Finally Free (240218) – Confronting with Truth

What a blessing it is to be able to fellowship again together!!  God is Faithful to His Promises!!  Yes, and Amen!!!

I really hope everyone is doing well as we are turning the corner on the phase in our lives.

 

A couple weeks ago we spoke about Religion Vs Relationship

 

Before we get into the word today, let’s,

Pray:

as believers, we say we love each other, but when we see another brother or sister, get off track, we should say something in love, and we should be in a position in our own lies, where you will receive it in love, especially when we know that we’re wrong.

Galatians 2:11-21 New Living Translation (NLT)

Paul Confronts Peter

11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong.

12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision.

13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles.

16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not!

18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down.

19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God.

20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

SUBJECT: Confronting with Truth!!!

Pray……

There is so much to unwrap with this today, but I will allow the Holy Spirit to have His way!! I have always been told a person who loves you will tell you the truth even when it hurts!!

Let’s start out with this: What does it mean to be Justified?

• It is said:

• In Christian theology, justification is God’s righteous act of removing the guilt and penalty of sin while, at the same time, declaring the ungodly to be righteous, through faith in Christ’s atoning sacrifice.

• Some Protestants believe faith apart from works justifies the sinner, based on the blood of Christ.

What do you believe?  I would love to hear from someone concerning this statement…

The blood of Jesus paid the price, period!!!

We see the First time we were even called Christians is in Acts 11:26

Acts 11:26 Expanded Bible (EXB)

26 And when he found Saul, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year Saul and Barnabas met with the church and taught many people there. In Antioch the followers [disciples] were called Christians for the first time [ highlighting that they were followers of Christ, and perhaps that they were no longer viewed as merely a sect within Judaism].

They were followers of Christ not a religion!!

Now let’s not misunderstand the word of God, Christ does not or ever have promoted Sin, He destroyed sin and the grave. Do you agree? Christ Promoted His Father’s agenda not His own!!

Please know, aside from Christ we can’t TRULY succeed in our own strength, not for the long term anyways.  We are technically the walking dead! All too often people in the church and even some out of the church have tried to live this walk with Christ by keeping the Law of the Old Testament.

WHAT IS THE LAW:

• The Law is Holy, the Law itself, cannot make us acceptable to God. Understand that the Law still has its important role in our lives as a Christian.

The Law

1. The Law provides guidance away from sin by providing standards of behavior.

2. Convicts us of sin and affords us the opportunity to repent and receive forgiveness from God.

3. Gives us confidence in the Blood of Jesus Christ knowing we could never keep the 10 Commandments perfectly.

4. The Law cannot possibly save us, but after repentance and surrender to Jesus Christ, it can guide us to live as God requires.

Paul was on assignment, his headquarters/base of operations was in Antioch. Although he was clearly on assignment from God, the Judaizer’s accused Paul of watering down the Gospel. Paul confronted/challenged them of avoiding and denying the truth of the Gospel, while they were adding conditions.  Children of God must realize that the Gospel never needs an addendum. It’s good all by itself!!!!

One of the greatest attributes about Paul, he understood and reverenced his personal encounter with Jesus Christ, as should we; he knew that it is and always will be about Salvation in the total surrender to Jesus both privately and publicly.

Salvation is through Christ alone; we should never allow ourselves to debate rather God’s word is the truth or not.  We should simply deliver the TRUTH and move on!!Just like the Mail Man!!

We as children of God are not perfect, nor should we ever try to keep the Law… We are to position ourselves in a place walking with Christ to strive to live as Christ lived!!

Think about it, Peter and the Judaizers were caught up on the fact of the Gentiles were eating a meal together and were uncircumcised.

The Judaizers were in a disagreement about the Gentile Christians who had the same right and access to a personal relationship with Jesus just as the Jews. Their concerns were misdirected.

Peter had gotten so caught up or sucking up to James who was the presiding leader of the Jerusalem Council. Peter had forgotten who he really was and his failure to humble himself was evident.

We too often lose ourselves, trying to believe everyone else, when God called us to be different!

Fortunately, Paul was not trying to hear it!! Peter appeared as he not trying to offend James and the Jewish leadership.

Paul confronted Peter for his actions of being conflicting to the Gospel. Peter joined the Judaizers by indirectly supporting their claim that Jesus Christ’s death was not sufficient for Salvation!! How could he have been a disciple and agree with anyone who believed that!!

Remember Peter preached on the day of Pentecost and THOUNDSANDS were saved yet here he is again getting caught up!! WE SEE NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM TEMTATION TO PLEASE MAN, BUT OUR FOCUS SHOULD ALWAYS BE TO PLEASE GOD!!

Fellow Christians don’t allow that spirit to come upon you, trying to impress your friends, family, coworkers, some CEO of a company or anyone else for that matter.  NEVER COMPRIMISE YOUR FAITH!!  Jesus is the only answer to Salvation!!! Peter a leader in a church was operating in blatant Hypocrisy, That Joker new better!!!

The Bible said that Peter was afraid of the criticism, maybe he also feared what the Jewish leadership would do to him, but he should have been more concerned about the wrath of God. Let’s not allow the status of someone else make you forget what Kingdom we belong too!!

Paul opposed of Peter’s actions publicly. He held him accountable, not the other leaders who did not know better. (THEY WERE BLINDED BY RELIGION, THEY DID NOT HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP) Paul did not send word to other churches to discredit Peter, but He dealt with the hypocrisy face to face.  There was no gossiping, back biting, nor talking behind anyone’s back. Straight Leader to Leader, not everyone can handle that!!

I believe Paul cared enough to confront this issue in love for Christ with the Truth.

God has given us each other to hold us accountable!  Both let’s remember once we turned away from our old ways we have been Sanctified through the Blood of Jesus Christ!!

Who is Sanctified?  What does that mean to you?

• Sanctification is one of those religious sounding words that people in the church use, but may not understand what it means.

• In its most basic sense, to sanctify something is to set it apart for God’s special use and purpose.

• Therefore, God’s people are sometimes said to be sanctified because they are set apart for God’s special purposes in the world:

Anyone listening has been set apart for God’s work?

Leviticus 20:7-8

7“Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy; for I am the LORD your God. 8Keep my statutes, and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”

Leviticus 20:7-8 (NLT)

7 So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God.

8 Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who makes you holy.

 

Again, who has been set apart and made holy?  Once we have become one with Christ, God has Sanctified us and made us Holy!!  I know that is a curse word in many churches: HOLY!!!

But seriously, let Sanctification take up resident in our lives. Unity took place once we died to ourselves and died to our old life. Crucified the fleshly desires and placed our focus on the Kingdom of God!! God has allowed our lives to be reconciled to Christ and we can now live the life He had ordained for us to live.

This word is a global impacting and changing word.  God’s word will change your life forever if you will allow it and not try to impress others to prove that you are all that and a bag of chips.  Jesus Christ is the only way the truth and the life.  The only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ!!

John 14:6

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Finally Free