FREE TO LOVE

FREE TO LOVE

Gal. 5:13-15 For you have been called to live in freedom---not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.  NLT

      There is a common misunderstanding of what it means to live in freedom. Freedom is not a license to do whatever we want to do whenever we want to do it. Freedom is a release from bondage. It enables us to no longer live under obligation to those things which enslave us. Freedom never is a life without responsibility. We must always live within the perimeters of our freedom. Rules are always necessary in freedom to ensure that chaos doesn't prevail. We must have regulations to guide us and keep us from self-destruction.

      Christ sets us free from the bondage of sin and its lustful desires. He enables us to move away from those things which keep us from God and send us to hell. Jesus frees us up so that we can live a life of godly love instead of self-love. He frees us up so that we become interested in the genuine well-being of others and moves us to minister to their needs when we can. Jesus frees us up so that we can act like children of God instead of just talk like one.

      Many who claim to be children of God do not live in their freedom. They live like they are still in bondage. They live selfishly. They make life miserable for others by tearing them down instead of building them up. They show little compassion for those in need. In fact, they don't seemingly care enough to even realize that others may be in need.

      Are you living in the freedom Jesus gives, or are you still living in the bondage of sin?  Christ sets us free so that we can love others and help them find their way to Him.

FREE TO SERVE

FREE TO SERVE

Gal. 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom--not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love.  NLT

      Here is a truth we must know well.  We have great freedom in Christ, but not freedom to indulge in sin.  Sin has always been, and always will be, unacceptable to God.  Sin condemns the soul to hell, it alienates us from God.  Sin is always bad for us and should always be considered our enemy and not our friend.

      We are free in Christ, free to indulge ourselves in the richness of Christ’s love and grace.  We are free to resist sin and pursue godliness.  We are free to grasp the truthfulness of God’s Word and how to live it out in our lives.  We are free to understand the value of our eternal souls and the preciousness of human life.  We are free to value the things that God values.  We are free to enjoy the true meaning of love, joy, and peace that only are found in Christ.  We are free to know the joys of serving others and not others serving us.

      We so often miss this latter point.  Serving others is a great measuring stick of how well we are living in Christ.  In Christ, we have a natural desire to reach out and help others.  Next to God, we are to love others and you cannot love others without being involved and serving them. 

      Sin darkens the soul and binds us up in that darkness so that we cannot grasp these things.  Sin enslaves us and deceives us into thinking that our enslavement is true freedom.  Sin keeps us away from experiencing true freedom, the freedom of knowing God and the wonders of His life in us.  When Jesus sets us free from sin, we are truly free.

CUT OFF FROM CHRIST

CUT OFF FROM CHRIST?

Gal. 5:4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.  NLT

       Reread this verse.  Do you see what I see?  Paul makes a very bold statement.  If we are trying to make ourselves right with God by keeping the law, we are not connected to Christ.  If we are relying on what we can do to be right with Christ, we are not His.  Our salvation depends solely on the work of Christ in us.  HE saves us and keeps us.  There is nothing we can do to make it to heaven on our own.  Our good deeds are the result of our being saved, not the cause of it. 

      Paul goes on to suggest that when we begin to think that it’s about our efforts, we have fallen away from grace.  Now, you can’t fall away from something you never had.  So, we as believers must be very careful about this.  We rob Christ of His glory when we assume credit for what He has done.  How far away from grace can we fall before we no longer are in grace?  I will let others debate that issue.

       If we properly understand that the work of God in us is accomplished through Christ alone, we will never have to worry about our standing with God.  Any relationship with God we have depends on Christ alone.  He alone is the giver and keeper of our salvation. 

      Examine your soul faithfully that you might not rob Christ of His glory in you. You will not fall from His grace if you see yourself as you really are in Christ and put your confidence and trust in Him for your salvation and righteousness.

DON'T RETIE THE KNOTS

DON’T RETIE THE KNOTS

Gal. 5:1 So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.  NLT

      Christ has really set us free.  It is not wishful thinking; it is a declaration from heaven.  All who believe in Jesus and embrace Him as their Savior are forgiven and their sins are forgotten.  We no longer are victims of our sins; we are victors.   We no longer are a people without hope.  We no longer are compelled by our nature to sin against God.  He has radically changed us, the way we think and our standing before God.  There is no leftover sin in the heart of those forgiven by God.  When Jesus purifies the heart, nothing is left behind to haunt us. 

       Now that we are made free in Christ, we must make sure that we stay free.  Sin blinds the soul and robs us of our fellowship with God.  Sin left unchecked is like cancer to the soul.  It keeps on growing and infecting more and more of our souls until we are consumed by it and die.  We have a responsibility for the health of our souls. We must take a powerful stand against sin, guarding our souls against it.  We must not allow sin to gain the upper hand over us.  We must deal with it as it comes into our hearts.  We must not neglect our need for repentance.  We must resist Satan’s efforts to put us into situations whereby we will be tempted to sin.  We must not tempt God by putting ourselves in tempting situations. 

       Far too many of us keep trying to retie the knots.  We get entangled by sinful deeds or thoughts.  We revert back to our own efforts to save us.  We become slaves to our efforts instead of resting in Christ’s righteousness and grace.

      We are saved and kept by grace alone.  Don’t let Satan enslave you again by thinking you can do what only Christ can do, keep you connected to God.  Our salvation is rooted in Christ alone.  Only His righteousness and holiness will get us into heaven.  The more effort you put into trying to keep yourself saved, the more frustrated you will be.  Trust in Christ and His atoning work on the cross alone and you will indeed be free.                    

MADE LIKE HIM

MADE LIKE HIM

Gal. 3:26,27 So you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have been made like him.  NLT

      Two things jump out at me in these verses today. The first is that we ALL are children of God when we trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. There is no preferential treatment in the family of God. The Kingdom of God knows no boundaries and human distinctions. Children of God vary in language, culture, status in life, and worship expressions. God does not disown any of His children simply because they are not all the same. He has created variety in His family and we must be very careful what kind of opinions we develop about those who live and worship differently than we do.

      The other thing I notice is that all who are in Christ are made to be like Him. Jesus does not save us to be different than He is. We are saved to become like Him. His Spirit is constantly at work in us to change us into the likeness of Christ. Some of us need more changing than others, but we all need changing. No one is exempt from the workings of the Spirit on their life. The process begins at Calvary and ends in Glory. We need to be aware of what needs to be changed and then let the Spirit work on us to bring about the changes.

      We need to put ourselves underneath the microscope of God’s Word and see ourselves as God sees us.  We must agree with what God reveals about us and give Him permission to do what He needs to do to make us more like Christ.

       If your soul is right with God, you are being worked on and changed into the likeness of Christ.  When you notice nothing changing in you is when you need to fall on your knees and recommit your soul to God.

       Let us thank the Lord today that the Kingdom of God is no country club with exclusive membership and that the Spirit is at work in us to make us more like Jesus every day of our lives.

THE LAW'S ROLE

THE LAW’S ROLE

Gal. 3:24  Let me put it another way.  The law was our guardian and teacher to lead us until Christ came.  So now, through faith in Christ, we are made right with God.  NLT

      The law was very important and useful in the spiritual life of the Israelites before Jesus came.  It made it very clear that everyone was a sinner in need of a Savior.  It made it very clear that no one could be made right with God by keeping the law.  It made it very clear what God's standards were and what would happen when man did not meet them.  The law made it very clear that without God's help, no one could claim to be righteous before Him.  The law taught man what to do in order to be righteous before God. 

       Until Jesus came, no matter how hard man tried, he failed in his quest to be righteous before God based on his ability to keep the law.  The Scriptures tell us of those who were righteous before God because of their heart for God, not what they did.  Those who believed God and put their trust in Him alone were accepted by Him. 

       Until Jesus came, man had to regularly and consistent offer up blood sacrifices to God for his sins.  A failure to do so would keep a soul away from God’s mercy.  He would be condemned by his sins.

      When Jesus came, He fulfilled the law's demands for righteousness.  He lived a sinless life and died a sinner's death and through Him we are made righteous before God.  It is through the merit of Christ's life, death and resurrection that we now have fellowship with God.  In Christ, it can be said that we have hearts after God's own heart.  In Christ, we find all that our souls need.  In Christ alone do we find our way to heaven. 

NO MORE CURSE

NO MORE CURSE

Gal. 3:13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”  NLT

       It is very clear that it is impossible for man to keep the Law of God.  No one can by his sheer willpower live out perfectly the law’s demands.  Every one of us is guilty of lawbreaking.  We are all sinners in God’s eyes.

      Think about it for a moment.  Let’s just say that it is possible for someone to perfectly obey the Law of God.  How long could he keep it up?  If he could perchance do it for a day, what then?  If he lived beyond his day he would fall under the curse of the law and be worthy of hellfire.  God’s commands perfect obedience all the time, every second of every day if we live by the law and not His grace.  We would be held accountable to the law from the moment when we discover the difference between right and wrong.

      God intentionally gave us a law no one could keep.  He made sure that no one could be made righteous by his own efforts.  He made sure that no one could bypass the cross and make it to heaven.  Disobedience to God’s command to obey is always sin.  We are cursed by God without a Savior.

       But, we have a Savior!  Jesus died in our place.  He took upon himself our death sentence.  He set us free from the certain death the law demands.  His life and death perfectly satisfied the just demands of God’s holiness against sin.  Jesus removed the barriers that keep unholy man from having a relationship with a holy God. 

       Let us never take our salvation for granted or let it grow cold in our souls.  Let us always give thanks to Him who saved us.  Let us always live lives of gratitude for He is worthy.

CHRIST IN ME

CHRIST IN ME

Gal. 2:20-21 I myself no longer live, but Christ Jesus lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not one of those who treats the grace of God as meaningless. For if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die.  NLT

      I is taken out of the equation when we surrender our hearts to Christ.  It is no longer us who are in the driver’s seat.  It is Christ who directs the way in which we live.  It is all about Christ and no longer about us.  We succumb to His purposes and seek to please Him in all things.

      Our lives are lived in gratitude for Christ dying on the cross for our sins and saving us.  We never lose sight of what Jesus has done for us.  Our gratitude moves us to always live for Him and through Him.

      We understand that our ability to live in Christ is dependent on Him and not ourselves.  We live by faith and not by sight.  It is the work of Christ in me that makes me a child of God.  It is His working in me that enables me to stay true to Him.  It is by grace that I come to Him and it is by His grace I am kept in Him.  It is impossible for me to save my soul or keep my soul.  If I could, then Christ would not have had to die for my sins.  In fact, if I could do anything to ensure my going to heaven when I die, then the life of Christ on earth would be life’s greatest waste.  Christ would have lived and died in vain. 

       Instead of His life being a display of God’s love for us, it would have revealed God to be cruel in letting His Son die for us.  Jesus did for us what was impossible for us to do—He saved our souls.  He does for us what we cannot do---He keeps us secure in our Father’s love.  He will do what we cannot do---He will open heaven’s doors for us and welcome us home when we die.

        Jesus sets us free so that we can live life in fellowship with God now and forever.

AIM TO PLEASE

AIM TO PLEASE

Gal. 2:19  For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God's approval.  So I died to the law so that I might live for God.  I have been crucified with Christ.

      The Apostle Paul did not always have it right.  There was a time in his life in which he really tried hard to please God by obeying the law of God.  He was driven to excel in law- keeping and he was respected by his peers because of his zeal.  He was a Pharisee and had risen to the top in his day.  He was widely recognized as a very religious man.  Yet, Paul knew that he wasn't good enough.  Deep in his soul he knew that he could never be good enough.

      Paul knew the Scriptures.  He knew them better than most and he knew that no matter how hard he tried, he always came up short.  He couldn't meet his own expectations for godly living, let alone God's.  He knew there had to be something missing in his understanding and life.

     When Paul had his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, his life was forever changed.  Jesus opened his eyes so that he could understand that He was the fulfillment of the law Paul was so obsessed by.  Paul understood for the first time that Jesus is our righteousness, not what we do.  Paul understood that apart from Christ he would never gain God's approval.  So, Paul changed his ways. 

     Instead of trusting in his efforts, Paul put his trust in Christ and discovered what it was to have a living relationship with God.  He became a totally different man.  Christ set him free from himself so that he could now be made holy in God's eyes.  As with Paul, so it is with us.  Christ, and Christ alone, is our righteousness.  He alone makes it possible for us to be children of God, both now and forever.

PEOPLE PLEASING

PEOPLE PLEASING

Gal. 1:10 Obviously, I’m not trying to be a people pleaser! No, I am trying to please God! If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant. NLT

      We have a natural tendency to want to be a people pleaser.  We want and like to be liked.  We tend to go out of our way to get people to like us.  It is an urge we must resist if we are going to please God.

      One of the dangers of being people pleasers is that we tend to compromise God’s Word so we don’t offend anyone.  God says some harsh and demanding things about how we ought to live.  He declares many things to be sin that we don’t like to deal with because if we did it would offend someone.  We don’t deal with holiness because it is not a message that is well received by most.  We don’t dwell on the suffering side of faith because no one wants to suffer.  We don’t insist on changed lives because it is not what most are comfortable with doing.   We don’t preach or teach the whole Gospel message because it would make us unpopular and probably very uncomfortable.  We don’t deal with sin because it might offend someone and we want them to know we love them and will not say anything to upset them.

      So often we are swayed by those who are in positions of prominence or who have a lot of monetary influence.  We don’t want to upset them so we tell them what they want to hear.  We cater to the desires of man rather than be obedient to the desires of God.

      You cannot be a people pleaser and be a servant of God.  Being true to the Lord sets us at odds with most people.  The Gospel message divides people.  It is a radically different way of life than most people live.  It is by its nature offensive to those who don’t live it.  It will never make people happy with us when we are faithful to it.  If our proclamation of the Word goes down easy, then we are not proclaiming the whole truth of God.

      What is true in the world is true in the church as well.  It is always wrong to seek to please people in the church.  The truth is meant to make us uncomfortable to the point where we change our attitudes and behavior.  It is never okay to not rock the boat when God’s Word clearly demands that we change.  You cannot please God while you are striving to please man. 

      Besides, being a people pleaser is an impossible task because we cannot please everyone all the time.  There will always be people who will find fault with you or your message, no matter how hard you try.  So, you might as well do the right thing and seek to please God.  After all, who would you rather please in the long run, God or man?

FAITH'S IMPACT

FAITH’S IMPACT

II Cor. 13:5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test.  NLT

      First, the Apostle Paul is addressing the church at Corinth. He is challenging them to take an honest look at themselves and determine whether or not the faith they profess and teach is for real. He reminded them of the fact that if Jesus was indeed the Lord of their church, it would show. Where Jesus is, there is a noticeable likeness to Jesus. What is true of the church is true for those who make up the church, you and me.

       Are you up to the challenge? Are you willing to take a serious and honest look at yourself to see if your faith is genuine? How does your faith hold up in the daily grind of life? Does your faith make a difference in how you look at things, the way you handle things, and the way you approach things? Does your faith influence the reasons why you do what you do and say what you say? Does your faith determine what you are living for? Does it make a difference in how you handle the tough times of your life? Do others see Jesus in you wherever you are at?

       Test yourself. If you cannot honestly say that Jesus has changed you and how you deal with living, then can you honestly claim that He is your Savior? Jesus is not an ornament we wear around our hearts; He is a changer of our hearts. Jesus always makes changes in us to make us holy in God's eyes.  He never leaves us the same way He found us when we let Him into our lives.  The old passes away and all things become new.

WE NEED THE LORD

WE NEED THE LORD

II Cor. 12:8-9 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness."  So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me.  NLT

      What are your weaknesses? Your weaknesses are an asset and not a liability. They are given to us to keep us close to God. The more we understand our need for the Lord's help, the stronger in faith we become. We learn to trust the Lord best when we are tried the best. In fact, I would call our weaknesses a badge of honor. They remind us of just how good, kind, and gracious the Lord is to us as He supplies for us what our weaknesses withhold from us. Our weaknesses are another person's strengths and vice versa. Together we make for a unified and strong team.

      I can't sing. There is no way in the world that I can stay on tune, if I could even get there. As a pastor of small churches, I have been expected over the years to lead congregational singing. I had to learn how to lead without being heard for the sake of others. However, my wife is a good singer and musician. She has been able to compensate for my lack of music. Together we make a team that the Lord has used for His glory.

      The Lord is a master at plugging us in where we belong in the body. He does not ask us to do what we can't do, but what we can do. The Lord never required of me to serve Him musically. As much as I would have liked to do it, He had other plans for me. He required of me to serve Him in the areas where I am gifted. His grace has proven to be more than sufficient for me. He has more than compensated for my lack of musical giftedness. It is more than okay for me to be weak and limited in what I cannot do.

       It is not a bad thing to recognize and understand our weaknesses. We must know who we are and where we are and are not gifted. We must learn to honor the Lord in the ways we use our gifts and in the ways we trust Him through our weaknesses. If we let Him, the Lord will work through our strengths to let us serve Him. He allows us to understand our weaknesses so that we can understand that our strengths come from Him and not us. What we are able to do is a gift from God. We praise Him both for what we can't do and what we can do. It is by and through His power at work within us that we are able to serve Him.

       Trying to do what we are not gifted to do is like trying to put a square peg into a round hole; it simply does not work.  In fact, we usually do far more harm than good when we try to do it.

SUFFICIENT GRACE

SUFFICIENT GRACE

II Cor. 12:8-9a Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.”  NLT

       This verse is familiar to most of us.  Most of us have been reminded of it many times.  Let us not let our familiarity of it take away from us its powerful message to us.

      The Apostle Paul was very intense and had suffered much for Christ.  His whole life was a life of service.  He had some kind of a problem that he wished he did not have.  Speculation is that he had poor eyesight, but the Word does not tell us.  Whatever it was, Paul asked the Lord for healing three times.  He did not give up or stop believing that God could, and maybe would, heal him. 

      Notice that Paul’s prayers were not casual prayers.  He begged the Lord to heal him.  It was something that Paul wanted the Lord to do from the depths of his heart.  He saw his problem as a liability and not an asset.  He believed that he would be better able to serve the Lord without this problem.

      However, the Lord knew better than Paul about what he needed.  The Lord denied Paul’s request.  He knew that he would be better glorified through Paul’s limitations than through his strengths.  The power of God is seen more through our weaknesses than it is through our strengths. 

      The Lord also knew that we are at the best in our faith walk when we are aware of our weaknesses.  When we focus on our strengths we tend to rely on ourselves instead of the Lord.  So, God did not take away from Paul his weakness.  Like us, Paul needed to be constantly reminded of just how much we need to depend on the Lord.

      When the Lord works through us in spite of our inabilities and limitations, He gets the glory and not us.  It is not what we can do that matters; it’s what He can do through us that matters.  He is the one who matters, not us.  We must understand this important truth.  It is Christ who must be glorified and honored, not us.  We must learn to lean on His strength, not our own.

      All we need is the Lord.  He can and will work through submissive hearts regardless of our limitations.  Don’t let Satan convince you that you are of no good to the Lord because of your inabilities.  We are most usable when we rely on His strength and not our own.

BOAST NOT

BOAST NOT

II Cor. 12:6  I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it. I don’t want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and my message,  NLT

      If anybody had reason to boast, it would have been Paul.  He was a very well-educated man and was well on his way to the top early on in his life.  He was very passionate about his beliefs and it showed.  He was highly respected amongst his peers and there seemed to be no end to his potential. 

      After his conversion, Paul could still boast about many things.  He was the most prominent leader in the early Church.  He was very passionate about the Lord and wise beyond his years.  He established churches wherever he went and was a great disciple-maker.  He taught people everywhere the deeper things of God and no one in the Church doubted his trustworthiness.  He was a leader amongst men and wrote much of the New Testament.

      Yet, Paul was not one to gloat about himself.  He didn’t want the attention.  His sole desire was to bring Christ to people.  He wanted others to see Christ and to focus on Him.  He wanted people to hear the message and not see the messenger.  It was all about Jesus and not about himself.

     We should have the same spirit as Paul.  It can never be about us.  Our sole purpose ought to make Christ known and not ourselves.  We must guard our souls from wanting the attention.  We must purposely direct the attention to Christ.  It’s not about us; it’s about Christ.  Our living should always be such that others can see Christ in us. 

      Don’t rob the Lord of His glory by letting yourself be the center of attention and not Him.  Keep your soul in tune with God and you will always seek to honor the Lord.

FAKE LIGHTS

FAKE LIGHTS

II Cor. 11:13-14  These people are false apostles.  They have fooled you by disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  But I am not surprised!  Even Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light.    NLT

       Stay alert.  There are many false teachers and leaders in the Church today.  There are those who claim to be who they are not, proclaimers of the truth of God.  They may appear to be trustworthy, but they are not.  They may be good speakers and have a lot of charisma, but they are not children of God.  They may be able to gather a huge following, but they are not speaking for God.  It's not hard for Satan to use people who are his to infiltrate the Church and lead many astray.

      How can we know who are fakes from the real children of God?  We need to examine carefully what they proclaim in light of the Word of God.  We must think for ourselves and ask ourselves if what we hear actually makes sense in light of what the Scriptures teach.  Do the teachings hold water with what the Church has understood and taught for centuries?  Are the teachings backed up by the whole of Scripture?  Is what is being taught even in the Bible?  Is the Bible being quoted reliable?  Is the application reasonable and useful for living?  Is the teaching self-serving or Christ-honoring?

      What about the personal life of the teacher?  It is hard to know much about the life that many church leaders live today.  It's easy to hide behind the mass media without exposing one's personal life.  Yet, it is important to know if a person's living backs up his teachings.  Does the person use the Word or his position in the church for personal gain?  Does the person get involved in local ministry to help those who need it?  What kind of reputation does he have amongst those who know him?  These are some questions that I believe should be asked of those whom we follow whenever possible.

      The Word of God changes lives.  Nobody has the power to change lives.  Nothing anyone says changes lives, God's Word alone does.  Whenever the messenger becomes more prominent than the Word, beware.  Satan is not above disguising himself as an angel of light and he often does.  Not everyone who purports to speak for God does.  You can be assured that if more attention is paid to the messenger than the message, it’s not from God. 

      Satan loves it when Christ takes a backseat to the messenger or the message.  He is not above using anyone to distract us from Christ.  He often disguises himself as a messenger of God to undermine Christ in the world.  Be discerning and let the Holy Spirit be your guide and revealer of truth.

       He who stays prayed up when discerning truth from error will know the truth and it will set him free.

KNOW WHAT YOU SAY

II Cor. 11:6  I may not be a trained speaker, but I know what I am talking about. I think you realize this by now, for I have proved it again and again.  NLT

      You don’t have to be an eloquent speaker to be a good communicator of the Gospel.  The best speakers are those who speak confidently because they know what they are talking about.  If you are not absolutely sure that what you are saying is true, you won’t be very effective in convincing others. 

      One of the things that made the Apostle Paul such a powerful speaker and servant of God is that he knew what he was talking about was true because he was living it.  His life experience taught him that faith in Christ indeed works, just as God told him it would.  Paul was in constant touch with the Lord and learned well at His feet.  Paul knew that if it worked for him, it would work for everyone.

      Paul knew well the truth because he stayed very close to the truth.  He trusted the Lord with his life and often was in grave danger of his life because he refused to bend the truth.  Paul knew the Lord so well that no personal sacrifice was too great of a price for him to pay for Him.  Paul was so grateful for what the Lord had done for him that he purposely was totally committed to living for Him, no matter the cost.

You don’t have to be a somebody or be specially gifted in order to have a lasting impact on the world.  You don’t have to do things well or speak well.  All you have to do is to know Christ well and live well for Him and He will use you as you are.  When your words are backed up by your works, you will be heard.  The world needs to hear people who really know who and what they are talking about.

STAY IN THE BOUNDARIES

STAY IN THE BOUNDARIES

II Cor. 10:13  But we will not boast of authority we do not have.  Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God's plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you.  NLT

      Life would be so much simpler and easier if we would learn to stay within the boundaries of God's plan for us.  Instead, we plunge ahead like a bull in a china closet.  We give little thought to making sure that what we do is indeed what God wills for us.  We plunge into careers and ministries that often we are not suited for.  We tackle things that we are not equipped for.  We don't bother to take the time to wait before the Lord for His instructions and direction.

       The Apostle Paul knew exactly what he was to do each phase of his life.  He was certain of his calling and would not let himself do anything but what God had called him to do, in spite of all the hardships he endured because of it.  For Paul, it was far better to obey God than to be comfortable in life.  Paul was a preacher and instructor of the things of God.  He was well-grounded in the Scriptures and under God's direction, expounded on them in his preaching, teaching, and writings.  He never went outside the perimeters of what God revealed to him.

      Paul did not exploit others; he did not use his position as a founding father of the Church to rule people.  He humbly served the Church.  He bathed all he did in prayer and lovingly presented the Gospel message wherever he went.  He never backed down from or compromised the truth he proclaimed.  His only desire in life was to do all he did for the honor and glory of God.

      It would do us well to follow Paul's example.  Let us strive always to be in the center of God's will for us.  Let us not stray from it and seek God's honor and glory in all things as we walk amongst man.  Let us preach and teach the Word of God that others may learn of God and be saved.  Let us admonish others to live holy lives and be a people fit for heaven. 

      If you know what role the Lord wants you to play in His Kingdom, don’t let anything in life keep you from doing it.  If you don’t know yet what your role is, wait before the Lord and let Him know you want to know and do it, and He will show you what you are to do.

       Don’t try to do what God has not fitted you for; you will struggle mightily and fail to be successful or know His peace.

       Do your best at whatever you do for the Lord for His honor and glory and you will be greatly blessed by Him.

WE NEED HELP

WE NEED HELP

II Cor. 10:4  We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds.  NLT

      How is it that we don't seem to understand this truth? Let's be honest with ourselves. We plow ahead in what we do with little if any real dependence on God. We act as if we don't even need God's help as we attack the world. Is it any wonder that we are losing our voice in the world? Worldly weapons are anything we use to promote the cause of Christ without Christ in it. They might include our talents, our minds, our wealth, our works, our influences, etc.

      Jesus called His house a house of prayer for a reason. He knows that we need the wisdom and guidance of the Spirit in order to accomplish anything worth talking about in our spiritual battles. It used to be that nearly every church had prayer meetings in the middle of the week, had altars that people could go to and pray with other believers when the Spirit called them to prayer and had revival meetings so that the people of the church and community could gather to meet with God. Today, fewer and fewer churches are doing these things.

      The only effective weapons that work against Satan are weapons that come from God.  No matter how hard we may try, we cannot stand up against Satan or the forces of evil without God’s help.  We need to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) if we are going to stand a chance to live in victory.

     When we cast aside the weapons God gives us to fight with, is it any wonder we stumble and fall in defeat? We will never be effective in knocking down the Devil's strongholds until we let the Lord equip and strength us for the battle. It is true of the Church, and it is true of our personal lives. How long has it been since you picked up the weapons of the Lord and marched into battle?

USE GOD'S MIGHTY WEAPONS

II Cor. 10:4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil’s strongholds.  NLT

      If you are trying to resist or defeat Satan without God’s help, good luck.  It is impossible to overcome Satan without the help of God.  God’s weapons are mighty in power and extremely effective.  Let us think for a few moments about some of the weapons God provides for us to use to defeat Satan in our lives.

      Our main weapon is Jesus.  Our Lord is our righteousness and holiness from God.  He alone enables us to stand before God with a pure heart.  He makes all of His children right with God.  There is no condemnation in Him.  When our sins are forgiven they are forever taken from us and forgotten by God.  Satan’s accusations are nothing but a bunch of hot air, lies.  Jesus declares us acceptable to God and we are in Him.

      We have the Word of God in our arsenal.  The Word of God is absolute truth and the more we know it and apply it to life, the less of a hold Satan will have on us.  God’s Word leads us into a deeper walk with God and trust in Him.   Satan crumbles when the Word is properly applied in our lives against him.

      We have prayer in our arsenal.  Prayer keeps us connected to God.  As long as we are in close touch with God, Satan cannot get to us.  Prayer shields us from Satan.  It reinvigorates the soul and empowers us to stand strong and keep on pressing forward in our lives.

      We have the fellowship of the church.  For all her faults, the church is where we find encouragement, hope, inspiration, instruction, and understanding in our journey of faith.  We need each other.  We find in each other love and reassurances that help us to not get discouraged to the point where we want to give up. 

       We have the witness of those who have gone before us in our arsenal.  It helps us when we know that others have gone before us and have been victorious in the battles we fight.  If others can do it, we can too!  Let the example of others inspire and encourage you in your walk of faith.

      As long as we pick up and use the weapons God provides us with, we will break down the strongholds of Satan.  There is victory in Jesus and we have no one to blame but ourselves when we fall into defeat at Satan’s hands.