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We say that faith was reckoned unto
Abraham as righteousness
Rm4:9 Sin will not have dominion over you because you are not under law but under grace. You do not serve under the written code but serve in the Spirit. Life in the Spirit is living by faith, that is to say, being justified by grace and not because you follow the law. People who are justified by faith are free. Life in the Spirit is a life that is free. There is joy, peace, and love. There is a merry heart, ease and flow. Life under law brings fear, judgment, sickness, anxiety, anger, wrath, malice, hatred, envy, and jealousy. It bears fruit unto death. Life in the Spirit bears fruit unto God. How do we get there? We get there by faith in Christ. He shed his blood, died on a cross, and was raised for our justification. If we believe in Jesus we are free from sin. We are free from law. We are free from death. The problem with the church is that many begin by faith but go back to the law. They think that they are justified because they go to church, pay their tithe, don’t drink alcohol, listen only to Christian music, and read only Christian literature. The fact is, we are not justified by anything we do. Not any of those religious activities brings life. What gives life is living in the Spirit, living by grace, living by faith, trusting in God, being free. No one under the law is free. They are in bondage. They are subject to sickness, condemnation, corruption, and death. Abraham became heir to the world because of his faith, believing the promise of God in spite of his circumstances. Rather than wavering, his faith grew stronger with time until the promise was fulfilled. The way we grow in the Spirit is by exercising faith, not trying to keep the law. If we put our faith in God, not in our good deeds, appropriate the promises of God, we will live and we will live in victory. Just as Abraham received the promised Spirit, the blessing of God, we too will get to the place that the devil cannot impose his will upon us and we will live in joy, peace, health, prosperity, and favor with God and man. Our prayers will become much more effective and we will bear fruit for God. If you are born of the Spirit and know God, let God direct your path. Let him free you from law by leading you to give up religious practices and begin to live in the Spirit. Only faith will get you there. When there is no thing that you do, that you can put your finger on, that makes you think you are justified, it is then that you are living by faith. Then the things that you do are only to bear fruit for the church not for your justification. People see it when you are living in the Spirit. It makes them light and happy and loved. When you live under the law, it makes people uncomfortable, judged, and condemned. The law is there to condemn. We are there to bring life. Live in the Spirit. Amen |