The Best Advice!

I think what Jesus told the woman caught in adultery when he said, "now go and sin no more," is the best advice anyone could be given. It is a call to all who have been forgiven to be “blameless.”

In John 8:11, Jesus tells the woman caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you," He follows with, Go, and from now on sin no more." This instruction is powerful, as it not only declares her forgiven but also sets a new standard for her life moving forward.

This directive can be seen as a call to live a life that aligns with God's will—a life of holiness and righteousness that reflects a change brought about by encountering Jesus. It emphasizes that forgiveness isn't just about absolution but also about a renewed commitment to living according to God’s principles. Thus, it suggests that those who are forgiven are called to pursue a blameless life as a response to the grace they have received.

The call to live a blameless life, as Jesus suggests, can feel daunting because, as humans, we are all prone to making mistakes and sinning—even with the best intentions.

The Bible acknowledges this human condition. For example, 1 John 1:8 says, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." This passage underscores the ongoing struggle with sin that believers face. However, it also points to the grace available through Christ, as the next verse offers reassurance: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Trying and sometimes failing is a shared experience for those who are Born Again. It highlights the importance of grace, continuous repentance, and the Holy Spirit's role in sanctification—the process of being made holy over time. Rather than a demand for immediate perfection, Jesus' instruction to "go and sin no more" can be seen as an encouragement to pursue righteousness while relying on God’s strength and forgiveness when we fall short. This aligns with the idea of living a life dependent on God’s guidance and care, and being transformed by an ongoing relationship with Him through the Holy Spirit.

So, if we consider Jesus Christ our "Savior", by Grace. We should also consider Him "Lord" by that same grace. When we accept Him as Savior, acknowledging that it is by grace through faith that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9), we also recognize His sovereignty over our lives, thereby accepting Him as Lord.

The title "Lord" implies authority, leadership, and control. To call Jesus "Lord" is to submit to His will, obey His teachings, and align our lives according to His purposes. This is not just a declaration of belief but a commitment to action—it means actively seeking His guidance in all areas of life and striving to reflect His character.

This relationship of grace is reciprocal and dynamic. Just as we receive grace in salvation, we continue to depend on that grace to empower and enable us to live under His lordship. This understanding deeply connects with the idea of God’s Guidance, Provision and Care, and living out a radical dependence on Him.

By grace, He saves us. Through faith, we make Him Lord.

By grace, we are saved—this is entirely God's gift, not based on our works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). This saving grace is accessed through faith, an act of trust and surrender to Jesus as our Savior.

Making Jesus Lord of our lives is the natural progression of that faith. When we believe in Him, we not only trust Him for salvation but also commit to His lordship, which means acknowledging His authority, obeying His commands, and conforming our lives to His will. This act of making Jesus Lord is both a decision and a process. It starts with a decision to give Him control but continues as a daily process of yielding to the Holy Spirit, who helps us to live according to God's ways.This concept also aligns with the Biblical principle that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). The faith that saves us is also supposed to transform us, leading to a life that evidences His lordship through our actions, decisions, and interactions. This transformative journey is underpinned by grace, enabling us to grow in Christ-likeness and to live out our calling in the kingdom of God effectively.

How often do you provide God the opportunity to share His Heart and Mind with you?

Psalms 139:17-18 NLT

“How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 

I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! 

And when I wake up, you are still with me!”

Savior & Lord! By Grace, through Faith?

SAVIOR...

Colossians 2:6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Romans 5:2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 4:16 Because of this it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, for the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that which is of the law only, but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham,

1 Peter 1:5 They are for you, who through faith are kept safe by God's power for the salvation which is ready to be revealed at the end of time.

Romans 3:24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.


LORD...

Matthew 7:21  Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

James 1:22  Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

Luke 6:46  "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and yet don't do what I tell you?

The Mind of Christ through the Holy Spirit

The Mind of Christ?

Perspective, insight, understanding, knowledge, wisdom, and ability, all through the Guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The Present Moment?: I call it the Here and Now.

The present moment is "where" and "when" we exist and have our being. Our understanding resides with our thoughts in the present moment. Our understanding is informed by our “perspective", which is derived from a combination of our five senses, our memory of the past that validates the present moment, and our ability to reason, which anticipates the future. Because of this, each individual has a “unique” and limited perspective.

Our perspective is limited by the laws of physics and the nature of our inertial frame, which is our physical body. This is why the truth of Proverbs chapter 3 verses 5 and 6 is so important to understand. And why being Spirit-led is an essential aspect of every believer’s walk.

If we are born again, we are conscious of the Holy Spirit’s presence. According to His will, the Holy Spirit “informs” our perspective and therefore increases our understanding so, if we trust and obey, we can participate in what He is doing in the present moment (Revealing the Kingdom).

The present moment, the here and now, is the only place where a child of God is led by the Spirit of God. It's where the Holy Spirit reminds us of His leading in the past: John 14:26. It is where He speaks prophetically to us about the future.  John 16:13

The present moment is the only place where we can exercise Biblical Faith as we trust and obey the Holy Spirit's leading in the here and now!

Jesus said, "I assure you: The Son is not able to do anything on His own, but only what He sees (present-tense), the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does these things in the same way. Jn 5:19

Jesus also said, “The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Jn 14:10

I Corinthians 12:4-7. “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” 

Romans 12: 6-8. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
1 Peter 4:10-11. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”

Christian Mystics and Now!

I've enjoyed the books of several Christian "mystics". Andrew Murray, Watchman Nee, and A.W. Tozer. These are people that God gave spiritual eyes to see and spiritual ears to hear. And they shared God's heart and mind, how God felt, and what He thought to their generation.

Their asceticism was simple and did not bring glory to themselves. They knew God, and the things of the world had little appeal to them.

Now...
The mysteries of the believer's union with the Father through the Holy Spirit are being made clear to all of us.

Hebrews 8:11. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 

Acts 2:17-18 ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Revelation 19:9. Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10. And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

1 Cor. 14:1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

Faith is not...

trust, or belief, or confidence, or conviction, or credence, or reliance, or dependence, or optimism, or hopefulness, or hope, or expectation, or any attitude or principle you can put into practice.

John 5:39-40 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40. yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (CEV) With all your heart you must trust the LORD and not your own judgment. 6. Always let him lead you, and he will clear the road for you to follow.

FAITH IS A RELATIONSHIP! With God the Father, by the Holy Spirit, because of the sacrifice His Son Jesus.

In this relationship, we grow in;  trust, belief, confidence, conviction, credence, reliance, dependence, optimism, hope, expectation, and anticipation.

God's Grace?

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
God's Guidance = God's Grace! "The path I should go, the steps I should take."

Okay, a relationship where God guides and I am expected to trust and obey. My problem is I have an expectation of result. I seem to remember a promise. It created a hope. I paid attention because of it.

So I listened and obeyed. Okay, I'll admit I may have been distracted. I may have paid less then attention. So the "promise"? He is Faithful. Okay. TRUST AND OBEY! The promise was given on the basis of... "By grace, through Faith"

This is the "Key" to PEACE!

John 14:27. "I am leaving you with a gift... peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.

By Grace, through Faith...

It's not where you are at, it's how far you've come. It's not what you've been given, it's what you do with it.