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Romans 8:1
- There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
- Matthew 7:1
- Judge not, that ye be not judged.
- Luke 6:37
- Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
- John 7:24
- Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Who or What Is Christ?
On at least two occasions, Peter identified Jesus as Christ, the Son of the living God
(Matthew 16:13; John 6:69). And Jesus Himself prayed that we would know the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent
(v 3).
Blood of Jesus
Remembering that the important thing is not right doctrine, but rather knowing and experiencing God, I want to look at the blood of Jesus.
People go around pleading the blood
; countless songs have been written about the efficacy of the blood; and the Christian religion has been labeled gory
and bloodthirsty
by many.
Purpose of the Cross
I must make the attempt to say that which cannot be conveyed in words, but only through revelation by the Spirit of God. But words are necessary (Jesus used them) to bring light into a world which needs words to confirm what is being revealed.
Recently I heard a sermon on the cross. The speaker was very gifted in dramatic presentation, and many were profoundly moved by his sermon —and with good reason.
Oneness vs Codependency
We know that Jesus prayed (in John 17) that we would all become aware of our oneness with God and with one another. What does that mean?
Let This Mind Be in You
Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Baptism by Fire
In the discussion between Jesus and His disciples recorded in Mark 10:32-45, Jesus, first of all, tells them of His upcoming crucifixion and resurrection which, of course, they do not comprehend. He is telling them that, as the last Adam, He is about to destroy the devil —the humanity, the ego, which characterizes man living in this world. This is what must take place before the man Jesus can be resurrected as the Christ, the Life-giving Spirit that enlightens every man that comes into the world (John 1:9).
Cause and Effect
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God. …
This God
is the CAUSE.
Genesis 1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion. … So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion. …
The Greatest Deception
If I do not know that I and my Father are one,
(John 10:30) as Jesus knew it and prayed in John 17 that we would also know it, I will have a separate sense of self. In other words, I think that I am a separate self which I must preserve and protect —OR I must somehow persuade God (who is separate from me) to preserve and protect me. When I pray, I’m not asking for the Holy Spirit which is promised to those who ask (Luke 11:13) to guide me into all Truth (which is God). I am rather asking for that which I can consume upon my lust
to preserve the life I think I have responsibility for (James 4:3).
The Temptations of Jesus
- Matthew 3:16-17
- And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
- Matthew 4:1
- Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.