My re-birth in Christ has taken me on a journey I never saw coming! It (my re-birth) has produced some radical changes in my life. I have only God to thank for these changes!
I just completed Authentic Confessions #18 last night and still waiting for the video to upload. But, I just had to share more thoughts. In that video I mention how all my life (the previous 37 years) I had it wrong. I was nothing but a self-centered human being which resulted in many things.
Those results were:
Depression, anxiety, fear, anger, hatred, loneliness, guilt, shame, stress, lust, lies, deceitfulness, embarrassment, manipulation, wearing masks (metaphorically speaking), being fake, and most of all in-authenticity. Now, with a list of those character traits how happy and fulfilling do you think my life was? Yep, my existence was pretty miserable. Even though I had every thing in the world to be thankful and grateful for, my existence was miserable most of the time. Not just was I miserable, but I'm almost certain the people that crossed my path weren't impacted in a positive way with the above list being what showed up in their presence.
The above list was the product of my sin filled life that was self-centered, lived from the flesh for the temporary things of this world I was originally born into. I never set out or had intentions of living a sin filled life. I had a good heart. I loved people. I was also considerate and kind. But, I was living for me. It just happened that way. It is our default. You see, I was blind to the fact that from the moment I was born into this world from my mother's womb, I was born into a world that is temporarily "managed" by the devil. (**But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NKJV)
I had heard about born-again Christians. The whole thing just never made sense to me. It wasn't until by His grace through His gift of faith to me that it became crystal clear. It wasn't until I was born-again, baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ, that this made complete sense. So I will do my best to share with you what has been unveiled for me through the Scriptures.
I. God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1)
II. The serpent beguiles Eve. (Genesis 3)
a. The serpent - Revelation 12:7-12
This is where we receive our warning in Scripture. ** Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea!
For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.
Revelation 12:12 NKJV
b. ** Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one
another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting
all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil
walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:5-8 NKJV
c. ** Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also
came among them.
And the LORD said to Satan, "From where do you come?" So Satan answered the LORD and said,
"From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it." Job 1:6-7 NKJV
d. ** And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great
thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be
according to their works. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 NKJV
e. ** Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from
God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because
you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father
you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
John 8:42-44 NKJV
f. Jesus said: ** Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath
nothing in me. John 14:30 KJV
g. ** Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, "O full of
all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease
perverting the straight ways of the Lord? Acts 13:9-10 NKJV
Before my re-birth in Christ, I knew the devil existed. I had some crazy idea that if I ever encountered him (first of all it would be in a physical sense) he would be red, dressed in black with a cape, demonic looking, have horns and be holding a pitchfork. Not sure where this crazy mental vision of him was seeded in my mind. But, considering that he is the father of lies, I can only imagine it was planted at a very young age and stuck like glue. Post re-birth in Christ - I completely understand how insanely ludicrous that mental picture is. The devil is real. He disguises himself as an angel of light. He is the prince of this world. ----> The one we're all originally born into. Not only is he real and the prince of this world, but he is mad and out for revenge. AND, he is not alone. A third of the angels fell with him. He's not going to and fro on this earth alone, he has helpers. Helpers in deceiving us and keeping us blinded from the truth. By default, since the fall discussed in Genesis Ch. 3, we are first born into this world servants of the devil. This became clear to me when I read Roman 5:12.
Our relationship/union with our Creator and Father was fractured and broken the moment Adam and Eve put their faith and trust into what the serpent led them to believe. Therefore, every human since has been separated from God since the day they were born as Romans 3:23 Scripture tells us that we all fall short of the glory of God. That very same Scripture goes on to tell us that the only way we are justified is by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. The only way for us to be reconciled back to God is through Christ. Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6 NKJV
Now I remember being 16 sitting in a church building and it was time for the alter call. I raised my hand and prayed a prayer. I went to the front and stood while the congregation clapped. A few weeks later I was water baptized. Then, I exited those church doors to, at best, open my Bible once every couple of years. All the while, believing what I had been told - that I was saved. Now I'm here to tell you from personal experience, I was lied to. I believed what that pastor told me. I believed I was saved. Yeah, I believed I was saved from hell. But the truth of the matter is...that was just another lie from the devil. Not one time have I yet read in the Bible that raising your hand and praying a prayer saves you. Not once. Not one time have I read that going to a building called a "church" saves you. Not once. What I have read is God's desire for us to TRUST and BELIEVE in His Son, Jesus Christ! Not ourselves, not what someone who attended seminary tells us once a week in a building called church, not ANY man. But, do we truly trust and believe what He tells us in His word? The thing is, there is only one way to have assurance of your salvation. That is to know His Word, Believe His Word, and Trust His Word. I knew what the world told me to be "saved" was, but it looked nothing like what God tells me in His Scriptures. God is on a mission and He has invited us to come along and join Him. Please, don't trust me, rather read your Bible and let the Holy Spirit open your eyes and heart to hear God speaking to you.
The more I read my Bible and embrace the new life He has gifted me, I experience Him teaching me and guiding me through His Spirit to live by faith for my eternal life. Clearly my first 37 years of life were led by my works of the flesh and produced sins and behaviors that are explained in Galatians 5:19-21. But now, THANKS, GLORY and PRAISE be to God that my life now produces what is explained in Galatians 5:22-26. Now don't get me wrong, I still mess up. A LOT! But seeing as how He has transformed my heart and life not to be dependent on me any longer, but to be dependent on Him for absolutely everything, including forgiveness...I sleep much better at night as I rest in His love for me! Abba, I am yours!
One last Scripture to close with:
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:15-23 NKJV
I love you! But most importantly, Jesus Loves You!
Grace and Space to you and others, always, no matter what it looks like.
Love ~ Angie
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