest His perfect will under the old covenant as we see through Jesus. The old covenant was only a temporary way of dealing with mankind, and it was inst.i.tuted only until Jesus came. It is sad to say, but most Christians today make no clear distinction between the old way G.o.d dealt with mankind and the new covenant way.

When the Old Testament Law was given, people were deceived about sin. The human race didn't recognize the depth of sin. G.o.d didn't really want to, but finally He had to say to us, ”Look, you need help!” So He gave the Mosaic Law, which showed how bad people really were.

The Law proved people were totally hopeless of ever achieving salvation on their own. It caused them to look totally to G.o.d for salvation, and a type of Jesus' blood sacrifice on the cross was given in all the sacrifices of animals in the temple.

However, as I have said before, the Law itself did not reveal the true nature of G.o.d. G.o.d didn't really want to kill a person who was trying to pick up sticks on the Sabbath day. It was not His desire to destroy whole cities through Joshua, but the depths of sin in Canaan were so terrible, He was bound to enforce His perfect standard. He enforced it to the letter to show exactly how deadly sin was. Therefore, there was no way you could misunderstand that sin was not acceptable to G.o.d in any form.

Enforcing the Law gave mankind a part of the nature of G.o.d, that He was holy and no unholy thing could stand in His presence, but Jesus provided the entire and complete picture.

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.John 1:17 In the New Testament, Jesus revealed the perfect perfect nature of G.o.d. Jesus addressed a woman taken in the act of adultery, which is much worse than picking up sticks on the Sabbath day, by showing her mercy and forgiveness instead of judging and killing her. That's the true character of G.o.d. Through Jesus, G.o.d was able to manifest Himself the way He really is. nature of G.o.d. Jesus addressed a woman taken in the act of adultery, which is much worse than picking up sticks on the Sabbath day, by showing her mercy and forgiveness instead of judging and killing her. That's the true character of G.o.d. Through Jesus, G.o.d was able to manifest Himself the way He really is.

Jesus brought the true ministry of G.o.d's grace, but most of us haven't renewed our minds to it. We are still trying to serve G.o.d under the system of Law. ”G.o.d, if I do a certain number of things, then you're going to reward me and I'll get my answer.”

Falling From Grace From Grace .

Whether we recognize it or not, every one of us has had att.i.tudes of law - Old Testament att.i.tudes that have crept into our relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d and made Christ of no effect to us in various areas of our lives. The Bible says we have fallen from grace. fallen from grace.

Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circ.u.mcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.For I testify again to every man that is circ.u.mcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.Galatians 5:2-4 ”Fallen from grace” does not mean you've lost your salvation! It means you are no longer walking in G.o.d's grace, but according to the Law. In effect, you are walking under your own effort and your own ability. You aren't utilizing Jesus as your Savior, because your own efforts have become your justification to G.o.d.

When believers say, ”G.o.d, look what I've done,” it makes Christ of no effect in their area of need. It frustrates the grace of G.o.d. It also keeps G.o.d at arm's length in their relations.h.i.+p with Him, because within them is a ”knowledge of good and evil.” That's a knowledge we have learned from the Law. (Remember Romans 3:20?) When we have been evil or not as good as we're supposed to be, the Law makes us think G.o.d is going to give us the punishment we feel we deserve. Praise G.o.d, through Jesus' blood we don't get what we deserve!

People come up to me all the time and say, ”This just isn't fair! How come G.o.d answered somebody else's prayer and didn't answer mine? I want justice!” They simply don't understand the grace of G.o.d. They are demanding justice, but it's because of His mercy they haven't received what they deserve. In a sense, getting nothing is better than getting justice, because if we really got what we deserved, we would all be ”hurtin' for certain”!

I used to develop pictures for a photographer, and sometimes when people came in to see their pictures, they would say, ”Oh, this picture doesn't do me justice.” We would say, ”Look, you don't need justice, you need mercy!” Thank G.o.d, He has shown His mercy towards us through Jesus Christ.

There are many believers who say, ”Well, I don't understand why G.o.d hasn't healed me. I don't understand why so-and-so got their new car and I haven't gotten mine. I've been doing this and doing that and I've done all of these good things. This isn't fair.” When believers say these things, they are simply revealing they haven't understood G.o.d. In fact, by depending on their own works to get what they want, they have frustrated the grace of G.o.d.

The grace of G.o.d through the sacrifice of Jesus is what brings everything to believers.

Ephesians 1:3 says that G.o.d has already blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. But it all comes by grace through faith, as stated so clearly in Ephesians 2:8,9, But it all comes by grace through faith, as stated so clearly in Ephesians 2:8,9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of G.o.d: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of G.o.d: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

An answer to prayer doesn't come through our own effort. If we do not understand that, we are frustrating the grace of G.o.d and keeping our need from being supplied! The answer is supplied to us only because Jesus has paid for it with His blood.

Justified by Faith, Not Performance by Faith, Not Performance Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with G.o.d through our Lord Jesus Christ.Romans 5:1 The whole book of Romans is basically teaching salvation by grace through faith - not through your effort, not through adherence to Old Testament Law, and not through your good works.

Paul is saying that when we are justified by faith, then we have peace with G.o.d through our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the only only way you can really have peace with G.o.d. Did you also know that is the way you can really have peace with G.o.d. Did you also know that is the only only way you can ever really have boldness to enter into the presence of G.o.d? You enter into His presence through firmly understanding the grace of G.o.d and putting your faith in it. way you can ever really have boldness to enter into the presence of G.o.d? You enter into His presence through firmly understanding the grace of G.o.d and putting your faith in it.

If you are approaching G.o.d based on the merit of your good performance, you are going to approach G.o.d very few times. For most of us, the quality of our relations.h.i.+p with G.o.d is based on our performance and that's wrong. If you had based your salvation on your performance, you wouldn't have been saved!

When people realize their sinful condition, whether by the Law or the knowledge of G.o.d's goodness, they start looking to Jesus alone for their salvation. But then after they get born again, somehow they slip into the thinking that G.o.d's going to move in their lives in proportion to their personal holiness. Nothing could be further from the truth!

I have had people come to me for healing and say, ”Brother Andrew, pray for me. I just don't know what is wrong. I've been fasting, praying, going to church, studying the Word, paying my t.i.thes, and doing all I know to do, and I just don't understand why G.o.d hasn't healed me.” They revealed a lot to me right there, because they showed me they were looking to what they they had done in order to get G.o.d to heal them. They were saying, ”G.o.d, look what good things I've done. Aren't You going to heal me?” had done in order to get G.o.d to heal them. They were saying, ”G.o.d, look what good things I've done. Aren't You going to heal me?”

G.o.d doesn't heal you because of what you've done. Some of you may be disappointed and think, ”Well, now, that's just a shame because I've been doing so good.” But if you ever get a true understanding of G.o.d's standard, you would realize none of us have ever measured up to G.o.d's perfect standard! It's G.o.d's grace and mercy which brings us peace, joy, prosperity, healing, and all blessings - based on Jesus' holiness and not our own holiness.

Where did performance-based teaching come from? Believe it or not, it came out of G.o.d's Word. It was a misunderstanding of what G.o.d was doing in the Old Testament Law. In Deuteronomy 28, verses 1 and 2, all the blessings of G.o.d appear to be conditional on the word if. if.

And it shall come to pa.s.s, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy G.o.d, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy G.o.d will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy G.o.d. Verse 1 says that a person has to do all of G.o.d's commandments, not just some of them. If you would just stop and think a moment, you would realize that you have never kept all the commandments of G.o.d. Verse 1 says that a person has to do all of G.o.d's commandments, not just some of them. If you would just stop and think a moment, you would realize that you have never kept all the commandments of G.o.d.

Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.James 4:17 Sin is more than just doing what you know is wrong. Has G.o.d ever told you to love your neighbor as yourself? I guarantee you haven't walked in that perfectly! You know to do more good than what you've actually done.

If you look at sin from G.o.d's standpoint, none of us have measured up but Jesus. None of us have become sinless in our flesh, in our actions, and in our performance. We're all still missing the mark. n.o.body fulfills Deuteronomy 28:1 and 2 except Jesus - and those who put their faith in what Jesus did instead of in their own performance. n.o.body fulfills Deuteronomy 28:1 and 2 except Jesus - and those who put their faith in what Jesus did instead of in their own performance. This is what Romans 5:1 is pointing out to us. We will only have peace with G.o.d if we are justified by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ and not our works. This is what Romans 5:1 is pointing out to us. We will only have peace with G.o.d if we are justified by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ and not our works.

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of G.o.d.And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of G.o.d is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the unG.o.dly.For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.Romans 5:2-7 When verse 2 talks about rejoicing in the hope of the glory of G.o.d, the hope of the glory of G.o.d, it is talking about antic.i.p.ating the second return of Jesus, being glorified with Him. Paul is praising G.o.d that one day we're going to be just like Him because we'll see Him as He is: it is talking about antic.i.p.ating the second return of Jesus, being glorified with Him. Paul is praising G.o.d that one day we're going to be just like Him because we'll see Him as He is: Beloved, now are we the sons of G.o.d, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.1 John 3:2 In addition, Paul says we glory in tribulations in this present time. Right in the midst of all of our trials and tribulations, we can glory! Paul is making a comparison. ”I'm not only rejoicing about the sweet by-and-by and thinking about what it will be like when we all get to heaven, but right in the rough spots today, praise G.o.d, I'm a total overcomer because of Jesus.”

The point he's making is, ”Do you remember salvation - that G.o.d died for us? That's the reason I can have confidence that I'm going to overcome in the midst of tribulation, because I know G.o.d has already done all these things for me.”

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