The Lord is working in us, sanctifying us through His Spirit’s use of His Word to immerse us in His truth of the Cross.
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13 (KJV)
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
We need more people to understand the actual definition of religion and the ultimate meaning of the word religion. The word religion comes from the Latin and while there are a few different translations, the most prevalent roots take you back to the Latin word “Re-Ligare.” “Ligare” means “to bind.” Adding the “re” before “ligare” causes the word to mean “Re-Bind.” Most often people experience religion’s “bondage”
Every sincere child of God should take to heart the Apostle Paul’s reprimand of the believers at Galatia when he writes: “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey (Gk. peitho, rely upon) the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” (Gal. 3:1).
Man has his own ideas of what salvation is, as to what he is saved from and what he is saved to.
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12 (KJV)
But then, “the Word of God” also reveals what God has to say about salvation, being saved from what and saved to what.
Foreword: (Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.)
Definition: Ecclesia is the Greek word often translated as “church” in most English versions. The word is a compound word meaning “called-out” (ek = “out”; “klēsi” = called). The ecclesia is God’s “called-out” ones. The ecclesia is not a building or denomination; not a meeting, or doctrinal creed; it is not somewhere we go, or something we do, it is who we as believers are.
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The prophesied work of the Holy Spirit in connection with His people of the Nation of Israel needs to be clearly understood as to its time and place… as compared with how it differs from His work today in connection with the members of “the body of Christ.”
In Joel 2:28-29 God promised to supernaturally cause the believers of Israel to prophesy, etc., but in Ezek. 36:26-27, He also promised to supernaturally cause them to do His will.
We as grace believers in this age of the pure grace of God must never flaunt our liberty so as to offend other believers who do not have that revelation of truth and liberty we now have and enjoy “in Christ.” Paul offers this verse is a great and guiding principle of the Christian life.
“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31).
One does not have to be a prude to conclude that our country is suffering a serious moral decline. Our rulers and law enforcement agencies seem powerless to cope with it. But what most people fail to realize is that behind this moral decline there is a spiritual decline. America has departed from God and His Word.
The Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans tells us how the heathen got that way.
By eating of the "Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil," Adam and Eve had in fact gained The Knowledge Of Good And Evil, yet, man could never live in accord with that correct knowledge (Rom 7:21). This is due to the viral Sin infection that was transmitted to man by his believing and receiving the words of the Serpent. A good friend of mine, Peter Dodds of South Africa, often said "Words are the currency of the spirit realm." Words mean something, they powerfully carry good or evil with them.
Every Christian should know their sins are forgiven, but the root of our ‘sins’ is fallen Adamic ‘Sin-nature’ in our flesh. Every person born can’t help but sin, it’s our nature. This is because we are born in bondage to the ‘power of Sin.’ “Sin” in the singular is the ‘Sin nature,’ from which all acts of sin are produced. This is the very nature of the Serpent whose words were received by Adam and Eve rejecting God and believing him.