The Freedom in Christ Jesus!

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” –  2 Corinthians 3:17, Galatians 5:1 NIV

All of us have been called to be free that we should be slavery to righteousness (Romans 6:16-18) by taking Jesus Christ’s yoke (Matthew 11:28-30), instead of taking yoke of slavery that leads us to sin. This is because at the moment when Jesus was crucified—

the spiritual evil authority was destroyed as well (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15). However, when Jesus was resurrected from the dead—God has begun to pour His Spirit into us to advocate us to do His will until the end of the age. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) God did this out of His mercy, in order to let us enter the kingdom of heaven where our God, our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6) is, instead of doom of hell (Matthew 7:21-23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) This is because of the kindness and love of God. These are the reason why the word of God states:

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:3-8)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

Thus, for these reasons, we ought to believe in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8) and abide in the Spirit of God (John 14:15-17,26-27; Ezekiel 36:26-27), instead of the world since the word of God proclaims, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.” (Galatians 5:24-25) Hence, the word of God declares:

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (1 John 2:15-17, Hebrews 11:6)

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (Titus 2:11-14, 1 Timothy 4:8)

The Follower of Jesus Christ!

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you [we] will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.” – Galatians 5:24-25, 1 Peter 5:4 NLT

If we have surrendered our lives before Jesus Christ—we ought to crucify every worldly desires and passions, “for we know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19) The is because the word of God declares, “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) If we abide our worldly desires and passions, they will lead us into sin that results death. However, if we abide into the godly desires and passions through the Holy Spirit, they will us into eternal life. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) This is why the word of God states,

His divine power [the Spirit of God] has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,  make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

Even though following the Holy Spirit, whom God has poured into us to guide us to walk in His ways, is difficult—we have to persevere our godly lives until the end of the age. In fact, the Bible declares that living this kind of life and recieving eternal life at the end of the age is hard in Matthew 7:13-14. Nevertheless, all of us are meant to have eternal lives. This is because we are still part of God’s creation, even though we have been separated from our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6). We know this by reading Genesis 1:27 that states, “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

In other words, hating our own natural life is necessary, especially for those who want to follow Jesus Christ fully until the end of the age. This is because He declares,

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. (Matthew 16:24-27)

Furthermore, the word of God proclaims,

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (1 John 2:15-17, Hebrews 11:6)

If we abide in the Holy Spirit and continue our godly lives through the faith in Christ Jesus until the end of the age—we can confidently say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:7-8) This is because Jesus proclaims, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)

The Pure and Holy Heart in Christ Jesus!

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 51:10,139:23-24 NIV

This kind of prayer is very essential to us, esprcially for those who are followers of Jesus Christ. This is because all of us are sinners, even though we hate to admit it, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) We can see the reason for this more clearly in Romans 5:12-14 that states,

When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come.

Adam, the first man that God had created (Genesis 2:7) did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, but he had sinned by breaking a command that was given by God. Genesis 2:16-17 says, “… the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” However, he ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was given by his wife (Genesis 3:6). Thus, because of this, Satan, the devil began to use His evil power to control the mind sets of humans that God had created and entered the world. For this reason, we automatically have became sinners.

However, since all of us are parts of God’s creation, He desperately wants us back in the Garden of Eden [heaven/the kingdom of God]. Therefore, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.” (1 John 4:9)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

Therefore, not only has God given us 10 commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), but he has also given us a commandment to be pure and holy in everything for the rest of our lives, for the word of God declares, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (Matthew 5:8) Hence, we ought to crucify our wordly desires and put godly ones through the Spirit of God. This is because the word of God proclaims:

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. (Galatians 5:24-25)

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Furthermore, the word of God declares,

So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” (1 Peter 1:13-17)

His divine power [the Spirit of God] has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

Psalm 51:10,139:23-24 are my favourite prayer verses of all times. This is because I know that I am a sinner but I also know that I am a child of God, due to the fact that I have a faith in Christ Jesus (John 1:12-13). To be honest, these verses of Psalm explains to me that I have sinned many times, and these verses humble me so much that I want to rip my flesh apart to let God, my heavenly Father to pour out His Spirit inside of me, in order to do the will of God for the rest of my life. This is because my primary focus is to become a righteous child of God to enter the kingdom of God at the end of the age.

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)  

The Steadfast Love of God and the Strength in Christ Jesus!

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” – 1 Chronicles 16:34, Philippians 4:13 NLT

First of all, we have to know that God is absolutely in control of everything, for He is the Creator (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 24:1). This is why the Lord proclaims, “… I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:6-7)

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:3)

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. (Isaiah 40:28)

                                                                                

Therefore, we ought to understand that we are not able to do everything without the Lord—since the word of God also proclaims, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength,” (Philippians 4:13) and “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) Thus, for this reason, we have to give thanks for everything, especially what He has done in our lives (Psalm 105:1, Colossians 3:17) and for His steadfast love, that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for our sins, to let us have eternal life through Him (John 3:16-18). Hence, let us be like Apostle Paul, when he declares,

But he [the Lord] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

… in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Romans 8:37-39)

The Righteousness in God!

“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” – Romans 3:20 NIV

First of all, we have to know that we became sinners because of the world (Romans 5:12) and its law that brings death. This is why God came down from heaven into the earth as Jesus Christ (John 14:6) to crucify Himself on the cross as atonement of our sins; to break the power of the devil that was used to be in our minds (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15). The main reason why God did this is to give us eternal life due to the fact that all of us are part of His Creation (Genesis 1:27); He has created us in His own image at the Garden of Eden. Thus, for this reason, the word of God states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Thus, God has poured His Spirit  into us to make us to do the will of God (John 14:15-17,26-27; Ezekiel 36:26-27). This is because Jesus Christ declares, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) The will of God is combination of the faith in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9) and the works of God (Ephesians 2:10). This means that if one of these is lacking, then we are not doing the will of God in the righteous way; as faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26). Therefore, it is best to be doers of God after we ensure that faith of Christ Jesus is inside of us, for the word of God announces, “… without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Overall, God, our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6) desperately wants to bring us back into His eternal kingdom by letting us to obey the Spirit until the end of the age. This is why the word of God proclaims that Jesus Christ is the way of the truth and the life (John 14:6-7).

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (John 3:16-18)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:1-11)

The Gift of the Holy Spirit!

“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” – Luke 11:13 NIV

First of all, we have to admit ourselves as sinners, even though we do not like to, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) This is because of the world (Romans 5:12), and we know this by 2 Corinthians 4:4 that declares,

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

This is why God came down from His kingdom into the earth as Jesus Christ (John 1:14) to crucify Himself on the cross as an atonement of our sins, to destroy the evil one that has been controlling over us and to free from the life of slavery (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15). Moreover, when Jesus Christ was resurrected after the three days of Jesus’ crucifixion, God poured His Spirit into us  (Ezekiel 36:26-27) to make us righteous before Him (John 14:15-17,26-27). This is why the word of God states:

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24-25)

Therefore, if we have fully-committed our lives and surrendered before the Lord—we ought to depend on the Holy Spirit to guide our lives until the end of the age rather than wordly ways, for the will of God comes through the Spirit (Matthew 7:21). In addition, the word of God proclaims, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24) For this reason, we would rather be only the managers of God in this world (Psalm 24:1, 1 Peter 4:10). This is because if we consider ourselves as the children of God (John 1:12-13), then our citizenship has already been transferred into the eternal kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:18-21, 2 Corinthians 5:1). Hence, the word of God declares,

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Colossians 3:1-4, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 14:17)

The Encouragement in Christ Jesus!

‘See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.’ – Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV

If we truly believe that Jesus Christ came into the world from heaven to bring us salvation (Acts 4:12)—we must keep that conviction and share it with everyone around us with the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The main reason for this is that Jesus Christ is the way of the life and the truth (John 14:6), but this is also because we are members of one another in Christ (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13) due to the fact that each one of us are members of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27). For this reason, the word of God declares,

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

In other words, we should not be alone, especially when we are walking with Jesus Christ in the truthful way. This is because like Ephesians 2:19-22 has stated, each one of us are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). However, we cannot handle our spiritual lives on our own. For instance, if one of us are continuously falling short of the glory of God by wrong theology (2 Corinthians 4:4), then who is going to save that sinner? In fact, all of us are sinners from the beginning because of the world (Romans 5:12), but we are a different kind of sinners if we are followers of Jesus Christ (1 John 5:17). This is because by the grace and the mercy of God—we have been saved through the Spirit of God (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:3-8). Although we are a different kind of sinners that are able to be the righteous children of our God (2 Corinthians 5:21), there might be a sin, crouching at our doorstep to make us to go astray from our godly lives into death. For these reasons, we have to stay in the perfect unity, so we may be able to get confidence and encouragement from others through words (Colossians 3:16), deeds (Matthew 5:14-16), and prayers (James 5:13-16).

I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (1 Corinthians 1:10, Galatians 3:28)

The Grace and the Mercy of God in Christ Jesus!

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” – Titus 2:11-14 NIV

Because of God’s abundant grace and mercy—God came down from His own kingdom into the earth as Jesus Christ (John 1:14), in order to save us from our sins by crucifying Himself on the cross as an atonement. This means He destroyed the evil one that has been controlling our minds into sin that leads us to death (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15), so we can be fully-saved (Acts 4:12). For this reason, the word of God declares,

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Titus 3:3-8, Ephesians 2:8-9)

Therefore, we only ought to believe in Jesus Christ until the end of the age to get our eternal inheritance from God (John 3:16-18). This is because if we believe in Him, then we are able to do the works of God as well. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) However, we must lose our lives (Matthew 16:24-27), which means to crucify our worldly passions and desires. Instead of having those ones, we have to let the Spirit of God to transform our mindset to have godly ones (Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:24-25). This is why the word of God states,

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (1 John 2:15-17, Hebrews 11:6)

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

Overall, we ought to keep the living hope from the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:3-9), because this hope is going to help us to persevere any hardships/difficulties/uncomfortableness that may come in our way of walking with our heavenly Father. (Romans 8:31-39)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Jesus is the Way of the Truthful Life!

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” – John 14:6-7 NIV

All of us need to know that God came down from heaven into the earth as Jesus Christ (John 1:14) to crucify Himself on the cross as an atonement of our sins and to destroy the evil one who has been controlling us (Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14-15). In other words, because of our sinfulness (Romans 3:23) that leads us to death, God sent His Son to crucify Himself on the cross, in order to provide us the way of the truthful life; to restore us back into His kingdom. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

The greatest aspect about Christianity is that we just have to believe that Jesus Christ is God, who was crucified on the cross for our sins to provide us the new way of truthful living (John 14:6). This is because God is our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6) , who accepts anyone that comes to Him through the faith of Jesus Christ—since the word of God proclaims, “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) However, through faith, we ought to do the works of God as well that has been handed down to us. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10) This is because Jesus Christ declares, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Thus, we must beware to not get confused with the faith and the works of God. For this reason, God has poured His Spirit, known as the “Holy Spirit” into us to guide us in walking with the  Lord (John 14:15-17; Ezekiel 36:26-27).

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:3-8)

His divine power [Holy Spirit] has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:3-11)

Furthermore, He created His word for us to live righteously before Him and for the kingdom of God, not the world—since “…the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19) ‘For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.’ (Romans 1:17, Hebrews 4:12)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. (Philippians 1:27-29)

The Faith of Christ Jesus!

“For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” – Galatians 2:19-21 NIV

Like how Jesus had died for the wordly law, we ought to die to the law as well, in order to live for God, our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6) completely. In other words, we have to destroy all of our wordly desires and passions, in order to live by the Spirit of God for the rest of our lives (Galatians 5:24-25). This is because the righteousness of God could not be gained through the wordly law. Thus, for this reason, Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for us, as the word of God declares,

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Second of all, we ought to know that the righteousness of God begins with the faith of Jesus Christ, since the word of God proclaims, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) However, to be completely saved through faith, we ought to do the works of God that has already been given us to do. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) This is because Jesus proclaims, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) Thus, we must be aware to not get confused with the faith and the works of God, and how we are being saved by the mercy and the grace of God. For this reason, the word of God states,

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:3-8)

The Marked Race in Christ Jesus!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” – Hebrews 12:1-3, 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV

If we are fully-devoted and have committed our lives to Jesus Christ—we ought to persevere hardship, difficulties and uncomfortableness for the rest of our lives. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) In addition, Jesus has declared,

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Manis going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. (Matthew 16:24-27)

The reason why Jesus have said that we ought to lose our lives if we want to truly find the life that has marked before us, is that the whole world is under the control of Satan, the evil one (1 John 5:19), and Jesus assures us that He is the way of the truthful life (John 14:6). This is because Jesus has said, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) For this reason, we must forget our desires and passions that come from the world. This means that we have to concentrate on the kingdom of heaven rather than the world. In addition to this, the word of God declares,

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. (Matthew 6:33, Philippians 4:19)

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

Second of all, as Galatians 6:10 has said, “… we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” This is because “He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Ephesians 1:5-6, Romans 8:29) Because of this, we have to be the light of Jesus Christ around the world (Matthew 5:14-16) as we are members of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27) and members of each other (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13).

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)