Six Problems….Six Solutions!

 

Six Problems

1. If you are not taking time to study the word of God daily…
2. If you know God’s will for you but do not know how to start living in Him…
3. If you grew up under the Law and struggle with grace…
4. If you think you must prove/show you are saved to others…
5. If you think others must show they are saved to YOU…
6. If you do not feel free….

 

Problem

1. If you are not taking time to study the word of God daily…

Solution

It seems that often this lack of study is because one just does not know how to start studying the word of God! A plan for study, and a focus on why you are going to study will help considerably, and either re-establish a pattern of daily study, or begin a new pattern of daily study!

 

If you are attending a church that rightly divides you might ask the Pastor for material on how to study in your Bible.  Or simply get copies of the sermons or outline and go through them! Look up what is being taught to prove it is good and acceptable, true or not…. This is a wonderful thing to do and God has asked us to do this!

 

Rom_12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 

1Th_5:21  Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

 

2Ti_2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

Often too, folks just do not understand that just as your body needs food to keep functioning, your spirit needs food too!  We get fed and are renewed by the word of God. It does not happen by osmosis, just being around right doctrine’/listening to sermons/etc. or simply having a Bible, we need to study the bible to get renewed in the spirit of our mind! Studying is digging into the scripture, learning it, and making connections ourselves! It takes effort and discipline, to do some real studying for ourselves!

 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

 

We are to study the word of God with the will of God for us in mind. God tells us to make all men see “what is the fellowship of the mystery”, and we can do this only if we take the time to study His word to know what the fellowship of the mystery is all about!

 

Eph_3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

 

Do not forget through all of this that we study the word of God to show ourselves approved unto God…not ever to show ourselves approved to other men.

 

2Ti_2:15 a Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

Doing this we will be a workman that needeth not to be ashamed as we rightly divide the word of truth.

 

So it helps to think about how much time we have and want to set aside for our study.  Try starting out with just 5 or 10 minutes a day remembering that studying is work and it takes time and effort if it is to be effective. Today it seems people are on FaceBook hours and hours a day and yet do not think they have time to study the word of God, or read the word of God for even a few minutes a day, and this does not really help anyone! It often comes down to setting new priorities for essential things for our spiritual growth and health.

 

If anyone would like to start a daily program studying with me, let me know and I will certainly try to help! Call or message me!

 

Problem

2. If you know God’s will for you but do not know how to walk in the Spirit…

 

Solution

You need to read and study the word of God!  So you know and understand that He wants us to be an ambassador for Christ! To do this we must walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Gal_5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Some things are automatically given to us when we first believe. We are made alive in the Spirit of God (Gal 5:25), and we are led by the Spirit and are the sons of God (Gal 5: 18, Romans 8:14). This is our position in Christ and nothing can ever change this position in any way.

Our choice as a believer is whether we will walk after the flesh or after the Spirit:

Rom 8:1-4 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

So how do we walk in Him?  We choose to do so! We began being alive in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit the moment we believed! This is not an action on our part because the moment we believed we were accepted in the Beloved. Being alive in the Spirit and being led by the Spirit is the result of believing the gospel of the grace of God.

However, walking in the Spirit, or walking in the flesh is a choice we make. It is not a work, just as believing is not a work, but a choice made, a reckoning to be so, the frame by which we think. Like putting on the new man. It is not an action or a work, but a reckoning.

Rom_6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Problem

3. If you grew up under the Law and struggle with grace…

 

Solution

Having grown up in a religion that teaches law and very, very little grace, if any at all, I understand this struggle, and often the undertow of what we have been taught in the past. It is real and is overcome by learning, understanding and trusting in the word and grace of God. Knowing that the Apostle Paul brought us the “gospel of the grace of God”!

Act_20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

What is the gospel of grace?

It is that during this dispensation of grace (Eph 3:2) God is not imputing trespasses on anyone who will believe. Instead His righteousness has been imputed to us!

2Co_5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Rom_3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Rom_4:5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

God is NOT condemning us today in the dispensation of grace for our sins.  Instead we have the choice to simply believe, and when we do we need to trust in what God has told us today:

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

There is nothing we need to do. Jesus Christ did it all on the cross for us. Salvation is a free gift from God to us. We did not work for it and we cannot work to keep it. It is ours forever upon believing. He made us members of the body of Christ, a new creature not under the law. (Ro 6:14)

 

Problem

• & 5. If you think you must prove/show you are saved to others

 

   Solution

There is a name for this belief, that if there is no outward change that ALL can see, if you do not instantly become a person who no longer sins, then one is not saved, or your salvation is called into question when you do sin. It is called Lordship Salvation and it is not Biblical at all.

Our salvation happens the moment we believe on Jesus Christ.

It is not our actions or lack of action that saved us or keeps us saved.  Our salvation is based on what Christ did for us, not what we did or do for Him!  And the moment we believed we were sealed by the holy Spirit!

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

2Co_1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Unfortunately there are many carnal Christians, just as a study of Corinthians will point out, however they were saved as is clearly shown, just not much or maybe even any earthly good for Christ.

 

      Problem

6. If you do not feel free….

 

Solution

Salvation is not a feeling, it is a state of being, and it is by FAITH.  If you are saved by faith, having believing on Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection (1 Cor 15:1-4) then you ARE free.  Free to choose not to sin.  Free to live in the Spirit.  Free to walk in the Spirit. Free to do the will of God as an Ambassador.

Freedom is NOT based on a feeling.

Our freedom is very REAL.

We know that not only now, but as a member of the body of Christ, we are His eternally. Nothing can ever change this freedom of knowing who we are and where we are headed!  (RO 8:39) THAT is freedom!

We have been made free from sin and became servants of righteousness (Rom_6:18) THIS is freedom! We now can choose NOT to sin!

We can stop pursuing who we are and what we are supposed to do. (2 Cor 5:20) God tells us we are His ambassadors! His will is for us to be reconciled to Him, and being reconciled by Him, that He has given us the ministry of reconciliation, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation! We can stop worrying about what God’s will is for us as He has stated His will for us plainly! What we are supposed to be doing with our life! (I Thes 5:18)

2Co_5:18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

2Co_5:19  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

It is up to us to choose whether we desire to be a Dr., waitress, salesperson, clerk, lawyer, homemaker, or where we want to live, what kind of car we buy, clothes, or where we go on vacations, et al, to sustain ourselves and families. But whatever we choose in these areas we should always know who we are in Christ and the reason we are still here on earth, to be in His will as an ambassador for Christ!

Knowing this we can live in perfect peace that goes beyond understanding! (Phil 4:7) Peace is such freedom!

We have a MANUAL! A book, the KJ Bible which is the pure word of God. With 13 epistles from the Apostle Paul with our instructions for living today in the dispensation of grace! We do not have to wonder or be confused! We can learn how to rightly divide the word of God and get on with living in and for Him! God does not want us confused…our God is not the God of confusion (1 Cor 14:33), but God of peace.

SCHOOL YOU FEELINGS, they are fickle and come and go! As you understand that Christ dwells in your hearts by FAITH, you are being rooted and grounded in love. (Eph 3:17) Being rooted means not wavering, having a foundation on which to stand and live!

Choose faith, not feelings.