GRACE - 6 (SANCTIFIED)

1 Cor. 6:11 

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

When Adam sinned, we fell from Grace, we left God's house. We became slaves of the Devil. He dealt with us without any remorse. Being slaves of the Devil, we worked and worked so hard, yet without pity. The lost son in Luke 15:11-32 became a slave to the owner of that field. He worked and worked and was not paid a dime. If he was paid something, maybe he would have been able to afford himself a good meal once in a while. He only lived with the Swines and ate their food. He was pumped full of dirt both on the outside and on the inside.

In the same way, while we were in the world, and were slaves of the Devil, he pumped us full of dirt. We had hatred in us, anger, unforgiveness, covetousness, Fornication, adultery, idolatry, stealing, lies, murder, drunkenness, strife, rebellion, and the likes inside of us. The total manifestation of the works of the flesh was evident in our lives (Gal. 5:19-21). We were typical of a child who left his parents' house to go play with the kids next door and they made him roll in mud, so much that he became so dirty from top to bottom. 

Like the Prodigal son and his father, when he got back home, apologized, and the father fell on him and kissed him, the next thing that the father asked to be done to him was that he should be washed clean, his clothes should be changed and shoes be put on his feet. He was totally washed clean of all stain and dirt he brought from wherever he went to. His clothes were changed from top to bottom too. By the time they were through cleaning him up, there was absolutely no sign that he was dirty. In the same way, when we become saved by Grace through faith, we enter into the bathroom of the Spirit and are washed from top to bottom with the water, sponge and soap of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit completely washes us of all the impurities we picked up while in the world. The works of the flesh are completely gotten rid of, and by the time He is through with us, there is no sign that we were once murderers, thieves, drunkards, fornicators, idolaters and so on. This is why when a Believer tells you about his way of life in the world, we usually will not believe that such a person changed that much. It was the same with the Apostle Paul who once persecuted the church. 

Not only are we washed, our clothes are changed. We now put on a garment called ''Righteousness". GRACE makes this possible for us. God now refers to us as "Sanctified". Glory! 

The moment you became born again, you were immediately moved into the bathroom of the Holy Spirit to be washed. Its a process. You don't get discouraged if just midway into your bath, you still see some dirt on you. In the same way, don't get discouraged and return to those bad deeds even if you are now born again and you still see some signs of those bad deeds. It's a gradual process and will usually take some time. 

CONFESSION: Glory to God! I used to be outside, now I am inside; used to be dirty, but now I am washed clean by the Holy Spirit. I am sanctified. I am justified. No longer who I used to be, now a completely new creature. He calls me righteous. I am righteous. Hallelujah! 

If you are not yet saved, and you are ready to give Grace a chance to make you a new creature, and give you a new life, justified in Christ, you're just a CLICK away. 

GRACE - 5 (NO CONDEMNATION)

Romans 8:1 - There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

The two most interesting things about the story of the prodigal son (Lk. 15:11-32) are; that immediately the lost son returned home, he apologized and requested to be made a servant and not a son, but the Father waived it as though he didn't mention it at all, and he requested that the best clothes and shoes be put on him. Not just that, he also received a ring which was a symbol of authority in his father's house. He was completely restored. It was as though he never left.

  

There is another great story in John 8:1-11. The Scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who they said was caught in the very act of adultery. They said according to the law, she should be stoned to death. They laid all the charges they could against her before Jesus. They practically condemned her. Scripture says Jesus wrote on the ground as though He didn't hear them. The truth was that He actually wasn't interested in their condemnations. He didn't condemn the woman (vs.11). She was totally free as though she didn't commit adultery.

When we sin, not only does God take record of our actions, the Devil also takes record of our sins. The Scripture calls him the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). What he does is that he goes to God like a Lawyer does to a Judge and begins to lay accusations against you, telling God all the wrong things you did and what the law says about the punishment. Up until Jesus came, and the blood washed us, the Devil had this legal document, and he kept accusing the brethren. 

Then Jesus came, and according to Col. 2:14, Jesus blotted every handwriting of the Devil out with His Blood. So, you know what? This time the devil comes to accuse you before God again like a Lawyer does to a Judge and God asks for the proof. He brings up his document and it's already blank, completely wiped off with the Blood. Without proof, God then declares you and I discharged and acquitted. Humans may condemn you all they want. I'm sure that woman in John 8 wasn't committing adultery with herself, why didn't they bring the man? But like Jesus told her, He doesn't condemn you. There is NO condemnation under GRACE. If Jesus doesn't condemn you for your past, don't listen to the condemnation of the devil or humans. 

Those condemnations just have a way of messing with your mind. If Jesus doesn't condemn you, nobody else can. You have been completely restored. The legal document of your past with the devil is wiped clean.  Live like it. Grace did that for you.

DAILY CONFESSION: If God be for me, who can be against me? I am on the Lord's side. I believe what He says about me. I have received my symbol of authority in the Kingdom. I am a product of GRACE, bought by the Blood of the Lamb. I am completely restored, with no condemnation whatsoever. Glory! Hallelujah!

If you are ready to give Grace a chance to make you a new creature, and give you a new life, you're just a CLICK away. 

OVERCOMING AN ADDICTION

THE 3P's OF OVERCOMING ADDICTION"

We all know what an addiction is.

Apostle Paul said...

1 Cor. 6:12
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

The moment you're brought under the power of something, it becomes an addiction. Once you can't seem to control yourself from craving for a particular thing. It's become an addiction.
And please, we will do well to know that addiction can be anything and not just pornography, masturbation, list, sex, etc...

You can be addicted to your phone too, you know. You know you are brought under the power of your phone when you can't seem to give God some quality time, until the phone is flat dead. And even when it's flat dead, all you can think about is your social media account and what you're already missing by not being online. 

You can also be addicted to FOOD - you can eat anything from anywhere at anytime. As a matter of fact, your friends can call you "Jeni give me 👌🏾" (for those who know what I'm saying 😉).

And so on..

A good number of people are addicted to one thing or the other, whether they are mentioned here or not. The truth is, you can lie and pretend to the world, but there are three people you can't lie to - Yourself, God, and the devil.

The first step to overcoming addiction is accepting the fact that you have an addiction. If you don't, then you won't be saved from it.

Second, is the desire to be delivered. Many know they are under the power of an addiction, but are not willing to be delivered from it. They have even casualized. You hear statements like,

"There's nothing I can do about it.",
"thats just the way I am"
"it's been there for as long as I can remember. No point doing anything about it", and so on. 

So we must first admit to it, and then the desire to be delivered. If we then desire to be delivered, here are the 3 P's of overcoming an addiction.

        Click here to CONTINUE 

GRACE - 4 (FORGIVEN AND FORGOTTEN)

Good day Dear Believers, we have so far disussed:

Grace 1 (In need of a Saviour) - we were lost, needed a Saviour and got the best. 

Grace 2 (Welcomed back into the family) - we returned back to relationship with God. 

Grace 3 (Receive the gift) - Grace is a gift and not a reward for some work. If it is of works, then grace is no more Grace. 

Now, today, after Believers begin their faith-walk with God, the devil sometimes brings thoughts of their past life into their minds to get them to think on the wrong they did before they were saved. Such Believers may then doubt if they really were completely forgiven or will still be punished later on. As a matter of fact, whenever they face challenges, it begins to appear to them as though God won't let them go for the wrong they did before they got saved, and God is taking revenge. These are all lies of the devil, and that's why, today, we discuss the fact that Grace has made us totally forgiven, and all past wrongs, completely forgotten by God. 

{ Hebrews 8:12 } - For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

The moment we become saved; the moment we receive the gift of Grace, the moment we switch sides from the devil to God, the devil doesn't take a break with us. He still returns again, and this time to remind us of how unworthy we are, to receive Grace. He begins to remind us of all the mistakes we made, of what our past looked like, he begins to show us the picture of the people we were before God saved us. He tries to make us feel guilty, so that we can throw Grace away.

Have you ever felt like your whole past life came rushing back at you like a mighty river? And the moment that happened, you began to feel so bad and guilty that you didn't think God really saved you, maybe God just decided to keep your sins somewhere so that He can punish you later. The devil makes us think that there's no way God could have saved someone with such a dark past as us. At this point, the devil tries to convince us that when we go through any tough time, the moment nothing works out, the moment we come face to face with a challenge, it is God punishing us for all of our past. Lies! Lies! Lies! Nothing but lies. 

Here is the truth! Col. 2:14 says, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross". Your whole past life are the "handwriting of ordinances" that Jesus blotted out. He took them out of the way. He nailed them to the Cross. He completely wiped them off. Who would you rather believe? Jesus? Or the devil? Here is another truth. Heb. 8:12 says, "For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more". See that? God already promised that He will remember them no more. 

Once again, who would you rather believe? Jesus forgave you and did not only forgive you, He forgot about your past life. He sees you as righteous. To Him, it's like you never committed those sins. He really gave you a new beginning. He gave you a chance to rewrite your own life. And that's the truth. So the next time the devil comes and tries to fill your head with how dirty your past was and who you used used to be, look right back at him in the face and remind him of his past also, how he used to be glorious but is now fallen from Grace, never to be redeemed again, and how Jesus came all the way for you instead of him. Let the devil know the Cross was for you, and you're now a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17). Glory! 

The truth is that the devil will keep coming. He knows he has lost a fight, and will try to get back at you by throwing thoughts in your head so that you disagree with Jesus. It's like making a wife disagree with her husband by telling her that the husband really didn't forgive her and will take revenge. All lies. Speak the Word into his face and end with the words of Angel Michael in Jude 1:9, "The Lord rebuke thee". 

DAILY CONFESSION: I choose to believe what Jesus says about me over whatever lies the devil may fabricate. I believe that I have been forgiven, that all ordinances against me have been blotted out, that my past is completely gone, that I am saved, washed clean and now a new creature, old things are past away, and now everything has become new. Glory!

If you are not yet saved, and you are ready to give Grace a chance to make you a new creature, and give you a new life, you're just a CLICK away. 

SALVATION PRAYER

Salvation Prayer

The Gospel is the power of God (Romans 1:16). It can save even the worst of sinners. Paul, who persecuted the church, was saved by Grace. 

1 Timothy 1:15 - This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

What is the Salvation Prayer? 

"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9) .

"Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God'" (John 3:3).

Salvation Prayer - The Simple Steps:

1. Acknowledge in your heart that Jesus is Lord.

2. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.

3. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and was raised three days later.

4. Repent of your sins and get baptized in the name of Jesus.

"God, I recognize that I have not lived my life for You up until now. I have been living for myself and that is wrong. I need You in my life; I want You in my life. I acknowledge the completed work of Your Son Jesus Christ in giving His life for me on the cross at Calvary, and I long to receive the forgiveness you have made freely available to me through this sacrifice. Come into my life now, Lord. Take up residence in my heart and be my king, my Lord, and my Savior. From this day forward, I will no longer be controlled by sin, or the desire to please myself, but I will follow You all the days of my life. Those days are in Your hands. I ask this in Jesus' precious and holy name. Amen."

If you said that prayer, congratulations, you are welcome to God's family, the household of the saints. What next? 

• Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
• Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
• Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
• Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Develop a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support you.
• Find a local church where you can worship God. 

However, if you would prefer a direct fellowship with someone, you can send an email to Zoetestimony@yahoo.com, and we will be glad to help you through. 

GOD BLESS YOU.