Living by the Am I? Or the I Am!

Are you living by the by the AM I ? or the I AM! Those stuck in legalism are often focused on their own obedience and performance. They are constantly living by the AM I ?

They are always asking themselves AM I righteous? Am I ok with God? Am I doing enough to really please God? Am I giving enough? Am I serving enough? Am I loving enough? Am I Holy enough? Am I reading my Bible enough? Am I praying enough? Am I committed enough? Sadly to say the AM I question is never satisfied because how much really is enough?

How many works does it take to finally arrive at a place where you can declare that I am now 100% Holy and Righteous before God?

Nobody really knows, they just keep telling you to do more and try harder. Those living by the Am I? will stay on the hamster wheel of try harder, do more and re-commit to your commitment their entire christian lives. They will never feel like they quite measure up, they feel at times that God is somewhat pleased with them, but most the time is probably not real pleased with them and why? because its all about their own performance and their performance seems to always fall short. I mean if I read the Bible for 1 hour, i fell maybe I should have read the Bible for two hours, sad to say the majority of Christians today are living more by the AM I? rather then the I AM!

But those who understand the finished work of the cross and grace of God do not live by the Am I?

They live by the I AM! They are confident that God is for them and not against them, because they understand that grace is not about their own performance,but its all about the finished work of the cross and Christ’s obedience. They understand that right standing with God can never be achieved, but that it is a gift that can only be received. Those who live by grace are living by the I Am ! and not the Am I?

They declare that I Am righteous! because of Jesus, They have embraced the gospel truth that says

“He who knew no sin became sin so that I could then be made the righteousness of God in Christ! Romans5:21

Those living by the I Am ! Are very confident because they now understand that they that they have not only been forgiven, but they have also become a new creation In Christ Romans 5:17 .

They are confident because their confidence has taken a dramatic shift from themselves to Christ and they have come into the revelation that it is not my own perfect performance that matters, but its all about Christ perfect obedience.

As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:29-31

Put on the full Armor of God

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

What is the Armor of God? and how do we put it on? The Bible tells us that if we are going to stand against the trickery of the devil then we have to have the full armor of God on, not just part of it but all of it.

First, the armor of God is not the armor on man, neither is this armor an armor of works or any self effort. The armor of God is an armor that God has already given to us.

The Armor of God is your new Identity in Christ, The Armor is who God in Christ has already created you to be (2 Corinthians 5:17). The armor of God has nothing to do with your own self efforts, but it has everything to do with the finished work, Christ’s obedience and your perfection in Him. (1 Corinthians 1:29-31)

Now four times the scripture tells us to stand. It tells us to put on the full Armor so that we will be able to stand against the trickery, deception and lies of the devil.

The word to stand actually means to stand your ground or you could say “it means to stand or rest in the victory that is already yours in Christ.

The Bible tells us that we are already victorious in Christ, that we are already more then conquerers in Him.( Romans 8:37) its a done deal!

Today we are not fighting for victory, but we are fighting from victory! The fact is that we are actually called to rest in the victory that is already ours In Christ.

Let me ask you a question, is Jesus still fighting the devil? No ! He defeated the devil over 2000 years ago, He stripped and made a public display of him openly . Col 2:15

So today if we are In Christ and we are already seated with in heavenly places, In Christ and we are His body, then everything thats under His feet is really under our feet as well. (Ephesians 2:6)

Which means the devil is already under our feet in a place of defeat!

The truth is that a lot of Christians today are still fighting a battle that has already been won and an enemy that has already been defeated.

Our fight is not with the devil, our fight is really the fight of faith, it is to continue to believe that we are already complete and victorious In Christ.

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.(1Timothy 6:12)

So what is the Armor? The Armor is our new position in Christ, It is our new Identity In Christ, Its who Christ has already made us to be In Him and we are to never allow the devil to convince us otherwise. We are to rest in Christ. Remember the devil is a liar! and the ultimate con- artist. The armor keeps us from falling for his lies

So the first piece is the Belt of Truth. The Belt of Truth is the piece that holds all the other pieces together and the belt of truth will also cause us to reproduce and to be fruitful in this life. The belt of truth has to do with us believing the truth about Christ and to never be swayed away from the simplicity that is In Christ. The truth is for us to embrace grace and the gospel of grace according to the new covenant. Col 2:8-10 . Again we are complete in Christ and we are never allow the devil to move us away from who we simply are In Christ.

The Breastplate of Righteousness is to put on the gift of right standing with God. The Bible says that we have already been made the righteousness of God in Christ. We are in Right Standing with God, because of the obedience of Christ. As we receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, we will then reign in this life through Christ. (Romans 5:17)

The Breastplate of right standing with God also protects our hearts from the fear of judgment, condemnation and the accusation of the devil.

Self righteousness will never protect our hearts from condemnation, in fact self righteousness will leave our hearts completely exposed to the condemnation and accusation of the devil.

Right standing with God can never be achieved , but can only be received, Righteousness is a free gift from God. Romans 10:1-4

Iv’e always said the one place that you need to make sure that you have the full armor of God on is in church. it sad, but true that most churches today are not preaching the good news, they re preaching more judgment and condemnation then they are peace.

To protect our feet, our feet must be kept shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Again, I remember back in the good old legalistic days, I thought that unless I stomped on a bunch of toes and made people hobble out of church, that I wasn’t really doing my Job.

I thought it was my job to make people unsure about their relationship with God, so most of my messages were more centered around ” what are you doing for God?”The gospel that is being preached in most churches today is more of a performance centered gospel, then a cross centered gospel.

But the gospel of Christ is not the gospel of judgment or anger, but of peace.

The gospel of Christ ,tells us that God is no longer angry with us, but that we can be at peace with God because of the cross. Romans 5:1

The preparation of the gospel of peace means that we should always be prepared to share the almost to good to be true news with others. To let everyone know that God is not in the condemnation business, but He is in the forgiving, blessing and the loving business.
John 3:16-17.

The helmet of salvation is to protect our mind ant to protect our thoughts. We should always keep our thoughts on Christ and on the obedience of Christ. Every thought that tries to lead us away from the finished work of Christ and the cross is not from God, but is an evil thought, it is not according to the true knowledge of God and we are to cast it down 2 Corinthians 10:5

Last, the Bible tells us that we should take up the shield of faith and as we do it will quench all the flaming darts or arrows of the wicked one.

The shield of faith has to do with trusting God . As we choose to trust God and trust that His word is true, that God is faithful to complete in us what He began us and that all the promises of God in Christ are yes and amen, this trust will quench all the lies that the devil tries to throw at us. The shield of faith says ” we trust in our God and through His unfailing love , we will not be moved or shaken!”

The shield of faith is kind of like the shield that captain kirk puts up around the star ship enterprise. as long as the shield is up then the enemy cannot affectively hit the target.

 

 

 

 

Posted by Rick Sarver at 4:56 PM
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Peace on Earth?

Luke 2:8-14 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. ” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth Peace, Goodwill toward men!”

Many say “if Jesus came to bring peace on earth, then why is there still so much turmoil, anger, and violence in the earth? Why do people still want to kill each other?

First, we need to understand that the heavenly host did not say that Jesus was bringing peace to the earth (at least not right now), but the heavenly host said that “He was bringing On Earth- Peace and Good will toward men.

The main reason Jesus came was to express the Love and Good Will of the Father and to bring His Peace on earth, to all who would believe the Good News! and the good news is that Jesus came to save us or to rescue us from sin and from our own self destruction.

The Bible says that when Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Romans 5:12.

Sin spread like a virus and infected the entire human race. Every person on the earth has been infected by the sin of Adam. The only antidote for sin is Jesus. Jesus came to save us from sin.

Now most religion will teach that man in essence can save himself. Religion teaches that if man will work real hard that he can somehow balance the scales and make things right with God, but grace teaches the very opposite. Grace teaches that man could never reach God or save himself by any good work that he could ever do and Grace teaches that our right standing with God can never be achieved, but can only be received as a gift.

If man could save himself then Christ died in vain. Man could not save himself, so God intervened and sent us Jesus.

Listen , the big problem with works is that no amount of good works could ever change our sin nature.

I mean, you can take a pig and wash the mud off and put a bow on it’s head, but it’s still by nature a pig! Man’s problem was not just an external one , it was an internal one. Man by nature was a sinner and needed a new nature. Jesus not only came to forgive our sins, but He also came to give us a new heart and a new nature.

No amount of religious effort could change our nature, In fact religion will often make a person meaner and even angrier. Much of the violence that we are witnessing today is a direct result of people involved in religion.

The Pharisees were very religious, they knew the book but they did not know the author of the book.

Grace teaches that we could never save ourselves so it says “quit trying and start trusting.”

Grace teaches that God loved us so much that He sent his only Son to jump into this world to save us, but we must choose to reach out beyond our own self effort and cling to Him.

John 3;16 says “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” We cannot save ourselves, Jesus is the only one who has the power to save.

We must learn to rightly divide the word of truth, Jesus never promised peace on the earth, but He did promise to give His peace for those who would believe the good news and to those that would trust that He was sent as a savior for the entire world! but for those who refuse to believe there never will be any real peace.

Jesus only promised peace on the earth, to those who would believe in Him and who would receive Him.

Jesus said ” Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

As far as Peace on Earth, Jesus said the very opposite would take place, especially in the last days!

Jesus said before He returns there would be a whole lot of unrest, division, wars, strife and out right chaos! In the last days there will be little peace in the earth.

Matthew 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

In these last days, we are going to be seeing everything but peace on the earth!, in fact we are going to see more and more chaos! I mean the world seems to be unraveling very fast right now!

But Jesus promised that in the midst of all this turmoil and fear, that He had a peace to give us that does not come from this world, it only comes from Him! Its a supernatural peace. This peace is actually a fruit of the Spirit.

Now again, Jesus also said something else that seems almost contradictory.

Matthew 10:34-36 Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’

Whats this all about? Where”s the promise of peace here? Wheres all the Love? an entire household divided against each other ? and what’s the deal with the sword ?

Where is our friendly neighborhood Jesus in all of this?

Again we must learn how to rightly divide the word of truth and read everything in context.

Jesus was explaining that when you receive Him not everyone is going to be your friend!

Why? because of the conflict between light and darkness, before Christ you were in darkness, but after you receive Christ, you are now in the light.

Many will not be happy about your conversion to Christ, even those in your own household will come against you. Why? because there is no fellowship between light and darkness. You are walking one way and they are walking another way.

So whats up with the sword? What sword did Jesus bring? Well its not what you think. Its not like a Lord of the rings sword, where Jesus starts swinging and hacking off body parts.

Remember when Peter thought He would help Jesus out by cutting off the ear of one guy that came to arrest Jesus ? Jesus told Peter “Put up your sword” and then Jesus put the guys ear back on his head.

The sword that Jesus was speaking of was not a physical sword, but a spiritual sword, it was the sword the of the Spirit and the word of God.

Ephesians 6 tells us to take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

The reason the world sill lacks peace is because the only real peace can only be found in Jesus. Peace is not found in stuff, or money or even in physical relationships. True peace olny comes when we choose to receive the Prince of Peace, who is Jesus.

The Blind Side

The Blind Side is defined as a place of restricted vision. It also means to be hit or attacked from the blind side or from a side you cannot see.

In football the quarterback will often have big guys like Michael Oher protect them from being hit on their blindside.

Today many believers are under constant attack by the enemy, because they have a blind side, their vision has been spiritually limited or restricted.

Now, It may surprise you to know, the main thing that has caused much of this blindness in the church today has been the law.

I don’t know if you have ever been to a 3d movie and tried watching the movie without the 3d glasses , everything is very distorted and fuzzy, but once you put the 3d glasses on the fuzzy, distorted picture suddenly becomes dramatically vibrant and clear.

That’s how it was with law and grace. As long a you see yourself under a mixture of the law and grace your vision will always be very limited and restricted. 2 Corinthians 3 confirms this truth

But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (2 Corinthians 3:14-16)

Today many believers have become blind because of the reading of the law. In other words they have embraced a mixed message of both grace and the law. Many still believe that they are saved by grace but the law is still their guide for pleasing God and growth. Many believe that God still expects them to do their best to look to the law and then strive doing their utmost to keep the law, the only problem with this mixed theology is that it is not the gospel of Christ.

The the Lord reminded me about a similar situation that took place in the early church.

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
This only would I learn of you, received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galatians 3:1-3)

Paul said ” Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

Many in the church today, begin in grace and then look to the flesh or to the keeping the law for perfection and Paul called this bewitchment. The truth is that it is grace from beginning to end. We are saved by grace, perfected by grace and kept by grace and grace is Christ.

We cannot pour new wine into an old wine skin! or both will be lost. The truth is that we are not under a mixture of law and grace, the old and the new, but we are under a new covenant of grace.

The law was good for the reason that the law was given. The law was given to convince us about our need for Christ, but the moment that we place our faith in Christ, we are no longer under the law but grace.

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:23-26

But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Galatians 5:18

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:4

Much of the church today has been blind sided by the law. They begin in the Spirit but through wrong teaching they leave grace and embrace a mixed message of law and grace.

When this happens the veil that was once removed begins to come back over their hearts of those who embrace the law, which then creates a blindness in them.

Much of the church today has been blind sided by the law, like a pie in the face!, they don’t even know what hit them!

For years after I was saved, I knew that I was not seeing something that the Lord wanted me to see. I knew that my vision was restricted, but i did not not why or what it was, until one day the light came on! and I saw that it was the law! I too had embraced a mixed message of Christ and the Law. I too had begun in the Spirit and then turned to back the flesh to perfect and maintain my salvation, but once I fully embraced the truth of Grace, my eyes were open and things that I could not see before I suddenly saw clearly.

 Did you know that when you turn from grace back to the law, you are actually turing back to condemnation, death and blindness?

The old way,with laws etched in stone (The 10 Commandments), led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.  So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!

Jesus often called the teachers of the law , blind guides. They claimed to see clear, but the end result was that they were often leading people into the same ditch that they themselves had fallen into. The ditch of legalism
The only answer to legalistic blindness is the same. it is to turn from the law and turn fully back to Christ. It takes boldness and faith to turn from putting your trust in your own performance, but trust me when I say ” Grace can do a much better job at bringing you into perfection then your flesh could ever do”.

To be healed of the blind side is simple, turn from the law and turn fully to Christ. He alone saves and perfects. He is the author and the finisher of our faith.

Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
(2 Corinthians 3:14-16)

Is the Law of Moses written on our Hearts?

“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time,” says the Lord. “I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” (Heb 10:16)

Of course the Law Preacher would say ” Yes! here’s the proof right here!” God said ” that He was going to write the Law on our hearts!” well the first thing  that we need to notice is that God did not say that He was going to write the law of Moses on our hearts, but that He was going to write His laws on our hearts. If we are going to rightly divide the word of truth then we must learn to read the word in the context that it was written.

Today we are not under the Old Covenant law, but under the New Covenant of Grace.

John 1: 16-17 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Yes God has written His law on our Hearts, but its not the 632 laws or the Big 10, The law that God has written on our hearts is the Law of Love and the Law of the Spirit of Life that we now have in Christ!

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. Romans 7:6

Too many Christians are still trying to live by the letter of the law, when they should be living by the life of the Spirit.

Christ ended the law with its many commands and rules. His purpose was to make the two groups become one in him. By doing this he would make peace. Ephesians 2:15

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Romans 6:14

What part of “You are no longer under the Law, but Grace do you not understand?’

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Galatians 3:10

The Old covenant Law of Moses brought a curse! Why? because we could never keep it! The law was not a pick and choose situation, it was an all or nothing deal! if you broke one, it was like you broke them all!

The law was given to convince us about our desperate need for a redeemer who is Christ.

The  law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Galatians 3:24

Once we come to Jesus Christ and we put our faith in Him, then the law has accomplished its purpose. That was to convince us that we are sinners in need of a savior.

But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Today we are no longer under the Law of Moses a all, but God has written a new law on our hearts, what is this law?

Its the law of Love and its the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ.

The Law of Love works as we first receive the great Love that God has for us.

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:34-35

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

This is the new law that God has written on our hearts, not the law of Moses! Lets think for a second, why would God tell us that we are no longer under the law of Moses and then turn around and write these same laws on our hearts?

Below are seventeen reasons why the old covenant law is not written on our hearts and why so many Christians today still struggle  with condemnation and sin, because they still see themselves under the old law. Understanding  that you are no longer under the Old Covenant Law, but under the New Covenant of Grace and life in the Spirit is key to your walking in freedom and victory.

1. The law inflames sin (Rom 5:20) and the strength of sin is the law (1 Cor 15:56). Why would God want to stir up sin in your life?
2. The law condemns (2 Cor 3:9), yet there is no condemnation to those in Christ.
3. The law ministers death (2 Cor 3:7), but God wants you to enjoy abundant life.
4. Law and grace don’t mix. You are under grace, not law (Rom 6:14).
5. Living by the law will alienate you from Christ (Gal 5:4).
6. Living by the law is cheating on Jesus (Rom 7). Why would God do anything to encourage spiritual adultery?
7. We’re to live by faith but the law is not of faith (Gal 3:12). The law encourages us to depend on ourselves instead of Jesus.
8. Those who live under the law are under a curse (Gal 3:10). Why would God curse those he has blessed?
9. The law binds and enslaves (Rom 7:6), but Jesus wants you free.
10. The law keeps you immature for it makes nothing perfect or complete (Heb 7:19).
11. We have died to the law so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit and “not in the old way of the written code” (Rom 7:6).
12. When there has been a change of priesthood, the law must be changed also (Heb 7:12). For God to write the old law on our hearts would be like saying Aaron is greater than Jesus.
13. God found fault with the law-keeping covenant and made it obsolete (Heb 8:7,13). Why would God insult his Son’s sacrifice by giving you the very thing his sacrifice rendered obsolete?
14. The law is a shadow of the good things to come and not the reality (Heb 10:1). Why would God give you the shadow instead of “the good thing”?
15. The Jews considered the law to be ordained by angels (Heb 2:2). If so, says the author of Hebrews, then it is inferior to the gospel of Jesus (Heb 1:4). Why would God give you an inferior gift?
16. Some Christians think that God gives them the law as a guide to live by, but why would God want you to repeat the mistake of the Galatians (Gal 3:2)? Why would God do anything to make you fall from grace?
17. The old law-keeping covenant required an accounting or remembering of sin, but the new covenant is characterized by God forgiving and forgetting on account of Jesus (Heb 10:17). If the law that God writes in our hearts is the law of Moses, then Jesus died for nothing.
If God has written the Ten Commandments on your heart and mind, you should be able to list all ten with no trouble. Can you? What’s the seventh commandment? You can’t do it because it’s not there, and a very good thing that is too! If the law that God writes in our hearts is the law of Moses, you’re in big trouble.
The good news is that God has written in us a far better law. ( part of the post was written by Paul Ellis )