Rusty Kuhn's Blog, page 5
December 1, 2014
Day 5: The Gift of Redemption
28 Days of Christmas Devotions: The Greatest Gift-The Gift of Christ
“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13, 14 NASB
Prior to accepting God’s greatest gift, the gift of His Son, the bible tells us that we all, “formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2). We were citizens of the domain of darkness destined to eternal hell and separation from God. We were bound in our sins with no hope of escape and no hope of freedom from condemnation-until God sent His Son. Colossians 1:13 tells us He, Jesus, rescued us. The word “rescued” is used in past tense indicating that the rescue has already taken place. Jesus has rescued us out of the domain of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of God.
How did we become citizens of the darkness in the first place? Sin. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. We bought our residency into the domain of darkness and our ticket to hell with our own sins. The bible tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, everyone who has ever lived has resided in or is residing in the domain of darkness. They have either been saved from the domain of darkness, by Jesus, or stand in need of salvation.
Just as our sins purchased our residency in the domain of darkness, the blood of Jesus redeems us and purchased for us freedom and forgiveness of sin enabling us to reside in our new residency, the Kingdom of God, with Jesus for all eternity. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” As already stated, Romans 6:23 tells us “The wages of sin is death.” The good news is that the same verse tells us, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The gift we have received from God is the gift of redemption. Redemption that came at a great price to Jesus but is a free gift to those who believe. The gift of redemption that was paid for by the blood of Jesus but freely offered to whoever will repent of their sins and make Jesus Lord of their lives. In faith, we ask Jesus to forgive us of our sin knowing that they have already been paid for. Truly Jesus is the greatest gift, “Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession.” (Titus 2:14).
This is part 5 of 28 devotions that will go through Christmas Eve. If you would like to subscribe to my daily devotions please PM me your email. Also, please share.
Merry Christ-Mass Rusty Kuhn
“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13, 14 NASB
Prior to accepting God’s greatest gift, the gift of His Son, the bible tells us that we all, “formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 2:2). We were citizens of the domain of darkness destined to eternal hell and separation from God. We were bound in our sins with no hope of escape and no hope of freedom from condemnation-until God sent His Son. Colossians 1:13 tells us He, Jesus, rescued us. The word “rescued” is used in past tense indicating that the rescue has already taken place. Jesus has rescued us out of the domain of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of God.
How did we become citizens of the darkness in the first place? Sin. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. We bought our residency into the domain of darkness and our ticket to hell with our own sins. The bible tells us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, everyone who has ever lived has resided in or is residing in the domain of darkness. They have either been saved from the domain of darkness, by Jesus, or stand in need of salvation.
Just as our sins purchased our residency in the domain of darkness, the blood of Jesus redeems us and purchased for us freedom and forgiveness of sin enabling us to reside in our new residency, the Kingdom of God, with Jesus for all eternity. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” As already stated, Romans 6:23 tells us “The wages of sin is death.” The good news is that the same verse tells us, “but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The gift we have received from God is the gift of redemption. Redemption that came at a great price to Jesus but is a free gift to those who believe. The gift of redemption that was paid for by the blood of Jesus but freely offered to whoever will repent of their sins and make Jesus Lord of their lives. In faith, we ask Jesus to forgive us of our sin knowing that they have already been paid for. Truly Jesus is the greatest gift, “Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession.” (Titus 2:14).
This is part 5 of 28 devotions that will go through Christmas Eve. If you would like to subscribe to my daily devotions please PM me your email. Also, please share.
Merry Christ-Mass Rusty Kuhn
November 30, 2014
Day 4: The Gift of Grace
28 Days of Christmas Devotions: The Greatest Gift-The Gift of Christ
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB
Paul begins Ephesians two by reminding us in the first verse that, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Romans 6:23 tells us that, “The wages of sin is death.” There are three types of death mentioned in the bible. The first type of death is what Paul is referencing here, being dead in sin. Our sins separate us from God. They have trespassed the law of God. For this reason our sin keeps the Holy Spirit and Jesus from residing within us. Because of this we are spiritual dead, separated from God. One who is spiritual dead is physically alive. Their hearts are pumping, their blood is flowing, and their lungs are breathing. The Dr. might tell them that they are a picture of health. However, they are spiritually dead.
The second type of death is physical death. Hebrews 9:27 says, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” Unless we are caught up in the rapture, we will all die physically one day. If one dies while spiritually dead he will then enter into eternal death separated from God in hell with no hope of redemption. Revelation 20:14, 15 says, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Spiritual death, physical death, and eternal death are all the wages of sin. Death is what we have earned and death is what we deserve. We have all sinned; therefore, we will all pay the penalty of sin-death; unless of course someone pays the price for us. Fortunately for us, God chose to send His Son Jesus to die in our place. We deserve to pay the price for our sins with death; yet, God chose to send His Son to die in our place as a gift, a gift of grace.
We cannot earn the gift of salvation. We have already earned death and condemnation. We certainly don’t deserve the gift of God that was paid for through the death of Jesus. Again, we deserve death. God would be completely just in giving us what we have earned. But praise be to God He chose to offer us grace. Grace has been described as the unmerited or undeserved gift of God.
The Word of God is extraordinarily clear that we are saved simply by placing our faith in the person and works of the Lord Jesus Christ. By faith we believe that the blood Jesus shed and the death that He died cleanses us from all unrighteousness, freeing us from the power of sin and death giving us everlasting life. By faith, and faith alone we receive the grace of God. Can you think of a greater Christmas gift than the grace of God? I can’t. Truly, Jesus is the greatest gift.
This is part 4 of 28 devotions that will go through Christmas Eve. If you would like to subscribe to my daily devotions please PM me your email. Also, please share.
Merry Christ-Mass Rusty Kuhn
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB
Paul begins Ephesians two by reminding us in the first verse that, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins.” Romans 6:23 tells us that, “The wages of sin is death.” There are three types of death mentioned in the bible. The first type of death is what Paul is referencing here, being dead in sin. Our sins separate us from God. They have trespassed the law of God. For this reason our sin keeps the Holy Spirit and Jesus from residing within us. Because of this we are spiritual dead, separated from God. One who is spiritual dead is physically alive. Their hearts are pumping, their blood is flowing, and their lungs are breathing. The Dr. might tell them that they are a picture of health. However, they are spiritually dead.
The second type of death is physical death. Hebrews 9:27 says, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” Unless we are caught up in the rapture, we will all die physically one day. If one dies while spiritually dead he will then enter into eternal death separated from God in hell with no hope of redemption. Revelation 20:14, 15 says, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Spiritual death, physical death, and eternal death are all the wages of sin. Death is what we have earned and death is what we deserve. We have all sinned; therefore, we will all pay the penalty of sin-death; unless of course someone pays the price for us. Fortunately for us, God chose to send His Son Jesus to die in our place. We deserve to pay the price for our sins with death; yet, God chose to send His Son to die in our place as a gift, a gift of grace.
We cannot earn the gift of salvation. We have already earned death and condemnation. We certainly don’t deserve the gift of God that was paid for through the death of Jesus. Again, we deserve death. God would be completely just in giving us what we have earned. But praise be to God He chose to offer us grace. Grace has been described as the unmerited or undeserved gift of God.
The Word of God is extraordinarily clear that we are saved simply by placing our faith in the person and works of the Lord Jesus Christ. By faith we believe that the blood Jesus shed and the death that He died cleanses us from all unrighteousness, freeing us from the power of sin and death giving us everlasting life. By faith, and faith alone we receive the grace of God. Can you think of a greater Christmas gift than the grace of God? I can’t. Truly, Jesus is the greatest gift.
This is part 4 of 28 devotions that will go through Christmas Eve. If you would like to subscribe to my daily devotions please PM me your email. Also, please share.
Merry Christ-Mass Rusty Kuhn
November 29, 2014
Day 3: The Gift of Us
28 Days of Christmas Devotions: The Greatest Gift-The Gift of Christ
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” Ephesians 1:3, 4 NASB
Does the title confuse you a little? How can God give to us the gift of us? Are we a gift? Not exactly. However, the fact that God created us is a gift. One of the greatest foundational truths in scripture is the fact that God created. Why else do you think Satan so adamantly attacks this truth with non-scientific theory and philosophy? We are not an accident. We are not by chance. We didn’t morph out of a blob or evolve from a big bang. We are, “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 118:14). We are intentionally made by God himself. Uniquely and individually designed by the Master. God deserves to receive the glory for His creation.
The amazing part about God creating us is that He knew us before He created us. God is omniscient, (all knowing), therefore, He knew everything about us prior to laying down the foundation of the world. He knew what we would look like, he knew what we would sound like, He knew how we would walk, He know how many hairs would be on our head and how many days we would have on this earth. He even knew that our hearts would become morally corrupted by sin separating us from Him.
God knew prior to creating us that He would have to send His Son to die for us. I Peter 1:20, referring to Jesus, says, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” What was Jesus Chosen to do? He was chosen to come to this earth to become a sacrifice for sin for all mankind. Revelation 13:8 tells us that our names were written in the Lambs Book of Life from the foundations of the earth. Does this mean, as some would suggest, that God chose before He created who would be saved and who would not? Of course not. That would make God an unjust God. He has clearly given everyone a free will to choose Him or reject Him. He simply has the foreknowledge of who will receive His free Gift of salvation and who won’t. His clear will is for all to come into repentance. (II Peter 3:9).
God in His foreknowledge, knew before He created us, that He would have to one day send His Son to die for us and He chose to create us anyway. He didn’t have to. He chose to. “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4). Truly, we have the greatest gift through Christ the world has ever seen.
This is part 3 of 28 devotions that will go through Christmas Eve. If you would like to subscribe to my daily devotions please PM me your email. Also, please share.
Merry Christ-Mass Rusty Kuhn
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.” Ephesians 1:3, 4 NASB
Does the title confuse you a little? How can God give to us the gift of us? Are we a gift? Not exactly. However, the fact that God created us is a gift. One of the greatest foundational truths in scripture is the fact that God created. Why else do you think Satan so adamantly attacks this truth with non-scientific theory and philosophy? We are not an accident. We are not by chance. We didn’t morph out of a blob or evolve from a big bang. We are, “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 118:14). We are intentionally made by God himself. Uniquely and individually designed by the Master. God deserves to receive the glory for His creation.
The amazing part about God creating us is that He knew us before He created us. God is omniscient, (all knowing), therefore, He knew everything about us prior to laying down the foundation of the world. He knew what we would look like, he knew what we would sound like, He knew how we would walk, He know how many hairs would be on our head and how many days we would have on this earth. He even knew that our hearts would become morally corrupted by sin separating us from Him.
God knew prior to creating us that He would have to send His Son to die for us. I Peter 1:20, referring to Jesus, says, “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.” What was Jesus Chosen to do? He was chosen to come to this earth to become a sacrifice for sin for all mankind. Revelation 13:8 tells us that our names were written in the Lambs Book of Life from the foundations of the earth. Does this mean, as some would suggest, that God chose before He created who would be saved and who would not? Of course not. That would make God an unjust God. He has clearly given everyone a free will to choose Him or reject Him. He simply has the foreknowledge of who will receive His free Gift of salvation and who won’t. His clear will is for all to come into repentance. (II Peter 3:9).
God in His foreknowledge, knew before He created us, that He would have to one day send His Son to die for us and He chose to create us anyway. He didn’t have to. He chose to. “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4). Truly, we have the greatest gift through Christ the world has ever seen.
This is part 3 of 28 devotions that will go through Christmas Eve. If you would like to subscribe to my daily devotions please PM me your email. Also, please share.
Merry Christ-Mass Rusty Kuhn
November 28, 2014
Day 2: The Cost of the Gift
28 Days of Christmas Devotions: The Greatest Gift-The Gift of Christ
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” I Corinthians 6:19, 20 NASB
Today the Christmas season has officially started. It has started on a day most call Black Friday. A long and tiresome day many will spend looking for a value. The value of a gift isn’t always determined by monetary value. In fact , I have received many gifts over the years that are worthless as far as the world is concerned. To me however, they are priceless. They are priceless because of who gave them. Because of who gave them they are among my greatest treasures. Yet, if a stranger were to give me a gift my personal value of the gift would only be its monetary value. Although I would be grateful for the gift I wouldn’t treasure it in my heart. Since there are no emotional ties to the gift giver, the gift itself would not have any emotional value.
Some of the greatest emotional gifts are gifts given by people who love you. Because they love you they poured their heart into the gift in which they gave. In my opinion the greatest of these gifts are gifts they crafted with their own hand. Some of the greatest monetary gifts are gifts that were created by the original masters craftsmen and artist. An original Picasso painted by Picasso is worth much more than a copy. Knowing that you have in your position the very piece that the craftsmen poured his heart and soul into brings great value.
We have received a gift from not only the master craftsmen of a piece of art or a particular object, but, the Master craftsmen of all-God Himself. James 1:7 says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” He is the master craftsmen of all. He said, “Let there be light, and there was light” for this reason He is the Father of Lights. He is the Father of “every good thing given” and “every perfect gift.”
The gift that He gave us in creation was for a singular purpose. God is eternal, therefore He existed in eternities past prior to creating the earth. However, God chose to create this earth to populate it with people of whom He desired to have a relationship with. God’s singular purpose in creation was to have a relationship with mankind.
Unfortunately, just after God created a perfect world man corrupted it with sin. Man didn’t only corrupt the world with sin they corrupted their own hearts with sin preventing them from fulfilling the purpose in which God created them for, the purpose of having relationship with Him and therefore living a life that brings Him glory.
This leads us to the greatest gift the world can ever receive. A gift given by the master of all. A gift given by one who loves us more than all. A gift given with which He poured His heart and soul into. A gift given at a great personal cost to Himself. The gift He gave was His own Son, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). The high price He paid was His Son’s life, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:7). Truly, the greatest gift was given at a great cost.
This is part 2 of 28 devotions that will go through Christmas Eve. If you would like to subscribe to my daily devotions please PM me your email. Also, please share.
Merry Christ-Mass Rusty Kuhn
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” I Corinthians 6:19, 20 NASB
Today the Christmas season has officially started. It has started on a day most call Black Friday. A long and tiresome day many will spend looking for a value. The value of a gift isn’t always determined by monetary value. In fact , I have received many gifts over the years that are worthless as far as the world is concerned. To me however, they are priceless. They are priceless because of who gave them. Because of who gave them they are among my greatest treasures. Yet, if a stranger were to give me a gift my personal value of the gift would only be its monetary value. Although I would be grateful for the gift I wouldn’t treasure it in my heart. Since there are no emotional ties to the gift giver, the gift itself would not have any emotional value.
Some of the greatest emotional gifts are gifts given by people who love you. Because they love you they poured their heart into the gift in which they gave. In my opinion the greatest of these gifts are gifts they crafted with their own hand. Some of the greatest monetary gifts are gifts that were created by the original masters craftsmen and artist. An original Picasso painted by Picasso is worth much more than a copy. Knowing that you have in your position the very piece that the craftsmen poured his heart and soul into brings great value.
We have received a gift from not only the master craftsmen of a piece of art or a particular object, but, the Master craftsmen of all-God Himself. James 1:7 says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” He is the master craftsmen of all. He said, “Let there be light, and there was light” for this reason He is the Father of Lights. He is the Father of “every good thing given” and “every perfect gift.”
The gift that He gave us in creation was for a singular purpose. God is eternal, therefore He existed in eternities past prior to creating the earth. However, God chose to create this earth to populate it with people of whom He desired to have a relationship with. God’s singular purpose in creation was to have a relationship with mankind.
Unfortunately, just after God created a perfect world man corrupted it with sin. Man didn’t only corrupt the world with sin they corrupted their own hearts with sin preventing them from fulfilling the purpose in which God created them for, the purpose of having relationship with Him and therefore living a life that brings Him glory.
This leads us to the greatest gift the world can ever receive. A gift given by the master of all. A gift given by one who loves us more than all. A gift given with which He poured His heart and soul into. A gift given at a great personal cost to Himself. The gift He gave was His own Son, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). The high price He paid was His Son’s life, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:7). Truly, the greatest gift was given at a great cost.
This is part 2 of 28 devotions that will go through Christmas Eve. If you would like to subscribe to my daily devotions please PM me your email. Also, please share.
Merry Christ-Mass Rusty Kuhn
November 27, 2014
Day 1: Giving Thanks for the Greatest Gift-The Gift of Christ
28 Days of Christmas Devotions: The Greatest Gift-The Gift of Christ
Christmas time to me is the greatest time of the year. Whether rich or poor, or young or old Christmas brings joy to all who celebrate. I however, am one of those traditionalist who believe that the Christmas season doesn’t start until the day after thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a also a very important holiday that should never be overlooked. Thanksgiving is an important day for family and friends. Giving thanks is a biblical principle that runs throughout Scripture and should be practiced daily. Why then talk about Christmas on Thanksgiving? Because Christmas is all about Jesus and Jesus is our greatest blessing of which we should be the most thankful for.
When Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, discovered that Mary had conceived a child he desired to secretly divorce her. However, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream telling him of the plans of God. At that time the Angel of the Lord told Joseph the very purpose of Christmas. He said, “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21). The purpose of Christmas is Jesus, the Son of God, God with us, coming to this earth to save His people from their sins.
Romans 6:23 tells us that, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” For those who have been saved from their sins and brought out of death and into life, I cannot think of a single thing to be more grateful for on this day of Thanksgiving. Psalm 118:21 says, “I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation.” Therefore, rejoice in your salvation and give God thanks!
For the next 27 days, from now until Christmas Eve, I will post daily devotions sharing about the Greatest Gift, the Gift of Christ. I will focus on who we are because of the gift of Christ. Please share this with others. PM me your email and I will add you to my subscribers list. Happy Thanksgiving! Rusty Kuhn
Christmas time to me is the greatest time of the year. Whether rich or poor, or young or old Christmas brings joy to all who celebrate. I however, am one of those traditionalist who believe that the Christmas season doesn’t start until the day after thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a also a very important holiday that should never be overlooked. Thanksgiving is an important day for family and friends. Giving thanks is a biblical principle that runs throughout Scripture and should be practiced daily. Why then talk about Christmas on Thanksgiving? Because Christmas is all about Jesus and Jesus is our greatest blessing of which we should be the most thankful for.
When Joseph, who was engaged to Mary, discovered that Mary had conceived a child he desired to secretly divorce her. However, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream telling him of the plans of God. At that time the Angel of the Lord told Joseph the very purpose of Christmas. He said, “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21). The purpose of Christmas is Jesus, the Son of God, God with us, coming to this earth to save His people from their sins.
Romans 6:23 tells us that, “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” For those who have been saved from their sins and brought out of death and into life, I cannot think of a single thing to be more grateful for on this day of Thanksgiving. Psalm 118:21 says, “I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, And You have become my salvation.” Therefore, rejoice in your salvation and give God thanks!
For the next 27 days, from now until Christmas Eve, I will post daily devotions sharing about the Greatest Gift, the Gift of Christ. I will focus on who we are because of the gift of Christ. Please share this with others. PM me your email and I will add you to my subscribers list. Happy Thanksgiving! Rusty Kuhn
November 24, 2014
We Are Tools for the Kingdom
Have you ever heard someone say after looking at a beautiful sculpture, “That artist must have some great carving tools?” Or, have you heard someone say after seeing a beautiful building, “Those construction workers must have had some amazing tools?” Of course not. There’s never an emphasis on the tools. The artist or the architect always receives the praise. God is the artist and the architect of the Kingdom. He is the master designer and we are simply the tools. Therefore, He deserves all the glory and honor.
That being said, every worker regardless of their trade knows the value of good tools. Poor quality tools or tools that are not functioning properly can be very frustrating to work with, hindering the progress of the project. For this reason we need to make sure we are a properly prepared tool that will be used to enhance the work of the Kingdom, instead of being a hindrance. Paul said to Timothy in I Timothy 4:16, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
We are in a spiritual battle. Therefore, if we are going to be successful we need to set ourselves up spiritually to use the divinely powerful weapons of warfare God has available for us and the spiritual gifting God has given to us. If we attempt to do the work of the Kingdom in our own strength and power, we will utterly fail. Paul said in I Corinthians 2:4, “My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” The flesh will always fail us. But, when we align ourselves up with the power and anointing of God, we will have success far beyond what we can hope for or even imagine.
Paul said to Timothy, the pastor of Ephesus, “Pay close attention to yourself.” Before we can effectively minister to others we need to examine ourselves and make sure we are right. The best way to stay in tune with God is to keep close fellowship with Him. We must daily seek God’s presence in our lives. Not just His presence for the anointing of the work in which He has called us to, but His presence for our close and personal fellowship with the Him. We must be active, consistent, and persistent seekers and worshipers of the Lord.
Colossians 3:1-2 says, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” If we are focused on the things of this earth, we will be easily susceptible to falling for earthly and fleshly ways and be conformed to this world. Thus, our ministry will follow that same path. However, when we are focused on the things above, we are led by the things above and our ministry will likewise follow that same path.
A tool that is dull, dirty, or rusted is an ineffective tool. Therefore, pay close attention to yourself. Are you allowing God to sharpen you, oil you up, and clean you? If not, you are an ineffective tool for the Master. If you are daily seeking and submitting yourself to God, you are allowing Him to sharpen you, oil you, and clean you, so you can be used greatly for His glory. God is unlimited in His abilities. However, God chooses to use us as His tools. Therefore, we need to offer Him the quality of tool He deserves. Rusty Kuhn
That being said, every worker regardless of their trade knows the value of good tools. Poor quality tools or tools that are not functioning properly can be very frustrating to work with, hindering the progress of the project. For this reason we need to make sure we are a properly prepared tool that will be used to enhance the work of the Kingdom, instead of being a hindrance. Paul said to Timothy in I Timothy 4:16, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
We are in a spiritual battle. Therefore, if we are going to be successful we need to set ourselves up spiritually to use the divinely powerful weapons of warfare God has available for us and the spiritual gifting God has given to us. If we attempt to do the work of the Kingdom in our own strength and power, we will utterly fail. Paul said in I Corinthians 2:4, “My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” The flesh will always fail us. But, when we align ourselves up with the power and anointing of God, we will have success far beyond what we can hope for or even imagine.
Paul said to Timothy, the pastor of Ephesus, “Pay close attention to yourself.” Before we can effectively minister to others we need to examine ourselves and make sure we are right. The best way to stay in tune with God is to keep close fellowship with Him. We must daily seek God’s presence in our lives. Not just His presence for the anointing of the work in which He has called us to, but His presence for our close and personal fellowship with the Him. We must be active, consistent, and persistent seekers and worshipers of the Lord.
Colossians 3:1-2 says, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” If we are focused on the things of this earth, we will be easily susceptible to falling for earthly and fleshly ways and be conformed to this world. Thus, our ministry will follow that same path. However, when we are focused on the things above, we are led by the things above and our ministry will likewise follow that same path.
A tool that is dull, dirty, or rusted is an ineffective tool. Therefore, pay close attention to yourself. Are you allowing God to sharpen you, oil you up, and clean you? If not, you are an ineffective tool for the Master. If you are daily seeking and submitting yourself to God, you are allowing Him to sharpen you, oil you, and clean you, so you can be used greatly for His glory. God is unlimited in His abilities. However, God chooses to use us as His tools. Therefore, we need to offer Him the quality of tool He deserves. Rusty Kuhn
November 7, 2014
Walking in the Newness of Life
Prior to being born again our lives were carnally minded. Our hearts, minds, dreams, goals, desires, wants, and what we thought were needs were all fleshly and carnally focused. Ephesians 2.3 says, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” When one indulges in the desires of the flesh and mind they walk in the flesh and are greatly displeasing to God. Romans 5:8 tells us, “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
However, when we become born again we die to the flesh and come alive through the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit teaches us the ways of God and rebukes us when we walk in the ways of the flesh. Apart from the Spirit of God teaching and guiding us we cannot live for the Lord. Yet, when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord the Holy Spirit comes to live in us giving us new life. Christ is in us and we are in Him. We are alive.
The carnal man cannot live for the Lord, nor will he want to. However, the spiritual man who possesses the Holy Spirit can live for the Lord, far the Lord is with him, leading and guiding him. Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” When we became born again we were buried with Christ in the likeness of His death, not physically but spiritually. Just as we were buried with Christ we were, past tense, raised from the dead. Again this is a spiritual act, not a physical one.
The bible clearly teaches that those who are in Christ will one day be given a resurrected body. However, the bible also clearly teaches that the moment you accept Christ as Savior and Lord you die to self and come alive to God. Prior to being born again you were dead in your transgressions and sins. Once you became born again you are alive to Him and dead to sin.
A Christian is dead to sin. Therefore, he cannot live in it. “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:2.) Living in sin means that sin is your lifestyle; it defines who you are. Living in Christ is also a lifestyle that defines who you are therefore the bible tells us to walk in the newness of life. One cannot live in sin and Christ. It is a spiritual, physical, and philosophical impossibility.
Living for Jesus is a choice. God can but won’t force us to live for Him. Jesus called the rich young ruler to follow Him and the rich young rule said no. If he said no to Jesus, we too can say no. Yet, when we make the choice to live for Jesus we are not alone. We have been empowered by the blood and led by the Spirit. Wow! What a powerful combination. Therefore, we choose to walk in faith.
I have had people over the years tell me that they cannot repent of their sins because their sins have too much power over their lives. That is a lie straight out of Satan’s mouth that directly contradicts the Word of God. I John 4:4 says, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” As a former drug addict trust me when I say that I know the power of sin. As a delivered drug addict I also know the power of God. God’s power is much greater. Again, we have a choice. It is a choice of who to believe. I chose to believe God.
If I chose to believe God I will then walk in the newness of life, repenting from my fleshly life, staying focused on things above rather than the things below, focused on life rather than death, and focused on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of my faith. Will I do this perfectly? No. Neither will you nor anyone else. However, we should do this consistently as it is the identifying mark of being a Christian.
Not if, but, when I lose focus I will repent and ask Jesus to forgive me. I then will ask Him in faith to deliver me from whatever areas I have failed Him in and continue to walk in the newness of life. This process will be repeated many times in a Christian’s life. God isn’t interested in the amount of times you have slipped. He is longing for you to get back up and pursue Him again. Being a Christian doesn’t make you perfect. But, you should be consistent. Jesus death, burial, and resurrection purchased for you a new life. Therefore, we should walk in it. Rusty Kuhn
However, when we become born again we die to the flesh and come alive through the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit teaches us the ways of God and rebukes us when we walk in the ways of the flesh. Apart from the Spirit of God teaching and guiding us we cannot live for the Lord. Yet, when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord the Holy Spirit comes to live in us giving us new life. Christ is in us and we are in Him. We are alive.
The carnal man cannot live for the Lord, nor will he want to. However, the spiritual man who possesses the Holy Spirit can live for the Lord, far the Lord is with him, leading and guiding him. Romans 6:4 says, “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” When we became born again we were buried with Christ in the likeness of His death, not physically but spiritually. Just as we were buried with Christ we were, past tense, raised from the dead. Again this is a spiritual act, not a physical one.
The bible clearly teaches that those who are in Christ will one day be given a resurrected body. However, the bible also clearly teaches that the moment you accept Christ as Savior and Lord you die to self and come alive to God. Prior to being born again you were dead in your transgressions and sins. Once you became born again you are alive to Him and dead to sin.
A Christian is dead to sin. Therefore, he cannot live in it. “How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:2.) Living in sin means that sin is your lifestyle; it defines who you are. Living in Christ is also a lifestyle that defines who you are therefore the bible tells us to walk in the newness of life. One cannot live in sin and Christ. It is a spiritual, physical, and philosophical impossibility.
Living for Jesus is a choice. God can but won’t force us to live for Him. Jesus called the rich young ruler to follow Him and the rich young rule said no. If he said no to Jesus, we too can say no. Yet, when we make the choice to live for Jesus we are not alone. We have been empowered by the blood and led by the Spirit. Wow! What a powerful combination. Therefore, we choose to walk in faith.
I have had people over the years tell me that they cannot repent of their sins because their sins have too much power over their lives. That is a lie straight out of Satan’s mouth that directly contradicts the Word of God. I John 4:4 says, “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.” As a former drug addict trust me when I say that I know the power of sin. As a delivered drug addict I also know the power of God. God’s power is much greater. Again, we have a choice. It is a choice of who to believe. I chose to believe God.
If I chose to believe God I will then walk in the newness of life, repenting from my fleshly life, staying focused on things above rather than the things below, focused on life rather than death, and focused on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of my faith. Will I do this perfectly? No. Neither will you nor anyone else. However, we should do this consistently as it is the identifying mark of being a Christian.
Not if, but, when I lose focus I will repent and ask Jesus to forgive me. I then will ask Him in faith to deliver me from whatever areas I have failed Him in and continue to walk in the newness of life. This process will be repeated many times in a Christian’s life. God isn’t interested in the amount of times you have slipped. He is longing for you to get back up and pursue Him again. Being a Christian doesn’t make you perfect. But, you should be consistent. Jesus death, burial, and resurrection purchased for you a new life. Therefore, we should walk in it. Rusty Kuhn
October 29, 2014
As we go
As already stated the word preach means to proclaim. The literal meaning is to harold, or to proclaim publicly. Also, as already stated, there are two types of preaching commanded in the bible, pastoral preaching, and gospel preaching. Although pastoral preaching can, and should, be done almost anywhere it is directed to the church for the edification of the church. Although gospel preaching is directed toward the lost, it too should hold a prominent place in the preaching ministry at the church.
Preaching the gospel within the church serves two great purposes. First at almost every church throughout the world there are almost certainly going to be lost people who attend the worship service. There is a high possibility that there may be lost church members that are active and involved. I know pastors, deacons, and Sunday School teachers who were saved as pastors, deacons, and Sunday School teachers.
Paul said in I Corinthians 15:1, 2, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.” Paul writing to the church of Corinth said that there are some in the church that genuinely received the gospel and are saved and that there is at least a possibility that there are some who believed in vain and are not saved. Although it is not our job to judge, we must be aware that there is a great possibility that there are some in the church who believed in vain and are therefore lost. Therefore, the gospel should regularly be preached to the church.
When one asks the question, where should preaching take place, the majority of people, church and unchurched alike, will say within the church. And, clearly it should. However, the church is not the only place that gospel preaching should take place. We find in the gospels Jesus preaching to the masses such as the sermon on the mount, we also find Jesus proclaiming the truth of God’s Word in homes such as Simon the Pharisee, and we even see Jesus sharing the gospel to individuals like Nicodemus.
Likewise, in Acts we find Peter preaching the gospel to the masses in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, Paul preaching the gospel to the masses in Synagogues and on Mars Hill, and Philip preaching the gospel to the cities in Samaria. We also see in Acts Peter proclaiming the gospel in Cornelius’s house where his whole household was saved and Philip individually shared the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch who accepted the message and was baptized.
When Jesus gave to us the great commission He said “go therefore.” The wording in the original language is, “as you go.” As you are on your journey of life, wherever you are and wherever you go, as you go, make disciples and teach them all that Jesus commanded them. The 1st century church took this command seriously. They started in Jerusalem and within 75 years of the birth of the church they had taken the gospel to Judea, Samaria, and even the remotest parts of the earth.
Jesus gave to us a great illustration of “go therefore” in the parable of the seed and the sower. (Matthew 13:1-23). We see one who is sowing seed everywhere as he goes. Some fell on the road, some fell on the stony ground, some fell in the thorns, and some fell in the good soil. As a farmer he would have been a very bad steward of the seed. However, Jesus said that the seed was the Word of God. Therefore, this seed sower was a faithful servant and a great steward of the Word of God. We are bad stewards of the Word of God when we choose not to sow it as we go.
God has clearly called every believer to the task of preaching/proclaiming/heralding the gospel as we go. The question we must ask ourselves is, am I going to be a faithful steward of the gospel seed so that some may fall in the good soil, take root, grow, and bear fruit of their own? Or am I going to be a bad steward and selfishly keep what I have to myself? Rusty Kuhn
Preaching the gospel within the church serves two great purposes. First at almost every church throughout the world there are almost certainly going to be lost people who attend the worship service. There is a high possibility that there may be lost church members that are active and involved. I know pastors, deacons, and Sunday School teachers who were saved as pastors, deacons, and Sunday School teachers.
Paul said in I Corinthians 15:1, 2, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.” Paul writing to the church of Corinth said that there are some in the church that genuinely received the gospel and are saved and that there is at least a possibility that there are some who believed in vain and are not saved. Although it is not our job to judge, we must be aware that there is a great possibility that there are some in the church who believed in vain and are therefore lost. Therefore, the gospel should regularly be preached to the church.
When one asks the question, where should preaching take place, the majority of people, church and unchurched alike, will say within the church. And, clearly it should. However, the church is not the only place that gospel preaching should take place. We find in the gospels Jesus preaching to the masses such as the sermon on the mount, we also find Jesus proclaiming the truth of God’s Word in homes such as Simon the Pharisee, and we even see Jesus sharing the gospel to individuals like Nicodemus.
Likewise, in Acts we find Peter preaching the gospel to the masses in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, Paul preaching the gospel to the masses in Synagogues and on Mars Hill, and Philip preaching the gospel to the cities in Samaria. We also see in Acts Peter proclaiming the gospel in Cornelius’s house where his whole household was saved and Philip individually shared the gospel with the Ethiopian eunuch who accepted the message and was baptized.
When Jesus gave to us the great commission He said “go therefore.” The wording in the original language is, “as you go.” As you are on your journey of life, wherever you are and wherever you go, as you go, make disciples and teach them all that Jesus commanded them. The 1st century church took this command seriously. They started in Jerusalem and within 75 years of the birth of the church they had taken the gospel to Judea, Samaria, and even the remotest parts of the earth.
Jesus gave to us a great illustration of “go therefore” in the parable of the seed and the sower. (Matthew 13:1-23). We see one who is sowing seed everywhere as he goes. Some fell on the road, some fell on the stony ground, some fell in the thorns, and some fell in the good soil. As a farmer he would have been a very bad steward of the seed. However, Jesus said that the seed was the Word of God. Therefore, this seed sower was a faithful servant and a great steward of the Word of God. We are bad stewards of the Word of God when we choose not to sow it as we go.
God has clearly called every believer to the task of preaching/proclaiming/heralding the gospel as we go. The question we must ask ourselves is, am I going to be a faithful steward of the gospel seed so that some may fall in the good soil, take root, grow, and bear fruit of their own? Or am I going to be a bad steward and selfishly keep what I have to myself? Rusty Kuhn
The Gospel Must be Communicated
Have you ever heard someone say “I allow my life to be my witness?” Clearly the bible teaches we should do good works. Titus 3:8 says, “This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men.” Jesus Himself said, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16). Godly living and good works should go hand in hand. However, good works alone is an insufficient witness.
Clearly we want the unreached world to see our good works so our Father who is in heaven will be glorified. However, good works alone can be dangerously misleading. The bible clearly states that we are not saved by our good works and that we are only saved by placing our faith in the works of Christ. (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit”
If we fail to communicate the gospel, which is the works of Christ that lead to salvation, we can lead the lost world into believing that their good life and good works are sufficient to save them. They will think they simply have to be a good person and perform good works to get to heaven. Paul said of those who teach this perverted form of the gospel, which is really no gospel at all, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8, 9). This is usually not the intention of the one who desires his life to be a witness. However, this is the danger of living a good life and doing good works without communicating the gospel.
True, biblical evangelism consists of communication. Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” One cannot preach without communication. The word preach means to proclaim. We are commanded to proclaim the gospel to all creation. We are called to be witnesses of Jesus and his teachings to the whole world starting where we are at. (Acts 1:8).
In the Word of God we find two distinct calls to preach. Paul tells Timothy, who is the pastor of Ephesus, in II Timothy 4:2, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” This type of preaching is pastoral preaching. It is preaching directed to the church with instruction that leads to godly living.
The other type of preaching is what Jesus commanded in Mark 16:15-preach the gospel. It is evangelistic preaching, or proclaiming. It is preaching directed to the lost with instruction of how to be saved. The Greek word used here is euaggelizesthai. It means, to evangelize. To evangelize is to share, preach, proclaim the gospel. Euaggelizesthai is a verb. It is a word that demands action. This word is used fifty two times in the New Testament.
Preaching is the means by which God has chosen to have His gospel message communicated. I Corinthians 1:21 says, “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” Whether we are proclaiming to the masses or sharing with individuals we must communicate, preach, proclaim the clear message of the gospel. This is not just the pastor’s job. Every Christian is called to this task.
In the Word of God we find two ways that the gospel can, and should be, communicated. Clearly the first way is verbal. Acts 14:1 says of Paul and Barnabus, “In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.” The spoken word is the most prominent form of communicating the gospel in the New Testament. However, it is not the only form of communicating the gospel.
John said in I John 5:8, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Luke also stated his purpose in writing the book of Luke in Luke 1:3, 4 where he wrote, “it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” A quick read through the book of Romans will show you that it is the greatest gospel tract ever written. Writing isn’t preaching, but it is a wonderful form of communication that God has given to us to share His gospel message.
Whether we choose to preach, proclaim, share the gospel through the spoken word or the written word we must clearly communicate it. We are called and should be compelled to proclaim the gospel with the lost with every available opportunity we have. Apart from the proclamation of the gospel the lost world stands condemned to an eternal hell. When we proclaim the gospel they may chose to reject. Regardless of their decision, we have given them an opportunity to make a decision by communicating the gospel. If we however reject the call to proclaim, we not only stand in rebellion against God, we also have to ask, how then will they ever have the opportunity to make the choice? Rusty Kuhn
Clearly we want the unreached world to see our good works so our Father who is in heaven will be glorified. However, good works alone can be dangerously misleading. The bible clearly states that we are not saved by our good works and that we are only saved by placing our faith in the works of Christ. (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Titus 3:5 says, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit”
If we fail to communicate the gospel, which is the works of Christ that lead to salvation, we can lead the lost world into believing that their good life and good works are sufficient to save them. They will think they simply have to be a good person and perform good works to get to heaven. Paul said of those who teach this perverted form of the gospel, which is really no gospel at all, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8, 9). This is usually not the intention of the one who desires his life to be a witness. However, this is the danger of living a good life and doing good works without communicating the gospel.
True, biblical evangelism consists of communication. Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” One cannot preach without communication. The word preach means to proclaim. We are commanded to proclaim the gospel to all creation. We are called to be witnesses of Jesus and his teachings to the whole world starting where we are at. (Acts 1:8).
In the Word of God we find two distinct calls to preach. Paul tells Timothy, who is the pastor of Ephesus, in II Timothy 4:2, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” This type of preaching is pastoral preaching. It is preaching directed to the church with instruction that leads to godly living.
The other type of preaching is what Jesus commanded in Mark 16:15-preach the gospel. It is evangelistic preaching, or proclaiming. It is preaching directed to the lost with instruction of how to be saved. The Greek word used here is euaggelizesthai. It means, to evangelize. To evangelize is to share, preach, proclaim the gospel. Euaggelizesthai is a verb. It is a word that demands action. This word is used fifty two times in the New Testament.
Preaching is the means by which God has chosen to have His gospel message communicated. I Corinthians 1:21 says, “For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” Whether we are proclaiming to the masses or sharing with individuals we must communicate, preach, proclaim the clear message of the gospel. This is not just the pastor’s job. Every Christian is called to this task.
In the Word of God we find two ways that the gospel can, and should be, communicated. Clearly the first way is verbal. Acts 14:1 says of Paul and Barnabus, “In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.” The spoken word is the most prominent form of communicating the gospel in the New Testament. However, it is not the only form of communicating the gospel.
John said in I John 5:8, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Luke also stated his purpose in writing the book of Luke in Luke 1:3, 4 where he wrote, “it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.” A quick read through the book of Romans will show you that it is the greatest gospel tract ever written. Writing isn’t preaching, but it is a wonderful form of communication that God has given to us to share His gospel message.
Whether we choose to preach, proclaim, share the gospel through the spoken word or the written word we must clearly communicate it. We are called and should be compelled to proclaim the gospel with the lost with every available opportunity we have. Apart from the proclamation of the gospel the lost world stands condemned to an eternal hell. When we proclaim the gospel they may chose to reject. Regardless of their decision, we have given them an opportunity to make a decision by communicating the gospel. If we however reject the call to proclaim, we not only stand in rebellion against God, we also have to ask, how then will they ever have the opportunity to make the choice? Rusty Kuhn
October 23, 2014
Seeking His Face Produces Holiness
In the eyes of the world, the Prophet Isaiah was a holy man. He was a righteous prophet of God who others strived to be like. In the fifth chapter of the book of Isaiah, the prophet pronounced six woes upon the people of the land proclaiming the judgment of God upon them, as well as the punishment that would come as a result of the wickedness of their hearts. Isaiah was correct and justified in every woe he pronounced. However, in the next chapter we find Isaiah in the very presence of God where he then pronounced a woe upon himself as he says in Isaiah 6:5, “Then I said, Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
What was the difference between the fifth and sixth chapters? In the sixth chapter Isaiah was standing in the very presence of God. In Isaiah 6:1-4 he describes how he saw “the Lord lofty and exulted sitting upon His throne.” He saw the angels before Him worshiping Him and heard them proclaim, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” When Isaiah stood in God’s presence and saw Him in all His majesty and glory and when he recognized the absolute Holiness of God, he also recognized that any righteousness he thought he had pales in comparison to God’s.
Upon the recognition of his sinfulness in the presence of God’s holiness, he proclaimed in verse five, “woe is me, for I am ruined.” He knew that sin could not come into the presence of God and would, therefore, be destroyed. He knew in his heart that he would be ruined, undone, destroyed. However, upon his confession of sin, God chose to give him grace and cleanse him from his sin instead of condemn him. When Isaiah recognized the grace that God had given to him, he chose to worship and serve Him all the days of his life.
Many years later Isaiah proclaimed the word of the Lord in Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.” We see that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts; and His ways are not our ways, when we are okay with sin. We have no problem with the little white lies or the stirring up of strife so long as we get our way. We have no problems walking in the conformity of the world, although we are ignorantly walking against God rather than with Him. For this reason, we so desperately need to seek God! We need His presence in our lives to show us His ways so we can repent of our own. We need to seek Him to know His thoughts so we can rebuke the lies and deception we thought were truth.
When we seek God and find Him as His word promises us we will, we discover how sinful we truly are in light of how holy He truly is. This should then provoke repentance of sin within our lives, drawing us all the more in love and on fire for a holy God. God has promised us in I John 1:9 that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When He forgives us of our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness, we then can have true fellowship with God.
However, we need to truly seek God in our lives. Apart from Him we have no desire to repent from sins. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” God gives us the “will” to live “for His good pleasure”. Apart from the presence of God in our lives, we won’t have any will to repent of our sins and serve Him. Jesus also said in John 16:8 that He sends the Helper, which is the Holy Spirit. “When He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Praise God we do not have to fight the battles of the flesh on our own. He has given to us a Helper.
However we need to submit ourselves to the standards of God and by faith seek the Helper to guide us down that path. A great scripture that I often pray is Psalm 139:23, 24 which says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” I seek God asking Him to search me and try me because I may be unaware of sinful attitudes and actions within my life. Everyone else in my life may know of my sins, but I could be totally in the dark. However, when I seek God and ask Him to search me and try me and to show me everything in my life that does not line up with Him, He will. This then will produce a heart and a mind of repentance to where I will fully know the grace and mercy of God through a life of fellowship with God. He is a holy God that not only requires holiness within my life but will also produce it, if I seek Him and allow Him. Reclaiming the Land: God's Formula for Revival
What was the difference between the fifth and sixth chapters? In the sixth chapter Isaiah was standing in the very presence of God. In Isaiah 6:1-4 he describes how he saw “the Lord lofty and exulted sitting upon His throne.” He saw the angels before Him worshiping Him and heard them proclaim, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” When Isaiah stood in God’s presence and saw Him in all His majesty and glory and when he recognized the absolute Holiness of God, he also recognized that any righteousness he thought he had pales in comparison to God’s.
Upon the recognition of his sinfulness in the presence of God’s holiness, he proclaimed in verse five, “woe is me, for I am ruined.” He knew that sin could not come into the presence of God and would, therefore, be destroyed. He knew in his heart that he would be ruined, undone, destroyed. However, upon his confession of sin, God chose to give him grace and cleanse him from his sin instead of condemn him. When Isaiah recognized the grace that God had given to him, he chose to worship and serve Him all the days of his life.
Many years later Isaiah proclaimed the word of the Lord in Isaiah 55:8, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.” We see that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts; and His ways are not our ways, when we are okay with sin. We have no problem with the little white lies or the stirring up of strife so long as we get our way. We have no problems walking in the conformity of the world, although we are ignorantly walking against God rather than with Him. For this reason, we so desperately need to seek God! We need His presence in our lives to show us His ways so we can repent of our own. We need to seek Him to know His thoughts so we can rebuke the lies and deception we thought were truth.
When we seek God and find Him as His word promises us we will, we discover how sinful we truly are in light of how holy He truly is. This should then provoke repentance of sin within our lives, drawing us all the more in love and on fire for a holy God. God has promised us in I John 1:9 that, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When He forgives us of our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness, we then can have true fellowship with God.
However, we need to truly seek God in our lives. Apart from Him we have no desire to repent from sins. Philippians 2:13 says, “For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” God gives us the “will” to live “for His good pleasure”. Apart from the presence of God in our lives, we won’t have any will to repent of our sins and serve Him. Jesus also said in John 16:8 that He sends the Helper, which is the Holy Spirit. “When He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” Praise God we do not have to fight the battles of the flesh on our own. He has given to us a Helper.
However we need to submit ourselves to the standards of God and by faith seek the Helper to guide us down that path. A great scripture that I often pray is Psalm 139:23, 24 which says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” I seek God asking Him to search me and try me because I may be unaware of sinful attitudes and actions within my life. Everyone else in my life may know of my sins, but I could be totally in the dark. However, when I seek God and ask Him to search me and try me and to show me everything in my life that does not line up with Him, He will. This then will produce a heart and a mind of repentance to where I will fully know the grace and mercy of God through a life of fellowship with God. He is a holy God that not only requires holiness within my life but will also produce it, if I seek Him and allow Him. Reclaiming the Land: God's Formula for Revival
