Glorious Ahead of You

Glorious Ahead of You

by Edwin Koh Boon Leng

15/10/12

7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. (2 Cor 3:7-9) 

Blessings, callings and talents though irrevocable does not mature a person. Lets read Psalms 106...we will get a picture for the need of God stating His standards - the Law. 

They soon forgot His works; 

They did not wait for His counsel, 

But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, 

And tested God in the desert. 

And He gave them their request, 

But sent leanness into their soul. (Psalms 106:13-15) 

God had promised and have been providing the needs of the people. Manna in the morning and at twilight, meat (Ex 16:18,12,31). God had been providing without fail and without compromise. For 40 years no complain. However the people's complain came when there's a change of address...a move from one place to another..Their cry was for water (Ex 17:1). Has God been providing meat ? YES. 

But the people complained and cried out for meat, meat just like they had in Egypt ! So God in disgusts sent so much meat for a whole month that had too much of it. After that God struck them down ! 

Many people look at the anger of God and say God is unjust...how many fail to see the meaness and ungratefulness of the people ! ?

As you can see, blessings changes not a man. That's why God sent leanness into man's heart. Leanness is a servant to aid us to come back to truth. Man need to acknowledge God in His heart not just as God but as Lord and recognise it is God who sustains us.

Often time we reject truth and life in God because we do not look into the Word but we depend entirely on another person's version of it. We go from conference to conference, from church to church from versions to versions...and our walk with God is half baked and we are locked in bondage because we receive not the truth that sets us free but we receive commentaries and slogans and we base our lives on them ! 

1. What Grace Is? 

People think Grace makes a man weak and lazy. Grace cheapens what God has done on the cross. First and foremost, grace is not a theology but its the person of Jesus Christ. We have grace because Sin has been judged and condemned. The requirements of the law to give us righteousness came at a price. That price is Jesus Christ - God's only Son on who bore our sins upon Himself because love for us drove Him there...We have grace, because of Jesus Christ. Grace is God's attitude towards us (Jer 29:11)

2. The Law is Not Bad, It Has a Purpose

God set the LAW as a standard as a tutor (Gal 3:24-25). The Law does not cancel out grace because that was not its intended purpose. Grace does not cancel out the Law either. The purpose of the Law is to "confine us all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe" (Gal 3:22). After faith had come, we are no longer under a tutor (Gal 3:25). Without the Law-which is God given- we won't know our need for a Saviour. Without knowing we trangress God and having no way to have life in it, we won't wake up from our drunken stupor ...drunk with sin and rebellion. Without the leanness in our hearts, we won't cry out for WATER !...LIVING WATER ! 

3. WHAT IS SIN ? 

Sin (Rom 1:28) basically is creation rejecting the creator and the creation wanting to play Creator. Man wanting to be god or like god ! Which can never be. 

4. MORE GLORIOUS 

Without Christ, we are condemned and guilt ridden. Without any way to change and transform. Without Christ there is no possibility of man discovering hope and life again. The price of our sin is unpaid and a warrant is out for our arrests...to be paid when we die. No wonder many people fear death.

Now in knowing this, God sent His only begotten Son to pay our price. To receive our punishment in our place. To fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law. The Law brings death...but in Jesus Christ our redeemer, we have life and life abundantly. His blood that (Heb 9:22) was shed for us, is redemption magnified. 

As Scripture says, when righteousness by faith comes, there's no need for a tutor anymore. Now going back to the original scripture above...if the ministry of condemnation had glory (the law), the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more (the covenant sealed by the blood of Christ). For what is passing away was glorious ( the Law), what remains is much more glorious (our salvation in Christ). 

So salvation is like arriving at the interchange between judgment and redemption. In Redemption thru repentance a new form of life beckons (Gal 2:20-21)..a life lived by the laws of faith. How does faith come ? by hearing (Rom 10:17). You can only hear when you are in Christ. And in Christ...the Holy Spirit brings us forward from glory to glory. ..the ministry of grace is the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Gal 3:8)..the ministry of the Holy Spirit  (Heb 12:28) is governed by the laws of faith. ..sealed by the precious blood of Christ..Jesus did all this because He loved us first. 

So the grace does not set aside the law..but is the fulfillment of the law..Grace is given to us in Jesus Christ...Grace is Jesus Christ personified ! 

With Christ in us, the leaness goes when we acknowledge and walk in Him. Lets welcome the fatness of His life and blessings into our lives. Glorious is ahead of you because Jesus is Jehovah Shammah, He is already there. So have boldness knowing there is no condemnation anymore. In the light of Christ, a prostitute who already accepted judgment and condemnation was what she would receive (John 8), found forgiveness and the turning point in her life. In the light of Christ, many have been healed, released and delivered with immediate results. Why wait anymore ? Jesus is here right now.

With this knowledge, Lets come to Christ boldly.

Why Do I Still Need To Ask ?

WHY DO I STILL NEED TO ASK ?

Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Mt 6:8)

I used to struggle alot in prayer because I used to worry soooo much. I would think why God made prayer so difficult that I have to mention every single item in random that I need His help?

It used to wear me out. Not God but Christian demands and methods. 

Thank God, He has brought me into His rest..Jesus is my rest. He is my righteousness. Many many times in my life, He has brought much blessings and breakthroughs and stuff into my life...even without me asking. 

So many times He has led me to places and to people to enjoy till my hearts delight. I've come to realised, my daddy God knows my every single desire in my heart. He is Father isn't He.

 

So in the verse above it starts off by telling us to ,"DO NOT BE LIKE THEM..." Scripture is not words on a page by living and breathing revealing God with every single breathe. Scriptures are spirit and life.  So when Jesus tells us to not be like them ? We need to read the verses before this. To not be like them...them refers to the people who pray pray pray for all the wrong reasons with all the wrong attitudes.

Here Jesus tells us, the one you are talking with is PAPA in heaven. Papa knows what you need even before you ask him..PAPA KNOWS ! 

Rest in Him friends.

Luv Edwin Koh

11/10/11

Once Saved Always Saved ?

ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED ?

21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either. 22 Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. 

28 Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, 29 since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable. (Romans 11:21-22, 28-29)

In the passage in Romans 11, Paul deals with a group of people that are the apple of God's heart ...a people group that God chose to reveal His purpose and plans for humanity.

In this passage comes a very much quoted verse especially by those that preach that when you are saved you will always be saved. Is that so ? That verse is in Romans 11:29 - "since God's gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable". This must include salvation because in salvation lies the fundamental purpose of Jesus Christ in shedding His blood for us. That is to reconcile man to God by removing the curse of sin and death on our lives. 

Many say the proponents of the Grace Gospel...tend to cheapen what Christ has done on the Cross...and causes Christians to be lazy, complacent and greater sinners than before. This is so if we do not subject ourself to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Eventhough we have be brought out of the law of sin and death, there is another law at work in us...the law of faith. Now faith can only come when we can hear Him. If we continue in sin, sin is basically living a life where we think we are God. We choose not to acknowledge (Rom 1:28) God as God...we like the prodigal son, pack our bags as live as we like and how we like. Therefore we bear everything for our own survival ! that is sin. Now when we live without acknowledging God's lordship in our lives, faith has no place in us...without the entrance of God's word in us, the Holy Spirit has nothing to improve us with ! So grace is only grace when the Holy Spirit is LORD of us.

So what does salvation being irrevocable mean ?. Jesus going to the cross and giving His life for us...now that cannot be repeated nor deleted. Jesus came to give us life and life abundantly cannot be repeated nor deleted. In fact Jesus cried out on the cross "IT IS FINISHED !". In Hebrews 10, it says Jesus offered His life and He sat down !..When someone sits down after work is done..means work is done !

So Salvation and everything Jesus has done and is for us is irrevocable. When the prodigal son left His father's home, the Father's home was still standing. The Father was still in existent. The son CHOSED to leave. God will never leave you nor forsake you. Him in us is irrevocable.

And when we continue to be in the goodness and kindness of God, all that is Christ is yours ! Irrevocable. It is not Christ that will leave you...but salvation in us is lost when we choose not to belief and walk away from the Lord.

Otherwise salvation can never be lost. Keep walking in the Spirit and be governed by HIs word. 

Luv Edwin

8/10/12