1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as HE is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of JESUS HIS cleanses us from all sin!
With Sovereign Soap!
Got some soap
Got my brush
Gonna, Gotta get
“Cleaned up”
Since remain
Sin’s marks still…
through my blood
and fallen will.
Thus self-stained,
not “Self made!”…
is this man whom
CHRIST saved.
So those words
I first said,
can’t “meet” HIM
with works – dead.
But CHRIST’s blood
purged our souls;
HIM alone with
sovereign soap!
As HIServant without any cleansing work of my own to add to HIS cross; “No not one!”,
Whitney
Devotional: Titus 3:5 “HE saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to HIS own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the HOLY SPIRIT…”
There’s been so much sad debate and even heated aggression towards CHRISTians who fully trust in GOD’s finished work.
CHRIST said, “It is finished” at the cross. “Paid in full!” is what Telestai means.
So the other school of thought is then that: “All works are bad!”
Then people argue vehemently and some LOVE to be critics of every other ministry claiming…”This is what I’m called to do for GOD!” However!
There’s NO love, no contrition, no admission that their own “mantle” could be misguided, misaligned, misapplied or misunderstood by themselves.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are HIS workmanship, having been created in CHRIST JESUS for good works which GOD prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”
How can anyone take that verse and still claim “Don’t need to do any works for CHRIST.
I can be a statue and find fault in everybody else.” Is that’s CHRIST’s example? Not at all.
So the “hands-off / no work required” belief…is UNSCRIPTURAL.
It’s not what any of us are called to…which has led to fairly obvious stagnant and self- absorbed behavior towards others.
Working out our own salvation is not working out our own redemption.
CHRIST paid it all for our Redemption and we are saved / born again WHEN…when we stop running around the sheepfold of Life.
Then we go through the narrow Gate WHO is JESUS, drawn by the call of GOD.
Then we are blessed as we serve others in HIS NAME…as HE designed.
So REALLY listen for Humility and Contrition.
Isaiah 66:2b “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my WORD.”
Listen then for admission that we’re all flawed vessels and only HE is perfect and sufficient.
Look for those who TREMBLE at HIS WORD.
Listen for pointing people to CHRIST INSTEAD OF who to avoid because they insist that’s their own, special calling.
Ephesians 5:11 “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”
Enter the “personal translation specialists” who decipher and translate for GOD…what they “KNOW” that means.
They’re against anyone who whispers anything about doing the good works which GOD planned from before the foundation of the world…and enjoys putting them on the “naughty list.”
*** Now I’m not the best or brightest but there’s JUST NO full time calling or anointing from GOD to do so. ***
Even so, whole ministries are known for their critique of everyone else while being, please don’t miss the criteria that GOD spells out, being absent of Love, Humility and Contrition.
Critiquing others is an undesirable but a very necessary event – AT TIMES.
Church discipline is a mandatory action that must be taken by those whose lives reflect CHRIST as outlined again by their Love, Humility and Contrition.
Let us all focus then on the SAVIOUR and not who we think we need to save others – FROM!
Let’s surrender wholly to HIS all sufficient bars of Grace for cleansing so that we’re not seen as being “all washed-up!”
Amen and amen!
2CJC 