Are we light in the Lord or just sinners saved by grace?

[Gideon]

Are We Light in the Lord or Just Sinners Saved By Grace?

This is no small question. We have pretty much been taught that we are just sinners saved by grace. If churches had mantras, this would be ours as the modern church in the west. We have been taught that holiness is impossible. Victory is for Heaven, certainly not here, right? But I pray you listen to the words of God Himself for these statements simply do not line up with scripture. Paul told us that once we were darkness but now we are light in the Lord. He told us that we are new creatures, with natures that sin has no power over. He told us that if Christ dwells in us, we are not in the flesh any longer and owe it nothing.  We are told that we can bring not only our actions, but every thought into subjection.Wow.

What radically wonderful truths! But truths we certainly are not walking in because satan has succeeded in blinding us to them for much of the last 1900 years. For the most part, with a few glorious exceptions, it has been accepted that we are "just sinners saved by grace" ever since the grievous wolves entered into the church after Paul's death. But now, at the end of the age, just as He has promised before His return, God is beginning to wake us up to the truth of who we really are. And I am here to tell any who will listen, any who are tired of being satan's foot stool, that the changes these truths are going to bring to our lives, our relationships,  our walk with God Himself,  will be simply mind blowing.  

 You see, it is the truth that we really are new creatures that is our shield of faith, promising to protect us when satan comes accusing and tempting. We are re-discovering our shields and swords and armor, and the army of God is slowly awakening. Glory! 

Satan is about to finally have a fight on his hands, and it is one he knows he is destined to lose.  That is why he is so determined to keep us in our prison cells, trapped in unbelief, for he knows that a Christian walking in the glorious liberty of the children of God, filled with the joy of their salvation, excited to tell others of what God can and will do for them, no matter how bound they might be, is.... well... unstoppable. 

Look. Our God has given us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these…. the promises.... we will be changed into His image actually works.  (1 Peter 4:2) Why has our Christianity been reduced to forgiveness alone, with no power to actually sec saints changed and filled with the fruits of the Spirit? Simple. We have not believed that God's promises actually work in real life. Let's make posters of them for our walls. But actually believe them? Are you crazy?? LOL.

What promises? Let's see. How about...

 God has promised to keep us from falling and to deliver us from the power of darkness, not just its guilt.  

 He has promised to equip us with shields of faith that He personally guarantees will quench ALL the fiery arrows of the enemy. 

 He has assured us that He will not allow us to be tempted above our ability to resist, and will with EVERY temptation, make a way of escape so that we will be able to bear it without falling.

 He has promised that if we abide in Him by faith, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. 

 He has promised to cause us…. you read that right,  His words, not mine…. CAUSE US…. To walk in full obedience. (Ezekiel 36:27) 

Wow! So why, if these promises are true, and our God is not a man that He should lie, why do we not see them fulfilled in our walks? Why do we still struggle with the same sins over and over?  Because we are only human and no one is perfect? Ummmm....  I reckon God knew that when He made those promises, don’t you? LOL. 

 Why then? It really is quite simple. It is because God has ordained that everything in the kingdom is based upon faith, not works, and even though we know with our heads that when Christ died, so did we, and that when Christ rose from the dead to newness of life, so did we, we know it with our heads only. But we have not believed them with our hearts.  As of yet, they have not become OUR promises, OUR possessions.  Instead, our headsxhave told our hearts  “Impossible”. And because of this, another one of the principles of faith kicks in.
 

“But it did not profited them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."

Hebrews 4:2

God asks one thing of us concerning these promises. After we agree that these are truth, that the old us that cannot help but sin really  died, and that we rose up with new natures that CAN obey Him,  He tells us therefore to to DO something. No, not work for our salvation.  What then?  Agree with God!  This is what reckoning ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God actually means. (Romans 6:6)

 This reckoning is our declaration or liberty, our shout of faith where we stand up to satan and say "no more".. He asks us to appropriate what He accomplished and call it done, not waiting to be done. This is what kicks into gear the process of being changed into His likeness.  Not done over the next thirty years.  Not done when we die and go to Heaven. DONE. DONE NOW. And that brings us to another of the great principles of faith.

 "Believe that you receive it, and you shall have it." 

 Mark 11:24

Notice the gap in seeing the results? That is where our good fight of faith is waged... and won. He asks us to put off our rebellious self-loving old natures, and put on our brand new ones Christ has for us, natures that can actually be caused to walk in full and complete obedience. And when we do, that seed of faith that has been laying dormant all those years suddenly begins to spring to life. What may start off as mustard seed-sized faith will not stay that way, but only if we continue in the truth and do not let go of it. Those small seeds sprout that begin to sprout will not stay small, no sir. They will grow up into trees of righteousness.... BIG trees.   Not by strenuous effort. But on the flip side, not by sitting on a pew and waiting either.  we have a part in this! We are yoked to God, and He is moving. We are simply asked to move with Him by continually holding fast to the truth of who we are- new creatures!  This is how we are asked to walk with our God... to yield ourselves to Him as those who are alive from the dead! 

Please understand. Satan will still try to tempt us and to accuse still. Trust me, I know. LOL. A saint actually believing God panics him, and thus he is determined to pry those words of faith out of our mouths before they begin to take root. He will accuse us non-stop as to our unworthiness, our insufficiency. But praise God, our sufficiency is now of God, Christ IN  us. Yes, we WERE sinners, but it is us no more who live, but Christ in us. 

Who are we? We are now new creatures, more than conquerors,  overcomers of the world, the flesh and the devil. We are light, and not darkness....not even a little part, and if we grab hold of those truths and remain there, unwavering, to our delight and amazement, God will begin to grow our faith until we are established in it, and the fruits of the Spirit, the very nature of Christ will begin to grow in us. Guaranteed! 

This hold fast to the truth, using it as our shield from satan's accusations, is the good fight of faith we have all been called to. Satan does not care if we sin or whether we try not to, as long as we still believe the lie that we are in the flesh, still carrying old sinful natures, believing that obedience is impossible and that sin is unavoidable. I pray you hear me with your "God" ears. It is a lie of gargantuan proportions. And it is a lie that is about to go down in flames as God’s church awakes to righteousness and finally understand that real grace does not just forgive, it empowers. It changes.  It causes us to abide in Him, all day, every day. No matter how weak, every saint of God is destined to walk as a true overcomer in these last days. 

 We are the saints spoken of in Revelations who will combine the blood of the lamb with the words of OUR testimony. An army of overcomers, with their feet finally in the right place… on satan’s neck. Are you ready? I am!

blessings,

Gideon

 

Edited March 13, 2020 by Gideon

[johnthebaptist]

5 hours ago, Gideon said:

Are We Light in the Lord or Just Sinners Saved By Grace?

This is no small question. We have pretty much been taught that we are just sinners saved by grace. If churches had mantras, this would be ours as the modern church in the west. We have been taught that holiness is impossible. Victory is for Heaven, certainly not here, right? But I pray you listen to the words of God Himself for these statements simply do not line up with scripture. Paul told us that once we were darkness but now we are light in the Lord. He told us that we are new creatures, with natures that sin has no power over. He told us that if Christ dwells in us, we are not in the flesh any longer and owe it nothing.  We are told that we can bring not only our actions, but every thought into subjection.Wow.

What radically wonderful truths! But truths we certainly are not walking in because satan has succeeded in blinding us to them for much of the last 1900 years. For the most part, with a few glorious exceptions, it has been accepted that we are "just sinners saved by grace" ever since the grievous wolves entered into the church after Paul's death. But now, at the end of the age, just as He has promised before His return, God is beginning to wake us up to the truth of who we really are. And I am here to tell any who will listen, any who are tired of being satan's foot stool, that the changes these truths are going to bring to our lives, our relationships,  our walk with God Himself,  will be simply mind blowing.  

 You see, it is the truth that we really are new creatures that is our shield of faith, promising to protect us when satan comes accusing and tempting. We are re-discovering our shields and swords and armor, and the army of God is slowly awakening. Glory! 

Satan is about to finally have a fight on his hands, and it is one he knows he is destined to lose.  That is why he is so determined to keep us in our prison cells, trapped in unbelief, for he knows that a Christian walking in the glorious liberty of the children of God, filled with the joy of their salvation, excited to tell others of what God can and will do for them, no matter how bound they might be, is.... well... unstoppable. 

Look. Our God has given us exceeding great and precious promises, that by these…. the promises.... we will be changed into His image actually works.  (1 Peter 4:2) Why has our Christianity been reduced to forgiveness alone, with no power to actually sec saints changed and filled with the fruits of the Spirit? Simple. We have not believed that God's promises actually work in real life. Let's make posters of them for our walls. But actually believe them? Are you crazy?? LOL.

What promises? Let's see. How about...

 God has promised to keep us from falling and to deliver us from the power of darkness, not just its guilt.  

 He has promised to equip us with shields of faith that He personally guarantees will quench ALL the fiery arrows of the enemy. 

 He has assured us that He will not allow us to be tempted above our ability to resist, and will with EVERY temptation, make a way of escape so that we will be able to bear it without falling.

 He has promised that if we abide in Him by faith, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. 

 He has promised to cause us…. you read that right,  His words, not mine…. CAUSE US…. To walk in full obedience. (Ezekiel 36:27) 

Wow! So why, if these promises are true, and our God is not a man that He should lie, why do we not see them fulfilled in our walks? Why do we still struggle with the same sins over and over?  Because we are only human and no one is perfect? Ummmm....  I reckon God knew that when He made those promises, don’t you? LOL. 

 Why then? It really is quite simple. It is because God has ordained that everything in the kingdom is based upon faith, not works, and even though we know with our heads that when Christ died, so did we, and that when Christ rose from the dead to newness of life, so did we, we know it with our heads only. But we have not believed them with our hearts.  As of yet, they have not become OUR promises, OUR possessions.  Instead, our headsxhave told our hearts  “Impossible”. And because of this, another one of the principles of faith kicks in.
 

“But it did not profited them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it."

Hebrews 4:2

God asks one thing of us concerning these promises. After we agree that these are truth, that the old us that cannot help but sin really  died, and that we rose up with new natures that CAN obey Him,  He tells us therefore to to DO something. No, not work for our salvation.  What then?  Agree with God!  This is what reckoning ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God actually means. (Romans 6:6)

 This reckoning is our declaration or liberty, our shout of faith where we stand up to satan and say "no more".. He asks us to appropriate what He accomplished and call it done, not waiting to be done. This is what kicks into gear the process of being changed into His likeness.  Not done over the next thirty years.  Not done when we die and go to Heaven. DONE. DONE NOW. And that brings us to another of the great principles of faith.

 "Believe that you receive it, and you shall have it." 

 Mark 11:24

Notice the gap in seeing the results? That is where our good fight of faith is waged... and won. He asks us to put off our rebellious self-loving old natures, and put on our brand new ones Christ has for us, natures that can actually be caused to walk in full and complete obedience. And when we do, that seed of faith that has been laying dormant all those years suddenly begins to spring to life. What may start off as mustard seed-sized faith will not stay that way, but only if we continue in the truth and do not let go of it. Those small seeds sprout that begin to sprout will not stay small, no sir. They will grow up into trees of righteousness.... BIG trees.   Not by strenuous effort. But on the flip side, not by sitting on a pew and waiting either.  we have a part in this! We are yoked to God, and He is moving. We are simply asked to move with Him by continually holding fast to the truth of who we are- new creatures!  This is how we are asked to walk with our God... to yield ourselves to Him as those who are alive from the dead! 

Please understand. Satan will still try to tempt us and to accuse still. Trust me, I know. LOL. A saint actually believing God panics him, and thus he is determined to pry those words of faith out of our mouths before they begin to take root. He will accuse us non-stop as to our unworthiness, our insufficiency. But praise God, our sufficiency is now of God, Christ IN  us. Yes, we WERE sinners, but it is us no more who live, but Christ in us. 

Who are we? We are now new creatures, more than conquerors,  overcomers of the world, the flesh and the devil. We are light, and not darkness....not even a little part, and if we grab hold of those truths and remain there, unwavering, to our delight and amazement, God will begin to grow our faith until we are established in it, and the fruits of the Spirit, the very nature of Christ will begin to grow in us. Guaranteed! 

This hold fast to the truth, using it as our shield from satan's accusations, is the good fight of faith we have all been called to. Satan does not care if we sin or whether we try not to, as long as we still believe the lie that we are in the flesh, still carrying old sinful natures, believing that obedience is impossible and that sin is unavoidable. I pray you hear me with your "God" ears. It is a lie of gargantuan proportions. And it is a lie that is about to go down in flames as God’s church awakes to righteousness and finally understand that real grace does not just forgive, it empowers. It changes.  It causes us to abide in Him, all day, every day. No matter how weak, every saint of God is destined to walk as a true overcomer in these last days. 

 We are the saints spoken of in Revelations who will combine the blood of the lamb with the words of OUR testimony. An army of overcomers, with their feet finally in the right place… on satan’s neck. Are you ready? I am!

blessings,

Gideon

 

If we are doing what God instructed us to do, I think we are light.

[Gideon]

7 minutes ago, johnthebaptist said:

If we are doing what God instructed us to do, I think we are light.

Amen! He has instructed us to love Him with all of our hearts. He has instructed us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How are we doing, if we are honest? 

blessings,

Gideon

[johnthebaptist]

1 minute ago, Gideon said:

Amen! He has instructed us to love Him with all of our hearts. He has instructed us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How are we doing, if we are honest? 

blessings,

Gideon

It's hard to judge oneself, isn't it?

[Gideon]

Indeed. God does not look on our exterior, but the thoughts and intents of our hearts. This is why we are told to examine ourselves whether we be in the faith. We can have all of our doctrines neatly tied up with bows, our salvation prayer box checked, and yet if we are walking as if we are our owners, with a nice little part  of our lives dedicated to God, but the rest is what WE want, that is not loving Him with all of our hearts. 

Wven so, many will swear they are loving Him with everythibg they have. But the second commandment is even tougher. In our western culture.where every man is an island so to speak, truly loving others is a rare occurrence.  Very rare.

blessings,

Gideon

[Blood Bought 1953]

1 hour ago, Gideon said:

Amen! He has instructed us to love Him with all of our hearts. He has instructed us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. How are we doing, if we are honest? 

blessings,

Gideon

How am I doing? Lousy. Thank God I do not have to “ DO” those two things..... NOBODY can.I found a “ loop- hole” called Grace.People will discover some day that the Mercy and Grace Of  God  is what saved everybody that was EVER saved.All I had to was to REST in the Good News Of 1 Cor15:1-4. Jesus took my sins and I got His Righteousness .Gratitude for that spurs a Love for God that has become the “ engine” for Obedience.It all flows effortlessly.....if you will let it.  “My Yoke is Easy”, springs to mind.....God Bless....

[JustPassingThru]

Yes Jesus tells us we are the "Light" in this lost, dying, and dark world, and yes He told us to Love God and our neighbors, ...but, ...try as hard as I can, ...I can't, I fail miserably, ...however, God has provided a solution for me, to allow the Holy Spirit  to "accomplish" what He wants to do "through" me. 

When I relinquish all authority in/of my Life to the Holy Spirit, ...when I vacate the throne in my heart and "allow" Him to take His "rightful" place, ...then the Sanctification process of conforming me into the "image" of Christ is an on going work in me which allows the Agape Love, that "only" comes from God to "shine" through me for this lost, dying and dark world to see.

Therefore, at the end of the day, when I'm reflecting on how the Holy Spirit has "worked" through me to enable me to be the "Light" He wants me to be, ...when I bow my spirit before my Heavenly Father and thank Him profusely, ...me the worst of all sinners, ...saved only by His Grace, ...for using me!

Me, a vile morsel taken out of the cesspool of humanity, washed in the Blood of His Son, ...when I stand before Him, in His presence, ...yes, ...He is THE Thrice HOLY God, and I'm His child, ...a sinner saved by His Grace, ...how else can I think of myself this side of Heaven???

Lord bless

[missmuffet]

Both.

[Neighbor]

On 3/13/2020 at 1:32 PM, Gideon said:

We have been taught that holiness is impossible. Victory is for Heaven, certainly not here, right?

No.

[Gideon]

4 hours ago, Neighbor said:

No.

Praise God, if you have not.

Gids