Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The uncompromised word of God




You often hear people refer to the uncompromised word of God. What do they generally mean when they use that phrase? Most of the time when they use the phrase, they mean, they teach the bible uncompromised. Is that a correct understanding of the phrase? I don’t think so; especially, if they are a follower of Jesus of Nazareth. The reason is that Jesus defined the word of God as the gospel, and he taught his first century followers to do the same. If you look at the New Testament writings you will find that predominately in the gospels, and exclusively from Acts forward, whenever you read the phrase *the word of God,* they always mean the gospel, the good news.

The follower of Jesus should then concentrate on the good news as it is presented in the scripture. When someone tells you that you should get the word of God inside you, and have it become a part of your DNA… if you are a follower of Jesus, then you should make sure that you get the gospel (good news) on the inside of you and have it become a part of your DNA.


So then you ask, what is the gospel? Galatians explains that according to the scripture the gospel was preached to Abraham (Gal 3:8.) What was the gospel that was preached to Abraham? The short answer is this… “that in Abraham’s Seed all the nations of the world would be blessed.” Galatians 3:16 explains that the promised seed of Abraham was Jesus Christ. This is how it becomes the gospel of Jesus Christ. Notice that we do not find out that the Seed is Jesus in Genesis. Revelation is progressive.



How is the world blessed by the Seed of Abraham? The answer is that Jesus reconciled the world back to the Father on the cross. His birth, death, and resurrection is the good news that reconciled humanity to Father God. This is what brings peace with the Father (Rom 5:1.) But, Galatians 3:29 explains that if one is in Christ, they are then Abraham’s Seed and heirs according to the promise. This is also part of the good news. The blessings of Abraham are for believers.


This means that the blessings in Deuteronomy 28 are blessings for all those who are *in Christ.* this means that believers are automatically blessed in the city and the country; they are blessed when they come and go. They are the head and not the tail, they are above and not beneath. This is really a birthright of the new birth. When one is born again, at the new birth, they become Abraham’s Seed in Christ, and heirs of the blessings of Abraham.  


So what does this have to do with the uncompromised word of God you ask? The uncompromised word of God is the uncompromised gospel. It is the fact that the believer is the righteousness of God in Christ. God made us convenantally right in Christ and we are in line for the blessings. How did Abraham receive the blessing in the first place? Look at this passage of scripture… Gen 15:6  And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” By the same token, we receive the blessing by believing the report (Isa 53:1.)


Sunday, July 14, 2013

The “No Weapon” Promise



Isa 54:17 NKJV “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD.” 

The only way that this promise is to you and for you is if you are resting in *the righteousness of God* provided as a free gift for trusting in Jesus. The reason is that the righteousness of God is the defense against the weapons of the enemy. Who is the enemy? In Revelation chapter 12 he is called the accuser of the brethren. In fact, he accuses them day and night before the Lord. What are the accusations used? They are always a form of the statement “you can’t be righteous because.”  The accuser of the brethren and sisters too… brethren was meant to be all believers… accuses us by suggesting that we are not really righteous.  He assaults the idea that we have been declared righteous by God and therefore are the very righteousness of God. Look at the verse in the amplified Bible: (Isa 54:17 Amp)  “But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord.” The righteousness of God is your heritage. It is your inheritance.


So then, the very foundation for your righteousness before God is based upon the free gift given by grace and grace alone. If, you are not 100% sold out to belief in your righteousness because God has declared it, the weapons will come, and come, and come and they will prosper. The reason for defeat in so many saints’ lives is this cause. They are not really, truly resting in the righteousness of God. The Sabbath Rest, Hebrews 4:10, is important in not allowing weapons, formed by the enemy to prosper. Our justification and our peace with God (Romans 5:1) is the source of our warfare.


When we believe that our righteousness is from our good works, that we are acceptable to God by our works, we always open the door for accusation. Accusation is Satan’s weapon of choice. Since we know that we do not stack up favorably before a Holy God with our righteous acts we always feel condemnation and failure. This is the place where the enemy of our souls finds the most effective weapons to use against us. However, when we truly rest in the righteousness of God provided for us as a free and unmerited gift, we can put to flight the enemies accusations. We merely need to declare what God has already decreed about us and Satan must flee. His weapons lose their power.

Paul the Mystic, Paul the Rabbi: A confusing dichotomy that is detrimental to the mystical message.

 2Co 12:2-4   "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not kno...