Living In Freedom

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly.

I say to you, whoever commits sin

is a slave to sin. And a slave does not

abide in the house forever, but a son

abides forever. Therefore if the Son

makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

John 8:34–36

            It this fact that we must assimilate into our very being, into our very thinking, and become a part of who we are: “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15). There are two choices in life; to be in bondage to sin, or to be in bondage to righteousness, to be a slave to sin, or to be free from sin. What have we to fear? What is it that causes you to fear? Is it death? Is it fear of persecution? Is it fear of losing friends? Is it fear of losing a job? Maybe it is fear of losing a spouse, or to be abandoned by your children for your stance to live according to whose your are: a child of God, free, forever free. There is nothing that this world can throw at you to deter you from whose you are, to whom you are a bondservant. Either you believe what God has promised or you only hope that what God promised is true. We are the children of God: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs––heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:16–17). Here, once again a confrontation with a truth that by necessity we assimilate in us to the degree so overwhelmingly consumed with this fact: we are heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Are you looking at this world seeing the bad, the problems, and you are looking downward into this world? We should be looking heavenly for there is where our home is and this journey on this earth is temporary, and the life that is free is eternal: “For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us,” (Romans 8:18). Do you believe when God says: “In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). The English word, “obtained,” is translated from the Greek word, “έκληρώθημεν” and the literal translation, for this is an aorist word, that is something that has occurred past tense, a first person plural word, indicative, a statement of fact, and passive which means the subject, “we,” are the recipients of the action, therefore, in the literal, it is: “we have been chosen to an inheritance,” and this choosing is of God by the counsel of His will. This “obtaining” is not something that we have done to receive this inheritance, no it is simply the will of God, it is His purpose and His purpose alone. Quit trying to work for salvation: it is not of you, it is of God, all that we are to do is to be the ambassador for Christ Jesus, and this is by allowing the Holy Spirit to work out of us what we have put into us: His Word. It is the gospel and that gospel is simply this: God the Father sent His Son, His very Wisdom, to be clothed in flesh, and to live as a man, pure, without sin, to die upon the cross for sin, and then to be resurrected from this mortal death to life eternal as the Son of God sitting at the Father’s right hand making intercession for all; those God chose before the foundation of the world, applying that propitiation for sin, to those who are the heirs, of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13–14). We are to live in expectation for the revealing of this promise to eternal life, keeping our eyes on the truth, on Jesus Christ and saying no to this world and all that it has to offer, those things that are in opposition to the will of God: “For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19). Paul not begins his contrast with the creation, first he speaks of the creation, and then of the “whole creation,” and we must not in any way conjoin those this term creation with the “whole creation.” This will be confuted by the context, this conjoining of this term, “creation,” with ‘whole creation.” The first is that of the creation that God created by the counsel of His will to have the inheritance promised and is our hope, a hope secure in the truth of God, in His word. So Paul begins this contrast in this manner, “For the creation was subjected to futility, no willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope, because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20–21). Notice this: the creation is joined together with the children of God who will be delivered from the bondage of corruption, that is delivered from this bondage of sin. Yes, all people suffer under this bondage of corruption: “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Romans 8:22). How is it that the groan “together?” Simply put: the groan and we groan, for deliverance from the corrupted world and this has occurred from ancient of times until now. Have you converted, that is, have you become so absorbed, that your personality has changed, built upon the hope that God has given to you? We are designed for a great capacity for God, and it is this bondage to sin that keeps us from utilizing this designation that we are free, free indeed, in hope, in faith. We need to put away our natural man, and put on the whole armor of God, being transformed into a child of God, to be what we are, a citizen of the heavenly kingdom. Let us then, become identified with Jesus Christ, and live free, free, free, free indeed.

Oh, sing to the LORD a new song!

            For He has don marvelous things;

His right hand and His holy arm have

            Gained the victory.

                                    Psalm 98:1

Believe it! You are a Free child of God

Richard L. Crumb

Living Spiritually

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. For to be carnally

minded is death, but to be spiritually

minded is life and peace.

Romans 8:5–6

            Clarity of thought and words are not to be dismissed, as if they were in a confused state unless one ignores this clarity and makes it uncertain or ambiguous. To ignore or make uncertain a truth, a truth that is clear and precise is to only prefer a person’s presupposition, a presupposition in opposition that is so plainly stated. How much more clear can it be stated: if you live carnally, that is according to fleshly desires means death, and to live according to the Spirit means life. Carnality is to be in opposition to God and His law, and this carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, nor can it be: therefore there is a need to remove from a person this carnality of mind; “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, no indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). Live carnally and you will be an enmity with God, God who gave to His children faith, righteousness, grace, and blessing, a blessing of eternal life: “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). To not live carnally is difficult for we are still subject to original sin but it is not so any longer for those who do not dismiss what Scripture is teaching us: that we are no longer of this world and we are to live as eternal saved persons now, in the present. Does this mean that we are to recluse ourselves from this world, or to go and live in a cloister, as did many of the monks and priests in earlier times of Christianity? NO! We live the life God gave to you; go fishing, shopping, playing, working, being a husband and a wife, children under the authority of your parents, and all you do, do as what and whose you are: a child of God, and the Bride of Christ, and Ambassador for the kingdom of God. Keep you mind on things above and let go of the things of this world, those things that will influence you to live carnally and not spiritually. How can this be done? Not easily of course: but, it can be done: “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:9–10). The Spirit of God raised Jesus from the dead and it is Jesus Christ who dwells in you, so conjoining the Spirit dwelling in you and Jesus Christ dwelling in you for they are of the same essence and a Person of the Godhead: But if the S;pirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11). The Greek word, “έι” is not the Greek word, “εάν” both translated into English as “if” but these Greek words are used differently to denote, first as if conditionally, and we are to understand that in this verse quoted the word is to telling us that “if” the Spirit raised Jesus then we are to understand our part in this resurrection that it is fact and by this fact that Jesus was raised from the dead then when it is said that through this Spirit we have life, there is no doubt, we will have life because of the Spirit. Now, if the second Greek word was used then we have a different take, that is, there would not be a definite hope and fact, all would be undetermined and left up to us for our salvation: this is not the teaching of Scripture that man can save himself. Salvation is of God, through the resurrection of His Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, God paid our debt of sin, this debt was not only paid but our indebtedness removed but not removed so as that we were not still a debtor. Yes, debt removed, but we still are a debtor. Example: A man goes to prison and pays his debt to society, and yet he still is a debtor only no longer one who must pay his debt, paid by his time in prison. We are now free of our debt and are now a bondservant of God to whom we owe all things, in that since there is a debt, but to live willfully carnally is to live for the flesh and to be a debtor to the flesh and there will come a time of reckoning: “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors––not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the  flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Who, or what is leading you? The carnal flesh, or the Spirit of God? You are sons and daughters of God, so why then live as though you were not: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14)?

            This being Friday, two days before the first day of the week, a day set aside by the early Church as the Sabbath for Christians, and being the Sabbath and that we are under the New Covenant, we are still under the Law of God to keep His Sabbath, that one day of the week to be set aside and kept holy; therefore, unless we are in a work that demands care for others, or protection for society, then we are not to buy, sell, or do anything that requires others to serve us: NO! Here then is where the rubber meets the road: will you dismiss this law, this special time of God for you own lusts and desires, that carnality that God hates? Is your life simply a witness for God in all you do, or does the world see you saying one thing and doing another? Are you spiritually minded? My prayer is that you are spiritually minded and that you will set time aside on God’s day to worship Him, to sing praises to Him, and to enjoy the fellowship with your eternal brothers and sisters.

Riches do not profit in the day

            Of wrath.

But righteousness delivers

            From death.

                        Proverbs 11:4

Trust In God

Richard L. Crumb

The Battle Line

For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh)

nothing good dwells; for to will is present

with me, but how to perform what is good

I do not find. For the good that I will to do,

I do not do; but the evil I will not to do,

that I practice. Now if I do what I will

not to do, it is no longer I who do it,

but sin that dwells in me.

Romans 7:19–20

            The battle line having been drawn eons ago dividing the opposing forces existing even in our present age requires understanding; what side of the line do you, or I, stand?  On one side of the line was God (This is not to be sacriligious, rather to make a point), with those angels that remained faithful to Him, and on the other side was Lucifer (Satan) with the hordes of angels that sided with Lucifer and stood opposite of God. God did not make robots that only do His bidding and to be just another vessel, no, He gave to His angels and to us the ability to choose. There was not antecedent to Satan an evil, an evil that forced him to take a stand against God, therefore Satan’s stand was simply of his choosing. This was true also of Adam and Eve for in the physical realm sin did not exist. Sin existed in the spiritual realm and this sin by Satan was unique for the sin of Satan was not to deny the power of God, rather it was to deny God’s authority and to be an authority for himself. If Satan opposed the power of God and attempted to be a power greater than God, God will have the right to destroy Satan, but this was not the approach by Satan. Therefore the battle was not over power, rather who had the right of authority over God’s creation. In the beginning, in the realm of spiritual beings this attempt for authority was over angels. After God had created the physical world Satan then attempted to thrust upon man, God’s highest creation, the creation that was made in the image of God his authority, his supposed right to rule. Eve was deceived, Adam just outright sinned for there was nothing of sin in him, but he did have free will to choose to be faithful to God or to have some authority over his choices. It is a antinomian attitude that Satan used making some attempt to be the authority and ruler of God’s creation, especially man. This sin of Adam being of the highest of evil as he did not have sin in him, no antecedent of sin residing in him making cause for him to take his stand on the opposite side of the battle line making all his posterity, his progeny, to have within them this fallen nature. All that fallen nature could produce is what it is, fallen, and this fallen nature now passed from one person to another. Paul then is correct to point out that within man, fleshly man nothing good resides and this evil in man causes man to perform evil even when man wills to do otherwise. This sin acts as a law in man driving man to do evil: “I find a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good” (Romans 7:21). All men who are sentient, those who are truthful to themselves will admit that there is this law abiding in them causing all sorts of evil, i.e., bad thoughts, desires that God condemns and this is true of those whose desire is to do the will of God: “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is my members” (Romans 7:22–23). This is most depressing, is it not? There is in all men a battle line that is drawn, one of desire to do God’s will, the other to do the will of sin, a law that affects choices: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” (Romans 7:24)? We cry out against this fact, a fact that sin dwells in me, sin acquired due to the original sin of Adam, a sin that seems to have no way to be removed from me, and this is my desire, to live for God, but this battle is great. How can I take a stand on the other side of this battle line, and stand for God? You can’t on your own: “I thank God––through Jesus Christ our Lord! So the, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:25). Does this verse state that I am not responsible for my sin? Am I able to use this as a reason, or an excuse for my sin? No! This division between God and evil is the battle and we need someone to fight for us because we cannot win this battle. We are contaminated with this law of sin, but we can choose to stand with God through Jesus Christ and the faith given to us by God to do so: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). There it is; we must walk not according to the flesh, rather to walk according to the Spirit and this we can do because God dwells in His children, the Holy Spirit, and we have now the ability to choose which side of the battle line we stand, that is if we choose to hear the voice of God speaking to us, through His word, through those God has enabled to preach His word, the word of His Scripture and not some man–made doctrine, making us free: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin; He condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:2–3). The flesh is weak, the power of God, His authority over His creation is greater, and He condemned sin through Jesus Christ. We have a choice now, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us now, therefore; what is your choice? To stand on the side of the battle line with Satan, or to stand on the side of the battle line with God?

Or do you think that the Scripture says

            In vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells

In us yearns jealously’? But He gives

            More grace. Therefore He says:

“God resists the proud, but give grace

            to the humble.”

                                    James 4:5–6; cf. Proverbs 3:34

Stand With God: Resist the Devil

Richard L. Crumb