salvation – Intimacy With Christ

Script. Isaiah 57: 13- 15 “When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you. But the wind will carry all of them up, And a breath will take them away. But he who takes refuge in Me will inherit the land And will possess My holy mountain.” 14 And it will be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.” 15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite.

I. Broken & Contrite:

In verse 15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite. (Emphasis mine)
Contrite in the Hebrew means to be crushed to dust, broken very small, humiliated.
Lowly in Hebrew means to be humble, deeply embedded, of little value, to be abased
How you ever been broken or crushed or devalued so small you feel like dust?
I’ve been there more times than not, it has literally driven me to my knees in prayer for help and guidance.
Jesus speaking in Luke 4: 18 the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed
Oppressed in the Greek means to one who is shattered or broken or defeated.
He will set you free.
During those times the one who lives on high is with you.
Take note He will always be there to revive you when you’re crushed to dust, broken very small, humiliated.
Matthew 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
He knows everything we go through because He has experienced it and yet without sin.
To be contrite and humble as Christians means to be continually needy of God.
To be driven to our knees daily.

II. Hungering After God:

To be a man after God’s own heart
Psalms 42:1 as the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for you, O God.
Pants in Hebrew means to long for to crave.
Psalms 119:131 I opened my mouth wide and panted, (longed for, craved) for I longed for your commandments.
In Luke 6:21 blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.
Hunger in the Greek literally means to desire strongly.
We must keep this state of mind.
For God will pour out more of His grace upon those who long for more of Him.
He dwells with the lowly or humble and the contrite to revive their hearts.
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
We all know the more we crave for more knowledge the more grace and peace is multiplied to us.
More knowledge of Jesus = outpouring of grace and peace.
So who doesn’t need this? Right!
Isaiah 66: 1-2 Thus says the LORD, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? 2 “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. (Emphasis mine)
God will always look to the humble and contrite of spirit, who trembles at my word.
Trembles in Hebrew means to follow, be anxious or uneasiness.
Since the Holy Spirit is against the flesh and the flesh is against the Spirit, there will be a great uneasiness in our lives following the word for the Spirit jealously desires to lead us in the path of righteousness.
To take great care in obeying the word of the lord.
James 4: 5- 7 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

III. The Favor of God:

When the favor of God was upon the people because of their obedience He delivered them from all their enemies.
God favored Joshua and said to him no one will be able to stand before thee all the days of your life.
Wherever the soles of your feet stand on I will give it to you.
Exodus 33:13-14 now therefore, I pray you, if I have found favor in your sight, let me know your ways that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight. Consider too, that this nation is your people. 14 and He said, my presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.
Notice what Moses said let me know your ways that I may know you, SO I MAY FIND FAVOR in your sight.
So therefore knowing more knowledge of who God is, begets more grace or more favor with God.
Also God tells him that My presence shall go with you and I will give you rest.
For God’s presence to go with them and to be at rest from all enemies was a great incentive to follow the Lord and obey His word.
In Psalms 84: 11 for the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord gives grace and glory; no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly
No good thing will He ever withhold from His people who walk is upright.
No good thing!!!!!!

IV. Every Obstacle Removed:

Jesus removed every obstacle because He loves us.
Isaiah 57:14 And it will be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.”
When Jesus said it is finished He thereby removed every obstacle out of the way of His people.
So they could come to him freely with sins forgiven as long as they came to him with a contrite and lowly spirit.
A heart of a lowly servant who cannot make it without his or her master.
When Jesus said Tetelestai, it is finished, means to make happen, to complete, to accomplish.
The very Son of God removed every obstacle thereby making the connection between God and man possible.
Making it easier for him to pour out the grace we need to follow him in times of our brokenness.

V. Our Allegiance:

At the begging of our salvation we are told to repent.
To put aside our previous way of thinking for an entirely new way.
Repent in the Greek in every place it is used whether repent or repentance means, “change of mind.”
If we do not change our mind by faith being born-again does not happen.
This state of mind must be a continual change of mind Bro. Brad Strand calls it keeping the eternal perspective. Strand Study Bible
Otherwise we will get lazy and complacent.
Resting so secure in our eternally security that we ease up on keeping the word of God.
However, In John 14:15 says, if you love me, you will keep my commandments.
In humbling ourselves before God He promises us to exalt us.
In Luke 14:15 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
If you exalt yourself by seeking your own way above God’s will, God WILL humble you.
If you humble yourself before God He will exalt you.
If God humbles you, you who are seeking your own way.
It’s not going to end well.
Better us to humble ourselves before God.
1 Peter 2: 24 he himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 for you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. (Emphasis mine)
The group Peter is addressing were continually straying but then finally came to the shepherd the guardian of their souls.
They came under His management.
Allowed Him to be the supervisor of their daily routines.
Allowed Him to be the CEO 24/7.
For being needy before God doesn’t show you immaturity but rather shows your maturity.
When we are humble before God all of the promises of God belong to us.
Promises from addiction, demonic harassment, depression, for the family, fear, filling of Holy Spirit, finances, forgiveness, guidance, health, marriage, salvation or God’s love, strength to do God’s will.
You exalt yourself every time you go to another source other than God.
Like in Isaiah 57 let your idols deliver you.
Idol is anything we set higher than God.
If you go to your mom or dad before going to God first, or counselor, horoscope, they could be your idol.
What does Matthew 6:33 says, seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Always seek God first in all things by humbling yourself before him as a broken vessel in need of him.
In Matthew 18:3 -4 truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 whoever then humbles himself as this children, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Children totally rely on their parents without thinking about it.
When they are hungry they come to you and you feed them.
They do not think or worry about the clothes they wear or where they will sleep.
When they get hurt they come immediately to you.
When they are in need they come immediately to you, first before anyone else.
So always be Broken and Contrite always Hungering After God so we can obtain The Favor of God who has Every Obstacle Removed from our pathway when Our Allegiance is fully His coming to Him as a little child.

Note:

If this series helps you or your new converts please feel free to use and copy. This is not an exhaustive research of scriptures on the subject I just used what I felt led of the Holy Spirit to use. If this helps in any way please email me.

Thank You findintimacywithchrist@gmail.com

Salvation: Add to your Faith

June 20, 2015February 11, 2017 Intimacy with ChristLeave a comment

Returning To Intimacy With Christ Web Page

Script. 2 Peter 1:1-9

I. Applying all Diligence add to your faith:

Our faith needs to be supplied in order to grow.
What is the point of wanting a changed life and not going all the way.
Applying all diligence, in your faith supply.
The devil want to destroy us, weaken us, make complacent.
Luke 8:13 those on rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.
Diligence is to have zeal to be eager, to do quickly to add to your faith.

II. In your Faith supply Moral excellence:

2 Peter 3: 17- 18 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
The Holy Spirit is in seed form and must be supplied too in order to grow
1 Peter 2: 1-3 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
New born babes were told to put away all wickedness, all treachery, all pretense (acting), all jealousy, all evil speech or slander.
So as newborn babes there are things that we are going to have to get rid of.
It is being conscientiously aware of how your life’s decisions affect other people.
It is being conscientiously aware that everyone you meet has an eternal destination.
2 Co 3: 17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Our life’s ambitions are to give all glory to God.
1 Co 10:31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
When you are aware that in all you do, you must bring glory to God then you are bringing moral excellence to your faith.
When you are fully aware of other people and take careful steps to walk in the word by faith and in the Spirit of God you are adding moral excellence into your faith.

III. Add to your Faith Knowledge

Faith needs knowledge in order for it to grow.
Peter stresses that in order for faith to grow you need to add more knowledge.
2 Peter 1:2 -3 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
He has given unto us according to His divine power everything pertaining to life and godliness.
To stress the importance of this knowledge he says it again in verse 4 for by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
The author wrote 3 times in one chapter how important the knowledge of Jesus Christ truly is to our lives.
Tony Evans said, “You cannot grow beyond what you know.”
Otherwise the Bible wouldn’t be stressing it so much.
Look at Paul in Phil 3: 8 I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,
The knowledge of God is worth everything that this world has to offer.
Our foundation can only be made from the materials that we supply the Holy Spirit with.
The Holy Spirit can only use what He has available.
The point is the nature of God is planted in seed form in our hearts.
All the potential of God’s DNA has been deposited inside of those who believe in Him.
Cory Betts.
However that powerful DNA of God either grows to be fruitful or lies dormant unable to change the life or produce fruit to change anyone else’s life.
Look closely at the scripture verse 4 so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature.
It says, “may become” which signifies it is your choice to be a partaker of the divine nature.
John Dominic Crossan, in his masterful book Jesus A Revolutionary Biography states that “the mustard plant is dangerous even when domesticated in the garden, and is deadly when growing wild in the grain fields. And those nesting birds, which may strike us as charming, represented to ancient farmers a permanent danger to the seed and to the grain. The point, in other words, is not just that the mustard plant starts as a proverbially small seed and grows into a shrub of three, four, or five feet in height. It is that it tends to take over where it is not wanted, that it tends to get out of control, and that it tends to attract birds within cultivated areas, where they are not particularly desired. And that, said Jesus, is what the Kingdom of God was like. Like a pungent shrub with dangerous take-over properties (Jesus A Revolutionary Biography, page 65).
The DNA inside of us is contagious not only in changing our lives forever but any life that we may encounter one believer who in zeal hungered for grow and maturity, full of the Holy Spirit.
The devil knows the take over properties of a mustard seed Christian who gave all diligence adding to his or her faith and produced fruit, addicting fruit for anyone who wants to really live life to the fullest.
With some Christians the seed lies dormant for many years never growing.
These complacent Christians tie the Holy Spirit’s hands to prevent Him from taking them to the next level of abundance.

IV. Add to your Faith Self-Control:

Self-control simply means to control oneself, hold fast to be strong, to refrain oneself from giving in
Genesis 43:30 – 31 Joseph hurried out for he was deeply stirred over his brother, and he sought a place to weep; and he entered his chamber and wept there. 31 Then he washed his face and came out; and he controlled himself and said, “Serve the meal.”
Basically this means for us to not lose our focus on the eternal perspective.
The enemy wants to cause us to lose focus, to lose sight of what is important

V. Add to your Faith Perseverance:

We learn the most through severe trials.
God comes ever so close to us during the worst trial that we have ever encountered.
Malachi 3:2 -3 “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness.
Zachariah 13: 9 “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”
Daniel 3: 25 He said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”
The next verse says come out ye servants of the Most High God.
Jesus is with us in the midst of our fiery trials.
So we must persevere, stay the course, don’t give up is what this is telling us.

VI. Add to your faith Godliness:

The temptation in our perseverance is to quit to give up on God.
We must continue on to godliness, to doing the next right thing in obedience to God because it is worth the struggle.

VII. Add to your faith Brotherly Kindness:

Whatever is troubling you reach out to a brother or sister and minister to them.
If your depressed reach out to someone who needs it.
Have trouble with relationships help someone in need in that area.
To selflessly help someone or anyone.
Here is the reason why Luke 6: 38 “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”
Need love, give it. Need compassion give it. Need mercy give it. Need friendship give it.

VIII. Add to your faith Love:

Love someone who is unlovable.
Romans 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Love someone who is helpless like you were when Christ loved you and died for you.

IX. Embrace these Qualities:

2 Peter 1: 8-9 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
True knowledge is a working in faith knowledge that reaches to the heart of every person.
However, if you lack these qualities you are blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
You forgot what Jesus Christ did for you.
You forgot that for the joy before him he endured the cross.
You forgot the beatings, the forty lashes, the crown of thorns, the spear in his side and the nails piercing his hands and feet.
He did it all for your healing and for your freedom.

Note:

Thank You findintimacywithchrist@gmail.com

Tag: salvation

Salvation: Grace to the Humble

Salvation: Add to your Faith

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