The One Thing That Matters Before Everything Else (Remedial II)

"Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me."

Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.


There is much to write about today, but I will say this, first and foremost: We need Jesus Christ, and we need Him, every day, every hour, every second. We would do best to always abide in His presence, for the moment we turn to anything else, confusion follows.

It is true that there is true direction in Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are made steady and we are set on the right path. Because of the love & power we have through Christ we are able to move forward, and straight forward: Not deviating to the left, or the right, despite what the devil would have us believe.

We must be righteous to enter and dwell in the presence of God the Father. I believe righteousness has two components: The absence of sin, and the presence of goodness. Unfortunately, we could not cleanse ourselves of our sin. We couldn't resist, much less deny our sinful nature on our own - in fact, on our own, would we even want to resist?

Moreover, we are incapable of doing good - I mean, flesh and blood will never be able to meet up to God's perfect standards. What victories and triumphs we have by our own strength; these are mere filthy rags before Him!

Sadly, we do not need to be aware of the sin we have to be called sinners. It's not that we sin that we are called sinners. No, we sin because we are sinners to begin with. (020413) And say what you want to say about how capable we are of good without God - this I know: Left to our own devices, we cannot do good. Without God, we are absolutely capable (and willing) to do evil. (end)

But praise be to God, who loved us while we were yet sinners, that He gave His only begotten Son, perfect in every way. He satisfied the demands of the law, and presented Himself as a sacrifice, a spotless Lamb whose blood was shed for the sins of the world!

Therefore, just as Christ died and rose again, so we, by believing in Him, could put our old nature to death, and rise again - as new creations, holy & acceptable, righteous not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us!

By God's grace and by the blood of Jesus Christ, I have life, and life abundantly. By the power of the Holy Spirit, and by His word, I am able to overcome, for His glory!

Father, indeed, let Your will be done here on earth as it is in Heaven; In Jesus Christ's Name I pray, Amen!


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jb.redeemed
email me at jibee@rocketmail.com

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you His Shalom. - Numbers 6:24-26