Galatians 3:8
No matter the situation or how drastic the circumstance may appear to be; today’s focus verse reminds us that it’s not too late for the wayward soul, there is still time for the one who is lost to be found and a ray of hope for the one who so many have wrote off… The word of God can redirect the paths of whoever comes in contact with it and the grace of God can justify any man no matter their prior history… In reading this verse, it is vital that we understand and know that we can only be justified by faith… There is no deed or process which you can complete to have your name recorded in the book of life and be assured that heaven is your Eternal resting place… The things you deserve to receive are not the things that you desire to receive; however, through your acceptance of the blood which Jesus shed on Calvary, you have a door opened unto you where the things you desire can actually be manifested in your life… This is how you can gain the things you desire (not because you deserve them), but because you are justified by Christ to receive them… Abraham was promised by God to be the father of many nations; however, up until he turned 100 years of age his wife Sarah was barren… In believing that the promise would not be fulfilled, Abraham took the advice of his wife and had a child with her maidservant… This was not the child promised to Abraham and led to a seed of bitterness to take root within the heart of his wife Sarah… The point of summarizing this message today is to say that we must stand on the promises of God and know that He is only one who can bring them into fruition… We must come to a point in our lives where we firmly believe and trust in the Lord… So many of us have claimed to be Disciples of Christ, but we allow other things or circumstances to “Lord” over us…
The bible tells us that “without faith it’s impossible to please God…”Going to church isn’t enough, paying your tithes and offerings isn’t enough, praying every now and then isn’t enough; however, trusting that God doesn’t make mistakes, believing that He is the great I am and having complete confidence that He is the way is enough… We all have fallen short, we all have made mistakes and we all have a reservation for hell as soon as we exit our mother’s womb; however Paul writes to the church of Galatia teaching them about the promise that God has made for all those who walk by faith… Paul says, “…preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, in thee shall all nations be blessed…” We must have the word in us and developing in our lives in order to reach the levels and points that God has ordained for us… Our faith must be present, but its presence can only be found through the word of God… The bible says that “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God…” How can you have faith if you don’t study and apply the word of God in your life…? How can you have faith if you aren’t walking in the will of the Lord nor staying active in your fellowship with His people…? We must be clear in understanding that faith is a (n) action word… This is why James says that “faith, if not accompanied by works is dead…” It’s also why He said, “show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by what I do…” You can’t proclaim faith by mere words, but actions… Paul wants us to understand today that we are justified by faith, to be justified means that we are accepted or vindicated… The penalty of sin has been removed when we are walking in faith, the sentence of death placed upon our heads has been overturned when we walk by faith and this only can come to fruition when we find ourselves in total devotion to the will of God by studying, learning and applying His word…God made a promise to Abraham that “in thee shall all nations be blessed…” Abraham was a man that followed the will of God by faith…
At the age of 75 he set out from Haran to the land of Canaan and was placed in the territory of the enemy which forced him to totally rely upon the Lord… We know that God promised him a son and through trying to assist God by sleeping with his wife’s maidservant he suffered some trials and tribulations… We look at the story of Abraham to understand today that God has indeed made a promise; we can be justified by our faith in Him… Just like Abraham, we must allow God to lead us according to His will and not try to assist along the way… When we try to take matters into our own hands we no longer are walking by faith, but rather giving in to the pressures and temptations what we are currently facing… The seed of Abraham was provided by God’s allowance for His wife Sarah to have a son… Sarah was barren for 90 years, so we know that this seed came from the Lords grace and mercy… This is the same grace and mercy which was bestowed upon us, the same grace and mercy that has kept us and the same grace and mercy that calls for us to have faith in the only one who is faithful and continues to open up doors and make ways out of know way… To be the seed of Abraham we must believe that Jesus is Lord. We will be justified through faith; God is telling us that if we believe and hold onto His promise, than we shall be blessed. It doesn’t mean hold on to Him in times of trouble, but through ups and downs continue to let your FAITH soar. We will be tested and tried each and every day of our lives, but know that God is justifying your claim to the thrown and to be heirs with Christ by the testing of your FAITH… So go on and press forward for your prize, knowing that when Jesus cracks the sky, you will receive your reward in full… You will receive it not because you have done enough to deserve it, you will receive because Christ has done enough to have authority over it and if He blesses you with it then so be it… I am not justified by my actions on this earth; I am justified by the actions that Christ performed on this earth and the faith that I have in Him…
ALL FOR HIS GLORY!
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