New Life Realities

Who needs New Life? Everyone does! Everyone is born with the sin nature and lives in varying degrees of sin. There is nothing humanly possible that can be done to altar this. The entire human race is born in sin and needs New Life. Ps. 51:5 For I was born a sinner-yes, from the
moment my mother conceived me.

All peoples of the earth find their origin in Adam (the first human). When Adam sinned against God he caused spiritual death to enter not only himself but all who would
be born through him. The present human nature is traced back to our forefather Adam.

Regardless of our present nationalities we all have the sin nature in common. All who have been birthed physically into the human race (Adam's family) have inherited the Adamic sin nature, the result of Adams original sin. People sin because it's their nature. It's what we all do best. It's natural! It's only human but it does separate us from God.

Rom 3:10 - 12, ..."No one is righteous-not even one. 11 - No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 -
All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one."

Rom 3:23 - For everyone has sinned; we all fall short
of God's glorious standard.

Everyone born into this world is a sinner in need of being saved. Jesus is the only way of escaping the sin nature.

"Why We Need New Life" is closely related to "Who Needs New Life". Every person born into the physical world
needs New Life. The reason is sin. It's our thoughts and actions that separate us from a loving holy God.

The consequences of sin is death. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death. Wages is earned income. Death, physical and spiritual is the earned wages of sin. Every person earns death because of the sin committed. There
is no escaping this! There are certain laws of the universe such as gravity and the law of thermal dynamics,
principles that are locked in place. One very powerful law
is the law of sowing and reaping. If you sow a carrot seed
it produces a carrot. Gal 6:7,8 - Do not be deceived, God
is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh (human nature) reap corruption,
but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Sinners always sow sin. They're born that way and as a result they reap corruption and death.

How can a rabbit become squirrel or a fish be turned into a bird? Once a cow is born it remains a cow. It's powerless to change itself. People are born sinners and sinners are incapable of making themselves acceptable to the
Righteous God of Gory. Jn. 3:3 - Jesus replied, "I tell you
the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God." This spiritual rebirthing power is of God. Only He is capable of giving New Life.

Physical death is when the spirit leaves or is separated
from the human body (Jms.2:26) When did Jesus die?
When His spirit left His physical body (Mt.27:50) Physical
death separates us from life here on earth. It separates us
from family and friends, from dreams and ambitions. It
terminates our physical life here on earth.

There's another separation spoken of in Scripture, an
eternal one! It's separation from God, from His life, His person, His love. This separation from God will be finalized on Judgment Day but is already active among those who have not yet experienced New Life in Christ. Separation from God starts the moment we're born and if not changed will last throughout all eternity. 2Thes. 1:9 - They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from His glorious power.

Sin is what spiritually separates people from the loving, caring God. Col 1:21 - This includes you who were once far away from God. You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. Only
New Life through Jesus Christ can change this situation. Act 4:12 - There is salvation in no one else! God has
given no other name under heaven by which we must be
saved."

Eternal separation from God seems so severe and it is. Sin is to God's creation what cancer is to the physical human body. It must be removed to preserve life. There will be no sin in God's eternal Kingdom. Hoe awesome that will be!

Some believe there's a little bit of good in everyone. That however, is not how God sees it! By His standards human nature is evil. Gal 5:17 - The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. It is this evil nature that severs any kind of meaningful relationship with God. Eph. 2:3 - All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.

Listed below are some of the more predominant character traits of the human nature. Definitely not God's standard.

Mk. 7:20-23 - ... 21 For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God."

Gal.5:19-21 - When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Rom.1:29,30; Eph. 4:19-22,31; Col. 3:5-8

God deeply cares about you. He's not out to get you but rather to bless you with "sins forgiven" and eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ. God's plan for your life has been derailed by sin. He wants to see you blessed and experiences His plans for your life.

God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. (Jn.3:17)

For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost." (Lk. 19:10)

God does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2P 3:9)

The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.(Joh 10:10)

Then Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.(Mt 11:28)

Does this sound like a God who hates people? He invites everyone to come to Him. He welcomes everyone to repent.

God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. (Rom 5:8)

For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (Jn.3:16)

God welcomes everyone and has extended to all invitation of love, mercy and grace.

Isa 55:1-3 - "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink-even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk-it's all free! 2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to Me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. 3 "Come to Me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.

Isa 1:18 "Come now, let's settle this," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.

You are welcome to come to the Lord at any time. it's an open invitation. You can come right now. You don't need to wait. Jesus said in Jn.7:37 ANYONE who is thirsty may come to me. Your sin is no surprise to God! He knows all about it all and still He says come. He knows your need and He has the solution for you.

But everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved' (Act 2:21) There are no exceptions. It doesn't matter what you've or not done if you respond to God's invitation to come and repent He will receive you. He will forgive and bless you with eternal life. He's reaching out to you now!

People are incapable of saving themselves. Psa 49:8,9 -
Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can
ever pay enough 9 to live forever and never see the grave.

Many voices cry out their claims as the Savior yet only One has earned this right. Act 4:12 - There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."

In God's constitution sin is punishable by death. All people have sinned and our personally accountable. A death sentence rests on us all for we have all sinned. Who then is capable of purchasing our redemption?

There's a very good reason that Jesus is the only Savior.. The wages of sin is death. Jesus was, Himself without sin, yet He died on the cross. Being sinless He could have lived forever! He, however, take our sins upon Himself , dying in our place .
2 Cor. 5:21 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.

Through His death people can experience freedom from the penalty and power of sin. NO ONE ELSE DID THIS. No one else has the right to be the Savior. Jesus paid the price and He has earned the right to be the Savior and as a result He is the only Savior. He's the only One who paid for your salvation when He died in your place on the cross.

God's eternal Kingdom is different from our present world. Jn. 3:6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

To experience God's eternal life requires a spiritually re-birthing, "Born Again" or "Born from Above". Just as life on earth requires a physical birthing so life in the Kingdom of God requires a spiritual birthing. Jn. 1:13 They are
reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

Physical life has a God determined destiny known as death. The end of physical life on earth. This is the lot of all who are born into the human race. Heb 9:27,28 - And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, 28 so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him. Death is human destiny. What can we do after we're dead?Unless we're spiritually birthed into God's eternal family there's no hope
of experiencing the Kingdom of God.

Jn. 1:12,13 - But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn-not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

To call God your eternal Father requires that He father you.

Jesus gave very clear specific instructions regarding God's salvation plan. The world has various popular regions. A common thread in them all is legalism. By nature people feel the need to earn their salvation. This they do through various good works in hopes of appeasing God and paying off their "sin debt". This however is not God's chosen method.

At the root of sin is the sin nature. This is what motivates us to do things opposed to God. This is way it's essential to be "Born Again". We need a new nature. We need a whole new spiritual engine driving us. This is something only the Lord can give us. 2 Cor 5:17 - This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

The difference between the old and new nature is similar to the difference between darkness and light. The "Born Again Believer has the Holy Spirit powering their spiritual engine resulting in fruitfulness that honors the Lord. Gal 5:22,23 - But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Rom 8:9 - But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to Him at all.) It's Holy Spirit power that makes the difference.

Establishing a right relationship with God first requires repentance from sin. It's a sincere forsaking of sin and a full heart acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ. It's at this point that God is now able to fully embrace you and birth in you a whole new nature. 2 Cor.1:22 and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts
as the first installment of everything he will give us.

When a sinners is truly Born Again something very powerful takes place. When the spiritual rebirthing
occurres the Spirit of God enters the engine room of the
persons life. Jesus told His disciples in Jn.14:17 that the
Holy Spirit would be in them. Col.1:27 For it has pleased
God to tell his people that the riches and glory of Christ
are for you Gentiles, too. For this is the secret: Christ
lives in you, and this is your assurance that you
will share in his glory.

The indwelling Spirit of God is what makes Christianity and life with Christ a living and personal reality. The power of God resident within the Believer is what makes living God's way a realistic possibility. In the same way the spiritual potential of Christlikeness has the same realistic potential.

Eph 3:20 - Now all glory to God, who is able, through His
mighty power at work within us, to accomplish
infinitely more than we might ask or think. If there's no presence of the Holy Spirit in a person's life then there's
no spiritual power to live for God. The indwelling Holy
Spirit is fundamental to new life realities.

Jesus life on earth was unique in the sense that He was able to do what no other person had been able to do. That was to live totally free from sinning. (Heb.4:15; 1P.1:9) He s always did what pleased the heavenly Father. He lived in strict love obedience all the time.

Jesus obeyed because He loved His Father. Was it easy for Him? No it wasn't easy for Him to suffer as He did on the cross. He shed His lives blood because in obedience to the will of God. To be Christlike is to be obedient to God's
revealed will.

To love God is to obey Him. Jn. 14:21 - Those who accept
My commandments and obey them are the ones who love
Me. Obedience is Christlike and all God's people have been
given the power to love God and to demonstrate that love
through thoughts and actions that accurately represent
Jesus. 1Jn 2:3 And we can be sure that we know Him if
we obey His commandments. 4 If someone claims, "I know
God," but doesn't obey God's commandments, that person
is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey
God's word truly show how completely they love Him. That
is how we know we are living in Him. 6 Those who say
they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

How possible is it for us to be obedient? 1Jn 5:3 - Loving
God means keeping His commandments, and His
commandments are not burdensome. Christlikeness is
possible because of Holy Spirit power in the Believer.

In the beginning, when God created the earth and everything in it. He set in motion certain reproductive principles that remain to this day. Everything reproduces after its own kind. When you plant a carrot seed it produces a carrot with seeds to reproduce after itself. This principle holds true in the spirit realm as well.

In Mt.7:17 Jesus said, "A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit." He went on to say in
Mt 12:35 "A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart." A sinner is expected to produce fruit that identifies it with its source.
A person who has been Born Again and has the Holy Spirit resident in their new heart will produce fruit identified with its source. The Holy Spirit produces godly fruit. Nothing else is possible for it to produce. It only right for us to expect good fruit from those who profess new life in Christ.

Gal 5:22,23 - But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit
in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no
law against these things!

1Jn 3:9 - Those who have been born into God's
family do not make a practice of sinning, because
God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning,
because they are children of God.

Christians should be bearing the fruit of Christ.

Obedience is crucial to an effectual relationship with God. The powers of darkness continually take advantage of disobedience effectively destroying peoples lives.

Wisdom never under estimates obedience! The entire human has suffered the consequences of disobedience. Question! What method did God use to bring about salvation? He choose the avenue of obedience. Ph.2:8 He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. If Jesus had not fully obeyed His Father's will there would be no forgiveness, no salvation, no eternal life. Jesus' obedience had made obedience a possibility.

What about the Christian? Is it possible for us to live in obedience to the Word of God? 1Jn 2:5 - But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love Him. That is how we know we are living in Him. How can we know if we really are Born Again and love God? Obedience manifests our heart!

God gives His people the power to obey Him! 2P.1:3 As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. We are not only forgiven our past sins we are empower to live free from it today. Ph. 2:13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.

Obedience isn't about us digging deeper into the human nature and trying harder, it's about God's power being released in us, enabling us to do what pleases Him.

Prior to spiritual rebirth, by the power of God, people are
naturally sinners. That is, they sin because they've been
born with the Adamic sin nature. Everyone is born into this
world void of their choice. We didn't choose to be sinners,
we were born that way. Rom 8:7,8 - For the sinful
nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey
God's laws, and it never will. 8 That's why those who
are still under the control of their sinful nature
can never please God.

With the "Born Again" experience comes a whole new
nature, the nature of Jesus Christ and with the salvation
experience comes the ability to choose not to sin,
something we never had prior to repentance and receiving
Jesus into our life. The Christian is not obliged to give into
sinful desires. Rom 8:12 -Therefore, dear brothers and
sisters, you have no obligation to do what your
sinful nature urges you to do. Because we're God's
children we have the right to choose right, something the
unsaved cannot do!

There is no way for the sin nature to please God. It lacks
the power to obey Him, but the true Christian can please
God! We can choose to obey! Rom 6:16 Don't you realize
that you become the slave of whatever you choose to
obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death,
or you can choose to obey God, which leads to
righteous living. We have the power of choice and the
God given power to choose to obey the Word of God.

Jesus died for our sins and rose again to liberate people from not only the penalty of sin but also the power of it. Romans 6:23 tells us that "the wages of sin is death" Sin needs to be fully exposed for what it is, "A KILLER". It always has and always will destroy those who choose to live in it!

Overcoming sin is on God's agenda for your life. He has made every provision for our personal victory. This victory starts as we realize God has put His divine restrictions on the severity with which satan can temp us. 1Cor. 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Jesus is always ready, willing and able to help all who turn to Him in their time of need. When tempted to sin what should we do? We turn to the Lord Jesus for help! Heb 2:18 - For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.

Jesus' victory over sin, satan and the world guarantees our personal victory as well. 1Jn 5:4-5 For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. 5 And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

How does God's grace effect my everyday Christian living? The grace of God is much more than an abstract concept or something studied in Seminary! It's very practical, something every child of God lives with and can't live without!

GRACE = God's Righteousness At Christ's Expense

The grace of God is God's power effectively influencing our life. For example; we are told in Scripture that it is not in the Adamic sin nature to seek. Rom. 3:1,121- No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one." This being the case, how then do we find God. The truth is we don't find God He finds us. He influences the human heart, He causes the curiosity about the unknown or the desire to know the truth. He arranges the circumstances and situations that lead us to the Gospel preacher.

The true Christian life is flooded with God's grace He is continually influencing our life by His supernatural power. The Apostle Paul had experienced profound transformation in his life. This he accredited this to God's grace. 1Cor. 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. (NASV) Because of this Paul was able to say in Ph. 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. God's grace is sufficient to meet all the challenges we may face through out the journey of life.

Creation speaks clearly about the significance of relationships. God made people for relationship with Him. Sin severed that distancing God from His creation.. This situation is now reversible through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Rom 5:18 Yes, Adam's one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ's one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

Prior to a new life experience through the Lord Jesus Christ people live in hostility towards God and under His wrath. Through Christ this hostility is removed and it becomes possible for people to have friendship with God. Rom 5:10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of His Son while we were still His enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

The establishment of right relationship with God through the blood of Jesus now offers the child of God full and free access into the presence of God. Col 1:22 Yet now He has reconciled you to Himself through the death of Christ in His physical body. As a result, He has brought you into His own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault. Because Jesus' blood washes away our sin we are not only presentable to God we are accepted and belong in His presence.

In order for people to call God their Father it requires that He be the One who fathered them. This can't be said of those who have not been "Born Again". It is the spiritual rebirth by the power of God that establishes a person as a member of God's eternal family.

To be identified as a child of God requires the presence of God's Holy Spirit in the engine room of life. It's the presence of God indwelling the Believers that distinguishes them as God's property and family member. Rom 8:15 - So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, "Abba, Father." 16 For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God's children. A powerful union with God as Father is establish when a sinner is "Born Again". A spiritual bond with the heart of God is cemented with the blood of Jesus.

With God as our spiritual Father we become His children. We come under the umbrella of His fatherhood. In accepting God's position as Father we also accept our position as His children living under His authority. In loving submission we choose to obey His wishes and instructions. As children we not only acknowledge God's authority we submit to it and enjoy the blessings of His provision and protection. Ph. 4:19 - 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.

God's perfect spiritual family is established through Jesus.

Prior to being "Born Again" people are the natural heirs of
their earthly father, Adam. Every person born into this world inherits the human sin nature. That's why we all sin. We're simply doing what comes natural to us.

A genuine salvation experience results in "new life" and "new destiny". As Adam is the federal head of the human race so Jesus is the federal head of the family of God.
This divine relationship comes with a spiritual inheritance. Rom 8:17- Since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God's glory.
This all computes to eternal life. Eph 1:14 - The Spirit
is God's guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him. God's promise, to those who repent of their sins and receive Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior,
is eternal life.

1P. 1:4 and we have a priceless inheritance -an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. When Jesus returns to earth in power and great glory to set up His Kingdom here then the redeemed of the Lord will receive their inheritance. Mat 25:34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.

There's an awesome future in store. The true Believers will inherit the eternal Kingdom and God's holy presence.

New life through the Lord Jesus Christ not only has the benefits of relationship and friendship with God in this life it also blesses with a new eternal destiny.

The world we're presently living in is so contrary from the Kingdom of God. It's filled with violence and deception, sickness and death. Real joy and peace are mere bubbles blown in the wind, here one minute, gone the next. This world as it is a present is not the destination of the righteous.
Heb 13:14 - For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

This present planet, earth has a destiny with the cleansing fire of God's judgement .2P. 3:10 - But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. This judgment however is not the end. The present earth will be made new and the promises God made that the right will inherit the earth will be fulfilled. 2P. 3:13 - But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth He has promised, a world filled with God's righteousness.

Rev 21:1 & 4 - Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."

It's sinful thoughts and actions which separate us from God. Col 1:21 - ...You were His enemies, separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions. The God provided salvation, through Christ, effects both these areas. New life in Christ fully embraces new thinking. Clearly if our thinking doesn't change, nor will our actions.

Being "Born Again" by the power of God's Holy Spirit happens instantaneously. The renewing of the mind however, is a process of change. Like the computer's
hard drive the mind needs to be reprogrammed with the Word of God. Rom 12:2 - Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into
a new person by changing the way you think. As
we read the Word of God it replaces humanistic thinking with a Jesus like thought process.

It's been said that the battles of life are fought right
between our ears. The mind is a spiritual battle field and if
not properly programmed through God's Word can be the
vehicle through which the devil will defeat us! Isa 26:3,4 -
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all
whose thoughts are fixed on You! 4 Trust in the LORD
always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.

As we spend time in God's Word the Holy Spirit will take that Word and powerfully effect our thinking which in turn results in how we act. The first step to holy living is holy thinking. It's what God has purposed for us through Christ.

Whatever the cause of specific unbelief it will always result in disobedience. God's entire salvation plan hinges on obedience. It was through Jesus' obedience to the Father's will that forgiveness of sins is even possible. We're forgiven of sin and accepted into the eternal family of God as a direct result of obeying God's command to repent and believe. Act 17:30 - ... "but now He commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to Him.

Faith produces obedience so it's one wonder we're told
that without faith it's impossible to please God. (Heb.11:6)
Every truly "Born Again Believer" wants to please God.
It's reassuring to know that increased faith is available.
Rom 10:17 - So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Hearing
God's Word today will cause our faith to grow.

God's new creations in Christ have a new food source. God's Word is the meat and vegetables of spiritual growth. Col 2:7 - Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. The only way to get our roots deeper into Christ is by getting deeper in the Word God. Physical life is pretty much dictated by eating. If we don't eat we don't live!
This principle applies to spiritual life and faith as well.

God has a table spread for all His people and extends a continuous invitation to come and dine with Him in the Word.

People, because of sin are naturally without any real hope. Their destiny is eternal separation from the living God in the eternal flames of hell. Eph 2:12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. ... You lived in this world without God and without hope.

Jesus' substitutional death on the cross has brought eternal hope within reach of everyone. Jesus' blood bought salvation is for all! However it must be received through repentance of sin and faith (believing whole heartedly) in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 1Pe 1:3-5 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by His great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance-an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by His power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

The hope rests securely in Jesus' resurrection! Because He lives we shall live also and our life will involve living in a glorified physical body. We won't be wandering disembodied spirits. We'll be comfortably at home in a body like Jesus has. Rom 8:11 - The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Ph. 1:29 - For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him.
What does it mean to "suffer for Jesus"? This sounds a bit morbid. If we fail to understand what it means we miss a very significant part of our New Covenant salvation.

Understanding the kind of suffering we've been called to
helps us not only to embrace the concept but also to be
grateful for it. 1Pe 4:1,2 - Therefore, since Christ has
suffered in the flesh,arm yourselves also with the same
purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has
ceased from sin, 2 so as to live the rest of the time in the
flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
The pain referred to here was that of Jesus' physical
crucifixion. The pain He bore was the expense of His
obedience to the Father's will. He was willing to suffer
the physical pain in order to be obedient. Heb. 2:18 -
Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he
is able to help those who are being tempted.

Like Christ His people are called to suffer. This suffering
is the putting to death of the old sin nature. There' a
struggle for who is in control of our life. We have been
given the right of choice. We can either listen to and obey
the cravings of our human sin nature or we can choice to
obey the Lord. This often results in an inner suffering, a
fight to obey. Saying no to the sin nature is to crucify it.
This can be a very painful process. We are however
guaranteed the victory.

Global events clearly suggest the soon coming of the Lord Jesus Christ .Peace eludes the diplomats of the world. Some problems seem beyond us to solve. They are! All human effort to solve our global problems, as well meaning as as they are, are only a Band-Aid at best. The root problem is human nature and for that we need the Savior.

God made the world and He made it with purpose and
that involves human occupancy. God will not permit
human powers to completely destroy this planet. Even
though there's enough nuclear arsenal at present to
destroy it over a dozen times.

God's plans for planet earth will be realized. His Kingdom will be established here and the prophetic promises will be fulfilled to the letter. Mat 24:30 - And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. To the Disciples gazing into heaven as Jesus ascended the angles said, "Men of Galilee," they said, "why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday He will return from heaven in the same way you saw Him go!" (Act 1:11)

Rev 1:7 - Look! He comes with the clouds of heaven. And everyone will see Him-even those who pierced Him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for Him. Yes! Amen!

Goals and objects are very much a part of everyday life. The challenge comes in prioritizing these. Success or failure is determined by how well we prioritize and how committed we are to maintaining the priorities we establish.

The world has its scales and gauges of success so does God. To be a child of God is to be a part of His Kingdom and His economy. It's vital that we learn what true success is in the eyes of the Lord. After all, when all is said and done it's His scale we're going to be weighed on and His gauge we'll be judged by.

Col 3:1-4 - Since you have been raised to new life with
Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven,
where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand.
2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.
3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with
Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is
revealed to the whole world, you will share in all His glory.

What really counts is how well we're doing in our
relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the priority
that must be established and maintained throughout our
earthly pilgrimage. We're on journey to meet Jesus!

Mt. 6:33 - Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and
live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

Priority focus is the King and His eternal kingdom.

Jesus said, "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. (Rev 22:12) Living for God in the "here and now" requires some tough decisions. Choices and sacrifices are made to do things God's way. Friends and loved ones may not always understand or appreciate our commitment to Christ. It will be wroth it all! God's people will be rewarded for their love and faithfulness to Him.

Gal 6:7-9 - Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for
whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one
who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap
corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from
the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary
of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do
not give up.

Our Christian life does not go unnoticed by the Lord.
Col 3:23,24 - Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the
Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you
will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are
serving the Lord Christ. God is faithful, just and fair and
He will reward us according to life style, the actions that
accurately represent Christ and His Kingdom.

Isa. 62:11 The LORD has made proclamation to the ends
of the earth: Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your Savior
come! See, his reward is with him and his recompense
accompanies him.'"

Everything about our physical world relates in some way to time. Life on earth has a beginning and and an end. Things grow old and eventually die. That's the way it is! The world itself had a beginning, it too is growing old. It's wearing out! The natural none renewable resources are running out. Humans are destroying the very planet they live on.

God has yet some awesome plans for planet earth. It's
slated for a complete "makeover"! Rev 21:3-5 - I heard a
loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is
now among His people! He will live with them, and they
will be His people. God Himself will be with them. 4 He
will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no
more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things
are gone forever." 5 And the One sitting on the throne
said, "Look, I am making everything new!" And then
He said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is
trustworthy and true."

The future is very bright for the child of God. 2 P. 3:10-13 -
But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a
thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible
noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in
fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to
deserve judgment. ...12 looking forward to the day of
God and hurrying it along. On that day, He will set the
heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the
flames. 13 But we are looking forward to the new
heavens and new earth \He has promised, a world
filled with God's righteousness.

To be "Born Again" is to experience a spiritual birth which is no less real than the physical birthing into Adam's family. It's to be birthed into God's family! He becomes our legitimate Father and the New Creation which we've become has the nature of it's true Father. 2Cor. 5:17 - Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

The nature of the New Creation is described for us in
Gal 5:22,23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no
law.This is the basics of Christlikeness. It is important
understand that the most natural thing for the New Creation,
the New Self is to be Jesus like in thought and action.
1Jn 2:6 Those who say they live in God should live
their lives as Jesus did.

Col 3:12-15 - Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

The New Creation expresses the nature of Christ!

Global tension and present world economics has a way of producing varying degrees of personal insecurity and stress. Presently there's a lot of credible reasons for this. There's progressive mounting tension among the major players of global politics. There's the greatest global financial meltdown since the depression of the 1930s Where's this all leading to and what can we do to ensure personal peace?

In the last 100 years we've had two world wars and countless smaller ones in various nations. If as individuals we could do something about the Global politics and economic cricis we'd probably be less skeptical. History makes it very clear that too often the innocent are subject to the gready and power hungry.

If we choose to make the right decisions an awareness of just how personally insignificant we are in the arena of global affairs can actually play right into our hands. The awareness of just how fragile temporal life is can direct us to seeking God. Fear of tomorrow can lead us into the arms of the One who is capable of protecting us today. That's a good thing!

A persons perspective is generally their reality. If we perceive that politicians and governments are in control of world affairs then there's good reason for fear and panic. If on the other hand we understand and perceive world affairs in light of God's Word then there are powerful reasons for peace of mind. There's a security in knowing that God is in control.

The Bible clearly teaches us what to expect on earth in the days just preceding the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.(Mat 24:6) Jesus also said in Luke 21:26 - People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth,

To manage personal insecurities properly and effectively requires that we have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Before we can welcome His security into our life with any sense of honestly and integrity we first need to respond to His personal invitation to come to Him, receiving Him as our personal Lord and Savior.
Matthew 11:28-30 - Then Jesus said, "Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."

Once the initial relationship with Christ has been established through a deep and sincere turning away from sin and the receiving of Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior we then need to grow in that relationship. The foundation has been laid now we need to build on that through the personal disciplines of prayer and Bible reading. Security is about trust. It's about believing God to do for us what we cannot do for our self. That requires a knowledge base. It's virtually impossible to trust someone you never know. It's in the intimacy of genuine relationship with Christ that our sense of security expands and develops.

Our security is based on God's person. It's based on the credibility of His Word, His promises to us. The more we understand the faithfulness of the Lord the more ready we are to commit our trust to Him. He has said to us that He will never leave us or forsake us. Hebrews 13:5 - Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (NIV) That means He's with us in the good times and the bad. He's with us when all around is relatively peaceful and He's with us during the violent times. He never leaves us. He's right there with us to see us through. He is a faithful God and faithful friend. Psalms 46:1,2 - God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.

Security is based on God's faithfulness not on our circumstances. The more we personalize our relationship with Christ, the deeper we go into His heart and the more secure we become. True security is deeply rooted in God's love.

There is a peace that comes from God that passes human understanding and its a peace that is not subject to curcumstances and situations. It's a peace that's anchored in the heart of God. It's a peace that is available to all who choose to fully embrace Jesus Christ as there personal Savior and who choose to make God's Word the foundation upon which relationship with the Lord is matured. Security is there for you if you choose it.