One cannot focus on Jesus and sin at the same time.... THEREFORE.... focus on... think about... meditate upon.... pray to JESUS...WORSHIP...
That is what PLEASES HIM.
Amen!!
I find that what we all want . . .what this thread is REALLY about . . . the freedom to live in righteousness . . . is found in the presence of God, in actively living unto God. That's how we are anyway.
We are right now in the personal immediate presence of our Creator, our Heavenly Father.
Psalms 139:11-13 KJV
11) If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
12) Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13)
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
"For" shows causal relationship. Because God made me, nothing about me is hidden from Him. I stand here right now transparent before Him. Every thought and inclination and every hidden thing is open and plain before His view.
He made me, He knows me, I cannot hide from Him.
Romans 6:10-12 KJV
10) For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
We've died in Christ, and now we are alive unto God. What that means to me is in embracing this idea that God knows me so fully, that God sees every secret and hidden thing, and understands fully about me. Like I can't even begin to understand!
Accepting by faith His complete forgiveness, His total reconciliation, required so we can be joined to Him in righteousness and holiness, this allows me to live actively in that light of God's presence.
The best way to flood others with love is to be flooded with God's love from Him.
The best way I know to receive the benefit of God's everlasting love in this present moment is to accept by faith that I am reconciled to God, and that based not on me, but on Jesus Christ. This opens my heart to Him, and that is what He does. When I walk in the Spirit, His fruit fills my life.
And while I know that we seem to experience growth in seeing the Holy Spirit's fruit in our lives, still, by trusting Jesus, we are able to love completely even now. We are able to have complete self control even now. For me, the key seems to be in the strength and consistency of my faith.
Total faith opens the door wide, and again, this is what God does, He pours into me His love.
This is my objection to
@David H. 's teaching, and the source of his animosity towards me.
By faith, we can walk in the Spirit, living according to the Holy Spirit in our lives, now. If we will trust Him for it.
David claims there is coming a second Pentecost, and THEN, but NOT NOW, Christians will be able to really live the kind of life God wants for us. And particularly as this involves our unity with each other. But until there is this "second outpouring", nothing will break through our desire for good sounding doctrine that soothes us in our pride and hardness of heart, our unrepentance and defiance of God, while we claim His forgiveness. But all the while unwilling to change. That's his thinking.
That's what he attribute to me. I tell him he actually lacks any real knowledge about me, and is really unable to make such claims. And they aren't is to make anyway. And that he's actually got it wrong about me.
And he goes on making all the same accusations over and over.
And round and round we go.
But I DO love talking about Grace, and forgiveness of sins, and how this is what actually enables us to live holy lives. Not this fleshy insistence that "you'd better perform up to snuff or you just may be out on your ear!"
Someone who preaches that preaches against the cross.
Much love!
PS . . . sorry to go on so long! But I DO love these discussions!! And it's good for me, helps me keep my mind on track.
