God has given us authority over demon spirits, and along with authority comes responsibility. We were not given authority over demon spirits and told to cast them out for no reason! When we pray over a person who has a demon, asking the Lord to remove it, we are basically asking Him to do something that He told us to do:

Matthew 10:7-8, “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”

Now some might ask, “What about the verse where Jesus tells His disciples that this kind can come forth by prayer and fasting only”? In that scenario, an unusually strong demon was involved and Jesus clearly told His disciples that their faith levels weren’t high enough to cast it out, and that they needed to spend more time in prayer and fasting before they could drive this particular demon out:

Matthew 17:19-21, “Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

Let me ask you this question, did Jesus pray and ask His heavenly Father to remove the demon? No, He commanded it to come forth like any other demon spirit:

Matthew 17:18, “And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.”

Jesus was considered the son of Man while He was here on earth… Why? Because He was our example, and as our example, He went about doing the works that He intended us to do as well:

John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”

Are we not given authority over ALL powers of the devil? If so, why couldn’t the disciples tackle the stronger-than-usual demon and cast it out freely? They could have, if they had spent more time in prayer and fasting. Jesus made it abundantly clear that the reason they were unable to cast it out, was because of their lack of faith:

Matthew 17:19-20, “Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief…”

We don’t see Jesus and His disciples going about praying for demons to come out, do we? Where did we get this concept of praying out demons? Let’s stop praying for demons to come out, and start acting on our God-given authority and do as Jesus commanded of us… let’s cast them out!

Mark 16:17, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils…”

John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The opposite of truth is deception or false beliefs… and will cause you to live in bondage unnecessarily. This subject is no exception. If you see yourself as a failure, you will not be able to boldly exercise your authority in Christ because you will feel unworthy (even after the Blood of Christ has made you worthy). If you claim to be unworthy after the Blood of Christ has made you worthy, then you are denying the work of Christ in your life!

I want you to say to yourself, “I am worthy, because JESUS’ blood has made me worthy!”

You are loved by God the Father

You are loved by God, not because of what you’ve done, but because of who you are. The Bible tells us that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. He longed to have a relationship with you even before you became His child!

Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

This one may be hard to get your mind around, but it is true. God loves us with the same love that He had towards Jesus Himself! Look at this passage in scripture:

John 17:23, “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.”

Jesus said that the greatest love a man can show for his friends, is when he lays down his life for them. Jesus laid down His life for us – that is how valuable and dear we are to Him!

John 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

As a matter of fact, if we don’t realize the love of God, we cannot be filled with the fullness of God. We will lack His fullness in our lives until we come to know of His deep love for us:

Ephesians 3:17-19, “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.”

You were purchased at a steep price

The wages of your sin is death (see Romans 6:23), but Jesus paid that price for you. God’s Word tells us that we were purchased by the precious Blood of the Lamb:

1 Corinthians 6:20, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Revelations 5:9, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed (meaning purchased) us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”

Why did Jesus purchase us with His own Blood? Because of His deep love for us, and He deeply desires to have a loving relationship with you and I.

Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

We are justified and declared innocent

If you have repented of your sins and accepted the gift of God, referring to the forgiveness of sins through the precious shed Blood of Christ, then God’s Word tells us that we are justified:

Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

The word justified in the above passage is derived from the Greek word dikaioo, which means, “to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent: – free, justify (-ier), be righteous.” If a person is justified, it means they are made innocent or made just as if they have never sinned!

We are entitled to a clean conscience

Since our sins have been put away and removed from us, and we are justified, that is, made right with God, you and I are entitled to a clean and un-defiled conscience!

Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

My friend, if you are still beating yourself up over your past failures which have been nailed to the cross, you are denying the work that Christ has done for you! A clean conscience before the Lord agrees with what Christ has done in removing their sin and declaring them as justified or innocent before the Lord.

Your sins are no longer a part of you

The truth is that your sins have not simply been covered, but actually removed from your account. This was not possible in the Old Testament, but through the precious Blood of Christ, the removal of sins is a reality.

John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

Matthew 26:28, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

And if forgiving us wasn’t enough, God Himself chose to FORGET our failures for His own sake. When He sees us, He doesn’t want to remember our failures, He wants to see us as His precious child who stands blameless before Him:

Hebrews 10:17, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

We have peace with God

We have been justified and made right with God, therefore we have peace with God. This means that your relationship with God has been restored and you can boldly enter His presence with a clean conscience because of your faith in Christ Jesus and the work that He’s done for us on the cross.

Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

We are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus

As believers in Christ, there is a great exchange that has taken place. One of the things exchanged is our sin for Jesus’ own righteousness. Let’s take a look at a few scriptures:

Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.”

Romans 3:25, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”

Romans 5:17, “For if by one man’s offense death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

Jesus received what we deserved (punishment for our sins), and He gave us His righteousness in exchange!

You are made new in Christ – Born of God!

The old saying, “We’re just forgiven sinners saved by grace” is so devastating because it actually denies the work that God has done in us. We are not forgiven sinners, as addressed in my teaching, Forgiven sinner or saint?” God’s Word tells us that we are new creatures in Christ, old things having passed away and all things have became new:

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior and believed upon Him, you became a new creation in Christ. God’s Word tells us that this new man is created in righteousness and true holiness:

Ephesians 4:24, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

We aren’t just born again, but we have also become sons (and daughters) of God:

John 1:12-13, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

So what happened to the old-you? The old you was crucified with Christ. God didn’t repair the old-you, He created a new-you in Christ, which is what the Bible refers to when talking about being born again:

John 3:5-7, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Now this is referring to our spirits, not our souls. To learn more about the difference between your spirit and soul, see my teaching, “Soul vs. Spirit”.

You are seated with Christ – a position of authority

Many people do not realize what this means. To be seated refers to a place of authority. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, and God’s Word tells us that we are seated with Christ:

Ephesians 2:6, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

Because of our position in Christ, we are seated in a place of authority over all sickness, diseases and demons. Jesus said that signs and wonders would follow them who believe, including casting out demons (which requires authority – see Luke 10:17-20). Look at this passage:

Mark 16:15-18, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Who shall these signs follow? Them that BELIEVE. That includes all true followers of Christ that are alive on the earth right now. Take a look at this passage in Revelations:

Revelations 5:9-10, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

The truth is, we don’t need to ‘ask’ God to heal somebody.. we can speak with authority over that sickness and command it to flee in Jesus’ name… we can command those broken bones to grow… we can command, because we have authority. This is the standard practice in the early church when the followers of Christ were going out and healing the sick! The same is true when it comes to demons. We don’t need to ask God to remove the demons, but we rather take up the authority that Christ has given us, and exercise it through faith using Jesus’ name.

Did you know that the only reference to prayer for healing in the NT is found in James 5:15? The rest of the NT tells us of how Jesus, His disciples and the early church would exercise their faith when they went forth to heal the sick. They weren’t asking the Father to heal the sick, they were saying things like, “Be healed in Jesus’ name” or “Rise and walk!”

Jesus made it clear that we have authority here on earth, which is naturally ours through our position in being seated with Christ. Jesus demonstrated this when he cursed the fig tree:

Matthew 21:18-22, “Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever. And presently the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”

Concluding thoughts

When we don’t realize who we are in Christ, our faith will be crippled. If you don’t feel worthy to exercise your authority in Christ, then you won’t be doing it in the fullness of faith and will lack assurance. Satan works diligently to program people’s minds to feel unworthy and unable to walk in power of God here on earth. This is one of the most popular strongholds in existence today in the body of Christ! The truth is that we, by our own power and effort, are unworthy, but it is the Blood of Christ that makes us worthy. And if we say we are unworthy when the Blood says we are, then we are denying the work that Christ did for us on the cross!

The enemy loves to put thoughts into the believer’s mind. Those thoughts (if meditated on), produce strongholds, which produces feelings, which lands you into bondage… all because you listened to the devil more then your heavenly Father! I am going to use a common stronghold here in this teaching as an example… an incorrect perception of who you are in Christ. There are many other strongholds out there, but this teaching will give you a general idea of how many strongholds are formed.

How it works

Two voices are speaking: Satan likes to come along and tell you, “Look at that sin you did 5 years ago! That was so bad! You are such a failure!” But Jesus, through God’s Word, tries to tell you that if you turn to Him, you will be forgiven (1 John 1:9), and your past will be forgotten: Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”

You are faced with a choice: You can either listen to Satan’s lie that you are a failure, or you can listen to God’s Word that tells you that your past has been washed away and you are a new creature in Christ! 2 Cor 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Whichever voice you listen to will crowd the other one out: If you have two dogs who fight all the time, and you can only afford to feed one of them, how do you know which one will win? The one you feed! The same is true in the spiritual realm. The more you listen to Satan’s lies and deception, the more he will build strongholds in your mind, and the more strongholds that go up, the harder it will be to hear God’s voice. The other side of the coin is true too… the more you feast yourself on the truth in God’s Word, the more it tears down strongholds and makes it harder for the enemy’s voice to penetrate your system.

If you listen to Satan’s lies that you are a failure, he will continue to feed you that lie, and it will grow into a stronghold (a lie that is believed, or an incorrect thinking pattern). Your feelings are quite often a direct result of your thoughts. If you think you are a failure, you will feel like one.

If you listen to your heaven Father, who is speaking truth to you through His Word, you will begin to tear down the strongholds in your life. When you meditate on the truth in God’s Word, it will become part of you, and before long, you will be feeling different, simply because you are exchanging lies of the devil for the truth in God’s Word. When you believe that your sins are forgiven, you can then allow your conscience to be cleansed from dead works by the blood of Jesus: Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

A practical example

Let me show you how many believers end up feeling like losers… guilt-ridden by their pasts. It all starts with a simple voice of condemnation from the enemy. Satan, through his network of evil spirits (that’s how the devil speaks to people, since Satan can’t be everywhere at once), injects thoughts into their mind that remind them of their past and their failures. They begin to listen to his voice and agree with it. They did sin, and they failed. But instead of looking at the solution, which is repentance and the blood of Jesus (which washes away sin), they continue to listen to the enemy who keeps reminding them of their past. As they continue to do this, stronghold(s) are formed. A stronghold is an incorrect thinking pattern based on lies and formed in deception. Once a stronghold is in place, the person naturally thinks of their past instead of focusing on the fact that their past has been forgiven and wiped away. They believe they are a failure instead of believing the truth in God’s Word, which tells them that they have been forgiven, washed clean, and even God Himself has chosen to forget their dirty past! So instead of feeling like a child of God who was washed clean in the blood of Jesus, they feel unworthy, guilty and consider them self a loser. What a shame for a child of God to feel that way!

Your thoughts can affect how you feel

When you believe something, it will affect your feelings. When you believe you are a failure, you will feel like one. When you believe you are a forgiven saint, you will feel like one.

The difference between a guilt-ridden Christian and a light-hearted and joyful Christian is often one simple thing… what they are thinking about. Guess who’s thinking about the sin, the guilt and the past? Now guess who’s thinking about how they have been washed clean and they are a new person in Christ Jesus?

Whatever you keep your mind on (think about often) will affect your whole being. Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

An exception to the rule: Evil spirits are known to directly affect our emotions, feelings, etc. King Saul was tormented with fear and depression directly. However, evil spirits often use our thoughts to access our feelings, and this is done through the creation of strongholds. This is what we are addressing in this teaching… how the enemy uses our thoughts to build strongholds, and how strongholds affect our feelings.

In a nutshell

Thoughts from the enemy (if listened to) turn into strongholds (lies believed or incorrect thinking patterns) which affect how you feel (you feelings often stem from your beliefs) and can cause you to remain in bondage to plain simple ignorance. Jesus made it clear that it’s possible for a believer to remain in bondage to sin even after they’ve been set free, all due to ignorance of the truth in God’s Word (John 8:31-36).

If you think you’re a failure, you’ll feel like a failure. If you think you’re a new creation (washed clean from your past), you’ll feel clean and new… alive in Christ!

What spiritual warfare involves

Spiritual warfare involves three key elements:

1) Temptation: It is normal for a believer to be tempted to sin. James 4 tells us how to deal with temptation, and it’s by resisting the devil and drawing near to God. As you do that, the power of temptation will seize. For more information on breaking the power of sin in your life, see the teaching Forgiven Sinner or Saint?

If you do as James 4 tells us, feeding yourself spiritually by setting aside a steady devotional time each day with God, and do your best to resist the temptations, but you just cannot overcome it, then I suspect demonic bondage. It is not uncommon for people to be held in bondage to things such as uncontrollable anger, or addictions such as pornography as a result of demonic influence.

2) Accusations: This is where the enemy tries to continually badger us with our past, or even things that aren’t even true. The enemy tries to drive us into the ground spiritually via means of guilt and shame. If you’ve confessed your sin(s), then they have been washed away by the blood of Christ, and there’s no need to look back. As a matter of fact, we are told NOT to look back! Philippines 3:13, “This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Satan is know as the accuser of the brethren (Revelations 12:10), and is known for trying to drag a person through their past to pull them down. If you struggle with guilt from past sins, then I recommend the teachings Dealing with Guilt and Condemnation vs. Conviction.

If you follow the steps laid out in the teaching Dealing with Guilt, and nothing you do seems to solve the problem, there’s likely one or more strongholds that need to come down, and it’s possible that unclean spirits are causing the shame and guilt and need to be cast out.

3) Deception: The enemy is always trying to get us to believe his lies. What’s the first thing he did with Eve? He tried to deceive her into thinking that God lied and she would not surely die if she ate of the tree. I see the enemy deceiving many people today into believing they are merely forgiven sinners, and not the heavenly saints that they really are. I see the enemy trying to deceive people into believing there is no hope for them, or that God is angry with them (even after they turned from their sin and repented of it). It is not uncommon for a person to have a hard time accepting the fact that they are forgiven, because the enemy has been constantly telling them that they messed up too much to be forgiven.

You can learn more about these elements, as well as Biblical methods for overcoming each one in the teaching Spiritual Warfare.

The difference between torment and warfare

Warfare: Physical warfare involves sending fiery darts (or bullets) towards your opponent, and they send fiery darts (bullets) back your way. The same is true with spiritual warfare; the devil throws fiery darts your way in the form of temptations, accusations and deception, and you fire fiery darts his way by tearing down his strongholds. Your enemy cannot gain access to you when you are properly guarding yourself and letting his fiery darts hit you.

Torment: In war, there are prisoners of war (POW), those held captive by the enemy for purposes of torment, torture, and sometimes even death. The enemy has gained the power or ability to torture the victims. The same happens in the spiritual battleground, people fall for temptation, sin, and then fall into the enemy’s hands. Paul tells us not to give place to the devil in Ephesians 4:27, and in 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, we are told not to hold un-forgiveness in our hearts, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us (gain a ‘right’ to harass or use us): for we are not ignorant of his devices.”

Those fighting the war can expect to be thrown temptations, deceptions and accusations, but if they find themselves being tortured by the enemy as a POW, then it’s time to step back and figure out what is going out and seek help to break free.

How spiritual warfare can bring a person into bondage

If spiritual warfare is not properly fought (we take the bait), it can be a tool the enemy uses to bring us into bondage or give him grounds in our lives.

Temptations lure us into opening a door for the enemy. If we take the bait and sin, a door is open for the enemy to gain access into our lives.

Accusations can open the door to the demonic if we let it, because it’s goal is to pull a person down spiritually and cause them to hold their past against them self, which is unforgiveness and as many of us know, unforgiveness is a full blown ‘legal right’ to the demonic.

Deception is where the enemy can try to torment us through our thought lives, and cause us to believe things that are not true. If you believe you don’t have enough gas in your car to make it off the freeway, suddenly you begin to seriously worry, even if the gas tank is full you will worry because of what your believing or thinking. You believe the tank is empty when it’s really full. The enemy often tries to deceive people into believing that God doesn’t love them, when in reality, God’s love for them is so rich that He sent His son Jesus to die for us! You can’t demonstrate your love for somebody in a much stronger and real way than laying down your life for them. As Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

The truth is, deception only torments a person to the degree that they allow it to when they listen to what the enemy has been feeding them.

A brief look at strongholds

A stronghold is an incorrect thinking pattern and is formed when a person pays attention and listens to the deception the devil feeds them. Demons thrive on strongholds and love to use them to play havoc on our minds. An example of a stronghold is when a person sees God as a cruel distant taskmaster, rather than the loving Father that He really is. Out of that faulty thinking pattern, many fears are given birth to, such as fear of being hopeless, fear of God being mad or angry with you, etc. Another common stronghold is when a person sees themselves incorrectly; even though they have been bought with a price and washed in the Blood of the Lamb, they still see themselves as dirty old sinners saved by grace, and therefore don’t have a close relationship with their heavenly Father, because they feel unworthy to be in His presence. The result? A poor relationship with their heavenly father, feelings of guilt, worthlessness, shame, and the list goes on. In other words, they live ‘defeated’ lives because they see themselves wrongly. Demons are not afraid to use strongholds to their advantage and cause much torment through them. You can learn more about all this in the teaching on Strongholds.

Conclusion

Spiritual warfare is real and can cause some torment through deception if a person takes the bait and listens to what the enemy has been telling them, but it by no means explains all the things that many people write off as simply spiritual warfare. I see people quite often claiming that they are in spiritual warfare, when their bondage far exceeds the torment that spiritual warfare could ever bring them! Even the torment that spiritual warfare can bring a person through deception is very uncalled for, and we are supposed to overcome it, not struggle with it.

We are to wrestle against temptations, accusations and deception, but NOT torment, vexation, and trouble from evil spirits. I believe it is also important to mention that often strongholds (deception that took hold) and demonic bondage often works hand in hand, and it is not uncommon to minister to people who need to tear down strongholds and have demons driven out. If you seem to face an immovable mountain even after tearing down strongholds and guarding yourself against the 3 elements of spiritual warfare, then it’s time to seek a deliverance.

Torment from evil spirits is not called for, it is not supposed to be lived with (tolerated), and there are Biblical ways to be completely set free from it. Notice that throughout Jesus’ ministry here on earth, He went about setting free ALL who were oppressed (harassed, vexed, tormented, troubled, etc.) by evil spirits! (Acts 10:38)

I think one of the reasons why it is so hard to grasp the true forgiving power of Christ’s shed blood is because it just seems too good to be true. Wouldn’t you agree? But God’s Word is true, and it even tells us that through Christ, we have exceedingly great and precious promises:

2 Peter 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us EXCEEDING GREAT and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

The word precious in the above verse refers to the Greek word timios, which actually means valuable or costly! These promises that God has given us, cost Jesus dearly… He paid a steep price for our redemption, healing and deliverance!

I believe the Holy Spirit has showed me that if you have to do something to receive forgiveness of your sins, then you will always wonder if you’ve done enough! Look at this passage in scripture:

Galatians 3:11, “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

Knowing that your conscience is clean is very important. A while back, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “You need to KNOW that you are clean… your faith depends upon it!”

The Blood of Jesus was shed to not only forgive, but to remove sin!

In the Old Testament, the priests would sacrifice lambs, goats, etc. to cover the people’s sins. However, this sacrifice was not significant to remove the stain of sin. But since Christ shed His blood, our sin can be REMOVED from our account! In Hebrews 10, it paints us this picture very clearly.

Hebrews 10:1-22, “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

Jesus tells us in Matthew 26 that His blood is shed for many for the remission of sins. The word remission here is referring to the Greek word aphesis which means:

“Forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty.”

With that said, read this verse to yourself and meditate (that is to soak in) it’s meaning!

Matthew 26:28, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

John the Baptist also confirmed this when He said that Jesus, the Lamb of God, taketh away the sin… not just cover… but taketh away!

John 1:29, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

How do we receive this forgiveness?

First, we need to understand that the forgiveness of our sins is considered a GIFT… this means that we cannot deserve it or earn it in any way, but we must receive this gift.

Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”

We are told that through faith in Christ Jesus, we can obtain forgiveness of our sins through the blood that He shed for us:

Galatians 2:16, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

John 3:15, “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Romans 3:28, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

Galatians 3:11, “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

As you can see through the verses above, it is through faith in Christ Jesus that we are made right with God. The Bible even goes on to show that if we try to make ourselves righteous by our own works, then we are missing the whole point, and therefore we are not truly accepting the work that Christ did as significant!

Galatians 5:1,4, “So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law… For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.” (NLT)

What it means to be justified

Justified is another powerful word used in the Bible to describe the forgiveness of our sins and restoration of our relationship with God. This brings us to one of my favorite verses in the Bible!

Romans 5:1, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

If we take the word justified in this verse, and look it up… we are given the Greek word dikaioo, which means, “to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent: – free, justify (-ier), be righteous.” When a person is justified, it makes them innocent… just as if they have never sinned! That my friend, is exceedingly great news for us! This is the very reason that we can live a new life in Christ, is because when we have repented of our sins, we are made right with God and have the righteousness of God upon us! Righteousness of God is upon us? That’s right! Look at this…

Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe…”

This is often referred to as part of the divine exchange. Christ was punished for our sins, so that we can receive forgiveness, He was given our shame so that we can receive His righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Our life in Christ (the exchanged life)

Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

After we repent (confess and turn from) our sins, and believe upon Jesus Christ and the work that He has done for us on the cross, our life is in Christ and we are identified with Him and His righteousness, thereby setting us free from guilt and condemnation. For the scriptures say that those who are in Christ Jesus, are dead to sin and there is no condemnation awaiting them:

Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

In Roman’s chapter 6, we learn that our old self was crucified with Christ and buried with Him, and we are raised to new life in Christ Jesus:

Romans 6:3-6, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”

When we are raised to new life, also known as the born again experience (see John 3), we are also considered a new person; old things having passed away and all things became new:

2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

1 Peter 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”

True repentance is to “Go and sin no more”

Luke 13:3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

In the above verse, the word “repent” goes back to the Greek word metanoeo, which means, “to think differently or afterwards, that is, reconsider (morally to feel compunction).” To repent of a sin is not simply to confess it as sin, but to actually turn from it and change your mind about it.

John 8:11, “She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”

In Ephesians, those who have stolen are told to go and steal no more:

Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”

What about restitution?

First off, let me say that if we had to go back and make right every wrong we’ve ever committed, that would lay an unbearable (if not impossible) burden on countless people who have lived a worldly lifestyle for many years… and this is certainly not the burden that Jesus laid on those who’s sins were forgiven in the New Testament. Jesus said that those who are laboring under heavy burden (remember, Jesus wasn’t speaking of a physical burden here, but a spiritual or soulish burden – I believe this is clearly referring to guilt), are to come to Him where they will find rest…

Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

If a 60 year old man comes to Jesus after a very sinful life, how could he possibly rest if there was no way that he could ever undo all the evil he had done throughout his lifetime? But yet, Jesus made it clear that if those who are heavy laden come to Him, He will give them rest.

Let us take a look at a few examples of sinners who were forgiven their sins.

Jesus told of a tax collector (notorious for stealing and being unfair to others) who was justified at the temple…

Luke 18:10-14, “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

In the above verse, the Greek root word for justified means to be just as if you’ve never sinned!

Another example of this is found in Luke 3, when crooked tax collectors approached John the Baptist and asked what they should do:

Luke 3:12-13, “Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact [which means collect] no more than that which is appointed you.”

This all lines up with what Paul says in Ephesians:

Ephesians 4:28, “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.”

When we first meet Paul his hands are dripping with the blood of Christians. He went about killing fathers, husbands, children, etc. Did he ever go back to apologize to the victim’s families? Paul never went to anybody (that we know of) to make any wrongs right, but rather repented of his old ways, turned to God and moved forward with the gospel. If you think about it, every husband/father he killed, caused a home to lose their breadwinner… so he likely caused financial problems for many Christian homes. Paul never went back and repaid for all the losses he caused when he was persecuting the Christians.

Some of the disciples were fishermen, and in those days, fishermen were usually among the lower class and unfair in their business practices. If it were important for them to make their wrongs right, don’t you think that Jesus would have instructed them to go back and make those wrongs right before coming to follow Him? But rather, He merely told them to repent and come follow Him!

Matthew 4:19, “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

The woman caught in the very act of adultery (see John 8:3-11) was forgiven free and clear without having to go back to the injured wives, and apologize for what she had done. She was set free and clear with no strings attached! According to the OT law, a woman who lived this lifestyle was to be put to death!!

Another women in Luke 7 was said to have lived a very sinful lifestyle, yet she was also forgiven in one sweep and was never told to go back and make any wrongs right. I’m sure that anybody who has lived a sinful lifestyle has likely stolen or cheated others at some time or another during her life.

Luke 7:47-48, “Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”

In Matthew 9, Jesus forgave a man of all his sins, and gave no further instruction to make wrongs right…

Matthew 9:2, “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”

It is not preached to repent and seek forgiveness from all the people who we have ever wronged… but rather to repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus and the work that He did on the cross for the remission of our sins:

Mark 1:15, “And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Restitution because of love

Though we aren’t commanded to make all of our wrongs right with those we have wronged, we are commanded to love one another. I believe that there are times when the love of Christ working through you, will convict you to return something you may have stolen, or go ask somebody for their forgiveness, simply because it is fulfilling Jesus’ command to love.

Matthew 22:37-40, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.“

I belive the story of Zacchaeus is a good example of a person wilfully -out of the love of their heart- doing something to restore where they have wronged. Jesus never told him to repay anything, but Zacchaeus wanted to repay 4 times what he stole:

Luke 19:8-9, “And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.”

My friend, when we realize how precious and costly that the gift of God is, it will change the way we think, the way we live and will empower us to live a new and transformed life in Christ! It should motivate us to walk in love, as we are loved, and do unto others as Jesus has done for us. Once we realize the love of God for us, it should prompt us to treat others as we would like to be treated!

Romans 13:8, “Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

Reconciliation because of love

Now I do believe that there are times when it is important to do what we can to mend broken relationships. The Bible tells us to be at peace with all men whenever possible (see Romans 12:18). If we have wronged our brother, and refuse to be reconciled with him, then turn around and expect God to honor our worship, I believe we are only fooling ourselves. We cannot expect to have a close relationship with God, and yet neglect our relationships with other fellow believers.

Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”

The Bible is clear that if we love God, we will also love our brethren as well:

1 John 4:21, “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

1 John 1:7, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Your goal should never be to rush into the room, yell, “I’m sorry!” and run away; your goal is to be reconciled with that person as a result of your love for them. Now if you go to somebody, and they are not willing to forgive or be reconciled, then the responsibility is off your shoulders. Don’t hold it against yourself if you were unable to restore the relationship. It takes two people to be reconciled and you cannot force that other person to forgive.

I want to make it clear that this does not mean we have to go back to every person we’ve ever wronged and apologize (that would be legalism), nor does it mean that we should live at peace with others even if it causes us to compromise with their lifestyle. Jesus was not afraid to make enemies if they were out of line and doing what was wrong. The goal here is that if somebody was wounded by your wrongdoing, then your goal is to love them as Christ loved you, and that may mean going to them and attempting to restore the broken relationship.

We are entitled to a clean conscience!

Because of the costly work that Christ did for us on the cross, we can be forgiven of our sins, and the stain of guilt removed. So much so, that God’s Word states clearly that we can enter the throne room with boldness because our sins are removed from our account!

Hebrews 10:2,19,22, “…The worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins… Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus… Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.”

This is powerful my friend… VERY powerful! This means that because of the work that Jesus did for us on the cross, you and I are entitled to a GUILT FREE conscience!!

Colossians 1:22-23, “…he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.” (NLT)

One of my favorite Scriptures is found in the last chapter of Joshua, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. . . But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15) I purposefully left part of this verse out to get to the heart of the matter. Joshua was giving the Israelites a speech prior to their entering the Promised Land. He was telling them that they could choose to serve either the gods of the people who dwell in the land, or they could choose to serve the Lord.

Just like Joshua and the Israelites we in America have a choice to make. Are we to serve the gods of American culture – cable TV, sports, pleasure, sexual immorality, drugs, politics, gambling, drinking, money, power, prestige – or will we serve the Lord.

Joshua and the Israelites made the correct choice, they chose to serve the Lord. Unfortunately, they did not eliminate the culture of the people whose land they conquered. The people and culture, little by little, invaded the lives and hearts of the Israelite people. Soon they were up to their eyeballs in “serving” the gods of the people whom they conquered. Are we, as Christians in America today, falling to the same fate that they did?

I would like to look at three areas where we need to be steadfast in our serving our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Those areas are – our lives, our talents and our finances.

Serving Christ With Our Lives

First, and foremost, we need to serve Christ with our lives. Now you may say, “I am a Christian. Of course I am serving Christ with my life.” But are you really? What does it mean to serve Christ with our lives?

I just imagine that all too often the typical Christian feels that as long as he/she attends church on Sunday morning and then tries to live a decent life the rest of the time that they are living a life serving Christ. But this is not so! Serving Christ demands much more than this.

Serving Christ with our lives means that we will be faithful to the worship services as often as it is possible for us to attend. That means that attending worship service, Sunday School, mid-week Bible Study and so forth is our first priority. Not that we will attend if something else doesn’t comes up. We should plant to attend all of these occasions to worship and praise God. The only time that we should miss one of these is when we simply cannot attend!

Serving Christ with our lives means that we take Him to work with us every day. I cannot imagine having a job that I could not talk about Christ with others. I realize that often we must be selective with whom we speak of Christ for many will simply not accept any instruction in becoming a Christian. However, we should always be looking for an opportunity to tell our fellow workers about Jesus and what He means to us. Then there are those that we work with that are Christians as well. It is really great to be able to talk about Christ with those we work with and to share with each other. I am not talking about ignoring our work duties. It is important that we give our employers a good days work for the money we receive. But there are always times and opportunities to witness for Christ.

It is also important to have Christ on our minds as we work. The day seems to go so much better when I can think about Christ and what He has done for me as I go about the many tasks I must accomplish. I have a job where I must make decisions each day which affect people. To ask for God’s guidance and trust in Him makes those decisions easier to make and uphold.

What about serving Christ during those times which are recreation in nature. I certainly do not mean to imply that when one serves Christ that he/she cannot attend sporting events, play golf, go to the movies, watch TV or any number of other recreational activities. However, how we approach those activities does have an affect on our serving Christ. Do we put those things first? If so, then we are not doing the right thing. Are we selective when we choose the things we want to do for fun? Again, we must be selective if we are to serve Christ with our lives. We should not watch most of the filth on TV and the movies. Most of it is nothing but sex and violence. Be selective. Don’t watch the filth.

When we play golf, go bowling, and so forth we must also be selective. While it is not bad (in and of itself) to play golf, etc., the people we choose to play those game with can have a very negative effect on our lives. If those we choose to participate in these recreational activities are drinkers, gamblers, womanizers, and so forth, these attitudes will rub off on us. You know the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.”

Serving Christ With Our Talents

One of the disappointments in life for me is that I cannot sing or play a musical instrument. I really wish that I could! Perhaps some day I’ll be able to learn to do one or both of these. However, I do have other talents. So do you. The important thing is that you and I use what talents we do have to glorify the Lord.

What better thing could we do with our talents than serve the Lord? If singing is our talent, we should use it to glorify God through song during worship service or when ever we can. But if our talent lies elsewhere, we need to use it as well.

As for me, I do have some ability to write and speak. Therefore, I have this print ministry and I also do some preaching when the opportunity arises. I can also teach and I use this ability as well to serve God.

But your talents may be in visiting the sick or the downhearted. You may be excellent in creating craft items that the elderly or even children in Sunday School could work on. You may be able to provide meals to those who have lost a loved one or for special occasions at church. Your talent may be in arranging flowers for the church services. It may be in meeting and greeting people and inviting them to worship service.

Whatever your talent, use it to serve Christ. If we have a talent (and we all do) and we are not using that talent to serve Christ, then we are guilty of withholding from Him that which He has given to us. Remember, our talents are from God. We could do nothing if it were not for Him. And it is through Him that we can make the most of our talents and use them to glorify Jesus Christ.

Serving Christ With Our Finances

One of the most touchy subjects is the one of serving Christ with our finances. Most people seem to really get offended when we begin to talk about giving to the church. But, this is so important – not so much for Christ, but for us!

If we truly love Christ, then we will want to support His work. That means giving to the church so that the gospel can be preached and lost lives won for Christ. The local church simply cannot do the work necessary without the support of its people. We should want to see lost souls saved. The best way this can happen is for the local church to be thriving and seeking the lost in the community.

Another aspect of the work of the local church is the support of missionaries. Does your congregation have missionaries which it supports? It should, perhaps even must if it is to be a church which loves and follows Christ. The work of foreign missionaries is so very important. Remember that Christ told the apostles to go into ALL the world and preach the gospel. We should do likewise. We can do likewise by supporting foreign missionaries individually and through the local church.

While these are important, the real reason to give of our finances is a matter of worship. By giving generously we show Christ that we love Him and want His work to be supported. Giving lip service to Christ may fool our fellow man, but it will not fool God.

Give Our Best To The Master

Choose this day whom you will serve! To serve Christ means to give Him our best. Give Him the best part of our lives, both in work and play. Give Him the best of our talents. Use what we have and develop new talents to worship and glorify Christ. And give of our best of our finances. Give a tithe and then a generous gift as well.

I like the old saying, “You can’t out-give God.” This is true in all three respects – our lives, our talents and our finances.

All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

I started this ministry because I see something happening in our churches that is a deep concern to me. There are far too many of our members who attend worship services who are not, and are not becoming, grounded in the word of God. I also see many members who are drifting away from the fellowship of the church. If their faith was strong and their love for God mature, I don’t think this would happen.

Also, the reasons people give for staying away from the fellowship is puzzling to me. It seems that when the slightest occurrence of some out-of-the-way comment that tends to hurt someone’s feelings is made, people simply “quit church.” Does this mean that they no longer want to be a Christian? That is certainly what the term “quit church” implies. I’ve often said that I can’t imagine what any person could do to make me want to end my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

The Holy Spirit is a real and vibrant part of every true Christian. In order for a true Christian to “quit church,” there must be a tremendous quenching of the Spirit. Let’s take a look at the Holy Spirit specifically as He relates to the life of a Christian. In this study I hope that we can learn more about what the Holy Spirit does, or at least should be allowed to do, in our daily Christian lives.

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16,17) Jesus told us that we would have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, that He would be in us, actually living in us. This is an awesome thought indeed, the Holy Spirit being in us and a part of us. However, He does not impose His will on us. We are not robots occupied by a “spirit” going about doing what the “spirit” wants us to do. Quite the contrary is true. We still have a free will, fully able to exercise it at our discretion.

The Holy Spirit is living with us to be a “Helper,” someone to guide and direct us as we strive to live a Christian life. If we allow the Spirit to serve as our guide, He will give us those answers to questions that sometimes we seek. On the other hand, we can quench the Spirit and not allow Him to help us in this manner. The Apostle Paul says in Romans, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” (Romans 8:5) What we allow to occupy our minds determines the extent to which the Spirit can serve as our Helper.

If we dwell on the negative, always looking for a fault in someone or in the body as a whole, we are not thinking of things of the Spirit. If we dwell on soap operas, secular music, movies, our jobs, money, and a host of other worldly things, we are quenching the Spirit. As we allow these worldly concerns, activities, and things to take up all of our waking time, we have no time for things of the Spirit. Our minds and daily schedules are full of worldly activities and these things shove thoughts of the Spirit out. If, on the other hand, we dwell on the fruits of the Spirit, Bible study, prayer, helping the needy, visiting the sick, serving the church, and the like, we are allowing the Spirit to work in our lives. The fruits of the Spirit become more noticeable in our lives.

What are the fruits of the Spirit? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22,23)

We really only have two choices; to set our minds on things of the Spirit, or things of the world. Paul puts it this way, “For he who sows in his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” (Galatians 6:8) As we allow our lives to be corrupted by the things of the world, we quench the Spirit. Eventually, when we have quenched the Spirit so long, getting back into a right relationship with God is all but impossible.

There is another aspect of allowing the Spirit to work in our lives that is equally important. We must individually work for the unity of the church. We say that we believe that the church was instituted by Christ, and that we strive for the restoration of the church both in unity and practice on a New Testament basis. But how often do we practice this belief on an individual basis? Paul exhorts the church in his letter to the Ephesians, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to have a walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1-3) How does this tell us that we should behave as a member of a local congregation? We should love each other in the Spirit. That means that we should be very careful not to say things to each other that are hurtful. It also mean that if someone does say something that hurts us – even if they do it on purpose – we should forgive them and continue to love them! And I realize that each of us may on occasion accidently make a comment that hurts others. When we know that we have done this, we should show our love for the brother or sister and apologize. I truly wish that all our members would live by these principles.

The above principle is further emphasized in Philippians, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,…” (Philippians 1:27) I sometimes wonder what we could accomplish if we would do as Paul tells us here, to be “with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Those things which so many of our people do which I am talking against here serve to destroy the body. Remember that we are speaking of the church which is “the bride of Christ.” Jesus will be coming after His church. Will He accept a divided church? I would not think so.

Being selfish, saying spiteful or hurtful things to a brother or sister in Christ, gossiping, etc. are “dead works.” Indeed, they are works of the devil himself. The devil probably gets a big laugh out of the way some “Christians” behave themselves in the church. But there is hope for those people: “… how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14) Before this purging can take place the person must repent and turn away from the old life and turn to Christ. We need to pray for those people who appear to be in this situation. We need to ask God to convict them and help them to realize exactly what it is they are doing to hurt the church.

There are other ways in which we quench the spirit. The manner in which we worship God can, and I’m sure in some cases does, quench the Spirit. Jesus tells us that we must worship in “spirit and truth.”(See John 4:19-24) In this passage a woman asks Jesus if they should worship on a mountain (as they had been doing), or should they go to Jerusalem to worship as the Jews had told them. Jesus tells the woman that it doesn’t make any difference where you worship, it is how you worship. We are to worship in “spirit and truth.”

So what does this mean? I am convinced that we have people who “play Christian.” I think this is what Jesus is talking about. We should not just be going through the motion of worshiping. We need to get back to a worship where we allow the Spirit to lead us, and to show us the way. A worship where the hymns touch our hearts, where the word convicts us, and where the Lord’s Supper moves us to a closer and more loving relationship with God. We need to get away from listening to the sermon, and start living the sermon. We need to get away from singing songs, and start singing praises to God and His precious Son, Jesus. And we need to get away from being served the Lord’s Supper and start communing with God to remember with every fiber of our being the sacrifice which Jesus made for us and the fact that He was crucified so He could take our sins to the cross. Bible study and prayer are so very important to us if we are to remain in the Spirit. How can we please God and develop a loving relationship with Him if we never study His word and never take time to talk with Him?

We need to quit being afraid that we, or someone else, will show some emotion in worship service. I remember a few years ago (I was a deacon at the time), a young girl of about twelve years old was being baptized one Sunday morning. I was sitting on the second pew right next to her grandfather. As she was being baptized I knew how much her being saved meant to her family, especially her grandfather. A tear streamed down my cheek as she was lowered into the watery grave. I looked over at her grandfather and he too had a tear streaming down his cheek. I wonder how many times we could see two grown men crying in our services today?

We have been talking about quenching the Holy Spirit as He tries to work in our individual lives. What happens when an entire congregation (or at least most of them) begin quenching the Spirit? All too often, especially if the leaders do not take immediate steps to correct the situation, the congregation begins to die. Attendance begins to drop, people become very unhappy, many start looking for another congregation, and some just fall away.

It is up to each one of us as a member of a congregation to help the congregation to grow and prosper. We should dwell on the positive, and consider our blessings. We should reach out a loving hand to the lost in our communities and help them to come to know Christ. We need to build the church up. We need to support and care for each other in times of need and sorrow, as well as rejoice in times of joy.

I think I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to throw a little caution in here. There are so many people today who attribute things to the Holy Spirit that are simply not true. We need to be aware that this is happening and ask God to protect us from those false ideas. Paul wrote to Timothy concerning false spirits. He said, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…” (I Timothy 4:1) These deceiving spirits are real and are all around us in this society in which we live. Sometimes their message is so subtle while at other times so bold. The New Age movement is wide spread in America and gaining popularity with each passing day. John tells us in his epistle what we need to do in relationship to the teachings of these false spirits. He said, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1)

Do you need to get back into a right relationship with God? Or perhaps you need to strive harder to make your relationship all that it could be by allowing the Spirit a free reign in your life. In reality we all can seek to walk closer to God and give the Spirit more of our lives. I pray that every Christian will come to realize the need for a closer walk with God and earnestly seek His will in their lives. “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (I John 3:24) Jesus abides in us if we keep His commandments, and allow the Spirit to move in our lives.

All scriptures quoted are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

The flesh is the part of us that resists our transformation into the new person in Christ.

And since this is the case the devil wants to use the pleasures of our flesh to keep us enslaved to our old habits and sinful attitudes.

We have daily choices to live according to God’s righteous desires, and deny sin. When we use our power to choose God’s way instead of sin’s way, we crucify our flesh.

God helps us crucify our flesh through the Holy Spirit so that we may live in the newness of the Spirit.

The desires we must crucify include fornication, covetousness, stealing, and lying plus follow the rest of the Ten Commandments.

As we put these things to death, we are able to then put on the new man, renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created us.

1 Peter 4:1-2 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

When a man is crucified, he dies. And when you die, you’re dead.

Therefore those of us who belong to Jesus need to crucify the flesh so that we become dead to the flesh, dead to our passions, and dead to our desires.

Galatians 5:24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Now if this is true, why do we still have ungodly desires, and why do we still yield to the flesh and
it’s passions?

Also since these things still bother us, does that mean that we are not one who belongs to Jesus?

Are we failures as Christians? Do we really belong to Satan and not God?

Have I struck a nerve? Perhaps you’ve pondered over these exact same questions.

I suspect that all of us may have felt this way at one time or another.

Rest assured, you are still a child of the King if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your lord and savior.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

God paid a high price for you. He sent His own Son to die in your place.

Therefore the intent of (Gal 5:24) is not to discourage, but to encourage us to resist these
fleshly desires and passions.

What is dead is the strings that attach us to sin that no longer bind us because they were cut loose and destroyed by the Blood of Jesus and the Word of God.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

So what we need to do is commit to responding to the flesh in different ways than how we used to by choosing to be a living sacrifice to God and by being obedient to him.

Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.

For example: If your flesh wants to look at a person to lust after, look the other way. Or if your flesh wants to take someone else’s valuables when they leave you alone in the room, you should change your thoughts to something positive.

Another one could be if you know you’re going to be alone tonight and will be able to surf for porn on the internet, you could invite a friend over so you don’t have the opportunity to get into trouble.

Keeping your mind off of your own desires by helping others is another good way to keep from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.

Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Crucifying your flesh does not mean that your life will lack pleasure. God is the author of true pleasure that is not tainted with sin in any way.

Matthew 13:44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”

In fact, God provides perfect pleasures that bring lasting satisfaction and joy, unlike the temporary
pleasures that selfish sin could ever offer.

David Hopkins is a “Christian Article Writer” who specializes in helping people remember to glorify God in everything that they do, so they don’t miss out on any of His wonderful blessings.
Visit http://www.dailywordofgodgroup.com to read additional articles and to sign-up for a free newsletter to learn everything you need to know about why you should be putting God #1 in your life.

In God’s plan for every believer is peace, hope, and a good future (Jeremiah. 29:11). It is His will that we live abundant
and prosperous lives but the enemy will try to destroy every ounce of peace and hope we have by bringing doubt into our minds.

If you are experiencing doubt and discouragement in your life right now, it is because the devil is robbing you of the
blessings that God has for you. The devil is a thief and it is his only mission to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that
we may have life and may have it more abundantly (John 10:10).

Did you notice the word “may”? Webster’s Dictionary describes “may” as permission, opportunity, perhaps, and possibly.

God has done His part by sending His Son to die on the cross, not only to save us from our sins, but also to give us life abundantly. Whether we have life abundantly or not depends on us!

God has given us His Word, which is our roadmap for success (Joshua 1:8). His Word is forever established in heaven, and
whatsoever we shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever we shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven
(Matthew 16:19). What are you binding and loosing in your life?

As Christians, it is our duty to know God’s Word and what it says about us. We must exercise our faith daily by speaking it over
our circumstances if we want to see positive changes come about.

Remember, the Word is like a two-edged sword. It cuts one direction to bring about the changes we desire and another
direction to halt the devil. Just as Jesus used the Word to defeat Satan in the dessert (Mathew 4:1-11), so should we.

Jesus knew the Word, and He applied it. Obviously, you must know the Word before you can apply it! It has been said that knowledge is power. That’s not true. Applied knowledge is power.

I hope you are currently involved in a bible study group or have a bible-reading program established for yourself. You
have got to know and apply the Word of God to live a victorious life and experience all the good that God has for you!

Daniel N. Brown is the publisher of the “Living the Abundant and Prosperous Christian Life” Newsletter. A free weekly publication
that teaches how to live the abundant and prosperous Christian life. Receieve a free copy of Dan’s 14 page report entitled, “5
Biblical Keys to Outrageous Prosperity,” when you sign up. www.secretplaceonline.com/newsletter