Newest book: Keys to Kingdom Expansion FREE! Get yours now!
Kingdom Saints,
The Keys to Kingdom Expansion series of posts has been compiled, tweeked, and edited into a pocket size 4x6 84 page perfect bound book. You can download the ebook immediately or pre-order (avail in 2 weeks) the paperback for FREE--just pay a modest shipping and handling charge (under $2 in continental US). Bundles of 10 are $1 each plus shipping. I have priced it to just barely cover my costs.
FYI: share the ebook with EVERYONE. I left the copyright wide open for mass distribution and translating into other languages. I did not write this to make money--but rather to expand the Kingdom!
Here is the link: http://www.valuesdrivenfamily.com/Keys_to_Kingdom_Expansion.htm
Shalom friends,
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Keys to Kingdom Expansion--Read for more
For those of you that have appreciated the "Keys to Kingdom Expansion" series, I have discontinued posting the articles on this blog. The remaining several posts are all available at
In coming weeks, all 18 posts will be edited, beefed up, and finalized into a single 80 page 4x6 (pocket-sized) perfect bound book that will be made available in singles for the shipping cost only and in bulk (10 or 12) for about $1 each plus shipping. I will post in this tag when they are available.
Let's take this globe for the Kingdom!
God bless you,
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
In coming weeks, all 18 posts will be edited, beefed up, and finalized into a single 80 page 4x6 (pocket-sized) perfect bound book that will be made available in singles for the shipping cost only and in bulk (10 or 12) for about $1 each plus shipping. I will post in this tag when they are available.
Let's take this globe for the Kingdom!
God bless you,
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Right Spiritual DNA: Freedom we can Experience
Now the last post was certain to have created some heartburn. Because, most of us have come to believe that struggling with sin is the normal Christian experience, and anyone stating otherwise must be off the deep end. However, I want you to know that we have all been given opportunity for complete and total freedom from sin’s power, yet we fail to accept it. As stated earlier, we cling to the chains, all the while assuming the shackles are still on.
The phenomenon reminds me of how elephants are trained. They are attached to an immovable object for a time—they pull and pull and never break free. So after a while, they never pull again. They can be held with a tent spike from that day forward, because they are convinced their pulling will be futile. I think that is the bondage many believers face. This deceptive training concept also applies to northern pike captive in fish tanks. To prevent the large fish from eating their natural prey within the tank, a plexiglas divider is placed to prevent the pike from reaching the prey. A short time of running into the glass trains the pike to never try again. Even with the protective glass removed, the small fish live in safety, because the pike assumes they can never get the prey.
We oftentimes walk around in bondage as a result of similar training. We have tried for so long to escape some sin patterns, we become convinced we can’t and just stop trying. We have been deceived into thinking that the struggles we face are beyond our ability to overcome. The enemy keeps us clinging to the chains, when all the while, we have been granted freedom.
Now I do not want to belittle the enemy’s influence. In this post, I want to shed light on his methods and the root of his power in our lives. The big picture is this: we are in the center of a custody battle. There is a battle raging on between God and His foe, Satan, for the glory of men. We are in the middle of the battle, but are not the focal point. It’s all about them. As stated earlier, glory that rightfully belongs to God has been directed toward the devil and his works via out sin. God, through Jesus Christ, has restored glory to its rightful recipient by turning our allegiance to Him and transforming our lives. Anything less than full allegiance and radical transformation falls short of glorifying God—He is still mocked.
We see this dynamic in the book of Job. Job apparently gave his allegiance to God: he “signed the blank piece of paper.” God reveled in his glory, even boasting to Satan. Satan tested whether or not Job indeed “signed” by going after one line item on the sheet at a time. In the end, Job proved out that he surrendered full allegiance to God and glory was given to God, not the devil. Job was actually not the center of the story—God and the devil were. Nor are we the center of the epic battle for the glory due God.
Now before we give allegiance to God, all areas of our life are under the authority of the devil. Our sin invites him to operate freely within our lives. Let me illustrate this dynamic. Picture our life as a house. The door is wide open for him to roam freely within the home. Our sinful life grants him full dominion. We have sins in every room: unforgiveness, anger, sexual sins, idolatry in many forms, addiction, worldliness, and much more. These permeate our being and give him permission to have his way with us.
When we surrender to God, our repentance cleans the house through Christ. In fact, the house is outright purchased by God, and we are no longer even the rightful owners. The deed is in His name. In actuality, there is no permission for sin to enter that house. We actually don’t have authority to sin; yes, we still possess the ability to do so, but it is a violation of the house rules.
Now, what happens when we do not fully surrender? If there are items in a closet that we do not give to God, the devil still has our permission to operate in that area. Now legally it is God’s house, and illegally we have granted permission for an intruder to take from what rightly belongs to Him. Let me explain. What if there was lots of jewelry in the back closet in God’s house. Who in all creation has the power and authority to steal from God? That’s right, no one. But we, being tenants in the house can still open the door and let folks in and allow them to take things—even though they are rightfully the property of the owner, and not us the tenant. The closet can indeed be cleaned and the door locked, but we allow the devil entrance. That’s because the door can’t be locked until the house is clean, because Satan is still permitted to access those dark corners. By his so doing, he gets his grubby footprints in every room. That is why light needs to shed in all the dark closets, and those areas must be taken from the devil and given to God.
So what does this look like, practically speaking. A mentor must take a disciple through a spiritual inventory. Through much introspection and prayer, literally write down recurrent sins, past strongholds, areas of victimization, and so on. The disciple must repent to allow cleansing. Then, out loud (Satan can’t read minds), rebuke the enemy—take these from him by exposing light to them, command Satan to get out, and submit these things to God. State plainly that he no longer has permission or authority to operate in these areas. Then ask God for strength and protection—lock the door so Satan can’t get in. Then burn the list.
Now here is a tip. Teach the disciple to live moment to moment, not day to day. If someone struggles with smoking—they may light up and fail—but they can mid-drag rebuke the enemy, remind the devil that he has no authority over that stronghold, and put it out and throw away the pack. There is victory moment by moment. If day by day, we justify our sin saying “I’ll quit when this pack is gone.” Glory goes to Satan rather than God.
Now take the disciple through the same exercise next week. Some rooms really don’t get clean with one pass—carpet stains always come back a few times. The list will get shorter and freedom is the end—total freedom. God will be glorified in that life.
Now I wish I had unlimited space to deal with this subject, because it is so important for freedom from sin’s power. A radically transformed life can only occur when sin’s power is defeated entirely. However, I trust the Holy Spirit to finish where I have left off.
Lord, grant your people freedom from the enemy’s clutch. I rebuke the enemy and command him by the authority of Jesus Christ to stay away from your people. Free them from sin’s power and restore your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
The phenomenon reminds me of how elephants are trained. They are attached to an immovable object for a time—they pull and pull and never break free. So after a while, they never pull again. They can be held with a tent spike from that day forward, because they are convinced their pulling will be futile. I think that is the bondage many believers face. This deceptive training concept also applies to northern pike captive in fish tanks. To prevent the large fish from eating their natural prey within the tank, a plexiglas divider is placed to prevent the pike from reaching the prey. A short time of running into the glass trains the pike to never try again. Even with the protective glass removed, the small fish live in safety, because the pike assumes they can never get the prey.
We oftentimes walk around in bondage as a result of similar training. We have tried for so long to escape some sin patterns, we become convinced we can’t and just stop trying. We have been deceived into thinking that the struggles we face are beyond our ability to overcome. The enemy keeps us clinging to the chains, when all the while, we have been granted freedom.
Now I do not want to belittle the enemy’s influence. In this post, I want to shed light on his methods and the root of his power in our lives. The big picture is this: we are in the center of a custody battle. There is a battle raging on between God and His foe, Satan, for the glory of men. We are in the middle of the battle, but are not the focal point. It’s all about them. As stated earlier, glory that rightfully belongs to God has been directed toward the devil and his works via out sin. God, through Jesus Christ, has restored glory to its rightful recipient by turning our allegiance to Him and transforming our lives. Anything less than full allegiance and radical transformation falls short of glorifying God—He is still mocked.
We see this dynamic in the book of Job. Job apparently gave his allegiance to God: he “signed the blank piece of paper.” God reveled in his glory, even boasting to Satan. Satan tested whether or not Job indeed “signed” by going after one line item on the sheet at a time. In the end, Job proved out that he surrendered full allegiance to God and glory was given to God, not the devil. Job was actually not the center of the story—God and the devil were. Nor are we the center of the epic battle for the glory due God.
Now before we give allegiance to God, all areas of our life are under the authority of the devil. Our sin invites him to operate freely within our lives. Let me illustrate this dynamic. Picture our life as a house. The door is wide open for him to roam freely within the home. Our sinful life grants him full dominion. We have sins in every room: unforgiveness, anger, sexual sins, idolatry in many forms, addiction, worldliness, and much more. These permeate our being and give him permission to have his way with us.
When we surrender to God, our repentance cleans the house through Christ. In fact, the house is outright purchased by God, and we are no longer even the rightful owners. The deed is in His name. In actuality, there is no permission for sin to enter that house. We actually don’t have authority to sin; yes, we still possess the ability to do so, but it is a violation of the house rules.
Now, what happens when we do not fully surrender? If there are items in a closet that we do not give to God, the devil still has our permission to operate in that area. Now legally it is God’s house, and illegally we have granted permission for an intruder to take from what rightly belongs to Him. Let me explain. What if there was lots of jewelry in the back closet in God’s house. Who in all creation has the power and authority to steal from God? That’s right, no one. But we, being tenants in the house can still open the door and let folks in and allow them to take things—even though they are rightfully the property of the owner, and not us the tenant. The closet can indeed be cleaned and the door locked, but we allow the devil entrance. That’s because the door can’t be locked until the house is clean, because Satan is still permitted to access those dark corners. By his so doing, he gets his grubby footprints in every room. That is why light needs to shed in all the dark closets, and those areas must be taken from the devil and given to God.
So what does this look like, practically speaking. A mentor must take a disciple through a spiritual inventory. Through much introspection and prayer, literally write down recurrent sins, past strongholds, areas of victimization, and so on. The disciple must repent to allow cleansing. Then, out loud (Satan can’t read minds), rebuke the enemy—take these from him by exposing light to them, command Satan to get out, and submit these things to God. State plainly that he no longer has permission or authority to operate in these areas. Then ask God for strength and protection—lock the door so Satan can’t get in. Then burn the list.
Now here is a tip. Teach the disciple to live moment to moment, not day to day. If someone struggles with smoking—they may light up and fail—but they can mid-drag rebuke the enemy, remind the devil that he has no authority over that stronghold, and put it out and throw away the pack. There is victory moment by moment. If day by day, we justify our sin saying “I’ll quit when this pack is gone.” Glory goes to Satan rather than God.
Now take the disciple through the same exercise next week. Some rooms really don’t get clean with one pass—carpet stains always come back a few times. The list will get shorter and freedom is the end—total freedom. God will be glorified in that life.
Now I wish I had unlimited space to deal with this subject, because it is so important for freedom from sin’s power. A radically transformed life can only occur when sin’s power is defeated entirely. However, I trust the Holy Spirit to finish where I have left off.
Lord, grant your people freedom from the enemy’s clutch. I rebuke the enemy and command him by the authority of Jesus Christ to stay away from your people. Free them from sin’s power and restore your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Freedom from Sin’s Power
Freedom from Sin’s Power
Freedom from sin’s power is a goal for all of us. However, for many of us it is elusive. I think a lot of that stems from our understanding of the process. We tend to “work” on ourselves for an extended period of time, slowly (and not so surely) improving ourselves. Evangelicals leverage secular philosophies that we try to Christianize (dubbed “Christian psychology.”) Oftentimes spiritual maturity is confused with sanctification. One would have to conclude that the Holy Spirit is insufficient to transform a life by the methods we utilize to restore a person to wholeness. Again, we believe in God’s power for salvation, but not for transformation.
One Christian teacher once shared a great analogy concerning the mystery of sanctification that has always stuck with me. I have always liked it because of its simplicity—not what you would find in all the classic Christian life resources! This little word picture has allowed me to live in and empower others into freedom from sin’s power with great success. The teacher compared our transformation to restoring a car. We work one part of the car at a time: undercarriage, engine compartment, body panels—all the while continuing to use it as a daily driver. Yes, parts are restored. However, continued use results in new dings, new scratches, wear and tear on the drive train, newly discovered rust spots, and so on. So even though we work it one part at a time, with sweat on our brow, we never get it done. The vehicle always has something that needs sanctification (sound like anyone you know).
He indicated the process should look more like this. We surrender to God, He takes the car, puts it in the crusher and makes a 2-foot cube of steel out of it and sends it to the scrap pile. Then Jesus pulls up in a stretched limo, opens the door and says, “hop in, from now on, you’re riding with me.”
Let’s read Romans Chapter 6 in light of this analogy.
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6, NASB)
We are dead to sin, having partaken in Christ’s death and resurrection. We are entirely freed—our old self is DEAD. We now have freedom from sin’s penalty and power over our life. We are no longer slaves to sin, but rather slaves to righteousness. We now walk in newness of life. Our freedom from sin’s power, results in sanctification, that leads to eternal life (verse 22, notice the consistency with my prior messages: no sanctification means no eternal life). Let no one deceive you otherwise. We are free indeed, and must receive that freedom.
Now there is one missing caveat. We are only free if we surrender everything. If we are kicking and screaming and clinging onto the old car as Christ tries to take it to the crusher, we will not gain our freedom. If we hold onto our chains even though the shackles have been released, it is a self-imposed bondage. The result, Satan can even convince us the shackles are latched even though it is simply our holding onto the chains (very common). What a grand deception. This robs God of His glory!
This subject of strongholds will be discussed in the next message.
Lord God Almighty, show us our freedom and empower us to lead others to freedom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Freedom from sin’s power is a goal for all of us. However, for many of us it is elusive. I think a lot of that stems from our understanding of the process. We tend to “work” on ourselves for an extended period of time, slowly (and not so surely) improving ourselves. Evangelicals leverage secular philosophies that we try to Christianize (dubbed “Christian psychology.”) Oftentimes spiritual maturity is confused with sanctification. One would have to conclude that the Holy Spirit is insufficient to transform a life by the methods we utilize to restore a person to wholeness. Again, we believe in God’s power for salvation, but not for transformation.
One Christian teacher once shared a great analogy concerning the mystery of sanctification that has always stuck with me. I have always liked it because of its simplicity—not what you would find in all the classic Christian life resources! This little word picture has allowed me to live in and empower others into freedom from sin’s power with great success. The teacher compared our transformation to restoring a car. We work one part of the car at a time: undercarriage, engine compartment, body panels—all the while continuing to use it as a daily driver. Yes, parts are restored. However, continued use results in new dings, new scratches, wear and tear on the drive train, newly discovered rust spots, and so on. So even though we work it one part at a time, with sweat on our brow, we never get it done. The vehicle always has something that needs sanctification (sound like anyone you know).
He indicated the process should look more like this. We surrender to God, He takes the car, puts it in the crusher and makes a 2-foot cube of steel out of it and sends it to the scrap pile. Then Jesus pulls up in a stretched limo, opens the door and says, “hop in, from now on, you’re riding with me.”
Let’s read Romans Chapter 6 in light of this analogy.
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6, NASB)
We are dead to sin, having partaken in Christ’s death and resurrection. We are entirely freed—our old self is DEAD. We now have freedom from sin’s penalty and power over our life. We are no longer slaves to sin, but rather slaves to righteousness. We now walk in newness of life. Our freedom from sin’s power, results in sanctification, that leads to eternal life (verse 22, notice the consistency with my prior messages: no sanctification means no eternal life). Let no one deceive you otherwise. We are free indeed, and must receive that freedom.
Now there is one missing caveat. We are only free if we surrender everything. If we are kicking and screaming and clinging onto the old car as Christ tries to take it to the crusher, we will not gain our freedom. If we hold onto our chains even though the shackles have been released, it is a self-imposed bondage. The result, Satan can even convince us the shackles are latched even though it is simply our holding onto the chains (very common). What a grand deception. This robs God of His glory!
This subject of strongholds will be discussed in the next message.
Lord God Almighty, show us our freedom and empower us to lead others to freedom. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Monday, August 31, 2009
The Big Picture for Kingdom Expansion
The Big Picture of Kingdom Expansion
Now I have been presenting a pattern for Kingdom expansion—specifically, launching a disciple-making movement. Now here is the big picture. I know that this is not the order I have presented the content in, but for good reason. I am presenting the materials to Christian leaders, not brand new Christians. Under normal circumstances, the pattern below would be followed. I presented the vision and mission first, and now present the content that you will in turn utilize to establish good spiritual DNA with new disciples. I hope this sheds some light on the method for my madness.
1. Catch the vision
2. Know your condition
3. Surrender all to God
4. Repent
5. Receive freedom from strongholds
6. Commit to the mission
7. Empowerment
8. Commune with God
9. Engage on the mission
10. Cast the vision
These methods are only marginally effective with the churched and religious. That is because much unlearning must occur. Our Christian culture has so watered down the vision and mission, and honestly the Gospel truth, re-establishing good spiritual DNA is challenging (but not impossible). However, a thorough teaching on 1 John and related passages really challenges folks towards authentic repentance. The “signing the blank paper” exercise also challenges folks to squarely face up to their true allegiance: the world or the Kingdom. Everyone claims Jesus as Savior, but most realize through that exercise whether or not they make Him Lord. I contend that until they do, they are not actually saved (that exercise is better than a “magic prayer” any day). In future posts, I will provide practical tips on how to identify good discipleship candidates in future posts. So just bear with me as I continue to lay the foundation.
Shalom,
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Now I have been presenting a pattern for Kingdom expansion—specifically, launching a disciple-making movement. Now here is the big picture. I know that this is not the order I have presented the content in, but for good reason. I am presenting the materials to Christian leaders, not brand new Christians. Under normal circumstances, the pattern below would be followed. I presented the vision and mission first, and now present the content that you will in turn utilize to establish good spiritual DNA with new disciples. I hope this sheds some light on the method for my madness.
1. Catch the vision
2. Know your condition
3. Surrender all to God
4. Repent
5. Receive freedom from strongholds
6. Commit to the mission
7. Empowerment
8. Commune with God
9. Engage on the mission
10. Cast the vision
These methods are only marginally effective with the churched and religious. That is because much unlearning must occur. Our Christian culture has so watered down the vision and mission, and honestly the Gospel truth, re-establishing good spiritual DNA is challenging (but not impossible). However, a thorough teaching on 1 John and related passages really challenges folks towards authentic repentance. The “signing the blank paper” exercise also challenges folks to squarely face up to their true allegiance: the world or the Kingdom. Everyone claims Jesus as Savior, but most realize through that exercise whether or not they make Him Lord. I contend that until they do, they are not actually saved (that exercise is better than a “magic prayer” any day). In future posts, I will provide practical tips on how to identify good discipleship candidates in future posts. So just bear with me as I continue to lay the foundation.
Shalom,
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Establishing the right Spiritual DNA—Freedom (Part 1)
Establishing the right Spiritual DNA—Freedom (Part 1)
Now these articles are designed to serve two purposes. They are to provide insight to ministry leaders for establishing good practices for launching a disciple-making movement, as well as offer a strong foundation that may slightly deviate from mainstream Christian thought/practices. In other words, these materials don’t just point at you, but rather provide materials you can use with others. So please read them in that light. My ministry focuses on mobilizing folks to action. Yet success hinges upon a strong foundation. Here I am laying that foundation on what many of you would consider elementary matters.
We are indeed saved by grace through faith. For apart from Him, we can do nothing. Salvation is beyond our reach, and so is righteous and holy living. However, this does not mean the standards set forth in 1 John are not entirely true (it is God’s Word).
1 John 5:13 certainly speaks of eternal security; however, it is conditional on freedom from sin (1 John 3:9), freedom from worldliness (1 John 2:15), obeying His commands (1 John 1:4), and walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). Not my words, His. Yet we are powerless to accomplish these things apart from His presence (see John 15:5-6).
Let’s take a look at an event in Scripture to illustrate a point. In John Chapter 8, Jesus has an encounter. A woman caught in adultery stands condemned. The religious folks try to trap Jesus and ask Him what to do, stone her (the justly deserved punishment) or let her go. He stumped them by telling them that he who is without sin is to cast the first stone. They scattered knowing they were sinners also. The following discourse ensured with the adulterous: “Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more."
Now I want to highlight a few things here. First, she never disputed her guilt or justified her actions. She knew she was guilty as charged and fully condemned. She was literally at the verge of a painful death, and had absolutely no recourse. The silence of the text does not remove the image in my mind of a woman with much regret, remorse, and angst facing certain death. She was at her very end, and knew she deserved it.
Jesus did not condemn her, but showed mercy, and by His grace, forgave her for her sin. She was fully condemned, did not deserve it, but He gave it to her anyway. But the discourse does not stop there. It ends with “go from now on sin no more.” Repentance is not just saying you are sorry, but being sorry enough to not do it again. It is turning your life around. It is realizing that you were condemned and deserve death—that is hell. However, we must remember that it comes with the edict to sin no more.
What do you suppose Jesus would do if He was facing the same woman in the court the next day having been caught in the same sin? I know many would say that He would forgive many times and that we can repent many times for the very same act. However, this is not the case. Hebrews 6:4-6 says:
“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6, NASB).
Note the word “impossible.” Repentance is a one-way street. Therefore, it is by grace that we get a second chance, and likewise by that same grace we receive freedom and empowerment to walk in holiness and righteousness. We all believe we are saved from the penalty of sin, yet few believe (or at least live as if they believe) that we are saved from the power of sin. We all can trust in God for our salvation because it is far out, and in not necessarily evidenced in our life (though I argue that point). Yet we fail to embrace freedom from sin because it oftentimes is not evidenced in our life. This is an unfortunate reality in modern Christendom.
I urge you to get your concordance out and look up the word “repent.” There is too much discourse on the subject to treat it in one short article. But I will leave you with one teaching from Jesus.
“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. "Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'" (Luke 13:1-9, NASB).
In the next message, I will continue to discuss freedom, with very practical and foundational application. I know it’s not enough to just say “sin no more.”
Lord Almighty, grant freedom to your people—not just from the penalty of sin, but its power in our lives. You are an awesome and holy God, who by grace has given us a chance to truly live—entrance into the Kingdom. Empower us to walk in victory and teach others to do the same. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Now these articles are designed to serve two purposes. They are to provide insight to ministry leaders for establishing good practices for launching a disciple-making movement, as well as offer a strong foundation that may slightly deviate from mainstream Christian thought/practices. In other words, these materials don’t just point at you, but rather provide materials you can use with others. So please read them in that light. My ministry focuses on mobilizing folks to action. Yet success hinges upon a strong foundation. Here I am laying that foundation on what many of you would consider elementary matters.
We are indeed saved by grace through faith. For apart from Him, we can do nothing. Salvation is beyond our reach, and so is righteous and holy living. However, this does not mean the standards set forth in 1 John are not entirely true (it is God’s Word).
1 John 5:13 certainly speaks of eternal security; however, it is conditional on freedom from sin (1 John 3:9), freedom from worldliness (1 John 2:15), obeying His commands (1 John 1:4), and walking as Jesus walked (1 John 2:6). Not my words, His. Yet we are powerless to accomplish these things apart from His presence (see John 15:5-6).
Let’s take a look at an event in Scripture to illustrate a point. In John Chapter 8, Jesus has an encounter. A woman caught in adultery stands condemned. The religious folks try to trap Jesus and ask Him what to do, stone her (the justly deserved punishment) or let her go. He stumped them by telling them that he who is without sin is to cast the first stone. They scattered knowing they were sinners also. The following discourse ensured with the adulterous: “Straightening up, Jesus said to her, "Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either Go From now on sin no more."
Now I want to highlight a few things here. First, she never disputed her guilt or justified her actions. She knew she was guilty as charged and fully condemned. She was literally at the verge of a painful death, and had absolutely no recourse. The silence of the text does not remove the image in my mind of a woman with much regret, remorse, and angst facing certain death. She was at her very end, and knew she deserved it.
Jesus did not condemn her, but showed mercy, and by His grace, forgave her for her sin. She was fully condemned, did not deserve it, but He gave it to her anyway. But the discourse does not stop there. It ends with “go from now on sin no more.” Repentance is not just saying you are sorry, but being sorry enough to not do it again. It is turning your life around. It is realizing that you were condemned and deserve death—that is hell. However, we must remember that it comes with the edict to sin no more.
What do you suppose Jesus would do if He was facing the same woman in the court the next day having been caught in the same sin? I know many would say that He would forgive many times and that we can repent many times for the very same act. However, this is not the case. Hebrews 6:4-6 says:
“For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” (Hebrews 6:4-6, NASB).
Note the word “impossible.” Repentance is a one-way street. Therefore, it is by grace that we get a second chance, and likewise by that same grace we receive freedom and empowerment to walk in holiness and righteousness. We all believe we are saved from the penalty of sin, yet few believe (or at least live as if they believe) that we are saved from the power of sin. We all can trust in God for our salvation because it is far out, and in not necessarily evidenced in our life (though I argue that point). Yet we fail to embrace freedom from sin because it oftentimes is not evidenced in our life. This is an unfortunate reality in modern Christendom.
I urge you to get your concordance out and look up the word “repent.” There is too much discourse on the subject to treat it in one short article. But I will leave you with one teaching from Jesus.
“Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. And Jesus said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. "Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? "I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." And He began telling this parable: "A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?' "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.'" (Luke 13:1-9, NASB).
In the next message, I will continue to discuss freedom, with very practical and foundational application. I know it’s not enough to just say “sin no more.”
Lord Almighty, grant freedom to your people—not just from the penalty of sin, but its power in our lives. You are an awesome and holy God, who by grace has given us a chance to truly live—entrance into the Kingdom. Empower us to walk in victory and teach others to do the same. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Friday, August 28, 2009
Establishing the right spiritual DNA (Part 1 and 2)--entrance into the Kingdom
In order to initiate a healthy organically-reproductive discipleship movement, the right spiritual DNA must be established. Unfortunately, some bad stock has been spreading throughout Christendom for a while now. Let’s really take a good look at what the Scriptures say concerning some foundational matters.
This is the single most important article I have ever written in my life. Life and death, heaven and hell, stand in the balance. Now I am certain to lose some of you now—because I will depart from the mainstream a bit with this teaching. But I urge you to please sincerely evaluate what I share with an open mind and be patient. It will take multiple articles to unwrap. I pray it will come together by the end.
I know we all like to look at classic verses such as John 3:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9 and 13, and many others concerning salvation, because they are so black and white. They allow us to have an understanding that fits with our western thought patterns. We are linear thinkers, and need to wrap our minds around matters to satisfy our flesh. Yet, God and His economy are much more complex and veiled in mystery. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. It is a shame that we have to unlock that mystery with systematic theologies and statements of faith. It forces us to take what He has imparted by the Spirit, and reduce it to human terms. Unfortunately, to clarify what I believe has been a radical departure from the intent of the mystery of the Gospel of the Kingdom, I will do much of the same in this post.
There is simply one book in the Bible that was written to definitively inform believers whether or not they will indeed enter the Kingdom of God. 1 John 5:13 (NASB) says: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” This verse sums up the purpose of the letter. Therefore, we can trust John’s first letter to provide clear insight into these matters. Now I have seen this verse used in popular evangelism methods, with absolutely no reference to the content of the letter itself. This is very irresponsible.
Let’s look at some of the content of the letter:
“And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:3-10, NASB)
“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:3-6, NASB)
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17, NASB)
John wrote this letter for the very purpose of providing insight to believers so that they could know they have eternal life. As you can see, the standards are much higher than taught today. Yet, John says “let no one deceive you;” otherwise—this is the correct standard to apply. He also says that if you are born again, you will not continue to sin. Not my words, his. He also says if you claim to know Him and do not keep His commands you are a liar. Not my words, his. He also says if you have one ounce of worldliness, you do not know God. Therefore, walking in freedom from sin, obedient to His commands, free from all wordliness is the measure of whether or not you know the father and are indeed born again—receiving eternal life (I didn’t say it, he did).
This should not be surprising to us if we read Jesus’ teachings. He said that our righteousness had to exceed that of the Pharisees. He took the Law, and raised the bar bigtime—not just our actions anymore, we are now condemned for our thoughts as well. Most of us have been taught that if we enter the Gate, we are in. Yet Jesus taught of a path. The Gate is narrow, but the Way is narrower still. We wrongly assume we may live in a constant state of worldliness and this is acceptable. We assume that God will forgive us through His grace, regardless of what we do. Believers scream “don’t judge me.” “God is merciful.” I will not judge, but God’s Word, which all believers claim is inspired, authoritative, and their guide for all matters, will certainly condemn them. Many will discount these words saying “he teaches salvation by works.” Well James 2:24 says: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Don’t tune out now. I’ll elaborate later (Ephesians 2:8-9 still stands!).
The Bible says: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:7-8, NASB)
What? Our fine linens being works? He must have been mistaken when he wrote that! Consider the eternal ramifications of what Jesus is saying in the parable of the wedding feast—a parable of the Kingdom. Might He be saying someone got through the Gate, but didn’t walk in the Way.
Jesus taught:
"But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matthew 22:11-13, NASB).
Let’s see what Paul had to say concerning living by the flesh, and the eternal consequences:
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, NASB).
It is no secret who will be saved and who stands condemned. John made it clear, and Jesus taught plainly that a tree will be known by its fruit. Paul showed us what the fruit of the flesh are. Read further and he discusses the fruit of the Spirit. John the Baptist stated concerning fruitfulness:
"Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:8-10, NASB).
Jesus said just about the same thing. Check the context: He is speaking to believers here!:
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. (John 15:4-6, NASB).
I think the mystery of salvation is best understood like this. Do not look at any moment in time to determine whether or not one is saved. At the end, the fruit will be evident whether or not someone had AUTHENTIC faith. Many believe and find the Gate, but few persevere unto fruitfulness. (By the way, I have not tossed out Ephesians 2:8-9; you’ll have to keep reading to see how it comes together).
James said: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22) and also:
“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (James 2:14-18, NASB). AUTHENTIC faith results in fruitfulness.
With this foundation laid, consider this verse in new light:
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13, NASB). Now this makes some sense.
"So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:20-21, NASB.)
Here is the entire passage in context from Jesus. Consider it afresh in light of John’s message in 1 John and the theme of this entire article:
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; or He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” (Matthew 7:13-29, NASB).
I apologize for the length of this message. I also know that this subject is both deep and controversial. However, a clear understanding that the authentic Christian faith results in radical transformation is foundational to launching a disciple-making movement. So I urge you to meditate on these passages with an open spirit.
Lord God Almighty, I pray that you will open minds and hearts, and remove anything that hinders your Spirit from reaching the heart, and allow your truth to sink in deep into the soul. I pray for a resolve to chase after your ways and your truth. Prevail in all things for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Next: repentance and sanctification
Shalom,
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Ps. I have not tossed out salvation by grace through faith. You’ll have to read the following posts to see how it all comes together.
This is the single most important article I have ever written in my life. Life and death, heaven and hell, stand in the balance. Now I am certain to lose some of you now—because I will depart from the mainstream a bit with this teaching. But I urge you to please sincerely evaluate what I share with an open mind and be patient. It will take multiple articles to unwrap. I pray it will come together by the end.
I know we all like to look at classic verses such as John 3:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 16:31, Romans 10:9 and 13, and many others concerning salvation, because they are so black and white. They allow us to have an understanding that fits with our western thought patterns. We are linear thinkers, and need to wrap our minds around matters to satisfy our flesh. Yet, God and His economy are much more complex and veiled in mystery. His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours. It is a shame that we have to unlock that mystery with systematic theologies and statements of faith. It forces us to take what He has imparted by the Spirit, and reduce it to human terms. Unfortunately, to clarify what I believe has been a radical departure from the intent of the mystery of the Gospel of the Kingdom, I will do much of the same in this post.
There is simply one book in the Bible that was written to definitively inform believers whether or not they will indeed enter the Kingdom of God. 1 John 5:13 (NASB) says: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” This verse sums up the purpose of the letter. Therefore, we can trust John’s first letter to provide clear insight into these matters. Now I have seen this verse used in popular evangelism methods, with absolutely no reference to the content of the letter itself. This is very irresponsible.
Let’s look at some of the content of the letter:
“And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:3-10, NASB)
“By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” (1 John 2:3-6, NASB)
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:15-17, NASB)
John wrote this letter for the very purpose of providing insight to believers so that they could know they have eternal life. As you can see, the standards are much higher than taught today. Yet, John says “let no one deceive you;” otherwise—this is the correct standard to apply. He also says that if you are born again, you will not continue to sin. Not my words, his. He also says if you claim to know Him and do not keep His commands you are a liar. Not my words, his. He also says if you have one ounce of worldliness, you do not know God. Therefore, walking in freedom from sin, obedient to His commands, free from all wordliness is the measure of whether or not you know the father and are indeed born again—receiving eternal life (I didn’t say it, he did).
This should not be surprising to us if we read Jesus’ teachings. He said that our righteousness had to exceed that of the Pharisees. He took the Law, and raised the bar bigtime—not just our actions anymore, we are now condemned for our thoughts as well. Most of us have been taught that if we enter the Gate, we are in. Yet Jesus taught of a path. The Gate is narrow, but the Way is narrower still. We wrongly assume we may live in a constant state of worldliness and this is acceptable. We assume that God will forgive us through His grace, regardless of what we do. Believers scream “don’t judge me.” “God is merciful.” I will not judge, but God’s Word, which all believers claim is inspired, authoritative, and their guide for all matters, will certainly condemn them. Many will discount these words saying “he teaches salvation by works.” Well James 2:24 says: “You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Don’t tune out now. I’ll elaborate later (Ephesians 2:8-9 still stands!).
The Bible says: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready." It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.” (Revelation 19:7-8, NASB)
What? Our fine linens being works? He must have been mistaken when he wrote that! Consider the eternal ramifications of what Jesus is saying in the parable of the wedding feast—a parable of the Kingdom. Might He be saying someone got through the Gate, but didn’t walk in the Way.
Jesus taught:
"But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' And the man was speechless. "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' (Matthew 22:11-13, NASB).
Let’s see what Paul had to say concerning living by the flesh, and the eternal consequences:
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21, NASB).
It is no secret who will be saved and who stands condemned. John made it clear, and Jesus taught plainly that a tree will be known by its fruit. Paul showed us what the fruit of the flesh are. Read further and he discusses the fruit of the Spirit. John the Baptist stated concerning fruitfulness:
"Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:8-10, NASB).
Jesus said just about the same thing. Check the context: He is speaking to believers here!:
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. (John 15:4-6, NASB).
I think the mystery of salvation is best understood like this. Do not look at any moment in time to determine whether or not one is saved. At the end, the fruit will be evident whether or not someone had AUTHENTIC faith. Many believe and find the Gate, but few persevere unto fruitfulness. (By the way, I have not tossed out Ephesians 2:8-9; you’ll have to keep reading to see how it comes together).
James said: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22) and also:
“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (James 2:14-18, NASB). AUTHENTIC faith results in fruitfulness.
With this foundation laid, consider this verse in new light:
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12-13, NASB). Now this makes some sense.
"So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” (Matthew 7:20-21, NASB.)
Here is the entire passage in context from Jesus. Consider it afresh in light of John’s message in 1 John and the theme of this entire article:
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. "For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. "So then, you will know them by their fruits. "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; or He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” (Matthew 7:13-29, NASB).
I apologize for the length of this message. I also know that this subject is both deep and controversial. However, a clear understanding that the authentic Christian faith results in radical transformation is foundational to launching a disciple-making movement. So I urge you to meditate on these passages with an open spirit.
Lord God Almighty, I pray that you will open minds and hearts, and remove anything that hinders your Spirit from reaching the heart, and allow your truth to sink in deep into the soul. I pray for a resolve to chase after your ways and your truth. Prevail in all things for your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Next: repentance and sanctification
Shalom,
Marc Carrier
www.valuesdrivenfamily.com
Ps. I have not tossed out salvation by grace through faith. You’ll have to read the following posts to see how it all comes together.
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