Are you Burned Out on Religeon?

The Sabbath day rest in the new covenant is not limited to a day but it is a place that Jesus came to bring us all into. Man was not created to sweat , strive and toil but to rest and to fully enjoy all God had created. In fact mans first day was on the seventh day or the of rest after everything else had already been created. It was not until after the fall that man then came out of rest and became full of fear , worry and unrest.  Today under the new covenant It takes faith to enter back into Gods rest because it does not come naturally for the fallen flesh to do so. The fallen flesh always wants to do something to earn his own way with God so that flesh can feel like it has earned favor with God but grace is not earned favor it is unearned favor. Grace itself means unmerited ,unearned favor. Earned favor is called legalism and religion and will always end in frustration, condemnation, weariness and burn out.

One day as  Jesus was looking at all those busy in religious activity He stood up and this is what He cried out

Matthew 11 28-30   “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep Company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

God wants us to come out of the frustration of religion and simply get away with Him, just like Adam did in the Garden before the fall. Before the fall It was not complex thing to walk with God. There were no laws, rules regulations ,no fear of judgment, no condemnation  and no do this and this or God will be displeased with you, no ! it was a simple love walk with God in rest and in the garden. This is what God has called us all back to! Religion takes a simple relationship and makes it confusing and complex.

Hebrews 4  speaks about entering Gods rest and many who are falling short of it.

4 For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest.

The new covenant is all about rest. If we are not in rest then we are not in faith.  In fact rest is one of the greatest acts of faith that you can have because rest looks to the cross and agrees with God that Jesus did it all!

but religion often says O No !  we must work ,work, work  so that maybe one day if  were lucky we will be found worthy by all our good works and dedication  to enter Gods rest.. Now this may appeal to the flesh and pride but this is not the gospel! The gospel says that the work was already finished 2000 years ago. It was all done at the cross and now God calls us all to believe that it was finished and to enter into His rest. Anything short of this is unbelief. Also the rest that God calls us back into is not just for the sweet by and by but its for for Today ! Its  not a rest that will come one day when they lay you to rest in a casket and put flowers on top of it! No we can enjoy Gods rest every day as a new creation in Him..

Hebrews 4:10-11

¹⁰ For he who has once entered [God’s] rest also has ceased from [the weariness and pain] of human labors, just as God rested from those labors peculiarly His own.

¹¹ Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently to enter that rest [of God, to know and experience it for ourselves], that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience [into which those in the wilderness fell].

There are a bunch of folks in church today who are wilderness wanderers and have not entered the rest of God ! Religeon will harden your heart to entering the rest of God. In fact it works hard to keep you out of Gods rest !

Hebrews 4:7

Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

We need to know  that Jesus paid the price for our full redemption and He also disarmed the devil.  Now you may be surprised at one of the main ways that he disarmed the devil.

Colossians 2:10-16

¹⁰ And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

¹¹ In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

¹² Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

¹⁵ And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

¹⁶ Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath days:

The devil was spoiled because Jesus paid the price for all sins and took the law that was against us and nailed it to the cross! So today if you know the truth of the gospel there is no more condemnation for those in Christ Romans 8:1 and there is no more law to condemn us.                                                                 We are in fact now married and fully joined to the Lord.                                                                                           We have been baptized into Christ so that now as he is so is we in this life.

The only thing that Satan has is lies that he often promotes through religious legalistic teaching that is not the gospel of Christ but another Gospel. Galatians 1:6

This is why Paul said never let anyone condemn you or judge you in meat, drink or holyday even (Sunday) or new moon or any Sabbath days. I know a lot of religion condemns people for not keeping Sunday holy…. This is not the gospel. Sunday is not the Sabbath or a holy day!  Sundays we created out of tradition and a day that was the most convenient day for most to meet but we through our tradition have turned Sunday into a kind of Sabbath law.

But again Sabbath days are not limited to a day in the week because Jesus is now our Sabbath rest. Should we assemble yes and we should do it often for encouragement but to condemn or judge someone for not being in church every Sunday is not the gospel and those who preach this should to repent.

Satan actually uses the legalistic religious system to keep Gods people bound in religious busyness to the law and to condemnation. Satan’s goal is to keep the church powerless and contained from expressing the true life of Christ that she has in her.

2 Corinthians 11:15

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

O yes it may surprise you to know that Satan actually has his own bible schools but what he does is take the letter to keep Gods people condemned and contained , not to set them free.

The Bible says we are to be dead to the law and married to Christ. This is the only way we can ever bring forth the true fruit of God

Romans 7:4-6

 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

⁵ For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

⁶ But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

God wants us to serve in the newness of the spirit and in rest.

Today we are not to fight the devil but the good fight of faith or to hold on to what God has given us through the cross. Religion will try its best to bring you out of rest and faith. Rest is faith. If you’re not in rest then you’re not in faith. So many are fighting the devil and they are fighting the wrong fight. The devil was defeated 2000 years ago. My fight is not with the devil my fight is to fight the good fight of faith. The devil uses the religion and the law to bring Gods people out of faith and rest into law ,toil and sweat..

Religion Complicates Relationship

Religion often complicates our simple walk with Jesus

Exodus 16:31   and the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

Numbers 11:6-8                                                                                                                                                                                                                      But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium.                                                                                              And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

It interesting to note that at first the manna was sweet like honey when they simply gathered it and ate it but then later on Gods people began to take the manna and pound it, grind it, mold it and change it  to satisfy their own lusts. In other words they began to take the simple manna that God had provided and complicate it and when they did the manna changed it was no longer  sweet like honey but tasted like fresh oil ( yuk ! )  Its color changed as well from pure white to bdellium which is an off white color

So like Israel have to become distracted from our simple walk and devotion with Christ ( who is our heavenly manna) and taken Him and changed Him like the manna by our own works, effort and imaginations and ground Him into different more complex things ? In other words have we taken Jesus and through our traditions and philosophies recreated our own ways of relating to Him and following Him?  Do we think it’s just way too basic and simple to just tell people to follow Christ and to love Him as they did when they first received Christ?   Or have we through fear of losing people gotten creative by coming up with different ways to follow Jesus, to keep people involved in religious activities so they will not get tired and bored with following Jesus?.

 

The apostle Paul warns of taking our simple walk with the Lord and making it complex.

Colossians 2:8

 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Religion will often complicate your walk with Christ by adding rules, laws, regulations, devotions and works that are not of Christ but after rudiments and the traditions of men. These things are often more of a distraction way from Christ and do nothing to help you grow in the Lord but actually have the opposite effect; they keep people bound in legalism and immaturity.

In Revelations we see where the Lord himself warned the church about a few things, one of them was falling away from the first love .

Revelations 2:4-6

But I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love].

Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God’s will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lamp stand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.

⁶ Yet you have this [in your favor and to your credit]: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans [what they are doing as corrupters of the people], which I myself also detest.

When we fall from our first love we have actually fallen from the highest place that we could ever be but It’s amazing that when many first come to Christ and realize Gods great unconditional love for them that religion will often then come along and even tell them that this first love thing is really just the beginning of their experience with Christ not the end ( it’s kind of like the honey moon period that will soon wear off and wane down ) but the real Christian walk and life is really about rolling up your sleeves and going to work for God , The real Christian experience is really more about  how devoted in your service and busy activity is to the Lord more than your simple love walk with Him, but God says we need to do the first works first.  So what are these first works?, these where the works that you did out of your simple love walk with the Lord. In fact you didn’t even notice you were doing many of these works at all, the only thing you were conscience of was Gods great love for you and your love for Him, That’s it! Believe me it doesn’t get any deeper than that! It’s all about Love. One day the Lord spoke to me and He said Rick do remember the day when you first realized my great love for you? I said yes Lord I have never forgotten that day. Then the Lord said never move away from this. God wants us to grow in this Love. He wants us to become more and more aware of His love and commitment and devotion to us and He reminds us through the cross and the life we have in the Spirit.

A new relationship with the law

 A new relationship with the law    

Romans 7:4

  Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.   

The Bible says that believers are no longer married to the old covenant  law neither are they to have any more relationship with the law , If we are married to Christ than we are to be dead to the law. Those who are teaching that we are to be joined to Christ and the law at the same time are teaching a type of spiritual bigamy.

It’s like promoting the new reality show sister wives! where the one guy has several wives.  It’s very clear in scripture that we are now married or joined to the Lord and have actually even become one with Him. We are no longer married to the Law nor are we to give the Law our attention or affection! All of our affection and attention is to be given to Christ and Him alone. Lets read it again.

Romans 7:4

  Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.   

The only way that we can ever bear fruit to God is to be dead to the law and to be completely joined to our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ! Notice it did not say in order to bear fruit we need to be dead to sin as so many teach but dead to the law!  Why the law?, because the law is the root of all sin and condemnation. The bible tells us that the law actually gives strength to sin and is the ministry of condemnation and death!   The law actually helps to stir up sin and helps it to grow! The law is like adding fertilized to the lawn! It doesn’t kill it , it helps it to grow and flourish but grace is like round up ! As you are dead to the law for salvation and living  then sin weakens and freedom takes its place.

2 Corintians 3:3-8

You are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

The Spirit, Not the Letter

 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Today we are to be able ministers of the new covenant and not the old. We are not to preach the external letter of the law but to teach the ways of the internal spirit of life..

When Jesus came he did not come to give us a rule book but He came to give us life!

If a man is drowning you don’t toss him a book on how to swim or the 10 steps to swimming. NO! You throw him a life line to grab on to! As we simply hold on to and look to His life then we are saved by His life and changed by His life.

The new covenant is about receiving and holding on to the life that we have been given in Christ! Not trying our best to live by the law.. His life is what saves us and transforms us not the Law

Romans 5:9-10

 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.  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.

Glory of the New Covenant

But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will  the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?, For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.

We are now under a new ministry and this new ministry is called the Spirit of life.

1 Corinthians 15:56

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

We must understand that when the scripture speaks about the law it is not just speaking about the ceremonial laws but the Big 10 or the ones that were written on tables of stone! Let me ask you a question, which laws were the only laws written and engraved on stone? The only laws that were written on stone were the Big 10.

This is very vital for us to understand if we are going to walk in the true liberty and freedom of the Spirit and bear fruit to God.. We are to be dead to all the Law which includes the Ten Commandments!

We are no longer to see ourselves married to or joined to the law but to Christ!

 Those who teach that we should look to the Big 10 as our moral guide and compass for living are really preaching another gospel! I know that sounds strong and even strange to many because it goes against what most of us in church have been taught but it was strong when the Apostle Paul preached it in his day!

 The law is called the ministry of death and condemnation and actually even gives strength to sin and not freedom from it! When we teach and preach that people should embrace the law as their moral guide and compass to successful Christian living, we are actually engaged in the ministry of death and condemnation and we at the same time we are helping to give strength to sin and bondage and not freedom from it! This is why you often see so many guilt redden Christians fill the altars Sunday after Sunday .We think it’s great when people pack the altars every Sunday with guilt and remorse crying over the same old sins but did you know this is not what the new covenant is all about and this really does not please or impress God.. In fact it grieves God to see people remorse over sins that He has already forgiven and forgotten.

The law is not the ministry of life but death! The letter kills but the Spirit give life.

Why do preachers and teachers feel so compelled to preach something that produces death and condemnation and not life and freedom! There are two answers for this. First they do it ignorantly! I know I use to do it myself! But I did it ignorantly. I did not really understand the gospel of grace like I do today.

Many of the Jews back in Paul’s day did what they did ignorantly as well.

Rom 10:4

 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

Paul knew what it meant to try and establish to own righteousness through the law until he had a revelation of grace but once Paul had a revelation of God’s grace he ceased preaching the law and began to preach Christ and His life.

The other reason that many continue to teach and preach the law is for control and to feed their own insecurities and egos.

 How does this work? Well If people continue to battle with fear and condemnation than it will force them to always feel codependent on a religious system or leader.

It’s kind of like the co dependent abused wife who hates the abuse and condemnation but is afraid to leave because she has been convinced that if she ever did leave she would not make it or even worse die .So a lot of churchanity is based more on  intimidation and fear than love and life. Which is better to stay with your husband because you’re afraid to leave him? Or to stay with your husband because your madly in love with him? God wants our motivation to be love and not fear! The Apostle Paul said it was the love of God that constrained him not fear.

Romans 10:4

 For Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him.

Rom 7:4

We are no longer in a relationship with the law. Should the 10 com be our guide for daily living? No

Law is more than the 10 it is all the law that is over 6oo laws. The law is an all or nothing deal. You are either under all the law or you’re not and if you go back to the law for living than you fall from grace.

Galatians 5:4                                                                                                                                                                 if you seek to be justified and declared righteous and to be given a right standing with God through the Law, you are brought to nothing and so separated (severed) from Christ. You have fallen away from grace (from God’s gracious favor and unmerited blessing).

Did you know that falling from grace is not falling into sin but falling back to the law? We are not to preach the law for righteousness because righteousness does not come through the law this includes the big 10 and we are not to preach the law for daily living because the Spirit of God in us is now the one who wants to lead us and guide us into all the truth.

Romans 8:4                                                                                                                                                                        So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].

Our lives are now to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, not the Law.

So if the law is not for Christians what is it good for?

1 Tim 1:7                                                                                                                                                                          The law is good for the lawless the law still is a tutor to point people to faith in Christ

Gal 3:25                                                                                                                                                                          the law shows everyone’s need to put there faith in Christ. This includes the religious

After we come to Christ we are to now live by the law of the spirit of life in Christ not law

Jesus and the Holy Spirit do the driving now.

Romans 8:1                                                                                                                                                            Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.  For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.

 

Under the new covenant our relationship and dependence is  on the spirit and not the flesh and the letter

Did you know that the gentiles (non Jews) were never offered the law  the gentiles were only offered the new covenant so how did we even get to the place where we think we are under law!  And every Sunday it’s preached?

The Bible says

I’m dead to the law , I’m free from the law , I’m not supervised by the law . I now live by a new law called the law of the spirit of life in Christ.

Now Let’s talk about the word Repentance ,what does it really mean? Many in legalism preach Repent! as it refers to a sin conscience . They use repentance in a way for men to constantly analyze their own short comings and sins and to turn from them

But Repentance really means to simply change your mind..  Today Many ( including most preachers) need to change their mind about  law and grace..Many need to see that we  are no longer under the law but grace.

Repentance in the old was different than the old.. In the old man were commanded to repent according to the law and the law said do it or be cursed! But under the new covenant repentance is seeing and receiving the goodness of God

In the new covenant it’s the goodness of God that leads us to repentance, not the other way around! It’s not repentance that leads you to Gods goodness that was the law way

Luke 16:16

The Law and the prophets were until John.. John was the transitional prophet but in the new John was the last and greatest prophet.

And John was preaching repentance from the old way to a new way.. Repentance in the new  is to change your mind about how  righteousness comes, not by law but through faith in Christ

IN the new men must repent of any attempt of self effort righteousness and instead turn to Christ.

Repentance in the new is simply men changing their minds form fleshly legalistic external way of living toward Christ and an internal Spirit way of living

Most people today do not enjoy Gods fullness or walk in ministry because they  do not feel worthy or qualified. The reason they don’t feel worthy or qualified is because they do not know how big Gods love is for them and how much they have been completely forgiven

Many in church today are spectators and not participators because they don’t feel qualified to really do anything else but come and sit every Sunday morning while the qualified are used in ministry. The thing that has caused this feeling of disqualification has been a constant feeding of the law. The law produces a constant sense of condemnation and falling short but the truth is that we are all called to be engaged in full time ministry. Full time ministry is not limited to the educated or those who have degrees but it is for all who have been born again and have Christ living in them. Galatians 2:20. Christ is the one who still does all the ministry and we are simple an extension of Him in this world. As He is so are we in this life. Satan loves it when we sit on the sidelines as unworthy spectators , but God is calling us all to rise and shine in these last days. Isaiah 60:1

A new way to approach God

There has been a system change a new covenant, a new priesthood and a new way to approach God and we cannot mix the two or the new will not work. Grace is always frustrated by those who insist on living under the law

In the old you were only blessed if you kept all the law and statues but under the new you’re only requirement is obedience to the faith. So what is obedience to the faith? It is faith in what Christ has already accomplished at the cross.

In Romans 1:5 the apostle Paul mentions obedience to the faith.

  It is through Him that we have received grace (God’s unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name’s sake among all the nations,

As enabled ministers of Christ we are to promote obedience to the faith not to the law but to the faith. Many would say I thought that promoting the law was part of the faith? No!  in fact it’s the opposite of faith. In fact the Bible says that the Law is not of faith.

Galatians 3:12                                                                                                                               The law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Those who insist on keeping the law for justification must keep All the law All 613 of them but good luck with that.

Galatians 2; 16   Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

 

Philippians 3:9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Obedience to the faith is not complex, it’s simple! Just believe that you’re justified through Christ that’s it… with no additives!                                                                                             Once you begin to add things to the cross them you are back under the ways of the law.

We often tell people who get saved “now that your saved here is a list of things you need to do, to maintain your Christian walk and ensure that God will stay pleased with you. This sounds good but it’s so wrong. Why is it wrong? Because to imply keeping external list makes us righteous or more pleasing to God is an affront to the finished work of the cross. The thing that brings more pleasure to God than anything is when we believe in the finished work of the cross and when we simply come to Him with complete confidence by the blood of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:38

³⁸ Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man drawback, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

We are called to live by faith not the law but faith. The law is not of faith.

 

Hebrews 4:16                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We are called to come into Gods throne room with confidence by the blood. This throne is a throne room of grace not law and not judgment

Now when Paul rebuked Pete to his facer it was because he was not being obedient to the faith..  So what was he doing? He was acting and giving the impression to others that they were still under the law. This was a serious matter. We are never to imply or give any the impression that we are under the law this is completely against the new covenant of grace and to fall from grace is to go back to the law.

Galatians 2 :11- 16

11 But when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I protested and opposed him to his face [concerning his conduct there], for he was blameable and stood condemned.

 

12 For up to the time that certain persons came from James, he ate his meals with the Gentile [converts]; but when the men [from Jerusalem] arrived, he withdrew and held himself aloof from the Gentiles and [ate] separately for fear of those of the circumcision [party].

 

13 And the rest of the Jews along with him also concealed their true convictions and acted insincerely, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy (their example of insincerity and pretense).

 

14 But as soon as I saw that they were not straightforward and were not living up to the truth of the Gospel, I said to Cephas (Peter) before everybody present, If you, though born a Jew, can live [as you have been living] like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how do you dare now to urge and practically force the Gentiles to [comply with the ritual of Judaism and] live like Jews?

 

15 [I went on to say] Although we ourselves (you and I) are Jews by birth and not Gentile (heathen) sinners,

 

16 Yet we know that a man is justified or reckoned righteous and in right standing with God not by works of the Law, but [only] through faith and [absolute] reliance on and adherence to and trust in Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). [Therefore] even we [ourselves] have believed on Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law [for we cannot be justified by any observance of the ritual of the Law given by Moses], because by keeping legal rituals and by works no human being can ever be justified (declared righteous and put in right standing with God

Many teachers and preachers today need rebuked for what they are teaching! Why because they are doing more to keep people bound by teaching the law than to set them free by preaching the new covenant of grace.

Those under the law or an external way of being led are babies and cannot mature as sons. One reason a lot of preachers teach law is because the law keeps people dependent on them! But we don’t need men to follow us; our job is to point people to Christ, to follow Him and to be dependent on the Holy Spirit. The law creates a co-dependency way of living and depending on men and systems that is not the way of God.. And like Paul I say to many reading this “Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?”

 

I t is clear in Hebrews 7:12 Heb 8:13 Heb 10:8-10… The first was taken away so that the new could be established. The more the law is taken away the more the new will be established.

2 Corinthians 3:6 says the letter kills and the spirit gives life… the question is are we ministering life or death? What minister’s death? The ceremonial law? Not just the ceremonial law but the law l written in tables of stones or the 10 commandments.

2 Corinthians 3:7-9

Now if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone [the ministration of the Law], was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away,

⁸ Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit [this spiritual ministry whose task it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory?

⁹ For if the service that condemns [the ministration of doom] had glory, how infinitely more abounding in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous [the ministry that produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God]!

What law was written in stone? The 10 commandments.. It had its place but now that Christ has come its purpose is fulfilled.

Well what are people to do if they don’t follow external laws? It’s simple they follow the Spirit of grace or the Holy Spirit. So what’s going to keep people constrained from doing evil? God’s unconditional love will constrain them and the Holy Spirit will lead and guide them

We are to teach people to be spirit led not letter led or led by external rules including the 10 commandments..

Paul said once  “Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth? Why did Paul say this? Because when you preach grace then many of those in religion and under the law will get very upset with you..even separate themselves from you and even call you evil.  Listen the Cain’s will always persecute the Ables Why?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Gen 4:4-8   because Cain trusted the works of his own hands to justify him ,while Abel trusted in the blood .

We are not anointed to beat the sheep, but to love and minister Gods grace to them. We are enabled and anointed to preach the new not the old. Romans 1:5

I’m anointed to preach the new covenant of grace not the law. I confess I use to somewhat beat the sheep and probably have even killed a few. Like Saul before he became Paul I had a zeal but without knowledge and revelation of Gods grace you can do more damage than good.

Remember church attendance often goes down when church beatings go up..

Romans 3:19-20 says No flesh is justified through the law.. The law revealed our need for Christ.

Gal 3 : 19-25 gives the  purpose of the law.. The law was given until we put our faith in Christ but once Christ comes the law is over. The law was the instrument God used to point us to Christ.

We are not to ever imply that people are made right before God by there trying to keep the law or external rules, even external laws and rules we have created and implemented through our own traditions. Like go to church or God will not be pleased with you are absolutely wrong! Im not against going to a building to assemble and for encouragement but never think you’re standing with God has anything to do with your seat on a pew because if you are in Christ then you are forever seated with Christ in the heavenly places

 

 

 

 

 

New Covenant Reality

1 Corinthians 6:17                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Those who are joined to the Lord are one Spirit.

As long as we see ourselves separate from the Lord than we will than continue to work hard through legalistic fleshly effort to get close to Him but you cannot get any closer to God than being joined with Him can you? We are in Him and He is in us. This is the new covenant reality truth that we must wake up to.  We often hear things from Christians like..Oh I just need to pray harder, or read more or do more to get closer to God and this sounds reasonable but it’s not reality, because the reality truth is that you have already been baptized into Christ, you are in Him, He is in you and your are right now seated with Him in heavenly places and if that’s not enough He himself said that He would never leave you or forsake you. Now in the feelings realm you may at times feel distant from Him but feelings come and go but the truth of the matter is, He is always there. In fact He is as close as the air we breathe.

Romans 5:9                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

 

We have been made completely righteous through His blood and have been saved from wrath through Christ.. This means there is no more Judgment or wrath on us or looming over us. We do not have to fear God’s wrath our Judgment anymore. God is not condemning us He has already forgiven us.. The more you embrace this truth then the more perfect you will become in His love.

1 John 4:18                                                                                                                                                                                         There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fearbrings with it the thought of punishment and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection].

The enemy does not want us to mature in the Love of God because mature Love brings power and it neutralizes the enemy work. The enemy’s main weapon is condemnation and fear, Those who preach and teach a gospel that keeps Gods people in a looming fear of punishment are not teaching the gospel of Christ. There is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ or who have been joined to the Lord.. We are called to grow in the Love that God has for us and as we do it will expel every bit of fear that brings torment.

We must understand that over 2000 years ago God poured out all His wrath on Jesus so that we in turn could walk free justified forever and grow in His love.

1 Timothy 4:1-2

But the [Holy] Spirit distinctly and expressly declares that in latter times some will turn away from the faith, giving attention to deluding and seducing spirits and doctrines that demons teach, Through the hypocrisy and pretensions of liars whose consciences are seared (cauterized)

I use to think a seared conscience only applied to unbelievers or to those who took so much delight in sin that they had no room in their thoughts for God but as you read this verse in context it is really speaking more about the Christian who started out in faith and knowing Gods love for them and than through doctrines of demons moved from the faith back to a legalistic form and system of relating to God.. in other words they moved from grace back to the law.. Many in church today have had their conscience seared today through legalistic teaching or a mixed gospel of law and grace. A mixed gospel does not bring freedom but bondage and is a doctrine of devils not God.

The apostle Paul understood the consequences of believing another gospel and did not mix words about how he felt about those that taught it,.

Galatians 1:6-10

⁶ I am surprised and astonished that you are so quickly ^]turning renegade and deserting Him Who invited and called you ^]by the grace (unmerited favor) of Christ (the Messiah) [and that you are transferring your allegiance] to a different [even an opposition] gospel.

⁷ Not that there is [or could be] any other [genuine Gospel], but there are [obviously] some who are troubling and disturbing and bewildering you [^[f]with a different kind of teaching which they offer as a gospel] and want to pervert and distort the Gospel of Christ (the Messiah) [into something which it absolutely is not].

⁸ But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to and different from that which we preached to you, let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

⁹ As we said before, so I now say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel different from or contrary to that which you received [from us], let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment)!

¹⁰ Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).

This other gospel was a gospel that turned people from Grace back to the law.

A seared conscience is one that is always on sin and fear of impending judgment instead of Gods unconditional love and grace and faith righteousness. Most today do not see that they are eternally forgiven and justified because their conscience has been seared through legalistic teaching.

We need to understand that Jesus did it All… and we can look to the father with complete confidence.

Under the new covenant its all God… our part is to believe. New there is only blessing no more curse! In the new God made a promise to himself to keep His covenant with us. God completely took us out of the equation. Today I live by the faith in the Son of God and He is faithful even when I am not.

 Romans 1:5

 It is through Him that we have received grace (God’s unmerited favor) and [our] apostleship to promote obedience to the faith and make disciples for His name’s sake among all the nations,

So what is obedience to the faith?  Obedience to the faith is to simply believe it’s all been done and to rest in what Christ finished at the cross. Obedience to the faith is to believe that God has been merciful to our unrighteousness and that He remembers our sins no more. Obedience to the faith is to rest and receive all Christ did at the cross, Obedience to the faith believes the new covenant that there is no more judgment no more curse only blessing. It believes that God is for you and not against you. It’s resting and trusting in Gods unconditional love for you. This is what it means to be obedient to the faith. When preachers preach a conditional love based on your works, law and performance they are not preaching obedience to the faith or the Gospel.

Romans 8  says it all….

²⁹ For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was ^]aware andloved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰ And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being].

³¹ What then shall we say to [all] this? If God is for us, who [can be] against us? [Who can be our foe, if God is on our side?]

³² He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?

³³ Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]

³⁴ Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us?

³⁵ Who shall ever separate us from Christ’s love? Shall suffering and affliction and tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution or peril or sword?

³⁶ Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter.

³⁷ Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors ^[m]and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us.

³⁸ For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things ^[n]impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers,

³⁹ Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Are you a Son or Baby?

 

Gal 4:1-3                                                                                                                                                                         As long as the inheritor (heir) is a child and under age, he does not differ from a slave, although he is the master of all the estate;

² But he is under guardians and administrators or trustees until the date fixed by his father.

³ So we [Jewish Christians] also, when we were minors, were kept like slaves under [the rules of the Hebrew ritual and subject to] the elementary teachings of a system of external observations and regulations.

The Bible is saying that when we continue to look to an external system of observations and regulations as a way for Christian  growth that it does not help us mature but  actually hinders our growth and keeps us from enjoying the full benefits of our inheritance and sonship in Christ . Today most of our book stores are filled with all kinds of How to Books. The five steps on how to become a better Christian or the 10 steps on Christian growth, these books often include lists of things that we do and achieve to grow as a Christian, such as praying more, tithing more, serving more, doing more, more , more,  but sad to say most of these how to doing books are not helping us to grow at all! In fact they are doing more to hinder our Christian growth than to encourage it! Why? Because many of these self help books are filled with external ways to grow as a Christian, but the New Covenant has a new and better way for Christian growth and maturity and it does not does not come by striving to keep external rules  or doing all the lists written in the How to books or by recommitting your life every Sunday to try your harder and harder to live for God and to be a better Christian but this new way  comes by right believing and by  faith in what Christ has already accomplished, It comes by confidently resting and trusting in the finished work of the cross and by living a new exciting Internal way of  the life in the Spirit. Christian maturity comes by right believing that is believing the right gospel, from resting in the finished work of the cross, and from hearing and responding to the Spirit of God that now lives within us. Resting and Responding is our new way of living.

Sons of God are led by the promptings of the Spirit of God.. Babies and the Immature continue to look to external ways of living for God. Which do you want to be?

Galatians 4:6

And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the [Holy] Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba (Father)! Father!

To be a Son you must first believe Christ did it all at the cross and second you must believe that God has sent the Spirit of His Son into your heart crying Abba father to lead and guide you as His adopted sons in this life. If you do not fully believe these two things than you will continue strive to become something you already are and you constantly will look to an external guidance systems ( How to Books ) to help you live out the Christian life.

The scripture is pretty clear in Romans 8:14

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Those led by the Spirit are Sons. Those who are not led by the Spirit but are led by external methods and systems are not Sons they are Babies.

The Apostle Paul continued to teach this new internal Spirit way of living to the church so that they in turn would grow up in Christ, mature and enjoy the full benefits of their Inheritance.

Romans 7:6                                                                                                                                                       But now we are discharged from the Law and have terminated all intercourse with it, having died to what once restrained and held us captive. So now we serve not under [obedience to] the old code of written regulations, but [under obedience to the promptings] of the Spirit in newness [of life].

The Apostle Paul continued to teach this new internal Spirit way of living to the church so that they in turn would grow up in Christ, mature and enjoy the full benefits of their Inheritance as Sons.

We are no longer to be governed by external laws but by the internal law of the spirit of grace. We have been given a new internal GPS system. Gods Precious Spirit to lead and guide us in this life.. This is the Spirit of Grace in us. Romans 8 :1-4  shows us the internal way and external way of living. The external way of trying to live for God is called flesh.

Romans 8

Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.

² For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death.

³ For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [^[a]the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [^[b]subdued, overcame, ^[c]deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice],

⁴ So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].

 

Again all those who insist on living by the law will remain babes in Christ. Those who are led by the spirit are maturing into sons

Those who are babes always struggle with condemnation and find little rest why? Because they are always trying to live for God..by the external fleshly way.

But the mature live in rest and walk in Gods undeserved favor and experience little to no condemnation why? Because the Spirit of God leads in peace and rest and as they simply rest and respond to the promptings of the Spirit than stuff happens! Doors open! Blessings come and over take them, they are not pleading and begging and sweating trying to get God to move, they are not trying to make things happen. The mature rest and respond to what they see their father doing.. Hmmmsounds a lot like what Christ did doesn’t it?

The Bible says that before Christ we were under the law or a tutor but now that we are in Christ we are to be governed a new and different way.. This new way is called the law of Life Rom 8 in Christ

Rom 10:4   says Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness and for living. The law is the external way of trying to relate to God.

If you are still looking to external laws for righteousness then you are on milk and still a babe.

If you need some kind of external accountability system to govern your life then you are still a babe. It amazes me how many still teach the church these external ways of living out the Christian life. What they don’t understand is that they are not helping them to grow but they are actually helping to stunt their growth,

Those who are mature are governed by the Spirit of God that lives in them this is the law of the Spirit. We need to be teaching people how to rest and respond to the One inside.. The Spirit of Grace.

Now If you don’t know that Christ is in you to lead and guide you then you will naturally rely on external ways and accountability systems to keep you in check but again this is not the new covenant way. The new covenant way is the way of the Spirit of Life.

Now also you need to know that when you’re under the law ( external way of living or even a mixture of law and grace than reading the bible will also be like trying to watch a 3D movie without the 3D glasses! It becomes more of a chore to read the Bible than life  but when you begin to see that you are now no longer under the law but under Grace then the Bible takes on a complete new dynamic.. it’s called Spirit Life ! Now the Bible begins to make sense and will jump off the page in a new exciting way>

Spiritual Maturity

Galatians 3:10

The Law Brings a Curse  For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

If you’re trying to live by any part of the Law than you are actually living under a curse, the reason you’re living under a curse is because you cannot keep all the law. It’s impossible! In fact it has always been impossible and I say all the law because according to the Bible when it comes to the law it’s not a pick and choose situation like you would at a buffet line. You don’t pick which law you want to keep and which law you want to ignore but the law is an all or nothing situation and there are over 600 and something laws to keep including the Big 10.The Law was never given to make us righteous but to show us our need for a savior. The Law convinces us of our need for Christ. The Law was never given to justify us.

The Law is and all or nothing situation.

James 2:10                                                                                                                                          For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

The strength of sin is the law

1 Corinthians 15:56

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

The law entered so that the offense might abound.. The law is like fertilizer on the grass. It made sin flourish and grow. It actually stimulates sin..Why does the law stimulate sin?  So that we would see our true fallen self and see our desperate need for Christ.

Many Christians today are bound in carnality and immaturity because they do not fully understand the finished work of the cross and faith righteousness; they are still being taught a mixed Gospel of Law and Grace from behind pulpits very Sunday and they are unskilled in the word of righteousness. Now just the fact that many have no clue of what I just said shows their level of maturity.. I’m not putting anyone down but what I am saying is that the right gospel needs to be preached all across church’s today so that maturity can come to the body of Christ

Hebrews 5:13

Everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

To be honest we have people in church today that have been going to church for 10, 20 even 30 or 50 years that are still on milk and babies in Christ! This use to really bother aznd puzzle me but then the Lord showed me why.

He showed me that years of Church attendance do not necessarily produce maturity Spiritual maturity only comes one way! It comes from becoming skilled in the word of righteousness. Now don’t get me wrong because I’m not against church attendance or pastors but today we have a great percentage of congregation members and pastors who may have all kind of  Bible  education and even theological degrees but they are still 100% babes because they still do not yet understand the new covenant  and they are unskilled in the word of new covenant righteousness.

What do I mean new covenant righteousness?  New Covenant righteousness is a righteousness that only comes one way! And that way is as a gift from God because of what Christ fully accomplished at the cross. It is a righteousness that God has made us to become in Christ

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

A righteousness that cannot be earned by any works or service that we could ever do but can only be received and realized with thanksgiving. We are righteous today not because we have read the latest “How to Book “ but because when we simply said yes to Jesus we were actually placed into or baptized into Christ who is the righteous One. The Bible said we have actually been joined and made to be one spirit with Him. So as He is so are we in this life. Let me ask you a question is Jesus Righteous right now? Then so are we! Why because He is righteous and we are now in Him!

1 Corinthians 6:17                                                                                                                         But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:13

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

I John 4:17                                                                                                                                    Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Sad to say today many like the Pharisees in Paul’s day  are still trying to earn what Christ has already bought and paid for.

Romans 10:3

For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

To submit to the righteousness of God means that you give up the idea that you can become righteous by the works of your flesh and receive by faith the only true acceptable righteousness of God that is a free gift through Jesus Christ.

Today we still have a lot of modern day Pharisees that think they can earn right standing with God by their works or by keeping the law and as long as they believe this they will stay bound in immaturity and never enjoy freely all that Christ died for