But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:22-27

To be justified is to be declared righteous. Justification includes release from a verdict of guilty. If you or I refuse to acknowledge our sin before God, we deny our sin and our guilt. How then can we ever be declared righteous if we deny our sin and our guilt? To deny sin and guilt is to self-justify.

Forgiveness cannot happen without repentance. Repentance is a “changing of the mind” which acknowledges our sin and our guilt before God. It recognizes God’s love in that He provided a substitute and vicarious atonement for us on the cross (John 3:16) in His own Son, who rose from the dead. Forgiveness is granted in receiving His mercy. Mercy is something that is only granted to the guilty. Confess your self-justification as sin and receive His mercy by trusting Jesus Christ and His merit alone as your only hope of salvation.

For when we were yet without strength (spiritually dead), in due time Christ died for the ungodly (you and I).

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified (declared righteous) by his blood[1], we shall be saved from wrath (God’s judgment) through him.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation). Romans 5:6-11

[1] without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness). Hebrews 9:22b

Arise, My Soul, Arise*

Arise, my soul, arise; shake off thy guilty fears;
The bleeding Sacrifice in my behalf appears:
Before the throne my surety stands,
Before the throne my surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above, for me to intercede;
His all-redeeming love, His precious blood to plead:
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears, received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers; they strongly plead for me:
“Forgive him, oh, forgive,” they cry,
“Forgive him, oh, forgive,” they cry,
“Nor let that ransomed sinner die!”

The Father hears Him pray, His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away the presence of His Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

[2]My God is reconciled; His pard’ning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child; I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And “Father, Abba, Father,” cry.

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Romans 8:34

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

*Charles Wesley, pub.1742, copyright status is Public Domain.

[2] W.E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of OT & NT Words, page 514; Not once is God said to be “reconciled.” The enmity is alone on our part. It was we who needed to be “reconciled” to God, not God to us, and it is propitiation (the gift which satisfies God’s justice and delivers from His wrath), which His righteousness and mercy have provided, that makes the “reconciliation” possible to those who receive it. The phrase My God is reconciled, should be rendered: I now am reconciled!

Death is coming. For some of us, we can see the dust on the horizon rising from the wheels of his chariot, the time is so close. For others, the air is clear and still, there is no visible dust….., yet we are filled with apprehension, because we know he is coming. We ask ourselves…..will we see the dust or will we straighten up from some unfinished task as he pulls into the yard…?

Death is coming. It’s not a question of if he is coming, but when? His chariot wheels are already turning, his horse is lathered,…..and there is dust,….we just can’t see it yet. He’s on the way. The only thing to do….is to get prepared. Death will arrive shortly. Are you ready?

From gospel tract: He is Risen! by Monty McCoy copyright 1996.

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you: but ye are washed (cleansed), but ye are sanctified (set apart), but ye are justified (declared righteous) in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. I Cor. 6:9-11

What characterizes your life day in and day out? A doctor practices medicine. A lawyer practices law. An athlete practices his sport. An unbeliever practices sin. What do you practice?

…….the plowing of the wicked is sin. Proverbs 21:4

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit (practice) sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin (practice sin), because he is born of God. I John 3:9

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. II Corinthians 5:17

Note: Is there any fruit or evidence in your life that you are a Christian? Are you comfortable violating clear commands of Scripture as a way of life? If so, perhaps it is time for an honest self examination.

Jesus answered and said unto him (Nicodemus), Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?“
And again, “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?“

And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, “And let all the angels of God worship him.” And of the angels he saith,
“Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

But unto the Son he saith, “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”

But to which of the angels said he at any time, “Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?” Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Hebrews Chapter One

“And what is His Son’s name, if thou canst tell?”

Note: All the sentences above that are enclosed in quotes are from the Old Testament.

You do not have the right to substitute what God has commanded with the popular ideas of the culture.*

*Shepherding a Child’s Heart – copyright 1995 by Tedd Tripp, Shepherd Press, Wapwallopen, PA 18660, page 153.

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth (Thy Word is Truth). For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. I Timothy 4:1-11

...let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Psalm 2

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. John 3:36

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell? Proverbs 30:4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. John 1:1-5

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John 1:10-18

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

Our Father

Your Name

Your Kingdom

Your Will

Give Us

Forgive Us

Lead Us

Deliver Us

For: Your Kingdom, Your Power, Your Glory – Forever

Amen!

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…