This Particular LIFE (Part 3)

Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. (Acts 5:20)

This Altered Life Can BE Validated! (A)
(Guilty until proven innocent)

All men should be seen as guilty of rebellion to the authority of King Jesus, and in need of being permanently conquered and made subject to Him, until otherwise proven innocent of this common and most natural sin.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We understand, according to the Scriptures, that humanity left to itself is fallen, and in and of its self has no eternal value. Eternally speaking, apart from God's favor and providential touch, natural man is divinely good for nothing. God calls natural humans "children of disobedience" and "children of wrath". Why does He refer to them as evil and therefore; wicked? He does so because they're what I call “products of the fall”. Mankind inherited a fallen nature through the rebellion and transgression of Adam’s original sin. The result of his sin has been passed down through the ages to all his descendants. We, all humanity, are descendants of Adam and Eve. This original sin has left its mark, a clearly identifiable trait of deception and self-centered living, upon the hearts of everyone. We were born into this world a sinner. Today, we're positioned in one of two places: (1) we're either “products of the fall” (separated from the Lord and His redeeming grace therefore; perishing in our sin) or (2) we are the "workmanship of God" because we've been rescued from ourselves and the eternal consequences of our sin through the life of Jesus Christ. If we've been rescued there was a time in our lives that we lived a self-seeking lifestyle. We lived this way until we were interrupted by the Lord. God used Paul to describe these two different lifestyle in Romans 2:7-8. These two ways of living are the only two lifestyles presently operating in the world today.

“To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: [8] But unto them that are contentious (self-stimulated/provoked; meaning self-seeking), and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath…” (Romans 2:7-8)

Every human being alive today is living in one of these verses. Their lives can be characterized as either in a position of: (1) submission to the truth therefore; a seeker of righteousness and the kingdom agenda of God, or (2) as a one who is rebellious to the truth and this rebellion is manifested through a lifestyle that seeks its own agenda. No one can live in both verses. But no matter who we are, at some point in our lifetime, we all have lived in verse eight. For others they are currently living in it, and this verse can be used to best describe their lives. Each of the two positions also come with their own eternal consequences; life everlasting given to us through the life of Jesus Christ or indignation and wrath and forever separated from the life and love of a relentlessly loving God. Every disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, at one time in their life, lived in verse eight. It was only when the Greatest Interrupter that ever lived interrupted their self-seeking agenda, and reconciled their life to be in harmony with God’s kingdom purpose. Prior to this JESUS INVASION they lived for themselves. Once we’re in verse seven there’s no going back to verse eight as a way of living. Yes, we’ll do things with the wrong motives. Yes, we’ll disobey the truth at times and be in need of grace repentance. But our lives will never be characterized as being in verse eight. Why not? The Interruption and Invasion of Jesus is PERMANENT! Will we be tempted to live for ourselves. Yes, but we are “more than conquerors in Christ Jesus” and we will not be continually overcome and conquered by our flesh to fulfill its lust. Keep in mind that temptation is not sin. It’s when we act on our temptation that it becomes sin. Can we make provisions for our flesh? Yes, we can exercise our minds toward, and think in advance how to feed our fleshly cravings. But we don't have to and we shouldn't desire to live this way any longer.

We're going to stop here and pick up with this thought tomorrow. Come back and we'll look at how God describes the “products of the fall” to establish our theme for all missionaries living to rescue the perishing:
“All men are guilty of living a life of rebellion toward King Jesus until otherwise proven innocent by His unmistakable marks of grace upon their life.”

We will also be introduce to the eternal marks of God’s grace.

Until then God bless!

Proverbs 14:25
A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.

Win the lost at His cost, and it will be According to Grace!

If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready (stumbling) to be slain (slaughtered); [12] If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works? (Proverbs 24:11-12)