Church Unlimited: Recent Episodes
Pastor Brandon Ball
Welcome to the weekly podcast of Church Unlimited, led by Pastor Brandon Ball. To learn more about our church, visit our website at http://mychurchunlimited.com, or download our Church Unlimited Alabama app. #GodisONLYgood
Religion keeps adding pulleys: pray more, fast more, give more, and maybe the weight will finally move. The gospel announces that Jesus already did the heavy lifting, making us right with God without us lifting a finger. His grace is our sufficiency in need and in plenty, and His yoke is easy because the work is finished. The Law says we are not doing enough; grace says Jesus is enough.
The world says count to ten when life presses in; the gospel says count to one. Through the cross Jesus joined Himself to you, and you are now one spirit with Him. Your sufficiency is not something you produce under pressure — it is Someone who lives inside you.
For years we have been told the Christian life is about following Jesus and working to become more like Him. But the New Covenant tells a better story: what Jesus did, He did as us, so His cross became our cross and in Him we were made the very righteousness of God. This is why we cannot follow Jesus from a distance; we have been joined to Him as one spirit with the Lord. Right standing with God was never reached by our effort, it is what He finished and freely gave.
Hebrews ends where it has been heading for thirteen chapters — not with a demand, but with a benediction from the God of peace who raised Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, from the dead through the blood of an everlasting covenant. Every room of your ordinary life — the table, the door, the bedroom, the wallet — rests on a Savior who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and on a Father who promised with five stacked negatives that He will never leave you nor forsake you. The last word of the letter is the last word of the series: grace be with you all.
Hebrews 12 opens with therefore because everything it asks rests on a finished cross, and the sin it warns against was never your bad habits — it is the pull to look back to the old system instead of resting in Christ. The race is not trying harder; it is fixing your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, and refusing to turn your head around. You did not come to the mountain of fire and fence — you came to Mount Zion, to grace, to a kingdom that cannot be shaken, so come in and stay in.
Faith was never a tool to pry things out of God’s hand; it is your unwavering rest in the one thing already true — you have been made perfectly right with God. The heroes of Hebrews 11 only hoped for the righteousness you now possess in Christ. So take your eyes off your faith as a way to get something, and put your confidence in the finished work of the One who is Himself the promise.
Hebrews 10 closes the case on the old sacrificial system and hands you the door it could never open — a Priest seated at the right hand of God because one offering perfected forever the people He came to save. The veil that used to keep worshipers out has been torn from top to bottom, and the only boldness you need to walk through it is the courage to believe the door is what He says it is. So draw near, hold fast, and consider one another, because the just shall live by faith and the faith you live by stands on a finished work, a faithful Promise-keeper, and a Day that is closer than it was the last time you doubted.
You are not waiting for access. You are living from it.
Hebrews 9 walks you through the closed rooms of the old tabernacle and proves even the most beautiful religious system could not clean a conscience. Then it follows Jesus into the real sanctuary in heaven, with His own blood, once for all, putting away sin by the sacrifice of Himself and securing an eternal inheritance for everyone who trusts Him. And the chapter ends with the verse most believers need to hear most — when He comes back, He will appear apart from sin, for salvation, for those who are eagerly waiting for Him.
Hebrews 8 lands the plane. There’s a Priest who sat down because His work is done, the Mediator of a covenant where God Himself does the keeping. The four I-wills mean your law is written on your heart, your identity settled, your access direct, your sins remembered no more. Heaven has declared the old obsolete — so stop running your walk with God on a system He’s already taken offline.
You don’t keep this covenant. You live inside the One who already did.
Hebrews 7 hands you a Priest who showed up before the priesthood, outranked the system, never died, and ended the sacrifice business with one offering of Himself. Because He always lives, He saves you to the uttermost, with no expiration date, no replacement coming, and no future moment where He tags out and leaves you to plead your own case. And the same word the chapter speaks over the Son, perfected forever, is the word that now belongs to you, so you can stop carrying the bill and walk home.
The bill is paid. The Priest is alive. Walk home.
Hebrews 6 is the chapter people use to scare Christians, but read in context it is actually one of the most secure passages in the New Testament. The writer’s warning is not aimed at the believer who fails — it is aimed at the man who tasted Christ and walked back to religion as if the cross was not enough. The chapter ends with an anchor for the soul tied off inside the throne room of God, held by Jesus Himself, the forerunner who entered first and never came back out.
Hebrews 5 hands you a Priest who shared your weakness without inheriting your sin, who was appointed by the Father forever, and who walked your life until He could carry it. The same chapter then asks whether you have grown enough to recognize the difference between the milk of the old system and the solid food of His finished work. The cure for spiritual dullness is not religious effort — it is sitting under the gospel until grace becomes the language your heart speaks by reflex.
There remains a rest for the people of God, and Joshua never gave it because Jesus was always the one who would. You stop striving by trusting that He already finished what you’ve been trying to complete. Come boldly, because the throne is grace and the High Priest is yours.
Jesus is greater than Moses — not because He’s a better leader, but because He built the house Moses just lived in. He’s the Apostle who came down with God’s message AND the High Priest who carries us back up — both directions of the bridge in one Person. And the only thing that ever kept anyone out of the rest He designed is the same thing that kept Israel out of the promised land: unbelief.
Religion teaches you to fear death because you might not measure up. Hebrews 2 teaches something better — Jesus killed death by dying, voided the verdict that was coming for you, and ended a lifetime of bondage in a single moment. This is the message that sets you free.
The law came through angels — servants delivering a shadow of what was coming. But God didn’t send another servant with another set of rules for you to try and keep. He sent His Son, who purged your sins by Himself, sat down because the work was finished, and brought you something the angels never could — a righteousness that’s yours by faith, not by performance.
Three times in Scripture, God threw wood into a problem. At Marah, the bitter water became sweet. At the Jordan, the axehead that sank floated. And at Calvary, the curse became a blessing, the dead were made alive, and the old became new.
John 15 is not a chapter about trying harder.
It’s not a call to perform better, produce more, or prove your place with God. It’s an invitation to stay connected to the only source of life that actually sustains you.
Jesus is walking toward the cross when He says all of this. He knows what’s coming. And what He wants them — what He wants us — to hold onto is this: the life you need is not generated by you. It flows from Him. Stay in the vine. Remain in His love. Bear fruit that lasts.
John 13 — He showed them what love looks like, and got on His knees to prove it.
John 14 — He promised they would not be left alone, and sent His Spirit to keep that promise.
John 15 — He told them where their life would come from, and He said: remain.
That word — remain — is an invitation, not a demand. The vine doesn’t command the branch. It just says: stay attached. Everything else grows from there.
Remain in Me. And I will remain in you.
John 14 is not a collection of inspirational sayings — it is Jesus speaking peace into a room full of frightened disciples on the night before the cross. Every promise in this chapter answers the same fear: that they would be left alone, without access to God and without hope for the future. And Jesus answers that fear with one reality — through the cross, the Spirit, and His presence, there is now room for you in the Father’s house forever.
Believing in Jesus does not mean understanding the path in front of us. It means trusting Him when the path leads somewhere we would never choose, knowing the cross has already secured the outcome. The Farewell Discourse begins when the door closes and Jesus prepares His own to live from what He has finished.
This week, Pastor Brandon and Abbe shared parts of their story - from building a life together, raising twins, and walking through seasons of growth, to how their relationship deepened through their transition into grace and shared core values at home. They talked honestly about things that shape real relationships - respect, emotional maturity, owning your own emotions, and creating a home where love is secure and never earned. The heart of the conversation centered on choosing connection over control, protecting each other’s vulnerability, and building a relationship where both people know they belong even on their hardest days.
Lazarus walks out of a sealed tomb to prove that Life is not threatened by delay, decay, or death itself. That public display of resurrection forces a decision and sets the cross in motion, because what Jesus reveals in signs must now be secured through His own death. John 11 ends with one grave opening, and from here on Jesus moves deliberately toward another so that the life revealed in Lazarus can become life shared with us all.
John 10 does not leave us with a technique to practice or a warning to manage — it leaves us with a Person to trust. Jesus stands in God’s house during a feast about rejecting false authority and declares that He alone is the Shepherd, the Gate, and the source of life. And the question that settles everything is not how well you follow, but whether you believe He is the Christ.
Light doesn’t arrive to answer every question; it arrives to show what is real. Seeing comes before understanding, and belief grows out of revelation, not explanation. The real blindness is not being unable to see - it’s insisting we already do.
Light doesn’t wait for darkness to clear before it appears — it enters while tension and accusation are still unresolved. When the Law is pressed to do more than it was ever meant to do, it exposes its limits and leaves every accusing voice without authority. And in that moment, the Light of the world stands alone, revealing that life begins not with condemnation, but with grace.
Truth doesn’t divide because it’s offensive — it divides because it forces a decision. When Jesus refuses to be managed, rushed, or put on display, some see a stumbling block, some see foolishness, and others finally recognize the power and wisdom of God standing in front of them. And rather than performing to win approval, grace ends with an open invitation: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me.”
Grace has a way of clearing the room, not because it is unclear, but because it refuses to be controlled or earned. When every system collapses and all that remains is Christ Himself, the question becomes unavoidable - “Lord, to whom shall we go?” And the answer still stands: there is no alternative, because only Jesus speaks life that lasts.
Jesus didn’t come to hand out another meal — He came to reveal Himself as the Bread of Life, the only source of true and lasting salvation. Our hope isn’t in what we bring to God, but in what Christ has already finished for us. And because the Father gives, the Son keeps, and the Son raises, our life in Him is unshakably secure.
The One who walks on the waves is the I AM who comes to us, not the one we struggle to reach. Because He lives forever, our righteousness and our future are as secure as His resurrected life. So today, rest in this: the I AM has spoken over you — “Do not be afraid.”
If you’ve ever felt like what you have isn’t enough—your strength, your faith, your resources—John 6 shows us where to look. Jesus doesn’t ask you to multiply your own loaves; He invites you to place them in His hands and rest. In Him, insufficiency becomes abundance, because grace always leaves more in the basket than what you started with.
Jesus ends His exchange with the religious leaders by presenting four powerful witnesses—John the Baptist, His works, the Father, and the Scriptures—all confirming that He is the Christ. Each piece of evidence leads to one conclusion: real life is found in Him alone. Yet the heartbreaking irony remains—the very ones who claimed to know Moses missed the One Moses was writing about.
The greater work Jesus revealed wasn’t about performing bigger miracles but giving eternal life to those who believe. In Him, the Father’s heart and authority were made visible, showing that grace—not effort—brings life. The same voice that spoke creation into being now speaks life into everyone who trusts the Son.
At the pool of Bethesda, Jesus didn’t help a man reach the water—He became the source of healing himself. What the flesh could never achieve through effort, Christ accomplished through grace. This sign still speaks today: real wholeness isn’t found in what we do for God, but in what He’s already done for us in Jesus.
The Galileans honored what they saw, but the nobleman honored what he heard. His faith rested not in evidence, but in a word—and that word brought life. True honor is still the same today: trusting Jesus is enough, even when sight is not.
Jesus didn’t come to recruit better workers—He came to reveal a finished work. Like the Samaritans, we move from secondhand stories to firsthand faith, from hearing about Him to hearing from Him. Now it’s our turn to echo that same word of grace, telling a world still striving that the work is already done.
Jesus didn’t leave you chasing after what He already accomplished. His finish line became your starting line, so you live from completeness, not toward it. Lift your eyes—the harvest is here, and you walk it out as living proof that “finished” really means finished.
The woman at the well came searching for water but found the Messiah who offers life that never runs dry. Her story shows that Jesus meets us in our need, not our worthiness, and reveals Himself as the Christ. John’s Gospel calls us to believe this same truth—that in Him alone our deepest thirst is forever satisfied.
The cross finished what we could never do—your old life is gone, and a new creation has come. As Christ takes center stage, He must increase, and everything else fades into the background. What remains is not striving or self-denial, but the joy of His life fully alive in you.
Nicodemus came in the dark, but Jesus invited him into the light—not with more rules, but with a new life from above. The cure for condemnation isn’t our striving; it’s the Son lifted up, who carried judgment for us. To believe Him is to step out of shadows and into the gift of everlasting life, already ours in Christ.
Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dark, but the Light revealed what he truly needed—new birth from above. The Law could never give that, but the cross did, reconciling us and making us righteous. This isn’t about what we can achieve, it’s about what Jesus has already finished—so believe, receive, and walk in the freedom of being holy and blameless in Him.
At Passover, Israel celebrated the lamb’s blood that brought deliverance. But Jesus revealed Himself as the true Lamb and the true Temple — the one through whom all nations would find access to God. His anger in the Court of the Gentiles was not about money, but about mercy being blocked. In His death and resurrection, Jesus tore down every barrier. Now the invitation is wide open: Jew and Gentile, near and far — come boldly to the Father through the Son.
John’s Gospel shows us that the signs were never meant to be admired as ends in themselves, but to reveal Jesus as the Christ. The water into wine was more than solving a shortage—it pointed to the abundance of grace found in Him, replacing the emptiness of religion with the joy of new life. When we believe in Him, the sign leads us to the celebration itself—eternal life in His name.
Just as God rested on the seventh day, satisfied that nothing more needed to be done, so we rest in Christ, knowing the work of making us righteous is already complete. The wedding at Cana, on John’s “seventh day,” reminds us that God’s rest is not dull idleness, but a joyful celebration rooted in covenant and grace. Our only “work” now is to believe this good news—ceasing from our striving, mixing the word we’ve heard with faith, and enjoying the life we already have in His name.
Because of Jesus’ finished work, judgment is no longer a fearful event for the believer—it’s a day of boldness, knowing we are as He is in this world. The law could only expose our uncleanness, but Christ bore it outside the camp, once for all, making us perfectly holy in God’s sight. We now live every day as the righteous, perfected children of God, not striving for acceptance but standing in the acceptance He has already secured.
Jesus is the true access point between heaven and earth—the fulfillment of every shadow and prophecy. Don’t settle for religious voices that steal your confidence; listen to the Shepherd who laid down His life for you. The more clearly you see Jesus, the more fully you experience the life He came to give.
Jesus is not just the subject of the New Testament—He is the substance of the Old. Every shadow in the wilderness pointed forward to the Savior who would satisfy, heal, and give life. From bitter waters to bread from heaven, from the struck rock to the call to simply speak, we see God’s heart of grace revealed in Jesus Christ.
The Church was never meant to be built on a man, but on a revelation—Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. That truth is the unshakable rock that establishes us in righteousness and strengthens us by grace. Because of Jesus, you stand secure, unafraid, and victorious—so let’s show the world who He really is!
Jesus didn’t come to improve the Law—He came to fulfill it and replace it with something far better: Himself. The Law could only remind us of sin, but Grace removes it completely. So now we behold the Lamb not with guilt or fear, but with gratitude—because His sacrifice has perfected us forever.
John’s Gospel reveals that while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus—personally and powerfully. At the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses (the lawgiver) and Elijah (the law restorer) fade from view, leaving only Jesus, full of grace. This message unpacks how the old covenant has been replaced, not upgraded, and how God’s righteousness is now revealed apart from the law—through Christ alone.
Before time ticked, before matter moved, Jesus already was—the eternal Word blazing with life and light! Though the world didn’t recognize Him, He still stepped in to rescue and redeem, offering us the right to become children of God. You don’t earn that identity—you receive it by believing, and when you do, everything changes!
Walking worthy of our calling isn’t about trying harder—it’s about living Spirit-filled, anchored in unity, and rooted in what Jesus has already done. The Armor of God isn’t a checklist; it’s a portrait of Christ—our truth, our righteousness, our peace, our faith, our salvation, and our sword. The battle’s already won, and our role is to stand confident, clothed in Him.
In every relationship—family, work, or church—Paul calls us to live out our identity in Christ through mutual honor and Spirit-filled love. The Spirit doesn’t erase our roles; He transforms them, turning obedience into worship and leadership into service. When we walk this way, we don’t just follow rules—we reveal Jesus.
When both husband and wife live under the influence of God’s presence—that is, living a Spirit-filled life shaped by His love and truth—marriage becomes a reflection of Christ and the Church, not a struggle for control but a display of covenant love. Submission and love are not about power—they are about trust, sacrifice, and mutual honor. This is the mystery of marriage: it was always meant to point us to Jesus.
Being filled with the Spirit means living under God’s influence every day—shaped by His love, wisdom, and presence. It transforms how we speak, how we worship, and how we relate to one another in community. Spirit-filled living is not about escape but about expressing Christ through a life of gratitude, humility, and mutual encouragement.
Imitators of God aren’t striving to earn a place in the Kingdom—they’re simply living from it. As children of light, we expose darkness not by condemning it, but by contrasting it with God’s love and life in us. So walk in love, shine with light, and redeem every moment—you carry the Kingdom wherever you go.
Forgiveness is no longer a fragile hope we earn, but a firm reality we live from — secured by the finished work of Jesus. The New Covenant doesn’t threaten us into forgiving; it transforms us by showing how completely we’ve already been forgiven. So we forgive, not to be forgiven, but because grace has forever settled our debt.
In Christ, you’ve been given a new identity, a new mind, and a new way to live. When you learn Christ, you don’t just add truth to your life — you receive a life that is built on truth. Now everything about you — your thoughts, your words, your walk — declares that you belong to Him.
Before time began, God had a plan—not just to forgive you, but to make you righteous through the finished work of Jesus. The Cross ended the reign of sin, and the Resurrection launched a new life where peace with God is not earned, but received. So today, we don’t strive for approval—we celebrate that we already have it.
In Ephesians 4, Paul shifts from explaining our position in Christ to showing us what it looks like to walk in a posture that reflects that position. We’re called to unity, not through sameness, but through our shared identity in Jesus, and each believer has been given a unique grace to build up the body. As spiritual leaders clearly communicate Christ and the New Covenant, the church grows in maturity, anchored in truth, fueled by love, and expressing the fullness of Jesus in everyday life.
In Ephesians 3, we see Paul reveal the mystery that all people are included in Christ, not by merit, but by grace. He reminds us that God’s plan was hidden for ages but is now on full display through the Church—and through us—as we walk in unity, confidence, and bold access. The heart of the message is this: God is strengthening your inner man, rooting you in love, and filling you with His fullness, far beyond what you could ever ask or imagine.
In Ephesians 2, we see the Gospel not as a behavior modification plan, but as the miraculous story of resurrection—from death to life, from wrath to grace. God didn’t just fix what was broken; He made us brand new in Christ, seating us with Him and creating us for good works that naturally flow from our new identity. So, remember who you were, rejoice in who you are now, and rest in the access you have—clean, close, and co-seated by grace.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reveals the radical truth that all believers—Jews and Gentiles alike—share equally in God’s abundant grace and eternal inheritance. Through Christ, God has lavishly blessed us with every spiritual blessing, completely transforming our identity and purpose. As humanity finds unity in Christ, all creation itself awaits its ultimate restoration and fullness in Him.
Ephesus was a city filled with confusion, but the gospel brought clarity, challenging deeply held traditions and transforming lives. Paul’s mission reminds us that grace does not pull people down; it lifts them up, offering freedom beyond religious systems and cultural expectations. Today, we are called to stand firm in truth, embrace the fullness of God’s grace, and let His gospel continue to change the world through us.
Through every high and low, God is our constant source of comfort, never leaving us to face life alone. Whether we’re walking through struggles or celebrating victories, His presence remains steady, bringing peace beyond our understanding. And as we experience His comfort, we can’t help but share it with those around us.
The Gospel is not a complicated process to be mastered, but a simple truth to be believed—Jesus alone is our righteousness. Any message that adds requirements to grace is a different gospel, and we must stand firm in the simplicity of Christ. So today, I challenge you: Resolved to Believe—rest in His finished work, reject anything that distorts it, and live confidently in the freedom of grace.
The Gospel is not about feeding our desires but about revealing the finished work of Jesus. As Paul warned Timothy, many will seek messages that satisfy their itching ears, but we are called to preach the truth—Christ alone. Let us stand firm in sound doctrine, rejecting distortions, and faithfully declaring the grace that brings eternal life.
In every battle, our victory is found in Jesus, who is our armor, our protection, and our security. When we put on the armor of God, we are simply reminding ourselves of what Christ has already accomplished on our behalf. Stand firm, knowing that Jesus has done everything, and in Him, you are fully equipped to resist every lie and accusation of the enemy!
As believers, we stand resolved to resist the enemy, not through our own strength, but by anchoring ourselves in the finished work of Christ. The enemy is already disarmed, and as temples of the Holy Spirit, we are protected, sealed, and triumphant in Jesus. Let us fix our eyes on Him, steadfast in our faith, and walk boldly in the victory that has already been secured for us.
In Christ, rest is not just an invitation but a resolution to trust fully in His finished work. The Law demanded perfection from us, but grace supplies perfection to us through Jesus, freeing us from the heavy burden of striving. May we, like Mary, choose the better part—resting at His feet, confident that He is enough.
Through Christ, we have been invited into a true and lasting rest, free from the burdens of striving for righteousness under the weight of the Law. Hebrews teaches us that this rest is only entered through faith, not through works, reflecting God’s finished work in Christ. Let us embrace this rest with confidence, knowing that Jesus has already carried the weight for us, and in Him, we find peace, joy, and freedom.
Because God’s work in Christ is complete, we can joyfully enter His rest without striving to create what He has already finished. Unbelief is our only disobedience, so we must be diligent and urgent to trust the message of Jesus—the living Word that pierces and transforms every part of our being. As we believe and rest in Him, we effortlessly experience the fullness of God’s blessing and the true reality of the Promised Land.
As we start this year with resolve, we commit to living free in the grace of the New Covenant, leaving behind the past and reaching forward to all God has for us. Walking by the Spirit, we align our lives with His truth, embracing a renewed mindset that reflects our identity in Christ. With the power of the Spirit within us, we press toward the goal, confident that God will lead us to experience His abundant life and peace.
The Gospel truth is this: Christ alone brings true liberty, removing the veil of the Law and revealing God’s radiant glory within us. Through His grace, we are no longer bound by fading glory or external rituals but empowered by the eternal light of His Spirit. Let us rest in this freedom, knowing that our relationship with God is not rooted in rules but in the unshakable truth of His finished work.
Our behavior should not be a reaction to guilt, but a reflection of God’s incredible grace. When we renew our minds daily, focusing on His finished work, we align our actions with the truth of who He is and who we are in Him. Let the unveiled life you live be proof to the world of the grace and glory of Jesus Christ!
The unveiled life is one that fully embraces the freedom and righteousness found in Christ. The ministry of reconciliation is not about striving for God’s favor but living from His finished work, reflecting His grace to the world. Meditate on the truth of who you are in Christ, and let the reality of His Spirit within you guide every thought, word, and action.
Jesus removes the veil that blinds hearts, bringing liberty and peace with God through His finished work. The Spirit of Christ helps us in our weakness, revealing the depths of what God has prepared for us, even when words fail to describe it. As we draw near to God through Jesus, who forever intercedes on our behalf, we rest in the assurance that our salvation is complete, our peace is eternal, and our hope is alive.
The Glorious Light of the Gospel removes the veil that once blinded us, revealing righteousness as God’s gift through Jesus rather than through the works of the Law. Turning to Christ leads us from the role of servant to that of beloved child, fully embraced by God’s grace and freedom. Our mission is clear: to share this message of transformation and invite others to experience the peace and lasting freedom found in the Gospel.
In Christ, the veil is lifted, and we are invited to see God’s heart revealed in all its fullness. By focusing on the Gospel, we shift our hope from self-effort to the finished work of Jesus, revealing righteousness as God’s gracious gift to us. As we look to Him, we experience true freedom—a life empowered by His Spirit, free from the constraints of the law and overflowing with His glory.
Grace is a gift, not a reward—it’s the elevator that lifts us to the penthouse while the law keeps us stuck in the basement. Just as Hagar couldn’t see the well until her eyes were opened, the law blinds us from seeing the blessings that God has already provided. Let’s rest in the promise that we are no longer slaves under the old system but full-grown sons, heirs of God through Christ, living in the freedom of His grace!
The story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar paints a powerful picture of the contrast between law and grace. Just as Isaac was born by God’s promise, not by human effort, we are children of grace, set free from the bondage of the law. We’re not stuck in the basement of works and striving; we’re full-grown heirs through Christ, living in the freedom and overflowing blessing of God’s grace!
Under the new covenant, Jesus declares that even the least in the kingdom is greater than John the Baptist, who was greater than any Old Testament figure. This means we are living on the fulfilled side of the promise, with a reality they could only hope for. So, why strive to replicate the lives of Old Testament heroes when we have what they never did—perfect righteousness in Christ and the fullness of God’s promises, already accomplished through Jesus?
We find Jesus clearly in the Old Testament story of Hosea the Prophet. Hosea’s story reveals the astonishing depth of God’s love and faithfulness toward us, even when we are unfaithful and undeserving. Just as Hosea pursued and redeemed Gomer despite her flaws, so too does Christ pursue and redeem us with a love that is relentless and unwavering. Let this truth fill us with awe and gratitude as we reflect on the goodness of God, who loves us not because of what we do, but simply because, well, He loves us.
The bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness is a powerful foreshadowing of Jesus’ crucifixion. Just as the Israelites were saved by simply looking at the bronze serpent, we too are saved by looking to Christ in faith, trusting in His finished work on the cross. In Christ, we have been fully reconciled to God, standing before Him holy, blameless, and without fault—this is the victory of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice.
In the Old Testament, we see powerful shadows pointing to the redemption found in Christ. Whether it’s the bitter waters turned sweet by the tree, the manna that sustained life, or the rock struck to give water, each story reveals Jesus as the ultimate solution to our deepest needs. As we look to these types, remember that Jesus is our Redeemer, the Bread of Life, and the Rock that was struck once for all, offering us His grace forever.
Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and that grace brought rest in the midst of judgment. Just as Noah was saved by entering the ark, we find our salvation in Christ, the ultimate ark of safety. In Him, the curse is reversed, and we experience the blessing of complete and eternal security.
God established a new covenant that promises eternal life to all who believe in what Jesus finished at the cross. The dress rehearsals of the Tabernacle serve to foreshadow the stringent requirements for forgiveness, all met by Jesus himself. That’s all the joy you need!
In Matthew 12, Jesus teaches that our words reflect our hearts, revealing the true nature of our faith. A heart transformed by the Gospel will produce words that testify to our righteousness in Christ, while a heart that rejects the Gospel remains condemned. As believers, we stand justified not by our own merit, but by the finished work of Jesus, allowing us to speak with confidence and boldness, knowing we are as He is—holy, blameless, and faultless before God.
Has anyone made you fear that you committed a sin that cannot be forgiven? Good news - The unpardonable sin is not a mysterious transgression that believers should fear! Rather it is the willful rejection of the Gospel after fully understanding its truth. Jesus’ teachings and the scriptures remind us that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable because it represents a deliberate refusal to accept the grace and forgiveness offered through Christ. As believers, we can rest in the assurance that we are no longer “in sin” but are made alive and righteous in Christ, free from fear of judgment.
This New Covenant is a covenant of faith. It starts in the heart and makes its way into the world through our heart-felt confession about who Jesus is. We hold tight to that confession, not wavering from our right-standing with God, and never going back to an old method. Jesus is our good confession!
The old covenant, based on our efforts, has been made obsolete by the new covenant, which is grounded in God’s unending grace through Jesus. The new wine of righteousness cannot be contained in the old wineskins of the law; instead, we are made new, with God’s Spirit dwelling within us, guiding us from the inside out. It’s time to fully embrace this truth—out with the old, in with the new—where God’s love is written on our hearts, and our sins are remembered no more.
While the Old Covenant was one of great burden and fear, the New Covenant is light and easy. Righteousness by the flesh was appropriate before the cross, showing the world the impossibility of behavioral and heart perfection. This is why we celebrate the cross and worship the Christ, realizing He gifted us with that required perfection, forever uniting us with the Father!
In Jesus’ encounter with the paralytic, He demonstrates His authority to forgive sins, highlighting the gravity of unforgiven sin as something far more serious than the world was aware of. By forgiving the paralytic’s sins, He revealed that true healing and freedom come from being forgiven by God Himself. Enjoying “life in His name” means embracing the forgiveness and life that Jesus offers, allowing us to stand blameless and holy in God’s presence.
Does God torture His family? The obvious answer, “no,” teaches us to read Jesus’ words with His intended purpose. Jesus constantly raises the price of sin, bringing the world to the glorious conclusion that because of the Cross, God is good! Through His grace and forgiveness, we are transformed from within, standing holy and blameless before Him, free from the burdens of unforgiven sin.
Scripture speaks of a reward that belongs to every believer. It’s critical to define the reward with perfect clarity. Under the Old Covenant, righteousness was something one had to achieve through perfect adherence to the Law, an impossibly high standard. However, Jesus came not to abolish this standard but to fulfill it, offering believers His righteousness as a gift rather than something to be earned through works. Therefore, the true reward is not material or external but the righteousness received through faith in Christ, changing our motivation from earning God’s approval to living out the righteousness we’ve already been given.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus raises the standard of righteousness to its proper place – Perfection is required! There are no alternatives to this, making the Law of Moses an impossible burden, and raising the gift of Grace to the rightful and glorious place of wonder and awe. Watering down the Law only throws water on the true fire of Grace!
God’s grace abounds far beyond our shortcomings and failures. Jesus did not come to condemn us, but to fulfill the Law and extend His boundless grace. Therefore, we stand not under the weight of condemnation, but in the freedom of His love and forgiveness, empowered to live out our new identity in Him.
Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount magnifies the stringent demands of the Law, showing us the impossible standard it sets. However, as believers, we rejoice because Christ has fulfilled the Law’s demands on our behalf, granting us His perfect righteousness. Therefore, we no longer fear judgment or condemnation, but rest in the completed work of Jesus, knowing our debt has been paid in full!
Jesus’ new commandment to love one another as He has loved us transcends the old law’s requirements and introduces a grace-based standard of love. This shift from a self-based love to a Christ-centered love exemplifies the perfection of God’s love, which we are now called to emulate. Therefore, our righteousness, grounded in faith and the completed work of Christ, far surpasses the impossible standards of the law, leading us to live out His love in every aspect of our lives.
Both the Law and Grace operate on an all-or-nothing basis. The Law demands perfection, offering no partial credit, and drives us out when we fail. In contrast, Grace draws us in, offering complete forgiveness and restoration through faith in Jesus Christ. Remember, it is not our adherence to the Law but our faith in His grace that establishes our righteousness and relationship with God.
Jesus uses the contrast between the rich young ruler and Zacchaeus to illustrate the difference between law and grace. The rich young ruler’s reliance on the law left him lacking, while Zacchaeus, a sinner, received salvation through grace. This powerful comparison reminds us that salvation is not about our efforts to meet the impossible standards of the law but about receiving the grace that God freely offers to all who believe.
The purpose of the Law was to expose our sin and highlight our need for a Savior. We saw how it left us perpetually striving for perfection, only to reveal our inability to achieve it. However, with God, what is impossible for men becomes possible, as He offers perfect righteousness as a gift through faith, freeing us from the impossible demands of the Law!
Jesus often distinguishes the difference between Law and Grace, hiding these deep spiritual truths in plain sight through stories and parables. If you don’t know what to look for, you’ll miss it. His teachings on Grace offer us rest and relief from our spiritual labors, pointing us towards a new covenant of righteousness based on faith rather than works. Ultimately, the cross stands as a catastrophic defeat for sin and a monumental victory for believers, perfectly embodying God’s eternal plan of righteousness and grace.
The teachings of Jesus, often marked by contrasting “Red Letters,” help us discern between the burden of the Law and the rest provided through Grace. He emphasizes that He has already taken the weight of perfection, urging believers to seek rest in Him rather than striving for righteousness through their own efforts. While the Law reveals our sins and emphasizes our inability to achieve perfection, Jesus provides the path to freedom through the new covenant, inviting us to rest in His finished work.
Jesus’ words are more than mere stories; they are divine revelations meant to transform our understanding of faith and the essence of the gospel. These narratives underscore the profound truth that our relationship with Christ is the cornerstone of eternal life, not the mere accumulation of good deeds or religious observance. Let’s embrace the gospel fully, living out our faith with the assurance that we are eternally secured at the right hand of God through Jesus Christ.
The Old and New Testaments alike are resounding reminders that God’s plan has always been about His grace, not our merit. Even in the Gospels, Jesus’ life and parables prepare us for this era of grace, inviting us to choose between living under the impossible weight of the Law or embracing the glorious freedom of righteousness by Grace.
God doesn’t bless us by tallying up our strongest efforts and weighing them against our worst moments. Instead, He freely blesses because of what Jesus did. God freely gives us His entire life at no expense to yourself. Jesus did all the work and took all your sins so that you could simply rest, knowing that your righteousness is a result of His Grace!
The resurrection cements the profound truth that through Jesus, perfection is achieved, and our sins are forgiven, making us the perfect temple for God’s Spirit. This realization invites us to embrace our identity as God’s dwelling place, perfected for all time by Christ’s sacrifice, and to live in the light of His grace, free from the debts of sin. Let’s live in the power of this hope, knowing that in Christ we are made perfect, not by our deeds, but by His amazing grace!
The Resurrection is proof that you have been acquitted of your sins, reminding you that your salvation is complete! The intricate plan of salvation and its flawless performance demonstrate just how far God would go to satisfy justice in forgiving the world. Receive the result of Jesus’ resurrection, knowing that because He lives, so now do you!
The Feast of Pentecost foreshadowed the greatest moment in world history – The New Covenant was launched by the giving of the Holy Spirit, bringing the world into the ear of Grace! With God’s Spirit moving out of the temple and into the heart of the believer, we are free to always enjoy His promise of oneness!
Jesus is the very first person to inherit eternal life, literally never to die again. By calling something the “first”, it holds that more like it will follow. By Christ being the first to receive eternal life, you can be fully confident that you will follow in like manner! Let’s honor Christ with our lives, acknowledging that in giving His first for us, He sets the tone for a life of gratitude, expectation, and eternal hope.
The Feast of Unleavened bread foreshadows the profound influence of Christ, anticipating Jesus’ sacrificial role and the eradication of sin’s influence through His righteousness. By embodying the substance of these ancient shadows, Christ fulfills the Law, transforming the symbolic leaven of sin into the unleavened bread of purity and righteousness. Through His sacrifice, believers are invited to embrace a life devoid of sin’s leaven, standing faultless before God, a testament to the transformative power of Christ’s influence on humanity.
Every shadow from the Feasts of the Lord point to the substance that is Christ, culminating in the ultimate demonstration of God’s grace through the Passover. The blood of Jesus, our Passover Lamb, has not only redeemed us from the bondage of sin and death but has also secured our eternal inheritance. This grace, freely given because of Jesus’ sacrifice, invites us to live in the fullness of God’s love and mercy, celebrating the victory over sin that His blood has achieved for us all.
Book V of the Psalms brings us to the apex of praise, demonstrating to all humanity that God is good and faithful. His power is clearly seen in creation and serves as a reminder that His same power is available to us today in all of life’s moments. As the doxology to the entire book of Psalms announces, “Praise the Lord!”
In Book IV of the Psalms, the faithful are guided from the depths of despair to the heights of joyful adoration. This progression mirrors our own spiritual journeys, reminding us that through every season of sorrow and joy, God’s presence remains a constant source of comfort and strength. As we traverse from lament to praise, we are invited to trust in God’s eternal faithfulness, learning to see beyond our immediate circumstances to the enduring hope found in Christ alone.
Book III of the Psalms reflects a dark and difficult time for Israel. Reading it carefully, we come away with reminders of how hard life can be, even knowing God is on your side. May we always remember the filter of the Cross as we read through the Psalms, relating to their pain, but thankful for God’s permanent presence!
Book II of the Psalms offers us a rich tapestry of emotional experiences, weaving through despair, igniting desire, and culminating in the uplifting embrace of hope. In this journey, we are reminded of the ever-present love of God, even in our most challenging moments. May these timeless words inspire us to always trust God, finding peace and strength in His unchanging grace. Amen and Amen!
The book of Psalms is a brilliant collection of Jewish poetry, worship, lament, and instruction. Strategically gathered and organized over centuries, it gives us incredible insight into a nation’s story of salvation, and the comforting reality of man’s journey with God. As a Christian, enjoy reading the up and downs of the Psalms with the always-present filter of Jesus in mind as you do.
Let’s start the new year off with some much-needed encouragement of Who is with us and in us. Some of us have been beat up over the past year and need a healthy reminder that God is great and His presence is with us always. Receive today’s message as a kickstart to a healthy and joyful year to come!
In concluding yet another year, the mission of this church remains as resolved as ever – to communicate consistently and effectively the true Gospel to the world. We will always preach the result of the Cross, making the stunning announcement to the world that they are no longer dirty and distant, but are now known to God as clean and close!
Christmas reminds us that Jesus came to be a light to this world. As His own family, you are the continuation of that light, bringing hope to the world through your words and deeds. Preach peace through Christ and bring light to a world lost in darkness!
Your faith in what Jesus did, removing all your sin and bringing you into peace with God, is the catalyst for the Godly behavior the world needs to see. Feed your faith by the constant reminder of your redemption and let the resulting life be a great light to the world!
Great faith is not reflected in as a quantity of faith, but rather a quality of faith. Great faith is understanding who Jesus is and embracing the results of His life. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection is the fulfillment of God’s plan to save humanity. Growing in this knowledge is living a life of great faith!
Your faith in what Jesus did is what gains you right-standing with God. Just like Abraham believed, and righteousness was credited, so too we simply believe in Jesus’s work as the Christ, making us perfectly right with the Father. Jesus is the completed will of God for all to receive a full pardon for their sins!
You are a gift to the Body of Christ – as Paul says, “You’ve been given a measure of the faith.” That is, you’ve been given a part to play in the operation of Christ’s body. Jesus is demonstrated through you to the world, so let’s properly represent Him so all can clearly see how much they are loved by God!
In Hebrews 11, Faith is not taught as a tool that believers use to get more stuff. Instead, it is taught as the coming means of righteousness, as demonstrated by the forefathers. The Church must protect the sanctity of the faith, guarding Biblical language that points the world to the only true source of life – Jesus!
The crucifixion of Jesus is the culmination of the will of God in the world. His plan and promise were fulfilled in that moment. Instead of trying to make that better by adding in human traditions, we should do like Paul said and “forget everything” except the brilliance of Jesus’ triumph in bringing God’s life to all!
Jesus accomplished God’s will for your life when He made righteousness available by faith alone. As His child, you are always in His will according to this promise. Instead of guessing and stressing try resting in this truth and enjoy your life, all because of what Jesus did!
Every life is filled with ups and downs. That’s just what Scripture sets us up to expect. The great secret, revealed in the New Covenant, is that God is always with you, even in life’s hardest. We don’t lose heart, knowing that God has something marvelous waiting for us, just on the other side of planet earth!
Because of what Jesus did, every believer has met God’s standard of absolute perfection. You are, therefore, well-pleasing to a holy and awesome God. What a triumph Jesus won at the Cross, bringing the world into union with God by simple faith!
We are instructed to walk by faith and not by sight. That is, we are considered righteous by faith while alive in this body. When we get to heaven, we won’t need faith but will see the result of our righteousness. This is not a suggestion to hold on until things get better. This is an instruction on just how to experience God’s eternal promise – by faith!
Jesus is the life of God. He is the essence and beauty of the Father. And His gift of eternal life is far superior to any threat of death in this natural body. Death isn’t the end for the believer. It’s actually the triumph of life as we enter our eternal promise!
Our blessed hope is the guarantee that one day Jesus will make everything right that is broken in this world. This is our great promise from God and brings us great courage to finish our race on this earth with joy, knowing that such a reward is just beyond this world.
Jesus is the message of eternal life. He is the confession of our hope, by whom the world has received a full pardon from their sins. There is no need to threaten people in an effort to get more love and good works out of them. Instead, preach the Gospel well, and lives will change!
The Holy Spirit is interested in one thing – reminding you of what Jesus accomplished in making you Right with God. As God’s love for you becomes the motivating factor in your daily living, you will find it easier and easier to walk in love with the world around you.
Jesus is the word of God. That is to say, He is the fulfillment of God’s message to the world that salvation was on the way! This New Covenant with God is one of rest and peace, not toil and pain. Because of what Jesus did, we can enjoy every moment of this life, knowing that God is with us!
As believers in the work of Christ, our confidence with God is built on only one thing – the work of Christ. Once the truth of Grace is received, it would be foolish to draw back to the old method of righteousness, which was entirely built on your effort. God’s grace is a miracle that should be celebrated from now to eternity!
God intends that every believer have a full assurance that their faith has received the prize of eternal life! Because of the forever-finished work of Jesus, you can walk boldly as God’s own, knowing that you are His forever-forgiven child!
God made covenant promise to all of mankind, that our sins would be forgiven through the work of the Christ. The oath, the surety, that this would come to pass, was between God and Himself. This is why you should be overwhelmingly confident in the finished work of the Cross!
Our faith in what Jesus did is life’s concertmaster, setting the tone for the rest of our lives to imitate. Strong faith - that is, a firm confidence in what Jesus did in making us righteous, leads to greater kindness, love, and perseverance. Don’t spend your whole life trying to create what God has already given through His Son.
Preaching Christ is more than talking about Jesus’ behaviors and life skills. It’s about declaring the work of the Christ coming to completion, resulting in God’s essence being poured out on the world by faith. Receiving Jesus as the Christ is receiving God’s promise in full!
Preaching Moses places keep Christ hidden from the people. Preaching Christ for righteousness opens hearts to receive the eternal life of the Father. There is simply no room for preaching law once Grace has arrived!
The New Covenant is the mystery that God kept secret from the world. At the perfect moment in history, Jesus came as the Messiah, revealing God’s secret to the world – Grace had come, and with it - perfect peace with God. That is the Gospel and must be preached to the ends of the earth!
Laying up treasures in heaven doesn’t involve collecting certificates redeemable in heaven’s gift shop. Rather, it’s a reminder to set your mind on who Jesus is and what He did. As we keep our mind on Him, we take our mind off of us, allowing Him to freely supply the need in our own lives.
Jesus tells the people not to judge, or they would be judged. If they condemn others, they themselves would be condemned. Refuse to forgive and no forgiveness would be available to them. Understanding grace allows us to do all of these things, extending mercy to the world. Not because we fear the consequences, but because we are happy to extend the same grace that Christ extended to us!
The grace of God has guaranteed that all who believe receive the same level of blessing – eternal life in Christ! When we compare ourselves to others, we inevitably end up in pride, taking credit for some part of our salvation. The truth is quite the opposite – Our salvation is found solely in God’s goodness and mercy!
Good times come. Bad times come. Jesus is the same in both and has promised the same experience in both times – JOY! Find your contentment in what Christ has done in you, and you will find the strength to rejoice in each and every circumstance!
Keep the amazing work of Christ in you as the headline of your thoughts. This is where peace is found, even when the world comes tumbling down around you. Christ Jesus is your righteousness, so take time to meditate on this incredible truth!
Being “anxious for nothing” is not a suggestion to avoid earthly peril. Rather, it’s a reminder to stay focused on what Christ has done in you, creating the only true path to God’s peace. Perils come and go. Christ is the same forever!
Because the believer has been permanently clothed in Christ, there is no need to fear God’s judgment. Jesus is your eternal protection from the death of sin, which is the entire point of the Gospel working in your life.
While the world is desperate for peace and quiet in their souls, peace is the very promise of God fulfilled in Christ for those who believe. Remind yourself about what Jesus did for you at the Cross and stay filled with the essence of His presence in all of life’s moments!
Jesus’ obedience is the weapon of our warfare. He is the method of our salvation. Flesh was never strong enough to gain access to right-standing with God, so the Father gifted it by His grace to anyone who would receive Jesus as the Christ.
The “upward call of God” is what should bring believers joy and hope. What the Apostle Paul speaks of is not the promise of a better human experience, but the guarantee of perfect righteousness rewarded with eternal life. This is the mindset of a mature believer, and this is the invitation of the Gospel.
Like Paul, let’s set our minds to excellence in the pursuit of understanding and demonstrating the Gospel to the world. Be disciplined as believer, ensuring the message of Jesus doesn’t get confused by a lifestyle that doesn’t reflect His love.
Jesus gave His life on a Friday and was raised to life on a Sunday. In this New Covenant, the Church gathers on Sundays – Not because it’s the weekend, but because it’s the day that Jesus came out of the grave. Let every Sunday be a reminder that Jesus lives, bringing us into a brand new covenant where we rest easy knowing we’re right with God because of His work.
The Power of Jesus’ Resurrection is what grants every believer 100% access to all of God’s presence and essence. Jesus did everything needed to empower you to receive every bit of life promised by the Father. Let that be the key to remaining calm through every season that comes your way.
Jesus became poor – an image of Him stepping out of His place of righteousness in heaven and stepping into your place of sin on the Cross. Because of this great exchange, you have been given the wealth of heaven, making you the richest person the world has ever known by heaven’s economy!
Paul considered the sum of his works under the law of Moses as rubbish in making him right with God. Though it brought great gains by man’s praise, it offered absolutely no value in moving the needle of righteousness. All of God’s promises, however, are gained by faith alone in the work of Jesus as the Christ!
Believers are to put no confidence that they are righteous in the flesh. That is to say, don’t ever think that any amount of effort can make you right, or keep you right, with God. It is by faith alone in what Jesus did that you have been made perfect!
The Church should protect and preserve the communication of the true Gospel of Christ. It should fight to ensure a clean and pure worship, pointing people to the eternal life that Jesus gave Himself to provide. Preaching anything inferior to the believer’s perfection is to preach a false gospel, bringing danger to God’s own family.
In the same way that Jesus was sacrificed for the deliverance of the Gospel, Paul’s life was poured out for the sake of proclaiming the Gospel. It’s 2000 years later and the Church still exists to declare the good news to the world – that in Christ you are complete and entire spiritually, lacking nothing!
The Law of Moses introduced an Old Covenant, with a flawed High Priest representing the people. Jesus is our High Priest in this New Covenant, the perfect Man, cleansing us of our sins and presenting us to God as a clean and purified people!
“Light” in the New Testament represents Righteousness. And while God is certainly Light by His very nature, so is the believer! The world’s only view into the life of God in you is how you live your life. It makes sense, then, to show a life of love to everyone around you, demonstrating how great God’s love is to them!
Jesus is the name God gave to the Messiah, making His name higher than any created being in the universe. Knowing His name, and the life that comes with it, is all we need to navigate this imperfect world. It’s because of what Jesus did in making us righteous that we have confidence to work out our salvation!
The real prize in the believer’s life is not how stuff they accumulate. It’s how well you reflected the mind of Christ. How did you show humility and servitude? This is what Christ came to demonstrate and we should gladly carry His legacy of love to the world!
Life isn’t always predictable. Don’t take the pressure of knowing the exact steps to take all along the way. Instead, have dreams, make plans, and regardless of what happens next, enjoy the journey!
Communion is a solemn remembrance of Jesus death. It’s a reminder of the price that was owed by me and paid by Him. It’s a moment to exalt the sacrifice, causing thanksgiving to rise in my heart for what’s been given – the forgiveness of sins!
The birth of Jesus is the first light we have confirming the eternal light of life has arrived from Heaven. Through Christ God brought an end to the first covenant of righteousness by the sacrifice of animals, replacing it with righteousness by the obedience of Christ!
Your old man has died, meaning you took up your cross and followed Jesus to crucifixion. You used to be a slave to sin’s passions and desires. Because you were resurrected with Jesus, you are now alive to God. He is your master, and you live TO righteousness, peace and joy!
This New Covenant brings a promise of oneness with God. Our spirit has been united to His, inseparable and indistinguishable from each other. Because of what Jesus did, you and God have been made one!
Knowing what Jesus has done for you, by His Grace, is the strength you need while going through life. Because of Jesus, you can keep your head up in all of life’s good and bad times - He is your strength!
Your spirit is fully armored in this life. There is no attack that can break through the fortress that God has built around you. Finding fulfillment in what Jesus did IN you will cause what happens AROUND you to pale in comparison.
Jesus places Law and Grace side-by-side quite often. His point is to show the impossibility of righteousness by the flesh, and simultaneously demonstrate the goodness of the New Covenant of righteousness by grace alone.
When the Pharisees reject Jesus as the Christ in Matthew 12, Jesus speaks directly to them, cryptically revealing the evil condition of their hearts reflected in their words. Reading this chapter in context brings much peace to the believer and emphasizes even more just how important Jesus’ mission of salvation was!
Jesus’ work at the Cross was so perfectly executed that the results are a wild success – your spirit is in harmony with the Father! Rejecting your spiritual perfection would be to reject Christ’s perfect work. It’s time to face the music, believer – you’ve been reconciled to God!
The conclusion of your Bible Study should always be that God’s plan of salvation was accomplished because of Jesus. Every good work, every healthy thought, proceeds from that point. Get in the habit of finding the New Covenant as you read Scripture and you’ll find yourself enjoying life all the more!
God doesn’t intend for you to lift a finger to remove sin or maintain right standing with Him. Jesus did all the lifting for you and invites you to enjoy His “yoke” of rest. How much more would you enjoy life if you could take “making God happy” off your list? God is satisfied with Jesus, and God is satisfied with you!
Jesus suggests that you would be better off dead than to convince someone that He isn’t the Christ. This weighty concept should highlight the importance of proper New Covenant teaching, leaving out any and all references to Moses as a means to righteousness.
The Church is responsible for preserving the Gospel, accurately and passionately declaring that God’s method of righteousness is no longer tied to your behavior. There was a massive update at the Cross, introducing the world to a new method of righteousness by faith. Don’t corrupt or pervert this truth by adding human traditions to it. Grace can stand on its own!
The most extravagant gift in the universe has been given to you. The logical response of our lives is to worship the God that chose to freely pardon us from our sin. What’s left to do once your sin has been removed? Do was Jesus said, and “Go in Peace”!
TRUE Worship is not a choreographed dance or hand motion during the music portion of a Sunday morning. TRUE Worship speaks to the profound revelation that Jesus is the fulfillment of all God has promised. When Jesus is preached well, the hearer should be overwhelmed with wonder at just how good God is.
Pastors are to preach the word to the church, reminding and encouraging believers that Jesus is more than enough to bring life, peace, and fulfillment. Preaching the Gospel is far more than a speech or story about how to improve a little here and there. It’s the overwhelming acknowledgment that God has overloaded me with His favor and love through what Jesus did!
The Gospel is the stunning announcement that Jesus did all the work that God’s righteousness demanded and offers the reward of eternal life to you, merely by believing that He is indeed the Christ. This should be shocking and disturbing to your flesh, while bringing absolute freedom to your spirit.
When Moses is preached, people remain blind to the beauty of Grace. When Jesus is preached as our means to righteousness, people are invited to repent, change how they think about God and enjoy the free gift of life!
The Gospel is uncovered as Jesus’ perfect work is preached. Preaching Moses and the works of the Law for righteousness, however, keeps the hearer in the dark. The church is here to turn on the lights, preaching Christ to the world as God’s final solution to sin!
Faith that you’re right with God comes by hearing someone preach about the finished work of the Cross. This is why teachers must not get the Gospel wrong! Jesus, in fact, is the chief cornerstone by which the entire New Covenant is understood and received.
Jesus met all the stringent requirements of the Law, doing what only a professional could do. In other words, Jesus Nailed It! His life in you makes you an invaluable masterpiece, worth more than you could ever imagine!
God implemented the Feasts of the Lord over 1,500 years before Jesus would come. He hid in plain sight the solution to the world’s problem of a sin nature. The plan was never to remove sin by the blood of earthly bulls and goats. Only the blood of Heaven’s own Lamb could and did eternally make you righteous!
Healthy expectations are crucial to navigating life. It you know what’s in front of you there is a much better chance that you won’t be caught off guard. When it comes to what was accomplished on the Cross, we won Heaven. Let THAT be what your joy is set on – not something here on the earth.
By “overcoming the world” Jesus has guaranteed us His constant presence. Set your mind on the promise of this New Covenant and enjoy the peace that is rightfully yours in Christ!
Life comes at us hard and fast. This outward experience of life can be filled with massive ups and downs. Which is precisely why our great hope is not built on what the planet can offer us. Instead, we set our hope on the immutable and unchangeable plan of God to bless us entirely in the life to come.
The nature of God’s throne is grace and mercy. And with Jesus as our High Priest and representative, we are as sinless as He is in our spirits. This gives us absolute access to the throne of grace, where we find help in our time of need!
Jesus is our great High Priest, about whom we make our Great Confession – that we have been made righteous by our faith in the work that He has done. This is what churches should be rallying around, not allowing our gaze to be distracted from the miracle of this New Covenant!
Jesus is our Rest. There is no work required to maintain your righteousness. Don’t get me wrong – there was a massive and impossible amount of work needed to get you there, but Jesus did all the work for you. Your job is to REST!
The New Covenant we have with God through Christ makes it abundantly clear that we are fully forgiven of all our sins. Because the NOUN of sin has been resolved, the VERB of sin can no longer keep us from God’s perfect presence. Armed with this beautiful revelation, you can sit confidently in His presence, not because you get to sin, but because you are overwhelmed by His love.
Because the Cross worked, Jesus never has to die again. There are no more sacrifices needed for the forgiveness of sins. There is not another temple to be built or an altar to be used trying to cover sin. God ensures us that the blood of the Lamb of God would forever bring life to anyone who receives this debt payment as their own.
For centuries sins were only covered by the annual sacrifice of animals, serving as a type of better things to come. Jesus, the substance, died for the full-forgiveness of humanity once for all time! Receive the gift by faith and enjoy your constant right-standing with God.
It drove the self-righteous Pharisees mad when Jesus spent time with “sinners.” Their false traditions taught that to remain clean you must separate yourself from the unclean. Under their Old Covenant the clean were defiled by the dirty. Yet in this New Covenant the clean (Jesus) now justifies the unclean!
While the Law of Moses drives you out, the Grace of God draws you in. Preach the Law and people are sure to feel inadequate and unwanted. Preach the Grace of God and they will assuredly experience the overwhelming goodness and love of the Father!
The Bible points us to 2 methods for obtaining righteousness. The Old Method (Law) was measured entirely on your ability to keep the Law. Fail in one point and you’re still stuck in unrighteousness. The New Method (Grace) calls you completely right with God based solely on the work of Jesus. I choose Grace!
In the same way that you don’t keep paying your mortgage once it’s paid off, there is no more offering for sin once the debt has been settled. That is precisely what Jesus accomplished on the Cross, and it’s entirely what the Church should be declaring to the world!
The Resurrection is your proof of purchase, reminding you that your salvation is complete! It’s God’s exclamation point on the New Covenant, bringing humanity from a place of being spiritually poor to a position of being spiritually rich.
The great truth of the New Covenant is that you are God are counted as One being, because of what Jesus did. Jesus emphasizes the importance of this when He prayed for you. Life has plenty of ups and downs, and none of them prove whether God is good. What is proof, however, is knowing that your spirit has been perfected forever!
In 1st Century Ephesus, there seem to have been several women seizing authority to teach in the Church, without first qualifying. Paul’s instruction to the young Pastor, Timothy, is not a permanent restriction on women teaching men in the Church, but a temporary silence of some until they learn how to better teach the faith
The role of women in the church has been argued for two thousand years, and it doesn’t appear to be letting up. Missing the mark on this conversation could potential silence ½ of the world’s spiritual communicators. The conclusion I have thoughtfully come to from my study is that women have been given the same ministry opportunities as a man.
The greatest experience that the uninformed or unbelievers (see notes for definitions) can draw from visiting the church is to hear a succinct communication about who Jesus is as the Christ. In fact, the measure of whether God is even among a church is based on Jesus being clearly proclaimed.
Paul’s deep concern for the spiritual communicators in Corinth was that they brought clarity to the work of Christ. And while using the gift of tongues to communicate was quite popular in Corinth, it was never to be used without an interpretation. Why? Because the gift was intended to bring life and freedom to the church as they heard the Gospel preached in their own language. Communicating in tongues, without an immediate interpretation, was as bad as preaching to the air.
Prophecy, the clear communication of who Jesus is and what He’s done, is the result of speaking in tongues with an interpretation. The point of 1 Corinthians 14 is not for more people to speak in tongues. Rather, it’s to make sure, beyond any other intention, that Jesus is well communicated to the Church. May the Church excel at declaring the mighty works of God to the world!
Love will never cease. It has use in this life and the life to come. Faith and hope will one day expire. As the body of Christ grows in the revelation of our perfected nature, the love of God will naturally and logically be reflected in our relationships with each other.
Paul opens 1 Corinthians 13 using hyperbole, a common Hebrew communication tool intended to draw your attention to a specific point. Keeping this common writing style in mind will free you from trying to keep impossible standards and instead enjoy the profound points being made by Jesus and His followers that bring life to the hearer.
The Body of Christ is one body, made up of many members. No gift, or member, of the body is better than another. In fact, every single member is designed to assist every other member. In Christ, you have nothing to prove. Be the best version of yourself and your gift will be evident to all. The immature works hard to prove they are gifted. The mature proves they are gifted by working hard.
It’s not “doing the gifts” that saves you or proves that you’re saved. These gifts are intended to demonstrate and clarify the essence of the Father, as seen in Jesus. As the Church consistently and relentlessly teaches who we are because of Christ, we will no longer struggle with finding our gift. Rather, we’ll enjoy the best parts of ourselves being the gift.
The list of gifts from the Holy Spirit is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but rather a list of examples – ways in which we communicate Jesus as the Christ to the church and the world. Instead of adding pressure for believers to identify their gifts we should maximize their awareness of the Christ in them. Growing in your identity in Christ will always result in clearer reflection of Him in your everyday lifestyle.
Having the “mind of Christ” doesn’t mean you think thoughts like Jesus thinks. Nor does it mean your memory is better than average. Instead, it’s Paul saying that the mystery of Christ has been made known to the Apostles, who can now teach all believers just how marvelous this new covenant is!
The revelation of God’s mystery, kept secret since the dawn of time, does not result in greater physical or temporal knowledge. Instead, His mystery is revealed in the crucified Christ. Through the NT epistles we come to find that the mystery of God is explained by the profound plan to save not just Israel, but the entire world from sin!
In this New Covenant, God’s power is demonstrated in the death of the Christ. This is an utter contradiction to how humanity would expect triumph to come, and entirely supports God’s plan for salvation to come by faith alone, with no credit given to the flesh.
Jesus is the wisdom of God in the flesh. God’s plan of salvation culminated with the death of Jesus, bringing to fruition the world’s long-awaited salvation through the Christ. The world considers death a foolish strategy when promising life. Yet God chose something so foolish that righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness could only be received by faith.
God has entrusted the communication of His precious Gospel to the mouths of humans. In turn, He insists that ministers get the new covenant message right. Instead of bringing a diet of “wood, hay, and straw” (traditions of men), we must be preaching “gold, silver, and marble,” declaring the pure and undefiled heart inherited by the believer because of the work of Jesus as the Christ.
Throughout the Old Testament God promised a Messiah, who would bring an end to the devastating effect of sin. Jesus is the fulfilment of that promise. Receiving Jesus as the Christ is drinking in the rain from heaven, bringing eternal life. Rejecting Jesus as the Christ bears nothing but the fruit of eternal death. Let’s drink the rain!
Jesus is the solution to the mystery of God’s plan of salvation. The symbols hidden in the Old Testament about the Christ are revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus, proving Him to be the Christ. A diet of Milk is for those not yet convinced that Jesus is the Christ. The believer, however, should enjoy Solid Food, resting in the reward of righteousness - Granted entirely on the merits of Jesus, not you!
The Gifts of the Spirit are not simply a list of goals that believers should try demonstrating for 60-120 minutes on a Sunday morning. Instead, they are the steady and consistent output through those who know what God has done in them. As the Church grows more confident in who Christ is in them, the result is an equipped Church, genuinely representing Jesus to the world.
If you add up all the gifts of the Spirit, the sum will always equal “Jesus being lifted up.” This is the ultimate message of every church service and should be the highest purpose for believers to gather!
The gifts of the Spirit communicate the profound and unheard-of truth of Christ to the church. Each gift constantly speaks to the marvelous works of God completed by Jesus. They strengthen our common faith in who Jesus is, and embolden us to live life to the fullest.
When the gifts from the Holy Spirit are seen in the Church, the result will be a clearer understanding of who Jesus is. Ultimately, these gifts show the character of God and point people towards the ultimate conclusion that a New Covenant has arrived, replacing the death with life, and sin with righteousness.
You have been given “a measure of faith” – that is to say, a part to play in the body of Christ. It’s a marvelous honor and sobering thought that God trusts us to communicate His Gospel to the world. Let’s do it with diligence and unmistakable clarity!
What an unusual covenant we have with God since the Cross. Instead of measuring righteousness by man’s effort, as in Moses’ day, we are now measured by Jesus’ effort. Instead of condemning mankind for their lack of perfection, we are rewarded for Christ’s own perfection. This momentous truth is precisely what motivates us to reflect outwardly what has been completed inwardly.
The Holy Spirit is in you as a constant reminder that your spirit is perfect. At the same time, Jesus is in heaven as a reminder that the work of perfection has been accepted and finished. Both work together in unison to bring God’s glory to every moment of your life!
Creation is not fixed. This planet and our bodies are still subject to Adam’s fall. Outwardly, we’re all a work in progress. But the story doesn’t end there. We have great hope within us, knowing this - It won’t be long before the wonderful salvation promised by God shows up all around us!
The result of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice wasn’t just to get you a bit closer to God. It was to thrust you into His presence forevermore. God’s promise to the world, sealed by His oath to Himself, is that you are perfected right alongside Jesus, by faith alone!
Hebrews 7 lays out the clear comparison of a Levitical Priesthood, overseen by men who die, with the Priesthood of Jesus, the man who will never die. With the change of priests comes the change of law, and thus we are still enjoying the new covenant, built on the law of Grace and Mercy!
In the Biblical account of God’s covenant with Abraham, we see plainly what our New Covenant looks like. Ours is not a covenant of man’s effort to reach higher and higher, hoping to one day be counted as worthy of some prize. Instead, our covenant is simply received by faith, bringing the weight of heaven’s blessing with it!
When the Gospel is preached well it should leave the hearer in awe of what God did. There is nothing relatable or logical about what God accomplished in Christ. Because of Jesus the pure and perfect life of God lives in the very heart of every believer!
Just the mention of Judgment Day invokes extreme emotions of all sorts. “Did I do a sufficient amount to be accepted? Was I good enough?” The amazing news of the Gospel is that our entrance into heaven is not based on the scale of our good deeds. Rather, we are promised eternal life because Jesus “done good” in our place and gave us the reward!
The Apostle Peter paints a clear picture of why a believer sometimes lacks virtue, kindness, love, and the like. And the prescription has nothing to do with changing their behavior. Instead of pressuring people to act better or do better, Peter chooses to remind us of our total forgiveness as a motivator to good works!
God’s method of the forgiveness of sins has never been a mystery. For over 1,500 years God demonstrated the need for blood as the only way to remove sin. In preaching the true Gospel we should make it crystal clear that Jesus is the substance of all that was foreshadowed. He is the completed will of God for all to receive a full pardon for their sins!
It was Jesus’ obedience to the Cross that won you entire peace and eternal liberty. While your spirit has been made completely whole and lacking nothing, we will spend the rest of our lives wrapping our minds around the truth of what Christ did for us.
The astounding truth of the New Covenant is that every believer receives their full righteousness as a gift from the Spirit, not as a reward for good behavior. Growing in this gift of grace is critical to enjoying a life of rest and peace with God. Let’s never stop talking about it!
The Law of Moses was powerless to remove sin. Quite the opposite, the Law served as a reminder of your constant missteps and need for cleansing. Which is why Paul refers to it as the “Law of Sin and Death.” Thankfully, a New Covenant was made, based 100% on a gift from the Holy Spirit, with no background check needed to qualify, all because of what Jesus did!
Trusting in yourself for salvation leaves you bankrupt and alone. Trusting in what Jesus did in removing forever the debt of sin leaves you wealthy and in perfect harmony with the Father. There is no middle ground here. Stop trying to earn through effort what God freely gave away – His life!
The Apostle Paul writes that the Gospel is the power of God for salvation. It would benefit us, therefore, to know exactly what’s under the hood. Teach the Gospel inaccurately and people will reject the lacking power. Teach the Gospel correctly, however, and the world will be drawn to the overpowered truth of the good news!
The Old and New Covenants are not complimentary to one another. Rather, they are contradictions. The Old Covenant is demanding and exacting, while the New Covenant is restful and refreshing. Stay in the New Covenant of Grace and enjoy a lifetime of peace with God.
While the Law of Moses drives you out, the Grace of God draws you in. Preach the Law and people are sure to feel inadequate and unwanted. Preach the Grace of God and they will assuredly experience the overwhelming goodness and love of the Father!
The Law of Moses and the Grace of God are not in competition with one another. When Grace and Truth came through Christ, the Law became Obsolete. If you want to truly see people free in their celebration of the New Covenant give them only Jesus - Because Grace stands alone!
The entire counsel of God is not found in a library of books or in universities around the world. The entire counsel, or will, of God is found in the accomplished work of His Son, Jesus! To make it more complicated than that is to diminish the exceedingly marvelous gift of salvation that comes by faith alone.
Throughout the New Testament, God ensures that the security of the believer is clearly and consistently communicated. When you know your house is armed, you sleep well at night. And when you realize that the Father has promised you eternal life because of what Jesus did, you rest well in this life.
As a sincere and devout believer in Christ, can you imagine uttering the words, “Christ died for nothing.”? Yet, there is a scenario that plays out in believers lives all over the world where this phrase becomes a reality – when we attempt to remain justified by our own efforts.
The Gospel is no more complicated than a blank piece of unfolded paper. There are no creases or folds to memorize, and there are no complicated instructions. When layers of complexity are added to the work that Jesus accomplished, people lose their peace with God. Let’s unfold the Gospel and show the world just how accessible the Father really is!
One sin in the Garden and a new nature was introduced to humanity – the nature of sin. One sacrifice on the Cross and yet again a new nature was introduced to the world – a righteous nature. The world is desperately waiting to hear that the fight for righteousness has been won. Let’s tell them that Jesus did it!
In Jesus’ ministry before the Cross, He always taught the Jews using parables. In these stories Jesus cleverly disguised the New Covenant, with the expectation that their true meaning would be perfectly clear after the Resurrection. Today the Church has the profound privilege of bringing crystal clear clarity to what Jesus really did for the world.
The manna in the wilderness is symbolic of one thing – God’s provision of the Christ to come, bringing heaven’s life with Him. Jesus is heaven’s bread, bringing complete and entire life to the world, with not one iota of man’s strength required.
Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise for a solution to sin. He did it! It’s finished! When reading your Bible, don’t look for more ways to complete the completed work. Find Jesus in the Scriptures and marvel at God’s brilliance and grace to have provided so fully for the world!
Jesus is the light to the world. Preaching Christ brings illumination, while preaching Moses keeps the eyes of the unbelieving blinded. This is the time for the Church to take the blinders off the world by proclaiming the insanely good news of the one true Gospel!
The great Mystery of God, hidden from the beginning of time, has been revealed to the world. Namely, a new covenant was established with humanity whereby the Christ, the anointed One, would dwell fully in every person that placed their trust in righteousness by faith.
Obeying God is not about developing a particular habit or two. Under the Old Covenant, obedience was a matter of doing the work. Under this New Covenant obedience is a matter of believing that the work has been done! Obedience doesn’t involve toil. It involves trust!
When a relationship involves true love, there is no limit to what you will endure to protect the other. Jesus endured the agony of becoming sin on the cross so that He might protect you from the eternal pain that sin demanded. That’s how valuable you are to Him!
Christ is not Jesus’ last name. It is a title given to the One who would save the world from its sin. Jesus was killed, not just as a good and honorable man – He was crucified as the Anointed One from heaven. And now God speaks exclusively to the world about what Jesus did.
God told Moses to assign 6 “cities of refuge” as a hiding place for those who unintentionally killed someone. As long as the killer was in the city walls, the blood avenger could not hurt them as an act of revenge. This is, of course, a type of Jesus, our true refuge! Under the New Covenant Jesus gives us shelter when we deserved judgment. And this hope is the anchor of our souls that can never be moved!
When it comes to sin, God calls you, “Blameless!” Jesus is the substitute, and all of sin’s judgment fell on Him on the cross. Instead of spending the rest of your days begging God for scraps, the Holy Spirit is reminding you that you’re enjoying a great feast in the presence of the Father!
The New Covenant offers a much better hope than the old one. Under the Old Covenant you were able to draw near to God only on the basis of your hard and relentless effort. This was never-ending, and it was certainly never enough. The New Covenant, however, brings you near to God based on Jesus’ work, guaranteeing you effortless and eternal communion with the Father. That’s the mind-blowing truth of the Gospel!
The Old Covenant was given from heaven, by God, to a man – Moses. The New Covenant, however, wasn’t just handed down. It arrived on earth as God the Son, in the flesh. Because of grace we are no longer bound to work toward righteousness by self-effort. Instead, we enjoy the everlasting freedom of perfect righteousness by faith in Jesus!
The Old Covenant was intensely complex. It gave plenty of steps toward God but offered no actual life in return. The New Covenant, in contrast, is as simple as one step – believing! Keep all the steps under the Old and you still leave lifeless. Receive righteousness by faith under the New and the entirety of God’s own life fills your spirit!
The Law of Moses was a hired hand, intended to last only until the work of the cross was finished. Once the debt of sin was paid the law dropped us off at our destination of righteousness. There are no more steps or hurdles for you to jump through in the hopes of pleasing God. You are now perfectly pleasing to Him simply by faith in what Jesus did in your place!
Warning signs are posted to make you aware of impending danger. When Paul speaks of “upholding the law,” he’s not inviting the believer to live according to the law. Rather, he’s lifting the law its necessary height of impossible, giving the believer all the more reason to rejoice in the gift of grace!
You get no credit for your righteousness. Jesus alone was able to apprehend heaven’s reward. And because of God’s great love He took the reward that Jesus earned and gave it to you, requiring only that you believe that Jesus is enough to make you holy and righteous. Now there is no pressure to perform for God, leaving me with a heart that is in love and at rest.
It is natural to show only your best side to people around you. We hide our faults, hoping people won’t hold them against us. Yet your righteousness is not established by your personal highlight reel, which even in your best moments, is never going to be good enough. Instead, we remember Jesus’ obedience as the only work strong enough to achieve the impossible – right-standing with God.
The Gospel boldly declares that righteousness is received by only one method – Faith. Obeying the Gospel is not a matter of a physical response to your faith. It’s a matter of believing that what Jesus did was entirely adequate in making you right with God. Adding a required physical response to the believer washes out the brilliance of God’s love and places heavy burdens on the shoulders of the very ones to whom the gospel was given.
The word of faith is the communication that you are made righteous by faith in what JESUS has done, not by confidence in what YOU have done. Putting confidence in the flesh for right-standing leads to a tired and unfulfilled life. Putting confidence in the Spirit brings life and peace!
The New Covenant we have with God is so much better than anything we could imagine. In fact, It is unheard of! It’s so much better than you think. It’s so much higher than you dreamed. Let go of the self-effort bondage Moses gave and dive head-first into the liberty that Jesus brought – perfect righteousness by faith alone!
Believer, you are pleasing to God. Doubting this in any way can only be attributed to the tragic misrepresentation of the true Gospel. By placing your trust in Jesus to make you perfectly righteous and absolutely holy you have met God’s exacting requirements for perfection! Now you can finally cease from the vain pursuit of righteousness by the flesh, and instead enjoy the reward of righteousness by faith!
When you are convinced that you abide in Christ forever, no fear can creep in and make you feel distant ever again. The Cross should be the ultimate assurance to the believer that nothing can ever undo what God has done in Christ, reconciling you to Himself!
In Romans 7, Paul uses the Jewish marriage laws to explain a crucial point regarding salvation - You cannot be married to Moses and Jesus at the same time. The death of Christ represents your death from your first spouse (Moses), releasing you into a new covenant with your new spouse, Jesus!
At the Cross God declares, “Out with the Old, In with the New.” The old method of righteousness has expired – a method of man’s efforts, marred by failure after failure, resulting in death. The new method of righteousness has arrived – one of perfect brilliance, pristine and faultless, achieved by Jesus and received by you!
When you were born again God made you a new container for His glory, His essence, His presence. The old container of the Flesh is incompatible with heaven’s perfection, so God changed your nature. The new creation is now perfectly compatible with God’s own nature so that your spirit is the exact image of the Father!
Jesus changed humanity’s method of righteousness. Before the Cross you were righteous by works of the flesh, which no one could ever maintain. No one. After the Cross this method became obsolete, having been upgraded to the method of faith. Stop going back to your old flame of Moses when Jesus is all you need for right standing with God!
When you were born again you received a heart-transplant. God removed your heart of stone and replaced it with his very own. Is this real to you yet? Because of the Cross, your heart is perfect and blameless, without one single blemish! Aligning your belief to the pure Gospel will always lead to a natural expression of thanksgiving.
In Matthew 6 Jesus continues to emphasize to the Jewish crowd that merely DOING the law of Moses isn’t enough. You must also WANT TO do it from you heart. In The Lord’s Prayer Jesus points out the “things” that are lacking in the Old Covenant, but that are fully supplied in the New. Instead of a life of empty prayers, the Church should be declaring that the promise of life has been fulfilled!
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus brings the badly misunderstood Law of Moses back to its pristine status of impossibly perfect. Under the Old Covenant, “righteousness credits” cannot be earned by simply DOING the law – He now adds that the HEART must be equally driven to obey, putting the proverbial nail in the coffin to righteousness by works. I am so thankful that at the Cross Jesus fulfilled the purpose for which the law was given, giving us the reward of righteousness by faith alone!
The process of progress is evident in all areas of life. It takes time to fix your hair. Getting your education takes years. No one grows into their adult body overnight. And yet, when it comes to completing the greatest process of all, becoming perfectly right with God, Jesus did the work for you. There is no growing more like God in your spirit through a series of steps. When you’re in Christ you skip to the end of the process, receiving a new identity that is completely forgiven and perfectly righteous!
Jesus was the greatest Law Preacher in history. His message in the Sermon on the Mount brought the law of Moses to it’s God-intended height of impossible perfection. While the Law of Moses pronounced the sinner guilty and deserving of death, Grace says that there is no condemnation, empowering the believer to live!
The Sermon on the Mount is not a reservoir of wisdom for the new covenant believer. Instead, it is a red-hot fire intended to clearly display God’s impossibly high standards of perfection. As the beneficiary of a new and better covenant we should find comfort in the words of Matthew 5 – not because we must keep them, but because Jesus removed the threat involved in not keeping them perfectly!
Jesus gives the rich young ruler instructions to follow on the path to perfection. If you miss the audience in this instruction you risk going through life under bondage to the law. Understanding the vast difference between the old covenant and the new covenant is paramount to actually enjoying your salvation. Sometimes Jesus was perfecting Moses while other times He was rolling out grace. Reading Scriptures from beyond the Cross makes all the difference in the freedom you experience in Christ!
When Jesus made you righteous, it wasn’t a little bit at a time. He’s not making subtle tweaks to your heart in a long-term effort to make you better. No! God exchanged your dead heart for His very own heart in an instant. That’s the wildly illogical reality that every believer can celebrate right now!
Right standing with God is unattainable if the method of achievement is measured by what YOU have done. Amazingly, Jesus died for all mankind, bringing all to the finish line ribbon. When you choose HIS life as the method of your righteousness, you have just broken the ribbon and are awarding the grand prize of Righteousness!
The declaration of what Jesus did is the very fragrance of heaven. Just like diffusing aromatherapy in your home creates an atmosphere of peace and rest, remembering what Christ accomplished for you on the Cross (heaven’s aroma) brings life and healing!
When God gives His blessing of eternal life there are no take-backs! When you received the reward of righteousness you were blessed with every spiritual blessing that heaven has, forever to enjoy the green pastures of true life. Jesus’ great gift of righteousness is now the only identity that your spirit can relate to.
The extravagant gift of Christ has guaranteed for the believer an eternity of freedom! There should be no doubt that you are free from the condemnation of sin, with only the life of God to look forward to. Invest in this gift of His grace and enjoy a never-ending return on your investment of eternal life!
Jesus is not the goal for the believer. He is the gift! When the gift of perfect righteousness is received and enjoyed, life’s goals become a logical expression of the truth of who God is in you! Have you believed in what Jesus did to make you righteous? Then you can confidently KNOW that every ounce of life that He has now lives in you!
Under the law of Moses there were hundreds of statutes and points that kept behavior in check. Fall short in any point (sin) and the entire law came crumbling down, proving your inability to obtain righteousness. In Christ, however, all these points are removed. Because of what Jesus did, we are free to enjoy perfect standing with God, with absolute confidence that nothing can ever separate us!
Born under the Law (Code) of Moses, Jesus meticulously navigated its impossible demands for perfection. The result of His work is a new Code declaring that you have been adopted into the Father’s house. You are no longer considered merely a servant or a slave but are boldly called His very own child!
God’s old assignment for righteousness, given to Moses, required perfect adherence by the flesh. Miss any part or the assignment and your grade of 0% was the reward. At the Resurrection, however, a new assignment was given. This assignment was not to be completed by the flesh, but by the Spirit. And now we enjoy the grade of 100% righteousness for all eternity by the simple application of faith in what Jesus did for the world – removing sins and imparting right-standing to all who simply believe!
Before time began God developed a plan to rescue mankind from the grips of sin. His plan was fully executed at the Cross, when the enemy of sin died with Jesus. The result of this triumph was seen 3 days later, when Jesus was raised from the dead, leaving sin behind and bringing with Him life and peace for the entire world!
Right-standing with God has always been rewarded based on a Pass/Fail grading system. Under the Law of Moses, your Righteousness Rank was determined based on your perfect performance. Under Grace your Rank is measured by Jesus’ perfect performance. It’s time for the global church to agree with heaven and enjoy your Perfect Score of perfect peace with God!
The sound of the law is like an angry dog - scary and vicious. The sound of grace is just the opposite. It’s warm and inviting, irresistible to the thirsty soul. Let’s choose the freedom that comes from knowing the TRUE nature of the Father!
Under the Old Covenant there was an intricate process for righteousness. It was a complicated recipe that required stringent and obsessive oversight. Then Jesus came and made the way narrow and straight, light and easy – only Believe and you are made perfect and complete in God’s sight. Now that’s wildly unreasonable and illogical. Now that’s the Gospel!
The message of the Cross should be filled with sounds too extravagant to be comprehended by natural man. A “relatable” gospel is no gospel at all. In fact, what God did for mankind is wildly irrational and unreasonable!
Because of the constant opposition facing our liberty in Christ, the truth of the Gospel must be defended. No place should be given to any version of the gospel that robs the hearer of its exquisite and unflawed beauty.
An accurate communication of the Gospel is crucial to the hearers’ experience of freedom. Mix in a little self-righteousness and you have perverted the most beautiful truth in the universe. When the Gospel remains pure and undefiled, however, the hearer is free to bask in the endless oceans of God’s undefiled love.
God’s promise of righteousness-by-faith is not based on your oath to Him, but on His oath to Himself. And since He can never change you should have great confidence that what He promised is a sure thing. Just like Abram slept through the covenant ceremony, you can expect the same rest when receiving the promise of right-standing!
God has never kept Jesus a secret. In fact, all of Scripture points us towards the guaranteed arrival of a Messiah who would bring with Him all the wealth of heaven. The Gospel is the declaration that heaven has arrived and He brings righteousness as your reward!
In the Gospels we find Moses and Jesus colliding again and again. While Jesus is tasked with bringing the Law to its proper standard of perfection, He can’t help but leak grace to sinners. Under the New Covenant Grace is no longer just being Leaked out. It’s being Poured out!
When you’re under the Yoke of the Law your right standing with God is based purely on YOU. This load is heavy and burdensome. When you’re attached to the Yoke of Jesus (Grace) there is no effort required at all for you to enjoy the splendor of His love. If you’ve chosen Christ then don’t wait another moment to enjoy His light and easy yoke.
God doesn’t intend for you to lift a finger to remove sin or maintain right standing with Him. Jesus did all of the lifting for you and invites you to enjoy His “yoke” of rest. How much more would you enjoy life if you could take “making God happy” off your list? God is satisfied with Jesus, and God is satisfied with you!
Knowing your identity as a believer in Christ is critical to enjoying a fulfilled life on earth. You and God are ONE, united by the Spirit. So, the next time life seems to be working against you, take a moment and count to one – reminding yourself of your harmony with Christ. It’s here that you find the strength to thrive regardless of the circumstances!
Inward transformation which has already occurred in our spirit produces outward manifestation. Move from self-occupation and sin-consciousness to Jesus-consciousness!
What an amazing God, who would showcase the infinite power of the Gospel through the foolishness of faith. God is not holding His grace hostage to your human behavior. Rather, He has lavished His love on those that the world would deem weak and despised!
The last decade has certainly been an adventure. This list is a summary of my personal takeaways and lessons from life’s ups and downs. The bottom lines, as always, is that God is Good no matter what!
Avoid the pitfall that says you’re not perfect enough for God to love you. It’s quite the opposite – because He loves you, you have been made perfect by faith in what Jesus did for the world.
The Feast of Pentecost is the official kickoff of God’s greatest season of harvest – that’s this era of Grace! Every believer is now completed in Christ, having received the promise of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost has come, so let’s celebrate the Inauguration of Grace!
Jesus is the very first person to inherit eternal life, literally never to die again. By calling something the “first”, it holds that more like it will follow. So, by Christ being the first to receive eternal life you can be absolutely confident that you will follow in like manner!
Jesus removed the influence of sin in the life of the believer. Living the unleavened life is realizing that you have been freed from the influence of sin forever, being made right with God by Jesus’ ultimate act of love. Recalling the monumental ransom that was paid for you is all the reminder you should need to offer your life as a constant reflection of thankfulness!
God didn’t leave any detail out of His plan for redemption. Before time began the planning of redemption was underway and Jesus played His role perfectly, making it our logical expression to worship God with our very lives!
Healthy expectations are crucial to navigating life. If you know what’s in front of you there is a much better chance that you won’t be caught off guard. When it comes to what was accomplished on the Cross, we won Heaven. Let THAT be what your joy is set on – not something here on the earth.
If the gospel is presented correctly it should create the same sense of shock that a surprise party would. God revealed his long-planned surprise at the Resurrection of Christ, removing every possible barrier between you and Himself. That is THE celebration of the ages!
God’s reaction to sin is wrath – complete and eternal judgment. And incredibly this wrath was poured out on Christ on the cross! Jesus died to cancel the effect of sin on the human heart, removing the virus of death and imputing the very life of God in its place. Sin has been put away and replaced by life!
The Old Covenant was an incredibly intricate and complex labyrinth of commands meant to frustrate the followers of the law. Under the New Covenant all of God’s requirements for right standing are now summarized in the profound simplicity of faith in Jesus. Jesus is God’s bottom line!
What Jesus won on the Cross wasn’t just your ticket to heaven. He fought eternal spiritual death and He won on your behalf! That victory is now yours to claim by faith alone, with no credit offered to the believer. Jesus killed death and then raised us to life!
God wants you to be fully aware of the permanent upgrade your spirit received when you were born-again. While this upgrade is clear to your heart, your head spends its entire life growing into the reality that you are now a perfect reflection of God’s own glory.
Because of God’s great love for us He gave away His identity, hiding it in the heart of all believers. Under the Old Covenant the only way to experience God was from the outside. Under the New Covenant God has planted His own glory in you to shine anywhere and everywhere you go!
It’s understandable for humans to be drawn to a set of rules as a means to please God. It takes guts to believe that the universe’s most precious prize, right-standing with God, now comes as a gift – Not to be earned by rule-keeping, but to be received by faith in what Jesus did. Don’t be hard-headed, rejecting the Gospel. Choose God’s righteousness and rest in this amazing New Covenant!
Trusting in the gospel should be a constant experience in your human life. There is so much encouragement to be found in the amazing truth of Grace, which demonstrated how insanely valuable you are to God. Don’t just listen to the Gospel. Act like it’s true – making you holy, righteous, and blameless in God’s eyes!
You may not always see circumstances turn out the way you want. So what? You will have plenty of chances to be discouraged based on what circumstances you face next. That’s why Scripture encourages us to keep our eyes on what Jesus has done for us, preparing a place that we’ll get to enjoy for all eternity!
The law of Moses was fine-tuned to perfection. Every jot and tittle, from the smallest letter to the smallest stroke of that letter, was flawlessly crafted and was to be honored as such by perfect adherence. The pressure and impossibility of keeping up the pace of perfection is what makes God’s gift of grace so extravagant – By faith in what Jesus did you are considered righteous, without any consideration of your law-keeping ability!
The Spirit of Christ Himself has taken up residence in your spirit. You are His home! Jesus is not a renter who might abandon you one day – He’s a permanent resident, promising to never take His presence from you.
Jesus is so much greater than the Law! God’s standard of perfection is demonstrated in both Christ and Moses – Choose Christ and righteousness comes as a free gift. Choose Moses and you have to work for the reward, which by the way, is unattainable. Look to Jesus as the daily reminder that you and God are united forever, not hinging on your best effort, but reliant on Jesus’ finished work.
The law was given by God to Moses through angels. Grace came through Jesus, bringing a much greater covenant based on faith in your heart, not works in your flesh. You are every bit as righteous as God is at this very moment! Take time to celebrate that today!
To continue in grace and faith is to continue in Jesus and the finished work of the Cross. There’s no reason for a believer to walk around insecure regarding their salvation. Hold tight to your position as a part of God’s very house and enjoy the priceless gift of eternal security!
You are not inching your way towards God. It’s not 1 step forward and 2 steps back. You are immersed in Him, baptized into Christ, where there is never a possibility of separation. You are always righteous and living in the light because you and God are one spirit! Be bold in this truth and live like you and God are One, because you are.
Once you embrace the extravagance of God’s grace it will impact how you read your Bible. Instead of seeing judgment and punishment in your future you will see hope and eternal life. His Grace moves you from fear of being cut off to confidence of being lifted up.
You should read your Bible with boldness, not just looking for verses to quote when life gets hard but looking for reminders of the eternally valuable gift that God gave you because of Jesus. The Bible is not a mashup of clever Idioms. It is the communication of the very life of God poured out to whomever will receive it!
When life gets hard cut to the chase, get to the good stuff – Jesus has fulfilled God’s promise of eternal life. While you may not be able to see it with your eyes, the Holy Spirit is always reminding you of your status in God’s heart – you are complete!
Life can be difficult. No shocker there. God’s promise of eternity is intended to bring peace even when life brings storms. Keeping eternity in your view brings constant confidence that this world can never steal!
The greatest promise ever made in the history of the universe was made from God to humanity: the promise of eternal life through faith in His Son. Being forgiven of a debt that you could never repay should thrill you beyond anything this earth could offer. I pray that the joy of your salvation vastly outweighs the ups and downs of this life.
Believer, in your spirit you and Jesus look exactly alike. He’s righteous, making you righteous. He’s holy, so are you. Even His spotless nature has been transferred to you by faith. Let these truths be your inner dialogue, building confidence in how you engage with the world.
Did you know that as a believer you can never blaspheme the Holy Spirit? In fact, you did just the opposite, not rejecting the gospel but receiving it, becoming a fully forgiven child of God. You can live confidently in His love for you, never fearing His wrath or judgment. Jesus handled all of that so that you could rest!
In His parables Jesus was uttering truths that had been kept secret since time began – Secrets about a new Era of Grace, when righteousness would not be based on your resume, but rather on what God did through Jesus. Let the resurrection, not your works, be the conclusion to your righteousness!
The life of Jesus in you is an ongoing Preview of much greater things to come. Just like a movie’s previews are meant to build excitement and demand for an upcoming film, the Gospel message should thrill you for the eternity God has prepared for His family!
God is not tallying up your behavior to determine if you’re righteous. He’s not tallying up your sins to figure out if you’re His. Jesus did all the work and took all your sins so that you could simply rest, knowing that your righteousness is a result of His Grace!
The penalty of sin was horrific. To be separated from God’s intimate presence was the ultimate price to pay. God’s intricate plan of redemption was so well executed that you and I are now considered just as holy as Jesus is, all based on faith in what He accomplished. The cross and the resurrection are proof that we have been made PERFECT!
“Try harder! You’re almost there!” These popular exhortations work well on people striving for life in an earthly kingdom. Let’s not make the mistake of bringing those charges into our heavenly kingdom. There is no TRY in Christ. There is only TRUST. Trying to love more, trying to be patient, trying to be godly. These efforts will kill you. Let’s do it Jesus’ way, and rest in His finished work. You’ll be amazed at the resulting effortless production of love, patience, and godliness!
As the sound of God’s Promise (your righteousness) grows louder and louder, you’ll notice the accusations and distractions of the world around you grow weaker. Keeping the gift of Christ as your focus has the inevitable effect of pointing you back to the abundance of peace and grace you already have in your spirit.
As the revelation of your perfect righteousness continues to grow in your heart, an amazing transformation begins simultaneously – your behavior begins to shift towards reflecting your true identity.
As you grow in your understanding of just how extravagant God’s grace is, your logical response is to live a thankful life, reflected in your lifestyle. Align your mind to what Jesus has done in you and stop worrying about how to prove your love to God.
God’s riches are found exclusively in His extravagant gift of grace. He has promised you all the riches of heaven at no cost to you. As your heart grows in understanding the scope of this gift your response for the rest of your life becomes a logical expression of worship.
The most extravagant gift in the universe has been given to you. The logical response of our lives is to worship the God that chose to freely pardon us from our sin. What’s left to do once your sin has been removed? Do was Jesus said, and “Go in Peace”!
True Worship happens as you stay focused of what Jesus has already provided – full forgiveness and peace with God. Worship is not your effort to GET something from God. It’s your celebration of everything He has already GIVEN! Spend time every day considering what Jesus actually accomplished and enjoy the inevitable peace that follows.
Jesus is God’s will for the earth. Knowing that I’m in Him and He’s in me is the greatest reminder that I’m actually in God’s will every day for the rest of my life! Knowing this allows me to face every day with confidence in my decisions – not fearfully deciding, but boldly moving forward knowing that God has got my back.
There are no draw backs as a child of God. You are safe and secure, and have no reason to fear His wrath or disapproval. As you grow in this confidence, that is, grow in faith, you will find greater fulfillment in life than you have previously imagined!
God’s promise to make you perfect is a guarantee from Him to Himself – not from you to Him. He demonstrated that in the covenant He made with Abraham, knowing all the while that Jesus would one day come and make a better covenant with the entire world. We are living in the age of BETTER THINGS, so why not choose to enjoy your perfection in Christ!?
God desires for you to have full assurance, complete confidence in His finished work in your life. You are His…you are His…you are His. When you add to this fact that it is completely independent of your performance, you will find yourself effortlessly worshiping God for His indescribable goodness!
Jesus is God’s one and only key to the need for perfect righteousness. He kept up the pace of perfection, winning the prize of right standing with God – and then freely handed the prize over to you. Astonishingly, the entire Bible points to this amazing Grace over and over again, making it easy to rest in what’s already ours!
The works of God are literally described by Jesus as simply believing in the Son. Are you willing to allow your faith in Jesus to be the foundation for enjoying this life? Let what Jesus did in making you righteous be the foundation of your life and experience peace in every storm!
The Gospel message is supposed to be the foundation for every believer. And the ministers that bring this clear message of Jesus are God’s gift to you. Even when this world seems to be against you, remind yourself that the perfect version is coming one day, and is intended to be God’s gift to me!
The Holy Spirit is interested in one thing – reminding you of what Jesus accomplished in making you Right with God. As God’s love for you becomes the motivating factor in your daily living, you will find it easier and easier to walk in love with the world around you.
Paul had a secret to living a fulfilled life without regard to good or bad circumstances. Keeping Jesus as the center of your strength will allow you to enjoy the downs and the ups of this world. After all, you have already won the big prize of eternal life!
Your spirit is fully armored in this life. There is no attack that can break through the fortress that God has built around you. Finding fulfillment in what Jesus did IN you will cause what happens AROUND you to pale in comparison.
There is nothing easy about walking through life on planet earth. What Jesus accomplished on the cross didn’t take away your problems. Rather, as a believer, He enters with you into every single situation, strengthening and encouraging you along the way. This is why we celebrate Jesus, whether there is Fire or no Fire!
God is our comforter, strengthening us while we walk through this life. No matter how many troubles you might encounter, God has a plan of comfort already underway! Not only will you BE Comforted, but you are being prepared to BECOME Comfort for someone else.
How amazing it is to realize that even in life’s loneliest moments, Jesus is standing with you. The comfort you have as a believer is not that you’ll have less pain or disappointment, but rather that you have the Prince of Peace standing with you through it all!
When Jesus overcame the world, He didn’t guarantee a flawless interaction with nature and the world around us. He did, however, guarantee us a flawless nature within that looks just like Him. It’s normal for the world to be against you. In those moments remember that Jesus is much greater IN you, empowering you to have peace even in this world.
Because the NOUN of sin has been resolved, the VERB of sin can no longer keep us from God’s perfect presence. The New Covenant we have with God through Christ makes it abundantly clear that we are fully forgiven of all our sins!
Since Jesus has already dealt with your sins, that will never happen again. Sacrifice is always required for forgiveness, which is exactly what happened at the Cross! Instead of trying to get clean, why not start enjoying the truth that when you’re in Christ, you already are!
For centuries sins were only covered by the annual sacrifice of animals, serving as a type of better things to come. Jesus, the substance, died for the full-forgiveness of humanity once for all time! Receive the gift by faith, and enjoy your constant right-standing with God.
Jesus met all the stringent requirements of the Law, doing what only a professional could do. In other words, Jesus Nailed It! His life in you makes you an invaluable masterpiece, worth more than you could ever imagine!
The Law of Moses reminds us that Sin wins when you choose the Flesh as your guide. Jesus came to deliver us from the power of sin, entirely equipping us for this journey of life! Trust His finished work and enjoy every second of your salvation!
Believers have been set free from the bondage of performance-based righteousness. Now we get the enjoy the unheard-of goodness of God by simply placing our trust in what Jesus did for us. That’s what I call an upgrade!
Carrying the fruit of the Spirit is the result of setting your Posture in life towards what Jesus did in your place. Compare the effortless life of bearing Grace’s fruit to the bondage that the law brings – this is not a difficult decision!
Jesus has always been God’s solution to your struggle. Take your Cues from Grace today - Set your posture in life based on what Jesus has done for you, not what you are able to do for you. The Flesh Demands life, but the Spirit freely Gives it!
The phrase, “In the flesh” is a description of POSITION with God – specifically an unrighteous position that is built on your works. As born-again Christians your position has been established as “IN THE SPIRIT”. Let the truth of your position in Christ dominate your thinking and start enjoying all of the promises of God!
Just like Noah was preserved from judgment by entering the Ark, so are we saved from judgment by entering the door of Christ. Believer – Choose to REST in what Jesus did, knowing there’s nothing you can to do to help God save you. He already did it completely!
Under the Law there was only confidence in falling short of God’s instruction. Under Grace, Jesus became our confidence, allowing us to freely receive all of His blessings! Let your “Amen”, your confidence, be the reality that Jesus’ obedience gives you full access to all of God’s blessings!
Jesus performed God’s final act of love, not just telling a story, but living the story in front of the world. This ultimate sacrifice stands forever as a reminder that you are more loved by God than you have dared to dream!
When God gives a gift, there are no strings attached. He’s not waiting for you to do anything before He blesses you. In fact, He’s already saved you completely! There’s nothing left for you to do but simply rest, trusting that Jesus already hit the mark in your place.
When God gives a gift, there are no strings attached. He’s not waiting for you to do anything before He blesses you. In fact, He’s already saved you completely! There’s nothing left for you to do but simply rest, trusting that Jesus already hit the mark in your place.
The theme of the entire Bible is that Jesus came to make you perfectly right with God. God’s righteousness fits you perfectly, and His desire is for you to enjoy the comforts of His finished work.
The theme of the entire Bible is that Jesus came to make you perfectly right with God. God’s righteousness fits you perfectly, and His desire is for you to enjoy the comforts of His finished work.
God wants you totally convinced that you have been completely forgiven. Knowing that God isn’t holding anything against you is a motivator for life-change. Remind yourself today that you’re forgiven for all time, and enjoy the resulting freedom.
Being confident of God’s oversupply of Grace empowers you to LOVE and FORGIVE. Under Grace these are not actions that lead to a kinder God. Rather, they are a natural response to a heart full of His infinite Love and Forgiveness.
God’s grace is His strength and power. This empowerment IN you will sustain you through any challenges that appear around you. Don’t waste another minute worrying about things your eyes can see. Instead, choose to rest knowing you are perfectly loved and accepted by your Father, and watch the surrounding sounds grow quiet.
If you want to be free from Sin’s dominance, remind yourself daily that you are under Grace’s jurisdiction! Your behavior and lifestyle flow effortlessly from the realization that Jesus never tires of saving you!
Your life is a weapon in God’s hands – a weapon that demonstrates God’s goodness to the world around you. The great struggle in this life is not maintaining a perfect spirit. Rather, it’s resisting the temptation to justify your self through self-righteous behavior. Thankfully, Jesus’ Obedience was enough to make us righteous, so let’s rest in the FINISHED work of our Savior.
Your old man has died. You used to be a slave to sin’s passions and desires. Because you were resurrected with Jesus, you are now alive to God. He is your master, and you live TO righteousness, peace and joy!
God is not holding His Promises RANSOM. He’s freely given you every blessing in Christ. Learn to REST, knowing that it’s already yours!
The war is over. The battle has been won! The Word of Faith declares that Jesus did indeed come from heaven and finished the work for righteousness. His resurrection proves it! It’s time to REST in that eternal reality.
Great faith is simply a total resolve that you are completely dependent on what God did for you, and not reliant on yourself to access His promises.
Rest in what Jesus did. Take your eyes off of your faith for some THING, and put your hope and confidence in the Creator of all things.
Faith is simply believing that you are RIGHT WITH GOD because of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice. You LIVE by this evidence.
We are not Servants begging for scraps from God. Grace has made you a full-grown Son or Daughter, with access to ALL of God’s Kingdom!
Being Under Grace means you give Grace the POWER to administer Justice in your life. Being Under SIN means you give SIN the power to condemn you. Which do you choose?
Because of what Jesus did, you are Dead to the NOUN of Sin. Not the VERB. Find out what it means to be free from the penalty, imputation, and condemnation of sin.
The perfect sacrifice of Jesus has made you Holy, or "set apart". Now your conduct comes from the INSIDE out.
When Jesus washed the disciples' feet, it was symbolic of what we need to do: Wash off the Dust of the world as we walk BOLDLY in His Righteousness
Like the woman at the well, knowing the unconditional love of Jesus transforms you from Hiding to Proclaiming.
We kick off our new series as Pastor Brandon explains that having a BOLD response to life’s circumstances starts by knowing you’re Righteous!