SufficientSelf's Bible Study & Devotional 2.0

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“Struggling but Saved”


"O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:24-25

When we were born again, our spirit was reborn and we began to see things differently, act differently, and it totally changed us. Why? We literally have been re-birthed, or made alive in the Spirit. The greatest evidence of the Power of God in my life is the grace he has given me and how I am so different than I used to be. Old desires and appetites are gone, and I long to be what God has called me to be. However, this life is not without struggle. There is not one Christian in the history of the Church that has not struggled with the flesh in some manner. The flesh is that Adamic nature left behind from the curse that has been pronounced on this world. Paul recognized this in detail in his letter to the Romans. He frequently referenced the presence of the spiritual man and the fleshly man. The Christian is in constant war with the fleshly man. Spiritual warfare is real and struggling with the flesh is part of that. My beloved, in this verse, Paul summarizes the truth: God will deliver us from this wretched body one day. One day, we will be raised to life with a spiritual yet physical body not damaged by the curse of sin. Then, the fleshly man shall be dead and the spiritual man will live in abundance. Today, if you find yourself struggling remember that God’s grace is bigger than your failures and He will deliver you. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. I might be struggling, but, my friend, I am saved.

 

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“Satisfied”


"As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” Psalm 17:15

Satisfaction is defined as the fulfillment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this. My beloved, true and eternal satisfaction comes only from God. It does not come from worldly pleasures, appetites, and our secret sins. The Psalmist declares two specific things related to this Godly satisfaction. The first being that our satisfaction in God is contingent on beholding the righteousness of God, face to face. Why? God is the source of every good, and perfect gift. He is light. He is life. He is love. He is a father to the fatherless. He is a warrior to the downtrodden. He is strength for the weak. In our natural state, we would die if we saw him face to face. Thus, we must be born again and be resurrected in a new body. The second declaration is that we shall be satisfied when we awake with his likeness. When I read that second clause, my mind begins to wander about the beautiful morning in the distance that Paul wrote about. One day, we will get up from the grave and we will rise with the redeemed of God to be united with him forever. On that day, I will be like Him in every way and I will be that way forever. On that day, I will behold his righteousness face to face. Then, and only then, will we be truly satisfied.

 

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I am glad everyone is enjoying it!

 

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“Freed”

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

Perseverance in the truth is a key mark of discipleship. If the children of God, continue in the Word of God it shall result in freedom. Why? Our obedience to God brings about spiritual blessings. The truth draws us in closer to the Son of God. It feeds our soul. It changes our hearts. It changes our mind. Absolute truth from heaven changes us with absolute power. If we know the truth of God (Jesus Christ and his word), then it will make us free. Free from what? Free from old desires and habits. Free from the bondage of sin. Free to love as Jesus loved us. Free to bless and serve others. Free to be a witness in a world that is coming to a close. My beloved, if you know Jesus in full pardon and for the remission of sin, you are freed. What a wonderful thought, in this time of isolation and separation, there is liberty and freedom where the Spirit of the Lord is dwelling. May God bless you, and keep you.

 

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“On Guard”


“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1st Peter 5:8

I’ll admit it. I’ve been deceived many times in life. Passions, and emotions arise and I am tempted then I fail. Our minds become distracted. We focus on the present temptation. We, in our fleshly weakness, stumble and indulge that impulse, thought or desire. Then it becomes sin in our life. Then the conviction falls on our shoulders, and we begin to mourn the failure in our life. We repent, and ask God to forgive us again. He, in his grace, does forgive us. My beloved, we are in the midst of a violent spiritual battle. The devil and his angels are fighting to distract you and to cause you to fail. The devil whispers lies to you. He wages the battle in your mind to degrade you and to defeat you. He wants you to, do as Job’s friends suggested, curse God and die. We need to be on guard. We need to fight this battle with hearts full of thanksgiving and prayer. We need to be dedicated to talking and hearing from God in prayer and intentional study of scripture. We need to look to the one who has defeated death, hell, and the grave. We need to keep our focus on Christ alone. In him, we will find strength and power during the day of temptation. He was tempted in every manner and sinned not. We need to be like him. The irony to spiritual battle is that the devil is already defeated. He’s fighting a war that is already lost. One day, victory will come and it will be forever. Stay on guard, my friend.

 

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“Abundantly Pardon”


“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:7

Sin has cursed our world. It has destroyed families. It has sanctioned murder, and unspeakable injustices in our world. It has stained the consciences of man. It has broken up marriages, and destroyed trust among friends. It has destroyed what God saw that was good in the beginning. It has rightfully sentenced us to death, and punishment throughout eternity. However, this verse lays out a precious attribute of God in response to our sin. If the wicked and unrighteous repent or turn away from their sin, then he will have mercy on them. Not only mercy on them, but he will abundantly pardon them. What a glorious thought! We serve and know a God who not only pardons the sinner, but does in abundance. That means there is plenty for me, and plenty for you! Regardless of what the world says, we have all come short of the glory of God. We are cursed in sin nature. But God is merciful, and he will forgive us of our sins and trespasses. The sentence to death that fell on man becomes a sentence of life. For we just begin to live when we die. For to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Why? He will abundantly pardon. May the Lord bless you and keep you.

 

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“Preach the Gospel”


“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” 1st Corinthians 1:17

My beloved, now more than ever do preachers, pastors, and evangelists need to heed to the wisdom of the Apostle Paul. We need spirit filled preachers that are full of the Holy Spirit, and called by God to this gospel ministry. We don’t need a self-help message. We don’t need a new book or program. We don’t fancy slides, or all the bells and whistles. We don’t need the wisdom this world has to offer. We need men to stand up and preach the simple gospel message: Christ, and him crucified. We need preachers to seriously handle and rightly divide the Word of God. We need sound doctrine to be belted from our pulpits. We need men full of the love of God to stand and declare the truth of what God has done for mankind. We need our old fashioned prayer warriors to hit the altar. We need the name of Jesus lifted up. Why? The cross of Christ is the most effective message ever preached, and is the only hope for the sinner and the saint. The call still remains, preach the gospel!

 

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“For Now”

“Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.” Psalm 4:4

We have no idea what it will be like to stand in the glory of God. Our physical bodies would die if we saw him as he truly is in his glory without our resurrected souls in a glorified body. “Stand in awe” evokes the entire mystery and beauty of standing and beholding almighty God. Why? His marvellous works. His perfect ways. His righteous judgment. His love to the unlovable. His truth throughout eternity. The realized plan of salvation. The beauty of a creation not cursed by sin. Everything about God is awesome and unspeakable-- all we can do is stand in awe! I won’t be able to speak, or reason it out. I’ll just stand, fall or kneel and behold him as the God of all creation. His very presence will drive away the forces of evil and darkness. When I am there, I won’t be able to sin. I’ll no longer be cursed. For now, I’ll strive to live right in his eyes. I’ll strive to enter in at the straight and narrow gate. For now, I’ll think and meditate on the word of God and listen for him to speak through the word. For now, I’ll commune with him in prayer. For now, the deepest thoughts of my heart will God know and comfort. For now, I can’t behold him in the awe of his glory, but one day I will “stand in awe, and sin not”.

 

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“His Workmanship”


“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath foreordained that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:8-10

Our salvation is the perfect gift of God. Many people all over the “denominational spectrum” have an imperfect view on the relationship of works to salvation. Some groups teach that salvation is faith plus works. Which, in my understanding, negates the work of Christ on the Cross. Others are satisfied if you pray a pre-written prayer and they never see you or hear from you again. Some will say that good people go to heaven.

The most Biblical understanding of works is summarized as this: works are the product of a lively faith. If your faith is real, and focused it must produce works. You’ll bear the fruits of the spirit in your life. You’ll have a greater desire to take part in worship, prayer, and service.

Paul tells the church at Ephesus that they (believers) are the workmanship created in Christ. How? Born again by the Spirit through the blood of the lamb. For what? Good works that God has foreordained for his church to walk in. The church of God (not the denomination) has been set aside from all eternity to be the light in a dark and dying world. The church is destined to do the works of Jesus Christ on earth. Which is to love our neighbors, serve one another, feed the hungry, heal the sick, and bring mercy and peace wherever we go. Why? To preach the Gospel of Grace in a lost, dying, and sin cursed world. The believer has been set apart for those good works. Not to save them, or earn any merit in salvation, but to be the evidence of the work Christ has accomplished in their soul. We are his workmanship.

 

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“Fleeting”


“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” James 4:14

The soul of man is eternal. It was breathed into Adam by the eternal God, and it will always exist. However, the flesh will one day fail. The writer of Hebrews declares that “it is appointed unto men once to die” and James in this verse reminds us how frail that life is in all honesty. Vapor appears for a few moments and shortly vanishes away. So, it is with life. One day, you and I will die. We will cease to physically exist. Our labors and trials will soon be lost to history and our bodies committed to the grave. Our souls committed to eternity awaiting the resurrection morning. If life is short and death is sure, why do men live like their end will never come? Unbelief. They, in their vanity, reject the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. My beloved, as you can see by the evidence all around us, the birthing pangs are growing worse and coming quicker by the instant. Soon, and very soon, will come a day of judgment when the Lion of Judah will separate the sheep from the goats. This life does not last forever, it is fleeting and is headed toward its fulfillment in the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. May you be found ready when he returns.