Tag: lust

The Big Difference

How does keeping of the Old Testament Law and walking in New Testament grace compare?

There is a big difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament when it comes to equipping the believer to live a God honoring life.  The following saying illustrates this point.

Do this and live, the Old Testament Law demands, but gives neither feet or hands.

A better word the Gospel brings. It bids me fly and gives me wings.

Author Unknown

Born again believers get their “wings” by understanding the truths found in Paul’s letter to the Romans in chapter six through eight.  God has given us a new nature and set us free from our old sinful nature and gave us His indwelling Holy Spirit.  Now we can say “no” to sin and temptation and escape from the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Apostle Peter said the following about these truths in II Peter 1: 3-4 (Wuest Expanded Translation):

“Seeing that all things to us His divine power has generously given, the things which pertain to life and godliness, through the experiential knowledge [which the believer has] of the One who called us [into salvation] by means of His own glory and virtue, by means of which [glory and virtue] there have been generously given to us the precious and exceedingly great promises in order that through these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped by flight the corruption which is in the world in the sphere of passionate carvings.” 

Today let us lay hold of these precious and exceedingly great promises the Father has made to us.  As we do so, we can escape the corruption which we will face today in the the world in the sphere of passionate carvings.

May you conquer all temptations and snares today in the Name of Jesus!

Have a blessed day walking in the Spirit!

Carl

 

Our Only Safety – Christ Jesus

“Our only safety is to have Christ ever before us as our all-governing object; and the more steadfastly we look on Him, the more will His character be mirrored on our souls, and the more distinctly shall we reflect it to others. In looking to Him, we are enlightened; to have any other object before us is to be in blindness of popish bigotry and the clouds that arise in the Christian’s heart of self-occupation. To be true witnesses of a heavenly Christ, we must be heavenly minded, and heavenly in our ways. And heavenly-mindedness is the result, not of trying to be so, but of occupation with a heavenly Christ, according to the revelation which we have of Him, through the power of the Holy Spirit. In what direction is the eye? is always the important question, for the heart is sure to follow the eye, and the feet the heart.

The following passage may be accepted as a practical view of Christianity, both negatively and positively. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifying unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2: 11-14).”

Source: Andrew Miller, Miller’s Church History (PICKERING & INGLIS LTD, London 1976), p. 898

These two paragraphs express the lesson learned from the Roman Catholic pope and Emperor Philip’s attempt to kill the Reformation in the Netherlands by murdering the Protestants over a span of 40 YEARS. This occurred in the 1500s.

Christ- our only safety and hope.

Carl