Page 45 - lifeandgrace
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busy trying to convince Christians they are the ones that need to do the works of God, in their own power
- by their own knowledge and strength.
Hebrews 3:14 (NNAS) “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the
beginning of our assurance firm until the end,"
Here, the Holy Spirit is telling us we are partakers of Christ; Christ is in us, the hope of glory. We
have been created “In Christ”. Do not be deceived by Mr. Sin telling us it has not happened, because of
something we have done, or have not done. Our acceptance by God is by our birth, not by our
performance.
Hebrews 3:15 (NNAS) "while it is said, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT
HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.""
All of Israel heard the voice of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the voice of God. Israel
made a choice not to believe what God had said, when hearing the voice of God should have energized
faith and believing what God had said. Then the power and might of God would have led them into the
promised land. They would have acted in faith. Instead their hearts were hardened and they refused to be
led by God.
Hebrews 3:16-19 (NNAS) “For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not
all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was He angry for forty
years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to
whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
19So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief."
Remember, rest means to trust in Jesus as our life-source, depending on Him to empower our actions
with His strength and direction. Rest is not ceasing to work. Rest is the power of God working through
us. Rest is depending on God to do the work, not our own efforts.
By this you can see the requirement of a strong, close relationship with God; to spend time with our
Father as a Son, to desire to have conversations with Him as a Father, to have fellowship with Him.
1John 1:1-3 (NNAS) "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have
seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the
Word of Life- 2and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to
you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- 3what we have
seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and
indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ."
We were saved that we might know Him in intimate daily fellowship.
Do good works have a place in the Christian life? Of course! But they are an overflow of the
relationship with Him, an evidence of His Life being expressed through us. Understanding our identity is
absolutely essential to our success in living the Christian Life and resting in God. 1Corinthians 5:17
(NNAS) “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new
things have come." Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Our second birth, created us “In Christ”.
Our identity is now “IN CHRIST”. Our old identity was in “OURSELVES”.
Much of that identity was in the name of our church, in our titles, in our tribe, in where we lived, in
how big our house is, in how much money we make; all kinds of things. Those were all things of the
flesh, but that is how we identified ourselves. That old sin nature died on the cross with Jesus. We were
- by their own knowledge and strength.
Hebrews 3:14 (NNAS) “For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the
beginning of our assurance firm until the end,"
Here, the Holy Spirit is telling us we are partakers of Christ; Christ is in us, the hope of glory. We
have been created “In Christ”. Do not be deceived by Mr. Sin telling us it has not happened, because of
something we have done, or have not done. Our acceptance by God is by our birth, not by our
performance.
Hebrews 3:15 (NNAS) "while it is said, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT
HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.""
All of Israel heard the voice of God. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the voice of God. Israel
made a choice not to believe what God had said, when hearing the voice of God should have energized
faith and believing what God had said. Then the power and might of God would have led them into the
promised land. They would have acted in faith. Instead their hearts were hardened and they refused to be
led by God.
Hebrews 3:16-19 (NNAS) “For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not
all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17And with whom was He angry for forty
years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18And to
whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
19So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief."
Remember, rest means to trust in Jesus as our life-source, depending on Him to empower our actions
with His strength and direction. Rest is not ceasing to work. Rest is the power of God working through
us. Rest is depending on God to do the work, not our own efforts.
By this you can see the requirement of a strong, close relationship with God; to spend time with our
Father as a Son, to desire to have conversations with Him as a Father, to have fellowship with Him.
1John 1:1-3 (NNAS) "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have
seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the
Word of Life- 2and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to
you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- 3what we have
seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and
indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ."
We were saved that we might know Him in intimate daily fellowship.
Do good works have a place in the Christian life? Of course! But they are an overflow of the
relationship with Him, an evidence of His Life being expressed through us. Understanding our identity is
absolutely essential to our success in living the Christian Life and resting in God. 1Corinthians 5:17
(NNAS) “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new
things have come." Ephesians 2:10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Our second birth, created us “In Christ”.
Our identity is now “IN CHRIST”. Our old identity was in “OURSELVES”.
Much of that identity was in the name of our church, in our titles, in our tribe, in where we lived, in
how big our house is, in how much money we make; all kinds of things. Those were all things of the
flesh, but that is how we identified ourselves. That old sin nature died on the cross with Jesus. We were
