Defining Life and Death in the Flesh

Tonight we're going to talk about a topic that defines where we are now and where we are trying to get to. It defines life and it defines death for us at this time as we interface with God in the flesh.

We are flesh and God is spirit. We truly need to understand our limitations in the flesh and our needs in the flesh in order for us to attain the spirit.

In thinking about this, in our walk with God we encounter many challenges. With a good command and understanding of this existence that we have, to understand God's purpose for us and where we come from and where we're trying to get to, God has revealed to us in His Word a number of things about His relationship with us, His created beings.

We are thankful to God for helping us to understand that God the Father and Jesus Christ are indeed on our side, that They indeed are focused on us to bring us into Their Kingdom.

It's very important for us to understand that gives us hope and encouragement, as well. We'll start to see this laid out the way that God has it laid out for us to understand.

The problem for all of us that relates to our existence in the flesh is that we are subject to sin. We are as our father and our mother left us held in bondage to sin. That is Adam and Eve!

Remember what the Lord said—the Creator of all things—said to Adam and Eve.

Gen. 2—here is God taking His creation, and this act of creation for us was not a last minute thought or some impromptu type thing. This is from the foundation of the world! But here at this point, God is doing something specifically with us.

Genesis 2:15: "And the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded…" (vs 15-16).

That word 'commanded' is very important. He didn't suggest, He didn't say, 'if you don't mind.'

Verse 16: "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'You may freely eat of every tree in the garden, but you shall not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, for in the day that you eat of it in dying you shall surely die'" (vs 16-17).

Now this statement, as I said, was not a suggestion. It was a giving of knowledge, a giving of understanding so that we can understand where life comes from and what results in death. This is one of the first tests! So, God then made it clear in His instructions to us that we are to listen to His voice when He speaks.

When the words are given to us from His very mouth, from the mouth of God, they are for our good and they are in Truth and they are affirmed because they come from the mouth of God.

Let's understand something about the flesh and its weakness when it comes to these types of things.

Ezekiel 18:1: "The Word of the LORD came to me, saying… [the inspired Word from the very mouth of God] …'What do you mean by this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge"? As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'to you there is no longer any occasion to use this proverb in Israel. Behold…'" (vs 1-4)—He says to us through the Prophet Ezekiel, these words are preserved for us!

He's telling us something here; so let's hear the Word of the Lord:

Verse 4: "Behold, all souls are Mine…."

All flesh, our human bodies, our existence as God created us, we belong to Him as a created thing.

"…all souls are Mine. As the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son… [and  daughter] …they are Mine. The soul that sins, it shall die" (v 4). An affirmation of the word he told Adam! This Truth is still true!

Verse 5: "But a man who is righteous and does that which is lawful and right."

And we're seeing a pattern form here in terms of what God expects. It's going to reveal to us a Truth about God's intentions for us; how He's going to be dealing with us.

Verse 5: "But a man who is righteous and does that which is lawful and right, and has not eaten on the mountains, nor has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, nor has defiled his neighbor's wife, nor has come near a menstruating woman, and has not oppressed any man, but has given the debtor's pledge back to him, has robbed none by violence, has given his bread to the hungry and has covered the naked with a garment" (vs 5-7).

Now, this mindset is beginning to reveal the mind of God.

• How does He think?
• How does He see situations?

If you apply Christ's name there, He exemplified a lot of these character traits when He came in the flesh.

Verse 8: "'He does not lend out at usury, nor has taken any increase, he has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true justice between man and man, has walked in My statutes, and has kept My ordinances to deal truly, he is righteous, he shall surely live,' says the Lord GOD" (vs 8-9).

So, once again the establishment of obedience, adherence to, in a way of life that is described:

• within God's Word
• within His Law
• within His Truth

This is where life is!

But Satan the devil has taken advantage of his success in deceiving us. As he deceived Adam and Eve, he continues to put deceptions in front of us. He puts in front of the whole world a darkness and a deception:

• to keep us away from the Truth of God
• to keep us away from the Light and the Life that is in Christ

He continues to want to hold us in bondage to sin. So, we have a charge from God in terms of how to address that.

He deceived mankind once, which has affected each and every one of us to this very day. Yes, sin kills. The soul that sins shall die! The soul that practiced sin! All of us own the penalty or the debt of sin.

Satan really has us in a vice. That is all of mankind is in this state. We'll see that Paul brings out here a very clear point. In instructing the Jews, he instructs us, as well. Rom. 3:sets up all the other Scriptures that we want to talk about.

Romans 3:1: "What then is the advantage of the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way. Primarily in that they were entrusted with the oracles of God" (vs 1-2).

• the wise utterances
• the sayings
• the Word of God preserved in the Old Testament

Most of the preaching and the teaching that was occurring in the New Testament Church was being done so through the Old Testament books:

• the Law
• the Prophets
• the Writings.

Verse 3: "For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?"

We're moving from this Truth about wisdom, where it comes from, the Truth of God, where it comes from. Now we're getting into the need for us:

• to trust God
• to believe God

Paul says; v 3: "For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief nullify the faithfulness of God?" That is something we all count on!

Verse 4: "MAY IT NEVER BE! Rather, let God be true but every man a liar, exactly as it is written: 'That You might be justified in Your words, and might overcome when You are being judged by men.'" Yes, men have a tendency to want to judge God!

Verse 5: "But if our unrighteousness brings to reality God's righteousness, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous to inflict His wrath? (I am speaking according to man's view.) MAY IT NEVER BE!…. (vs 5-6). This is conceptually not a thing that should be entering into our thought process!

"…Otherwise, how shall God judge the world? For if, by my falsehood, the Truth of God has shown itself to be supremely great, to His glory, why am I still being judged as a sinner? But not, according as we are being blasphemously charged, and according as some are affirming that we say, 'Let us practice evil things in order that good things may come.' Their condemnation is deserved" (vs 6-8). This is not what Paul was doing, by the way!

Verse 9: "What then? Are we of ourselves better? Not at all!…."

I would say that to each and every one of us. Do we think we're better in any shape, form or fashion in our individual standing, because of some status or whatever it may be?

Even our calling, if we're not careful, can get in the way if we lift ourselves up above mankind and lift ourselves up above our brethren.

• Are we better?
• In what way are we better?
• Do we not all, every single one of us, require the same thing for salvation?

That is:

• faith in Christ
• obedience toward God
• His Truth
• His Light
• to be able to live His way

"…Are we of ourselves better? Not at all! For we have already charged both Jews and Gentiles—ALL—with being under sin" (v 9). Every single one of us, we have this problem of sin!

Verse 10: "Exactly as it is written: 'For there is not a righteous one—not even one!'"

So, every single one of us is hoping in Christ. Every single one of us is believing in the Word of God, seeking after eternal life through faith in Him, in the hope of glory because of His resurrection.

The power received from on high came because we were baptized, and we received the laying on of hands. We went through those acts because of faith in the Word of God and what He spoke to us. There is Life in those words and we wanted Life.

Verse 12: "They have all gone out of the way; together they have all become depraved. There is not even one who is practicing kindness. No, there is not so much as one! Their throats are like an open grave; with their tongues they have used deceit; the venom of asps is under their lips" (vs 12-13).

Now, we read these verses and we need to be careful not to just look away from ourselves to others to see these things and say, yeah, that is the state of them, of those over there, of someone else outside of our purview. And never look at ourselves and examine ourselves, not look in the mirror and turn away and forget who we were, who we are, the status of us without God, what it would be.

We are here by invitation of God and we accepted that invitation! Yes, we are here by the grace of God, and God is smiling upon this calling that He has given to us, which is collectively His Church. We are here because of God!

Verse 14: "Whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes'" (vs 14-18).

Brethren, we must fear God! We must walk in fear, but not be afraid of God, but we truly should walk in fear.

Verse 19: "Now then, we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."

Yes, God sent His Son to bring salvation, make salvation possible for the world.

Verse 20: "Therefore, by works of law…"

The Jews were very convinced that they could do things in a certain way that would place them in a standing of righteousness before God.

If you protect the Ten Commandments by surrounding it with all these physical things. Some of the rules that you can never touch the Commandments to break them because you can't get past the things that have created a wall around. These are forms of self-righteousness.

Verse 21: "But now the righteousness of God… [that is separate from works of law] …That righteousness that is required for salvation has that is separate from law has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God that is through the faith of Jesus Christ, toward all and upon all those who believe; for there is no difference" (vs 21-22).

There's only one way to salvation is what Paul is saying here, and that is Christ.

Verse 24: "But are being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; Whom God has openly manifested to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, in respect to the remission of sins that are past" (vs 24-25).

There's nothing in these verses that are saying that the Law and Commandments of God are done away, nor that the Law and the Commandments of God are being kept for us or in our stead for salvation. The Laws and the Commandments of God were kept righteously to pay the penalty of sin as soon as repented  of.

You come to the Father and acts forgiveness of that sins, so that you can be cleansed, and you can:

• keep walking
• keep striving
• keep doing the will of God
• keep overcoming sin
  • through faith in Christ
  • through the power of the Holy Spirit in you

All sin needs to be forgiven; all sin!

Christ is that propitiation for it. He is an essential ingredient in this relationship for eternal life. Life is in a relationship with God! Satan doesn't want you to know that. Satan wants to keep that hidden from you. He is very clever in the way He does that; he's very clever!

Verse 28: "Consequently, we reckon that a man is justified by faith, separate from works of law."

There are two operations occurring here. then he affirms once more to the Jews to make sure everyone understands that salvation for mankind is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is the God of all men everywhere.

Verse 29: Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles?.…"—all around the world who are blinded and cutoff from God!

If God should call a man to him and offer him salvation and that man accepts and repents, He is a son or daughter of God once baptized and having received the Holy Spirit.

"…YES! He is also God of the Gentiles" (v 29):

• in every way
• in every Truth
• in every blessing
• in every promise

He is there for us each and every one of us!

Verse 30: "Since it is indeed one God Who will justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith. Are we, then, abolishing the Law through faith?… [that's nonsensical to Paul] …MAY IT NEVER BE! Rather, we are establishing the Law" (vs 30-31).

Brethren, we live and strive within Law. That is how we live our lives: within the Laws of God! We don't keep the Laws of God to be saved. We keep the Laws and the Commandments of God, because God has sent His Son as a propitiation for sin so that we have access to salvation.

That we have been forgiven of that sin that Adam and Eve placed upon us. We have been forgiven upon the repentance of sin and Jesus Christ's blood has been acceptable. We are accepted by the Father so that we don't have to die based on that. But now we live:

• according to God's expectation for us
• according to God's purpose for us

We live!

When it comes to flesh, sin is the problem! Flesh cannot achieve a righteousness sufficient to place us in right standing before God the Father for salvation and to enter the Kingdom of God! It cannot be done by fleshly acts of Law-keeping.

The purpose of the Law is not that; it is to reveal sin! The problem is sin!

• How do we get rid of sin? The answer is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
• How has He resolved it?

John 19:21: "Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, 'Do not write, "The King of the Jews"; but that He said, "I am King of the Jews."' Pilate answered, 'What I have written, I have written.'" (vs 21-22).

Verse 23: "Now the soldiers, after they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, a part for each soldier, and the coat also. But the coat was seamless, woven in one piece from the top all the way throughout. For this reason, they said to one another, 'Let us not tear it, but let us cast lots for it to determine whose it shall be'; that the Scripture might be fulfilled which says, 'They divided My garments among them, and they cast lots for My vesture.' The soldiers, therefore, did these things" (vs 23-24).

Verse 25: "And Jesus' mother stood by the cross, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son.' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother.' And from that time, the disciple took her into his own home. After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had now been finished, so that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 'I thirst.' Now, a vessel full of vinegar was sitting there. And after filling a sponge with vinegar and putting it on a stick of hyssop, they put it up to His mouth. And so, when Jesus had received the vinegar, He said, 'It is finished.' And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit" (vs 25-30).

So that part was finished! Let's think on that a second from the standpoint of His mission was to come and to be a perfect sacrifice acceptable for the sins of mankind, for the sins of mankind.

How is He solving it as we go each and every day?

• He has saved us from eternal death
• we also are being saved

So, this being saved is the act of coming from this point of standing before God now and marching across to the return of Christ. This is where we reside now.

Hebrews 4:3: "For we who have believed, we ourselves are entering into the rest, as He has said, 'So, I swore in My wrath, "If they shall enter into My rest—"' although the works were finished from the foundation of the world."

So, the entire plan designed and purposefully laid out being fulfilled.

Verse 4: "For He spoke in a certain place about the seventh day in this manner: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.'"

You see the connection as we've been hearing messages between the seventh day in God's creation. As he began, He saw the finished product from the beginning as to how His Plan would unfold, this intelligence, this incredible thought process that He and the Father had laid out.

Verse 5: "And again concerning this: 'If they shall enter into My rest—' Consequently, since it remains for some to enter into it, and those who had previously heard the Gospel did not enter in because of disobedience, again, He marks out a certain day, 'Today,' saying in David after so long a time (exactly as it has been quoted above), 'Today, IF you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts'" (vs 5-7).

This work that God is doing in our lives now requires action on our part! The Sabbath is a part of that. The complete fulfillment of God's purpose and plan in our life is a part of that.

Hebrews 12:22: "But you have come to Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to an innumerable company of angels; to the joyous festival gathering; and to the Church of the Firstborn… [that's who we represent] …registered in the Book of Life in heaven; and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the just who have been perfected" (vs 22-23).

Now we're seeing another aspect of salvation. That is faith in Jesus Christ in a walk with God, being perfected in every way by the grace of God working in your life. So we have an understanding of that. Everything is going to culminate into that day when Christ returns and the dead in Christ are raised.

Another aspect of finishing off this great work that God is doing.

Revelation 16:1: "Then I heard a loud voice from the temple say to the seven angels, 'Go and pour out the vials of the wrath of God onto the earth.' And the first angel went and poured out his vial onto the earth; and an evil and grievous sore fell upon the men who had the mark of the beast, and upon those who were worshiping his image" (vs 1-2).

It goes on through, showing where God had been judging and pouring out His wrath through the various means there.

Verse 17: "Then the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the Throne, saying, 'IT IS FINISHED.' And there were voices and thunders and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were on the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts; and the cities of the nations fell; and Babylon the Great was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. And every island disappeared, and no mountains were found; and great hail, each stone the weight of a talent, fell down from heaven upon men; and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for the plague was exceedingly great" (vs 17-21).

So, during the days of Tribulation, God is going to mark a point of finishing a phase of His work.

Rev. 21—there is an ultimate fulfillment of these things pertaining to the physical existence that we have. This is where a new heaven and a new earth comes on the scene.

Revelation 21:1: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice from heaven say, 'Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men; and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people; and God Himself shall be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall not be anymore death, or sorrow, or crying; neither shall there be any more pain, because the former things have passed away'" (vs 1-4).

There are no more of these things that Satan has the ability to control. Satan has been put away. This is a point that we all look forward to. So then, in this relationship with God, with Jesus Christ having come to be that perfect sacrifice and die in our stead. For Jesus Christ now to be resurrected and at the right hand of the Father to be our propitiation for sin and an ever atoning sacrifice. For our hope in Christ so that in the day that He returns at the resurrection that we will live with Him.

With these things in mind, and understanding that they are to be rejoiced in, and they are to be celebrated through faith in Christ:

• What is our part?
• Where should we be in this process?
• What should we be doing?

First, we have to be mindful of our adversary, our true enemy, Satan the devil. He will not let us be reunited with God so that we can achieve that purpose for which God has created us and has set us free from Satan's bondage and his sin. He doesn't want us to be free.

This relationship that we have with God is precious, but Satan does not want to give up any of his captives to be free from it.

Eph. 2—defines the state of mankind as a whole in our state prior to God's calling and freeing us from the bondage of Satan.

Ephesians 2:1: "Now, you were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you walked in times past according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now working within the children of disobedience; among whom also we all once had our conduct in the lusts of our flesh, doing the things willed by the flesh and by the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as the rest of the world" (vs 1-3).

It defines Who saved us: v 4: "But God, Who is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, has made us alive together with Christ. (For you have been saved by grace.)" (vs 4-5)—and thus that have been!

Access to eternal life is possible, you have been given an invitation to partake in life with Christ. That's a calling determined by the Father extended to you, very unique in the fact that it's a calling from the Father. You are rejoicing in this grace. You're rejoicing in this wonderful privilege and opportunity to have eternal life with God, to be born into His Family.

Verse 6: "And He has raised us up together and has caused us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages that are coming He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (vs 6-7).

I have spoken this quite often: Our calling is not just for us. We have been called to be a part of God's Family and there is work to be done. Even after we're raised from the dead, what a work we will be participating in with the Father and Christ!

We have always needed a solution to sin. Not just a fix! Christ is the answer and solution. He is our ultimate solution, our salvation.

• He showsthe way
• He is the true way
• He is the Truth
• He is the Life
• His Light is the Light of men

John 3:11: "Truly, truly I say to you, We speak that which We know, and We testify of that which We have seen; but you do not receive Our testimony. If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (vs 11-12).

It is incredible. It is difficult for the mind to comprehend these things that God is doing in our lives. BUT:

• we see them
• we comprehend them
• we rejoice in them
• we are humbled and give thanks and praise to God for them

because God has deemed it for us to be called

• to receive His Spirit
• to know His Son
• to know His Truth
• to walk in His Light

These are all wonderful gifts from God. These things are extended to many individuals around the world. Many are called, but we have to choose God! We can't be acceptable to Satan and his ways.

Psalm 111:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever."

Prov. 9 adds some additional foundation to that Scripture there that we just read in Psa. 111.

Proverbs 9:10: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding."

Now you can't access this wisdom, this knowledge and this Truth if you're being held in bondage in a dungeon in the dark by Satan the devil. This is the point that the Scripture makes clear. Jesus Christ is the Light. Once God frees us from this darkness, He wants us to walk in the Light of God.

God's Light is wonderful. It is defined in so many different ways. His Law reveals sin. It defines it, exposes it, brings it into the Light! God wants us to obey it.

Romans 7:9: "For I was once alive without law; but after the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was meant to result in life, was found to be unto death for me" (vs 9-10). What is that saying?

• the Commandments of God shine a light on the sin in our life.
• the Commandments of God open our mind to comprehend what sin was

We saw it because the Light of God shined upon it!

• we could comprehend it
• we could define it
• we saw sin within us

Before that, we didn't, we couldn't see it. But now that we can see it, we can get rid of it.

How do we get rid of it? I just told you that Jesus Christ is the Way! He is the propitiation for sin.

Verse 11: "Because sin, having taken opportunity by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me."

Satan and devil deceptively hiding from us the knowledge and the Truth about God's Commandments and having us living in sin and bondage to Satan, and just manipulating us in any way that he wanted to.

Verse 12: "Therefore, the Law is indeed Holy, and the commandment Holy and righteous and good."

• they do good work in our lives
• they reveal sins so that they can be repented of
• they reveal sin so that we can stay away from it
• they reveal the things that are darkness in Satan's way

Verse 13: "Now then, did that which is good become death to me? MAY IT NEVER BE! But sin, in order that it might truly be exposed as sin in me by that which is good… [which is God's Law] …was working out death…"—revealing it!

Helping me to see that if I didn't correct my course, I was going to continue to plow on through sinning, leading to death.

"…so that by means of the commandment, sin might become exceedingly sinful" (v 13).

I can see it now and I hate it; it says in effect that I see sin and I hate it. I don't want sin in my life. I don't want sin connected to my life. When sin appears:

• I have an Advocate
• I have a Propitiation for sin
• I have a Savior

That's where life is!

Verse 14: "For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am carnal, having been sold as a slave under sin; because what I am working out myself, I do not know. For what I do not desire to do, this I do; moreover, what I hate, this is what I do. But if I am doing what I do not desire to do, I agree with the Law that it is good" (vs 14-16).

So, because the law is defined for me, that needs to change. For me to have life in God's kingdom, that perfection has to continue and occur day-by-day. Paul says here that this relationship between me, Jesus Christ and God the Father:

Verse 17: "So then, I am no longer working it out myself; rather, it is sin that is dwelling within me; because I fully understand that there is not dwelling within me—that is, within my fleshly being—any good. For the desire to do good is present within me; but how to work out that which is good, I do not find. For the good that I desire to do, I am not doing; but the evil that I do not desire to do, this I am doing. But if I do what I do not desire to do, I am no longer working it out myself, but sin that is dwelling within me" (vs 17-20).

Verse 21: "Consequently, I find this law in my members, that when I desire to do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man; For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man within me" (vs 21-22). I desire to do God's will!

Verse 23: "But I see another law within my own members, warring against the law of my mind… [Satan is the pusher of this] …and leading me captive to the law of sin that is within my own members."

Satan knows it well, and he wants to manipulate it to hold you in bondage. So, Paul admits:

Verse 24: "O what a wretched man I am! Who shall save me from the body of this death?"

Here's the solution; he understood it. Don't let those earlier verses throw you off, he's telling us. Understand the weakness of the flesh, understand the sin within, understand the power of Satan and sin in your life. Here's the solution:

Verse 25: "I thank God for His salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of this, on the one hand, I myself serve the Law of God with my mind…" It is in my heart and I am driven to do God's will!

• I will always desire to do God's will
• I want to practice His way
• I read His Word to give me inspiration to do His will

"…but on the other hand, with the flesh, I serve the law of sin" (V 25).

There is the Truth, which is God is spirit and we are flesh. We are not to walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Yes, Satan would rather keep us in bondage in chains of fleshly lust, darkness and use us as a slave to sin without God or knowledge of the true purpose for which God has called and made each and every one of us.

He takes us as captives of our own sins and he bounds us in chains. But here is our salvation: Let's come here to a group of Scriptures that I just want to conclude with.

Psalm 56:10: "In God—I will praise His Word...

• His Law
• His Commandments
• His Truth
• His Statutes
• His Judgments

…in the LORD—I will praise His Word In God I have put my trust. 11: In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Your vows are upon me, O God; I will give thank offerings to You, for You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living?" (vs 10-13).

Psalm 118:1: "O, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good because His steadfast love endures forever. Let Israel now say that His steadfast love endures forever. Let the house of Aaron now say that His steadfast love endures forever. Let those who fear the LORD now say that His steadfast love endures forever" (vs 1-4).

Verse 5: "I called upon the LORD in distress; the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is for me as my Helper; therefore, I will look in triumph upon those who hate me" (vs 5-7).

Verse 8: "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to trust in princes. All the nations surround me, but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them" (vs 8-10).

Acts 13:1: "Now, there were certain prophets and teachers in the Church that was at Antioch, including Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch), and Saul.

Verse 2: "And as they were ministering and fasting to the Lord, the Holy Spirit said, 'Separate both Barnabas and Saul to Me for the work to which I have called them.' And when they had fasted and prayed, they laid hands on them and sent them out" (vs 2-3). Very important steps to take!

Verse 4: "So then, after being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed away to Cyprus. And when they came to Salamis, they preached the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they also had John as an assistant. And when they had gone through the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who called Barnabas and Saul to him, desiring to hear the Word of God" (vs 4-7).

Verse 8: "But Elymas the sorcerer (for so was his name interpreted) withstood them…. [Satan not wanting to let anyone find that Light or come into that Truth] …seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on him" (vs 8-9).

You're about to see God's position when it pertains to His servants whom He's calling; anyone who would put a stumbling stone in front of God's children, those whom he is working with.

Verse 10: "And said, 'O full of all guile and all craftiness, you son of the devil and enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the straight ways of the Lord?

All of those things that we've talked about here, that God has designed and has purpose and has planned for us, leading us into that way that leads to life, the straight ways.

Verse 11: "'And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season.' And immediately a mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand."

A true manifestation of his blindness. He was held in darkness by Satan, but God gave a judgment there and brought that to an end!

God is very serious about His sons and daughters and what we are doing. Once we have been cleansed of Satan's brainwash and his lies, we should never be willing to go back in any shape, form or fashion, but yielding ourselves to God and to God only.

We are not to give ourselves over to sin or surrender to sin, but we are to fight the good fight of faith! Christ wants us to understand that He came:

• to free us
• to liberate us
• to reconcile us
• to obey God
• to buy us back
• to open the prison doors and to bring us to Him and the Father

Satan no longer has power over us because of the standing that we now have through faith in Christ and the covenantal relationship that we have with God the Father.

Let's never give Satan an inch. Let's not allow him to manipulate our lives or our families in any way come in to our lives and cause an upheaval or darkness to occur.

• keep our eyes on Christ
• keep our eyes on God the Father through Christ
• let that Light, that He came to be, burn brightly in our life

Scriptural References:

• Genesis 2:15-17
• Ezekiel 18:1-9
• Romans 3:1-10, 12-22, 24-25, 28-31
• John 19:21-30
• Hebrews 4:3-7
• Hebrews 12;22-23
• Revelation 16:1-2, 17-21
• Revelation 21:1-4
• Ephesians 2:1-7
• John 3:11-12
• Psalm 111:10
• Proverbs 9:10
• Romans 7:9-25
• Psalm 56:10-13
• Psalm 118:1-10
• Acts 13:1-11

AJ:bo/po
Transcribed: 12/6/24

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