The Perseverance of the Blood-Bought Church

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised” (Hebrews 10:36).

Solomon was called by the Lord to build the House (Temple) of the Lord, and he was blessed by the Lord with wisdom and riches. He did build the Temple of the Lord but lost his way. And it is my belief that he did return to the Lord in the end. Joseph found himself in prison one day, and out, and blessed, the next. David at Ziklag had lost faith but encouraged himself in the Lord and the Lord blessed him. Daniel prayed for understanding and his prayer was answered and he was greatly blessed. Paul, after his conversion, had a time of preparation before going forth with the meaning of the New Testament which the Lord had entrusted him with. These men persevered despite difficulties, opposition, and discouragement. The Lord has given us these events of their lives for encouragement.

We are the blood-bought Church! The Lord gave His life’s Blood on the Cross as a witness of His great love for us that all might see. His great sacrifice should cause us to run the race set before us.

Unto Him (Jesus) Who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own Blood” (Revelation 1:5).

Just as Solomon was called to build the House of the Lord, we are called to build the Lord’s house through the Great Commission. And just as Solomon’s Temple was where the Lord dwelt here on Earth; we are the Temple of the Lord now and His Presence on Earth is through the Blood-bought Believers that make up the church.

Solomon was blessed by the Lord with wisdom and riches. He lost his way for a time, and there is no definite answer as to whether he made it back to the Lord, but I believe the writer of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes did make it back to the Lord. The lesson here is that we should always look to the blesser and not just the blessings He provides. It is said that the most dangerous time for a Christian is just after we receive a great blessing from the Lord. Regarding Solomon, As some evidence of the hope that he did make it back to the Lord; Solomon wrote the following in the last chapter of Ecclesiastes stating clearly that fellowship with the Lord should be our chief aim:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: fear God, and keep His Commandments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Joseph was in prison for a crime he did not commit. He was in prison one day, and out, and blessed the next. The Lord will bless us in this life if we go His way and patiently wait for those blessings to come. We, as Christians, may experience persecution, and unfair treatment by the world, but the Lord is faithful to see us through and bring blessings into our lives. The Devil seeks to destroy our faith, so the Lord requires perseverance on our part. We accomplish this by faith in the One Who persevered even to the giving of His life for us on the Cross.  Although we may suffer in this life at times, the Lord has prepared untold blessings for us now, and in the future.

David lost faith after being pursued by Saul over a long period. We, at times, may lose faith during the trials that come into our lives. David feared and lost faith and lived among the Philistines. He even agreed to join them in battle against his own people. Certainly a low point in the life of this great man of God. I think we can all relate. We have all lost faith at times on this journey. I believe the Lord used what happened in Ziklag to draw him back. His family had been taken, Ziklag had been burned, and his men were threatening to kill him. What did David do? He encouraged himself on the Lord. I believe this was an example of the Lord’s keeping power. This was the Lord drawing  David back his walk of faith in God’s promises to him, and the restoration of all he had lost and more. We can count on the Lord’s keeping power in our weakness.

[As a personal aside: There have been times in my life when due to difficulties, disappointments, or the lack of answers to prayers, I have lost faith for a time. However, the Lord has been faithful each time in drawing me back to Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray each day that the Lord keeps me, and draws me and that when I stumble He will do whatever it takes to bring me back to faith in His faithfulness and love that was fully displayed at the Cross. David may have prayed a similar prayer in his life prior to the events we have discussed. Of course, we don’t  know, but the Lord’s faithfulness to him shines brightly in these times when he so lost his way.]

Daniel prayed for understanding and the Lord sent an Angel in answer to his prayers. There was a delay between the time Daniel began to pray and when the answer came. Our prayers are heard by the Lord and, like Daniel, we must continue to ask as the answer will come though it may be delayed. The Angel told Daniel not to be afraid and that his prayers had been heard from the time he first humbled himself before the Lord. We are not to fear but to humble ourselves before the Lord and wait for the Lord’s answer. Daniel was told that he was “greatly beloved” by the Lord and we, as well, as His children, are loved by the Lord.

The Apostle Paul was given the meaning of the New Testament by the Lord. This was an awesome responsibility. We, too, are given the responsibility to share the Gospel with a lost and dying world. The Lord gave His life on the Cross as a sacrifice for all those who will come by faith. Paul had to undergo a time of preparation before fulfilling the calling God had given him. We, as well, have a time of preparation before we fulfill our calling. We, like Paul, must diligently seek the Lord’s will for us and wait patiently before Him.

We can learn from these events in the lives of these five men of God as the Lord has placed these happenings in their lives as examples for us. We are the blood-bought church and the Lord calls us to build the House of the Lord bringing the Gospel to all those so in need of the Salvation He provides. We were lost once but are now bought with the Blood of the Lamb. Persecution may come but our future is bright. We can count on the keeping power of the Lord as we maintain our faith in Christ and Him crucified daily. We are not to fear but are to persevere in the faith for the Lord goes before us.

“It is the Lord Who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed” (Deut 31:8).

*******************

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, “Here I Am, Lord” is on Telegram. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

A Warning to the Church

Originally Published June 2020

“….. It was needful (suggests an urgency) for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly contend (a vigorous effort) for the faith……..for there are certain men (false teachers) crept in unawares..” (Jude 3,4)

Jude’s epistle addressed a serious issue the church faced concerning false teachers who had crept into the church even at this early date in church history. Jude originally thought to write his epistle on our common Salvation, like Romans, but the Holy Spirit had him redirect his efforts to convey a warning of a great danger that threatened the well-being of the early church. False doctrine, that would destroy the church if not addressed and stopped, had come into the church through false brethren. We face the same danger today. False brethren spewing false doctrine has been a serious problem from then until now. If not recognized and addressed it will destroy a church. Many are in Hell today for having followed false teachers.

It’s interesting to note that Jude said that these false teachers “crept in unawares.” It suggests these men stole in slowly and carefully without notice. They had an outward appearance of wisdom and they taught some correct doctrine, but with it, they cleverly included false teaching. He referred to them as “ungodly men.” The spiritual health of the church was in grave danger from these false teachers who had come in among them unnoticed. The Holy Spirit referred to them as “brute beasts” and “twice dead”, meaning they were like unreasoning animals who had once known the way of salvation but had turned from it. No wonder the Holy Spirit moved on Jude to address this critical issue. The flock was in great jeopardy.

There is a sense of urgency in Jude’s words as he goes on to tell us just what these false teachers were propagating. However, before we list the false doctrines these false teachers were advocating; I think it important that we acknowledge the fact that false doctrine is always initiated by “seducing spirits”(see 1 Timothy 4:1), and it gains entry because seducing spirits make it look very attractive. Deception is one of Satan’s greatest weapons! The Bible tells us that Satan, at times, comes in as an “angel of light,” and so do his emissaries.

Just what were these false teachers pedaling? Well, they had turned Grace into license. In other words, they taught that it didn’t matter how much you sinned because Grace covered it. They also denied, “the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.” When you divert to a false way you inevitably leave “the faith”, which is belief in the inerrancy of scripture and belief in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Jude goes on to refer to them as “filthy dreamers” intimating that what they believed was made up out of their own perverse imagination. He said they “defile the flesh” which speaks of the fruits of their teachings. Also, he said that they “despised dominion” which means they refused to live by the Word of God and made up their own doctrines. They were “clouds without water” meaning what they promised sounded good, but they couldn’t deliver on what they promised. Jude goes on to refer to them as “raging waves of the sea” which points to the destructive nature of false doctrine which can totally destroy a church. They spoke “great swelling words” and sought to gain men’s confidence and their own gain (money) by flattery. Their end is also spoken of by Jude. He says, speaking of these false teachers, “to whom is reserved for the blackness of darkness forever”.

So, these false teachers crept in without notice and propagated their false doctrine for profit by way of deceit and flattery not able to deliver on all that they promised. They would not live by the Word of God but made up their own doctrines. They also denied the Lord and the atonement. They taught that because sin was covered by Grace it was to okay to sin (license). And the fruit of their doctrines resulted in the defiling of the flesh. We may find it hard to believe that the church was unaware of the presence of these false teachers, but the false teachings these ungodly men were advocating sound suspiciously like some of today’s false teachings that have made their way into the church.

How do we recognize false doctrine and what can we do to protect ourselves against it and the purveyors of it that may be in our very midst? The lies that Satan and his ministers sell can be very subtle. 1 Timothy warned that “in the later times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits.” The danger is very real and we must be aware of it and know how to avoid its pitfalls. Jude’s admonition to “contend for the faith” points the way to walk in victory. “The Faith” is faith in Christ and Him crucified which is the chief doctrine of the Bible. We must know the Word of God to protect ourselves against false teachers and false doctrine, and we must make the cross, what Jesus did there, the object of our faith both for Salvation and for sanctification (our daily living). When we know the Word of God and the Cross becomes our anchor, false doctrine can be seen for what it is. We are to place our faith in the One who loved us and died for us on the Cross. Yes, Jude, we hear you. Our enemy will try to sneak in unawares with his false ways, but we are wise to his schemes and have anchored our faith in the One that defeated all our enemies at the cross. In Him, we stand. The Apostle Paul says it well in the following verse:

“Be steadfast (firmly fixed), unmoveable (anchored in faith in Christ and Him crucified), always abounding in the work of the Lord (sharing with others the Lord’s great work at the cross), forasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain (the Gospel will always bring forth fruit)” (1 Corinthians 15:58 with commentary).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)

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The Land Flowing With Milk and Honey

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. And Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them who searched the land, rent their clothes. And they spoke unto all the company of Children of Israel, saying, the land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land; a land which flows with milk and honey” (Numbers 13:30 & 14:6-8)

Moses sent spies into the land of Canaan to search it out. The Lord had already promised the land to them, but the rulers in Israel had demanded that the spies be sent in to search out the land and the Lord allowed it. It was unbelief on their part to demand this, and it did not end well for them. It would cost them 38 years of wandering in the wilderness.

The heads of the tribes of Israel each sent one man to spy out the land. They returned after forty days and all of them except Joshua and Caleb gave an evil negative report. Joshua and Caleb’s response was one of faith as we saw in our introductory verse.

The unbelief of those sent to spy out the land was seen clearly in their report upon their return. They said, that although the land “flows with milk and honey,” the people of the land are strong with giants living in the land. They brought a negative report back saying that there were walled and very great cities and that the people there were too strong for Israel. They questioned God’s motives in bringing them out of Egypt and saw only defeat before them if they ventured into this “land.” They saw themselves falling by the sword in battle and their wives and children being prey to the inhabitants of the land. They wanted to return to Egypt and they threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb for their positive report.

The Lord’s reaction to their lack of faith in His promises was one of anger toward them. Numbers 14:10 says, “The Glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle of the congregation before all the Children of Israel.” The Lord then threatened to destroy them with a plague and Moses interceded on behalf of Israel.

The Lord did harken to Moses’ intercession and did pardon, but those who had gone into the land and returned with a bad report died by the plague due to their unbelief. The Lord’s pardon saved all those who had come out of Eygpt and had seen the Lord’s miraculous provisions in the wilderness, but due to their unbelief, the Lord said that all the men living at the time (those 20 years old and older), who had witnessed His great power in providing for them on their journey, would not enter the Promised Land but would die in the wilderness.

The exception to this was Joshua and Caleb. This would cost the nation of Israel greatly in a delay of 38 years before they would obey the Lord and believe Him by finally stepping out in faith and entering the land He had promised them as a blessing.

This had been a time of testing for Israel and they had failed the test miserably. It would cost them greatly as those men age 20 and over would not see the Promised Land and would die in the wilderness. God was with them but they didn’t operate from a place of faith, but looked to themselves, to their flesh, and doubted God. He was well able to deliver them. They had seen the greatest of miracles upon their exit from Eygpt and in their journey through the wilderness. Had they now believed God they could have left the wilderness and entered “the land flowing with milk and honey.”

The flesh always sees reasons to not believe the promises of God. Joshua and Caleb were walking in faith believing that the Lord would give them victory over their enemies. They were the only two of that generation to enter the Land. Bringing this forward to today, faith will see us through all that is before us. We are not to shrink back but boldly go forward in faith. Notice that the people wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb. When you go the Lord’s way you will experience strong opposition at times. We can know, and expect, that there will be opposition from Satan, but we will also experience opposition even from within “the church” and from our family. The Lord will see us through these obstacles of faith if our faith is anchored in Christ and Him Crucified.

Joshua and Caleb saw what was before them and believed the Lord would give them victory. Our victory comes in the same way. Our enemies are the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Our Heavenly Joshua will see us through and bring us the victory that we seek as our faith remains in Him. The battle is the Lord’s.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

” And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me anymore… (1 Samuel 27:1).

David left Israel and went to Gath, the land of the Philistines, to escape King Saul’s continued attempts to kill him. Saul, the first king of Israel, was the people’s choice and not God’s choice. He did not walk in faith in the Lord and tried to kill David on numerous occasions. David was the man God had intended to be the first king of Israel. The prophet Samuel had anointed him as the Lord’s choice to be king when he was still a boy.

David, leaving Israel and going to Gath was not out of faith, but it was out of fear that Saul would kill him. He did not seek the Lord’s will before making the decision and went to the land of the Philistines; an enemy of Israel. He dwelt in the land of the Philistines one year and four months. As we will see, it did not turn out well for him. Achish, the king of Gath, gave David and all those men with him and their families the town of Ziklag.

” And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites..” (1 Samuel 27:8).

While in the land of the Philistines, David invaded the surrounding nations and killed all the inhabitants of the villages he attacked. He may have felt justified in these actions as they were enemies of Israel. However, he was out of God’s will in leaving Israel. Killing all those he came across was for the purpose of deceiving Achisch as to his whereabouts. He lied and told Achish that he was invading the land of Israel. And Achish believed him and said:

“…He (David) has made his people Israel abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever” (1 Samuel 27:12).

In the course of time, the Philistines planned to invade Israel and Achish came to David and said that he, David, and his men, would go out with them against Israel. David agreed and responded in this way to Achish:

“And David said to Achish, surely you will know what your servant can do. And Achish said to David, therefore will I make you keeper of my head (bodyguard) forever” (1 Samuel 28:2).

David, out of the will of God, had killed men, women, and children to cover up his escapades from Achish, and now agrees to go to war against his own people. He had certainly dug a deep hole for himself. We too can go far down the wrong road when we get out of God’s will. David went so far as to assemble with the army of the Philistines as they were preparing to depart for war with Israel. This certainly was not a high point in David’s life.

The princes of the Philistines were angry with Achish for allowing David to join them. So, Achish sent David and his men away in peace. Unbelievably, David tried to argue with him about not allowing him to go with them. However, the will of the princes prevailed and David and his men left Achish and made the three-day journey to Ziklag. The Bible tells us what they found when they arrived:

“…..The Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; and taken the women captives, who were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them way…” (1 Samuel 30:1).

David and his men found Ziklag burned and their families taken as captives. The account in the Bible says they wept until they could weep no more. David’s men spoke of stoning him. What an incredible situation that David found himself in. He had been out of the will of God since leaving Israel. He had murdered whole villages. He had agreed to go to war against his own people with their sworn enemies. And now, Ziklag had been burned and his family and the families of his men had been taken captive. What could David do? What would we do in a situation like this? While his men were angry and spoke of violence against him, the Bible says David turned to the Lord:

“….But David encouraged (strengthened) himself in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6).

It may seem somewhat incredible that the situation had to become so very dire before David sought the Lord, but in this account, we can see our own failures in seeking the Lord and His will at times. David, looking at the burned-out Ziklag and knowing his family and all the families of his men were taken captive, turned to the Lord. He knew that he had to make things right with the Lord and that the Lord was the only one that could fix the situation. He also knew that the only way to the Lord was by His mercy and grace through repentance. David knew that going his own way and not seeking the Lord’s will in all matters resulted in all that had ensued while in Gath. He made things right with the Lord and the Lord responded; even blessing David.

The Lord will never turn away anyone that comes to Him in true repentance no matter what they have done.

In the end, all of the families and goods were restored to David and his men along with all the multiple spoils of the Amalekites. When the Lord blesses us and we recover what was lost, he always gives us more. We can truly say that He is a blessing God.

We can learn from this that charting our own course out of the will of God will inevitably end in disaster. We need to seek the Lord’s will in all that we do. If we do find ourselves out of the will of God, then we should go to him in repentance and know that He loves us and He will bless us if we return to him in faith. We may wonder how the Lord could bless David after all that he had done, but His grace is there for us always and is the only way that we can receive from the Lord. David’s true blessing at Ziklag was the restoration of fellowship with the Lord.

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

We have much to be grateful for. The Grace of God that was there for David, and it is there for us. It comes to us solely through the price paid by Jesus at the Cross. Jesus paid the price that allowed the Grace of God to flow in our lives. David, by faith in the sacrificial system, was looking forward to the Lord’s great sacrifice at Calvary. We, by faith, look back to that sacrifice. God’s Grace can come to us in no other way. We are truly blessed by the love extended to us in God’s gift of His Son. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6 says it well:

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His Shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, and Apple Podcasts.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2019

They Are Without Excuse (Romans 1)

“For the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” (Romans 1:18)

Our subject in this article is an unpleasant, yet, much-needed one. In Romans Chapter 1 (verses 18-32) Paul addresses those who refuse to acknowledge God. God has made Himself known to all and is opposed to sin. Those who refuse to come to Him and continue to practice sin will experience the wrath of God. If you do not know the Lord, you are on very dangerous ground. We are without excuse as Paul outlines in the following verses:

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them: for God has shown it to them” (verse 19).

This speaks of God placing in each of us a witness to His existence. All those who deny the existence of God have the very knowledge of His existence within them. The Lord has placed His Name on all creation. We can know by our conscience that He exists. Our basic moral knowledge of good and evil demands a Creator Who has placed this knowledge within us. Again, we are without excuse to deny His existence. Paul continues with the witness of God in creation:

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his Eternal Power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (verse 20).

The existence of God is evident in all He has created. Creation proves that there is a God who rules it. We have this witness before us. The Lord has made His existence known through his creation. We are without excuse if we deny the very One who created everything and gave us life.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened’ (verse 21).

Having not acknowledged God by the witness He placed within them in conscience or the witness of creation; they refused to give Him glory. We were created to worship the Lord. This worship is not for God’s sake, but for ours. We are totally dependent on Him and unless we acknowledge this through our worship of our Creator and Lord, the result will be increasing darkness of soul, as we will see.

“Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (verse 22).

If we do not begin with the knowledge of God then it will not go well with us and our end will not be good. We are to place our faith in the provision that God has provided for our Salvation. We are to repent of the way we have gone on our road without God and place our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death on the Cross. This is how the Lord expects us to acknowledge Him and all He has done for us.

If we refuse to acknowledge the Lord we will experience a downward slide that will result in the following:

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient (not proper)” (Verse 28).

Those who do not go God’s way are rejecting the Knowledge of God and it will result in a “reprobate mind” devoid of all that the Lord has prepared for those who go His way. There are blessings untold for those of us who worship our great God. What a terrible end for those who do not. I’m afraid this includes most of the human race that has lived since the creation of man. Paul goes on to list all the sinful and debauched behavior that is the result of rejecting God and then closes his argument says the following regarding those who reject the truth:

“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them who do them” (verse 32).

We have but this life to come to the Lord acknowledge Him and place our faith in the provision he has provided for us at Calvary. We have a fallen sinful nature and are unable to save ourselves from the wrath of God that comes on all those who reject his Mercy and Grace. The following is an invitation for those who do not know the Lord. If you do not know Him, I pray that you will harken to the voice of the Lord and the witness of the Holy Spirit and come to Him today.

“That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus (our Savior by His sacrificial death at Calvary), and shall believe (Salvation is by faith alone) in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved (today)” (Romans 10:9 commentary mine).

Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Watch on the “Here I Am, Lord – Our Journey of Faith” channel on YouTube. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024

Salvation Is By Faith From First to Last

“And, I, Brethren, if I yet preach Circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? Then is the offence of the Cross ceased” (Galatians 5:11).

The Apostle Paul is saying in our introductory verse that those opposed to the Gospel of Grace were angry with him because they taught that you must be circumcised to be a Christian. And they advocated following the Law of Moses as necessary for Salvation. Paul firmly preached that the Gospel is completely by Grace and that man’s efforts did not play any part in Salvation. In other words, Salvation is by Grace from first to last.

Some in the church had been saved by faith in Christ and Him crucified, but were now trying to be sanctified by works of the flesh. This was diametrically opposed to the Gospel Paul preached. It could have destroyed the church had he not confronted this teaching and shown it to be a dangerous false way.

We face a similar problem in the church today. Many are pursuing sanctification by their own efforts. This is not what Paul preached and will not bring forth anything but defeat in our Christian walk. We cannot in our own strength walk out this Christian life in victory.

Prayer, church attendance, Bible reading, and all the other Christian Disciplines are important and should be adhered to, but they will not defeat the sin in our lives.

Jesus came to pay the price owed to God for the sin debt. By His death at Calvary, we are forgiven of our sins and walk in victory all by faith. What does that mean to walk by faith for victory in our Christian life? Jesus not only paid the price for sin but defeated sin as a result of the Cross. Our victory over sin comes by faith in His finished work at Calvary.

As we have just seen, victory in our lives comes strictly by faith realizing that sin was defeated at the Cross. Sin has no power over us any longer. We are dead to sin as Romans chapter 6 tells us. But how do we realize this in our lives? We realize it through the victory that Christ won for us at the Cross. By placing our faith in Christ and Him crucified our victory is assured.

When we make Christ and Him crucified the object of our faith daily the Holy Spirit will work mightily in our lives bringing us victory over sin. Christ won the victory and defeated sin. Our job is to believe it and come by faith in His finished work.

The Apostle Paul had to learn this the hard way which he documents in Romans chapter 7. He thought that now that he was a Christian he could walk out a life of victory in his own strength. He soon realized the impossibility of this and, in desperation cried out “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” A cry of desperation for sure, but he had the answer in crying “Who.”

Paul realized that deliverance can only come through the “One” who paid the price for our Redemption. He then gives us the answer that he found, which is the only answer. He says in the very next verse, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Paul had his answer, and so do we. Romans 8:2 shows us the way to this victory:

“For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Chris Jesus has made me free from the Law of Sin and Death” (Romans 8:2)

The “Law of God,” which is the most powerful Law in the world, works through the Holy Spirit as our faith is placed in Christ and Him crucified. This gives us victory over the “Law of Sin and Death.” We are to walk in the full Salvation the Lord provides. We are saved by Grace through faith, and we are sanctified by Grace through faith. The Lord has done it all and we come to Him in thanksgiving for His Mercy and Grace that has provided us with such a wonderful Salvation.

“As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord (by faith), so ye walk ye in Him (By faith). Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith (by faith from first to last), as you have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (blessed beyond measure)” Colossians 2:6,7 commentary mine).

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Prayer Changes Things

The Lord wants us to come to Him with all our needs. Prayer requests can be left on the comments page of this website.

“For the eyes of the Lord are on the Righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers…” (1 Peter 3:12).

The Lord hears our prayers and is faithful to answer.

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

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Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2024