The Sin Exchange?

[tsth]

Jesus paid the price for all sin/our sins on the cross..................He suffered and died in doing so.

But, what if, we are not willing to give them up? If we are not willing to give over what He willingly chose to take, was the agreement there? Did we really believe in the validity and power of His sacrifice? Or did we deny Him. If we said I do, and then did not.........did we really believe? Let Him take them and deliver you from your burden.

His Power is sufficient to defeat sin, He overcame that death on the cross, so we could believe and know that He is able!

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Keith]

It's amazing how hard it can be to do something that knowingly means freedom and peace, isn't it? (Giving up sin.) There doesn't even seem to be a logical answer as to why we can't do it. It's painful to think that it's because we don't really have faith enough to rest in it.

I think a lot of it comes from a world that likes to tell us that we'd better learn to take care of ourselves because nobody else is going to. "There's no such thing as a free lunch." Then there is our stubborness and "independence". "I should be able to do this!" Part of the answer also lies in the strange fact that people will most often choose a "known illness" over an "unknown cure". We are used to our troubles/sins, as much grief as they give us. We are used to dealing with them in whatever way we've learned to cope.

The solution to our troubles means completely changing our way of thinking. Renewing our minds is, in my opinion, the most difficult part of walking with Christ. If I were threatened with death if I didn't renounce Christ, it would be easier for me to choose death than it is for me to change my whole way of thinking! How on earth are we supposed to control every thought that comes into our head? It's exhausting and seems impossible! All I ever seem to do is fail, fail, fail!

The truth is, until we decide to truly surrender all to Christ, realizing that we need to lean on His strength, we are going to struggle, fight and have hardships. The truth is also that when we do decide to surrender all, we will still struggle, fight and have hardships! But in total surrender there is a purpose!

Since we are going to struggle, fight and have hardships anyway, why not make it worthwhile and have it mean something? We don't have to do it alone. We can't! We were never meant, asked, told or expected to! That's the difference! Jesus promised to help us. Alone or with Jesus, with purpose or without a purpose.... the decision is ours.

Believe me, I'm speaking to myself in this, too. Right now I am mentally and emotionally exhausted. I've been through a lot of major life changes in the last five months and I just want to sit in my apartment, draw the shades, turn off the phone and cry. But I realized that EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US is having a tremendously difficult time! The sooner I commit to total surrender, the sooner I will come out the other side. Therein lies our hope! Jesus is our strength.

[Keith]

I do believe I've just preached myself happy! LOL

Thanks, tsth! If nobody else responds to this thread, know that you were directed to post it to help me. I'm grateful to God for sending me what I needed when I needed it and for your obedience to act upon your heart.

[tsth]

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Imamom]

Thanks, tsth! If nobody else responds to this thread, know that you were directed to post it to help me.

ME TO!

We need to be willing to give our will up to God totally and to stay strong to keep it that way. One of the hardest lessons for me has been to give it up without taking it back. I need to pray for strength and accept the power to overcome sin through Jesus. Don't take back what you've given away. Don't take back what you've given away. Don't take back what you've given away. I need to keep reminding myself. With Jesus is power.

[Botz]

I think one of the most amazing and truely releasing aspects of the sacrifice that Jesus made to take away our sins is that His blood avails for us everyday...and because of this ...yesterdays defeats can become tomorrows victory.

There will never be a time in our mortal lives when we no longer need to be washed in the blood cleansed,healed,forgiven and restored truely walking in the liberty that the L-rd has won for us.

I believe that as we progress in our Christian walk and deepen our fellowship with the Saviour through the unction of the Holy Ghost then the enormity of the greatness of our Salvation becomes even clearer and we are more determined than ever to allow G-d to have total access to every part of our being and not to frustrate the Grace that is freely and continuously given to us.

We all struggle in this life with many different things but we are not alone in our difficult times, our heartaches or temptations and we know that at the end of it all we shall come out the richer because we are being tried and tested to the glory of G-d.

1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

[Guest Verna Jean]

Thanks tsth. We have to learn to give God all our problems, just hand them over. We must have faith that He does keep his word. All our sins He paid for, he doesnt want us to keep on making the same mistakes, He wants us to put our lives in His hands and let Him have His will not our will. He wants us with Him. We need Christian fellowship to grow and learn. I believe fellowship also helps keep us strong against sin. We help each other. Thank You GOD for Calvary

Edited March 8, 2005 by Verna Jean

[tsth]

Something to think upon.

Devotion for today, from Henry Blackaby.

HE MADE HIM TO BE SIN

4/6/2005

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

-- 2 CORINTHIANS 5:21

This verse should startle us and cause us to tremble. It is not a verse to be read quickly and passed over. As Christians we are grateful to be forgiven of our sins. We are thankful we have been adopted as God's children. Yet we will never comprehend the awesome price that Jesus paid to cleanse us of our sin and to give us His righteousness. How abhorrent was it for the sinless Son of God to have every sin of humanity placed upon Him? What love was required for the Father to watch His only Son bear the excruciating pain of our sin upon the cross? The prophet Isaiah summarized the human condition: "We are all like an unclean thing, / And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6). Even the high priest, Joshua, in his exalted position among God's people, was clothed in filthy rags before God (Zech. 3:3). The apostle Paul, who labored arduously to be righteous before God, realized that his most strenuous efforts to please God were no more valuable than rubbish (Phil. 3:4-10). The plight of humanity is that nothing we could ever do could satisfy God's desire for righteousness. But the miracle of God's mercy is that God exchanges our "filthy rags" for "rich robes" of righteousness (Zech. 3:4). In this awesome exchange, God placed the sin of humanity upon His righteous Son. Jesus became so identified with our sin that Scripture says God made Him to be sin on our behalf. The Holy Son of God could not possibly do more for us than this! Experiencing the Father's wrath upon the sin He carried would have been more painful to endure than any human rejection or physical suffering. Never take the righteousness God has given you for granted. Never take the forgiveness of your sin lightly. It cost God a terrible price in order to forgive you and make you righteous. Walk in a manner worthy of the righteousness He has given you.

In His Love,

Suzanne

[Imamom]

AMEN!

[dgolvach]

I hear what you all are saying about complete surrender. The world teaches you to pull your self up by the bootstaps and be a self made man or women. We spend the 1rst quatrer of or life getting prepared to do for ourselves by means of an education. This is why "letting go and letting God" isn't that easy. I believe it is something we have to learn to do. It isn't an all at once thing. If it was. Only a tiny fraction of people if any would be saved. Even the best Christians I know still struggle with their will going against God's will. I have never met anyone who lives in God'd will 24/7. I do believe that salvation requires being willing to give up your will and asking the Holy Spirit to reshape your will but it can be a bit like breaking a horse. Your in for a struggle to some extent.

Dan