God in Christ Reconciles Us

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.  Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  Now all things are of God, who reconciled us Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:16-19)

Man left to his own cannot and will not find God, oh he may think and believe that he has or can, however that would negate what Jesus says in John 6:44.  “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.”  This is why there are so many cults and man made religions in the world today, man has been seeking to fill the void left in his soul since the fall of Adam in the garden.  There is only one true God and only one way to Him, that way is His Son who God provided for us, which makes God in Christ the reconciler, just as Jesus told us in John 14:6.  Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”   Of course the enemy, known as the Lie Whisperer, would have you believe otherwise, that is because he thought himself to be greater than God.  Therefore, he will do all in his power to distract and deceive people into believing they don’t need to trust in Jesus to get to heaven.

One of the biggest lies sown people believe is that they are a good person, and because God is just He won’t send a good person to Hell.  Romans 3:10-12 tells us otherwise.  There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.  God desires fellowship with us, His creation that is why He chooses to reconcile us through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, left to our own we would surely perish, something God does not desire.  However, He gave us free will, the choice is ours, He calls, we then decide to heed and receive, or reject and follow our own path.  If you have not been reconciled as of yet and are reading this you still have a chance, while you still have breath it’s not to late to be reconciled to God, 2 Corinthians 6:2.  For He says:  “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.”  Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Dale LaFrance                (please look up Galatians 2:20)

Flesh and Spirit at War

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:14-20)

 

Before one becomes a believer that is a follower of Christ, the experience of the flesh and spirit at war within ones self simply does not exist.  Before I accepted Christ into my life and became a new man by which the bible calls born again, I never mourned nor felt grieved when I did sinful things, which would displease God.  However, now, as a regenerated man, because of what Christ has done, I now have the Spirit of God living within me that convicts me and grieves when I am disobedient to God.  The flesh is so used to doing what it pleases at a moments notice with out giving thought to whether it’s right or wrong, seeking only self-satisfaction, where as the spirit seeks to obey and bring glory to the Father.  This is what causes the war within me between the flesh and the spirit, as Paul states at the end of our focus passage.

Every true believer that I have talked with has had at times in their walk with Christ doubted their salvation.  The war between the flesh and the spirit within can be used as an indicator that you have given your life totally over to Christ and His precepts.  True followers of Christ have the double self of the renewed man, “In me dwells no good; but this corrupt self is not my true self; it is sin dwelling in my real self, as a renewed man.”  As an unregenerate man I sought to please my self, which is the flesh.  Now as a regenerated man (born again) I seek to please the Father and Jesus Christ with the aide of the Spirit now living within me.  The moment I take my eyes off of Christ the flesh takes hold and seeks to please it’s self, this is why it’s imperative that we daily moment by moment set our eyes on Christ and rely on the guidance of the Spirit within us.  Paul is expressing himself in this passage to vividly reveal to his readers the conflict of two opposite principles, and how entirely, as a new man—honoring from his inmost soul the law of God—he condemned and renounced his corrupt nature, with its affections and lusts, its stirrings and its outgoings, that is all of it.  Left to our own we will surely fail. The good news is Christ has not left us alone!  The war that wages within has already been won by His redemptive work.  When the old man (the flesh) raises his ugly head within us, we can send him away in the name of Christ and live in victory!

 

 

 

Dale LaFrance                (please look up Psalm 84)

Once a Slave to Sin Now a Slave of God

But God be thanked that though you were slaves to sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.  I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh.  For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. (Romans 6:17-19)

 

In today’s world the term slave instantly takes on a negative connotation just as master does.  The Lie Whisperer has been hard at work convincing many that they are not sinners in need of redemption, sadly they are slaves to sin and don’t even realize it.  Even believers can still live as slaves to sin, that is why Paul addresses this issue in the Book of Romans.  When we choose to practice a sinful lifestyle we are not living in obedience to Gods Word, instead we are still a slave to sin as stated in Romans 6:12.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.  As believers we must recognize that we cannot serve two masters, because you will love the one and hate the other, which is exactly what Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 and Luke 16:13.  So as a follower of Christ you are commanded to come under the Lordship of Christ, it’s one or the other, you cannot have both.  You cannot expect to receive the benefits of God’s covering if you are living as a slave to sin, instead, as a follower you will receive His loving correction, Hebrews 12:6.  Because the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.

 

By nature we are slaves to sin and free from righteousness, but by the grace of God through the redemptive work of Christ we are made servants of righteousness, and therefore free from sin.  Paul’s speech here in this passage has special meaning in it: for he means by this that the doctrine of the gospel is like a certain mold in which we are cast, to be shaped and fashioned like it.  As slaves to sin, we must admit if we are honest with ourselves, that our lives are full of hopelessness, worry, anxiety and despair to name just a few.  When we become a slave to God we are filled with His righteousness and all those negative aspects of being a slave to sin fade away, as God’s slave we find hope, love, peace, and joy when we come under the banner of His protection.  Dear believer, we must also realize that this is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment process until the day He either returns or takes us to be with Him.  With that being said, I have found that it is much more rewarding to be a servant of God than a slave to sin.

 

 

Dale LaFrance                (please look up Galatians 2:19-20)

Do Not Love the World

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

 

We know that God created the earth and the heavens, and during that time there was a rebellion in heaven lead by Satan.  Now Satan was cast down to the earth where he established his thrown, and has authority for a time.  Jesus referred to Satan as the “ruler of this world” in John 12:31.  “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.”  And in 2 Corinthians he is referred to as “the god of this world.”  We live in a fallen world, overrun by the Lie Whisperer and his ways, namely three things mentioned in our focus passage: lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and pride of life.  It’s not by accident that each one of these was seen in the temptation of Christ while He was in the wilderness.  The lust of the flesh has its seat and source in our lower animal nature.  Lust of the eyes is the avenue in which view the outward things of the world, riches, pomp, and beauty, which inflame us.  Finally, pride of life, which is literally an arrogant assumption: pride was Satan’s sin, which caused him to fall, and formed the link between the two foes of man, the world (lust of the eyes) and the devil (lust of the flesh).  It’s interesting to note that these were combined to tempt and bring the fall of man in the garden.

Now, we can see why John tells us not to love the world and the things of this world, for they are not of God and will drive us away from God.  We know that John 3:16 states that “God so loved the world”; this is because we are His creation, created in His image, and yet He does not love what we have become.  Therefore, He sent His Son for our salvation and redemption.  When we chose to follow Christ we must come to terms with the focus of our love.  We cannot love Christ and the world simultaneously.  John boldly states that if you love the things of this world the love of the Father is not in you!  We must set our eyes on Jesus daily, moment by moment, and hold fast to His promise that one day this will all pass away and will be made new.  The Lie Whisperer will do all in his power to misdirect us by tempting us with the things of this world, which may bring pleasure for a season, but will be destroyed in the end.  The love of Christ is for eternity, not just now. The love of this world and what it has to offer is temporary.  Remember, Jesus was tempted to love the world, just like we are every day. Yet He overcame.  And because He overcame, we too can overcome through Him.  Greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world!

 

 

Dale LaFrance                (please look up Matthew 4:1-11)