To Be alive In Jesus Christ Is To Live For God

Likewise you also, reckon

yourselves to be dead to sin,

but alive to God in Christ Jesus

our lord.

Therefore do not let sin reign

in your mortal body, that you

should obey it in its lusts.

Romans 6:11-12

     How often is it that we use the word "lust" to apply only to an intense sexual desire: that is correct, but is not the only use of the word. The word "lust" is not always bad, for to have "lust" for life, that is an ardent desire to live the life you have is not bad if the life you live, the pleasure you desire is a health desire, and it is healthy if the foundation for you desire is you living in obedience to God. Before the "lust" for life is a good thing there must be a reckoning in you that you are dead to sin. If sin reigns in you, then your "lust" is not a good thing and is based on an illicit desire, a pleasure  that is not of God. I saw an ad for a car on TV and the hook line was that this car would incite your lust for it, and so you could do nothing else except buy this car, or at least have an insatiable desire for that which you may not be able to afford. How often do we allow ourselves to be swayed by the secular world, their need to sell, and to sell under any pretense, so that you would spend what you do not have, that which is not in your bank: so you do, and this on a credit card thinking that you can make the payments, you have enough income to do so, and so that you may overlook the fact that the car you have is taking you to wherever you go, and that the desire, the "lust" for a new one is only to satisfy your ego. So you buy! Then the unthinkable happens, you are let go from your job, the company you work for goes out of business, and now you can no longer afford that "lust" that drove you to buy what you do not need. If this is the case, and there are times when you need to buy what is needed, there is nothing wrong with owning a nice car (I am using the car as an illustration) but are you putting away money to be able to buy a car if indeed you need one? If as a Christian we are not doing what is necessary, and if we are doing that which is unbecoming a Christian then all we have done is present out bodies to be instruments of unrighteousness: "And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:13-14). By God's grace you have eternal life, that which you did not deserve; the question is if God is give to you eternal life, what are you giving back to Him? Eternal life is not a gift from God, eternal life is the gift of God and the question then if this gift of God is given to you; does God have dominion over your life? Or, does the world? If we do not decide to live for Jesus Christ, then, we are deciding to live for sin. Are we living in our energy, or, are we living in the power of the Holy Spirit, that is to live life for God, to be obedient to God? Oh! How we manipulate the law of God to fit what we think is our need. We find any excuse to do things that are not Scriptural. Jesus Christ made His life to be ours, we are to be identified with Him. Are you? We think of eternity as something future, it is not! Time does not exist in eternity. Your eternal life began at conception, and your eternal life as a chose child of God, began when you were enabled by God to choose Him. The life we live now is temporal, it has an end, but life goes on into eternity, yet we so often live as it is something separate from us, something we will get when we die. 

     The law of God instructed us as to what God wants from His creation, and showed to us what is sin, but we have been delivered from the law, a law we could not and cannot keep perfectly, we sin, but now Jesus Christ came and fulfilled the law, He did not take it away, He fulfilled it, and the sin that the law illuminated showing us a better way is not to be found in Jesus Christ and His death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven to sit eternally at the right hand of the Father making intercession for all those that God the Father had given to Him. Paul makes this fact: "Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead t the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another--to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God" (Romans 6:4). The fruit is not what some make it to be, that is, to be a missionary, or a preacher, or to be a teacher, to make disciples, it is all of that for sure, but it is more than that it is as Paul wrote: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:22-24).

     It takes time to decide definitely to be totally identified with Jesus Christ. But time is not an excuse for not making progress. If you are not making any progress, you may need help from a mature Christian, or you may simply need to get off your "duff" and do what God asks of us. We have the power of the Holy Spirit, but why would the Holy Spirit help us if we are not doing anything towards our sanctification? It isn't knowledge, that is good, it isn't to be done solely in our own power, that is necessary, No! We must become devoted to God, to His Son, and not simple believe what God says will happen, this belief must be the ground, the foundation of our life in every part of our body, our thinking, and then live the full life, the life that God has given to you. Step away from trying to please the world, whoever that may be, whatever that may be, those things that would distract you and entangle you: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5:1). Let me excite you; you are free, you have liberty, stand fast for God, for His Son, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you, you are free to enjoy this world, we are free to love and even to desire good things, and all this is done in the freedom that we have in Christ as we live for Him.

Do not be deceived, 

     God is not mocked;

for whatever a man sows,

     that he will also reap.

For he who sows to his flesh

     will of the flesh reap corruption,

but he who sows to the Spirit will 

     of the Spirit reap everlasting life.

                                     Galatians 6:7-8

Be Obedient and Leave the Consequences to God

Richard L. Crumb

To Be Crucified With Jesus Christ--How Should This Association Affect You?

Therefore be imitators of God

as dear children.

And walk in love, as Christ

also loved us and given

Himself for us, and offering

and a sacrifice to God

for a sweet-smelling aroma.

But fornication and all 

uncleanness or covetousness,

let it not even be named among you,

as is fitting for saints, 

neither filthiness, nor foolish talking,

nor coarse jesting, which are not

fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

Ephesians 5:1-4

     How are Christians to be imitators of God? How did Jesus Christ walk in love? How did Jesus Christ offer a sacrifice to God? What does it mean to be a Christian? Paul gives several points that Christians are to cast away from their lives. In fact, those displeasing things to God are not even to be named among a Christian! The Greek word that is translated, "named" has a greater meaning that just being "named," for the root word carries the meaning of not even to style, or be entitled to, to make mention of, to make known, or in this verse for a person to not even be known as being what is displeasing to God, a person is in no way to profess, either by word or exercise of life to be known as those who do not live according to God's word. Paul in writing Romans tells us something important that occurs with us when we believe upon Jesus Christ: "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:6). Are you Co-crucified with Jesus Christ? If so, then sin in you must be killed, cast away from you never to return. You may be convinced that Jesus Christ is God, is the promised Savior, and in your earnestness you believe, but the decision that must be made is exactly what Paul is preaching; you must put away those things that are displeasing to God and He has not left us destitute wandering in confusion as to what He has told us is displeasing to Him. We must stop! Stop making excuses for our sins, our sins are nothing more than blasphemy against a Holy God, and against His Son, sent for His children and as a child of God when we sin we need to repent, change our lives, from the inside out, our outside demonstrates what is inside. It is the life of Christ that has been crucified for us and as His child our lifeblood is Him and until all that is left is the life of Christ in your flesh. Paul makes it clear under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that we are not to have even a "hint," as the NIV puts it, and is a good translation of the Greek word, in our lives, we are to flee: "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" (1Corinthians 6:18). Paul in writing to Timothy says: "By you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness" (1Timothy 6:11). 

     When I examined my own life I find that my life did not reflect my Savior even though I professed Him to be my Savior: Have you examined thoroughly your own life and if you find things that are hints of displeasure to God, make those necessary changes? Little things slowly crept into the Church changing the way some live, for they live as the world, not having left behind worldly things: "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed to the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2). A couple of illustration will aid us to understand how the world has affected our witness and our lives that cannot be acceptable to God. This morning, once again, I heard a dancer from the show "Dancing With The Stars," give thanks to God for her being on the show, in other words she was giving claim to belong to God; but how can she be glorifying God when she dresses like a "wh..e" and does an exact imitation of a lap dance on her knees in front of the audience with her breasts being exposed for all to see? Would Jesus Christ be pleased with her and want to sit in front of her and watch such things as is performed in bars where women and men expose themselves, and do things that would be considered porn? No! Or, a MMA fighter who has just beat up an opponent by smashing his face, not once, but several times, until the opponent is bloody, and at times even unconscious, then standing up with arms raised in celebration that he just beat the "cr.p" out his opponent and isn't he so powerful? Would you take Jesus Christ to such an event? If not, then why do you or me watch this performance, it smacks of the amphitheater where Christians were slaughtered, gladiators were killed, and maimed, just for the pleasure of the crowd. In the MMA case we find women dressed in almost nothing parading around showing off their bodies......How can this be pleasing to God, to our Savior, and how can we participate with such things? Are you, am I crucified with Christ? If so, then should we not live as though we are? Are we as Christian, those who were chosen by God before the foundation of the world to become sanctified in this life, and this by making the necessary changes even if those changes are at odds with the world? Yes! "For if we have been united with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life. For is we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection" (Romans 6:4-5).

     With the interjection of liberality of theology into the Church there has been a displeasing teaching among those who call themselves Christian. We can see the results of this liberal theology everyday. Almost every show on TV is full of men and women doing things that would be considered soft porn, and even admitting with some pleasure homosexuality, and we sit there and laugh, and smile, in tacit agreement. We seem to have trouble turning off those things that we would not take Jesus Christ. We desire pleasure rather than that which is right, those things, such as taking time to teach our children the word of God, to do things with them, and to love our spouses, and show that love by not ogling on those exposed bodies, having our wives do things that only promiscuous people do, as with that person who I spoke of above, and having her children and husband watch her do those things, and by doing so has taught them that it is ok. Of course she gave glory to God. I wonder what god, for it is not the God of the Bible that she is glorifying, and her husband by sitting silently watching with their children is tacitly given his approval. 

     "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves leading to death, or of obedience leading to life" (Romans 6:16). Is your life changing first in the inside and then having that inside change be seen on the outside? Are you willing to lay down your life, your ambitions, your desires, and pick up your cross and follow Jesus Christ? It is not enough to celebrate the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ if that celebration does not change you and cause you to desire to be more like Him. One final question for this blog: "If God did not give you anything, nothing, and all you ever had in this life is affliction: would you still love God, would you still be in love with the Savior?"

For if when we were enemies

     we were reconciled to God

through the death of His Son,

     much more, having been

reconciled, we shall be 

    saved by His life.

                          Romans 5:10

Take Time To Allow God To Communicate With You

Richard L. Crumb

The Attack Upon The Church By The Angel Of Light--You May Have Been Affected

But what I do, I will also continue to do,

that I may cut off the opportunity 

from those who desire an opportunity

to be regarded just as we are

in the thing so which they boast. 

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,

transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.

And no wonder! For Satan himself

transforms himself into an angel of light.

2Corinthians 11:12-14

     In the Bible light is the word used most often to denote the truth, that one should be enlightened with the truth, but we have an adversary: "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (1Peter 5:8-9). Jesus Christ came into the world to die as was previously shown, but more than that, He also came to give the light of truth to the world as was prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 9:2): "to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace" (Luke 1:79). We are to change from darkness of light, to being a child of darkness into a child of light, this Jesus did while on earth and is doing now as our intercessor, we are to become what Jesus desires of those believing upon Him: "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.' These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them" (John 12:36). Jesus is that light, the truth, and He gives that light to the children of God, but we have an adversary, Satan who changes himself into light, as though he has the truth, and has infected men with lies, and falsehood, bringing into the Church, false teachings, and heresy. This has been a problem for the Church from the beginning, and is now a problem for us today for there are those who seem to preach, and teach what is truth, but in actuality are teaching a false doctrine: we need to know who they are and this we can tell be coming to know the truth, that which the Bible clearly explains to us, we are not left in darkness, we have Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit that will teach us, but we must take the time to study, to examine. Is this important? Yes! How we live, execute our faith is either damaged or harmed to the point that what we teach and believe is not what the Bible says, rather it sounds so holy, so true, it is only Satan causing his light of falsehood to be proclaimed in the Church leading men and women into a life that is not according to the teaching of our Savior, the One who came and died for the remission of sins. John gives us this sound word: "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we have fellowship with Him, and walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1John 1:5-7). Yes, there are some among us that claim to be in the light but are not, they are in darkness and even though they claim to have fellowship with God and His Son, they do not; but how do we know who they are? We take the time to examine them, by the guiding light of truth that is found in His word. The question that may plague you is whether or not you will change if you come to see the light, or will you continue to stay in darkness that seems to resemble the light, the truth? John gives us this admonition: "He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. but whoever keeps his word, truly the love of god is perfected in him. by this we know that we are in Him" (1John 2:4-5). There are those who say that the know Him, that they are following Him, and they hold up the Bible to the crowd and claim to follow His word, or they do more and sell pieces of cloth that are supposed to have some miraculous power, they change the truth for a lie and many have succumbed. Yet, what is worse is not always so plainly seen, for there are those who are teaching a false teaching, and many are having their ears tickles, but Jesus says this when speaking to the seven Churches in Revelation: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. to him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7). This phrase about having an ear to hear is said several times in this chapter of Revelation, we must have ears that will hear. What is to be heard? The Gospel, the truth, the light of truth, and this we do by studying His word, it is the truth. But men have misused the words of truth by ascribing to some manuscripts that certainly are filled with untruth, lies, so to speak, they interpose some truth with lies of their own beliefs, and these translations have become a major Bible for many who are seeking the truth. Satan will use whatever means he can to put his light of lies and falsehood into the Church. What can he do more than to stop the spread of truth, and this he does within the secular world, and in the Church by those who will listen to the world, and not to the truth of God's word. They want more, more, more, give more, help to have instant belief, make God's word more good sounding, leave off those difficult things that Jesus taught. Is this not the secular world's thinking, fast food, more "g's", faster access to the internet, cars that have speedometers that have numbers of speed way beyond that which the law allows, but, oh boy, we have a fast car, we have a life of leisure due to the things we can have now, but for many this is so wrong, they want the truth and that truth is in God's word, His word that He has preserved, as promised, and this will take us to the place, that is if we are really wanting the truth, to examine all that we have been taught.

     Therefore, I will attempt to bring to light, truth, by examination and asking questions, leading you to think upon your faith, and with the mission of changing you and I from the inside out. Will you walk with me? Will take the time to examine what you believe? I pray you will.

Then Jesus spoke to them

     again, saying, 'I am the 

light of the world. He who

     follows Me shall not 

walk in darkness, but have

     the light of life.

                          John 8:12

Pray, Pray for guidance

Richard L. Crumb