Old Covenant, New Covenant. Do you know your God?

Jesus was born under law, Gal. 4:4, He taught under law, Matt. 5:17-20, He lived under law, Matt. 23:1-3. The new covenant and the old covenant were different belief systems. The old covenant concept was: forgive to get forgiven; in other words, it was conditional. After the cross, however, the new will, the new covenant, there was a change in the priesthood, therefore, a change in the law; it was now unconditional. Love God and love your neighbor; forgive as Christ forgave you.

When reading Christ’s teachings, we must pay attention; was He teaching in the here and now? Or was He teaching in preparation for something in the future? Remember, while Jesus was still alive, Israel, as well as the world, was still under the old covenant. The new covenant did not come into effect until after His death, Heb 9:15-17. So everything Jesus said, and everything He taught, concerning the law, before His death was in reference to the old covenant.

Now let’s stop for a moment and be completely honest. Think about the Sermon on the Mount; murder in the heart. Jesus directly equates anger with murder; then He equates these with judgment; do you think He meant it? Now what about you? How many times have you been angry in the last few months? Now what was the penalty for anger- judgment? So how can this be true after the cross; after the penalty for sin was paid, and our sins and lawless deeds remembered no more? It doesn’t make any sense right? Wrong! It makes perfect sense in that Jesus was teaching under the law. Proclaiming the penalty for sin was death. He was preparing mankind for the mercy of the cross.

Now you want to try a few more? How about adultery in the heart, or go the second mile! Oh, here’s a real good one; Love your enemy. Well how are we doing so far? Yeah; that’s what I thought! You see Jesus wasn’t giving us a list of laws. He was pointing us to salvation.

If you really want to test the love your enemies thing, just go tell the pastors of one of these big mega-churches that they are teaching in error. I guarantee they will circle the wagons, and accuse you of heresy, and condemn you to hell all with one spirit-filled charge. I’m not trying to bash anyone here; I’m simply telling you how fickle we are as human beings, and how much we need a merciful Savior. That even on our best spirit-filled day, we are not qualified to stand before God apart from who Christ has made us. Let us not forget this. Amen.

Footnote: If we are unwilling to teach this, we are unwilling to set people free. And if we are unwilling to set people free, we are holding them in bondage. It’s that simple! Lord please strengthen us that we may grow together in the unity of the faith. That we may walk in the liberty by which we were called; that your love may be manifest to the world. Matt. 22:34-40; John 3:8-11

Commentary by:

G.L. Miller

Bringing heaven to earth!

To say that the state of the world is a direct result of the saints failing God's sovereign plan is to say that the saints are in control rather than God. This mindset seems to permeate much of the evangelical world, especially in the realm of the charismatic movement, which seem to think that it is our faith that moves God, rather than God Himself. This ideology refuses to look at the world around and say it is happening just like God said it would. Refusing to accept the suffering of this present age to the point of trying to establish heaven on earth, this reasoning denies the very word of God. Tenaciously holding on to the temporal by focusing on externals, which generally don't change.

This ideology says, 'We are not pleased with this arrangement God, and we are not going to wait for what you promised, we want it now!' I know this sounds like a JD Wentworth commercial, but sadly enough this is how many Christians think. They just can't seem to get it through their heads that the heart is the heart of the matter with God, and that it's about the journey with Him, the relationship through thick and thin that He desires. It's not about the absence or presence of adverse circumstances, it's about the knowing, the trusting and resting in Him whatever the circumstance. This is the power He wants us to tap into. This is the God He wants us to know....Amen

Footnote: I am not a cessationist- God does work in the miraculous, and we are not called to complacency. Christians are the voice of truth, 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.' This is bringing heaven to earth- God's love and the message of salvation.

Commentary by:

G.L. Miller

Commentary 1 John 1:5-10

John declares the message which He and the apostles heard directly from Christ, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. To walk in the light as He is in the light is to walk in the light of salvation through receiving Christ. Once a person has received Christ, he has become the righteousness of God and there remains no darkness in him, because as He is, so are we in this world.

1 Peter 2:9-10; II Cor. 5:21; 1 John 4:17; Titus 3:5-7; Col. 1:19-22

To walk in darkness and not practice the truth is to walk under a different belief system. The darkness mentioned here does not depict sin in the life of a believer. It is a direct warning against the sin of unbelief; the primary focus here being on the Gnostics.

That the light has come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, refusing to believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

1 John 4:2-3; John 3:18-21

Fellowship one with another is the direct result of being united in the spirit of Christ. ‘And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.’ The need for continual cleansing is necessary because of the indwelling sin of the flesh, which Jesus Himself accomplishes in the life of a believer. After salvation, we do not confess to get forgiven or to be cleansed. The sins in the life of the believer are covered by the blood of Christ, not our confession.

1 Cor. 12:12-13; Romans 7:21-23; John 13:8-9; Col. 2:11-15; Heb. 10:17-18;

Heb. 9:22-28

If we say we have no sin, obviously we have not received Christ; so the truth is not in us. Take a look at 2 John verses 1-2; once we have received Christ, the truth abides in us forever. To be sure, this verse was not written for the believer, because if the truth is not in us, it’s because it never was.

If we confess our sins: When a non-believer confesses or admits that Jesus is the Son of God, he has agreed with God concerning his sin nature, having understood God’s plan of redemption; therefore, God is faithful to forgive, cleanse, and to declare him righteous; in other words, to justify him and declare him a child of God.

John 1:12; Romans 5:1-2

If we say we have not sinned, we do not understand the kingdom of God.

1 Cor. 2:14; John 3:3

Here are some contemporary views regarding these passages; please pay close attention, and look for the contradictions.

Thomas Nelson: ‘To walk in darkness means to live contrary to the moral character of God, to live a sinful life. When a Christian’s conduct reflects God’s moral character, then real fellowship is possible. Our fellowship with God is dependant on walking in God’s light. If a believer confesses his or her specific sins to God, he will cleanse all unrighteousness from that person.’

John Macarthur: ‘Do not practice- This points to their, our habitual failure regarding the practice of truth. A genuine Christian walks habitually in the light of truth and holiness; not in darkness, falsehood and sin. Since those walking in the light share in the character of God, they will be habitually characterized by His holiness indicating their true fellowship with Him. Continual confession of sin is an indication of genuine salvation. Confession of sin categorizes genuine Christians, and God continually cleanses those who are confessing. Although a Christian must continually acknowledge and confess sin, etc., etc., etc.

At any rate, it should be obvious by now that these men are equating the word darkness mentioned in verse 6 with the sin in the life of a believer. These commentaries are based on error and poorly interpreted, lacking discernment, not to mention being out of context and failing to take into consideration the totality of scripture. These commentaries are impossible to live up to even for the best Holy Roller.

To prove this point, let’s go to Romans 7 and 8. This is what Paul discovered when he tried to live up to God’s moral standards. I think it’s interesting to note that even after he came to his senses and realized he couldn’t do it; he still didn’t feel the need to plead with God for forgiveness. He just laid it all at the foot of the cross, and put it under the blood, which of course is where all this type of nonsense belongs. Before we go any further, I would ask that you pray and ask God for discernment. Read Romans 7:13-8:17. Read it slowly, yet go all the way through. Read for context, read it a few times. What is the main point? What conclusion did the apostle Paul ultimately come to? What was he trying to get through to you and me? A correct answer to these questions will change a life!

Romans 7:21-22: What Paul saw inside of himself was a law; (A law being something observed with unwavering uniformity, such as a mathematical equation of 1+1=2, in other words, an unchangeable principle), in this case depicting the presence of the indwelling sin of the flesh, bringing him into captivity to the law of sin, (See Romans 7:8), Paul realizing for the first time, having actually internalized the fact that he was stuck with sin. That humanity while still on this earth will never reach deity until that which is corrupt has put on the incorrupt, and is glorified; hence the statement: ‘Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death. I thank God, (notice he thanked God, he did not confess and plead with Him), through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with my mind, I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, with this dead body, the law of sin.’ Paul knew that this plea did not completely eradicate the sins or deeds brought about by his corrupt flesh; in fact now he was certain of it. It merely placed them squarely where they belong, on the blood of the Lamb.

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.

Now, in light of what we have just learned, it should be relatively easy to determine that walking in the flesh in this context is to practice our own righteousness. In other words, to live in fleshly obedience to God’s moral standards; as though we could actually meet the righteous requirements of the law; which in essence is exactly what Thomas Nelson and John Macarthur are teaching in their erroneous commentaries.

Our righteousness, our holiness, as well as our very lives are contingent on Gods holiness, His righteousness, and His promises. It is not based on our ability keep ourselves cleansed through confession or to live up to His standards. Christ became our standard and our sacrifice when He went to the cross and became righteousness for us, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Heb. 10:17-18

Be careful little Christian who and what you believe. 1 John 2:18- ‘Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming. Even now many antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour.’

Gal. 3:19-25; II Cor. 3:7-18

1 John 2:20-21, 26-27; Heb. 8:10-12

Commentary by:

G.L. Miller

Woe to the shepherds!

This blog is dedicated to all the little lost sheep out their saying, “What happened? Why doesn’t anyone care? Where are all the shepherds that were supposed to leave the 99 to come find me?’ For all who have just been written off as the ones who went out from among us because they were never of us! One thing I have discovered in this past year or so, is that God Himself is the best evangelist the world could ever have, and by coming out from among them and sitting at His feet, I have come to know just how great His evangelizing is, even to me! Preach it Jesus!

Ezekiel 34:1-31:

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.

So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes; My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: “As I live, says the Lord GOD, surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My flocks shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”- therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

For thus says the Lord GOD: “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,” says the Lord GOD.

I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.” ‘And as for you, O My flock, thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Behold, I shall judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. Is it too little for you to have eaten up the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the residue of your pasture- and to have drunk of the clear waters, that you must foul the residue with your feet?

And as for My flock, they eat what you have trampled with your feet, and they drink what you have fouled with your feet.”

Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: “Behold, I myself will judge between the fat and lean sheep. Because you have pushed with side and shoulder, butted all the weak ones with your horns, and scattered them abroad, therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them- My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.

I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. I will make them and the places all around My hill a blessing; and I will cause showers to come down in their season; there shall be showers of blessing. Then the tree of the field shall yield their fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase. They shall be safe in their land; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them.

And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid. I will raise up for them a garden of renown, and they shall no longer be consumed with hunger in the land, nor bear the shame of the Gentiles anymore. Thus they shall know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and they, the house of Israel, are My people,” says the Lord GOD.

“You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God,’ says the Lord GOD.

I know this is long reading, but for those of you that might not realize that Jesus is God and He does what He says He is going to do; Here is the words of the Great I AM:

John 10:11-16-

‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father, and I lay down My life for the sheep.

And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and their will be one flock and one shepherd.’

I beg that you read this over a couple of times and that you read it once out loud as though the Lord is saying it to you, because He is. Once I stopped searching out all the sin and punishing elements about God, which is what I was doing when I was honest with myself, He opened my eyes to His tenderness and care that as I seek more and more to know about Him, He pours out rivers of living water and love to others through me. I cannot do that on my own! 

We serve an all powerful, just, and holy God no doubt! However, once we get past the awe and fear of Him, He reveals to us such an incredible tenderness and compassion that I feel we do not hear enough of. At least He has to me!

I pray that even just one person is encouraged by this blog, and if there is anything my husband and I can do to encourage you, please leave a comment or visit us at George Lisa Miller on facebook.

Peace and grace…Lisa

Called to support truth!

When it is brought to our attention that a particular pastor or denomination in which we are involved is in biblical error, we should not support that error by attempting to remain silent or neutral. When an individual gives us warning with sufficient proof of biblical error, we must support the camp that supports truth, and be willing to confront the issue. If we are unwilling to confront the issue, we are not only injuring those being taught in error, but the messenger of truth himself; therefore, weakening the body of Christ.

This travesty is so prevalent that it has become the norm among many Christian circles today. The fact that someone would be bold enough to say, “Hey, this is wrong! God’s word doesn’t say that!’ just blows people’s minds. Trampling their comfort zone and ruining their over zealous trust in man. The fact that God’s word says what it says, and means what it means seems to make little difference to these folks; as long as we don’t upset the apple cart, everything is fine.

The fact of the matter is; that everything is not fine. The attitudes expressed above are born of the flesh, and are not consistent with the head which is Christ, in whom all things were created and exist, which of course includes the church. When we are not supporting the truth, what are we supporting? Are we walking by faith when we do not support someone who is telling us the truth?

The saddest part of this whole affair is when a particular group or congregation resorts to accusing the bearer of truth of being divisive, immature, or worse yet, of being down right heretical; thus alienating him from the fellowship of the so called saints. Unfortunately this happens a lot with the issue of law and grace. I myself have been accused of these things on more than one occasion simply for telling people they are no longer under law but grace.

Footnote: I want to tell everyone right now, that the aforesaid behaviors are an abomination to the Lord, and if you are reading this and feeling guilty because you’ve acted this way, know this; that God has forgiven you, but go now and support your brother and sister; go now and support the truth. Stop killing the prophets!

Proverbs 25:19, 26

Commentary by:

G.L. Miller

What is perfect love?

If we refuse to believe that Christ was teaching under the law, in other words under the old covenant when He taught on the mount, and we tenaciously hold to the mentality which teaches that the Holy Spirit enables us to keep the law, we are failing to realize what Christ meant to show us. That the condemning spirit of the law is limitless and beyond keeping; He was teaching in preparation for the cross. Here is some food for thought:

Though Christ could have kept the law, He did not. Christ did not walk in perfect obedience to the spirit of the law, He walked in perfect love. He worried to the point of sweating blood; He got angry enough to verbally assault the Pharisees; He even doubted the Fathers faithfulness when He stated from the cross, ‘Father why have thou forsaken Me?’ Remember, the bible says that whatever is not of faith is sin.

What shall we say then about the teachings on the mount? If we were meant to keep them, and it is sin if we don’t, was Christ then a sinner? And if He was a sinner how then did He provide a spotless sacrifice? Impossible, right? The answer is simple: These teachings were designed to show us that the spirit of the law is limitless, condemning, and could not be kept. Jesus was preparing mankind to receive the mercy which only God could provide, His sacrifice on the cross.

The condemning spirit of the law is limitless; the Spirit of life in Christ gives us a new heart which removes us from the law of sin and death. This new life, this new heart is what Jesus came to give us. He came to live in us that we may walk in love.

Our security will never be realized in an attempt to keep the law. Only a mature understanding of God’s love and what He provided for us at salvation will accomplish this. Do you think God would keep our focus on the impossible?

What is perfect love? See 1 John 4:17-19

Footnote: If you are under the impression that these types of teachings will give license to sin, maybe you don’t trust God, but rather you’re teaching or preaching, or even the law. May God give you wisdom to do the right thing and teach the grace of God!

Commentary by:

G.L. Miller

Love letter!

Hey folks! I’ve written some pretty rough stuff this past week, and I want you to know that if you don’t understand, that’s fine. Because if you don’t understand, it wasn’t written for you, it was written to those that should but don’t. The main thing is Jesus Christ, and this site is about Him; His love, His power, and His wisdom. All of which He desires to share with you. And with that said:

If you are lonely, and you think that no one cares, I can assure you that God does. And if you’ve cried out to Him, and you think He’s not listening, please write us and just maybe we can help you hear His voice. God is not mad at you; He’s seeking you; desiring to love you and make Himself known to you that you may be healed! He knows how tough this life can be, and He wants us to have peace in Him. He wants to take us up in His arms, and guide us and lead us through the storms. He wants to hold us when we cry and make mistakes, and not push us away. He is our Father, He is everyone’s Father, and He is always near, ready to receive those who call on Him. And His answer will always be Yes! His voice being, ‘You don’t know how long and how patiently I have waited for you just to love you!’ True story!

If you would like to hear more, or if you have any questions, please write and let me and my wife share God’s love with you. We’d be honored; we like to be loved too!

Christians and the media!

Truth or fiction!

It amazes me to see how many Christians base their facts on one media source. It seems to me that God told us way back in the proverbs to get both sides of the story that we may come to a just conclusion. Proverbs 18:17. I’m also pretty sure that He said we have been given the mind of Christ, and with that said, I have to ask: ‘What in the world is going on?’

There are so many untruths being presented by the media in the name of God that it blows my mind. The neoconservative right-wing Christian mentality we see today, I’m convinced is a direct result of being under law. The law being the mechanism by which Satan drives his agenda; which of course the politically astute foster in order to win the trust of the so-called faithful. This praise the Lord pass the ammunition, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, imperialistic theology is born of darkness rather than light, and reeks of greed, bigotry, hatred, and unforgiveness.

I realize that what I am about to say is brutal, so I would ask that you search your hearts that you may see the logos, the logic of God and the love He has for His creation. Folks, our heads are not hat racks, they are the seat of our intellect, and if we be in Christ that’s a phenomenal thing! Or at least it should be. Yet most of the conversations I have with Christians concerning the world around us seem about as shallow as a two inch grave, and smell likewise; the blatant disregard for humanity as a whole is frightening. Their only basis for true justice being found in the rights and morals of the United States of America, which they are more than ready to defend to their death.

I believe the questions we must ask ourselves are these- Are we men and women of God, or are we American Christians? Are we sold out to our Lord and King and what He commanded, or are we driven to and fro by every wind of doctrine according to the cunning craftiness of men?

I know this is hard core but it needs to be said. Lord knows we are rapidly approaching horrific times; times in which the faithful will be called to shine as lights. I realize that the common belief among Christians today is that we will escape these things due to the rapture, and I pray we will; however, I believe it’s important to remember that although God said we would escape His wrath, He said nothing about escaping the wrath of man; which of course history will proclaim as we rapidly approach world war III.

In conclusion, if you want to know the truth, which by the way is at least part our responsibility, you must seek out multiple sources. Corporate media alone won’t suffice. You must seek out alternative sources. Learn to follow the money so that you know who is paying for the ad, in other words the story. In so doing, you may at least catch a glimpse of the agenda being proposed. And if you really desire some good truthful revelation, pick up some dusty old history books and read them in conjunction with God’s word; because nothing will show us the contemporary better then studying the past. Cry out to God for wisdom, read some valid old history, use multiple media sources, follow the money, and I guarantee that God will speak to you loud and clear, and you will know the truth. If we are unaware of what is true or false, how do we know which one we are supporting?

I know you are probably asking yourselves, ‘Isn’t this the same man who’s been writing all this beautiful stuff about the grace of God?’, and I say you bet it is. The grace of God is not willy nilly. The grace of God is powerful. It’s what raises a man or woman beyond circumstance, beyond the status quo, that they may rule and reign with Him in truth. I’m not talking political agendas here, I’m talking about the stranger, the poor, the widow, the fatherless, the prisoner, I’m talking about Jesus. Matt. 25:40

God is good, and He loves us so much. Let’s be bold and give of ourselves to give it away. Amen!

Jeremiah 20:7-13

Commentary by:

G.L. Miller

Compromised!

Christian perspective on war

Sadly enough the American church has been compromised almost from its conception. The marriage between the governing authorities and the church of Christ has left its mark. The King of kings has been redefined, and His servants marginalized by the god of war and patriotism. The extreme distinction between the old and New Testament lost in a sea of pragmatic humanism. The message of the kingdom of God was never intended to be administered from the end of a gun, Jesus is not a patriot, nor can He be redefined.

Remember, Jesus made it personal. There are only two types of people in this world, lost and saved. He did not call us to fight a holy war; He gave us the ministry of reconciliation. And if you be a military man, God bless you and may He give you strength. Just remember that you are not fighting for Christianity, you are fighting for just peace resolution. A holy war mentality demonizes people and nations. And the war between good and evil cannot be won with conventional weapons- for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God. Therefore, this battle is His and His alone. Yes wars must be fought, and valiant men and women must rise to the occasion in order to thwart the often tyrannical depravity of man. Yet let us not lose sight of God in whom all things were created and exist.

Footnote:

I would like to thank all those who have served and are currently serving in the U.S. Military; for yours is a monumental and noble task. May God give you strength!

II Cor. 5:17-21; 10:3-5
Eph. 6:10-17
John 18:36
Revelation 14:6-7

Commentary by:

G.L. Miller

Let us go on to maturity!

For the first time in my eight years as a Christian, I am going to actually read through the whole bible this year. It has been some wonderful time spent with the Lord, and I have learned many things from Him, and about Him. Such things as how much it means to Him to have His children seeking Him and trusting Him. I have seen His abundant blessings and chastisement. So many awesome and scary things. But through it all, there was a continual message of grace coming, such as the world had never seen.

I was cruising along, looking at the popular commentaries, doing a little study in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic trying to find some deeper understanding, in other words looking to man for answers. During my studying, about 7 or 8 months ago now, the Lord sent a friend of ours over to tell us about the full assurance of faith which was found in grace. I was so disturbed by the message of grace; that God is no longer dealing with me over my sin, I am already a believer mind you, and that if I wanted to go out and sin my butt off I could. It would not change how God feels about me one iota.

Well of course I rejected it at first; even saying this kid has a demon! Then came the ‘Shall we go on sinning that grace may abound argument’, saying: ‘We will just give people a license to sin. We have to be careful!’ Sounds like I trust an all powerful God to me, doesn’t it? I have now come to understand that people are going to sin whether we give them a license or not. In fact if we read the words of Paul in Romans 7, we will see that trying to be sin managers will only produce more sin. I didn’t write it, I just read it.

When are believers going to realize that is why Christ took it out of the way? Do we still sin? Of course! It is just not against God, it is against each other. How many times have you heard a believer quote Psalm 51 or 1 John 1:9 as an excuse, in my opinion, to not go to someone they have sinned against. Why? Is it because we do not really know God’s heart? Or just as bad, are we not being led by the Spirit of Christ who is supposed to be living in us?

If we believe we are a new creation, and the Spirit of God lives in us, if indeed He does; then wouldn’t He be telling us when we go to Him all pious and reverent to confess our sin over cussing out a friend or brother or sister and say: ‘Oh God forgive me, for against you and you only have I sinned’, that His Spirit would be telling us, ‘Why are you telling me? Don’t you believe that my Son took care of that problem between us? What about that person you sinned against? Go tell them about it. They are the one you sinned against. Not me!’

You see brothers and sisters, going on to maturity is not sinning less as so many teach these days. Will this happen? Yes. But going on to maturity is realizing just exactly what Jesus did accomplish for us when He said, ‘It is finished!’ Paid in full is the Greek. Let us find out what paid in full means so we can step into the full assurance of grace by faith and faith alone. Let us step out of our arrogant, self-righteous belief system that according to the word of God is obsolete, (adherence to the law or the ten commandments), and step into the ministry of reconciliation, and the new covenant, bearing fruit that remains that only the vine can produce. And let us walk in a new and living way, loving our brothers and sisters and having one mind which our precious Lord and Savior died a horrible death to provide. Jesus is no longer at the cross people, He rose again to give us a new way to live, but without Him we can do nothing.

Love and grace....Lisa

Using the law unlawfully!

The law was given to bring the knowledge of sin, that man may see his inability to keep it; therefore, realizing his impotency before God, that he may turn to Him for salvation. Once this has occurred in the life of an individual the law loses its condemning role, for he has been freed from the curse of the law, and the penalty of sin. Gal. 3:10-13

When we threaten believers with heavenly punishments or judgments through the use of the law, we are using the law unlawfully. Christ died to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf, so that the penalty for sin which was death would be removed forever. Romans 6:23

When we use the law to threaten believers, we are actually empowering Satan! Let’s stop and think about this for a moment: If there were no law, what could Satan use to accuse you? Now stop and think about what Christ accomplished when He fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf. Col. 2:14-15; what did He accomplish? 1 John 3:8b

I don’t understand why the Christian community has such a hard time grasping this simple concept: That the Lord destroyed Satan’s power over us by removing us from the curse of the law. 1 Cor. 15:56-57

Shouldn’t we all be team players?

Commentary by:

G.L. Miller

Life is in the Author not the scriptures!

Dusty old doctrines won’t produce life. Many pastors and teachers have all their external ducks in a row, blameless, husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, hospitable, etc; yet can't seem to understand the essential principles of forgiveness and grace. Co-mingling law and grace, they set upon a course that bears no life. A prime example of this is the misuse of 1 John 1:9, which defies all sense of reason concerning the finality of the cross. The point being: head knowledge of the scriptures, or even obedience to the scriptures alone, apart from the empowering grace of God will not produce life. Divine revelation is a gift from God, administered by the grace of God to the humble. Spiritual blindness occurs when the grace of God is rejected or misunderstood. I Peter 5:5b

What is the problem?

Human Intellect	Tradition	Pride	Power	Prestige
We are smarter than the average bear. 1 Cor. 3:18-23	We’ve always done it like this, taught like this. Col. 2:8	Who are you that we should listen to you, don’t you know who we are? 3 John 1:9-10;	We are the anointed of God, special; we can do what we want, we have divine right. Luke 22:24-27	We are it, we are loved, we are that ministry, we are nation wide. Matt. 6:1-2

Religion!

Dusty old doctrines combined with all of these!

Matthew 23:1-36

While the nation of Israel was busy playing religion, God accused them of being worse then the nations surrounding them. IS IT ANY WONDER?

Religion kills and dusty old doctrines won’t produce life. Only the Life-giver can produce life, and we must go to Him to get it. John 5:39-40; Col. 1:15-18

Commentary by:
G.L. Miller

What does God want from us and what does He want us to know!

When asked this question, most christians are very vague. They will generally answer in terms of performance, works, obedience, holiness and service. You might get a few that say he wants us to love Him and love others, but when you ask them to explain what it means to love God and others, most return to a performance based answer, which is of course as the old analogy goes, to drag the horse before the cart.

In short, what God wants from us has nothing to do with what we do or don't do, and everything to do with what He has done and will continue to do. When we focus on the doing rather than the source, we do not understand God as we should, or as He desires.

God has manifest His love towards us in the finality of His promises through the Son; that in Him He may love us without hindrance as one loves, nurtures, and cares for his own flesh; that we may be one mind, one heart, and one spirit; that we may experience what great love He has for us, and therefore manifest it to the world. God is our live-in Father, and we are one with Him. This is who and what we are. This is where our life comes from, our works, our obedience, our holiness, and our service.

Christ is our substance and our source, and He wants us to know it, to know Him.

Commentary by:
G.L. Miller

Points of law and grace

The Holy Spirit does not convict the believer of sin, for it is the law which brings the knowledge of sin. The Holy Spirit beckons, reminds, and encourages the believer into the finality of the cross. While the law, on the other hand, condemns and seeks to draw him away. This knowledge is indispensable in regards to understanding and internalizing what great love God has bestowed upon us through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Since the Holy Spirit was given to produce life in Christ, and the law to bring knowledge of sin, which actually in effect produced death, (II Cor. 3:6), wouldn't it be contrary then to say that the Holy Spirit convicts the believer of sin. And wouldn't it also mean that from this perspective that which was given to produce life also produced death.


The Holy Spirit was given to the believer to convict, convince him or her of their righteousness before God, not to hold us bound by the law. A belief system which teaches that the Holy Spirit convicts the believer of sin, is a belief system that is still under law, and has not fully conceptionalized the grace of God.


The righteous conviction towards the believer is found in the life, death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Which is exactly what Jesus related to His disciples in John 16; Note especially 16:10: 'Of righteousness because I go to my Father, and you see me no more.' This speaks directly to the disciples not only in that they would receive the Holy Spirit, but that they would also witness first hand the Lord Jesus being received up into heaven when He ascended, and sat down at the right hand of the Father. The disciples walked with Him before His death. Talked, walked and ate with Him after His resurrection, then witnessed His ascension into heaven. Talk about righteous conviction and eternal security. Mark 16:19


I think it's also interesting to note that in John 16:7, the person of the Holy Spirit is deemed the Helper, not the accuser of the brethren, or the legalist discourager, but the Helper. When we feel convicted of sin in a condemning way, it's not the Holy Spirit condemning us, but our own heart, our conscience. I John 3:18-23; Note especially verses 20-21: 'But God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things.' It's important to remember that feelings are misleading and generally do not support the truth in regards to how God has dealt with our sin. Notice has dealt is a past tense verb. The Holy Spirits function in this capacity is to bring to our recollection ever so gracefully and irresistibly what Christ accomplished on our behalf 2000 years ago when He cried out from the cross: 'It is finished!' We gain victory over sin by realizing we have victory over sin through the precious blood of the Lamb. The Holy Spirit will always focus our attention on the source of our salvation rather than on sin.


Question: Do you think the voice of the Holy Spirit would be: 'Don't taste, don't touch, don't sin, or no that's adultery?' And God forbid you should fall into adultery! Do you think He would say: 'You know the penalty for adultery in the old testament was stoning, you know God hates adultery, so now He hates you, or don't you realize you've just violated one of His most sacred laws, and now your cursed?' Or would He simply say in that still small voice: 'Come on, it's not too late, I love you, return to grace, this thing is forgiven, let me show you how to fix the problem, the devils a liar, nothing can separate you from my love.'


Subsequent readings
Utterances of the Holy Spirit:


Matthew 11:28-31: 'Take my yoke upon you, learn from Me. I am gentle and lowly of heart, you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and my burden is light.'


John 14:25-28: 'But the Helper, the Holy Spirit will teach you all things. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you.'


II Cor. 10:5: 'Casting down arguments against the knowledge of God, Note knowledge of God.'


II Peter 1:2-4: 'Knowledge of God, Divine Power, precious promises, partakers of His Divine Nature.'


I Cor. 15:3-4- 'He was buried, He rose again, He died for our sins.'


Romans 5:1-2: 'We have been justified by faith, we have peace with God, and access into grace by faith.'


Romans 1:18-19: 'Through one mans righteous act of obedience, we were made righteous.'


II Cor 5:17-21: We are a new creation, reconciled to God, by God, through Christ Jesus. Sins not imputed to us. We are the righteousness of God in Him.'


Hebrews 8:12- 'God is merciful to our unrighteousness, our sins and lawless deeds remembered no more.'


Hebrews 9:24-28- 'Christ offered Himself for us, entered the Holiest of Holies, to put away sin. He is coming back for us apart from sin, for salvation.'


Colossians 2:13-15: 'He made us alive, forgave our trespasses, wiped out the hand written requirements of the law which were against us, disarming satans accusations.'


Romans 8:31-39: 'If God is for us, who can be against us, freely gives us all things, who shall bring a charge against God's elect? God justifies, who can condemn? Christ died and rose again, and is seated at the right hand of God making intercession for us. Who shall separate us from His love? We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God.' (Read John ch. 17)


Footnote: Never give preeminence to man, men are fallible, the Holy Spirit is not. Ask the Lord for wisdom concerning what you just read, do your homework, study God's word, and let God through the Spirit either reject or confirm. I believe one of the biggest problems in modern christianity is that we place far too much trust in men.


Let God's word be true and every man a liar. I'm not calling God's people liars, I'm simply saying that God's word remains true even when we fail.


May You find rest for you soul.


Commentary by:


G.L.Miller

Points of law and grace.

The promises in the Mosaic old covenant were conditional- Obey God's law-blessed. Disobey- cursed. Forgiveness was conditional- obey the sacrificial system in order to be in right standing with God- disobey- face God's judgement.

The promises in the new covenant are based on one condition- believe and receive Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin- obey what God said in regards to His redemptive plan- disobey?

The sacrifice of Christ was a one time offering- after His death there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin- to ask for forgiveness after receiving Christ is worthless unbelief.

I John 1:8-10 is a testimony to the unbelieving world concerning Christ- verse 9 is not meant to be used as a sacrificial system based on law. We are no longer under law but grace. These verses were not written for believers, they are about salvation.

We must get out from underneath a belief system that kills us.

I know this is harsh, in fact I don't even like talking like this, but if I have to verbally slap somebody in order to bring them liberty that's what I'll do.

Suggestion regarding I John 1:9, instead of asking God for forgiveness when you blow it, start thanking Him for the forgiveness you already have.

I can assure you that this type of obedience will open the floodgates of divine power into your life.

May you find rest for your soul!

Commentary by:
G.L. Miller