JESUS DIDN'T LOWER THE BAR, HE RAISED IT !

9/25/2019

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I AM ABSOLUTELY ASTOUNDED AT WHERE CHRISTIANITY AND THE CHURCH IS TAKING US TODAY. IT IS LIKE A WHOLE NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT GOD, AND UNDERSTANDING HIS WORD AND CHARACTER, IS SPRINGING FORTH THROUGHOUT THE CHRISTIAN WORLD. IT IS THE IDEA THAT WE AS INDIVIDUALS CAN DETERMINE WHO WE WANT GOD TO BE FOR US, SO THAT HE FITS OUR WAY OF THINKING AND DOING THINGS. WHAT BECOMES A NEW SOCIAL NORM OR PRACTICE FOR MANKIND WILL NOW FORCE THE GOD WHO CREATED US TO BEND TO OUR THOUGHT, OUR WILL, AND CHANGE WHO HE IS. THE MANTRA IS THAT JESUS CAME TO SAVE US, SO WE ARE SET. OUR BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES ARE JUST WHO WE ARE. YOU DON’T EXPECT US TO ACTUALLY LIVE BY THOSE SILLY THINGS THAT GOD ESTABLISHED IN HIS COVENANTS AND COMMANDMENTS THRU THE AGES…..THAT WAS FOR THEN. THIS IS NOW, RIGHT ? IS IT ANY WONDER THAT SO MANY CHRISTIANS AREN’T EXACTLY SURE ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR LIVES, AND SEEM TO GET STUCK IN WHAT I CALL THE “SALVATION TRAP”. I AM GOING TO SHARE WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO GET IT STRAIGHT THAT JESUS CAME FOR WAY MORE THAN JUST SALVATION. SALVATION NEEDS TO LEAD YOU HIGHER! IF YOU READ THE SCRIPTURES AND LOOK AT WHAT HE TRULY SAID, VERY LITTLE WAS SPOKEN ABOUT SALVATION. HE WAS FOCUSED ON THE KINGDOM OF GOD. HE WAS FOCUSED ON TEACHING US HOW TO LIVE IN THAT KINGDOM BY UNDERSTANDING AND FOLLOWING THE COMMANDMENTS AND COVENANTS THAT HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED FROM ABRAHAM TO MOSES AND BEYOND. HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS WAS CRUCIAL TO BRING US BACK INTO RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT HIS SACRIFICE FOR US DIDN’T END IN SALVATION ALONE. JESUS MADE HIMSELF THE DOOR THAT WE CAN ENTER THROUGH TO BEGIN LIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND CHANGING WHO WE ARE FROM CARNAL PEOPLE TO BECOMING RIGHTEOUS SAINTS SERVING GOD. HE FREED US FROM SIN AND SELF RULE TO ABIDING IN HIM AND THE FREEDOM THAT BRINGS TO EACH OF US.

THEREFORE, SINCE WE RECEIVE A KINGDOM WHICH CANNOT BE SHAKEN, LET US SHOW GRATITUDE , BY WHICH WE MAY OFFER TO GOD AN ACCEPTABLE SERVICE WITH REVERENCE AND AWE. Hebrews 12:28

JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID TO HIM “TRULY, TRULY I SAY TO YOU, UNLESS ONE IS BORN AGAIN HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD”. John 3:3

SO THAT YOU WOULD WALK IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE GOD WHO CALLS YOU INTO HIS OWN KINGDOM AND GLORY. Thessalonians 2;12

THE CLEAR TRUTH IS THAT JESUS DID NOT COME TO SAVE US AND REESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER SO WE COULD LIVE ANY WAY WE CHOOSE. THE GIFT OF GRACE IN SALVATION DOES NOT END WITH JUST GRACE. GRACE LEADS US INTO CHANGE AND REPENTANCE TO BECOME WHO GOD TRULY DESIRES US TO BE. WE CONTINUE TO LEAN INTO GOD AND STRIVE FOR ALL WE CAN BE IN JESUS. GOD’S COMMANDMENTS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS THROUGH JESUS THAT WE MAY LIVE IN THEM FOR JOY AND BLESSING AND MATURITY. WHAT JESUS CHANGED WAS THE JUDGEMENT AND PENALTY FOR NOT FOLLOWING GOD’S LAW, BECAUSE AS MERE MEN, WE JUST CAN’T SUCCEED IN THAT. JESUS TOOK DEATH AND SEPARATION FOR US, AND OPENED THE DOOR FOR US TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AND BE BACK IN RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. HE SET THE BAR FAR HIGHER THAN MERELY FOLLOWING RULES. HE OPENED US TO A FREEDOM TO LIVE IN GOD’S DESIRED WAYS WITHOUT FAILURE AND TREPIDATION. HE SEALED OUR COVENANT WITH GOD TO BE HIS PEOPLE. WE LIVE IN THE DESIRES OF GOD’S SPIRIT AND CHARACTER EMANATING FROM OUR HEARTS AND MINDS, ….. FULL OF LOVE FOR HIM, AND FROM HIM.

DO NOT THINK THAT I HAVE COME TO ABOLISH THE LAW OR THE PROPHETS;I HAVE NOT COME TO ABOLISH THEM, BUT TO FULFILL THEM. Matthew 5:17

THIS IS THE COVENANT I WILL ESTABLISH WITH THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AFTER THAT TIME DECLARES THE LORD. I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR MINDS AND WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. I WILL BE THEIR GOD AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE. Hebrews 8:10

WE ARE ALL GOD’S PEOPLE THROUGH THE RISEN CHRIST ! CHECK WHERE YOU ARE. REALIZE HIS LAW IS IN YOUR HEART AND MIND. VIEW IT AS FREEDOM. VIEW IT AS A HIGHER BAR. APPRECIATE GRACE, BUT MOVE IN CHANGING YOURSELF TO BE WHO HE TRULY WANTS YOU TO BE IN HIS KINGDOM. SALVATION FREES YOU TO ABIDE IN HIM, AND SHARE HIM AND THE KINGDOM GOSPEL, SO THAT ALL MANKIND MAY BE HIS….FOR HE LOVES US SO MUCH.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. John 3:16

MAY YOU BE HIS UNTO ETERNITY/ PEACE AND GRACE /JA