Enjoying The Goodness Of God

By Rob Gore

Copyright © 2016 Rob Gore

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment and edification only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people except in small numbers to promote the Kingdom of God. Thank you for responding in grace to the hard work of this author.

Unless otherwise noted, the stories within this work are taken, derived or paraphrased from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NBD) are taken from La Santa Biblia, Nueva Biblia al Dia (The New Living Bible, Spanish) Copyright © 2006, 2008 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover art is San Benito County, California by Pierre Steenberg.

First Edition: May 2016

Copyright © 2016 Rob Gore

ISBN: 9781310999383

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART 1 – THE BEGINNING OF LIFE

Chapter 1 – Saved by Grace

Chapter 2 – Seeing Jesus in The Scriptures

Chapter 3 – The Gift Of Righteousness

Chapter 4 – Righteous Behavior

Chapter 5 – Be Encouraged

Chapter 6 – First Things First

Chapter 7 – Confessing His Righteousness

Chapter 8 – Stop Disqualifying Me

Chapter 9 – The Fruit Of Righteousness

Chapter 10 – The Ministry Of Grace

Chapter 11 – Everything Is Going To Be OK

Chapter 12 – Redeeming the Time

Chapter 13 – The Lifestyle Of The Righteous

Chapter 14 – Led By The Spirit

Chapter 15 – Final Judgment

Part 2 – PEELING SHRIMP

Chapter 16 – Which Policy Is Yours?

Chapter 17 – Two Covenants

Chapter 18 – Right Believing

PART 3 – THE SOURCE OF FAITH

Chapter 19 – The Revelation Of His Grace

Chapter 20 – Go Tell John All You Have Seen

Chapter 21 – When You See His Grace He Sees Your Faith

PART 4 – COMMON THIEVES

Chapter 22 – Repentance Requires Contrition and Confession

Chapter 23 – The Fear of the Lord

Chapter 24 – Conditional Righteousness

Chapter 25 – Fear of Punishment

Chapter 26 – The Unpardonable Sin

Chapter 27 – Generational Curses

Chapter 28 – Sin Blocks Healing

Chapter 29 – Sowing and Reaping

Chapter 30 – Faith as a Work

Chapter 31 – Grace Without Jesus

PART 5 – GRACE IN ACTION

Day 1 – Dear Mary

Day 2 – Just Because I Asked Him

Day 3 – The Goodness of God

Day 4 – The Old Tax Office

Day 5 – More Grace

Day 6 – Who Touched Me?

Day 7 – Whatever It Takes

Day 8 – No Misery Like a Lonely Heart

Day 9 – Healing on the Sabbath

Day 10 – Go and Sin No More

Day 11 – A Change of Heart

Day 12 – New Grace for Every Day

Day 13 – I Am Willing

Day 14 – The Opportunity of a Lifetime

Day 15 – Fallen From Grace

Day 16 – I Could Only See My Way

Day 17 – My Big Mouth

Day 18 – Help My Unbelief

Day 19 – Hypocrisy

Day 20 – I Didn’t Annoy Him

Day 21 – Qualifying the Unqualified

Day 22 – Speak and Rest

Day 23 – Momma Don’t Cry

Day 24 – The Disciple of Love

Day 25 – Stripes for a Cutter

Day 26 – The Centurion

Day 27 – Grace for the Doubter

Day 28 – An Unpardonable Sin

Day 29 – What a Transformation

Day 30 – Grace for a Terrorist

Day 31 – The Things Concerning Himself

PART 6 – PSALMS OF GOODNESS

Chapter 32 – Psalms of Goodness

PART 7 – YOU WILL BE MY TESTIMONY

Chapter 33 – The Witness of His Grace

OTHER BOOKS BY ROB GORE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DEDICATION

If you are discouraged, oppressed, hurting, or simply yearning for a better life, I dedicate this book to you. God will use it to unveil the loveliness of His Son Jesus Christ and His unconditional love for you. As your heart hears of His grace towards you, faith will fill your heart and enable you to have and enjoy life, in abundance, to the full, until it overflows!

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows].” (John 10:10 AMP)

***

QUIET TIME

So little quiet, so little time,

To sit with You, when life won't rhyme.

To hear Your words, that have no sound,

Encouraging me on, when I am down.

Loving Savior, faithful Friend,

Speak words to me I comprehend.

As here in quiet, I seek Your face,

Remind me again there still is grace,

To boldly come to Your embrace.

Lord, I honor You in this place.

Have Your way in my heart today.

I looked upon that loving face,

-First thing I noticed, there was no trace

Or knowledge of my mistakes.

I studied well Jesus' face and thought,

“The love and grace today I taste,

-Where there's no trace of my mistakes,

It cannot help but change my ways,

Strengthen me on in future days.”

Allow through me -that same grace I felt,

To bless and encourage someone else.

-T Parker

"I will exalt you Lord for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. I called to you for help and You healed me. Oh Lord you brought me up from the grave; You spared me from going down into the pit, turned my wailing, into dancing, and clothed me with joy. That my heart may sing to You and not be silent. Oh Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever." (Psalm 30:1-3,11,12)

***

INTRODUCTION

Six-year-old Jonathan’s face lit up when he saw the all-you-can-eat buffet. I told him he could have all he wanted and he smiled from ear to ear without taking his eyes off the food.

I asked him, “Jonny, would you like some boiled shrimp?”

He looked up with an inquisitive face and asked, “What does it taste like?”

“Just like chicken nuggets,” I confidently replied.

I watched my son grab the clear tongs and quickly fill his plate with shrimp from the ice filled serving bowl. I was more than just a little amused when he preferred ketchup to cocktail sauce. I thought, “It is a beautiful thing to watch a little boy eat!”

He had already finished about half of his plate when he looked up at me with ketchup all over his face — but without the smile I had anticipated. I asked him, “Jonny, how do you like the shrimp?”

He blurted out, “I love it! But it’s kinda crunchy.”

I gasped as I realized I had forgotten to tell him to peel the shrimp. “Jonny, all the shrimp is yours. But just eat the part that is for you!”

~~~

God gave us the whole Bible. It is His love story. It is the great story of how God, because of His great love for us, redeemed humanity from death and destruction by His Son Jesus. It chronicles God’s glorious creation falling into sin, mankind’s attempt to live under the old covenant law, and God’s glorious new covenant of grace.

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4)

God never meant for man to try to live under the old covenant law. The law was given by God through Moses to expose sin and reveal mankind’s need for a savior.

Trying to live under the old covenant law and God’s new covenant of grace at the same time is like trying to enjoy eating shrimp without peeling the shells. You know it is supposed to be good, but it is difficult to enjoy.

God wants us to be able to enjoy life, not just survive it. Enjoying the Goodness of God is not a Christian self-help book, though it will help you. It is not a Bible study, though you will learn about the Bible. It is not designed to motivate you to try harder, though you will be motivated. It does not contain the steps to achieve personal actualization and success, though when you discover who you are in Christ Jesus and all He has done for you, you have found great success.

The purpose of this book is to point you back to Jesus and allow Jesus to reveal Himself to you once again. The more you see Jesus, the more He will change you, from glory to glory. Not behavior modification, but heart transformation. And that results in great success!

In 2014, the self-improvement market in the U.S. alone was over $10 billion dollars a year and growing rapidly. Many Christian self-improvement programs and books have even reached the secular world’s bestseller lists. In spite of all of this money and effort, little has changed.

For every person that has reached a pinnacle of self-improvement success, there are literally tens of thousands of others who have given up, defeated by one more thing in life. Also, the winners of these self-improvement programs are often the ones who have left behind their families in their quest for self-actualization and fulfillment. Even in Christian circles the stories of divorce and children left behind for ministry success are epidemic.

The Bible is not a self-improvement program. It is not even a manual for life. If the Bible is a manual, it is the single most complicated and misunderstood manual of all time. The Bible is not even our source of life. The Bible is the unique gift from God that points us to the One who IS eternal life. The Bible reveals Jesus and invites us to come to Him for life!

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)

Unwittingly, we preachers are the ones that have made things difficult. We search the scriptures to create wonderful sermons in order to help the people. The three steps to this. The seven steps for that. Our focus is on helping the people (not revealing Jesus).

We tell Christians to read their Bible and believe it. But we do not tell them which part of the Bible is for them. We tell them to eat the shrimp. But we do not tell them to peel the shrimp first and only eat the part that is for them.

Not because our motivations are wrong, but because that is all we know!

We tell Christians that Jesus has forgiven them of all of their sin, then we tell them to search their heart to see if they can find any sin in their life. We tell Christians that Jesus has redeemed them from the curse of the law, then we tell them that they will be cursed if they do not tithe. We tell them to trust Jesus for their provision, then we tell them they will not reap unless they sow. We tell them they are saved by grace, then we tell them they must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling.

It is not surprising that the sheep are confused, scattered and weary. We have fed them a mixture of law and grace. We have focused on the scriptures instead of revealing the One to whom the scriptures point!

May this book point you to the loveliness of Jesus and allow Jesus to reveal Himself to you once again. He will refresh and encourage your soul. He will transform your heart. He will cause you to enjoy life again!

***

PART 1 – THE BEGINNING OF LIFE

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)

CHAPTER 1 – SAVED BY GRACE

In February 1981, I met a beautiful young woman named Toni Escobedo. She told me that Jesus loves me so much, that He died in my place so that I would not perish but have everlasting life. Hearing such remarkable words of mercy and grace, I consented to receive the love of Jesus and I was gloriously born again. Words cannot adequately express the joy of knowing you are loved and forgiven. Oh to the glory of His amazing grace, by which He loved me and died for me while I was yet a sinner.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

I fervently began to read the scriptures, relishing the life and joy that accompanied every fresh new revelation of Jesus. In a moment of time, Jesus had become the center of my life. I knew I was loved, forgiven. Everything was given to me by His grace. The miracles seemed endless. The joy uncontainable.

About a year later, a thought entered my mind, “It is time for me to grow up and no longer be a baby Christian.” The thought seemed perfectly reasonable. Up to that point, Jesus had done everything for me. Now, He was expecting me to grow up and become a mature Christian. I decided I would do whatever I needed to do to please God and become a mature Christian. I was determined to make God proud of me. I had no idea that I had just swallowed the bait of self-righteousness.

Thankfully, I was planted in a wonderful church and surrounded by thousands of people who loved Jesus with all of their heart. Together, we searched the scriptures and endeavored to believe everything we read.

I began to learn about the Holy Spirit, faith, the wages of sin, righteousness, sanctification, holiness, different types of prayer, the authority of the believer, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the qualifications of a leader, the importance of giving, sowing and reaping, the tithe, the five-fold ministry, elders, deacons, the responsibility of a believer, and much, much more.

As the years passed, I began to personalize every sermon I heard. It seemed that each sermon contained another secret or another list of what I needed to do to be a mature and successful Christian.

I learned what I needed to do to please God. What I needed to believe in order to receive from Him. How I was supposed to talk, walk in the Spirit, walk in love and forgive others. Why I needed to be patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and diligent. The importance of exercising self-control, resisting sin, resisting the devil, praying for the sick, visiting the imprisoned, helping the poor, praying for our leaders, possessing my soul, finding rest, interceding for others, and using my God-given talents.

I knew I was saved by God’s grace. But I also reasoned that to whom much is given, much is required. I wrongly concluded it would take more than grace to please God when you are a mature Christian. It was going to take faith. It was going to take being a doer of the word. It was going to take effort and perseverance. I must be responsible to stand in faith, resist the devil, use the weapons of our warfare and I must persevere in tribulation.

Though I would not realize it for years, I had fallen from grace.

You do not fall from grace when you sin. You fall from grace when you try to fulfill the law.

When I was born-again, I knew I was totally dependent upon God’s grace. He had to do everything for me because I was clueless. I knew I was helpless without Him.

But now, as a mature Christian, I wrongly reasoned that God was expecting me to do my part. With each sermon, I would discover more of what He required from me. I began to assume that God would hold me responsible to do everything I had learned. I must be a doer of the word. A beloved preacher even once said, “If you do it, it will work. If you don’t it won’t!” Therefore, I endeavored to do everything I was learning. The performance rat race had begun.

For many years, I experienced great satisfaction (and pride) in the results of my efforts. The fruit that came from facing my fears and pursuing God’s direction for my life was quite fulfilling. I experienced many physical, emotional and financial breakthroughs.

I wrongly reasoned, if I wanted more of Him, He would require more from me. I must serve Him and be willing to die for Him. Somehow, I completely overlooked the fact that Jesus died so I could live (not die).

Unfortunately, I also had stubborn areas in my life that were not progressing in spite of my most ardent efforts. One day, while listening to a sermon, I learned that the key to success was praying in the Spirit more. So I excitedly started praying more in the Spirit. From another sermon, I learned that the key to success was walking in love and forgiveness. Another sermon revealed that my lack of consistent tithing and giving was the reason for my struggles. Then another sermon revealed that unbroken generational curses were hindering my breakthroughs. Then other sermons revealed that I needed to resist the devil more, use the name of Jesus more, cast down imaginations more and confess the word more. Every sermon was about me and what I needed to do (more). I suppose I could fill this entire book with the list of things I was told I needed to do to enjoy a successful Christian life.

Year after year, I experienced many victories and yet I still failed to see progress in certain areas. I diligently searched for the reasons why my prayers remained unanswered. It seemed the answer was always the same. I did not have enough faith. I did not pray enough. I did not give enough. I did not worship enough. I did not confess enough. No matter the issue, the answer was always the same. I did not do something enough. It was never enough. I was never enough.

Unlike many Christians who are taught that God brings us troubles to teach us, I knew God would never do anything to harm me. I knew He would never make me sick in order to teach me something. Nevertheless, I did believe that God would set some level of faith to which I must attain before He would act. I believed I would not get a miracle from God until I had enough faith.

Though I was grateful for the faith I had developed, I had accepted the accusation that I did not have enough faith. I hoped that one day I would have enough faith to please God and He would answer my prayer.

I was determined to live my life to please God. I had not yet discovered that what pleases God is for me to enjoy life with Him, perpetually experiencing and rejoicing in His love and supply. An intimate relationship of love where there is nothing between us. Where Jesus has become my joy and my peace. Where He has become my provision and source of strength. Where He has become the fruit of my life. He has become my success. He has become my salvation!

We each have a unique story. We have all traveled different paths in life. Paths that we have chosen and some paths forged by the choices of others.

Perhaps as I once was, you may be overwhelmed by life and its never-ending list of expectations for which you have few options, limited resources and little strength. You may have lost the joy of your salvation and any hope of enjoying life. Your hopes have been shattered so many times that you may even feel like God has forgotten you and let you down. And like Cleopas after Jesus was crucified, a sadness has filled your heart. You may have determined to just survive.

Jesus died so you could enjoy life, not just survive it.

***

CHAPTER 2 - SEEING JESUS IN THE SCRIPTURES

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.

And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?”

Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?”

And He said to them, “What things?”

So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. (Luke 24:13-21)

Notice that Jesus was not their main agenda. Because they were focused on the redemption of Israel, sadness had filled their hearts. But watch what happens when they focus on Jesus!

Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.”

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.

Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread. (Luke 24:21-35)

As they began seeing Jesus in all the scriptures, their hearts started burning within them.

You too will receive strength and joy when you see the grace of our Lord Jesus in the scriptures!

Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. And He took it and ate in their presence.

Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalm concerning Me.” And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:35-49)

All their lives these two had dreamed of the day when God would redeem Israel. Then just when their dream seemed attainable, it was cruelly shattered. Their hope had turned to sadness, disillusion and doubts as they tried to make sense of all that had happened.

I have been there. My dream ripped from my heart by a cruel thief who cast all blame on me. I am sure you have been too.

Yet in the midst of their discouragement, Jesus drew near to them. It may seem like He is far away when we are discouraged. But grace is actually drawn to weakness. Jesus is near us and He deeply cares about everything we are going through.

Notice how Jesus asked them a question in order to permit them to share their hurt and pain. That is our Savior. How easily He might have sat them down and given them a sermon about the importance of not speaking doubt and unbelief. Instead, His concern was for them.

Do not ever be afraid to tell Jesus how you feel or what is discouraging you. You may be focused on your problem, but Jesus is focused on you.

Jesus did not give them a sermon about what they needed to do, but what they needed to believe. He said they were slow to believe what the prophets had spoken BECAUSE they did not understand that the prophecies were all about Him!

Having “no understanding” is the actual meaning of the Greek word translated foolish. Jesus was not calling them foolish or dumb. He said that they were slow to believe BECAUSE they did not understand that all the old testament prophecies were about Jesus.

“Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (Luke 24:26-27)

The whole Bible points us to Jesus. That is what we are supposed to be hearing from the pulpit! Every sermon is supposed to be a fresh revelation of the loveliness of Jesus, not the depravity of man. Here is Jesus preaching the first new covenant sermon ever. What did He think was the most important subject of all? Seeing Jesus in the scriptures.

You would think that Cleopas and his friend would have been tired at the end of their seven-mile journey home. Instead, as Jesus revealed Himself in the scriptures their hearts burned within them and their strength and joy returned.

That is what is going to happen for you too. As this book unveils the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, new strength and joy will fill your heart. You cannot earn it. Just read and allow Jesus to be your shepherd. He will feed His sheep.

These two disciples rushed back to Jerusalem to tell the others about what had happened. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were told that Jesus had appeared to Peter also. Then, when Jesus appeared to them all, they were terrified and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost.

Jesus did not condemn them for their unbelief. He was so personal and compassionate. He showed them His hands and feet. He told them to touch Him and hug Him. Even when they still struggled to believe, He asked for some food and ate it before them.

What grace! Do not worry about having doubts. Instead of condemning the disciples for their unbelief, Jesus was willing to do whatever it took for them to believe.

He will do the same for you!

***

CHAPTER 3 – THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Weeks after I was born again, a missionary named Dr. T.L. Osborn came to our church. He was tall with red hair, a red beard, an orange suit and a gigantic smile. He was so full of grace and joy I could not stop thinking, “I know he is not Jesus, but I have never seen so much of Jesus in one human being. Ever. This must be an inkling of what it was like when the people of the Bible saw Jesus.”

Dr. Osborn announced his sermon title with the same volume of joy and celebration as someone announcing that you had just won the lottery, “Cheer up! Your sins are forgiven!” When I heard those words, I said aloud, “I will never be depressed again as long as I live.” It just came out of my mouth from the inside of me.

At that time, I was a brand new Christian. I did not know that I had just believed in my heart and confessed with my mouth. I had not prayed or believed for deliverance from depression. I just reacted to seeing the grace of Jesus. I have enjoyed that miracle ever since!

It was as if I could see Jesus smiling at me. From deep down inside of me I sensed that Jesus was telling me that He is always smiling at me. Telling me that whenever I think of Him, I should always see Him smiling at me. I am His special creation in whom He has great delight. My flaws and imperfections are meaningless in the glory of His mercy and grace.

Just as Dr. Osborn would say in a loud voice after someone gave their testimony, all I could say was, “Wow!” To know that I am loved, forgiven and made righteous by the grace of God changed everything for me. Cleansed from all my sin by the blood of Jesus Christ who gave His life for me.

Depression flees from the revelation of the goodness of God.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Somehow, Jesus had revealed Himself to me in the person of Dr. Osborn. It was not about Dr. Osborn. It was not about me. It was all about Jesus. I saw the grace of Jesus. I saw His love for me. I saw the joy that it gave Him when He looked at me.

I knew Jesus was not disappointed in me and it had nothing to do with my behavior. It was because I was His son.

I knew my behavior did not deserve His love or anything else good happening to me. I knew He knew everything about me and still loved me. He had washed all my sins away. He had made me the righteousness of God in Him.

I knew I could never be more righteous or more holy than I was at that very moment.

As I grew in the Lord, I expected my behavior to be just like Jesus. Actually, it was more like Paul!

I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? (Romans 7:15-24)

It seemed the more I tried to be righteous, the more I failed. When I was born again, I knew God had made me righteous by the gift of His grace. Not according to my works, so I could not boast.

But now that I was trying to be a mature Christian, I would not consider myself righteous unless I had the works to prove it. Did I have any unconfessed sin in my life? Was there anything God had told me to do that I had not done? Why did I still struggle with bad thoughts? Why did I still get angry easily? I reasoned, “Surely a righteous Christian does not struggle with these things.”

Self-righteousness may be the greatest sin of all sins. It is the reason why some reject their need for a savior. It is also the reason why some believe they are better than others. It is even one of the main reasons why so many people struggle to receive the grace of God.

You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4)

Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4 KJV)

Do you want Christ to be of no benefit to you? Do you want to be estranged from Christ? No! Of course you do not.

But that is the result of trying to be righteous by your own efforts instead of believing you are the righteous of God because of what Jesus did for you.

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

In the Greek, this word justified is the exact same word translated as righteous. No one can become righteous by his own works. No one! So how do you become righteous? By believing what Jesus did for you.

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. (Romans 4:1-5)

When Jesus gave me the gift of righteousness, He was justifying the ungodly because I was an ungodly person. Jesus made me righteous the moment I believed and was born again. It was His gift of mercy and grace to me.

However, the more I grew up in the Lord, the more I began to expect my behavior to be perfect in order for me to consider myself as righteous before the Lord. Though I did not realize what I was doing, I was trying to be righteous in myself. So one day, when I no longer felt righteous (A sure sign of condemnation or self-righteousness), I no longer believed I was righteous. By believing I must act right in order to be righteous, I had fallen from grace!

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

Have you received the gift of righteousness, or are you still trying to earn it?

***

CHAPTER 4 – RIGHTEOUS BEHAVIOR

I did not say it was OK to sin. It is NOT OK to sin. It is important to stop sinning. The question is, “HOW do you stop sinning and start acting right?” Peter declared he would never deny Jesus. All the disciples said the same thing too. That did not help. Peter denied Jesus that very night, not once, but three times. And the disciples ran off at the first sign of danger. So much for their declaration of strength and faithfulness.

So what gives sin its strength? The law!

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:56)

Just try telling a bunch of teenagers that they are not allowed to do something and watch what happens. Declare you are not eating sweets anymore. Within hours you will be able to smell sugar through brick walls. We just strengthen sin when we make more rules. The more we try, the more we fail. The more we demand righteous behavior, the more we fall short. So what is the answer?

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:11-14)

Did you get that? Consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God. Present yourself to God as alive from the dead. Now that must be faith talking because you did not die or raise yourself from the dead. Jesus did it for you!

Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:4-6)

“Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:11)

When we were in the flesh (not born-again), the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in us to bear fruit to death. But now, as born-again believers we say, “I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Because of Jesus, I am dead to sin and delivered from the law. Sin does not have dominion over me because I am not under the law, but under grace.”

It is righteous to declare what Jesus has done for you. It is self-righteous to declare what you are going to do for Jesus.

Peter put himself under the law when he declared he would never deny Jesus. How often have you declared you would never do something, only to find yourself doing the very thing you declared you would never do? That is presuming upon your own strength. That is self-righteousness.

How do you stop sin from having dominion over you? Stop putting yourself under the law by declaring what YOU are going to do or not do. Submit to God’s grace and declare what HE has done for you. You put yourself under grace when you declare what Jesus has done for you!

No doubt, you have heard more than one sermon by well-meaning ministers who warned you to flee from sin and crucify your flesh (Unfortunately, many church folk enjoy it when ministers rail against sin). But how many sermons have heard that tell you HOW to have dominion over sin?

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

You have been crucified with Christ. So stop self-righteously trying to crucify your flesh. By faith you are already dead in Christ. You are dead to sin, so stop living in it. Why are you still living in sin? Because you do not believe that all your sins have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus. You do not believe that you have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Stop trying to clean yourself up. Come boldly, just as you are, to His throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace in time of need.

When is your time of need? Right in the midst of your temptation or sin. Right in the midst of your weakness declare that your Savior Jesus has forgiven you of all your sin and made you the righteousness of God. Allow His grace to have time to transform your heart. Keep seeing His grace.

Soon you will discover that the grace of Jesus has removed the desire for that sin from you.

You will be amazed how quickly and effortlessly your behavior changes when you believe that you are loved, forgiven and made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)

When you consent to receive an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, Jesus will cause you to reign in life victorious over sin, oppression and condemnation. He will fill you with peace and joy. He will make you the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. He will bless you when you come in and bless you when you go out.

That is reigning in life with Christ Jesus!

***

CHAPTER 5 – BE ENCOURAGED

One of the symptoms and consequences of self-righteousness is worry. There are many examples of self-righteous beliefs we believe that are contrary to the Bible. For example, “If I don’t worry about it, no one else will. If I don’t do it, it won’t get done. If I let anyone else do it, it won’t get done right. Whatever doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger.” And many other such declarations of self-righteousness. All of these presume upon our own strength, as if we could take care of 90% of the problem if God would just do the last 10%.

We all want to feel good about ourselves. We all want our needs met. We all want to feel strong. We all want to accomplish important things. If we will be honest with ourselves, the reason we want these things is so we can have peace and joy.

The problem is that we think, and are often taught, that God helps those that help themselves. That God expects us to do our best before He might consider helping us.

Jesus did not think way. He said, “I of myself can do nothing.” He knew that all He could do was what He saw the Father do.

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. (John 5:19-20)

Notice three things that Jesus said.

First, Jesus said that He could do nothing of Himself. He did not presume in His own strength. He knew that He was 100% dependent upon the Father for everything.

Second, Jesus said He knew how much the Father loved Him and that is why He knew the Father would always show Him what the Father wanted to do. (Religion is always trying to tell us what WE are supposed to do.)

Third, He could confidently say that the Father would continue to pour out His grace with even greater miracles than these, because He knew what the Father wanted to do.

What a beautiful example for us. The world says, “Believe in yourself.” God says, “Trust Me to do it!”

Instead of relying on your own self-righteousness, God wants you to trust in His willingness to do miracles for you even when you do not deserve it. It kills your pride, but it does wonders for meeting your needs!

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. (Matthew 6:31-33)

Your heavenly Father knows you need all these things! They are not just spiritual things. He named them. What you eat. What you drink. What you wear. Regular everyday stuff. He knows you need all these things.

God may know what we need, but will He provide? Will He come through in time?

It all comes back to knowing you are loved. When you know you are loved, you know He will provide for you. But when you believe His love is conditional, it is easy to worry. When you are taught that you must please God by doing all kinds things before He will provide for you, it is easy for you to look at yourself, see that you have fallen short, then start to worry.

Unfortunately, worry hinders your ability to receive from God by stealing your ability to rest and hear Him.

When we know we are loved, we can stop worrying and be confident that He is going to take care of us. Not because we have done everything right, but because He loves us and we are trusting in His grace! He is more than willing to do everything for us.

God does not help those who help themselves. God helps those who look to Him for what they need.

When I first began to understand this grace, I stopped praying God help me prayers. I started praying “God I need you to do this for me” prayers. What a difference it has made!

When Jesus told the Jews to seek first the Kingdom of God, no one was born again. He told them to seek the Kingdom of God so they would discover His gift of salvation and be born again. There was nothing for them to do other than for them to see His amazing grace and believe.

For us, seeking first the Kingdom of God means to focus on the Healer and not just our healing. To focus on the Provider and not just our finances. To focus on the Deliver and not the sin that so easily ensnares us. To focus on the Restorer and not just what has been stolen from us. If you are born again, Jesus said the kingdom of God is within you. Paul writes,

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

Jesus said it was His good pleasure to give us the kingdom. Therefore, seeking the kingdom of God is not seeking what to do, but seeking what we need to see. Seeking first the kingdom of God is seeking revelation knowledge of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. We will find peace and joy when we discover the grace of our Lord Jesus, the loveliness of our Savior and how much He wants to meet our every need.

For many years, I was taught that seeking first the kingdom of God took great effort and required many arduous steps of perseverance and diligence. I was taught that seeking His righteousness was learning how to do things right and be right just like Jesus. That is achieving, not receiving. That is self-righteous because it presumes upon my strength. And I have none.

Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness. He did not say that we were to seek our own righteousness. He did not say we were to seek to try to do and say everything right just like Him. He said we should seek HIS righteousness!

Yes, I want to be like Jesus. Yes, I want to do everything right like Jesus. Yes, I want to say things right like Jesus. But Jesus wants me to accept HIS righteousness. He wants me to abide in HIS righteousness. Why? Because I lose sight of myself. I escape pride and self-deprecation.

In His righteousness I am neither limited by my strength nor disqualified by my weaknesses.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. (2 Corinthians 5:20-6:1)

Quite literally, seeking your own righteousness is receiving the grace of God in vain. Righteousness is a gift of grace. We cannot earn it. We cannot lose it. We can only receive it by faith in the grace of God. Nothing to do. Everything to believe.

Jesus is telling us the key to receiving the things we need is to hear more about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ towards us every day. Righteousness is a grace gift. All the things we need and desire come with it. When you know you are loved, when you know you are forgiven, when you know you have been made righteous, and when you know you did not deserve or earn any of it, you can rest and know that God will provide your every need. That is living by faith. That is how you find rest.

Nevertheless, we live in a fallen world that is still merit based and corrupt. We live in mortal bodies that are still susceptible to sin. We may occasionally hear about the new covenant of grace, but we daily hear about sin, condemnation and judgement. Combine this with a devil who attempts to accuse us day and night, and we have a recipe for confusion, doubt and double-mindedness. That is why Jesus told us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The more we see His grace, the more we know we have received the things we have desired of Him.

Think of the amazing character of Jesus our Savior who would speak such amazing things as these:

Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:22-24)

“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 4:14)

In the first verse, Jesus says He will GIVE IT to you. In the next, He says He will DO IT for you. Jesus is revealing to us the character and the will of the Father. The Father wants to meet your needs and He wants your joy to be full!

If you abide in Me [if you are born again], and My words abide in you [revelation knowledge of His grace], you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (John 15:7-8)

Jesus said when you allow God to do something for you, He considers you to be a disciple who bears much fruit. That means being a disciple who bears much fruit is not about what you do, but about what He does in you!

It does not glorify the Father when you trust in your own strength to meet your own needs. But it glorifies the Father greatly when you trust in His grace and His strength to provide for your needs. He calls that bearing MUCH fruit and truly being a disciple of Jesus. A true disciple is not the one that burns himself out serving Jesus. The true disciple is the one that is wholly dependent upon Jesus to know what to do and when to do it!

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:13)

Notice that someone else is bringing grace to you. God is revealing the grace of Jesus Christ to you so you can rest. Gird up your loins (pull yourself together) upon the grace of Jesus. Be sober (in your right mind) upon the grace of Jesus. Rest your hope (let your confident expectation be) upon the grace of Jesus.

He will show you what to do and when to do it.

***

CHAPTER 6 – FIRST THINGS FIRST

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33 Emphasis mine)

Why do we worry when we know it is a sin? Because we are focused on our problems. What are we going to do? How will we survive? What are people going to think? Whose fault is it?

For motivation, the world says, “Believe in yourself.”

But Jesus says, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to your height? For without me you can do nothing.”

Now that is a sobering thought!

The Father loves us and every good thing comes from Him. That is why Jesus said, “I only do what I see my Father do.” Over and over the Bible says that Jesus spent time alone with the Father praying. No wonder He knew what the Father wanted to do.

What if we peel a little shrimp and get rid of a lot of crunchy stuff?

The crunchy stuff represents all the rules and expectations we ADD to the new covenant life that Jesus purchased for us on the cross.

Jesus says the Father loves us greatly. We think He will love us IF we love Him. Jesus says we are forgiven. We think He will forgive us IF we confess our sin. Jesus says He is our miracle worker. We think He will do miracles for us IF we qualify for them. Jesus says He is our healer. We think He will heal us IF it is His will. Jesus says He is our provider. We think He will provide IF we sow enough.

We think God’s promises are conditional upon our behavior because the old covenant was conditional upon our behavior. But God found fault with that old covenant BECAUSE it was conditional upon our behavior. So He made a new covenant that is dependent upon Jesus, not us.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with THEM, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I WILL make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— NOT according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; BECAUSE THEY did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I WILL put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I WILL be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I WILL be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I WILL remember no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. (Hebrews 8:7-13 Emphasis mine)

Jesus fulfilled every condition of the new covenant perfectly. Now we can receive the blessings of Abraham by faith in what Jesus has done FOR us. Grace is receiving a blessing that we did not earn. The Bible says that we will enjoy life if we will receive an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness.

But it is difficult to enjoy life when you attempt to keep the old covenant law. It was never meant for us to obey. The law entered so that we could see our need for a Savior. And because our Savior has come and given us His new covenant, He has made the old covenant obsolete. We are no longer to live by the old covenant laws and regulations.

And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

The new covenant is all about what Jesus has already done for us, not about what we must do for Him. Jesus died that we might live, not die! He came that we might have and enjoy life, to the full, until it overflows!

The more we focus on the grace of Jesus and His goodness, the more we can rest confident in His love and protection. When we focus on the grace of Jesus, we are reminded of His great love for us and we know we will never be lonely again the rest of our lives. We are reminded of His mercy toward us when we are at fault, because He does NOT give us what we deserve. We are reminded of His grace towards us, because He gives us blessings we do not deserve. Every time we see His grace our heart is transformed. Fear and condemnation are driven away. Our heart becomes steadfast and confident in His love.

Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is all about heart transformation, not behavior modification.

When Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness,” not one single person was born again because Jesus had not yet been glorified. Jesus wanted them to seek first the kingdom of God so they would see salvation by grace through faith and be born again. The reason Jesus wanted them to seek first His righteousness was so they would be dead to sin, free from the law and alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord!

Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the END OF THE LAW for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4 Emphasis mine)

Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:11)

Jesus did not say to seek two different things first. Nor did He say to seek one first and the other second. The reason He said to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is that they are inseparable. When we are born again, God makes us the righteousness of God in Christ.

We cannot be born again and unrighteous.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The only thing we did to be born again was believe the message of Jesus with the faith that God gave us when we heard the message. We consented to be loved. We consented to listen with our heart. Jesus did everything for us. So why would we believe that seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness would be any different?

Seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness is consenting to be loved and listening with our heart. Seeking God is not about the works that we do. Seeking God is about being still and allowing Jesus to reveal Himself to us. The Jews and even some Gentiles sought first the kingdom of God when they stopped doing what they were doing so they could listen to Jesus. Mary Magdalene sought first the kingdom of God when she sat and listened to Jesus rather than serve Him. Peter sought first the kingdom of God when he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Seeking first the kingdom of God is not a work. Seeking first the kingdom of God is spending time hearing more about the grace of Jesus. The more we see His grace, the more our heart is transformed, our mind is renewed, our path is illuminated and we are effortlessly delivered from lusts of the flesh. Seeing more and more of His grace will deliver us from any sin, even the one that so easily ensnares us. Seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness is stopping our work – and focusing on what He has already accomplished and given to us. It is a revelation of His grace. It is a matter of our heart.

However, it is possible for us to usher every service, attend every prayer meeting, serve at every potluck dinner, feed the homeless and give our bodies to be burned (out) and never seek first the kingdom of God. Our heart was in serving, not seeking.

Seeking first the kingdom of God is receiving from Jesus, not serving Him.

Going to church and listening to an anointed sermon about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is seeking first the Kingdom. Listening to anointed messages about the finished work of Jesus on the cross is seeking first the kingdom of God. Reading our Bible in order to see a fresh revelation of Jesus is seeking first the kingdom of God. Even reading our daily devotional in order to see more about Jesus is seeking first the kingdom of God.

However, doing any of these so we can be like the rest of our group is not seeking first the kingdom of God. Listening to a preacher so we can critique their message is not seeking first the kingdom of God. It may look like we are seeking first the kingdom of God to others, but seeking first the kingdom of God is a matter of our heart, not our behavior.

The fruit of seeking the kingdom of God is our changed heart. Jesus did not tell us to seek to become righteous. He did not tell us to try to act and be right as He is right. Jesus said for us to seek His righteousness.

When we seek His righteousness we lose sight of ourselves. We behold His loveliness and our heart is transformed.

***

CHAPTER 7 – CONFESSING HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

To many, confession is admitting your sin. However, the real meaning of confession is the Greek word homologio, which means, “To say the same thing.” When God says something is sin, you are confessing when you say, “God, what I did was a sin.” When the Bible says that Jesus is Lord, you are confessing when you say, “Jesus, you are my Lord.” That is not a confession of sin. That is a confession of truth.

Therefore, when the Bible tells you that Jesus has made you the righteousness of God in Christ, you are confessing when you say, “I have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.”

Many of us have correctly learned that we are to confess what God says about us even when our present circumstance may not look or feel like it is true. I may feel like God has left me, but I confess that He will never leave or forsake me because Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” I may feel condemned, but I confess I am not condemned because the Bible says, “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” I may feel unworthy, but I confess that God has forgiven me of all my sin and cleansed me from all unrighteousness because the Bible says, “Their sin and their lawless deeds I will remember no more forever.” I may feel sick, but I confess I am healed because the Bible says, “By whose stripes you have been healed.” My bank account may be empty, but I confess that my God shall supply all my needs because the Bible says, “My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory.” I may feel unrighteous. I may have just sinned. I may even be in the very midst of sinning. But I confess I am the righteousness of God in Christ because the Bible says, “This righteousness is given by faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.”

Why do I confess that I am the righteous of God in Christ at the very moment I am sinning? Because I need His grace to overcome the sin!

If I had the strength to stop sinning, I would have already stopped. Do not be like Peter and believe you have the strength to stop. Even Jesus said, “I of myself can do nothing.”

I do not have the strength to stop sinning. But Jesus does. When I look to His grace, when I draw near to Him, He protects me, transforms my heart and delivers me. When temptation comes, I look to His grace and confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.” His grace responds by filling me with the strength to not fail.

But even when I fail, I still confess, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.” Not because I feel like it, but because it is the truth. I run to Him and I am saved.

When you know how much Jesus loves you, you run TO Him when you need help. Judas was sorry for his sin. Judas even paid restitution for his sin. But Judas never went to Jesus for help.

When you confess His righteousness you are reminded of how much Jesus loves you. You are reminded of how much He suffered on the cross just to be close to you.

Peter denied Jesus three times that fateful night. Nevertheless, after Jesus rose from the dead Peter did not run from Jesus because of His sin. He went to the upper room and prayed for forgiveness. And after Jesus was glorified, Jesus appeared first to Peter, loved him and restored him.

Days later when John recognized Jesus was on the shore, Peter jumped into the water to get to Jesus as quickly as possible. If Peter had had any condemnation, guilt or shame because of his sin, he would have stayed away from Jesus. But because Peter knew he was loved and forgiven, he swam as fast as he could to get to Jesus. That is how grace changes a heart. It will change yours too!

When you know you are loved, it is easy to admit that you have sinned.

As a Christian you do not confess your sin in order to be forgiven. You confess your sin because you are forgiven!

You confess that you are still the righteousness of God in Christ because that is the truth, His gift to you.

***

CHAPTER 8 – STOP DISQUALIFYING ME

“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: (Deuteronomy 28:1-2)

For thirteen more wonderful verses, God describes His blessings. Verse after verse of tremendous blessings for us. However, they are conditional. We must diligently obey the voice of the Lord our God and be careful to observe ALL His commandments or we will not qualify to receive the blessings.

If we are doing well at the moment, we might be tempted to think we qualify. Nevertheless, an honest introspection instantly reveals that we have not fully obeyed the Lord our God and therefore we are disqualified from receiving the blessings. All these blessings will NOT come upon us and overtake us because we have not fully obeyed the Lord our God.

It is easy to recognize the old covenant law. The law always focuses on YOU.

If YOU do this or if YOU do that, or if YOU do not do this or if YOU do not do that. The law always concludes with, “There is still one thing you lack.”

For a moment, we were encouraged by the blessings of God. But now we are concerned that we may not only be disqualified, we may also be cursed.

“But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: (Deuteronomy 28:15)

It should be noted that God did not say that He would curse us. He simply said if we do not obey Him all these curses will come upon us and overtake us. It is like our mom telling us, “Don’t go out in the rain or you’ll get wet.” If we go outside and get wet, our mom did not put the wetness on us!

Nevertheless, when we consider the cross, we can be confident that we have been eternally redeemed from the curse of the law.

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:13-14)

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law so that we may eternally be blessed with the blessing of Abraham.

It is easy to recognize new covenant grace. Grace always focuses on Jesus and what He has done for us.

According to the law, we are disqualified from the blessings of Abraham because we have not fully obeyed all the commandments of God. But according to grace, Jesus has fully obeyed all the commandments of God, giving us the confidence that He has forgiven us and made us the righteousness of God in Christ.

When we mix law and grace, we become double minded.

So which one is correct? Are we blessed or are we cursed? Do we qualify for the blessings or not?

Dictionary.com defines the word insidious as intending to entrap or beguile; stealthily treacherous or deceitful; operating or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect.

One of the most insidious aspects of mixing the law with grace is double-mindedness, which produces lack of confidence and hinders us from receiving from God.

Such is the confidence and steadfast reliance and absolute trust that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficiently qualified in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency and qualifications come from God. He has qualified us [making us sufficient] as ministers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not of the letter [of a written code] but of the Spirit; for the letter [of the Law] kills [by revealing sin and demanding obedience], but the Spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:4-6 AMP Emphasis mine)

Under the law, because we have fallen short, we are disqualified from the blessings of God. Under grace, Jesus has qualified us to freely receive all the blessings of God!

The law demands righteousness, but the Spirit supplies righteousness.

Yet there remains a battle in our mind. The devil is determined to get us to look at ourselves. He wants us to look at ourselves to determine if we are qualified. He will attempt to get other people to tell us that we are disqualified. When we make a mistake or commit a sin, he will immediately accuse and condemn us to tempt us to believe we are disqualified.

Nevertheless, because of the blood of Jesus, we are not under the law. Because of Jesus, we are under grace. Therefore, Jesus is our qualification. He is the One who diligently obeyed the voice of the Lord and carefully observed ALL His commandments. He did it for us because He loves us. When we are born again, Jesus becomes our eternal qualification.

So when our mind tells us that we do not qualify to be blessed, we hear our born again spirit say, “Stop disqualifying me! My obedience never qualified me in the first place. Jesus qualified me. Because Jesus qualified me, I am qualified to receive all the blessings. Because Jesus redeemed me from the curse of the law, none of the curses of the law will ever come upon me.” The Holy Spirit convicts me of righteousness and says, “You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!”

Do not be confused. Under the law, our obedience did disqualify us. But under grace, it is God who has qualified us in Christ Jesus when we were born again. Jesus is the one that was obedient so we could be qualified.

Yes, there are still serious consequences to sin. It can destroy you. Get out of sin! But when you sin, it is the devil who wants to condemn you, not God. God wants to deliver you from sin. When you sin, run to Jesus. Come boldly to the throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” (Luke 9:56)

Trying to get out of sin will never qualify you. But believing God has qualified you will get you out of sin!

***

CHAPTER 9 – THE FRUIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

There are significant other benefits to seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. God has arranged things such that when we stop striving to become righteous and start believing that He has made us righteous, His righteousness actually goes to work for us.

The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. (Isaiah 32:17)

When we work on our own righteousness, God rests. When we rest in His righteousness, He goes to work for us!

The work of righteous will be peace (shalom, the wholeness that comes from nothing being missing, nothing being broken). When we seek peace, peace flies away. When we seek Jesus, peace starts working on us.

It is so very important that we see that God wants to do a work in us. When we strive to obtain peace, the grace of God becomes of no effect to us. But when we believe that He has made us righteous, the grace of God begins to transform our heart with His peace. When we trust in His righteousness, His righteousness goes to work making miracles happen and changing things we could never change. This scripture clearly states that the effect of believing that Jesus has made us righteous is quietness (inner calm) and assurance (confident expectation of good) forevermore.

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)

When we are filled with the fruits of righteousness, three important things start to happen more and more.

First, we are able to love people wisely, in knowledge and discernment. That is for their benefit and our protection. We know there are people that desperately need our love and do not deserve it. There are others who will take our love and abuse it. It is important that we be wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove.

Second, we will prove the things that are excellent. In other words, God will give us the best in life and we will get to test it and prove that God’s best really is the best.

Third, we will be sincere (free of deceit and hypocrisy, genuine and pure) and without offense (hurt or resentment). By believing we have been made the righteous of God by Christ Jesus, God gives us the grace to be sincere and speak the truth in love without offending others or being hurt ourselves. That is grace!

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 4:17)

What is the kingdom of God? Righteousness (that is His righteousness), peace (shalom, the wholeness that comes from nothing being missing and nothing being broken) and JOY in the Holy Spirit!

Happiness is an emotion. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Happiness depends upon our circumstances. Joy emanates from the Spirit of God within us. Strong’s Concordance defines joy (the Greek word chara) as, “The awareness of God's grace and favor; grace recognized.”

Joy is the fruit of recognizing God’s grace!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit and not a work of the flesh. Patience (longsuffering) is a fruit of the Spirit and not a work of the flesh. That means TRYING to be patient is self-righteousness. Patience is a fruit of God’s grace in us. We look and see the grace of Jesus. He fills us with His patience.

Love, joy and peace cannot be found in other people or better circumstances. Love, joy and peace are the fruit of seeking the righteousness of God by faith.

When we seek the righteousness of God, by grace His righteousness begins to fill us with love, joy and peace. And since there is no law, there are no limits to the love, joy and peace that belong to us in Christ Jesus. Simply by recognizing His grace!

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

When we behold His grace (the glory of the Lord) with unveiled faces (born again), we are transformed into His image from glory to glory.

Look and recognize the grace of Jesus. He will transform our hearts by filling us will His love, joy, peace and all the fruit of the Spirit as we behold His beauty and grace.

***

CHAPTER 10 – THE MINISTRY OF GRACE

The story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples is a beautiful story of humility and service.

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”

Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”

Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”

Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”

Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.” So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:1-17)

This scripture begins by revealing that Jesus loved His own until the end. When we read this in Greek, it is obvious that this scripture does not mean Jesus loved them until the end of His life. It means that Jesus loved them with a purpose, reaching the full potential and consummation of His love. What Jesus did reveals how far His love extended to these disciples and how far His love extends to us and all of God’s children today.

Humility and service are important lessons, but they cannot be the primary lessons to be learned from this story because Jesus said, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.” Certainly, the disciples could have understood the important of humbling themselves and serving others.

Jesus used foot washing to reveal the new covenant ministry of grace. When Peter said, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head” Jesus responded, “He who is bathed (born again) needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean.” It makes sense now because the blood of Jesus on the cross has eternally cleansed us. But because Jesus had not yet died when He said this, it would be hard for them to understand.

Jesus declared that we only need to be born again once. Our spirit is eternally cleansed when we are born again. In fact, the Greek makes it clear that the blood of Jesus is eternally cleansing our spirit every moment of every day forever.

So why do we need our feet cleansed?

Because our soul and our body are daily soiled by living in this fallen world. Our spirit may be eternally cleansed and made in the image of Christ, but our soul and body take a beating every day.

We are cleansed by the washing of the water by the word (of the revelation of the grace of our Lord Jesus). Daily hearing more about His grace cleanses our mind, refreshes our soul and strengthens our body.

THAT is what we are supposed to be ministering to our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We are not supposed to be high minded and pronounce judgement upon others trapped in sin. We are supposed to take off our crowns, take on the form of a servant, and pour the cleansing water of forgiveness on people who do not deserve it. We are to show them the love of Jesus and forgive them of their sin.

Yes we are to be wise. Some will reject God’s grace. Some will even abuse God’s grace. But are we greater than Jesus who sent us? People rejected Him. People will reject us. Nevertheless, many will repent (change their minds) and receive the grace of God when they realize how much they are loved. Like Peter, some may mess up the very night they receive grace. However, Jesus still forgave Peter and all the disciples that failed that night. The only one that was lost was Judas, the one who would not come to Jesus to find mercy and grace.

Can you see the grace of Jesus in His love for His people that He would send us to minister grace to one another?

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with (lifting up) one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. (Colosians 3:12-14 Emphasis mine)

God has sent us forth as ambassadors of grace to minister the grace of Jesus to an underserving world. He did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

Those who THINK they have been forgiven little love little. (Though we have all been forgiven much.) But those who know how much they have been forgiven, love much.

When we have received an abundance of grace, we are able to freely give much grace to others.

Ministering mercy, forgiveness and grace to one another IS washing the feet of your brethren.

***

CHAPTER 11 – EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OK

We live in a fallen world where the people who should have loved us the most are often the people who have also hurt us the most. A world that preys on the poor and condemns the weak. A world of people who are lost, lonely and desperate for love, joy and peace. A world filled with people trying to survive. If not for our electronic gadgets, a people not unlike the multitudes who came to Jesus.

But when [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (Matthew 9:36)

I was nineteen years old in 1976 when my mom was trying to survive brain tumor surgery and divorce. She had been left alone to take care of seven boys and one girl. As the oldest, I wanted to take care of my family. However, I was just a prideful immature kid. After several months of failing to take care of my family, I deserted them and fled in shame.

I had grown up my entire life in a big loving family. Now I felt completely alone. I had gone back to the town where I was raised, only to discover that almost everyone I knew had moved or gone away to college. The only job I could find was cleaning toilets at the post office every morning at 5:00 AM. It was still winter in North Texas and it was a month before I made enough money to have the electricity turned on where I was staying. I survived because of a childhood friend Barry Lyon and his grandmother.

For the next year, I did not think about Jesus. I believed I had failed Him when I had failed to take care of my family. I was not born again. I had never even heard of being born again. I believed you had to earn everything you received in life. I believed if you did something wrong, God would punish you. I did love watching movies about Jesus. I wanted to love Him. I wanted to serve Him. But I did not know how. And I did not want to fail Him again, so I did not try.

When unrighteous politicians see hurting people, they think of ignorant constituents with whom they can obtain power. When unscrupulous businessmen see hurting people, they think of cheap labor and high profits. When self-righteous religious people see hurting people, they disdain and condemn them in order to exalt themselves. And when hurting people see a giver, they will take, and take, and take until they hurt the one who is trying to help them.

But when Jesus sees hurting people, He is moved with compassion for them, because they are weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

No matter how much the sin, Jesus always has much more grace!

When Jesus sees a sinner, He sees the very object of His love trying to self-medicate his weary soul. Someone who is trying to find love, joy and peace in the wrong places, scattered, without family, without a church and without a pastor.

Jesus knew my pride, my ignorance, and my shame, and loved me anyway. He sent a blind singer, songwriter and pianist named Ken Medema to Wichita Falls, Texas so I could see the grace of Jesus. As I listened to his songs about Jesus, God’s love flooded my soul and I collapsed to my feet at my seat. Though I was not saved that night, I left knowing that I was not living where I was supposed to be living. A few days later, I headed back to Houston with little money, no job and no place to stay. Somehow, I knew that God wanted me to go back to Houston. After driving all night and almost falling asleep at the wheel, I pulled off the highway and slept in the parking lot of a local business at Rayford-Sawdust and I45 in Spring, Texas (just north of Houston). Two years later, I would meet Toni at that very intersection.

When we see the grace of Jesus we are transformed. It is not something we do. It is something He does.

We do not transform ourselves. He transforms us when we see His grace.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18 Emphasis mine)

Being transformed indicating that it is a continual process done by someone else. That is why we need to KEEP seeing the grace of Jesus.

Jesus had a plan to save me, deliver me and fulfill my heart’s desire. He put the desire in me to move back to Houston where I would meet the love of my life and she would lead me to Him. Jesus kept me awake just long enough for me to reach His appointed destination. I wish I had stayed there. I am sure His grace had already arranged for a job, a home and a wonderful life for me there.

Unfortunately, I woke up and continued driving to the other side of Houston. Once again, I tried to go back to my past. I went back to the University of Houston. I went back to my old band who graciously allowed me to rejoin them. Life was better, but so empty. For two years, the grace of God continued to woo me. I had seen a glimpse of His grace and I hungered for more. One night I prayed, “God, I give my life to You. But you are going to have to tell me what to do because I have no idea.”

Miraculously, I was offered a job as the manager of a music store located at the corner of Rayford-Sawdust and I45 in Spring, Texas where I would meet Toni a few weeks later. The grace of God had moved me back to where I was supposed to be!

I had attempted to follow God and failed. But He forgave me and continued redirecting me until He got me to where I was supposed to be. What a gracious God we serve!

When we see the grace of Jesus, miracles immediately start happening in our lives. God’s grace reaches deep down inside of us and begins to heal our broken heart. Somehow, we start believing correctly.

When we start believing correctly, we start behaving correctly effortlessly.

The more we keep seeing His grace, the more we find ourselves at the right place at the right time. Even when we sin and make mistakes, His grace continues to transform us and turn our mistakes into miraculous testimonies. Eventually we realize that God wants us to enjoy the life He has given and prepared for us. The key is, we must KEEP seeing His grace.

Now as I look back at my life, I see how Jesus kept revealing His grace to me through other people until I finally saw HIM! And when I saw Him, I knew I would never be the same again.

There is one thing I have learned as a husband, a father and as a pastor, people need someone to say, “Everything is going to be OK.” Even Jesus regularly comforted His disciples saying, “It is Me. Do not be afraid.”

My friend, everything IS going to be OK!

How can I be so confident?

Because I have seen and experienced the grace of Jesus. I know Jesus loves you. And because He loves you, He will take care of you.

It is not the child’s hold on his mother that makes him feel secure. It is his mother’s hold on him that makes him secure. Yes, we should hold onto Jesus. But remember, He is holding on to you! Everything is going to be OK!

But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking,” says the Lord. “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. (Jeremiah 23:3-6)

God will bring you back to your fold, to your family and your church. You will never be alone again. God will make you fruitful and you will continue to increase and not decrease. God will set up pastors who will feed you. And what will be the result? You will not be afraid. You will not be dismayed (have sudden anxiety or distress). Neither shall you lack any good thing. For you have been redeemed from the curse of the law and you are eternally and irrevocably blessed.

Because you have given up your filthy rags of self-righteousness you can boldly declare, “The Lord is my righteousness!”

***

CHAPTER 12 – REDEEMING THE TIME

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:

Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies

(Psalm 103:2-4)

I was gloriously born again the evening of February 15th, 1981. I was filled with joy, but there was one subject I was not excited about. I did not want to go back to college.

I thought there were plenty of good reasons to not go back to college. It cost a lot of money. I would have to work and go to college part-time. Besides, I needed Jesus, not college, and Jesus was coming back very soon. And with God, all things are possible. (Why didn’t that include going back to college?) And of course because I was almost 25 years old, I was WAY too old to go back to college.

Stop laughing! Just because I received the grace of salvation did not mean that my elevator went all the way to the top.

Every year Toni would encourage me to go back to college. She would always say, “Four years are going to pass anyway.”

In October of 1983 Toni and I were married. Toni’s dad had taught me to design jewelry and I was making good money. Yet Toni would still encourage me to go back to college saying, “Four years are going to pass anyway.”

Then in 1985 everything changed. I wanted and needed to have a better job. But this time when Toni encouraged me to go back to college she said, “You would be finished with college now if you had started four years ago.”

I was slain to the core. I knew it was true. I had successfully completed one full semester at the University of Houston in 1976 and was just starting my second semester when my mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor. I left school that day and never withdrew from my classes. And though I later completed two classes at North Harris County College, my current grade point average was a whopping 1.9 of 4.

But the real problem was just that I was afraid of going back to school and failing again. My mind went back to my junior year of high school when I spoke to a high ranking officer in the Air Force about my hope of securing a nomination to the Air Force Academy. Though I had an excellent shot at the nomination, I had balked when the officer told me that he would own me for the next eleven years of my life.

Now, as I imagined the joy of flying jets, I wondered if I could handle the rigor of basic training. Then my sister-in-law Gloria Davidson said to me, “If you are willing to go into the military and be told what to do every day of your life, why won’t you just go back to school?”

The next morning, in September 1985, I was standing in the registration office at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. It was two weeks after the last day of registration. I begged to be admitted for the semester. One quick look at my grades and I was immediately denied.

I appealed to the Dean of the college. The dean’s office said he would not be able to see me for a few hours. So I sat in the lobby and waited. Eventually I was able to meet with him and make my appeal. He told me I was two weeks too late. I told him I needed to go to school. He told me I was two weeks too late. I told him I was finally ready to go back to college. He told me I was two weeks too late. I told him, “I am NOT two weeks too late. I am NINE YEARS too late. Please let me go to school!”

He smiled at me and told me that I would have to get permission from each professor before I could register for a class. By late evening I had registered for 12 hours of classes with four professors. My calculus professor told me my first test was in two days. I made an A in that class!

With God’s grace I was able to complete my four years of college in three years. I graduated magna cum laude in August of 1988 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computing Science and a Minor in Mathematics with a 3.6 cumulative grade point average. I was also selected as the SHSU Junior Computer Scientist of the year. God also gave me the strength to work the entire time I went to school. On my last regular day of school I went back to the Dean and thanked him for having mercy on me and allowing me to go back to college.

Two days later I started working for IBM in Austin, Texas where I was blessed to work with some of the finest people I have ever known. God exceedingly blessed me at IBM, giving me favor, wisdom and witty inventions that were so obviously from Him.

One day in 1994, I was made aware that IBM was potentially about to lose a major opportunity with British Telecom. I do not remember how, but somehow I knew what needed to be changed in our AIX operating system for us to win. So I went to my second line manager’s office and told him what needed to be done to win the British Telecom business.

What I did not know was that very morning my second line manager had been in a meeting with the Director of Software Development for IBM Austin. The meeting was about how to win and not lose the British Telecom business opportunity. So when I finished my little speech, he marched me across the street to headquarters without even saying a word. He took me straight into the Director’s office and told me to tell the Director exactly what I had just told him.

After I completed my little speech, the Director walked up to his white board and showed me the names of several telecoms that were under a heading called, “Critical Situations.” He looked directly into my eyes, took an eraser and erased all the names of the telecoms that were on that white board. He then turned and asked me, “Is there anything you do not understand?”

I was shocked. I said, “You do not want to see the names of those telecoms on your critical situation list again.” He smiled and directed that I was to be moved immediately into my own office on the top floor of headquarters and report directly to him.

All I could say was, “Look what the Lord has done!”

A few days later, one of the managers on the executive staff came to speak with me. He did not do anything wrong, but I think it really bothered him that I had been assigned to the Director’s staff. As he interrogated me it became obvious to both of us that I did not have proper qualifications to be at that level. He kept stressing that it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to be on the Director’s staff when I had only worked for IBM for six years. For about an hour he explained why it requires at least fifteen years of service to have the privileges and salary I now possessed.

When he left, it occurred to me that six years at IBM plus my nine years of disobedience equaled fifteen years.

It seemed the glory of God came in my office. God showed me that He had redeemed my nine years of disobedience. By His mercy and grace, He had placed me where I would have been if I had done what I was supposed to do in the first place.

That manager was not wrong. In the natural, it was impossible for me to have that job.

The mercy and grace of God had redeemed my past.

Do not hold on to the sorrow of your past. Do not regret your lost time and missed opportunities with loved ones. Look to His grace. He can do the impossible. Jesus will restore the years that were stolen from you, even if it was your own fault. Do not be afraid to do what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do. Whatever He is leading you to do, there is a miracle waiting for you if you will trust Him and do it. Do not be afraid of performance evaluations, job interviews and taking chances.

If God is leading you, He has already qualified you!

Do not be afraid. Jesus will give you supernatural favor. Step out of the boat and keep your eyes on Jesus. He loves redeeming the time!

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…” You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you... Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame. (Joel 2:25-27 Emphasis mine)

***

CHAPTER 13 - THE LIFESTYLE OF THE RIGHTEOUS

Why do we struggle so hard to enjoy life? We believe wrong, so we feel wrong and act wrong.

We are self-focused just like the world. We have the same personal problems as the world AND we believe we must hide our problems so we look righteous to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are disobedient just like the world. We worry, covet and judge others just like the world AND we believe it is the Holy Spirit’s job to hover over us and convict us of our sin.

We feel condemned just like the world. We are judged as hypocrites by the world because we are not perfect AND we believe we are condemned by the church because we do not meet their expectations. In addition, because we fail to meet our own expectations we believe we are never good enough to please God either.

We expect to be punished for sin just like the world. In fact, because we are Christians we believe we should expect to have a greater condemnation than the world AND the trials and tribulations that God says will happen to every Christian AND the tests and lessons that we believe God brings to each of us to teach us.

It is no wonder that many unbelievers hear Christians say things like this and they do not want to be a Christian. It is even hard for me to say those words. They are wrong. That is not the lifestyle of a new testament believer! That is not the lifestyle of the righteous. That is the lifestyle of the self-righteous under the law. That is mixture of law and grace. That is being born again and then going back to the law to find righteous.

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Galatians 3:1-6)

The Bible does not say our sin is as filthy rags. It says our righteousness is as filthy rags.

But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)

Jesus died on the cross so we might have His perfect righteousness. He wanted us to be confident and assured of our salvation. Jesus did not die on the cross to give us a life of wandering and wondering.

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God [which represents all that Jesus Christ is and does], so that you will know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have eternal life. (1 John 5:13 AMP)

God wants us to KNOW! He wants us to be confident in His love. He wants us to enjoy life with Him, filled with a confident expectation of good. Not living our life trying to fulfill the law, but enjoying life with Him, confidently listening to the Holy Spirit for direction and comfort.

So how should we be-lieving our lives? What does that lifestyle look like?

We wake up on the morning knowing we are loved, forgiven, qualified, righteous and blessed. Not because of what we have done but because of what Jesus has done for us. We can go to sleep at night because we know our value is not in our accomplishments of the day, but in our Savior’s love for us.

Not because we love Him, but because He first loved us.

Though we live in a fallen world where sin abounds, we know the grace of God abounds much more. We are quick to see the grace of God everywhere we go, even when others only see the depravity of the world. We are lights in the darkness of this world pointing people to the loveliness of Jesus. We know that so much of what happens in this fallen world is not what God wants to happen. Nevertheless, we live by the faith in the Son of God, trusting Him and working with Him to deliver, heal and restore.

We know that it honors God that we would love Him and live for Him without having ever seen Him. We know He is always faithful and always working to help us, not hurt us!

We know that following the Holy Spirit is not another task we must complete; it is the doorway into a supernatural lifestyle! Sowing and reaping may be real, but it is just a principle of this world. Grace and favor is the supernatural lifestyle of the righteous.

“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. (Deuteronomy 6:10-12)

I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant. (Joshua 23:13)

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.” (Psalm‬ ‭23:1-3)‬

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14)

The self-righteous and unbelievers never know for sure if God hears them. The righteous know that God hears them, whatever they ask, because they know how much they are loved.

How do we describe the lifestyle of the righteous?

The righteous enjoy life like children who know they are loved. They have no consciousness of condemnation, failure, shame or disqualification. They have no fear of the future. They are excited about seeing new manifestations of God’s grace every day.

I call it the Lifestyle of the Rich and Righteous because we have truly been made rich. These are the true riches. The ones that last forever. But God will not only give us these true riches, He will also give us wealth and prosperity. By His Holy Spirit, He is leading us OUT of the mess of this world into His zoe God-kind of life.

Repent. Change your mind. Stop believing God is trying to straightening you out. He is leading you out! Out of condemnation and into fulfillment. Out of the darkness and into His light. Out of depression and into His everlasting joy.

Stop achieving and start receiving the grace of God.

You can follow Him. He says you know His voice!

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27)

***

CHAPTER 14 – LED BY THE SPIRIT

“Just tell me what to do, Pastor Rob.” I understand. Our soul longs for a formula. There are many things that each of us can do that will lead toward success. In fact, the Bible is THE source for all wisdom and godly principles for leading a successful life. Nevertheless, without the leading of the Holy Spirit, how would we ever know which principle to use, and when? Let me give you a scriptural example that has always intrigued me.

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. (Proverbs 26:4-5)

So what are we supposed to do? Should we answer or not answer the fool according to his folly? How are we to know?

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:14-16)

Did you notice the connection between being able to hear God’s direction and having a tender, Abba Father and child relationship? It is hard to hear God when you know Him as boss. It is easy to hear Him when you know He is your Abba Father who loves you.

A boss (often called a master in the Bible) tells his employees (often called slaves in the Bible) to obey the rules and do as they are told. When they have completed their daily task, they are paid and sent home. However, the children of the boss are not treated as employees. Though they may still have appointed tasks, they enjoy special favor, special privileges, and special access to the boss that employees will never have. The master may be the boss to the employee, but he is father to the children. Instead of being sent away at the end of the day, the children come home with the father and they rejoice together as a family in all the blessings that God has provided. The children have a special and intimate relationship with the father. The father shares his plans for the future with his children. The children know that all the father owns belongs to them. They do not even have to ask to go to the refrigerator and get a drink.

Jesus wants us to be led by His Spirit, not by the law. Anyone can preach, “Do good, get good. Do bad, get bad.” Anyone can teach the law. But it requires the Spirit of God to teach forgiveness and grace. It requires the Spirit of God to teach love. It requires the Spirit of God to teach us to be led by a relationship of love.

Most of our life we have been led by the law. Obey your parents. Obey your teachers. Obey the rules. Obey those in authority over you. Do good, get good. Do bad, get bad. It can be a great struggle.

I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:16-18)

But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6)

When we are born again, God wants us to be led by His Spirit and not by the law because we are His children.

We may hear it said, “The answer to every question is in the Bible.” But the Bible will not tell us whom to marry. The Bible will not tell us where to live.

The Bible points us to Jesus, the One who knows all the answers!

Jesus does not want us to be led the old way by the written law. He wants us to be led by His Spirit. Instead of searching the Bible to find a scripture to tell us what to do, we read our Bible to see more of Jesus. As we focus on Jesus, somehow Jesus tells us what to do by His Holy Spirit. Often we are simply impressed on the inside by the Holy Spirit.

Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. (Luke 2:27)

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22)

These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:10)

Jesus explained this to His disciples the night before He was crucified.

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 16:12-15 NIV)

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would guide us and tell us about the future. That everything the Holy Spirit would say would always glorify Jesus. Our job is not to search for the answer to our questions. Our job is to ask Jesus for the answer to our questions and then to focus on seeing more of His grace. The Holy Spirit’s job is to make us know what Jesus is saying to us. Here is an interesting example from the Bible.

Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6-10)

You would think that it would be OK to go anywhere and preach the gospel because Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel. The church is to go into all the world and preach the gospel. But what is our individual assignment? Where are we supposed to go? When are we supposed to go? And where? What is the plan?

You cannot find the answers to these questions by searching the written word of the Bible. We need the Holy Spirit to lead us. Sometimes He will lead us to a specific scripture in the Bible for our situation. Sometimes He will witness to us by a still small voice on the inside of us. Sometimes He will use extraordinary things to lead us. But whatever He says, it will always line up with the Bible and glorify Jesus.

Cold impersonal words from the old covenant law will no longer lead us. Jesus Himself will lead us by His Holy Spirit.

We will make mistakes. Sometimes we will mistake our desires, our emotions or things that other people say for the leading of the Holy Spirit. That is why it is so important that we focus on the grace of Jesus. The moment we focus on ourselves, we see our mistakes and start the journey from condemnation to depression. The moment we focus on Jesus, we can see His grace and hear His Spirit because we are free from the voice of fear and condemnation.

But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:6 NIV)

If we believe everything depends upon us, it is natural to be afraid of being led by the Spirit. What if we make a mistake trying to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit? What do we do if we realize that we have made a mistake? But when we realize that we can do nothing of ourselves and that everything depends upon Jesus, we can rest knowing that He is the answer to every problem we face. He will deliver us from our mistakes. He will deliver us from every attack of the devil. He will even deliver us from every mistake we are going to make in the future. Everything is going to be OK. We just keep our eyes on Jesus!

Being led by the Spirit is not acting super spiritual and weird. Nor is being led by the Spirit an excuse for being flaky and unreliable.

Being led by the Spirit is the FRUIT of a living relationship with Jesus where our heart is daily being transformed by His love and grace.

It may be difficult for people to see the change that is happening in us at first, because they only see us from the outside. We may not be changing as fast as they (or we) would like because we are being changed from the inside out. Nevertheless, we are gloriously being transformed from glory to glory.

Children who have been trained by the law under strict parental supervision may appear as well behaved children. However, when they go to college and are no longer under strict supervision they often go wild. That is because their heart was never transformed. They were simply constrained by the fear of consequences and punishment. But Jesus has come to change our hearts. When we realize how much we are loved, how completely we have been forgiven, and how great a life we have been given, we have no more desire for sin. It is not that we are perfect. We are just being changed from the inside out, from glory to glory.

Grace is not a license to sin, it is the antidote to sin.

Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”

And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:2-12)

Grace is the key to being led by the Spirit. Knowing we are not condemned but under grace gives us the power to go and sin no more. Instead of focusing on ourselves and trying to obey every rule, we simply focus on Jesus. We live life completely and totally dependent upon Him. We can work hard and rejoice knowing we are not trusting in our own efforts to get a promotion. We can go home and enjoy our family because we know that THEY are our true riches from God. We can sleep at night in peace because we are not afraid of tomorrow. Every day we can enjoy our lives because we are enjoying the goodness of God!

***

CHAPTER 15 – FINAL JUDGMENT

Before I became a Christian I wrote a song about standing before God and being judged at the end of my life. Please do not let the words of this song bother you. They are WRONG. They are NOT TRUE. But they are typical of the way many people believe today. Sadly, even Christians!

The River

The river, the river is a winding road

Of your life, of the bad life that you’ve led

It is the path of your life through every little trial

Can you see where you passed and where you didn’t

And where you died?

The river, the river is a winding road

To show you, to show you why I now

Sentence you to life to pay for the sins that I’ve said.

Eternally agony of hell forever

Now that you’ve died!

How horrible! The fear of death is one of mankind’s greatest fears closely followed by the fear of eternal punishment. Jesus died that we might be free from the fear of death and punishment.

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage [slavery]. (Hebrews 2:15 Emphasis mine)

Most Christians believe that after they die they will have to stand before God and answer for all the things they did during their life.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Unfortunately, most Christians have no understanding that the word translated judgement is the Greek word bema. This word is the same word that was used to describe the elevated porch where the victors of athletic events stood and received their rewards.

There is a coming final judgement. And for those who have rejected the mercy and grace of God for themselves, it will be frightening time. They must stand and face the judgement and condemnation from which Jesus died to save them. But as Christians, we should have no fear of death. Jesus took all the punishment we deserved in His body on the cross.

When we stand before God, He will not be reviewing our sin. The Bible gives us a clear indication of how God sees our past.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. (Hebrews 11:8-11)

The old testament tells us that Abraham and Sarah lied and made HUGE mistakes trying to follow God. But the new testament does not even mention their sin or mistakes. Why? Because God has chosen to see our lives through the blood of His Son Jesus. I call it God’s Hebrews 11 version of our lives.

I used to be afraid of standing before Jesus and being judged. The thought that Jesus would review a movie of my life and critique my every mistake was frightening.

But one day the Spirit of God revealed to me that when we stand before the bema Judgement Seat of Christ, the movie of our life will not be about our sin and failure.

The bema Judgement Seat of Christ will be all about the grace of Jesus and how He took care of us all of our lives!

We will get to see the times He protected us from accidents and disasters. The many times He gave us favor, the ability to know answers, pass tests, win awards, overcome disappointments, and more. Even the times when we thought He seemed so far away, He will show us that He was actually carrying us through the trial.

We will cry as we watch His great love for us. Most of the times we did not even know He was taking care of us. And He will gently wipe away our every tear. Then, when He begins to give us rewards for loving others with the strength He gave us, we will fall to our knees and worship Him.

Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:8)

Paul, a former murderer of Christians, was obviously not afraid of standing before Jesus, whom he calls, “The righteous Judge.” He knows there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness. And not only for Paul himself, but also all those who love His appearing. That is us!

Do not be afraid of seeing Jesus when you die. Be excited about seeing Him. You will not be humiliated or condemned. You will get to see the Hebrews 11 version of your life!

Jesus has done everything that needs to be done. That is why He cried out from the cross, “It is FINISHED!” All that is left, is for you to consent to be loved. Please pray this prayer with me.

“Father, I believe you sent Jesus to die for me on the cross so that I might live with You forever. I consent to receive Your love, mercy, forgiveness and grace. I ask you to be my Savior and Lord. In Jesus name, Amen!”

My friend, you are born again. Welcome to the family! You have passed from death to life. Do not be afraid. You will NEVER face judgement again, forever.

***

PART 2 – PEELING SHRIMP

The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! (2 Corinthians 3:7-9 NLT)

CHAPTER 16 – WHICH POLICY IS YOURS?

Most medical insurance companies define their policy benefits in terms of patient responsibility and insurer responsibility. If you do your part, the insurance company promises to do their part. If you do not do your part, the insurance company is not obligated to do their part. In addition, your medical insurance company may require that you to satisfy a yearly deductible and co-pays before they will pay toward your claims. They may also deny a claim if they determine you had a pre-existing condition.

However, when you change employers, you are not obligated to or protected by the provisions of your previous insurance policy. The terms and conditions of your previous policy no longer apply to you. Regardless of how well you do or do not do your part, your old policy will not pay toward your claims because its provisions no longer apply to you – even if it still covers your old co-workers.

In the same way, if your new employer purchases a medical insurance plan (the Cadillac plan that covers all pre-existing conditions) and agrees to pay your yearly deductible and co-pays for you, then 100% of the benefits of your new insurance policy accrue to your benefit immediately. There is nothing left for you to do. Your new employer has provided everything for you. You do not even have to worry that you may have a disqualifying pre-existing condition. Your employer has already qualified you.

When God established the provisions of the old covenant, He outlined the provisions of the old policy in terms of man’s responsibility and God’s responsibility.

“Now therefore, if YOU will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.” (Exodus 19:5 Emphasis mine)

“Now it shall come to pass, if YOU diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because YOU obey the voice of the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2 Emphasis mine)

Notice your part. If YOU obey God’s voice and keep His covenant. If YOU diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments. Then all these blessings shall come upon you because YOU obey the voice of the Lord your God.

God established this covenant on Mount Sinai after He delivered the Israelites from Egypt. However, God said there was a problem with this covenant. The problem was not with the covenant itself. It was perfect. The problem was that the covenant depended upon the people doing their part, which they were unable to do.

“For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with THEM, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a NEW covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— NOT according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.” (Hebrews 8:7-9 Emphasis mine)

We can see that God did not find fault with the covenant, He found fault with THEM, the people. Then God said He was going to make a new covenant that is NOT according to the old covenant. What was going to be so different about the new covenant that it was NOT going to be according to the covenant God made on Mount Sinai?

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I WILL put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I WILL be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I WILL be merciful to their unrighteousness, and to their sins and their lawless deed I WILL remember no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:7-13 Emphasis mine)

Notice the difference between the old covenant language and the new covenant language. In the old covenant God said, “If YOU do this, I will bless you.” In the new covenant God says, “Because JESUS did this I will bless you.”

The law says, “If YOU will.” The grace of God says, “I will.”

God has removed the weak link that kept us from receiving the blessings – us!

***

CHAPTER 17 – TWO COVENANTS

The Book of Hebrews emphasizes two covenants, the old covenant that was given by God through Moses God’s servant and the new covenant that came through Jesus Christ. John describes the old covenant as the law and the new covenant as grace and truth.

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

John calls the old covenant the law - with all the rules and regulations that define our part and God’s part. John calls the new covenant, “Grace and truth.” Grace and truth are a description of enjoying everyday life with Jesus, who has come to be with us. God gave Israel the law though His servant Moses, as if God was unable to get too close. The original Hebrew language describes the entrance of the law as coming in alongside. It was not the main agenda. But God came to us as grace and truth in the person of Jesus. The law may be perfect, but it is not the truth. Truth is on the side of grace – not the law.

There is a tremendous difference between the old covenant based upon the law with its rules and regulations and the new covenant of grace. Most of us are trying to live in both covenants at the same time, often by trying to get the benefits of the new covenant by obeying the rules and regulations of the old covenant. We may be motivated to please God by attempting to obey all of God’s word, but we are attempting to get the benefits of our new insurance policy by obeying the rules of our old policy.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” (Mark 2:22)

Trying to obtain the benefits of your new insurance policy by obeying the rules of the old insurance policy will defeat you. It will make you frustrated, confused, dogmatic and judgmental of others. It is frustrating because your hopes are crushed when you have fulfilled the requirements of the old policy only to be denied the benefits of the new. Living this way is confusing because you do not understand what you did right when you do get the benefits. You do not know why you received them. Believing this way often causes you to be judgmental of others because they have not strived as hard as you to believe, live right and please God, yet they are still blessed by God.

Under which covenant are you living?

***

CHA[TER 18 – RIGHT BELIEVING

In psychology, cognitive dissonance is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time, performs an action that is contradictory to one or more beliefs, ideas or values, or is confronted by new information that conflicts with existing beliefs, ideas, or values.

The Bible does not use the phrase cognitive dissonance. It uses the phrase double minded. Please do not be offended by this phrase. It just means believing two contrary things at the same time. Let me provide an example by quoting two scriptures.

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14)

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

Do you believe the Bible? I hope you answered, “Yes!”

So how do you reconcile these scriptures? Jesus said, “If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Yet Paul says, “Forgive one another even as God in Christ forgave you.”

The answer lies very simply in understanding the two covenants. Jesus was speaking to those who were under the Law of Moses. He always brought the full weight of the law down on everyone who sought to be justified by the law. He did so to bring them to the end of themselves, for no one is justified by the law in the sight of God. Then Jesus Himself said from the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Jesus forgave all of us long before we forgave those who had hurt us. SOMETHING HAS CHANGED!

The new covenant is different from the old covenant. The old covenant requires us to forgive others in order for us to be forgiven. The new covenant tells us to be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another BECAUSE we are forgiven!

Both of these scriptures are true. We should believe them both. However, one applies to those who are under the Law of Moses, and the other applies to born-again believers of Jesus. Which one are you? If you are not born again and you believe that you are justified by your own good works, you must understand that unless you forgive men their trespasses God will not forgive you. But if you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, He has forgiven you of all your sin. Moreover, because Jesus has forgiven you of all your sin, He wants you to unconditionally forgive others just as He has unconditionally forgiven you.

If we do not understand this, we can easily become double minded. One moment we are in church rejoicing that God has forgiven of all of our sins. Then moments later, unforgiveness raises its ugly head when we see someone that has hurt us deeply. Immediately, condemnation attempts to convince us that God has not forgiven us because we have not forgiven the one that has hurt us. For the rest of the service we struggle to receive anything from God because we feel condemned and unworthy.

“For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:7)

Unfortunately, the insidious mixture of the old covenant law and new covenant grace is often accepted as the Gospel truth. It is THE major reason why people struggle to receive from God.

***

PART 3 – THE SOURCE OF FAITH

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:9)

CHAPTER 19 – THE REVELATION OF HIS GRACE

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17)

For over thirty years, I heard this verse emphasized more than almost any other scripture in the Bible. Sermon after sermon I heard about why I needed faith. How I could get faith. How I could build my faith. How I could exercise my faith.

The process is simple. I must believe in my heart and confess with my mouth. Beloved preachers taught me, “Faith is like a seed. Plant it and take care of it. Over time it will grow and produce a harvest.” To work this principle, first I must find a verse or a promise in the Bible that concerns my need. It will be my seed. Then I must get sin out of my life so that my heart is good ground in which to plant the seed. Then I must begin speaking the verse out of my mouth repeatedly in order to plant the seed in my heart. The more I speak it, the more I will hear it. The more I hear it, the more I will believe it. The more seed I plant, the larger my harvest will be. Then I must not worry because worry will choke the seed like a weed. I must never speak anything contrary to my faith because that will cancel out my seed. Then I must water my seed by continually speaking my faith over it. Then one day, when my faith has grown large enough, I will be able to speak the word with enough faith to get my miracle.

For the most part, these are real Bible principles that have greatly enriched my life. I have seen countless miracles because beloved preachers taught them to me and I worked them. Nevertheless, everything always depended upon me. Everything always depended upon my faith. If I did not work them, they did not work. The focus was always on me.

Yet I struggled to understand why I could not find any stories in the new testament where someone got a miracle by building their faith like this. Repeatedly people just came to Jesus and received their healing. I knew they had not heard any sermons on how to build their faith. I knew they had not spent the time required to build their faith. Yet obviously, they had faith to receive. How did they get it?

Then one day I read this verse from a transliteration of the original Greek language text.

ara hē pistis ex akoēs hē de akoē dia rhēmatos Christou (Romans 10:17 GNT)

So faith is by hearing, moreover hearing by the word of Christ (Literal English)

I do not know Greek. Nevertheless, I have learned some very important things from studying the Greek new testament.

Did you notice that the last word of this scripture is Christ, not God? Some of our most common Bible translations say, “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. But it is clearly the Greek word Christou, not Theos.

So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.

What difference does that make?

Because faith does not come from hearing Bible stories. Faith comes from the revelation of Christ in the scriptures.

Jesus knew that Cleopas and his friend did not understand what had happened and were slow to believe all the prophets had prophesied. So how did Jesus open their eyes to understand and comprehend the scriptures? He revealed Himself in the scriptures.

Faith does not come when you hear about the life and times of Joseph. Faith comes when you hear a preacher reveal how Joseph is a type of Jesus, condemned by His brothers, yet He forgives them and saves them.

Faith does not come when you hear about Moses and the Ten Commandments. Faith comes when you hear a preacher reveal that the law was given through Moses a servant, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Faith does not come when you hear about David and Bathsheba. Faith comes when you hear a preacher reveal how David prophesied about the new covenant of grace saying, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

Faith does not come when you hear about the Kings to whom Isaiah prophesied. Faith comes when you hear a preacher reveal how Isaiah 53 perfectly describes the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross hundreds of years before it happened.

These are just examples. The point is, faith comes when you hear about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ towards you.

That is why the people could receive from Him. They may not have had faith in a scripture, but when they heard Jesus speak, they saw His grace towards them.

You cannot convince me that Jesus went about doing good and healing all those who understood how faith works and had gotten sin out of their lives. No! He went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed by the devil. Everyone who desired to receive received from Him! That is love. That is compassion. That is mercy. That is grace!

Faith comes when you hear about how much Jesus loves you and wants to take care of you. The more you look at yourself, the more you see imperfections that disqualify you from receiving. The more you look at Jesus, the more you realize that He has already qualified you to receive from Him.

That is why we are to tell people about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When you see His grace, you know that you are not disqualified. You do not have to be perfect. You can be real and come just as you are. You cannot earn His love and you cannot lose His love. Jesus has already done everything needed on the cross. He did it all just for you.

Come and receive! The work is finished.

***

CHAPTER 20 – GO TELL JOHN ALL YOU HAVE SEEN

Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Luke 7:18-23)

John wanted to know if Jesus was the Coming One. Jesus said the answer was to tell John about His grace. The blind see. The lame walk. The lepers are cleansed. The deaf hear. The dead are raised. The poor have the gospel preached to them. How do you tell people that Jesus is the coming one? Tell them about His grace!

Jesus told the people,

“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:37-38)

What sets the miracles of Jesus apart from lying signs and wonders? They are works of grace emanating from the love of the Father. How can you know that? They are completely underserved by the recipient and they glorify Jesus. Lying signs and wonders are always for a special few and they never glorify Jesus.

God told Isaiah to prophecy a promise that He would take our infirmities and bear our sicknesses.

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses. (Matthew 8:17)

It was His gift of grace to us because we did not deserve it. But God did not give us the promise. He gave the Jews the promise. He gave us the fulfillment of the promise. Matthews says that when Jesus died on the cross He fulfilled that promise of taking our infirmities and bearing our sicknesses.

There is nothing left for us to do but to simply believe and receive what Jesus has already done for us.

Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

Unfortunately, there is something that can stop the grace of God – pride. Not because pride is sin, but because pride keeps you from desiring to receive what Jesus has freely given. No sin can stop the grace of God. Nevertheless, God will not force you to receive His grace. And pride can keep you from wanting it.

The devil may put thoughts like these into your mind. Why does Jesus think He is so special? Grace cannot be the only way to receive. I have earned it. These sinners do not deserve grace. I deserve a miracle more than they do.

Pride is a thief because it steals your desire for grace.

***

CHAPTER 21 – WHEN YOU SEE HIS GRACE HE SEES YOUR FAITH

The Bible only records two instances where Jesus told someone they had great faith. One was a Roman soldier. The other was a Greek Syrian Phoenician woman. Both were Gentiles.

The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! (Matthew 8:8-10)

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour. (Matthew 15:28)

Looking back at all the years I tried to build my faith, I marvel that I never noticed that neither of these two Gentiles could have possibly known all the things they must to do in order to build their faith.

So how did they get faith? How did they build their faith? How did they obtain great faith?

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:1-9)

When you think of God, do you see Him as rich in mercy? One of the reasons Jesus came in the flesh was so that we could see the Father with our eyes. Jesus is the perfect image of the Father. So when you think of Jesus, do you see Him as rich in mercy or someone quick to correct and judge? The Bible only records one time that Jesus got angry. Yet repeatedly it records that Jesus was filled with compassion because the people were as sheep without a shepherd.

The riches of His mercy far exceed the depth of our sin.

Why is Jesus rich in mercy towards us? Because of His great love for us. It would have been enough if the Bible said because of His love for us. But the Bible says, “Because of His GREAT love for us!”

Then just to make it clear to us that we have not done something that disqualifies us, the Bible says, “Even when we were dead in trespasses.”

God’s love for you has never changed. Even if you have been a Christian for a long time, knew better and sinned anyway, He still has mercy on you and forgives you because of His great love for you. In fact, when He raised Jesus from the dead, you were on His mind. He wants to show you the riches of His grace in His kindness towards you for all the ages to come.

You have been saved by grace. Not because you deserved it, because of His great love for you.

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

The law was given on stone tablets, cold and impersonal. But grace and truth came as a baby, innocent and beautiful. Jesus grew up humble, obedient to His parents in all things. He performed his first miracle to restore life and celebration to a wedding. He went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18-19)

According to the law, none of these people deserved to be blessed. Nevertheless, Jesus did not come to judge them. He came to save them. Jesus came that they might have life, and have it in abundance, to the full, until it overflows. We may see messed up people who do not deserve to be blessed. He sees the very object of His love.

Jesus is the very embodiment of grace attracted to weakness.

The Centurion and the Phoenician woman both knew they were not worthy and they both knew they were imposing upon His time. Nevertheless, both believed that His grace was greater than their disqualification.

That is why they had great faith. They saw His grace. They knew nothing about faith. They had never even heard a message about having faith in God.

But when they saw His grace, Jesus saw their faith.

When we realize that faith comes from seeing the grace of Jesus, there is no room for our works. Our very best is like filthy rags. Everything about Jesus is perfect.

***

PART 4 – COMMON THIEVES

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? (Galatians 3:1-5)

CHAPTER 22 – REPENTANCE REQUIRES CONTRITION AND CONFESSION

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-48)

What should we be preaching? Repentance and remission of sins in Jesus’ name. Repentance means to change your mind. Stop thinking that you must do something in order for God to forgive you. Remission of sins means God has pardoned you, forgiven you and relinquished all payment and obligation from you for your sin. He has made you the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That is what we are supposed to be preaching in Jesus name!

Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. (Hebrews 6:1-2)

But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:11-14)

Jesus forgave you more than 2,000 years ago. He paid the debt you owed so you might freely receive remission (the complete and permanent removal) of your sins.

We have all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. If you think that you must be remorseful, confess your sin, make restitution or do some good deed in order for God to forgive you, you need to repent. That is self-righteousness. You need to change your mind. Repent does not mean to stop sinning and come to God.

You do not have the power to stop sinning until you receive the grace of God!

Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:3-5)

Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.” But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:70-75)

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33)

Peter not only denied knowing Jesus, he did it three times! And Judas betrayed Jesus. These may be two of the greatest transgressions ever committed by a human being after Adam. They are certainly much greater sins than anything and everything we have ever done.

Peter went out and wept bitterly. Judas was not only remorseful, he confessed his sin of betraying innocent blood. He even attempted to pay restitution by returning the thirty pieces of silver. Many would say that Peter and Judas both repented because they were contrite, confessed and even made restitution. Yet one perished and one became an apostle. What was the difference between these two?

Though Peter wept bitterly, he knew there was nothing he could do but trust Jesus to forgive him. So he prayed and waited for Jesus. Judas was also remorseful, but rather than trusting Jesus to forgive him, he tried to earn his forgiveness by doing something. When these dead works of self-righteousness brought no relief from all the guilt and shame, Judas went out and hanged himself. Judas tried to punish himself for his sin instead of running to Jesus for forgiveness.

No doubt, the devil reminded Peter that Jesus said, “If you deny me before men I will deny you before the Father.” How those words must have tormented Peter. However, Jesus said something completely different from the cross, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Something has changed! Because of the cross, never again will man have to approach God with fear, trembling and an offering of blood. Now man can come boldly into God’s presence, unashamed, washed as white as snow by the blood of the Jesus. A righteousness that only comes by grace through faith. Not by one’s own works, but by the precious blood of Jesus.

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)

Stop thinking that you must do something in order for God to forgive you! Those are dead works. Receive His forgiveness by faith.

Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

Change your mind and believe the Gospel. What is the Gospel? It is the good news that God so loves you that He sent Jesus to take your punishment on the cross so that you would not perish but could be righteously and eternally forgiven by His grace through faith.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

You can never be sorry enough. You can never be ashamed enough. You can never confess you sins enough. There is nothing for you to do but believe that God loves you and that Jesus has done everything for you on the cross.

Change your mind and believe you are loved and forgiven!

When you know you are loved and forgiven, it is natural to confess when you sin. Jesus took all of your guilt and shame on the cross for you. That is why in the new covenant you do not confess in order to be forgiven, you confess because you are forgiven.

***

CHAPTER 23 – THE FEAR OF THE LORD

In many places the Bible talks about the fear of the Lord. And though many will define the fear of the Lord in different ways, the basic principal is that a healthy fear, or honor, or reverence for the Lord will keep you out of sin. Though the fear of punishment from God does constrain some for a time, in general, it is a flawed premise. If fear of punishment is a successful constraint, why do we have such lawless behavior and prisons at full capacity? Fear is not the antidote to sin.

Let’s allow the Bible to interpret the Bible. Consider the following scripture:

You shall FEAR the Lord your God and serve Him... (Deuteronomy 6:13 Emphasis mine)

It is very clear God told them to fear the Lord your God and serve Him. But when Jesus quoted this verse to Satan, Jesus said the following:

Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall WORSHIP the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” (Luke 4:8 Emphasis mine)

Jesus provides the correct interpretation of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is worship, not being fearful of punishment.

Now for many worship is singing songs at the beginning of a church service. If that is the definition of worship, then this scripture makes no sense at all. Worship is an overwhelming reverential honor and awe of God. But an overwhelming reverential honor and awe of what?

Then it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise, and an honor before all nations of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I do to them; they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and all the prosperity that I provide for it.’ (Jeremiah 33:9 Emphasis mine)

The unsaved will fear and tremble when they hear of all the goodness and all the prosperity that God provides for His people. When they see His goodness they will fear and tremble. Not from fear of punishment, but from seeing the goodness of God that shuts their mouths and repudiates their blasphemies.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Corinthians 1:27-29 Emphasis mine)

The fear of the Lord is not to scare believers away from sin, but to shut the mouths of sinners with all the goodness and prosperity that He provides for His children.

The fear of the Lord is an awesome reverence for His goodness, His holiness and His grace by which He loves us. The goodness of the Lord shuts the mouths of sinners and causes us to worship Him.

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Let Israel now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

Let the house of Aaron now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

Let those who fear the Lord now say,

“His mercy endures forever.”

(Psalm 118:1-4 Emphasis mine)

May all your colleagues fear and tremble when they hear of all the goodness and all the prosperity that God provides for you!

***

CHAPTER 24 – CONDITIONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS

God justified an ungodly man when He forgave me of all my sin and MADE me the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. As a born again believer, I began enjoying my life based upon His righteousness and not my own.

As I grew older in the Lord, I began to feel unrighteous when I was disobedient to Him. I still believed that God had forgiven me of all my past sins and had made me righteous when I was born again. But now that I was born again, I had to work out my own salvation. Confusion crept into my mind as I began to take scriptures out of context and apply them to myself.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

As a born again believer, I incorrectly applied this scripture myself. I reasoned that when I sinned I became unrighteous until I confessed my sin and became righteous again. As long as I thought I was being a good Christian, I was happy. But when I stumbled, condemnation would attack me and remind me of my failures and how much I had disappointed God. Miserable, I would try to confess all my sins in order to become righteous again. I thought, which sins must I confess? Just the big ones? What about the sins I committed in my heart and not with my actions? What about the sins I forgot I committed? How do I confess every sin of worry and unbelief? What if I died before I confessed all my sin?

For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:3-4)

I was attempting to establish my own righteousness based upon obeying the law. However, no one can be justified by the works of the law.

The only way to become righteous is to submit to the righteousness of God.

In fact, Christ is the end of the law to everyone who believes in the righteousness of God through faith.

I had become confused because I did not read John 1:9 in context. Instead of peeling the shrimp, I tried to apply everything I read in the Bible to me. I did not realize that John was talking to people who were not born again. Here is the same scripture in context.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

Who says they have no sin? An unbeliever. Who says they have not sinned. An unbeliever. So why would a verse in between two scriptures to an unbeliever apply to a believer? It does not. They all apply to an unbeliever. If an unbeliever confesses their sins (literally confesses they are a sinner in need of a savior), God is faithful and just to forgive them of ALL their sins and to cleanse them from ALL their unrighteousness. What a beautiful promise! Unbelievers do not have to worry about confessing every sin they have ever committed (that is impossible anyway). God promises to forgive ALL their sin and cleanse them from ALL unrighteousness.

That is what God did when you were born again. God forgave you of all of your sin. Period. He cleansed you from ALL unrighteousness. Period. Now and forever.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7)

Jesus became sin so that you might become the righteous of God in Him. That is what happened when you were born again. God MADE you the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. You cannot make yourself righteous by obeying the works of the law. In the same way, you cannot make yourself unrighteous by sinning. God made you the righteous of God in Christ Jesus. It is His gift of grace that you cannot earn and cannot lose. That is why the Holy Spirit convicts you of righteousness. When you are tempted or sin, His gift of grace and no condemnation draws you away from sin and to Himself.

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:7-11)

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin because they do not believe in Jesus, not because they have sin in their lives. However, the Holy Spirit convicts YOU of righteousness because you have received the righteousness that is of faith (He has gone to the Father and you see Him no more). The Holy Spirit is always with you, convicting you that you are still the righteousness of God in Christ, not because of anything that you have done or not done, but because of what Jesus has done for you.

For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4)

By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:10-18 Emphasis mine)

You cannot make yourself righteous. But you can accept the gift of His righteousness in Christ Jesus by faith.

Cheer up! Your sins are forgiven!

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.” (Matthew 9:2)

***

CHAPTER 25 – FEAR OF PUNISHMENT

Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” (John 8:2-11)

Conviction and condemnation are two completely different things. You are convicted when the judge pronounces you guilty. You are condemned when the judge pronounces your punishment.

The people in the crowd wanted to condemn (shame and punish) the woman by stoning her to death. Nevertheless, they could not condemn her because they too were guilty of sin. But Jesus, the only one in the crowd who could condemn her, would not.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:17)

Jesus did not pretend she had no sin. He said He did not condemn her. Today, it would have probably be more acceptable if Jesus would have said, “Go and sin no more and I will not condemn (shame or punish) you.”

Why? Primarily because we do not want people to continue in sin. We feel that if people receive enough shame or fear of punishment, they might not sin again. Yet the new covenant says the exact opposite.

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (1 Corinthians 15:56)

The worst thing you can do to a sinner is to use the law to bring condemnation of sin. The more you bring the law, the more you strengthen sin in their life. Jesus always gave the gift of no condemnation because sin will not have dominion over you if you are under grace.

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” because He wanted her to have the power to go and sin no more. Let Jesus’ words sink in. So many people think that God is going to shame or punish them when they sin. There are serious consequences and negative effects from sin. But God did not come to condemn (shame or punish) the world but to save it from the consequences and effects of sin.

So what place does condemnation (shame or punishment) have in the life of a believer?

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)

Jesus took the condemnation (shame and punishment) for our sin in His own body, that the righteousness requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us.

But you are not IN the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. (Romans 8:9 Emphasis mine)

A person that is not born again is walking IN the flesh. So what is the difference between walking ACCORDING to the flesh and walking ACCORDING to the Spirit?

Walking according to the flesh means to be born again and still trust in your own righteousness.

Walking according to the Spirit is to be born again and trust in the grace of Jesus for your righteousness.

Condemnation preys on self-righteousness, even if you are born again. Nevertheless, there is no condemnation (shame or punishment) if your righteousness is in 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)

Jesus also did something that might offend many today. He did not insist that the woman confess her sin, or show that she was truly remorseful or pay restitution for her sin. Jesus simply told her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

How often have you been told that God will not forgive you until we are truly remorseful and confessed your sin? Yet not one time did Jesus ever tell someone to be remorseful and confess their sin before He would forgive them.

God has already forgiven you. Receive His grace. Grace gives you the power to stop sinning. He is not going to punish you for your sin. So go and sin no more!

***

CHAPTER 26 – THE UNPARDONABLE SIN

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

What grace God has shown us to encourage us to boldly enter His presence with a true (genuine) heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled (perfect tense – something done in the past but its effect continue into the future forever) from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Are we able to draw near and enter His presence with confidence because of our behavior or because of His grace? His grace, of course! Our righteousness is nothing more than filthy rags.

Four verses later the scripture says,

For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:26-27)

So much for our confidence! Have you ever willfully committed a sin after you had received the knowledge of the truth? I hope you are honest enough to admit that you have.

Because of poor teaching, many Christians believe they should have a certain fearful expectation of judgement when they sin. Many may not believe they are going to go to hell for sinning after they are born again, but they do believe that God will punish them for their sin. Don’t we punish our kids when they willfully disobey us?

Then only a few verses later the Bible says,

“Recall the former days after you were illuminated … we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.” (Hebrews 10:32,39)

Who are the ones who draw back to perdition? It cannot be believers. We are those who were illuminated (heard the gospel) and believed to the saving of the soul (born again).

So who are the ones who draw back to perdition?

It is not the believer who commits a willful sin. Jesus has made that person righteous even though he is not acting like it. The ones who draw back to perdition are those who hear the gospel of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, but reject it for themselves saying, “I don’t need a savior. I don’t need the blood of Jesus. I don’t need His grace.” That is the person who has a certain fearful expectation of judgement and fiery indignation (wrath) which will devour the adversaries (those who put themselves in opposition to God).

Yet there are lots Christians who still have a fear of judgement. Most have this fear because their preachers have taught them to be afraid of God when they sin. Their preachers have told them that the wages of sin is death and whatsoever you sow, you will reap. It is no wonder the world looks at Christians sometimes and say they have no desire to be like us. We tell sinners they are going to hell for not believing, and then when they are born again and go to church we tell them they are going to hell because they are sinning. Good grief.

Rest assured. If you are born again, you cannot commit the unpardonable sin and you are never going to hell.

You will live forever with Jesus.

***

CHAPTER 27 – GENERATIONAL CURSES

One generally accepted doctrine in many Christian circles today is the doctrine of generational curses. Entire ministries are devoted to delivering people from generational curses.

“The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.” (Numbers 14:18)

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13)

Numbers 14 is the curse of the law. The children will suffer the consequences of their parents and grandparents and great-grandparents sin. God never meant for these curses to be on His people. But generational curses are real and their horrible consequences are all around us.

How can we be delivered from generational curses? It amazes me how quickly we are willing to believe that if we complete some program we will be delivered, and yet we struggle to believe that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. The answer lies in the fact that our flesh always wants to have something to do with our deliverance. Self-righteousness raises its ugly head again. We are saved (delivered) by grace through faith, not by works.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

So are you cursed or have you been redeemed from the curse? How do you know?

If you believe you are cursed and the blood of Jesus was not enough, to whom are you going turn? If Jesus has redeemed you from the curse of the law, why do you believe you are cursed?

I have no desire to be contentious. Many ministers of deliverance have wonderful ministries that help people. Their ministries have success when the person to whom they are ministering finally believes that they have done enough to be free. Praise God! Whatever helps someone believe they have been redeemed from the curse.

But when your freedom is based upon what you have done, your freedom is tenuous and on shaky ground. However, when your freedom is based upon what Jesus has done, you can rest confident and assured. Your freedom is in Christ. You do not have to do anything to be free of generational curses. Jesus took them all for you on the cross. You are free.

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13)

The power to be free does not come from our rejection of witchcraft and demonic activities. The power to be does not come from removing things from our home. The power to be free does not come from our authority in Jesus. We do not do things to be free. Jesus made us free.

We use our authority in Jesus because we are free and we refuse to be enslaved again. We reject witchcraft and other demonic activities because we belong to Jesus. We remove things from our homes because we honor our Savior.

We do things in response to His grace, not to earn it.

***

CHAPTER 28 – SIN BLOCKS HEALING

Another common thief is the belief that some people struggle to receive healing because they have sin in their lives.

“There is no soundness in my flesh Because of Your anger, Nor any health in my bones Because of my sin.” (Psalm 38:3)

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, or his ear too dull to hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)

Countless numbers of precious Christians have been humiliated and tortured by this teaching. There is no doubt that sin can and does cause devastating effects to our bodies. However, to believe that it is not possible for you to be healed because you have unconfessed sin in your life is to deny the blood of Jesus. It is impossible for you to confess every sin you have ever committed. And the devil is eager to remind you of your sin. God has promised that He will never remember your sins again forever.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. (Hebrews 8:12)

Consider this new covenant scripture.

“And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” (James 5:15)

Religion has it backwards! Religion says you must repent of your sin before you will be healed. James says when you pray the prayer of faith for someone they will be healed FIRST, and then they will be forgiven of any and ALL sin they have committed.

Under the law, sin could separate God from man. But under grace, nothing can separate you from His love.

Sin is not more powerful than grace. Grace is more powerful than sin.

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. (Romans 5:20)

There are many ministries that help people receive healing by helping them get unconfessed sin out of their lives. And they have some success. But their success depends upon the person finally getting to a place where they believe they are forgiven. When they finally believe they are forgiven, they receive.

What Jesus did on the cross was everything that needed to be done for you to be healed. Receive your healing. You are forgiven.

There were even a few times when Jesus told the ones He had healed not to tell anyone that He had healed them. The Bible says they immediately went out and told everyone. They told so many people that Jesus had to stay out in the wilderness. That was sin. That was disobedience. Yet not once does the Bible say that those who disobeyed Jesus lost their healing. Grace is FAR greater than sin.

Sin cannot block grace. Sin cannot block healing. Sin consciousness blocks healing. Condemnation blocks healing. Not knowing you are forgiven blocks healing. Not knowing you are the righteousness of God in Christ blocks healing. Mixing law and grace blocks healing. Both wineskins are ruined.

The blood of Jesus is enough. Do not let condemnation rob you any longer.

You are totally, eternally and irrevocably forgiven. Now receive your healing!

***

CHAPTER 29 – SOWING AND REAPING

Another very real Bible principle is that of sowing and reaping.

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6)

What a truly power principle! I have personally experienced the power and blessing of sowing and reaping. Yet even an unsaved farmer knows that he must plant seed in order to receive a harvest. He knows that his harvest depends upon the quality and the amount of seed he has sown. He knows that the seed depends upon the quality of the soil. He knows that he must water his seed. And he knows that a seed can produce 30, 60 and even 100 fold.

It is all true. Sowing and reaping is in the Bible. But it is not the gospel. Sowing and reaping is just how the world system works. Consider what God told Moses and Joshua in the old covenant.

“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full— then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. (Deuteronomy 6:10-12 Emphasis mine)

I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant. (Joshua 23:13 Emphasis mine)

God said He would give His people large and beautiful cities they did not build, houses full of all good things which they did not fill, hewn-out wells which they did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which they did not plant. What a good God! Giving good gifts, enormous gifts to people who did not deserve it, to people who did not sow. The entire new covenant is based on the gospel of grace. God so loved the world that HE GAVE (not us).

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. (Romans 4:2-4)

The principle of sowing and reaping has nothing to do with grace. It is completely works based. Whatever you so you will reap. If you do not sow, you will not reap. There is no grace in sowing and reaping, only the harvest of works. So why did Paul talk about sowing and reaping? He spoke in principles the people could understand. But Paul also spoke about the grace of giving.

Moreover, brethren, we make known to you the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia: that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality. For I bear witness that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing, imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints. And not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us by the will of God. So we urged Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also complete this grace in you as well. But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. (2 Corinthians 8:1-7)

God initiated this giving by pouring out His grace on the churches of Macedonia. They did not decide to give in order to reap. The grace of God within them moved them to give. This scripture even reveals that giving, like faith, speech, knowledge, diligence and love are manifestations of grace. They are fruit of the Spirit, not of works. God wants them to be completed, brought to their full purpose and abound. When you are filled with God’s grace, you cannot help but give because you are like your Father.

Giving should be an outflow of what God is doing in us, not what we are doing for God. Paul wants us to know that when we flow in the grace of giving, we will reap, good measure, pressed down and shaken together.

Giving is the fruit of receiving the grace of God, not a principle to be worked.

In fact, the new covenant has even more to say about this sowing and reaping that is of grace.

Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” (John 4:35-38)

The most important mission of the new covenant believer is to go and reap a harvest we did not plant. What an honor. What grace!

***

CHAPTER 30 – FAITH AS A WORK

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” (John 5:39-40)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John was speaking of Jesus who is revealed in the scriptures.

There are many great and precious promises given to us in the scriptures. There are also powerful principles that can guide our lives. There are even important warnings for our protection and the tremendous good news of our redemption.

Nevertheless, the scriptures cannot give us eternal life. The scriptures only point to Jesus. He is the only one who can give eternal life. He is the life we long for.

Somehow, in my search to please Jesus, I dove into the scriptures believing that if I could find the right verses, believe and confess them (enough), I would find life. I even thought that I had good scriptural reasoning for believing so.

By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:4)

I focused on the phrase, “through these.” It seemed plain to me that God has given us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that we could believe and confess them (enough) to obtain the promise. However, let us read the full context of this scripture.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:2-4)

Grace (favor we do not deserve) and peace (wholeness and rest) will be multiplied to us in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Immediately the context of this scripture starts with God’s unmerited favor we do not deserve and we cannot earn. How do we get the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord? By working for it? Of course not. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.

Grace and peace come from hearing about Jesus and what He has done for us on the cross.

As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. If you were to read this in the Greek, you would see that the verb translated “has given” is in the perfect tense, meaning something that occurred in the past, but its effect carries on into the future forever. God does not give us life a little bit at a time, according to how much we deserve it. This scripture means He has unconditionally and irrevocably given us everything that pertains to life and godliness (the zoe, God kind of life) by His grace. We cannot work for His zoe kind of life. We cannot earn His zoe kind of life. We cannot lose His zoe kind of life. He has unconditionally given it to us.

Through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue. In the Greek this reads, “Through the knowledge of the one having called us.” Jesus is the one who has the knowledge. He is the one who called us. He is the one who has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. What grace!

By which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises. Again, the verb “has been given” is in the perfect tense. These promises were not given to us so that we could use them to try to obtain the divine nature. They were given to us to point us to Jesus. That we might see that He has already given us His divine nature. All we need to do is believe and receive.

That through these we may be partakers of the divine nature. These promises were given to us so that we would hear them, believe and be partakers in the divine nature. Literally, so that we would hear them, believe and be born again – grafted into Jesus Christ who is abundant life Himself.

Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. That is what happens when you are born again. Oh that we would only believe we have already escaped through Christ Jesus! That we would stop trying to become or attain to what Jesus has already done for us and given to us.

I was taught that God gave me these promises so that I could use them like tools to obtain what He promised. It was my responsibility to put these scriptures into my heart and confess them with my mouth in order to activate them. I thought the scriptures could give me life.

However, the Bible contains exceedingly great and precious promises to point me to the One who has already freely given me life. Faith is not a work we must do. Faith is a revelation of His grace.

The more I see Him, the more I am transformed into His image.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

***

CHAPTER 31 – GRACE WITHOUT JESUS

The world has attempted to define love in various ways, but the only true definition of love is Jesus. He does not just have love or give love. He is love.

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:8)

However, sometimes people create their own definition of love, and then try to make Jesus fit their definition.

Some Christians believe they are acting in love when they condemn a sinner.

Some Christians define love as so passive that they could never fight for justice, run the moneychangers out of the temple or bring the weight of the law down on the self-righteous.

Others define love as a universal benevolence that has saved everyone, denying the necessity for or even the existence of sin, judgement, hell or even the blood of Jesus.

All of these groups create their own definition of love first and then attempt to interpret the scriptures according to their definition.

However, the Bible makes it exceedingly clear that Jesus is the express image of our God who is love. Jesus is the definition of love. He is love. Everything He did was an expression of love. Therefore, if you want to define love or know what love looks like in action, you must look at Jesus and allow Him to be the definition of love.

He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. (Colossians 1:15 Emphasis mine)

Jesus is not revealed when you look at love. Love is revealed when you look at Jesus!

Jesus did not condemn the sinners. He forgave and healed them even before they repented. He protected the woman caught in the very act of adultery from the consequences of the law. He passionately drove out the moneychangers. He applied the full weight of the law on the self-righteous. He was angry when the Pharisees attempted to stop Him from healing a man with a withered hand. He drove out demons and warned people of hell. He explained to the disciples why it was necessary for Him to die and be raised the third day for our justification. As He hung on the cross bearing all of our sin, He said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Now THAT is love. THAT is grace. Gentle, but not weak. Full of mercy, but still righteous. Powerful, but a bruised reed He will not break, a smoldering candle He will not put out until He has brought justice through to victory. That is our Savior Jesus Christ!

A definition of love without Jesus is a fleeting, selfish and exasperating emotion that allures you with promises it cannot fulfill.

A definition of life without Jesus is a clinical measurement of bodily functions.

A definition of truth without Jesus is merely an objective analysis of empirical data gathered from only our five senses.

If you try to define grace without Jesus, you open the door to licentiousness (lawlessness, immorality or sexually unrestrained behavior). Society may give you their version of grace as a license to live in any sin you want, but the grace of Jesus gives you the power to overcome sin.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:12-14)

Jesus is not revealed when you focus on grace. Grace is revealed when you focus on Jesus.

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

Never separate grace from Jesus. You err when you talk about grace and not about Jesus. When we see Jesus, we see grace in action.

***

PART 5 – GRACE IN ACTION

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the GRACIOUS words which proceeded out of His mouth. (Luke 4:16-22 Emphasis Mine)

DAY 1 – DEAR MARY

Dear Mary,

When you told me you were pregnant yesterday, I was crushed. I felt betrayed, rejected, and alone. That all the hopes and dreams we had shared together had been a big lie. You know that I am not the father of this child and that I have not done anything wrong. I thought you had just ruined both of our lives, and I was angry.

As I tried to go to sleep last night, I was searching for a way to put you away secretly, because I still loved you. I didn’t want you to be publicly humiliated or stoned. Yet I kept being distracted by thoughts of how many times our people had played the harlot with God, and how he had forgiven us. How Rahab, the harlot, had saved our nation when she hid the messengers sent by Joshua. How she later became the wife of Salman and the great, great grandmother of King David. Surely, God knows the law. He wrote it. Yet his desire is to extend mercy and grace, not judgment. If we would only let him.

Mary, as I dreamed about these things, an angel appeared to me. He called me by my name, declaring, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Thoughts reeled in my mind: You are not a harlot. You have not betrayed me. You have not rejected me. Your baby, your son, is the promised Messiah that will save our people. No one will ever believe us. What will your dad think, or do? What is my role? Am I to raise the Son of God?

I imagined how Moses must have felt when God told him to go back to Egypt and tell the Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” Surely, that was not what Moses had planned to do with his life. Why would anyone believe him? But because he went, God was able to pour out his grace and deliver our people.

God didn't give us the law so we could judge each other on how well we've kept it. We've all failed. He gave us his law to point us to him and to reveal our need for his mercy and grace in everything. He wants to have mercy on us and pour out his grace once again. This time he is coming as Immanuel, God with us. Grace and Truth is coming as a person, a baby–our baby, and we are to call him Jesus.

Mary, I believe you.

Joseph

***

DAY 2 – JUST BECAUSE I ASKED HIM

Wherever my son Jesus went, the blind saw, the lame walked, the lepers were cleansed, the deaf heard, the dead were raised, and the poor had the gospel preached to them. Given the fact that Jesus gravitated toward the despised, the rejected and the hopeless, you might conclude he would only do miracles for the desperate. You would be wrong.

He would always tell the crowds, “The only reason the thief comes is to steal, kill and destroy. I have come that you might have and enjoy life, and have it so full it overflows with joy and celebration.”

One day, while thinking about these things, I realized that the first miracle God did through Moses, who taught us the law, was to turn water into blood, resulting in death. The first miracle God did through my son Jesus, who taught us grace, was to turn water into wine, resulting in joy and celebration. Yes, my son had come to heal the sick and all those oppressed by the devil, but he also came to redeem their hopes and dreams, and to restore everything stolen from them.

That's why Jesus would always tell the people, “Whatsoever things you desire when you pray, believe that you have received them and you will have them. Ask, and you will receive that your joy may be full. For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks, finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”

The first miracle Jesus ever performed was at a wedding in Cana. He did that miracle for me just because I asked him.

***

DAY 3 – THE GOODNESS OF GOD

I really didn't mind lending Jesus my boat so he could preach to the crowd. But when he told me to launch out into the deep for a catch, I had to complain.

“Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing.”

Evidently, my complaint didn’t impress him. I could tell by his expression that it was important to him that we go out for another catch, so I relented. “But if you desire, I will let down the net.”

At this point, I thought I was doing him another favor.

But later, when we began catching the biggest catch of fish I had ever seen, I realized that he truly was a holy man from God and that he was blessing me for having helped him.

How could he be so good to me, when I am such a sinner?

As the boat began to sink from the weight of all the fish, his grace was too much. I fell to my knees and confessed, “Lord, you need to depart from me. I am a sinful man and I do not deserve to be blessed.”

Jesus told me, “Don't be afraid. From now on you are going to catch men.”

I would later learn from Paul that repentance means to change your mind about what you believe. Paul said, “It is the goodness of God that leads you to repentance.”

As I reflected upon his grace and such an extraordinary catch, I realized, the real story was that his love and grace had caught me.

As soon as we reached shore, I left everything and followed him.

***

DAY 4 – THE OLD TAX OFFICE

It’s quite a place, this old tax office. You can make a good living here if you don’t care that everyone hates you for betraying your own people. Besides, I just enforce the taxes that everyone must pay. That is, if you ignore the fact that I skim a little off the top from time to time. But everyone does it. That is why fear is the only reason why anyone would ever come in here, until today.

I was sitting at my desk when Jesus just walked right in.

The only thing more intriguing than his invitation for me to follow him was my response. I stood up and followed him. I didn’t even know where he was going. Why was I so compelled to follow this man?

People seemed to be coming from everywhere to hear him speak and to be healed of their diseases. I had no frame of reference from which to categorize what I was seeing. There was no obvious way to tax it.

It was as if the water of his words were cleansing the dirt of humanity. It would have been frightening had it not been so glorious.

Later that evening, I was pleased to offer my home for us to dine, and a bit amused that all my friends wanted to make a party out of it. Jesus obviously enjoyed being with all of us, though he didn’t participate much in the festivities. But my friends and I hung on his every word. We all agreed, no one had ever spoken to us as he did!

We caught the attention of the Pharisees, though. They were outside watching us. I heard they were indignant that Jesus was eating and drinking with sinners. But everyone sobered up immediately when Jesus opened the front door and announced to the Pharisees, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

That’s when I made up my mind about following Jesus.

I never went back to that old tax office.

***

DAY 5 – MORE GRACE

The news was horrifying. Herod had just beheaded John the Baptist.

Tired and hungry after so many days of ministering to the people and now hearing this news, we traveled by boat to a deserted place near Bethsaida to rest.

As we reached the secluded place at the top of the mountain, I realized we were not going to be able to rest. Thousands of people from every city near us had come up from the other side of the mountain to hear Jesus speak and to be healed of their diseases.

I knew it was going to be a special day when I saw the compassion in his eyes.

He healed so many people. And after he healed them, they would not go away. Everyone just stayed to listen to him talk about the kingdom of God and just be with him!

I decided to remind Jesus it was getting late and there was nowhere for all these people to get food here in this place. But he objected, “Philip, don’t send them away. You give them something to eat.”

I was stunned. I asked him if he wanted me to spend almost a year’s worth of wages to go and buy enough food for all these people. We could only find five loaves and two fish here. He just smiled and said, “Bring what you have to me.”

After commanding all of the people to sit down and relax on the green grass, Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. Gazing up to heaven, he blessed, broke, and gave the loaves to us, and we gave them to the people. We all ate and were filled. There were even twelve baskets of leftovers from those thousands of people! What a day!

No matter how great the demand or dire the need, he always had more grace.

***

DAY 6 – WHO TOUCHED ME?

What difference would it have made if they stoned me for breaking the law? I was as good as dead anyway. I could not work. I was an outcast from society. For twelve years, I had spent all my money on doctors who had only tortured me and made my blood disease even worse.

I had heard about Jesus doing miracles and healing all the people. So when I heard he was passing by, I decided I must see him. I declared, “If I just touch the hem of his garment, I will be healed.”

I hid my face as I pressed through the crowd. Before I could even get close, I noticed that Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue and the very person who could adjudicate my stoning, was already talking with him. If Jairus saw me, he would punish me for being in public and breaking the law. I waited. But instead of finishing their conversation, Jesus and Jairus began to walk away together.

I was out of options. Even if Jairus saw me, I had to touch Jesus. Coming from behind him in the press, I threw myself to the ground, reached out my hand and touched the hem of his garment. Warm healing power surged through my body. It quenched my issue of blood and every pain and discomfort quickly left my body. I felt my body begin to rest.

Abruptly he began interrogating his disciples, “Who touched me?” They were incredulous, asserting that almost everyone was touching him.

When his eyes met mine, I knew I was discovered. I fell to my knees, fearing and trembling, and told him everything.

I was astonished when he insisted that it was his good pleasure to give me the kingdom, which included my healing. He never mentioned the fact that I had broken the law by going out in public with such a disease. He just reassured me that I did not steal my healing. It was his gift to me because he loved me. He concluded by saying, “Go in peace, rest and enjoy your life, free from this disease.”

There was a beautiful, fresh fragrance in the morning breeze as I returned home to my family that day.

***

DAY 7 – WHATEVER IT TAKES

When I stormed out of the synagogue, the entire leadership was indignant, furious that I would go to Jesus for help. I understood, but my wife had just told me that our twelve-year-old daughter was about to die.

I will do whatever it takes to save my child!

I caused quite a stir as I pushed my way through the crowd. When I saw Jesus, I fell to my knees and pleaded earnestly, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come, lay your hands on her, that she may be healed and she will live.”

He motioned for me to lead him to my house. I marveled at the mercy and grace he showed me, especially after we had done so much to condemn his ministry. But just as hope began to rise within me, a woman interrupted us.

She was still speaking with him when I noticed that messengers from my house had arrived. Obviously still agitated that I had gone to Jesus for help, they vented, “Your daughter has died. Why bother the teacher any longer?”

Before I could even think, Jesus clutched my wrist to steady me and said, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”

I decided I was not going to do anything except keep my eyes on him.

I watched as he prohibited anyone from following us except his three disciples. When we arrived at my house and saw the tumult, he put out all of the weepers and wailers, chiding, “Why make all of this commotion? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

He didn’t even respond to their ridicule. He took my wife, his disciples and me into my daughter’s room, took her by the hand and commanded, “Little girl, I say to you, rise!”

I was astonished as her spirit returned and he gave our daughter back to us.

Then Jesus turned to me, and with the countenance of a father, he affirmed that he, too, will do whatever it takes to save his children.

***

DAY 8 – NO MISERY LIKE A LONELY HEART

Men wanted to use me. Women hated me. So I decided long ago to draw my water from the well during the heat of the day. It was better to be alone than scorned.

But I would not be alone today. A Rabbi was sitting by the well and asked me to stoop over and draw him some water to drink. I wondered what he really wanted since he had no container to hold the water. “Why are you asking me? You know I am a Samaritan.”

He replied, “If you knew who I am, you would be asking me for living water. I came here just for you. I arranged for us to meet today.”

I did not know who he was, but I did know that if he could keep me from having to come here to quench my thirst every day, I would be interested.

“If you drink only of this water, you will thirst again,” he said. “But if you drink of the water that I will give you, you will never thirst. For the water that I will give you will become in you a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

I perceived he was referring to quenching a thirst much deeper than just hydration. I did have an ache deep inside me. I longed to be loved unconditionally. A yearning I have attempted to quench for a long time. He seemed to discern my thoughts and insisted, “Go, call your husband and come here.”

Ashamed, I tried to avoid the issue and replied, “I don’t have a husband.”

He divulged he already knew that I had been married five times, and that the man I was currently living with was not my husband. Yet he did not condemn me. He complimented me for not lying.

It occurred to me that my messed up life did not repulse him.

Then he explained to me, “When you believe that I know everything about you, and still love you, you will rest assured in my love.”

I wondered if he might be a prophet. So I told him I knew the Messiah will come someday, and he will tell us everything we need to know.

Jesus declared, “I who speak to you am he.”

***

DAY 9 – HEALING ON THE SABBATH

“Step forward,” Jesus declared. The Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would heal me. They had asked him if it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. It was obvious they were just setting a trap for him.

I wondered, “Why do they care more about doctrine than me?”

I also struggled to understand why healing on the Sabbath would be considered wrong anyway. Surely, healing was a good thing to anybody that was sick. And if we prayed for healing on the Sabbath and God did it, who are we to judge it as wrong?

Probably the Pharisees do not believe it is God doing the healing. But that makes so little sense seeing the way they go wild giving God praise and glory when they are healed. I even think Isaiah prophesied about God taking our infirmities and bearing our sicknesses.

They must think Jesus is doing the healing, not God. That would be why they think healing is a work prohibited on the Sabbath. But who has the power to do miracles without God’s help?

Jesus answered the Pharisees’ question with a question, “What man among you, who has one sheep, if it falls into the pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep? Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath!”

I thought, “Did I just hear him declare that I am more important than religious doctrine?”

Jesus peered into my eyes like a sculptor examining a stone. He knew me and loved me before he had ever fashioned me.

Then Jesus commanded me, “Stretch out your hand!”

He knew it was impossible for me to stretch out my withered hand. But his voice sounded like the voice that commanded light to shine out of darkness, so I obeyed.

My mind could not comprehend what my eyes beheld. Both of my hands were outstretched, one as whole as the other! Suddenly, debates about religious doctrine became completely and utterly meaningless to me. The Pharisees could believe whatever they wanted.

Jesus had restored my hand!

***

DAY 10 – GO AND SIN NO MORE

I knew I was a mess. No one had to tell me. I had been condemned my whole life for being a terrible person.

“Just stop it!” they would always scream at me.

I wished I could. But I didn’t have the ability to stop. That is why I didn’t care when they caught me again.

What were they going to use me for this time? They didn’t care about me. They always had an agenda for which they were “community organizing” and I was their stick to agitate the crowd. This time it appeared, they wanted to challenge some teacher.

Throwing me down in the midst of the temple, they tested him. “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commands us that she should be stoned. But what do you say?”

I have to admit I chuckled a bit, watching him write on the ground and ignore them.

Accusingly, they yelled at him, “Come on, teacher. Don’t you preach against sin? What about the law?”

Somehow, I perceived he knew more about the law than they did. Instead of rejecting the law the way they expected, he applied the full weight of the law to all of us. He stood up and retorted, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone!”

There was a great tension in the silence. I was afraid to open my eyes. Just because I didn’t care about my sin didn’t make what I was doing right either.

After what seemed like an eternity, I began hearing rocks fall to the ground and the shuffle of feet.

Then Jesus asked me, “Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?”

I looked up and surveyed the temple, but everyone had gone. I learned later that they had left from the oldest to the youngest, evidently convicted by their conscience.

I answered apprehensively, “No one, Lord.”

Then, as if he were the judge of all judges, Jesus decreed, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

Suddenly I realized that those who wanted to condemn me could not, and he who could condemn me, would not. By giving me the gift of no condemnation, Jesus had given me the strength I needed to go and sin no more!

***

DAY 11 – A CHANGE OF HEART

I thought that my position as Jericho's chief tax collector would have secured for me an honored seat by which to watch Jesus pass by. But these people were crazy. They acted like a mob. I had to climb a sycamore tree just see him!

As Jesus worked his way through the press of the crowd, he looked up suddenly and called my name, “Zacchaeus, come down at once. I must stay at your home today.”

I was stunned. Did he know that I was the chief tax collector? Did he know that I have cheated and stolen from my own people? Did he know everyone hates me? And how is it that he knows my name?

Ignoring the scorn coming from the mob, I jumped out of the tree and welcomed him and my tax-collector friends into my home.

As he spoke, I thought, “No one has ever spoken like this man.”

Jesus taught as one having authority, and not as one of the scribes. He taught that all scripture pointed us to him. He never, not even once, mentioned my sin. For the first time in a long time, I felt loved. I felt wanted, even forgiven! I had changed my mind about him, and I contemplated how to respond to this kind of love.

Finally, I just couldn’t help myself. I jumped to my feet and exclaimed, “Lord. I will give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I will repay them four times as much.” My friends were astonished at my outburst.

Jesus explained to them that people repent when they realize how much they are loved.

Turning to me, Jesus declared to my friends, “Today, welfare, prosperity, deliverance, preservation, salvation, and safety have come to this house, because this man, also, is a son of Abraham. For I did not come to condemn this world but to save it.”

Most of my friends believed also. You should have seen the faces of the people we repaid!

***

DAY 12 – NEW GRACE FOR EVERY DAY

He knew everything about me and still loved me.

As Jesus reclined in the home of Simon the Pharisee, I quietly invited myself in and knelt behind Jesus. I cleaned his feet with my tears and dried them with my hair. Simon and his friends were obviously upset when they noticed me. But Jesus just gave me his giant smile, assuring me not to be afraid or ashamed.

Yet daggers of condemnation pierced my heart when I realized they were ridiculing him because they thought he didn’t know I was formerly a prostitute. I wanted to scream, “He does know!” as if I could defend him. But I waited.

Instead of spotlighting my sin, he directed their attention to my response to his forgiveness. Jesus declared, “The way this woman shamelessly expresses her love for me proves she knows how much she has been forgiven.”

Then he challenged them, asserting, “Most people do not love me as they should and thus have little self control because they have forgotten how much they have been forgiven.”

Turning to me, he admonished Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

He did not deny my sordid past. Jesus declared that his grace was greater than my past and that he had forgiven all my sin. He asserted that my actions were proof that I knew how much I had been forgiven.

Then Jesus encouraged me to enjoy my new life by daily receiving an abundance of his grace.

***

DAY 13 – I AM WILLING

Leprosy had destroyed my life. Imagine being violently removed from your own home while your wife and children screamed in horror. Then visualize the shame of being brought before the leaders of the synagogue, stripped naked and publicly examined.

But being forced to live without the touch of another human being was the most pernicious aspect of leprosy. Alone and rejected by humanity, I felt less than human.

Then I heard about Jesus. I wondered, “Is this what hope feels like?” It had been so long since I had experienced hope I wasn’t sure.

I stealthily moved through the crowd at the bottom of the mountain while they listened to Jesus. No one realized I was a leper until I was directly in front of him. I fell to my knees on the rocky ground imploring him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

Nothing could have ever prepared me for what happened next.

Jesus touched me!

Do you know what it feels like for someone to put out his hand and comfort you with a gentle touch? Do you know how a heart can yearn for someone to not be afraid of you, to have compassion on you, to love you? I completely forgot about my disease. He healed my heart the moment he touched me.

Then Jesus declared, “I am willing. Be cleansed!”

Immediately, intense nerve impulses began emanating from my formally lifeless fingers and toes. Simultaneously, statutes from the law began attacking my mind. The law states that anyone who touches an unclean person shall be unclean.

I realized that something must have radically changed. The law I know makes a clean person unclean. But the grace Jesus knows makes an unclean person clean.

Jesus smiled at me, obviously pleased, and told me, “Go, testify to the priests of the great things God has done for you this day!”

***

DAY 14 – THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME

All the years I had struggled to obey every detail of the law was now going to secure for me the greatest political endorsement of all time. No longer would they call me the rich young ruler. With his endorsement, I will be the next governor!

The opportunity to make my move was set. I began by flattering him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

He retorted, “If you truly believed I am good, you would recognize who I am, because God is the only one who is good.”

I didn’t understand what he said at all, but I was prepared for his “to do” list.

Jesus said, “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’”

Anticipating the public recognition I so richly deserved, I proudly proclaimed in front of everyone, “All these things I have kept from my youth!”

I could feel his genuine love for me.

But, he ruined everything when he declared I could never inherit eternal life based upon my accomplishments.

I was dismayed by such an assertion. All my good works, all the times I resisted temptations, all my service, all my donations to the poor, and more! Surely my hard work MUST make me a better person than most?

Jesus said he wanted me to give up everything I had earned and follow him. But if I gave up all I had earned and followed him trusting only in his works, how would I ever get any recognition?

I walked off thinking, “Who does Jesus think he is anyway?”

Later, after our encounter, they told me that Jesus had remarked to his disciples how difficult it was for people who trusted in themselves to enter the kingdom of heaven.

***

DAY 15 – FALLEN FROM GRACE

It took me years before I understood what Jesus meant that day.

I had always been obsessed with meeting his needs. And after Jesus had risen from the dead, I took the care of the entire church upon myself as my gift to him. That was, until I realized I had become angry with Jesus and bitter towards the church.

After having ingested many impassioned sermons, such as “Dying to Yourself,” “Crucifying the Flesh,” “Serving with Excellence” and many other appeals to personal sanctification, I was done. All of those well-intentioned sermons had the same fatal flaw—me. They all presumed upon my strength, and after years of trying, I finally realized, I have no strength.

I, of myself, can do nothing.

How could I, who have nothing, give to him, who has everything? While I had been trying to meet his needs, I had actually been quenching his ability to meet mine. Why? Because I believed I could supply, I could provide, I could comfort, I could lead, I could protect. I did everything I could, but it was never enough. There was always one more thing!

That’s when I heard Paul minister about the difference between law and grace. I listened to sermons entitled “The New Covenant of Grace,” “The Law Demands, Grace Supplies,” “The Law Condemns the Best of Us, Grace Saves the Worst of Us,” “The Righteousness of Faith Rests,” and many other such messages. Each message took the spotlight off of my weaknesses, and focused my attention back on Jesus, the one who does have strength and provision.

I began to understand what Jesus meant when he said, “Martha, you are worried about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen the part that will not be taken away from her.”

If I had genuinely believed I could do nothing, I would have stopped serving and started receiving from him.

Serving should have been my response to his love, not the debt I owed for my salvation or the price I must pay to stroke my pride.

Paul admonished us, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by the law. You have fallen from grace. But those who receive an abundance of grace, and the gift of righteousness, will reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.”

By focusing on my performance, I had fallen from his grace. Oh, Lord, forgive me. I need your grace for today.

***

DAY 16 – I COULD ONLY SEE MY WAY

I knew more about how things worked at the Pool of Bethesda than anyone.

Many sick, blind, lame and paralyzed people like me waited near the edge of the pool. We knew that the first one of us to get in the pool after the angel stirred the water would be healed. For thirty-eight years, I attempted to be the first one in. But I was never successful because I never had anyone to help me.

Jesus asked me, “Do you want to be made well?”

Immediately I told him I could not be healed because I had no one to put me in the water. For twenty minutes, I complained to him about the disappointments and frustrations of watching other people be healed, but not me. I just wanted him to understand that I had tried everything. I had prayed to God. I had begged people to help me. I had even tried to pay people to help me. I could not be healed because no one would help me be the first into the water!

When I finally calmed down, he stated, “You did not answer my question.”

I was stunned. I had just spent twenty minutes telling him why I couldn’t be healed. Did he still not understand?

I guess it was the way he had patiently listened to my entire story that made me listen to him.

He asked again, “Do you WANT to be made well?”

“Yes, I do,” I acknowledged, contritely.

“Then take up your bed and walk.”

How should I respond to that? I had not walked in more than thirty-eight years. The only way anyone had ever been healed here at the Pool of Bethesda was to be the first in the water. I thought that was the only way I could be healed.

I had never considered that God could heal me another way.

I decided to disregard thirty-eight years of rehearsing how I would be healed and just stand up. To my amazement, strength returned to my legs and I stood. I picked up my bed and walked home rejoicing in the grace of God!

***

DAY 17 – MY BIG MOUTH

Why do I answer before the question is even asked? Why do I feel compelled to say something when I don't know what to say?

I did it again today.

Jesus took James, John, and me up to the top of the mountain and he was transfigured before our eyes. His clothes dazzled brighter than the sun! Seeing Moses and Elijah speaking with him was just breathtaking. Here, in front of our very own eyes, were the three greatest men of all Israel. Moses, the deliverer, who had given us the law of God. Elijah, the prophet, who had called down fire and brought our nation back to God. And Jesus, our soon coming king.

I felt like someone asked me, “How should we celebrate these three pillars of our faith: The law, the prophets, and the king?”

Of course, no one was actually asking me anything. But since I didn't know what to say, I felt compelled to comment. When I glanced at James and John, they were like teenagers frightened by what they thought might come out of my mouth, yet still mischievously excited to hear it.

I blurted out, “Rabbi, this is awesome! We will build three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

James and John were aghast. They shook their heads in shame and tried not to smile as I considered the implications of what I had just said.

At that moment, a cloud enveloped us and a voice that shook the mountain knocked us to the ground. “This is my beloved Son. Hear him!”

The cloud lifted. Moses and Elijah were gone, and only Jesus was with us. It was then I began to understand that Moses, Elijah and Jesus were not equally important. Moses had given us the Law, which revealed our need for God. Elijah and the prophets had brought us back to God. But Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus is much greater than Moses or Elijah. And because Jesus is the embodiment of grace and truth, grace is MUCH greater than law.

***

DAY 18 – HELP MY UNBELIEF

I had been deaf, mute and suffered epileptic seizures since I was a child. I lived in constant dread and shame, never knowing when a seizure might occur. When it did, I would become rigid and fall down, foaming at the mouth and gnashing my teeth. Several times, I nearly bit off my tongue. Yet my dad never gave up searching for a cure.

One day, we saw some of the scribes arguing with some of Jesus’ disciples who were waiting for him to come down from the mountain. I could tell my dad was determined to see if the disciples could help me. And though I pleaded with him not to embarrass me, he asked the disciples to pray for me and they agreed. As they began to pray, a crowd gathered to gawk and to see if anything would happen, but nothing did.

Later, Jesus descended from the mountain and asked the scribes what they had been discussing with his disciples. The scribes, however, were unable to answer because my dad yelled, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who has a mute spirit. I spoke to your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

As Jesus motioned for me to be brought to Him, I seized up and started foaming from my mouth.

Jesus asked my dad, “How long had this been happening to him?”

My dad replied, “It has tried to kill him many times since he was a child. If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Jesus declared, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

My dad could have easily been offended by what Jesus said to him. My dad had sacrificed his entire life to take care of me. But instead of being offended because Jesus said, “If you can believe,” my dad asked for more grace, pleading, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!”

Then Jesus told the spirit, “Come out of him and enter him no more!”

I had a grand mal seizure and dropped to the ground as if I were dead. Jesus took my hand and lifted me up. I was completely healed, no longer deaf or mute.

Hearing sound for the first time was overwhelming, but hearing my dad’s voice was priceless. As we embraced I spoke my first words, “Daddy, thank you for loving me.”

***

DAY 19 – HYPOCRISY

We were all together in the midst of the synagogue when the rulers viciously castigated Jesus for performing healings on the Sabbath day. Indignantly they snarled at me, “There are six days on which men ought to work. Therefore, come and be healed on those days, and not on this Sabbath day of rest.”

Jesus scolded them, “You hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

That was when I realized the rulers didn’t believe that people were more important than religious laws and traditions.

They also didn't believe that Satan was the one who had bound me for eighteen years. Like so many other people that had judged wrongly, they believed it was my sin or my parent’s sin that caused me to be crippled.

I was amazed that the rulers were willing to argue about why I was crippled, but not willing to help me.

Jesus, however, was passionate about his compassion for me. Not only was he willing to stand up for me in front of the rulers of the synagogue, but he was willing to be condemned for healing me.

Much to the consternation of the rulers of the synagogue Jesus decreed, “Woman, you are loosed from this disease!”

Instantly, I was healed and able to straighten my back for the first time in eighteen years. I began shouting, jumping and rejoicing for the mercy and the grace of God.

The entire congregation glorified God and rejoiced with me.

The rulers, however, were unable to rest on this Sabbath day of rest.

***

DAY 20 – I DIDN’T ANNOY HIM

A crowd began to form just outside the gates of Jericho. They said Jesus was passing by.

I had heard much about Jesus. How he had made the blind see, healed the sick and even raised the dead. Many even claimed he was the Messiah foretold by the prophets. So I was not surprised to hear that the religious leaders argued about him. I knew they had their doctrines, titles and egos to protect.

I had nothing.

Born blind, I would not be able to see Jesus when he came close. So I began screaming, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.”

The more I screamed, the more the crowd shouted at me to be quiet. The more they shouted at me to be quite, the louder I screamed.

You wouldn't have stopped screaming either. Blindness had forced me to survive as a beggar on the side of the road. I did not care if my screaming for help bothered anyone.

I may have annoyed the crowd, but I didn’t annoy him. When Jesus heard me, he told them to bring me to him.

“Cheer up,” they conceded grudgingly. “Come on. He's calling you!”

Immediately I threw off my coat. I was determined that my days of begging were over. I would never wear the coat that labeled me blind and helpless ever again.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

I declared, “Rabbi, I want to see!”

Then he commanded, “Go. Your faith has healed you.” And immediately I could see perfectly.

I was so glad I didn't allow anyone to discourage me from crying out to Jesus!

***

DAY 21 – QUALIFYING THE UNQUALIFIED

I saw Jesus and his disciples quietly entering a home near Tyre. I supposed they were hoping to rest, but a demon was tormenting my daughter.

So I went to the home where they were staying, banged on the door and cried out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

There was no reply, so I just continued crying out.

I could hear some disciples inside urging Jesus to send me away. But he told them that he was only sent to the lost sheep of the House of Israel.

I knew what Jesus meant and he was correct. I did not qualify for his grace because I was not from the House of Israel. I was a gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. My cry of “O Lord, Son of David” was pretense, and he knew it.

I realized I had to drop my pretense and come to him just as I am.

So without the drama and pretense, I humbled myself and pleaded, “Lord, help me.”

They opened the door and let me in. Jesus spoke, as it were, a coded message to me, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the puppies.”

I had to think for a moment. He was describing children eating at the dinner table. Of course, parents do not give their children’s bread to the little dogs. But everyone knows that the little dogs have a feast eating around the children’s table. Suddenly, I realized want he meant. He was giving me a way to qualify for his grace.

I replied, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.”

Jesus seemed so impressed that he smiled and declared, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire. The demon has gone from your daughter.”

And when I arrived at my home, my daughter was lying in bed in her right mind. I thought, “What mercy and grace I have received today!”

***

DAY 22 – SPEAK AND REST

We were sailing to the other side of Lake Galilee just as he had commanded us, when the winds became so great that the waves began to overwhelm and sink our boat. We bailed water until every ounce of strength left our bodies and fear began to fill our minds.

While we toiled and feared for our lives, Jesus was asleep at the rear of the boat resting his head on a pillow. The more I thought about him resting and not helping us, the angrier I became. Straining through the howling wind and rain, I finally yelled at John, “Doesn't he care about us? Wake him up. We are about to drown!”

When John woke him, Jesus calmly admonished us, “Why have you allowed fear to fill your hearts? Haven't I told you, ‘Nothing shall ever separate you from my love, and no weapon formed against you will prosper?’ Remind yourself of my words, and you'll discover that you do have faith.”

Turning to the howling storm, he calmly spoke to the waves with absolute authority, “Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhsh, be still.”

Then he returned to his pillow and laid down to rest. Moments after he had fallen back to sleep, the storm ceased and there was a great calm.

We were astonished. What sort of man can speak to a storm and it obey him?

Days later, we walked past a certain tree on the way to Jerusalem. Seeing the tree, Jesus began teaching us, “For truly I tell you, this is how you use the faith that comes from God: Speak to this tree, or to this mountain or to any storm that is attacking your life. Tell it to stop, and then rest. Be confident in my love for you. It will be just as you say. Don’t be afraid. Just speak and rest.”

***

DAY 23 – MOMMA DON’T CRY

I clung to my son's casket, unable to breathe. My husband's death had eviscerated my soul, but now, losing my only son was more than any mother should bear.

I was totally alone. I no longer had any identity. I used to be a wife. I used to be a mother. Now who am I? What have I done to be so cursed?

As we trudged our way through the gate of the city of Nain, another crowd trying to enter the gate stopped us. Emerging from the press of the crowd, a man named Jesus bent over, gently touched my shoulder, and urged me, “Momma, don't cry.” As I turned to see his face, the compassion in his eyes took from me the little breath that remained within me. He went over, touched the stretcher and commanded, “Young man, get up!”

I gasped as my son sat up and began to speak. Heaving contractions drove me to my knees. I was unable to think, unable to comprehend what I was seeing with my own eyes. For a moment, there was a mysterious silence from the crowd, followed by screams of joy and celebration. I could not stop shaking as I clutched and kissed my son.

Like a little girl searching for her daddy, I turned to see Jesus.

His eyes announced to my soul that I was someone special, important and greatly beloved.

He told me that I was not cursed, that I had done nothing wrong, that I would never be alone, and that it was his great pleasure to give me the desires of my heart and restore everything stolen from me.

Years later, my son and I had the most amazing dinner with Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

***

DAY 24 – THE DISCIPLE OF LOVE

No longer novices, we went from village to village preaching the good news and performing all kinds of signs and wonders among the people. It was a glorious time and the people esteemed us highly. What we didn’t discern, however, was just how much we still judged like mere men and not like God.

Seeing a blind man as we walked through a city, we asked Jesus, “Rabbi, was it this man’s sin or his parent’s sin that caused him to be born blind?”

Jesus answered, “You judge unjustly because you believe incorrectly. There was no such cause and effect here as you indict. Man judges according to the flesh, but your heavenly Father judges the heart and judges righteously. If you would have beheld the Father instead of the blind man, you would have perceived the glorious healing he wants to perform on this man. Then your judgment would have been righteous.”

Another time we stopped to eat in Samaria and the Samaritans refused to serve us because we were going to Jerusalem. James and I asked Jesus if he wanted us to call down fire from heaven and consume them, as Elijah had done. But Jesus turned and rebuked us declaring, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. I did not come to destroy men’s lives. I came to save them!”

Another incident happened after we argued on the way to Capernaum. When we entered the house Jesus asked us, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” We kept silent because we had been arguing about which of us would be the greatest.

Then the most embarrassing incident happened right in front of the rest of the disciples, when our mother went up and asked Jesus if James and I could sit with him in his kingdom, one at his right hand and the other at his left.

So don’t be condemned if you’ve made bad mistakes. We’ve made lots of them. But his grace is far greater than all of our mistakes.

More than anything else, and in spite of all my mistakes, I am still the disciple whom Jesus loves.

***

DAY 25 – STRIPES FOR A CUTTER

It is almost incomprehensible what emotional torture can drive you to do.

As I receded into the depths of my despair, what began as rejection had become a cruel, solitary confinement of self-loathing. By stealth, a rage pierced into my darkness and breached my soul. Legions of demons, disguising themselves as fortitude, gave me the strength to break the chains of anyone who attempted to bind me. Day and night, I was in the tombs, patrolling the mountains and crying out as each cut I made on my body provided temporary relief from my emotional torment.

That was, until Jesus came for me.

From a short distance away he declared, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!”

Though I realized he wasn’t actually talking to me, my body still shook violently and began to writhe in pain.

I retorted, “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore you by God, do not torment me!”

It was as if I was detached, watching a conflict between others. In terror, the legion of demons within me relinquished my body and entered the pigs. I felt so sorry for the pigs.

For the first time in a long time, I could feel again. Wave after wave of his compassion filled and refilled my vacant soul. I broke my vow to never love anyone again and I sobbed in his loving embrace. Jesus comforted me and encouraged me to sit and rest. I needed to rest.

Seeing his joy at my deliverance, I felt valued and loved.

A couple of years later, this same Jesus, who had delivered me from all my torment, was scourged and crucified. The soldiers who scourged him used whips tipped with sharp bones that cut and ripped flesh from his back with every stroke. Then they nailed him to a cross.

But on that cross, he took all of our sorrow, grief, sickness and pain unto himself. He was wounded for the evil we committed, and bruised for the evil we imagined. He took the punishment we deserved, so we could have peace instead. And by the stripes of every cut the whips left on his back, we were healed.

When I looked at Jesus and saw the cuts on his back, I knew I would never cut myself again.

***

DAY 26 – THE CENTURION

How do you describe the day you crucified the Son of God?

I was a soldier, a centurion, and I did what I was told. I was not religious. I despised religion and all religious fanatics. To me, this Rabbi was no different from all the rest, except for the wild display of hatred and contempt the chief priests showed for Him. When I heard a chief priest declare that he had no other king but Caesar, I was stunned. What a fraud!

As far as I was concerned, I was glad to get rid of one more religious fanatic.

It was the usual gruesome scene as we nailed the two thieves and Jesus to their crosses. But the vitriol coming from the crowd was more than even I could stomach. The mocking was so severe, a mob mentality took over and even my soldiers joined in. They offered Jesus sour wine to quench his thirst and gambled for his clothes in front of his mother.

Then Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

I had never heard anyone speak with such grace and power. While one of the two thieves mocked him, I heard Jesus speak mercy and comfort to the other.

At noon, an evil darkness covered the whole land for three hours while Jesus writhed in an agony totally beyond my comprehension. When the darkness and evil had passed, he was still alive.

Triumphantly, he cried out, “It is finished!”

I knew something far greater than I could comprehend had just transpired. I remembered a fable I once heard as a child about a prophet who called down fire from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. Only this time, it was Jesus, the sacrifice, who had consumed the fire.

He spoke his last words as if he was in charge of everything that was happening, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

The magnitude of his grace overwhelmed me. His words burned in my heart, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

That was when I realized Jesus had forgiven me also.

I gasped, “Truly, this was the Son of God.”

***

DAY 27 – GRACE FOR THE DOUBTER

It is unfair that the media call him “Doubting Thomas” as if the rest of us believed by faith. Yes, Thomas did say, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” But the media leave out the fact that none of us believed until we saw Jesus in person.

The first morning after he had risen, Jesus appeared to Mary. He told her to tell us that he had risen from the dead. But neither Peter nor I would believe her without seeing it for ourselves. So we ran to the tomb (I arrived first) and his body was not there. Neither of us, nor the rest of the disciples, knew exactly what to believe. It wasn’t until that evening when Jesus appeared to us and showed us his hands, his side, and ate fish with us that we truly believed.

And that was the same thing Jesus did for Thomas a week later.

Did Jesus condemn Thomas for having doubts? No!

Jesus did not condemn Thomas because he did not believe without seeing. Instead, he graciously showed Thomas his hands and his side and said, “Don’t be unbelieving. Believe!”

Jesus did not desire to test or shame Thomas. Jesus was willing to do whatever Thomas needed so that he would believe and receive the rest that comes from believing.

Jesus also said that there was a special blessing for all those who believed in him even though they had not seen him.

And the media completely ignore the fact that Thomas was the one who replied to Jesus, “My Lord and my God.” Not only did Thomas repent in response to the grace of Jesus, he also prophesied that Jesus was God.

By extending grace to Thomas instead of condemnation, Jesus transformed Thomas from a doubter to an apostle.

So if you are struggling with doubt, rest assured that Jesus loves you anyway. He does not condemn you. And Jesus will continue to reveal himself to you, so you can believe!

***

DAY 28 – AN UNPARDONABLE SIN

Everywhere I go, people ask me about the fact that I denied our Lord three times. I know their intention is not to condemn me. They just want to understand how I could be forgiven of my sin when Jesus so clearly stated, “Whoever denies me before men, I will deny before my Father.”

I assure them it doesn’t hurt my feelings to talk about it. My hope is that my testimony will help someone who is afraid he may have committed an unpardonable sin.

The law is just and unbendable. And I am certainly guilty of breaking it. The purpose of the law is to reveal sin, and it does that very well.

No one can be justified by the law. The law disqualifies everyone. So if you have ever had hatred in your heart toward your brother, the law condemns you as a murderer. Even if you have only stumbled at one point of the law, the law judges you as guilty of breaking it all.

The truth is the law condemns us all. We have all committed an unpardonable sin. But because of his great love for us, Jesus died on the cross, paying with his blood the debt we owed, but could never repay. We are saved by his grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus has appeared to me several times and confirmed his great love for me. He has convinced me that he has forgiven me of all my sin and cleansed me from all my unrighteousness. In fact, he has convicted me that I am righteous, his gift imputed to me. Our brother Paul has also helped me to understand this new covenant of grace to which I now testify.

According to the law, I was already condemned that night whether I denied him or not.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, the righteousness of Christ in which I now stand is not conditional upon my performance because I did not receive it as a result of my performance. I have been freely justified by his grace, through faith in Jesus Christ—His blood being the propitiation, the full payment and the ultimate atonement for my sin.

Therefore, there is no such thing as a sin that is too big for God to forgive. The blood of Jesus is greater than all of our sin put together. God’s grace is MUCH greater than sin!

I have received his forgiveness, I have found rest in his love, and I am able to breathe again. Praise be to the glory of his grace!

***

DAY 29 – WHAT A TRANSFORMATION

It had been a wonderful yet tumultuous three years, and we all knew we would never be the same after having been with Jesus. So when Peter announced he was going fishing, we were all enthusiastic to join him.

It was invigorating to be fishing again. The fragrance of the boat and the salt water filled the moonlit breeze, though we silently questioned the purpose for our lives now that Jesus had risen.

We fished the entire night and caught nothing.

Perhaps we had all wished we could return to our old lives, but not catching any fish that night was a stark reminder that the good-old-days weren't really all that good. So we decided to quit and go home.

As we prepared to come ashore, another fisherman told us to go back out and cast the net on the right side of the boat. We didn't know who he was, or why going out again would help, but we were all hungry, so we did as he said. As soon as we cast our net in the water, we caught 153 large fish. I knew then, it was no ordinary fisherman who spoke to us from the bank. I told Peter, “It's the Lord.”

Peter immediately jumped into the water and swam to Jesus. Watching him, a wave of emotions and gratitude flooded my chest.

It was only three years ago that Peter would have recoiled from even the thought of being near Jesus, condemned by his own sin. Now this same Peter, even after having made so many mistakes as a disciple, races to be with him.

I thought, “Peter knows how much he is loved.”

What a transformation!

***

DAY 30 – GRACE FOR A TERRORIST

You hear about it every day. Some religious fanatic murders an innocent person, purporting to protect the reputation of his God.

I was that man.

If your God requires you to “protect” his reputation, he is no God.

If your God compels you to “defend” his truth, you are not defending his truth, you are only indulging in your own narcissism.

Perhaps like you, I was determined to excel beyond all my contemporaries. Circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, I was a Hebrew of Hebrews. Concerning the law, I was proudly a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, I gladly terrorized anyone that didn't believe. Concerning the righteousness that is of the law, I considered myself blameless. I had become a legend in my own mind.

Unabashedly, an untrained Nazarene named Jesus began teaching in the synagogue and stole my thunder. He began mesmerizing the people with his lying signs and wonders. I could not believe my porcelain ego was threatened with fracture because of this uneducated carpenter!

I knew from the very beginning, that every word Jesus said and every miracle he performed conformed to the scriptures. His light was pure, but it exposed my darkness. I refused to admit my need for a savior. In my mind, my God needed me.

Fear had pierced my soul and brought with it demons of hatred, violence, and murder. The more I rejected his words of grace, the more bitterness and wrath consumed me.

I thought it would finally end when we crucified Jesus, but it only became much worse. Now every uneducated Jew thought he knew God. And as much as I was obsessed with destroying this war against my religion, privately I was tormented by demons. They mocked my imperfections, divulged my weaknesses and repudiated my achievements.

Then one day, on the road to Damascus, grace knocked me off my horse. Though I had been persecuting him, Jesus rescued me from the torment of my insecurity. I had been obstinately assaulting the very good news of grace I so desperately needed. I had not been protecting my religion or my God. I had become a terrorist.

Jesus was the only one with enough mercy and grace to forgive a terrorist like me.

***

DAY 31 – THE THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF

Three days after Jesus was crucified, two of us decided to go to Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. We talked about everything that happened to Jesus, how Mary said she saw him that morning, and about how disappointed we were because we thought Jesus was going to redeem Israel.

As we traveled, a stranger joined us who seemed to know nothing about what had happened. We tried to explain it to him, but he only smiled and said, “It was necessary for the Christ to suffer all these things.” Then starting with Moses and going through all the prophets he interpreted for us all the things concerning Jesus.

When we reached Emmaus, he sat at dinner with us and took the bread, blessed it, broke it and gave it to us. That was when we realized he was Jesus!

But as soon as we recognized him, he vanished. So we immediately came back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples.

After we told them we had seen Jesus they asked, “Why do you think he vanished the moment you recognized him, Cleopas?”

I said, “I believe he vanished because it was more important for us to recognize him in the scriptures than with our eyes.”

While we talked about all these things, Jesus suddenly stood in our midst and said, “Peace be with you!”

After proving to us he was not a ghost, he said, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me.” And he opened our understanding, that we might comprehend the Scriptures.

Our hearts burned within us while he revealed his glory. He was the one that spoke and created the heavens and the earth. He was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world.

He revealed how the scriptures were also types and shadows that pointed to him. Like Joseph, he was rejected by his brothers. Like Moses, he delivered his people from bondage. Like the bronze serpent, he was lifted up to save the people. Like Joshua, he led his people into the promised land.

Every story, every type, every shadow, it was all about Jesus.

Did you recognize Him?

***

PART 6 – PSALMS OF GOODNESS

They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,

And shall sing of Your righteousness.

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,

Slow to anger and great in mercy.

The Lord is good to all,

And His tender mercies are over all His works. (Psalm 145:7-9)

CHAPTER 32 – PSALMS OF GOODNESS

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever. (Psalm 23:6)

The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord;

And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

You have given him his heart’s desire,

And have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

For You meet him with the blessings of goodness;

You set a crown of pure gold upon his head.

He asked life from You, and You gave it to him—

Length of days forever and ever. (Psalm 21:1-4)

I would have lost heart,

Unless I had believed that

I would see the goodness of the Lord

In the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)

He loves righteousness and justice;

The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. (Psalm 33:5)

The young lions lack and suffer hunger;

But those who seek the Lord

Shall not lack any good thing.(Psalm 34:10)

Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?

The goodness of God endures continually. (Psalm 52:1)

Blessed is the man You choose,

And cause to approach You,

That he may dwell in Your courts.

We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,

Of Your holy temple. (Psalm 65:4)

You crown the year with Your goodness,

And Your paths drip with abundance. (Psalm 65:11)

Your congregation dwelt in it;

You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor. (Psalm 68:10)

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;

The Lord will give grace and glory;

No good thing will He withhold

From those who walk uprightly. (Psalm 84:11)

Yes, the Lord will give what is good;

And our land will yield its increase. (Psalm 85:12)

For You, Lord, are good,

And ready to forgive,

And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. (Psalm 86:5)

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. (Psalm 96:2)

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)

Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:5)

What You give them they gather in;

You open Your hand, they are filled with good. (Psalm 104:28)

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever. (Psalm 106:1 and many others)

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

For He satisfies the longing soul,

And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (Psalm 107:8-9)

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;

Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant. (Psalm 135:3)

***

PART 7 – YOU WILL BE MY TESTIMONY

Pero cuando venga el Espíritu Santo sobre ustedes, recibirán poder y serán mis testigos tanto en Jerusalén como en toda Judea y Samaria, y hasta los confines de la tierra. (Acts 1:8 NBD)

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

CHAPTER 33 – THE WITNESS OF HIS GRACE

If you witness a traffic accident, you will not be allowed to get on the witness stand and talk about yourself. You are there to witness about the accident and what you saw.

When we read Acts 1:8 in the Spanish translation Jesus says very clearly, “Serán mis testigos –You will be MY witnesses.” Our primary witness is not about us. Our primary witness is about Jesus and what we have seen of Him!

Years ago, hearing Dr. T.L. Osborn preach about the goodness of God changed my mind. Repenting from erroneous beliefs was no more difficult than just consenting to be loved. My heart was changed by the love of Jesus. I had new desires. I was free from the weight of guilt and sin. For the first time in my life I felt free to live and enjoy life. And I had no desire to sin!

As the years passed I never lost the revelation of the goodness of God. But I did shift my focus from faith in the grace of Jesus to developing my own faith. I had no idea I was mixing law with grace. Instead of relying on the goodness of His grace by faith, I pursued the principles of faith.

Then one day, while reading Destined to Reign by Joseph Prince, I was re-awaked to the grace of God by which I was saved.

Pastor Prince's book challenged me. I thought I was already preaching a radical message of God's love and grace. But while reading Destined to Reign I began to realize that I still mixed in just enough law and faith principles to cause the hearer to evaluate themselves and not Jesus.

Joseph Prince's message of grace made Christianity all about Jesus again. Who He is and what He has accomplished for us on the cross. A new covenant that was NOT according to the old covenant. Not just an offer of forgiveness if you repent. But a glorious and eternal state of being forgiven and made righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ through simply receiving His grace and being born again.

The more I shine the light on me the more blemishes I see. But the more I look at Jesus the light of the glory of His grace transforms me.

The grace of Jesus is no longer just something I received when I was born again or something I need when I am weak. I need the grace of Jesus to live every moment of everyday!

For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)

It is like being born again – again! So many scriptures make sense now. So many seemingly conflicting scriptures can now be believed and embraced by simply understanding to whom they were written. The gospel is no longer about me or about what I must do. It is all about Jesus, what He did for me and what He wants to do through me!

What has been the result of re-discovering the grace of Jesus?

The joy of preaching about Jesus has returned! I want to do more for Jesus than ever before. But now I have found rest because I know that I must receive His grace in order to achieve anything. I of myself can do nothing. I have found direction in the gentle leading of His Spirit because I am no longer oppressed or impressed by my strengths or weaknesses. The fruit of joy is beginning to blossom in my life as His grace overwhelms the corruption of this world and the depravity of man. I am able to give an abundance of grace because I have received an abundance of His grace.

Thank you Pastor Prince for preaching about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am and will be forever grateful.

***

OTHER BOOKS BY ROB GORE

Finding Rest – 31 Stories That Help You Breathe

ISBN: 9781311425317

Finding Rest is the Daily Devotional companion to Enjoying the Goodness of God. It is a collection of 31 short stories of individuals from the Bible who were greatly impacted by the grace of Jesus Christ.

Told from the point of view of the person receiving God's grace, hear from Joseph, Mary, Peter, John, Matthew, Zacchaeus, the woman at the well, the leper, Paul and many more as they tell their stories of finding rest in God's grace.

If you are worn out from the constant demands of life or condemned by thoughts of never being good enough, this book is for you. You will find rest in His grace.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rob Gore is an author, teacher and former founding pastor of Faith Fellowship Church of McKinney, Texas. Having grown up in the goodness of God and the integrity of His word, Pastor Rob’s life and ministry were touched mightily in 2011 by the message of God’s grace through Pastor Joseph Prince.

Rob and his wife Toni are available to minister at your church, conference or gathering. Please send a request to pastor@robgore.org

Find out more about Rob Gore Ministries at www.robgore.org

Facebook: facebook.com/RobGoreMinistries

Twitter: twitter.com/RobGoreMin

Blog: robgoreministries.blogspot.com