Jesus Was Successful In Removing Us From All Evil

We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. Romans 6:6

Do you believe that people really know what our Father tells us here? Do they really know that their flesh is now ineffective for evil? Do people really know that they are no longer slaves to sin? I can tell you from my experiences is that most people do not believe this glorious Truth and they often times will aggressively attack it when it is told to them. But amen, it is the Truth. Jesus came and was sacrificed for all of our shortcomings. He was raised from the dead and His sacrificial work was far, far, greater then any evil work our flesh has done or will ever do! Jesus deprived sin, all sin, of any opportunity to take us away from Him. 

Jesus was successful in removing any law that could ever convict us of a sin, Romans 8:1-4, Romans 10:3-4, Galatians 2:16-21, and Galatians 3:10-14. Jesus came and was successful in implementing Grace and Grace is all undeserved and all unearned. Our righteousness is as filthy rags, Isaiah 64:6. Our best is sin. Even Jesus said that His Own flesh wasn’t good enough, Mark 10:18. So if Jesus’ flesh wasn’t good enough, how could ours be? Our Father knew who and how we were, so He gave a sacrifice and that sacrifice secured our eternal life with Him. There is no sin in Christ and we are now in Christ, John 17:23.

I was asked if this is true, why is there a Hell? That is a great question, why is there a Hell, if Christ now has all flesh and has given eternal life to all flesh, John 17:2?  There is a Hell because that is where our Father throws things that are to cease to be, Revelation 20:14. Once something is thrown into Hell, it ceases to be, it can never come back. Our Father will throw death and Hades and all that has to do with them into Hell, or the Lake of Fire, and they will forever cease to be. Our Father will throw satan and the fallen angels into Hell and they never come back, Revelation 19:20 and Revelation 20:10. There will also be at least one person thrown into the Lake of Fire, Matthew 22:13. Jesus tells us in John 17:12 that He has only lost one person that He has been given and that one person is Judas. There is a Hell, but no one is there yet, because Judgment Day has not yet occurred. Hell exists for our Father to end things.   

But amen, there are far less things ended then most of us believe. Because where sin abounds, grace much more abounds, Romans 5:20. Our Father is not so insecure that He will destroy people because they don’t believe Him. Actually the Truth is that we can only believe Him because He first empowers us to believe Him, 1 Corinthians 12:3. Grace tells us that people are still blessed even though they do not believe. We are told to bless those who curse us, Luke 6:28. We are told to feed our enemies, Romans 12:20, and we are told to always forgive, Matthew 18:22. This is how our Father is and this is how He is through us and He never changes, Hebrews 13:8. Grace saves us, not our works, thank God that is True!  

We Will Teach Those Who Come Against Us

Take note! I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie--behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet and learn and acknowledge that I have loved you. Revelation 3:9

One day the chosen ones will have those who have opposed us acknowledge that we were truly of God and that what our Father has spoken through is was right! Every true Christian will have this happen for them. Here is a great place to ask the question, when will the evil people of the world bow down before us and acknowledge that we were right? Because every time in the New Testament when one man bows to another we are told that it is wrong? Yet, Jesus clearly tells us that the wicked will bow down before us and acknowledge openly that we were right. 

This event has to happen after Jesus returns. Because when Jesus returns all of His chosen ones, whether we are alive or dead in Him, will be transformed to be just like Him. We are going to be changed from being men, to being just like Jesus. Men are not to bow down to each other, so we will become something other then men.

Beloved, we are [even here and] now God's children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be [hereafter], but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall [ as God's children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He [really] is. 1 John 3:2

The wicked will bow to us during the Millennial Reign of Christ and beyond. Notice that we are shown here in Revelation that when the wicked bow down to us that they are taught, not that they are punished or demeaned. We will rule as Jesus rules, by serving and loving those who we are empowered to rule over. This brings up another great Truth, how will the wicked learn if they are in Hell? Why would they learn that Jesus loved them if they were in Hell? In HEll people are separated from the presence of God, not brought near, 2 Thessalonians 1:9. 

I was always taught that the wicked are sent to Hell for all of eternity to live in anguish, torment, and fear. Yet Jesus tells us that the wicked will be around us and have to acknowledge and learn from us. The Truth is awesome and there is a ton of Truth concerning what Jesus spoke to the Church of Philadelphia. 

Jesus tells us in John 6:39 that He will not lose any that He has been given. He then tells us in John 17:2 that He has been given all flesh. Jesus is not going to lose the wicked. Grace will forgive them and they will learn the Truth that will set them free. The Bible tells us in Romans 10:14 that it takes an anointed preacher for people to hear the Truth that will set them free. We are those anointed preachers and our anointing is not just for this time, it is for all of eternity. The wicked will hear the Truth. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jesus as Lord, Romans 14:11. Our Groom will not lose anyone to Hell, except one, the son of perdition, Judas, John 17:12. The wicked will learn the Truth from us and they will be forever our guests, both the good and the bad will fill eternity, Matthew 22:10.   

Read The Book Of Revelation Out Loud

Who has testified to and vouched for all that he saw [in his visions], the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  Blessed (happy, to be envied) is the man who reads aloud [in the assemblies] the word of this prophecy; and blessed (happy, to be envied) are those who hear [it read] and who keep themselves true to the things which are written in it [heeding them and laying them to heart], for the time [for them to be fulfilled] is near. Revelation 1:2-3

Look at what Jesus tells John to tell us: there is a blessing in reading and there is a blessing in hearing the Book of Revelation read out loud with other believers. So go read it out loud to someone today! The Truth is that there is a blessing with reading and sowing all of our Father’s Word, for whatsoever thing a man soweth, that shall he reap, Galatians 6:7. But by sowing this Revelation of Jesus, we are told that there comes a special blessing. 

With that Truth in mind can you see why satan and the world have tried to make Revelation seem so difficult to understand. Can you see why the forces of darkness have tried to have people shy away from this Book of Truth? I know so many people who won’t even read Revelation and who actually believe that it cannot be understood. That is so wrong! Even if you think that you do not understand completely what Jesus tells us in Revelation, read it out loud anyway! Jesus tells us that there is a special blessing if we do. So read it to your kids, your spouse, a friend, a neighbor, a sibling, a parent, whoever, just read it out loud. 

The Truth set’s us free and the Truth is that this prophesy of our Lord is not hard to understand for the saved. It’s not hard for us because our Lord has empowered His chosen ones with the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit fully understands what our Father’s will is. The Holy Spirit is our strength and through His strength we are able to fully comprehend exactly what our Father is going to do during the last years of this earth. Nothing is hard for us, our yoke is easy and our burden is light, Matthew 11:30. Jesus has given us the very Holy Spirit of our Father, to insure that there is not one little piece of His Truth that will ever be a mystery to us. We are empowered to know the Book of Revelation in its entirety! The only thing of our Father that we are not permitted to know is the exact moment of Jesus’ return, Matthew 25:13. But even though we are not permitted to know the exact hour, we are empowered with the very knowledge of our Father to know the season that Jesus will return, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3. That is why we have been given this Revelation of our Lord and Savior! Jesus will come as a thief to the lost, but we are His Bride and we are empowered to ever be awake to our Father’s Truth. 

We are sealed until the day of our redemption. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). Ephesians 4:30.

No Evil Can Stand Against Us

And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4:39

The world claims to have powers and forces that no man can withstand: a tornado, a hurricane, a tsunami, an earthquake? We are constantly being told and shown the devastation of these events on TV and the internet. Who can stand against such things? Jesus can and He did! Our Lord’s might is able to tell the natural forces of this world to cease and they obey Him, and we are now strong in the power of His might. People say there are only two certain things in this world, death and taxes! Jesus overcame death and He paid His taxes miraculously! The Truth is that we do not have to stand against the evils and perils of this world, because Jesus stands against them through us. 

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for Me and thee. Matthew 17:27

The glorious Truth for us is that we are now strong in the power of Jesus’ Godly might that did all of these miraculous things! How great is that? Jesus was strong on the earth 2000 years ago and He is strong through us in the world today! So what about a fire, can Jesus walk through fire and not be harmed, of course He can and we are strong in the power of His might.

Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. Daniel 3:23-26

What about a parent who has harmed us, can the power of Jesus’ might allow us to forgive them for that wrong? Absolutely, we are strong in the power of Jesus’ forgiving might. Recessions, terrorism, hatred, sickness, fear, all of these are powers that hold absolutely no ability against Jesus, and we are now one with Him! We have the very presence and power of the Living God dwelling within us and we too are strong in the power of His might. The result of our oneness with Jesus is that earthly things have no abilities to harm us.

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17

There is no weapon: spirit, soul, or body, that can harm us. And this is our peace that passes all understanding, all things now work together for our good through the power of Jesus Christ! And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

We Are Able To Accept All That We Have Been Given

If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7

Jesus tells us that if we abide in Him and if we allow the Word of God to abide in us, then we will be able to ask what we will and it shall be done for us. Stop and think of the grandeur and glory of this Truth, "ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." This Truth is so powerful and so far beyond what is typically thought by religion, that without Jesus and our Father’s Word abiding in us and us abiding in Them, we would think that this verse was a misquote or mistranslation. But it’s not, and we haven’t been given a spirit of fear that will shy away from the Truth.

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

We have been strengthened with Christ and through the Anointing of God, we are able to know and accept all that Jesus has provided for us. And we are able to have peace and joy in believing and accepting it, as we abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit that is within us!

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Romans 15:13

We know the Truth and the Truth that has set us free is that we are now one with God. Just as our hearts are one with our bodies, just as our hands, and eyes, and ears are one with our bodies, through Christ we too are now one with God. We are now members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bone, Ephesians 5:30! So ask yourself this, how does the heart know what to ask for? How does our hands, or legs, know what to ask for? They know what to ask for because the brain tells them what to ask for and we now have the mind of Christ that empowers us to ask and not ask amiss.

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2;16

We cannot help but to abide in Christ, because we have now been made alive together with Him. We cannot help but to abide in the Word of God, because Jesus is the Word, and we are now one with Him! We have been given the fullness of God and it is the Father within us, He does all of the works, even empowering us to ask! Today is the Day of our Salvation, and now is our appointed time in Christ! So today our Father will use us to ask His will and He will empower us to believe that He is able and that He is willing to use us to serve a dying world.

We Are Glorified So That We May Gloryify

When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify and exalt and honor and magnify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify and extol and honor and magnify You. John 17:1

Our prayers should resemble this one of Jesus’, because the only way that we will ever be able to boldly glorify and testify of our Father on this earth, is by Him glorifying us with Himself as He does what is needed through us.

That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. John 17:21

Now here is the great Truth about this prayer request, it’s already answered for us! It’s answered for us because we now have the power of our Father within us through our baptism with His Holy Spirit. We now have the exact Spirit of God, not a Spirit that is like God’s, but His actual Spirit within us, Who is teaching us all things, Who is strengthening us in the power of God’s might, and Who is causing us to know Who our Father is and who we are in Him.

Think about it, we actually now are one with God’s Spirit, He now abides within us! We now have the exact same glory that Jesus has to be used to magnify and exalt and honor our Father. We now have the same power that Jesus has to seek first the Kingdom of God and to ever live to serve the world with perfect Love. We are as God is, even while we are on this earth, because we now have God’s Spirit, and He is, as He is, through us even while we are on this earth! Through the glorious power of Christ we are now one with God, even as Jesus is One with God. We are now able to be used to serve the Kingdom as our Lord and Savior Jesus is used to serve the Kingdom! The weak have been made strong in the power of God’s glorious might! We have been glorified with the fullness of our Father so that the world may be able to believe that Jesus is the Christ. We have been glorified so that we may glorify.

We are blessed this day, even the least of us is blessed, with the absolute eternal and omnipotent glory of God!

Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew 11:11

The Power Of Our Glory In Christ

All [things that are] Mine are Yours, and all [things that are] Yours belong to Me; and I am glorified in (through) them. [They have done Me honor; in them My glory is achieved.] John 17:10

I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: John 17:22

Jesus being glorified through us is what will end terrorism. Jesus’ glory within us is what will cure cancer, stop abortion, defeat divorce, end violence, and bring about Godly change within all of our world! The fruit of Godly love, peace, joy, faith, hope, and patience, produced by our being one with our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is the fruit that brings glory! 

Too many Christians believe that this power of God working through us can only happen when it all ends and Jesus comes back for us. But the Truth that has set us free is this: the power of Christ has actually made us one with God already and the power of Christ has strengthened us so that He can now do all things through us! Jesus teaches us in John 17:21 that through our oneness with God, is how the world will believe and be saved. Heaven and earth will pass away but the Truth that we are now one with God and that we are now as Jesus is will never pass away. No weapon formed against this Truth will ever prosper! The power of this Truth is at work in each and every born again child of God right now.

In Ephesians 5 our Father talks about the glorious church that Jesus is coming back for, a church without spot, wrinkle, or blemish. That is a church that Jesus is being fully glorified in, and that is the church for right now, for now is the accepted time and today is the day of our salvation! In John 14:12 Jesus talks about our Father doing the works through us that He did through Him, and that God will do even greater works through us than He did through Him. This is a Godly Truth for right now and it brings glory to Jesus. Through the power of Christ we will be used by our Father as Jesus is used by Him. We will be used because we are now one with Jesus and that makes us one with God! We are the body of Christ, so we will be used and act like the body we are one with and that body is God’s Body! Through Christ we are one with God as Jesus is One with God and the world will believe and be set free from the power of darkness and they will be transformed into the Light, as Jesus is in the Light! We don’t just have access to God’s love, faith, joy, peace, hope, power, and glory, through Christ we are one with them! 

We Are Anointed To Know Christ Is In Us

But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do]. 1 John 2:27

Jesus was absolutely confident in Who He was 2000 years ago when He walked the earth as a man. He knew that He was the Christ. He was absolutely confident that He was sent to be sacrificed and that it was the will of our Father that He would be crucified. Jesus was absolutely confident that when He told Lazarus to rise from the dead that he would. He was confident that the water would become wine, that the demons would flee, that the sick would be healed, and that a couple of fish and some bread would feed thousands of hungry people. Jesus was absolutely confident because He was one with God. Jesus was confident because the Anointing of God was upon Him, and He was confident because He was permanently abiding and One with God’s Anointing! 

And A-men, we now have the exact same Anointing upon us. We now abide in the exact same anointing that Jesus abides in, and we now are one with the exact same Anointing that Jesus is one with! We now have the mind of Christ. God is now strong in us through Christ Who strengthens us. We are now more than conquerors through the Anointing that Jesus has given to us. 

Read how our the Anointing had Paul speak, how it had Peter speak, how it had John speak, and really read how Jesus spoke, and then you will see how we too have been empowered to speak! We have the same power within us that all of these men had and Jesus is every bit as alive within us as He was in Himself! Now stop and really take hold of that Truth: Jesus is as alive in us, just as He was back some 2000 years ago in His Own flesh. He is the same, He never changes! The way Jesus acted back then, is the way He is acting today, in complete confidence and boldness of Who God is and Who we are in Him! There is no lie in our Anointing from God, our Anointing from Him never leaves us or forsakes us, and our Anointing from God teaches us all things! As Jesus is, so are we in this world! And we can know God and His Anointing just as our Lord and Savior knows God and His Anointing!

Jesus' Blood Makes Us Bright And Clean

But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were [so] far away, through (by, in) the blood of Christ have been brought near. Ephesians 2:13

And this is the message [the message of promise] which we have heard from Him and now are reporting to you: God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him at all [no, not in any way]. 1 John 1:5

At that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that I am in My Father, and you [are] in Me, and I [am] in you. John 14:20

We are now light because of the power of Jesus’ Blood. Before we  were empowered by the Holy Spirit to know that we were accepted by Jesus we were far away, but now through the eternal power of our Lords Blood, shed on the Cross, we are nigh Him. Which means we are united and one with our Father as Jesus is united and one with our Father, John 17:23. We are now members of Jesus’ body, we are now His Temple, and we are now the branches of His Vine! When Jesus talks about us it is always as unified and one with Him. Jesus is a hands on Savior and He never will leave us or forsake us! With Jesus we are never in the dark, we are always able to see clearly through the faith that He Author’s and Finishes for us!

He went once for all into the [Holy of] Holies [of heaven], not by virtue of the blood of goats and calves [by which to make reconciliation between God and man], but His own blood, having found and secured a complete redemption (an everlasting release for us). For if [the mere] sprinkling of unholy and defiled persons with blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a burnt heifer is sufficient for the purification of the body, How much more surely shall the blood of Christ, Who by virtue of [His] eternal Spirit [His own preexistent divine personality] has offered Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to God, purify our consciences from dead works and lifeless observances to serve the [ever] living God? Hebrews 9:12-14

Jesus has brought us into His Light and His Light continually and eternally drives out the all darkness from us!

What Being Part Of Jesus Means For Us

For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones. Ephesians 5:30

Our Father has proclaimed that through Christ we are now cleansed from all sin, because the Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior cleanses us from all sin. 

But if we [really] are living and walking in the Light, as He [Himself] is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses (removes) us from all sin and guilt [keeps us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations]. 1 John 1:7 

All is all! Through Christ we are clean and all darkness has been removed from us! Now take a minute and actually think of us as being the body of Christ. First let’s consider sickness. Can Jesus be sick? No! Whose body are we? Can Jesus fear? No! Whose body are we? Can Jesus fail? No! Whose body are we,whose heart has been placed within us, whose love do we now walk in? Does Jesus ever question what God wants Him to do? No! Whose mind do we now have? We are no longer on our own, we have been grafted into the Vine of Jesus Christ and He will never leave us or forsake us! 

Faith comes from hearing the Truth and the Truth sets us free from fear and the torment of it! The Truth gives us peace that passes all understanding and joy that remains stable and fixed regardless of what is going on around us! The Truth allows us to walk by faith Authored and Finished by Jesus and not by sight! Greater is He that is within us than anything and anybody that is in the world! Whatever Jesus is, we have become one with, we are now members of His body! How Jesus is, so are we even while on this earth, 1 John 4:17. There is absolutely no weapon that has been formed that can prosper against Jesus, and we are now one with the Invincible One! Today is the Day of our great salvation in Christ and we cannot help but to be blessed and prosper in it!

By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. 2 Peter 4

Happy Easter

I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very [a]Self, and I will continue to make [You] known, that the love which You have bestowed upon Me may be in them [felt in their hearts] and that I [Myself] may be in them. John 17:26

For the last several days we have studied why Jesus came and allowed Himself to be sacrificed. John 17:26 sums all of the reasons up in one verse. Jesus sacrificed Himself so that He could always be in us and so that we could always have His Love.

And you shall love the Lord your God out of and with your whole heart and out of and with all your soul (your life) and out of and with all your mind (with your faculty of thought and your moral understanding) and out of and with all your strength. This is the first and principal commandment. The second is like it and is this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31

There is really only one commandment any longer and it is Love, because Love covers a multitude of sins, 1 Peter 4:8. Jesus was raised from the dead to live within us so that we could Love. He lives so that we can now bless those who curse us. So that we can pray for those who despitefully use us. So that we can intercede for those who hate us. So that we can forgive those who wrong us, even if they do it thousands of times. Because Jesus now lives within us we can forgive those who lie about us, who beat us, and even those who kill us. This is why Jesus sacrificed Himself so that we could Love as He Loves. Our love no longer depends on others loving us back. Our Love no longer is based on actions, it is based on Grace. So our Love is always just freely given to all. 

There is no fear in Love and Jesus’ perfect Love has casted all fear our from us, 1 John 4:18. We now have the Holy Spirit within us plainly showing us things to come. He gives us peace that our Father is Great within us. He gives us the strength, the courage, the hope, faith, and wisdom that all things work out for good. Jesus came so that we could have and enjoy the exact same abundant and glorious life that He has. This is why there is Easter. 

Why Is There An Easter Part VI

That they all may be one, [just] as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe and be convinced that You have sent Me. I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me, that they may be one [even] as We are one: I in them and You in Me, in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me. John 17:21-23

To me these are probably the greatest three verses in the Bible. They explain exactly what Jesus came for and the complete and total power of His offering. They plainly show us that Jesus was going to allow Himself to be crucified so that we could now be one with our Father just like He is One with our Father. They tell us that He allowed Himself to be crucified so that we could have and share His exact same glory and they show us that Jesus allowed Himself to be sacrificed so that we could be perfectly united with God and each other. Jesus tells us that these things and this perfect unity are what would allow the world to know that they are loved by God. 

We will spend an eternity with our Father, but the power of our salvation is not reserved for the future, the power of our salvation is for right now. Also, our salvation and its benefits are not reserved just for us. Our Father has allowed us to become one with Him so that we could serve the world. We have been granted the privilege of serving. Jesus tells us that to be great, we must become a servant.

Not so shall it be among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, Matthew 20:26

Jesus is the Greatest Servant. He now ever lives to serve us so that we may be saved to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25, and we are now perfectly united with Him. He is now our Head and we are His body Jesus is now our Vine and we are His branches. We are now perfectly united and one with the Perfect Servant, so because of Jesus, we are now great. Jesus came so that we could be used to serve all, the saved and the unsaved. This is the glory of our salvation. 

To only believe that He came so that we could go to Heaven is selfish. The True glory of why He did what He did was so that we could be used to help everyone around us. Jesus’ sacrifice permitted Him to make us one with Him so that we too could now live to ever intercede for others. We now are able to be used by God to forgive sins, heal the sick, raise the dead, and serve the world. The true meaning of Easter is not celebrating that Jesus was killed. It is celebrating why He allowed it to happen.

Why Is There An Easter Part V

Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. John 17:17

We discussed it already but Jesus went to the Cross so that it would be our Father’s responsibility to protect us and to keep us. It was such a big deal for Jesus that this was going to happen that He goes on and tells us again in greater detail that it is our Father’s responsibility to sanctify us. 

The Greek word for sanctified is, Hagiazo, Strong’s Concordance Number 37, it means: 

to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow to separate from profane things and dedicate to God

consecrate things to God

dedicate people to God

to purify

to cleanse externally

to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin

to purify internally by renewing of the soul

We go to Heaven, or a better term, we spend eternity with our Father, because He, not us, is responsible for our sanctification. Our Father is the One Who causes us to be dedicated to Him. He is the One being greater in us, then anything that is in this world. It is up to our Father to purify us and cleanse us. It is up to our Father to remove all guilt of sin from us and to renew our minds, our wills, and our emotions. 

So as we celebrate Easter I believe that we should be really thanking Jesus for allowing Himself to be sacrificed so that all of the burden of living a godly lifestyle is now on our Father and not on us. 

And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall heed My ordinances and do them. Ezekiel 36:27

Why Is There An Easter Part IV

And now I am coming to You; I say these things while I am still in the world, so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts]. John 17:13

Jesus went to the Cross so that we would have His joy. He allowed Himself to be crucified so that we could have complete and perfect joy, right now, on this earth. We don’t have to wait for this level of joy because today is the day of our salvation, 2 Corinthians 6:2, and because as He is, so are we in this world, 1 John 4:17. Jesus’ sacrifice has allowed us to experience His gladness. Our souls, which are our mind, our will, and our emotions, are now one with Jesus’ joy.

Jesus counted the Cross as a joy. Suffering did not deter Him, it invigorated Him.  The joy of serving others drove Jesus and we now have His joy within us. Jesus died on the Cross so that we could have full and complete joy in serving others. He died so that we could live to intercede for others and so that we could live to forgive others. All of the things that bring Jesus joy now abides in our thoughts, our wills, and our emotions. We are filled to the fullest measure with Jesus’ joy.

In verse 13 Jesus said that He had spoken what He had spoken so that we could have this complete and full joy. And what Jesus said was that our Father was now responsible for keeping us and that He lives to magnify God to us. Jesus had just spoken that we are now one with God as He is One with God. Jesus had spoken that He would now judge us. All of the reasons that we have studied as to why Jesus did what He did brings us full joy.

We no longer have to fear our Father. We have no fear of retribution or wrath. Jesus has delivered us from these things. We now stand in our Father’s glory through Grace, not works. Jesus’ sacrifice has allowed it. Easter is a celebration of us being able to have complete and full joy that we will be used to serve just as Jesus is used to serve.

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. John 14:12

Jesus; sacrifice has cast all fear from us. The Light has driven out the darkness. At Easter we celebrate the Truth that right now we have all of our Father. We celebrate that we do not have to wait until Heaven to be one with Him. Jesus came and He succeeded and now we have life and we have it abundantly. 

Why Is There An Easter Part III

And [now] I am no more in the world, but these are [still] in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep in Your Name [in the knowledge of Yourself] those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are one]. While I was with them, I kept and preserved them in Your Name ^]in the knowledge and worship of You]. Those You have given Me I guarded and protected, and not one of them has perished or is lost except the son of perdition [Judas Iscariot—the one who is now doomed to destruction, destined to be lost], that the Scripture might be fulfilled. John 17:11-12

Jesus went to the Cross so that our Father could now be the One Who keeps us. We no longer are on our own. We are now strong in the power of God’s might.

[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, Colossians 1:11

Because of what Jesus did for us we are now more than conquerors through Christ Who strengthens us. You see Jesus just didn't go to the Cross so that we could go to Heaven. He went to the Cross so that we could have everything that He has. He did it so that we could have intimacy with Him. He did it so that we could have life and have it abundantly.

Yet amid all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through Him Who loved us. Romans 8:37

We have Easter because Jesus loved us so much that He wanted to insure that we were kept. By Jesus allowing Himself to be sacrificed our Father now has the responsibility of keeping us and strengthening us. We are no longer responsible for ourselves. We are now kept by the Creator of all things. Our Father cannot be defeated and He now keeps us and He now strengthens us. Because of the sacrifice of the Cross we cannot fail and everything now works out for our good, Romans 8:28.

I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep and protect them from the evil one. John 17:15

We are now protected from satan and every weapon that has been formed against us. We are sealed with God Himself until the Day of Redemption, Ephesians 4:30. We are now filled with the fullest measure of God’s Divine presence, Ephesians 3:19. We can no longer boast about ourselves, Romans 3:2, but even more greatly, we can no longer condemn ourselves, Romans 8:1.  Jesus came to insure that we would make it. It is impossible for us to now be lost.

And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day. John 6:39

 

Why Is There An Easter Part II

And this is eternal life: [it means] to know (to perceive, recognize, become acquainted with, and understand) You, the only true and real God, and [likewise] to know Him, Jesus [as the] Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), Whom You have sent. John 17:3

Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified so that He could make our Father known to us. He did it so that He could magnify our Father to us. In verse 1 Jesus asked our Father to glorify Him so that He could in turn magnify our Father. The sacrifice of the Cross allows Jesus to clarify God to us. Because of what Jesus did on the Cross we no longer have to be in the dark about anything. 

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. John 16:13

The sacrifice of the Cross allowed Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to us and He now guides us in all Truth. The Spirit now announces and shows us things that are to come. He teaches us all things and He brings to our remembrance anything and everything that Jesus has ever said. 

But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you. John 14:26

There is an Easter because Jesus wanted to make sure that we personally know God. We have Easter so that we can go directly to our Father anytime and anywhere and we never have to fret about if we are good enough or if He wants us there.

And when that time comes, you will ask nothing of Me [you will need to ask Me no questions]. I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that My Father will grant you whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I Am]. John 16:23

Our Father’s ways are higher then man’s ways, this is the Truth. However, that doesn’t mean for a second that our Father wants His ways hidden from us. The Cross allowed our Father to insure that He could be fully understood and known by us. This is another reason that Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified and this is another reason that we have Easter.

Why Is There An Easter Part I

When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify and exalt and honor and magnify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify and extol and honor and magnify You. [Just as] You have granted Him power and authority over all flesh (all humankind), [now glorify Him] so that He may give eternal life to all whom You have given Him. John 17:1-2

This week let’s study why there is an Easter. Why did our Father have Jesus do it? Years ago I took a friend of mine, who is an Atheist, to see The Passion of Christ. After the movie was over I asked him what he thought of it. He told me that it was gruesome enough, but then he asked me why Jesus did it. The Holy Spirit had him ask that question I am sure. Our Father showed me then that a ton of people really have no idea why Jesus came and did what He did. Far too often we assume that they know, but they really don’t. So this week let’s study John 17 together. It is a great Chapter in the Bible to explain why Jesus did it all and why there is an Easter. 

The first reason that Jesus came was so that He could glorify our Father. Jesus glorifies God by being glorified by God. Our Father allowed Jesus to be sacrificed so that Jesus could then have power over all flesh. Look at what Jesus tells us in verse 2: He has been given power and authority over all flesh. Jesus just doesn’t have control and authority over believers, He has power and authority over all men.

Even the Father judges no one, for He has given all judgment (the last judgment and the whole business of judging) entirely into the hands of the Son, John 5:22

Jesus alone is now in charge of judging all flesh, both believers and non-believers. The sacrifice that He made on the Cross has allowed Him this privilege. Now here is a really powerful thing to consider with this Truth, Jesus never changes in the way He does things.

Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages). Hebrews 13:8

So Jesus will judge in the future as He has judged in the past.

And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots for them. Luke 23:34

Jesus forgave these people here in Luke as He was on the Cross. The very people who had tortured Him, lied about Him, drove thorns into His head, and mocked Him were forgiven. They did not ask to be forgiven and they did not believe that they needed forgiven, those things did not matter though. Our peace that passes all understanding is that Jesus will be the same on Judgment Day as He was 2000 years ago. Jesus allowed Himself to be killed, John 10:15, so that He could judge all men. And we can see that Jesus is a very forgiving Judge. There is an Easter so that Jesus can give eternal life, or eternal forgiveness, to all that He has been given and He has been given all! That's the beauty of Easter and that is why we celebrate it.

God Keeps Us From Falling

Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall. 2 Peter 1:10

Ask yourself this question; do you have the hope that you will never fall? Is never failing to high of a standard; is it too much pie in the sky? Well we can see what our Father has to say about it here in 2 Peter. God shows us that there is a way for us to never fall, and that way is Christ in us, doing the works. Faith is the evidence of things hoped for; true godly faith is only Authored and Finished by Jesus. So if you don’t think a life without falling is within our capabilities, then ask God to show you what He was talking about through Peter. Through the Truth you will see that being victorious 100% of the time is totally available to us and Jesus’ yoke is not harsh, it is easy to be borne! Through Christ we are now one with our Father and He is more than able and willing to do all things righteously through us! The Truth that sets us free is that we are one with God and the power of not falling is on God, and not on His body parts! When we look towards our Father and towards His power it is easy to believe that He can keep us, just as He keeps Himself. The revelation here is on our unity and oneness with God. Faith comes from hearing this Truth and this Truth sets us free!

Through the power of Jesus’ sacrifice we are now new creatures in Christ, and old things have passed away and all things have become new for us. 

I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in One; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me. John 17:23 

The power and glory of our perfection, the ability for us to never fall lies completely and totally with Jesus.  He alone is our High Priest Who ever lives to intercede for us so that we may be saved to the uttermost. Jesus has rescued us from our weak humanity and He has delivered us into the strong place of being one with our Father as He is One with our Father! Jesus is that great and through His power we shall never fall and through Jesus our election is sure! Through Jesus we will sow the Word from the roof tops. We will intercede for all. We will serve a world that so desperately needs served. 

The World Sees Jesus Through Us

Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father [cause us to see the Father—that is all we ask]; then we shall be satisfied. Jesus replied, Have I been with all of you for so long a time, and do you not recognize and know Me yet, Philip? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. How can you say then, Show us the Father? John 14 8:9

Jesus answered Phillip’s question by saying that if you have seen Him, then you have seen the Father. Now how awesome would it be to have someone ask us to show them Jesus, and our answer be, if you have seen us, then you have seen Jesus. To think this way is not wrong and according to the Truth it should be our earnest desire. If we are crucified with Christ, if we are new creatures in Christ, if we are members of His body, and if we are now one with Him, all of which are Truths that we have studied in the Word, then when people see us, they see the One Who we are one with. If our Father inspired all of these scriptures, and He is not a man that He should lie, then why can’t we say the exact same thing that Jesus said, because according to the Word of God it is actually the case? 

Think about it, being ashamed in nothing, having no fault, perfectly and completely united with Jesus. These things are what the Word teaches us that we are because of Christ. These Truth's should be our hope and our desire. There are no scriptures that tell us that these things cannot be. The power of the Holy Spirit within us strengthens us to abound in the hope of who we are in Christ, so that Christ may be magnified through us! Think about a magnifying glass, people don’t look at the instrument; they look at what the instrument is enlarging! This is the same Truth for us, people see Jesus magnified through us. They no longer just read about Him, they can actually see Him! And when people see the Truth they are set free. The dead are raised, the lame walk, the blind see, the unsaved are born again, there is forgiveness, and faith, hope, and love abound! Through Christ and our oneness with Him, we are now as Jesus is, even while we are this earth! 

The Kingdom of God is now abundantly in us and it will do more then we can ask, think of, pray for, or dream of through us. The Blood of Jesus allows the fullest measure of our Father's Divine presence to be within us. It never leaves us or forsakes us. It is always being greater in us then anything that is in the world. 

For although I am free in every way from anyone's control, I have made myself a bond servant to everyone, so that I might gain the more [for Christ]. 1 Corinthians 9:19

The Kingdom Of Heaven Is In Us

Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed or with visible display, Nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there! For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]. Luke 17:21-21

The Kingdom of our Father is in us right now. Today is the day of our salvation and now is our accepted time, 2 Corinthians 6:2.

And Jesus said to them, Truly and solemnly I say to you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death before they see the kingdom of God come in [its] power. Mark 9:1

All of the Apostles who Jesus was talking to here in Mark have died. So the Kingdom of God has had to have come to be within us and it did. It came when the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell in us. We have now been filled with the very presence and power of our Father. We have been sealed with the Kingdom of God and we are secure in it until the day of our redemption, Ephesians 4:30.

Our Kingdom is not a city, it’s not a place; our Kingdom is not something that can be seen with our physical eyes. Yet our Kingdom fills us and surrounds us. The Kingdom of our Father is power, it’s energy, and it never leaves us or forsakes us. Our Kingdom teaches us all things. It brings us peace that passes all understanding. Our Kingdom allows us to be used to serve all, whether they acknowledge who and what we are or not. Our Kingdom flows from us as rivers of living water, John 7:38.  

For the kingdom of God consists of and is based on not talk but power (moral power and excellence of soul). 1 Corinthians 4:20

[After all] the kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink [one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17