Romans 7:4
"Wherefore, my brethren ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; (In other words, by virtue of His crucifixion but it follows His Last Supper and therefore they are connected as being one action)that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, (now this of course, is just a scriptural use of words to prove a point, that we are now united with Christ. Just like a man and woman are when married, and for what purpose) that we should bring forth fruit."
We should have an impact on people around us to the place that you can bring in some lost souls or bring some to the point of revelation. Now, I believe most believers go all the way to their grave never having led one person to Christ because they don't Know Him or this Gospel. Even their own children, they have never brought them to a knowledge of true Redemption let alone this great Salvation. And if every believer would just win one, my what a difference we could make! But we don’t do it. Why? Lack of knowledge of the truth and the mysteries by way of an inward knowing. Its not through a head knowledge because that alone will fail us. Anyone can memorize scripture and even the whole Bible. But that doesn't mean that they have a Spirit led understanding, they're not empowered to put the scriptures together in such a way as to caused them to speak Life to an otherwise dead spirit.
I remember in my younger days, hearing people say, "Well, that’s the preacher’s job. That’s the Sunday School teacher’s job." Well, yes but it’s yours also, and it’s mine. And I have to say, that it doesn’t mean you collar people and force these things down their throat. No! It simply means that you’re skilled enough in the Scriptures that when someone asks a question – take them to The Book! If nothing else have a few notes in the back of your Bible. That will help you to show them some Scriptures. How that it is by trusting in His faithfulness and then in the work of the Cross plus nothing!
I know people hate to hear that! Why do people think they have to DO something?" Well it’s that old Adam-Satan nature? And so to overcome that takes a lot a patience. I had another gentleman say, "You know, I can’t understand it, since I’ve been saved," he says, "I’ve gone back to the church where I was raised and I present these things." And he said, "I’ve asked some of my fellow church people, do you know what the Gospel is? And you know what? They look at me and they don’t have a clue. They don’t know what the Gospel is." All they've ever heard was what we call a blended gospel or one form of it, wealth, health, the power gospel, bless me, bless me kind of thing or a name it and claim it kind of thing as they are called by many names in different organizations or groups. Theirs one group close to us that calls the worlds church a "National Parks Church" not realizing that that is just what they are also. Why? Because they deal with mans psychology or psychotherapy and a form of socialism in the guise of religion.
Another gentleman said, "You know what most people in my church answered when I asked them, "What’s the Gospel?" They said, "The Bible." "Well," he said, "The Bible’s got the Gospel in it, but that’s not this Gospel." But see, this is where Christendom is. They are so pitifully ignorant that most church people cannot tell you what Paul’s Gospel is, or what the mysteries are, and how you can gain the Lord's Salvation. They simply don’t have a clue.
Well, that’s where we come in. We’ve got to let them know that it’s not a whole bunch of do’s and don’ts. It’s not getting so holy that you’re just sort of an oddball. No way. The Christian life as we’ve said over and over, is the most practical thing on earth. There is nothing more practical than a solid Christian life. You’ll never find a good, true believing Christian caught up in the throws of court proceedings and crime. That’s not their lifestyle. Now, we can all fail. My, we can all make a mistake, but it is not the Christian’s lifestyle to be constantly on the police blotter, or practicing the worlds religious ceremonies, customs and rites of ritual. And so, this is what the Scripture tells us, that now we’re to consider ourselves just like a woman that is married to her husband. We are in union with Christ we're conjoined to Him and the purpose is that we are to allow Him to be productive by fruit bearing through us. We’re to get busy sitting under God listening. And we’d better or the Muslim-Islamic world will overtake us. And then, we’ll wish we would have.
Before we move on allow me to show you something my wife just brought to me. We'll turn to Psalm 25 and verses 4, 14 to start with:
Psalm 25:1-5
"Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.(4) Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day." In the surrounding scriptures there are many words which reveal the twisting of the covenant by way of misinterpreting it and now verse 14:
Psalm 25:9-15
"The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth. (14) The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net."
Now from this we could do a word study which will reveal many things about the church being upside down in its teachings and our perception of the Lord's Word.But from here lets go to John's Gospel chapter 7 and verse 17:
John7:15-19
"The Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. (17) If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?" and now turn to chapter 15 and verse 15:
John 15:12-18
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you."
and finially turn to Acts chapter 20 and verse 30:
Acts 20:29-31
"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears."
Those who are of perverse things are the ones who have twisted the gospel not knowing the difference between the Gospel of the kingdom which the Lord Jesus proclaimed and this Gospel of Grace which the Apostle Paul proclaims through the power of the Holy Spirit.
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