Jesus Makes Us Pure

Perfected Righteousness

1 Minute Of truth: We Live In Jesus' Perfect Righteousness

1 Minute Of Truth: Hebrews 7:25

1 Minute of Truth: 1 Corinthians 1:5

1 Minute Of Truth: Romans 5:9

Righteousness Part II

May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized]. Philippians 1:11

Our righteousness only comes from Jesus and His righteousness brings praise and glory unto our Father. We have no ability on our own, or through our own strength to be faultless; yet for those of us who have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to accept Jesus as Lord, His Blood makes us faultless, Hebrews 13:2. Man has no ability on his own to be sinless, yet for those of us who have been chosen and born again, who have God’s Seed within us, and because of our Fathers power, we cannot sin, 1 John 3:9. Man apart from God cannot be upright and virtuous, but God has given us a new heart and has placed His Spirit within us, and He causes us to walk virtuously and uprightly in the power of His might, Ezekiel 36:26-30. Righteousness and all that it means can only be had by Jesus freely given it to us. We can’t will righteousness into our lives, we can’t even come close to accomplishing righteousness; our righteousness is as filthy rags.

Thank God that we are no longer required to operate in our own righteousness. Through Christ we are now filled with the complete and full power of our Saviors righteousness and since we are, it brings praise and glory unto our Father. If we were righteous on our own, if we conformed to God’s will through our own efforts, it would bring praise and glory to us, because we did it. But since we can’t do it, yet righteousness is still the measure of if someone is saved, it brings glory to our Father. Every bit as much as the Israelites had no ability to part the Red Sea and escape the Egyptian Army, yet it happened and they did escape, so it is with us regarding righteousness! We have escaped the death of sin, by the act of righteousness bestowed on us by God! Through Jesus the righteousness requirements of life have been fully met within us. 

So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met within us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit.] Romans 8:4

Let's Move To Perfection Part II

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." Hebrews 6:1-2

Look at what the Holy Spirit has Paul write to us: that faith towards our Father is considered to be a beginning principle of Christ. Our Father tells us to move on past this basic belief to perfection. Let’s move on past baptisms; let’s move on past the laying on of hands, and move past eternity? These principles are the main focuses of many churches today, and obviously they were over a thousand of years ago as well. But there is more and our Father wants us to go there and through the power of Christ He will take us.

Our Father is taking us to perfection through Jesus, plain and simple, Jesus is our example of perfection. So let’s consider Jesus, let’s move on towards His standard. The first thing to remember is our example of perfection repeatedly said that it was God within Him doing all of the works. The people talked about the miraculous works that Jesus did and He said that it was God within Him Who did the works. They called Jesus good, and He said none was good but God, Mark 10:18. Jesus, our example of perfection, was perfect because God made Him that way. Jesus never spoke of Himself as the Author of perfection. He also never spoke of His own efforts allowing Him to be perfect.

Jesus was perfect only because our Father made Him that way and God made Jesus perfect by making Him of Himself! The two were and are One! Now, who are we one with? Who are we born of? Whose body are we? Who gave us a new heart? Whose Spirit abides within us, and Whose mind do we now have? Whose seed are we born from? When we are born again, we were born just as Jesus was, of a woman and of God! Jesus is perfect because of God, and God loves us just as He loves Him! And through Christ we are now one with God, as Jesus is One with God.

Let;s Move To Perfection Part I

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith towards God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." Hebrews 6:1-2

Did our Father just say that we should leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ? Wow, can you imagine standing up in church today and saying let’s leave the doctrines of Christ and move on to perfection? I believe the congregation would pick up stones and bring to a swift end such heresy, or at least politely ask you to leave. Yet God had it written hundreds of years ago, and the real question is why? Stop and really think about it, why did the Holy Ghost have this written: that we should leave the principles of Christ?

Look at what our Father was saying here in Hebrews, they were continuing to lay the foundation of repentance from dead works. Now think of today’s churches. Most people don’t believe that we actually can walk without dead works. The do not have any hope for such greatness because the foundation of such power in Christ has never been laid, yet alone re-laid, so that it can be left. How many alter calls have you seen where the preacher goes beyond calling the lost to calling anyone who has fallen short that week? I was involved in a Bible Study where the preacher actually would start the studies with reading a verse, then follow it up by asking who failed at it. There is little to no hope to be found in most of religion that dead works can be done away with on this earth and perfection can be obtained. This is because religion focuses on us, not on Jesus; the One Who will bring perfection to us. When you are empowered by the Holy Spirit to look at Jesus, perfection is easily accepted, because the burden of perfection has been cast on the One Who it should be.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 J

Jesus is perfection and He ever lives to intercede for us so that we may be saved to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25. The Word of our Father teaches us that as Jesus is, so are we in this world, 1 John 4:17. Our Father tells us to consider ourselves to be dead to sin and alive to Him, just as Jesus is dead to sin and alive to Him, Romans 6:11. And our Father tells us that faith is the evidence of things hoped for, and that faith comes from hearing the Word. So we need to encourage each other with the Truth that sets us free and the Truth is that Jesus is our power of perfection. We serve God with Jesus’ abilities, not with our human ones. Faith is actually our Lord’s ability to believe, not ours, because Jesus is the Author and Finisher of our faith! Through Christ we can actually live without dead works and we can live as one in the full and complete power of our Father, just as Jesus does!

Perfection In Christ

And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:23-24

We have been born again through the power of Christ. Through the operation of God we have put on the new man that has been created just as the Alpha and Omega was created! The Beginning and the End, the Almighty, our Savior, Who is alive for evermore, has perfected us by allowing us to become one with Himself! Jesus lives within us and His voice thunders the Word of our Father through us as His brightness shines from within us!

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Matthew 5:14

We all say so casually that we are saved and that not a bad thing, it is a tremendous fact. But the Truth that sets us free is that what our salvation means for us is that we are now one with Jesus Himself! We have been created with the same righteousness that created Jesus and we are now new creatures in the same holiness that glorifies Jesus! The Light of Jesus has driven out the darkness of sin that was within us! The keys of death and Hell are now in our Saviors hands and He has used them to set us free from the torment that they deliver! Jesus has set us free from death and hell by raising us up together with Himself!

And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: Ephesians 2:6

Here is a great place to talk about the word Christ, which means the Anointing of God. We use the word Christ a lot as Christians; so let’s make sure that we know what it means. When we read Jesus Christ, it means Jesus the Anointed One. So with that in mind, we can accurately say: we have been baptized into the exact same Anointing as Jesus. The Truth is that we have put on the exact same Anointing that God used for Himself, when He came to the earth as a man! Take hold of that Truth, we have been given the exact same strength that God gave to Himself when He was here as a man! We are continually one with the exact same anointing that God gave to Jesus, so that He could work through Jesus! Our Father has freely given us His glory and the Holy Spirit has made us alive together with the Anointing of God! We can do nothing without the Anointing, yet with it, we have been strengthened, just as Jesus is strengthened, so that our Father can do everything through us. Our Father actually desires for us to be used by Him to do marvelous and miraculous things!

Herein is My Father glorified that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be My disciples. John 15:8

Jesus' Blood Sanctifies Us Wholly

Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate. Hebrews 13:12

The Blood of Jesus allows our Father 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

Because of the Blood of Christ we are now hallowed. We are now separated from profane things. We are now consecrated to God, we are now cleansed externally and internally, and we are now free from the guilt of sin! The Blood of our Lord and Savior, of our Friend, of our Head, our Shepherd Jesus, has made us all of these things. Jesus’ Blood has allowed our Father to perfect us. Jesus' Blood has allowed our Father to perform every good work through us and to do that which is pleasing to Him. We have been redeemed with the very Blood of God and His Blood is powerful stuff!

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot; 1 Peter 1:18-19

We Always Triumph

But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere, 2 Corinthians 2:14

The Truth is that we are always triumphant in Christ; there is never any question about it or any doubt about it! It is as an absolute Truth. It is every bit as much of a Truth as the Truth that Jesus is the Son of God! It’s an absolute, because our Father is willing and He is able to always cause us to always triumph! It doesn’t get any better than that! 

Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised. Romans 4:21

The Blood of Jesus, which was freely offered for us at the Cross, has opened up the freedom for our Father to be Who He is within our lives! Our Father always triumphs, and as He is so are we in this world, 1 John 4:17, so we always triumph! If we were to fail, it would mean that Jesus, our Shepherd, our Head, had failed. We are His body, we are one with Him, and the only reason we now are alive, is because it is Christ that is alive within us, Ephesians 5:30 and Galatians 2:20!

For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren;. Hebrews 2:11

We are one with Jesus, the One Whom God has sanctified and the One Whom our Father has set apart for His Holy use! Jesus was victorious over sin, He triumphed over it, and we are now united and one with Him! He is the Vine, He is our Shepherd, and He is our High Priest! He is not going to fail with us! If we are saved and baptized with the Holy Ghost, we will never fail! This is a bold statement I know, but if I were to believe for one second that we now could fail, it would mean that I believed that Jesus could fail! Jesus looks at us by faith and not by sight, even if we are messing up. The Truth for us is that Jesus will turn every bad situation around so that we will triumph! It’s actually not only us who are triumphing, it is God as well, we both triumph! Look at what our Father said, “He always causes us to triumph in Christ.” There are no maybes about it; our Father is not a man that He should lie, and He said that we will always triumph! It is finished, those eternal Words will always hold true for us!

So for the saved who were affected by Hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunami’s, dictators, war’s lies and terrorist attacks, they will triumph through Christ and the favor of our Father’s knowledge will be made known! The lost will see it and our Father will be glorified.

Our Father is having me write a daily devotional. He is having me look at several old post's and add things to them that He has shown me over the years. So I am sharing the new ones on this blog. If anyone has an older posting that you believe our Father wants in the devotional please let me know. 

Philippians 3:16-17

16 Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.

17 Brethren, together follow my example and observe those who live after the pattern we have set for you.

The pattern that Paul set for us was that the Holy Spirit was in complete control of his life. Paul wrote that he hadn’t come close to being what our Father was making him, but that it did not matter, because our Father would get him to where He wanted him to be. With that pattern in mind let’s look at some of the things that the Holy Spirit had Paul write throughout his life.

And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Paul’s example was that our Father sanctifies us. It is our Father’s responsibility to separate us from profane things. 

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God. Romans 8:14-16

We can see through Paul that the only reason that we call out to our Father is because the Holy Spirit causes us to call out to Him.

All things are legitimate [permissible—and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. 1 Corinthians 10:23

Paul also shows us that all things are legitimate for him, meaning that nothing will separate him from God. Paul shows us to stop fretting about messing up, because it will not separate us from our salvation. Paul tells us that our Father will sanctify us and that He will cause us to be who He wants us to be. Herein lies the Truth of our salvation: as long as we believe that we have to do these things, we will continue to do the things that we do not want to do. But when the Holy Spirit causes us to understand that our Father is separating us and sanctifying us, we will stop doing them. 

Amen we may fall short, but it in no way separates or hinders our Father’s power and love for us. 

Philippians 2:12-13

12 Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).

13 [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

I have a friend who told me that her pastor ended every sermon with verse 12. So I asked her if he ever went on to verse 13. She had no idea about verse 13. So for year after year the messages that she would hear ended with: work out your own salvation. Year after year the message left all of the burden on the people and not on the Lord. The pastor never gave the Truth that would set the listeners free. When the Holy Spirit had me share the Truth with her the freedom that He gave her was visible and she began to be set free from all of the fear of messing up. The Truth always sets us free! 

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

And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you]. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

The glorious Truth for us is that our Father sanctifies us through and through. Our Father works out our salvation for us. Now look at what the Holy Spirit tells us in 1 Thessalonians, that He not only causes our spirits to be pure and blameless, He causes our bodies to be holy and blameless as well. Our Father is faithful to do it and He is totally trustworthy. There is now absolutely no fear for us. We have won because our Father doesn’t fail. 

So when you hear that we have to work out our own salvation, rejoice, we don’t do it through our strength, our Father does for us and He does it through His Own glorious eternal strength and glory.  

Philippians 1:27

27 Only be sure as citizens so to conduct yourselves [that] your manner of life [will be] worthy of the good news (the Gospel) of Christ, so that whether I [do] come and see you or am absent, I may hear this of you: that you are standing firm in united spirit and purpose, striving side by side and contending with a single mind for the faith of the glad tidings (the Gospel).

Here is our great peace, Jesus will always keep us. He will cause us to walk in a manner worthy of the Good News. The Holy Spirit causes us to stand firm with a united spirit.

For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). 2 Peter 3

Now to Him Who is able to keep you without stumbling or slipping or falling, and to present [you] unblemished (blameless and faultless) before the presence of His glory in triumphant joy and exultation [with unspeakable, ecstatic delight]-- To the one only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory (splendor), majesty, might and dominion, and power and authority, before all time and now and forever (unto all the ages of eternity). Amen (so be it). Jude 24-25 

Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, That together you may [unanimously] with united hearts and one voice, praise and glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). Romans 15:5-6

We cannot help but be who our Father has destined for us to be. We can have perfect peace and confidence that Jesus will cause us to be victorious in all things. 

For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren. Romans 8:29

And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 1 Thessalonians 5:23

No worries for us, Jesus makes sure that we win! 

Galatians 6:6-8

6 Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his support].

7 Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.

What is so great about these verses is that our Father will cause us to sow exactly what we need to reap. We are His body and His flesh, Ephesians 5:30-32, so our Father is using us to sow what He needs to reap! I have heard this verse preached my whole life. The sermons however usually placed all of the responsibility on us and not on Jesus where it belongs. The Truth is that Jesus will lead us into the paths of righteousness for His Name’s Sake, Psalm 23:3. The Truth is that our Father provides our seed to be sown, 2 Corinthians 9:10. We can do nothing without Jesus first empowering us to do it, John 15:5. The clay cannot form itself. The branch cannot bear fruit by itself. The body cannot function without the head first directing it. Neither can we sow anything without our Father being the One Who provides it, directs it, and accomplishes it. 

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. Romans 8:28

8 For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

If we had to sow things on our own we would fail. If we would somehow first do it, then we would boast about how we did, and if we didn’t, then we would condemn ourselves and others for failing. This is why our Father gave us His Holy Spirit and He will not allow us to see decay. 

And He will establish you to the end [keep you steadfast, give you strength, and guarantee your vindication; He will be your warrant against all accusation or indictment so that you will be] guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 1 Corinthians 1:8

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Philippians 1:6

Galatians 6:5

5 For every person will have to bear (be equal to understanding and calmly receive) his own [little] load [of oppressive faults].

This verse ties right in with Romans 11:32.

For God has consigned (penned up) all men to disobedience, only that He may have mercy on them all [alike].

We were all created by God to have faults. None of us is perfect on his own. Even Jesus told that the people when He was here 2000 years ago that He wasn’t perfect. 

And Jesus said to him, Why do you call Me [essentially and perfectly morally] good? There is no one [essentially and perfectly morally] good—except God alone. Mark 10:18

So relax, you have shortcomings. Our Father created all of us to have them. Our imperfection in no way hinders our relationship with our Father. He has mercy on us all alike. We are perfect because of Jesus and what He has accomplished for us, not because of ourselves and our efforts, John 19:19-23.

But then Law came in, [only] to expand and increase the trespass [making it more apparent and exciting opposition]. But where sin increased and abounded, grace (God’s unmerited favor) has surpassed it and increased the more and superabounded, Romans 5:20

Now this Truth scares a lot of people. They believe that if we talk this way then people will just go and do whatever they want to. The problem with this fear is that it makes Jesus totally passive. It makes of Father reactionary to us instead of leading us. It is only when we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit to understand that our Father is always in control and that we can never do anything on our own, that He will actually stop us from doing the things that we call wrong. 

O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death? O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:24-25

Jesus Alone allows us to be delivered from ourselves and He is really good at it.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. [For all things originate with Him and come from Him; all things live through Him, and all things center in and tend to consummate and to end in Him.] To Him be glory forever! Amen (so be it). Romans 11:36

Galatians 5:19-21

19 Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,

    

20 Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),

    

21 Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

    

It is the Holy Spirit’s job to clean these works of the flesh out of us. We do not have the power, belief, will, or works to allow us to be righteous. Righteousness comes from free and undeserved Grace and only Grace makes us righteous. Our peace with all of this is that we are never left alone by the Holy Spirit for even a moment. Jesus never leaves us or forsakes us, Hebrews 13:5. Look how Paul wrote about our freedom in Christ.

All things are legitimate [permissible--and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life]. 1 Corinthians 10:23

What Paul is saying here in Corinthians is that we are no longer under the law of sin and death, Romans 8:2. Sin no longer separates the Bride from the Groom. Sin no longer has any strength over us, because the Blood of our Savior destroyed sins ability to effect us, Romans 8:3. So our works do not bring us closer or separate us from our Father. What Paul is also saying is that because we are now one with Jesus, we will not do all things. Just because we are free to do all, doesn’t mean that Jesus looses His control over His body. Jesus is still our Head in this freedom, He is still our Shepherd, still our Vine, still our Lord, and He is still in control.

When the Holy Spirit reveals this Truth to a person, the acts that used to be so feared by us no longer matter to us and then they finally stop. When people are empowered by the Holy Spirit to no longer look to themselves to not be impure, immoral, drunk, jealous, angry, selfish, or any other of these things, they finally stop committing them. But as long as we believe that we have to obey a law or do a work to find favor with our Father, these sinful things will continue. Man has no ability on His own or through His own efforts to stop sin, it has to be Jesus and His power working through us. 

FOR SINCE the Law has merely a rude outline (foreshadowing) of the good things to come--instead of fully expressing those things--it can never by offering the same sacrifices continually year after year make perfect those who approach [its altars]. Hebrews 10:1

If the work which any person has built on this Foundation [any product of his efforts whatever] survives [this test], he will get his reward. But if any person's work is burned up [under the test], he will suffer the loss [of it all, losing his reward], though he himself will be saved, but only as [one who has passed] through fire. 1 Corinthians 3:14-15.

It is the Holy Spirit’s job to cleanse us. He may do it while we are alive and in these bodies or He may do it when we no longer have these bodies. Either way, we will not be lost! How cool is this Truth? We may not all be the Bride of Christ, or own the Kingdom, but that doesn't mean for a second that there will not be tons and tons of guests in our Kingdom. 

Look at all of the ways that our Father describes His relationship to us: He is the Potter, the Gardener, the Shepherd, the Head, the Vine, the Lord, and Master. All of these descriptions show us that He is in control of us. The potter is responsible for what the clay becomes. The vine tells the branch what to produce and when to produce it. The gardener is responsible for the plant and its health. The shepherd protects and cares and leads the sheep. The head first directs and controls all body parts and the master is in control of the slaves. This is our freedom: God is responsible for our life’s! So we are able to actually relax, there is no fear in the perfect love of Jesus and He will not lose any of His chosen ones. In Christ we will be raised up on the last day! 

Galatians 1:4 Part II

4 Who gave (yielded) Himself up [to atone] for our sins [and to save and sanctify us], in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked age and world order, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father--

Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. John 15:4-5

For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice], So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit]. Romans 8:3-4

In Christ we are sanctified and every requirement of God’s Law, which is now only Love, is now fully met within us, because of the power of the Holy Spirit that now dwells within us.

I have made Your Name known to them and revealed Your character and Your very 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

The next great Truth of verse 4 is that Jesus has rescued us and He has delivered us from this present evil world. We are one with Jesus right now and we are every bit as free from this world as He is free from it. How could the body of Jesus not be as free as Jesus is free? If we were still bound, Jesus would be bound. If our hands are handcuffed, our body is handcuffed, right? Far too many think that we are still caught in the wickedness of this world and that daily we have to choose, on our own and with our own strength, to do right or wrong. I know that sounds religious and all, but think about it, does the clay choose or does the potter choose? Does the hand choose or does the head? Does the branch choose, or does the vine? Do the sheep choose, or does the shepherd? The Word of God clearly tells us that Jesus has rescued us and because He has, we are now one with Him and the Word clearly tells us that only Jesus sanctifies us! 

Ask yourself, did Jesus rescue us or not? To believe the Word you have to believe that He did. Faith comes from hearing the Truth and the Truth sets us free! 

Galatians 1:4

4 Who gave (yielded) Himself up [to atone] for our sins [and to save and sanctify us], in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked age and world order, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father--

Man, there are several great things that we can study with this verse. The first is that Jesus not only saves us, but He sanctifies us. I believe that this is one of the greatest Truth’s that is not preached or taught nearly enough. Amen, we do not sanctify ourselves, we are sanctified by Jesus.

And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 1 Thessalonians 5:23

For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren; Hebrews 2:11

Jesus alone separates us from all profane things. The peace for us in this Truth is this: it is Jesus’ responsibility alone to stop us from doing wrong things! It is the vine’s responsibility to cause the branches to produce fruit. It is the head’s responsibility to cause the arm to move. It is the gardeners responsibility to keep insects and disease from the plants. It is the potters responsibility to form the clay and it is the shepherds responsibility to heard the sheep. Our peace and freedom is Jesus is our Head, our Shepherd, our Vine, and our Father is our Potter and He is our Gardener. This is why there is absolutely no condemnation for us who are now in Christ Jesus.

THEREFORE, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. Romans 8:1

If we were responsible for even the littlest aspect of our own sanctification, then there would  always be room for condemnation, but we aren’t responsible to sanctify ourselves, and we never will be. We have a part to play, but our part is never played by being separate from Christ. We are His body and we are always perfectly united with Him. Our part is played as a branches part is played, the branch is the part of the plant that the fruit appears on, but the branch is not the force that caused the fruit to come to be. You can take a branch from a merlot vine and graft it into a cabernet vine and the branch will produce cabernet grapes. We were of the devil, now we are of Jesus and now we produce righteous fruit because of Him, not because of us.

This Truth will give you so much peace! And not only will it give you peace it will set you free from actually doing the things that you don’t want to do. As long as we believe that we have to keep ourselves, we will do what we do not want to. However, when the Truth sets us free, Jesus will sanctify us and we will no longer do wrong, we will do righteousness. Jesus will cause us to be righteous as He is righteous, 1 John 3:7.