Romans 3:3-4 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
Regardless of that which any man says contrary to scripture, that does not change the scripture nor does it eliminate faith. We continue to confess what God says. Paul explains this justifies us in our sayings that when we are judged by God we can overcome.
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Romans 4:3 Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
God spoke to Abraham and told him what to do. Abraham believed it was God speaking and he believed what God told him, and he did what God instructed.
This is righteousness.
Believing scripture, believing that which God speaks by His Spirit.
Conforming to that scripture. Learning to turn to God with that scripture and from our heart asking God to help us to do that scripture.
I know I was born again this way:
God said to me, "Joan, you know all those mistakes you've been making all these years. Those weren't mistakes. Those were sins."
God said to me, "Joan, you know all those mistakes you've been making all these years. Those weren't mistakes. Those were sins."
I was very shocked! But I believed.
And I was changed instantly by God.
Through the years I still had to be reconstructed into the image of Christ many times. Each time we see a scripture and try to live that scripture, we are created into the image of Christ.
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Romans 4:9-11 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
At the time God spoke to Abraham and he believed, Abraham was uncircumcised. Abraham was to be the Father of all who believe.
After we believe, we are baptized in water in NT church. Some of us are baptized before we believe but this is by works not by faith. The real baptism is after we believe and by faith in God. It is a sign of obedience and is like the sign of circumcision. It says, "I belong to God. I am chosen by God."
When the minister lowered me into the water, the Holy Spirit said, "This is like being buried with Christ." It is a symbol of our death, death to our flesh, the death of "the old man".
When I was raised from the water, the Holy Spirit said, "This is like being raised with Christ."
At the time God spoke to Abraham and he believed, Abraham was uncircumcised. Abraham was to be the Father of all who believe.
After we believe, we are baptized in water in NT church. Some of us are baptized before we believe but this is by works not by faith. The real baptism is after we believe and by faith in God. It is a sign of obedience and is like the sign of circumcision. It says, "I belong to God. I am chosen by God."
When the minister lowered me into the water, the Holy Spirit said, "This is like being buried with Christ." It is a symbol of our death, death to our flesh, the death of "the old man".
When I was raised from the water, the Holy Spirit said, "This is like being raised with Christ."
Now there is a new creation, born of the Spirit of God. Formed to serve God.
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Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Sometimes we are called on to believe something that seems impossible. When that happens, we have to look at that which we believe God said and hold fast to that not allowing it to be reasoned away by our fleshly minds nor by other people. Those who hold fast will receive reward from God.
With Abraham there could be no hope that Sarah would have a child but that is what God said would happen. So Abraham believed God in spite of the way things looked to his mind and by the flesh.
This is faith and righteousness in believing God. That is what each of us must have and keep.
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Romans 4:20-21 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what HE had promised, HE was able also to perform.
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Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Jesus is "The Word."
When I think of Jesus, I think of "The Word".
John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by HIM; and without HIM was not any thing made that was made. In HIM was life; and the life was the light of men.
The Word is the light for all Christians, showing the way to live on this present earth.
Faith is in "The Word", thus in God. Without having faith in "The Word", the scriptures and the word delivered by the Holy Spirit, you cannot have faith.
You cannot separate the Word from Jesus. They are the same.
Therefore you cannot go against what the Word says and be justified by faith in not doing the Word.
There are church going people who hear the word and say, "But I know what I believe." and they cast aside the word to go in what they believe. They are following their own flesh when they do this and are antichrist, opposite from Christ, the Word.
There is much deception in this area today.
Cling to THE WORD.
II Tim. 3 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by HIS blood, we shall be saved from wrath through HIM.
HE is the Word. As we believe the Word and cling to the Word, confessing before men the Word, we put ourselves into a very good position.
We must hold fast to all scriptures, not just the parts of scripture that suit us.
If there is a portion of scripture that we are living against, doing opposite to, then we need to pray, asking God to help us change and do that instruction.
We have to really want to go in the way of God.
If you want to commit adultery, you will likely get to commit adultery. If you flee and call on God for help, HE will help you.
All sin is like that. If we want to hate, we hate. But when we do not want to hate and we call on God for help in the situation, God helps us.
I've never see a time God didn't help me when I've called on HIM.
Most Christians sin because they want to do that sin. They are carried away by their own flesh.
But if you don't want to do that sin, God has a way of escape for you.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Romans 5:17 much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
We reign in this life by Jesus Christ, the Word. When we have the Word on the issue at hand, we know the will of God and we know the way God wants us to deal with the issue. As we do things that way, according to the Word we have been given, we reign over the problem.
Thus Paul says:
Philippians 4:19 I can do all things through Christ (the Word) which strengtheneth me.
I know when I pray and hear a word from God, everything becomes very simple and my strength to do that word is that word.
Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into HIS death? Therefore we are buried with HIM by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The Word is the light for all Christians, showing the way to live on this present earth.
Faith is in "The Word", thus in God. Without having faith in "The Word", the scriptures and the word delivered by the Holy Spirit, you cannot have faith.
You cannot separate the Word from Jesus. They are the same.
Therefore you cannot go against what the Word says and be justified by faith in not doing the Word.
There are church going people who hear the word and say, "But I know what I believe." and they cast aside the word to go in what they believe. They are following their own flesh when they do this and are antichrist, opposite from Christ, the Word.
There is much deception in this area today.
Cling to THE WORD.
II Tim. 3 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
*****
Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by HIS blood, we shall be saved from wrath through HIM.
HE is the Word. As we believe the Word and cling to the Word, confessing before men the Word, we put ourselves into a very good position.
We must hold fast to all scriptures, not just the parts of scripture that suit us.
If there is a portion of scripture that we are living against, doing opposite to, then we need to pray, asking God to help us change and do that instruction.
We have to really want to go in the way of God.
If you want to commit adultery, you will likely get to commit adultery. If you flee and call on God for help, HE will help you.
All sin is like that. If we want to hate, we hate. But when we do not want to hate and we call on God for help in the situation, God helps us.
I've never see a time God didn't help me when I've called on HIM.
Most Christians sin because they want to do that sin. They are carried away by their own flesh.
But if you don't want to do that sin, God has a way of escape for you.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
*****
Romans 5:17 much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
We reign in this life by Jesus Christ, the Word. When we have the Word on the issue at hand, we know the will of God and we know the way God wants us to deal with the issue. As we do things that way, according to the Word we have been given, we reign over the problem.
Thus Paul says:
Philippians 4:19 I can do all things through Christ (the Word) which strengtheneth me.
I know when I pray and hear a word from God, everything becomes very simple and my strength to do that word is that word.
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Romans 6:3-4 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into HIS death? Therefore we are buried with HIM by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Before God revealed HIMSELF to us, how did we live? Were we continually thinking, "What does God want me to do about this?" Were we continually wondering what was right in the sight of God?
Isn't there a change now?
Now we walk in a completely different way of life than before.
(Why would you be reading this if you don't feel that way?)
We no longer serve ourselves, focusing on that which we want.
Now we are servants of God, asking what God wants, as a good servant watches his master and waits for the time he is to serve.
Do not think you can depart from The Word and go another way and serve God.
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Romans 6:6-8 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with HIM, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with HIM:
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Romans 6:12-13 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
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I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:
Romans 7:24-25 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.