Life #30 - Three Life Choices...and Counting



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Enoch pleased God by faith (Hebrews 11:5). But what faith did Enoch have that separated his faith—and gained him translation—from the faith of his generation, who did not please God?

More than Enoch, Christians are placed in a better position to please God. Our advantage is Jesus, of whom God said, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). Since the Spirit is changing us into the Lord’s image, at some point we too will participate in Jesus’ blessing—in the same way we are jointly-formed with Christ in his death and resurrection (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 6:3-5; Ephesians 2:6). But to be thus changed, we must give up the works of the flesh and become spiritual because those who walk to please God are spiritual (Romans 8:5-9; Galatians 5:16-25).

So, why aren’t more Christians spiritual? Why aren’t more of us translated today? Why do we insist on ignoring faith that pleases God before death comes?

So far, we’ve discovered that God has displayed three life-choices—which he never reneged on—and they require differing levels of faith on our part before we see divine movement on his. We only need to choose to:

1)      please God in Christ Jesus and individually get translated like Enoch; or,

2)      maintain zōē-life and aphtharsia-incorruption in Christ Jesus so together we remain alive until the Lord returns for us; or,

3)      live a good life, die in Christ Jesus, and be collectively raised at the resurrection.

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year. 

Life # 29 - The Ministry of the Spirit of Life



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’Ĕlôhîym made a people in their image (Genesis 1:26). After ’âdâm marred the image, God’s intention did not change. Thus, the Son became the plan of redemption and the Holy Spirit its guaranty (2 Corinthians 5:5). The glory that mĕtamŏrphŏō, transformed Jesus (2 Peter 1:17), is the same glory that mĕtamŏrphŏō believers today:

“…we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

The ministry of the Spirit mĕtamŏrphŏō us into an incorruptible image, thereby surpassing the ministry of death (2 Corinthians 3:7). Although Christians often quote Hebrews 9:27—we are all "appointed" once to die—the psalmist prophesied that for “a people yet to be created” the Lord would “release those appointed to death” (Psalm 102:18, 19). Christians are new creations in Christ Jesus. And he kept our appointment with death.

The result is “what remains is much more glorious” than what is passing away (2 Corinthians 3: 6-11). We, who “are alive and remain” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), have participated with the glory by works of faith. Otherwise, our faith is dead (James 2:17, 20-22, 24) and the present ministry of the Spirit profits us nothing.

Jesus said, “…He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25, 26 NIV).

Where are his believers now?

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; see Blog 17- (2 Corinthians 3: 6-11); excerpts from our book to be released next year. 

Life #28 - Toward Life and Incorruption: Levels of Faith (3 of 3)

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We progress in our salvation from faith to faith: from “born again”, “born of God”, to “born of the Spirit”—free as wind to come and go as we wish (John 3:8).

Christians display two levels of faith:

• One faith believes we have sin; but if we confess our sin, Jesus forgives us and cleanses us of it (1 John l: 8); another faith believes we are born of God and therefore cannot go on sinning because it is Christ in us who no longer sins (1 John 3:5, 6, 9 NIV).

• One faith confesses if we believe in him we will live, even though we die (John 11:25 NIV); another faith confesses if we live and believe in him, we will never die (John 11:26 NIV).

• One faith walks on the broad way that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13); another faith walks on the difficult way which leads to life (Matt. 7:14).

• One faith follows Jesus (Matt. 8:22); the other faith denies their soul-life, takes up their cross, and follows Jesus (Matt. 16:24-26).

The two and a half tribes of Israel took faith for their inheritance this side of the Jordan, but helped their brothers, who took faith for the inheritance that lay beyond it (Joshua 1:12-16).

At this point why not give esteem and honor to all God’s people, who display operative faith at both levels? After all, operative faith pleases God (Heb. 11:6 NKJV) while faith without works is just dead (James 2:26).

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year.

Life #27 - Toward Life and Incorruption: To Gain is a Work of Faith (2 of 3)

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Christians will say we received our salvation as a free gift; we did not work for it. Yes, that is true! To “receive” is a free gift, which salvation is. But, to “gain Christ” is a work that accompanies faith (James 2:17)!

• But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him (1 John 2:5 NKJV).

To keep his “word” takes effort on our part until by incremental adjustments, God’s love is perfected in us. Thus we know we are “in him”.

• And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him (1 John 3:5, 6 NKJV).

To abide “in him” takes staying power on our behalf so that we do not sin—because he has no sin—then are we able to see and know him.

• If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him (1 John 2: 29 NIV).

Do we do what is right? That sounds like work on our part.

If we continue to keep “his word”, abide “in him”, and do what is right, then we no longer sin because the inherent truth that Christ in us has no sin is gradually revealed in us.

To “gain Christ” is to gain life.

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year.

Life #26 - Toward Life and Incorruption: Are We Born of God? (1 of 3)



006/2011-07-30

• No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God (1 John 3:9 NIV).

Christians have great difficulty applying this truth personally. We are doubtful that a time will ever come when we will stop sinning and admit to it. Why?—because there are counter-scriptures that appear to support us in our very doubts!

• “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John l: 8).
• “If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

No Christian would ever knowingly want to be deceived, or make God out to be a liar. Therefore, you won’t hear us saying “we have no sin”. Instead, we safely admit to sin…after sin… after sin…after—.

Then do we continue to ignore the Scripture that says “we cannot go on sinning”? No. If God’s seed remains in us, then we cannot continue to sin. We share in the Apostle Paul’s desire to count on Jesus to complete our salvation:

• “…that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ” (Phil. 3: 8, 9 NIV).

We are to “gain” Christ through faith in him and in his completed work.

Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year.

Life #25 - Learning to Hear God's Voice through Sound and Meaning

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               Scripture says there are many voices in the world and they all carry meaning (1 Cor. 14:10 KJV). The Greek word for “voice” is phōnē, fo-nay’ which means a sound or a tone. Mothers learn to recognize their baby’s sound or tone, as well as the meaning behind it: “That cry sounds like he’s hungry; that one like she’s ready for a nap.”

Christians must learn to recognize God’s sound and the meaning behind it. Additionally, we also learn to differentiate God’s Voice from among other voices, who also have sounds and meanings of their own:

·         The devil’s sound is temptation, aimed at our ego, meant to use us to frustrate God’s power, purpose, and sovereignty (Matt. 4:3, 6, 9).

·         The world strikes a tone of pleasure, aimed at our lusts, meant to make Christians enemies of God (James 4:1-4; 1 John 2:15, 16).

·         The stranger’s voice is the letter of the law, aimed at the sheep, and is meant to steal, to kill, or to destroy the sheep (John 9:14-16; 28; 10:5, 10; Mark 2:24, 27).

Otherwise, God’s Voice is a sound of change, aimed at the incorruptible seed within us, meant to grow us up into Christ Jesus.

Yes. God’s voice sounds like our voice, our thoughts, and our feelings.

Let’s spend time with God and get acquainted with his sound and meaning, especially so we can hear the Voice of life.

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; Greek definitions from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible: Voice #5456, phōnē, fo-nay’; a tone:—noise, sound, voice. And from Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (1981): “voice” - “a sound”.

In John (Chapters 9 & 10), Jesus alluded to the Pharisees as strangers, thieves, robbers, and hirelings.

Life #24 - An Immortal Destiny

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“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will…“ (Eph. 1:11 NIV).

Jesus invited us to follow him. Eventually, our journey stops in a Garden containing the winepress of God. Here, the strength of our will has an opportunity to die to all of its limitations and fears, even of betrayal and abandonment. Jesus experienced betrayal by one of his disciples; and ultimately, abandonment by his God, as he cried, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Afterwards, he was raised in glory!

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve chose their will over God’s. Are we going to do the same, or, choose the way Jesus did? “Not my will but yours be done”.  If we follow Jesus even in this, then our will—like his—conforms to God’s will. Now, God “works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will” so that we might “be for the praise of his glory” (Eph. 1:11 NIV)!

It is Christ in us, “the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). Only “in him” are we predestined according to God’s plan. The result is that we who live, no longer live for ourselves, but for him (2 Cor. 5:15 NIV).

Our destiny is an immortal one because of whose image we are predestined to transform into (2 Cor. 3:18). We are, after all, saved through his life (Rom. 5:10 NIV).

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Scripture quotations from New King James Version (NKJV) unless otherwise noted; excerpts from our book to be released next year.