What Jesus saved us from was sin, not hell. The wages of sin is death. In order for Christ to save us from sin, we must repent, which means to change our mind and see things as God sees them. Without repentance, there is no true salvation. The word “grace” means to supply or empower you with that which is needed when you have not earned it. This is not available to an unrepentant unbeliever. That is why John the Baptist and Christ’s ministry started with the message to repent for the kingdom of God is at hand or “available” to those who repented. Christ commanded us to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God, not some other gospel. Grace is not the license to sin, but the power of God given to true, repentant believers not to sin. The gospel that preaches that we are saved from hell and all you have to do is pray a little prayer and continue living as you always have is from hell. It is designed to deceive you. The word “forgive” doesn’t mean cover up. It means “to remove” as in “removing our sin and the sin nature”. If we do not allow Jesus to wash us in the water of the word and cleanse us, we have no part with him. No part means “no part”. Reading the bible and walking in the spirit and being a doer of the word as Christ empowers us is key to true salvation. This is how Christ fulfilled the law. He didn’t destroy it. The Commandments God gave are not meant for those who are walking in the spirit and being empowered by Christ to live a righteous life. It is meant for sinners who are not. You cannot point to grace, empowerment and what Christ had to offer through His death and resurrection, until you first expose the sin and offer the grace to overcome it. Many call this legalism out of their ignorance of grace and Christ’s purpose to save us from our sins, not hell.
Matthew 1:21 states: and she (Mary) shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for He shall save his people from THEIR SINS.
This is why Jesus came and you can find it in the old and new testament. The Holy Spirit led me down this path of discovery by asking me one question, as a good teacher does. He asked me, “What did Jesus save sinners from?” The question drove me to research it like looking for a gem in the midst of ruin. The answer soon became apparent that Jesus doesn’t save us from hell, but from our sins and the wages of sin is death, both spiritual and physical. He enables us, if we are repentant and filled with the Holy Spirit, to live a righteous life and overcome our sin and sin nature and walk in the spirit. He didn’t destroy the law, but fulfilled it.
Now, go down the 10 commandments and re-evaluate where you are walking in unrighteousness. Let God expose your heart and sins in order to enable you to live a righteous life and be without spot or wrinkle. No wonder the devil wants to get the 10 Commandments out of everything. It is extremely important to your salvation. IT LEADS US TO ASK “HOW SAVED ARE WE?”
1. I am the Lord thy God! Thou shall have no strange Gods before me.
What idol comes before you and God? If the Lord asked you to stop doing something, would you? How about the video games, tv, social media, person, money or any other thing that you spend more time with or place ahead of the Lord. Ouch!
2. You shall not bow down to anything or serve anything above me. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me and serve other things above me. I show mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Your idol worship of things you put before God will affect future generations, cursing them. Your sins don’t just affect you, but your children and your children’s children.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord you God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
Something to thing about the next time you are angry and say “God damn it or Jesus Christ”.
4. Keep Holy the sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh (Saturday according to Jewish faith) is the Sabbath of the Lord your God, In it you shall do no work. The Lord rested on the seventh day and blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it.
Shouldn’t we if God did? We are to follow His example.
5. Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
6. Thou shall not murder.
Hating someone is the equivalent to murder according to Jesus. Every sin starts in the heart. To not forgive as God has forgiven you is equal to hatred and murder.
7. Thou shall not commit adultery.
Every man who looks upon a woman and lusts, commits adultery. Your porn use and purchasing the swim suit edition is sin. Anything that is outside of God’s purpose of sex within a marriage is perversion. The word “perversion” means “down and away” from what God intended. Anything that you derive sexual pleasure from outside of your spouse is sin. The bible says that fornicators will not enter the kingdom of heaven. The word “fornicate” comes from the Greek word “porno”. Sexual sins are sins against your own body. When you give your mind, body and spirit over to another or fantasize, even when you are with your spouse, for sexual gratification it is adultery. In the Corinthian church, Paul said of a fornicator, that he turned him over to satan for the destruction of his flesh (death) in order to save his soul. Paul rebuked the church for turning a blind eye to it because of their immaturity. Jesus said in regards to lust, if your eye offends you, pluck it out. If your hand (masturbation) offends you, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into heaven maimed, then enter into eternal damnation. This is how God sees it!
8. Thou shalt not steal
That means time from your employer or “stuff” from the work place. Let the Holy Spirit examine ways in which you steal. You don’t have to rob a bank to be a thief. Cheating on your taxes, etc.
9. You shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor.
Stop gossiping! Don’t say things about another unless you know them to be true, and then you should only go to that person or maybe a trusted other to hold you accountable and make sure that what you are believing is true. If it is true, act in a way to restore the other and not condemn or spread gossip.
10. You shall covet your neighbor’s house, wife or stuff.
Be content with what God has entrusted you with.
GRACE WITHOUT TRUTH IS LICENSE TO SIN. TRUTH WITHOUT GRACE IS JUDGMENT. CHRIST IS BOTH.
IN ORDER TO GROW IN HIS IMAGE WE MUST EXPERIENCE CHRIST AS BOTH. TRUTH SHOULD ALWAYS LEAD TO GRACE UNLESS IT IS SHORT CIRCUITED BY DENIAL.
YOU CANNOT TALK ABOUT GRACE AND FORGIVENESS UNTIL YOU HAVE FIRST TALKED ABOUT AND EXPOSED SIN.