He who Knew no sin became a sin offering for us

2 Cor 5:22 -For He made Him who knew no sin [to be] sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Jesus Christ was sinless. He never sinned one time. He was righteous before God. He had to be this way because God required a perfect sacrifice, a sinless spotless lamb. Heb 4:15 declares that He was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Jesus is the pattern or the perfect image of righteousness. Rms 8:29 says He has predestined those He foreknew to be conformed to the image of His Son. 2 Cor 3:18 say we are being transformed into His image by the Holy Spirit. Righteousness simply means to be made right. We all are made wrong with God if you will the day that we sin. We become unrighteous before God. 1 Cor 6:9 says do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven. The unrighteous shall not inherit or receive heaven. He was made sin does not mean that He became a sinner that would contradict the scriptures. It means that He became a sin offering. 1 Pet 2:24 - He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. Gal 3: 13- in talking of Jesus redeeming His people from the curse of the law Paul quotes an Old Testament verse "cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree". People we are made righteous before God only through the sin offering that God made of His son on the tree of the cross. I am right with God because I have put my faith in what Jesus did at the cross. My standing before God is that I am right with Him. The verse from yesterday sums it up "for by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" But folks the wonderful news is that it don't ever stop until we leave this earth and these fleshly bodies that are decaying. We are made right and everyday through our faith in Christ and His offering we are being conformed into the image of Christ. We are being sanctified or set apart from sin and the world too God and His image of righteousness. We are being transformed by the power of God's Spirit to bear the Fruit of Righteousness. Jesus said you will know a tree by the fruit it bears. Well a righteous tree will bear the fruit of righteousness. There is a wonderful liberty in knowing just what Jesus did for us and all that is available through His offering on the cross. We need to repent or change the way we think and quit living in defeat. Jesus Christ has made a way to abundant life. A life free from the guilt and power of sin. We can have peace with God everyday as we live righteous before God through our relationship with Jesus and His Spirit. What is your faith in today. Is it in the deception of "well i believe in Jesus but you know I'm going to sin". This is error and the wrong way to think. Rms 6:12 - Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in it's lust. Rms 6:14 - "Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under grace" The two words reign and dominion are words used when we speak of Kings or rulers. The Sin nature is the king and ruler over all who have sinned and not made Jesus King, Lord and Ruler. Jesus defeated or dethroned The Sin Nature when He offered Himself on the cross and on the third day rose again. Rms 8:37 - "yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us", Praise God!!!!!

For by one offering He has perfected those who are being Sanctified

Heb 10:12-14 "But this man, after He 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."

I wanted to continue my thoughts on "offerings" and the scriptures above tell of the offering of Jesus that all the offerings of the Old Testament pointed too. I want to write down some other scriptures concerning Jesus offering.

Heb 9:14 - "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."

Heb 9:26b - "He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself"

Heb 9:28 - So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him, He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."

Heb 10:10 - "By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

The wages or penalty for our sin is death. Jesus paid our sin debt by offering Himself to God for us. He bore or carried our sins on His body when He offered Himself to God as the perfect Lamb. He was offered once and now no other offering for sin is necessary or acceptable. He has made a way for those who come to Him to be free of the guilt, power and stain of The Sin Nature and the sins that come as a result of being controlled by the Sin Nature. He has perfected or made a way for perfection for all those who come to Him. Perfection is completeness and wholeness. Through His offering we have the means by which to be made complete and whole. The process by which we come to the realization of this wholeness is the through the process of sanctification. The offering of Jesus didn't just stop after His death but was completed when by the power of the Holy Spirit He rose from the dead. That same Spirit that rose Jesus from the dead broke the power and chains of death and He will come and live inside of you and break every chain and power that sin had over your life. We know that His offering was the was for perfection because He rose from the dead. Sins power was broken too all who come to Him by faith. Sanctification is the work of the Spirit in your life as He sets you apart daily. He will set you apart and make you His vessel of honor so that you will be a light to all who sit in darkness. May you be found in Christ today and may we become complete through His offering!!!!! Sin has no power of the Chrild of God because of the offering of Christ!!!!

God will Provide For Himself The Lamb

Genesis Chapter 22 tells the story of Abraham when God tested him and asked him to offer up his son Issac as a burnt offering. From my last post I pointed out how offerings are such a large part of religion in the world. This story again is a story about an offering. God asked Abraham to bring an offering, the offering of his son. God is not into human sacrifice but God would ask Abraham to be willing to give everything to worship and to follow Him. This is still the call today. We are to lay down our lives and become His followers or His disciples. To follow Jesus we must lay down or offer our lives so that we can find His life and the life He has for us. Lk 14:26 - If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. If we love anything more than we love God we cannot be His disciple. Abraham, by faith, obeyed the command of his Father and in the process of obeying proclaimed the words that are the title of this blog post. God will provide for Himself The Lamb!!!! Abraham is called the Father of Faith and this test of his faith shows that faith is all about loving God more than we love our lives. Abraham obeyed God out of trust and loving obedience. Although God asked of Him a hard thing, he trusted the Lord to provide. By faith Abraham carried out God's command and through his faith he saw and became a partaker of God's offering, the Lamb that He provided. Christians live by faith and not by sight. As we lay down our lives through faith, God provides the offering that gives us His new life. The offering He provided is the Lamb that takes away our sin. His offering gives us a new heart and a new mind. His offering provided the means for us to be filled with His Spirit.

Heb 10: 12-14 - 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.

Today may we live by the same faith that Abraham displayed and offer up our lives. God has provided The Lamb and His name is Jesus!!!!

Sin Lies At The Door

I've been thinking about this verse alot lately. In the light of yesterdays post I will now pen some thoughts that will hopefully help others.



Gen 4:6-7 - So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire [is] for you, but you should rule over it."



The verse my title comes from is out of the story of Cain and Abel. Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord. Abel's offering was the first fruit of his flock, a lamb and Cain who was a farmer brought some fruit from his crops. God accepted Abel's offering and rejected Cains. Cain became angry and His countenance fell or he was walking around with his head down and his face showed that he was angry. He was angry that God rejected his offering. What was this offering all about. I think if you look at what has transpired in the garden after Adam and Eve had sinned and disobeyed God we will get a better understanding of what this offering was all about. An offering in the old testament always represented a sacrifice. All throughout the Old Testament we see people bringing offerings to the Lord. This is a major theme throughout the Old Testament and giving offerings to God is a major tenant in all religions especially in the Jewish religion. Why was Cain and Abel bringing an offering to the Lord. I believe they were doing what they were taught by their parents and were continuing what God had started after Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden. Gen3:21 Also for Adam and his wife God made tunics of skin and clothed them. God had to kill an innocent victim, an animal, so that He could take it's skin in order to clothe Adam and Eve. Before they sinned they were naked and unashamed. Their countenance was up and not fallen. They walked in purity with and before God. Sin caused their countenance to fall and they hid themselves from the presence of God. Notice the parallel actions between Cain and Adam and Eve. Sin separates us from God. God rejects sin and He will reject the sinner that will not bring the acceptable offering. This is why mankind is getting more angry every day. It's they are b ringing the wrong offering and sin is dominating their lives. Have you ever been around an angry man. Well I can tell you He's been rejected by God and the only remedy is far him or her to being an acceptable offering that God will accept. God brought the first offering for sin in the Bible and He would bring the last His son Jesus Christ. The sin offering would become a normal part of everyday life for the seeker of God. Something very important should be noted here. God could have made tunics from the plants that he had created but He chose an animal most probably a lamb. God provided an acceptable offering for man to bring in order to have his sin clothed. Also it should be noted that the thing that Adam tried to cover his nakedness (sin) with was a fig leaf. This should give more light as to what Cain was doing in his offering and what God rejected it. His offering represented the fig leaves and represents man attempt to cover his or her sin in another way besides God way. The fig leaves represent religion. Religion covers and it looks righteous but it has no power to change the inside of man or his heart. This was actually the first act of self righteousness, mans attempt to be made right before God. He wanted God to accept Him on his terms and God want meet man on hos terms. Abel brought an offering that God accepted because he brought a lamb that had to be killed and it's fat was burned which was pleasing to the Lord. God has provided an offering for sin. It's the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. All the offerings in the Old Testament would point to Christ the passover lamb. The Lamb that God would provide as an offering to take away the power of Sin in the world. It not only covers the Sin in our lives but it cleanses us from the effects of Sin in our lives.



Cains offering of self righteousness will not make him righteous and neither will yours. God asked Cain a question "If you do well will you not be accepted". God was asking Cain if He did what God had asked him to do would he not be accepted. Man has a choice to be accepted by God. God only accepts His offering and His way. Jesus is the only offering acceptable to God. God provided the only offering He will accept. Sin lies at the door of all men's lives and it wants to have rule over you. The Sin Nature is ruling over all men that have not brought the offering that God will accept. The Sin Nature has a desire and all men are controlled by these desires. These desires could be better described as the lust of the flesh. Our Flesh lusts after things that are not of God. It lust or longs for pleasure or things that seems to be pleasurable. Sin seems pleasurable for a season. The Sin Nature will always cause man to be angry with his brother. Gal 5:19-21 - Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who are rejected by God are those who practice such things and God's ultimate rejection is that they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Hell is the place of ultimate rejection. It's as far away from the presence of God that you can get. Notice after Cain killed Abel he left from the presence of God. This is the end result of Sins. The last statement God made in this verse is that you should rule over it. God's offering has made a way for man to rule the Sin Nature. Wow!!!! Probably not what your accustomed to thinking or hearing. God has made a way for us to rule or have dominion over our Sin Nature. Is Sin ruling you is it constantly at your door never to go away. Bring the offering of Christ to God everyday by putting your faith in Him and what he did at the cross. Start everyday with the offering of Christ and throughout the day offer Christ. Rule over Sin through Jesus Christ. Quit offering what is not acceptable to God. Only Jesus is acceptable!!!!

Blessed Is The Man That Endures Temptation

Hello everyone haven't blogged since before Christmas. Hope everyone is doing well in the new year.



James 1:12 - Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive a crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.



A friend of mine commented the other day on this passage and it blessed me so. We hear alot about blessing or being blessed in our world today. This passage give a true source of blessing - enduring temptation. We are tempted everyday in our lives. Verse 14 describes how temptation happens. We are tempted when we are drawn away by our own desires and enticed. The end result of giving in to or being controlled by our desires is that desire gives birth to sin and sin brings death. Sin will always bring death and is the opposite of being blessed. A man or woman who is always failing in times of temptation is not blessed but is actually experiencing death. To be bound and controlled by sin is death and again is far from being blessed. Sin will control every part of your life including our minds, will and emotions. To be in sin is like being in prison with no way of ever getting out. Think about the prisoners with life sentences or those on death row awaiting their execution, they have no hope of ever being set free. Well this is what sin does in the life of one who is bound in sin. Alot of people think they are free from sin because they don't do the major sins. Sin is sin and we need to call it like it is. Sin does not have categories it's all the same. The little sins are the same as the big ones it's sin and sin brings death. Blessed is the man that endures temptation. The scripture points out that we can endure during times of temptation. To endure means to remain, abide, not recede or flee. To preserve under misfortunes and trials. To hold fast to ones faith in Christ. The next part of the verse says for when he has been approved. Enduring or sinning during times of temptation proves something. It proves whats in our heart. The proof is in the puddin the old sayin goes. Do we hold fast to Christ and abide in Him during our times of trials or do we flee or worst yet we find that we never have been joined to Him in the first place. Another thing about sin is that it deceives. Sin deceives us to thinking we're not that bad or it prompts us to compare ourselves to someone who we think is worse than us.



We cannot endure temptation alone or in our on power or strength. We cannot endure temptation through will power or self helps, psychology, or religion. The only way we can endure temptation is to be joined to Christ through being saved by His grace and filled with His nature. The proverbs says a Leopard cannot change his spots because that's his nature or how he was born. Well a sinner cannot stop sinning because he is controlled by his nature and that's how he was born. We are all born with the Sin Nature and the first time we give in to the desires of that Nature we become sinners and the Sin Nature becomes our master who will ever control our life. Jesus paid the price that the master of all men demanded. The wages or the payment for sin is death. Well Jesus paid the debt of death by dieing on the cross to die for the sins of all mankind. This is what the blessing is all about. Man can take part in the payment plan by putting His faith in Christ and becoming His disciple. As follow Christ we will experience freedom from our old nature. He will no longer dominate our lives because Jesus is Lord of our life and we are partakers of His nature and we can endure anything temptations bring our way. Ever heard the saying God will never put anything on you more than what you can handle. Well many people go through trials that they cannot handle and fail even to the point of despair and death. Well the way God has given us to handle trials of life is to be joined to Christ. We can go through hell and high water as we are joined to Christ. We don't have to sin and live in death. Through CHRIST AND FAITH WE CAN BE OBEDIENT. The leopard can have his spots changed. 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away behold all things have become new. In this new year don't settle for failure and sin but be be joined to Christ and His Body and become a new creature. The crown of life is awaiting all who endure with Christ. Don't be cheated through religion and old ways of thinking that cannot and will not bring life and freedom from sin. Only Christ can do this. Be joined to Christ today. Seek Him with all your heart and you will find Him. This is His promise!!!!!



Temptation is the times we are put to the test in order to ascertain the character, views or feelings of someone.

Ministering The Gift

1 Pet 4:10 - As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

I thought this verse was appropriated considering the season we are in. The King James states "as each one has received the gift". The greatest gift of all is the Gift of Christ. God gave His only begotten son to the world so that the world might be saved. The gift of God saves man from their sin. We are not just forgiven but delivered from Sins nature and power.

As we have received the Gift of Christ we are commanded in this verse to minister it to one another. Jesus is the gift that keeps on giving. When we receive Jesus and become His disciple, He keeps filling us with gift. He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit that in turn gifts us His gifts such as the nine gifts listed in 1 Cor 12. One of the things I love about Christmas is the excitement that comes with giving and receiving gifts. Shouldn't we as Christians be just as excited everyday to give the Gift of Christ to others.

Minister - to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon.

Every Christian is called to minister. Through tradition ministry has been limited to professional people (Minister). Every one who has received the Gift of Christ has the ability and responsibility to turn around a minister the Gift to others. As each part of Christs body (the members) minister Him and His gifts to others God's manifold grace is spread and experienced by others.

Stewards - a steward, manager, superintendent (whether free-born or as was usually the case, a freed-man or a slave) to whom the head of the house or proprietor has intrusted the management of his affairs, the care of receipts and expenditures, and the duty of dealing out the proper portion to every servant and even to the children not yet of age.

The scripture says it is required in stewardship that one be found faithful. We must be good stewards of the Gift that God has given us. God has given us stewardship over the Gift of His Son. We are called to administer Him to others. May we be found faithful today in doing what God has called us all to do. May we give and experience the true gift of Christmas by giving and receiving Jesus Christ!!!!!!

Those You have Given Me Part 2

Verse 12a - While I was with them in this world, I kept them in Your Name; Those you have given me I have kept - the definition of kept is to attend to carefully, to take care of, to guard. What a picture of what relationships should be all about. We are to watch and keep guard over those God has given to us. The word keep is used many times in Jn 14 and 15 in the context of keeping God's commandments. We are to watch to make sure the people God has given us are keeping His commandments.

Verse 18 - As You have sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. Jesus was making disciples that followed and kept all His commands. Just like God the Father sent Jesus into the world to make disciples of those God had given Him, Jesus was sending His disciples into the world to do the same for those God would give them. This pattern is too take place until Jesus comes back.

Verse 20-21 - I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they may be one, as You Father are in Me, and I in you; that they also may be one with Us, that the world may believe that You sent me. - The last portion of the chapter deals with oneness or unity. The greatest thing that's brings unity is sacrificial love. The greatest example of this type of love is found in Jesus life with His disciples and ultimately His death on the cross. Laying down ones life for his or her friends is the greatest act of love. Vs 24 - You loved me before the foundation of the world. The bible says in another place that the lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. The world was built on the sacrificial love of God and His Son. Just think about of God would have created the world without the foreknowledge that He would sacrifice His son for the sins of the world. What kind of world would we have today if Jesus wouldn't have died two thousand years ago. All Godly relationships must have as it's foundation sacrificial love. If it's anything else it will fall because the foundation is faulty.

May we all today follow the example of Jesus and give our lives sacrificially for those God has given us.