Your Word for Today

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Your Word for Today

“and he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will You have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do (Acts 9:6).

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus was, without a doubt, one of the greatest conversions in the annals of human history. There is a good possibility that Stephen’s words and behavior had a great effect on him. He watched Stephen being stoned as he called upon God, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Saul was also watching as the martyr knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:59-60).

This is where conviction on Saul by the Holy Spirit began. However, Saul reacted to that conviction, even as many do, by exhibiting more hatred against the followers of Christ. “He made havoc of the Church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3). His anger became so pronounced that the Holy Spirit recorded him as “breathing out threatening's and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1).

It was with this frame of mind, fighting conviction by being ever more oppressive, that Saul went to Damascus in order to extend his violent reach. But something happened that would change his life forever, something so dramatic that he oftentimes was compelled to relate the experience.

As he came near Damascus, the Scripture says, “Suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heaven” (Acts 9:3). He then heard a voice and he also saw the Lord (Acts 9:17). One glimpse of Jesus undid all his arguments, discomfiting him in every capacity. Zealous as he was for the Law, yet found he that he was fighting against God and destroying his people.

The Scripture says, “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will You have me to do?” (Acts 9:6). At that moment, Saul of Tarsus gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. It is amazing that when he asked, “Who are You, Lord?” the Lord answered him by using the name that Paul hated the most, “Jesus” (Acts 9:5).

Ironically enough, it was to this man that the Lord would give the meaning of the New Covenant, which was, and is, the meaning of the Cross. He would be the Masterbuilder of the Church (I Cor. 3:10). The Lord would show Paul the victory of the Cross, not only as it refers to the Salvation of the soul, but also to the Sanctification of the Saint (Rom., Chpt. 6).

Some have asked the question, “What is the origin of Western Civilization?” If you know your Bible, the answer is simple. The little Jew from Tarsus is more responsible for Western Civilization than any man who has ever lived. It was his Gospel that pushed west, touching most of Europe, finally going to England, and then ultimately to the United States and elsewhere in the world. Paul is responsible for that which we refer to as “Western Civilization.”

This Civilization, the envy of the world, enjoying the greatest prosperity and the greatest freedoms of all, can trace its origin to the Jew from Tarsus, i.e., “the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”’

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“who shall tell you words, whereby you and all your house shall be saved (Acts 11:14).

The conversion of the Gentile, Cornelius, and his household opened up the Gospel to the Gentile world, all according to the Grace of the Cross. However, on a personal basis, the story of Cornelius affords us a great look into the Gospel and its reception. The Scriptures say many wonderful things about Cornelius; but yet, despite those wonderful things, he was still unsaved. The Scripture says this about him:

1. He was “a devout man”: This means he was a moral man.

2. “He feared God with all his house”: Despite the fact of being a Gentile, he recognized there was a God, and feared Him greatly.

3. “He gave much alms to the people”: He was generous with his money, helping the poor, etc.

4. “He prayed to God always”: While wondrously commendable, still, Cornelius wasn’t saved.

5. “He had a Vision which definitely was from the Lord”: What a wonderful experience, but yet, still, he wasn’t saved.

6. In the Vision, he saw “an Angel of God”: This presented an experience of unprecedented proportions, but still he was unsaved.

7. The Angel told him that his “prayers and alms had come up for a memorial before God”: This means the Lord had noted everything that Cornelius had done and was doing, and was extremely favorable toward this Gentile. But yet, Cornelius was unsaved.

To be sure, most all the world, even a great segment of the modern Church, would automatically conclude this man to be saved. But despite all these wonderful things happening to him, and despite his efforts at morality, he still was unsaved.

Why didn’t those things save him?

Salvation only comes one way, and that is by and through the Message of the Lord Jesus Christ, and what He has done for us at the Cross, and our Faith in that Finished Work.

Peter said, “Neither is there Salvation in any other: for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

To the inquiry of the Philippian jailer, Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house” (Acts 16:31).

Peter, and those who were with him, came to the house of Cornelius and began to minister to those who were gathered; when he came to the place in his message where he said, “To Him (Jesus) give all the Prophets witness, that through His Name whosoever believes in Him shall receive remission of sins,” evidently Cornelius and those in the house instantly believed, because “the Holy Spirit fell on all them which heard the Word” (Acts 10:43-44).

All of this simply means that there is no way that one can be saved except by accepting Jesus Christ as one’s Saviour and Lord (Jn. 3:16). It must ever be understood that it is Jesus Christ Who died on the Cross, thereby paying the price for man’s sins, thereby satisfying the demands of a thrice-Holy God. No other did that, only Jesus; consequently, it is in Him that one must believe, or else one cannot be saved, whether they are Jew or Gentile (Jn. 3:16).

What we have just stated, the world does not like! As Cain, they desire to effect their own Salvation; then they demand that God accept it. He won’t! It is Christ, Christ Alone, Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn. 14:6).”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk (Acts 3:6).

This lame man of our Text had no doubt heard of Jesus. There is no way that he could not have heard of Jesus of Nazareth. Knowing that Christ could heal any disease, he longed for Jesus to pass his way; however, it never happened! Then he heard that Jesus had been crucified. With that, his hopes were dashed to the ground. He would never be healed!

One can imagine the sorrow and the heartache of not being one of the thousands who had been healed by Christ, and now Christ was gone!

When the lame man arose that day, it would be a day like any other: humiliation, shame, a burden on his loved ones, reduced to begging, that was his lot in life. Being lame from his mother’s womb, he had to be carried everywhere he went, as on all other days. As usual, they would lay him daily “at the gate of the Temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them who entered into the Temple” (Acts 3:2).

This day had begun like all others. Why should it be any different?

No doubt, he had been deposited there early that morning. Now the day is moving along. A few shekels are handed to him. It is drawing close to 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Little would he know when 3 o’clock would come and go. Beside that, what did it matter?

He did not realize it, but this particular time was going to become the greatest moment in his life! At 3 p.m., “Peter and John went up together into the Temple at the hour of prayer” (Acts 3:1). As Peter and John started to go through the Gate Beautiful, the lame man “asked an alms.” This was not unusual, because he asked alms of all who came through that Gate.

He never really looked up. His despondency caused him to cast his eyes downward. About all he ever saw was the feet of men and women.

As Peter and John drew abreast of him, mechanically he requested their help. But then he hears one of the men say something to him. Both men are looking at him, and they say, “Look on us.”

He then looks up, “expecting to receive something of them.” But Peter said to him, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:4-6).

The man heard two things:

First of all, they had no money. His hopes must have fallen when he heard that. But then he heard something else. He heard the Name “Jesus Christ of Nazareth.”

What did they mean by that? Why were they using is Name, when He had been crucified? But, upon hearing that Name, he was immediately quickened, because he linked that Name with healing.

Peter reaches out his hand, motioning for the lame man to join hands with him. When he did, Peter “lifted him up.” The moment he did, the Scripture says, “immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.” But he did not stop there; “leaping up he stood, and walked, and entered with them into the Temple, walking and leaping, and praising God” (Acts 3:7-8). No wonder!

Three o’clock in the afternoon would forever have a special place in this man’s heart. At that moment, he had met Jesus Christ, even though Jesus actually wasn’t there. Still, he knew he could not have been healed but that Jesus Christ, present or not, had effected it!

What must the people have thought who brought him to his place of alms-begging each day and who picked him up each night? When they came that night, they undoubtedly went to the same place where they had laid him down early that morning, but he was not there. They were surely puzzled. Where could he have gone? He couldn’t walk, so who would bother to take him?

Then they must have seen the commotion. What was going on?

They pushed their way through the crowd, and then they see him.

How could it be? He is not only walking, but he is “leaping and praising God.”

The man they brought that morning, who they no doubt had brought many mornings, would not be the same man who would go home with them that night.

How many, down through the centuries, were spiritually lame, despondent, and disconcerted, but then they met Jesus? And they also would never be the same again.

Let the following ever be understood:

This same Jesus is just as alive presently as He was then. He is still healing the spiritually lame!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and saw Heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the Earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the Earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a Voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat (Acts 10:11-13).

This great Vision shown to Simon Peter was one of the greatest in human history. All of the different animals represented in the Vision, almost all of them unclean, as represented by the words, “all manner,” proclaims the fact that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, afforded by the Cross, was meant to go to all nations of the world. In other words, when Jesus died on the Cross, He died not only for the Jewish people, but actually for the entirety of mankind (Jn. 3:16).

There was to be “one fold,” and only one fold. Jesus said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold (meaning the Gentiles): them (the other nations of the world, the Gentiles) also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice (the Church); and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd” (that One Shepherd is the Lord Jesus Christ [Jn. 10:16]).

This great lesson was hard for Peter and the Twelve to learn. But Christ is “Lord of all” and the Gospel is for “whosoever will” (Acts 10:43).

Peter had proclaimed the election of the Gentiles to Salvation in Acts 2:21, 39, but he was, as we are, so dull and prejudiced that this Vision had to be given to him three times to make him realize the fact (Acts 10:16). As stated, the meaning of all this, as would be obvious, is significant beyond comprehension, because it pertains to the Salvation of the entirety of humanity, at least all who will believe, as afforded by the Cross. The great concept is: “Whosoever will . . .” (Rev. 22:17).

Cornelius and his household were the first to come in under the new order. But thank God this great Vision also included you and me! To know that you and I were in this Vision humbles us, or at least it certainly should!

“Come ye sinners, lost and hopeless,
“Jesus’ Blood can make you clean,
“For He saved the worst among you,
“When He saved a wretch like me!”
(Gen. 12:3).”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison (Acts 12:4, 6).

James, the brother of John, had just been killed by the sword, and now Herod would do Peter the same way. So Peter is arrested.

The Romans divided the night into four watches; so sixteen soldiers were appointed to guard Peter — four soldiers for each watch — one at each gate and two chained to the prisoner. These four soldiers were relieved at the end of their respective watches. Peter’s release by the Angel must have taken place during the last watch, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Herod intended to execute Peter exactly as he had James.

Evidently, the night in question was immediately before Peter was to be executed the next morning (Acts 12:6). The Scripture says, “Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains.”

Could you sleep, knowing that your execution was scheduled for the next morning?

Peter was human like the rest of us, so how could he sleep so soundly on this occasion? The following answers the question.

Just before the Ascension, Jesus had told Peter that he would grow “old” (Jn. 21:18). At the time of his arrest, Peter was probably about 25 or 30 years old, at the most. At any rate, he was not “old.” He knew that Jesus had said that he would grow “old”; knowing that fact had not yet been fulfilled, he knew that the Lord would somehow deliver him from this situation. So he slept soundly!

I seriously doubt, however, that Peter realized that his deliverance would be as dramatic as it actually came to be.

Sometime that night, actually not long before daylight, “the Angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands” (Acts 12:7). Evidently, the guards were asleep, and felt and saw nothing.

The Angel took him out of the cell; the door opened, and a guard was standing there, who also saw nothing. When they came to the “iron gate,” which was the main gate to the prison, it also opened, even though a guard was standing there, who, again, saw nothing.

When daylight came, Peter was gone, and the soldiers had no explanation. How in the world could this man have escaped them, considering that he was chained to two soldiers? Murderous Herod condemned the soldiers to death, even though they were totally bereft of all knowledge of the situation.

From this, we learn just how true the Lord is to His Word.

The question, “Why didn’t the Lord deliver James as He delivered Peter?” also looms large. The Holy Spirit gave us no answer for this question. James, in fact, was the first of the original Twelve to die, not counting Judas, who committed suicide. We do know that the Lord easily could have delivered James. But for His Own Personal reasons, He chose not to do so.

This tells us that some Believers, through no fault of their own, are taken early in life; we must understand, however, that, in everything the Lord does, it is always for the good of all concerned.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“now there were in the Church that was at Antioch certain Prophets and Teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger; and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul (Paul) for the work whereunto I have called them (Acts 13:1-2).

Very few recognize the significance of the facts stated in the first four Verses of this Thirteenth Chapter of Acts. This occasion takes place several years, possibly as many as nine, after the conversion of Paul. Even though the Church began, in a sense, with the conversion of Cornelius and his household, all Gentiles, its systemized order began with the sending forth of Paul.

During these intervening years, i.e., from the time Paul was converted until now, the Lord had given him the meaning of the New Covenant, which was, in effect, the meaning of the Cross. Paul gave that to us in his fourteen Epistles. He was called by the Lord to be the Masterbuilder of the Church, which could not be until this great Revelation was given to him (Gal. 1:12).

The Holy Spirit, in this account of the missionary journey, refers to both Paul and Barnabas as Apostles (Acts 14:4, 14).

As it obvious, Paul and Barnabas were not of the original Twelve. The Holy Spirit names as Apostles over twenty individuals in the New Testament. “Apostle” is one of the fivefold Ministry callings, and is, in fact, apropos even unto this hour (Eph. 4:11).

Apostles are not elected by popular ballot, neither are they appointed by men. The Office of the Apostle is a Call of God. An Apostle is recognized by the significance of the Message which He proclaims. In other words, the Holy Spirit will place a special and powerful emphasis on a particular Message, which will always be exactly according to the Word of God. With Paul, one might say that he was the Apostle of Grace, or the Apostle of the Cross. That was his emphasis.

Others may have the same emphasis, even as did Barnabas, etc.

Under the Headship of Christ and the Leadership of the Holy Spirit, Apostles set the course for the Church. This is what the Holy Spirit intends. In the Old Testament times, there were no Apostles, because there was no Church. Prophets served in the capacity of leadership for Israel of old.

This great missionary journey, actually the first, was also the beginning of what we refer to as “Western Civilization.” Through Paul, the Gospel would go west, because the Holy Spirit knew that the reception would be greater in that direction. When you read the account of this first Missionary effort, as recorded in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Chapters of Acts, you should also read your Salvation into these two Chapters, because the Gospel that Paul and Barnabas gave to the Gentile world ultimately came to you and me.

From this account, we learn that the Holy Spirit, a Person Who “speaks” and “sends,” was the Director of all proceedings. He was the Source of their Apostolate; He energized them.

Incidentally, the First Miracle recorded on this First Missionary journey was the making blind of one Elymas the Sorcerer, who withstood Paul and Barnabas, “seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith” (Acts 13:7-12). Remarkably, this was also the moment chosen by the Holy Spirit to introduce the change of Paul’s name from the Hebrew “Saul” to the Greek “Paul.” This tells us that all who reject the Message of Grace, as proclaimed by Paul, which is, in effect, the Message of the Cross, will become spiritually blind!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders about this question (Acts 15:1-2).

Here we find the beginning of the problem with the Judaizers, a problem which would plague Paul throughout his ministry. The Judaizers were Jews, almost all from Jerusalem and Judaea, who had accepted Christ as the Messiah, but who insisted, at the same time, that all Believers, even Gentiles, must also keep the Law. This was Satan’s great effort to dilute and ultimately destroy the Gospel. Satan would do this, as he does most of his insidious work, from inside the Church!

Paul had been given the Revelation that the Lord Jesus had fulfilled the Law in every respect. Consequently, for Believers to attempt to continue to keep the Law, this said, in effect, that what Jesus did at the Cross was insufficient, which, as should be obvious, was an insult of the highest order to the Lord of Glory. However, this problem did not die with the Early Church. It continues unto this hour. It has been the greatest problem that plagues the Church.

Today it’s not the Law of Moses which is in question, but laws of one variety or the other made up by religious men. It probably could be said that every single one of us at some time has formulated some laws in our hearts and minds, which, within themselves, may have been valid, but faith and trust placed in those laws, whatever they may have been or may be, will bring no victory.

Every unsaved person in the world is under the Government of Law, whether they realize it or not (Ex., Chpt. 20). I’m speaking of the Law of God, to which they will answer at the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15), that is, if they do not accept Christ as their Saviour. When the person comes to Christ, we then come from the Government of Law to the Government of Grace (Rom. 6:14).

Unfortunately, most Christians do not understand the Government of Grace as they should, because they do not understand the Cross. It is, in fact, impossible to properly understand Grace if one does not properly understand the Cross. As such, most Christians are trying to live for God under two Governments at the same time, the Government of Law and the Government of Grace. Such is a miserable existence, which Paul himself tried to do for a period of time, because he understood, at that time, neither the Cross nor the Government of Grace.

We find Paul’s account of this period in his life in the Seventh Chapter of Romans, which is also the account, unfortunately, of most modern Christians. According to the instructions given to us by the Apostle, who received them directly by Revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12), the Believer lives under the Government of Grace by understanding that everything we have from the Lord comes to us through the means of the Cross; the Cross of Christ, therefore, is ever to be the Object of our Faith, which then gives the Holy Spirit latitude to work within our lives (Rom. 6:1-4; 8:1-2,11).

That being done on a constant basis, the Holy Spirit will develop His Fruit within our hearts, which will spring forth in our lives, which is the Gospel of Grace. Otherwise, Christ will profit us nothing (Gal. 5:2).”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden that these necessary things; That you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. Fare ye well (Acts 15:28-29).

The General Council conducted in Jerusalem saw, for the first and only time, all of the original Apostles, along with Paul and Barnabas, gathered together “for to consider of this matter” (Acts 15:6). It was conducted at the Church at Jerusalem, which was, in essence, the first Church, and of which James the Lord’s brother was the Senior Pastor, so to speak.

Even though we say “Church,” they didn’t have a building, and for many and obvious reasons. In a sense, the Temple continued to serve as their “Church” in Jerusalem. There were probably as many as 20,000-30,000 people who were members of this “Church,” virtually all of them Jews.

From the Text, it seems that Peter spoke first, and rightly so, because he was much better known to all the people; furthermore, even as Peter said, “You know how that a good while ago (approximately ten years) God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the Word of the Gospel, and believe” (Acts 15:7). This had to do with Cornelius and his household, all Gentiles.

Then Paul and Barnabas addressed the crowd.

The great question concerned the “Law” and “Grace.” After they come to Christ, is it right to demand of the Gentiles that they also keep the Law?

At this Council, the Holy Spirit made the decision that the Gentiles would not have to keep the Law. In other words, they were saved by trusting Christ and Him alone! There were four requirements for the Gentiles, and all four, in a sense, had to do with the Cross.

They are:

1. “That you abstain from meats offered to idols”: These were lambs or heifers which had been offered in sacrifice to idols, a custom which, of course, was nurtured and fostered by Satan to say, in effect, that the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross was of no consequence. After these animals were offered in sacrifice, the carcass was then offered for sale in the meat markets of the city, and whoever purchased this cut of meat was believed to have good luck, etc. As should be obvious, Christians should not be involved in such.

2. “From blood”: Under the Law, the Jews were strictly forbidden to eat blood (Lev. 17:14). To be brief, Christ would shed His Life’s Blood on the Cross, which meant the pouring out of His Perfect Life, with Faith in that securing Salvation for all who believe.

3. “From things strangled”: This referred to the carcass of animals which had not been properly drained of blood; when this meat was eaten, blood would also be imbibed, which is forbidden. Once again, it goes to the Cross.

4. “And from fornication”: This spoke, obviously, of immorality; even more so, however, James is using it in the Old Testament sense of being unfaithful to the Lord. When a Believer trusts in anything except Christ and the Cross, he is, in effect, committing spiritual fornication with that thing, whatever it might be. Each Believer is married to Christ. Christ Alone meets our every need, as He Alone can meet our every need (Rom. 7:1-4). Therefore, our Faith is to be exclusively in Him and what He has done for us at the Cross; otherwise, we commit spiritual fornication.

That’s the reason it is imperative for every Believer to make Christ and His Cross the exclusive Object of one’s Faith, and that alone! There is nothing more important than that!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and a Vision appeared to Paul in the night; there stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us (Acts 16:9).

Paul now begins his second missionary journey. He will take Silas with him; Timothy will join him at a place called Lystra. It seems that Paul thought he had the mind of the Lord regarding the destination of this journey, but after starting out, he found that he did not. The Scripture says, “They were forbidden of the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia” (Acts 16:6). Then they tried another direction, “But the Spirit suffered them not” (Acts 16:7).

Even though every missionary journey undertaken by Paul was of the utmost significance, still, this one was more important than ever, because here the Holy Spirit will direct the Gospel westward; the first preaching in this direction took place in Greece. Satan would do everything he could to greatly hinder this effort, as would be obvious, due to the tremendous significance of this development; however, as the Spirit kept leading, Paul and Silas kept following, until ultimately they received the “Macedonian Call,” which was one of the most important Calls in history.

Even though the first missionary journey undertaken by Paul was the beginning of this great episode, still, the Holy Spirit now gives special guidance regarding the Gospel and its geographical direction. To be sure, the Lord did not love those in the west more than those in the east; however, by foreknowledge, He knew that those in the west would be more receptive to the Gospel, hence leading in this direction.

When Paul received this Macedonian Call, even as it regards the man in the Vision, we are seeing here the blueprint for that which we refer to as “Western Civilization.” In that Macedonian Call is every freedom we now enjoy, all the prosperity which we now have, actually that which has made the United States the envy of the world. To the degree that the Western nations have accepted the Gospel, to that degree have they been blessed.

When our leaders speak of extending democracy to other nations of the world, what most do not seem to realize is that there can be no true democracy without acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel that He affords. So our efforts at trying to democratize Muslim nations, no matter the good intentions, will little work. For it to truthfully work, they would have to forsake the religion of Islam and accept the Lord Jesus Christ, which the far greater majority of them will not do. If any type of democracy is established in Iraq, or any other Muslim country, it will mostly be democracy in name only, without many of the benefits.

Unfortunately, in the United States of America, we are losing sight of that which has made us great; we are gradually becoming “heathenized” ourselves. There is, in fact, no longer a separation of Church and State, which is proper, but rather a separation of God and State, which is catastrophic!

The problem?

The problem is the Church! The Church has strayed so far from the True Gospel of Jesus Christ that it any more little persuades and sways Governmental leaders, which it is meant to do.

Peter said, “For the time is come that judgment must begin
at the House of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them who obey not the Gospel of God?” (I Pet. 4:17).”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

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Your Word for Today

“and at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them (Acts 16:25).

A false message has been circulated in the modern Church that if a person is in the very center of the Will of God, there will be no problems. If there are problems, so it is erroneously claimed, that means the person is out of the Will of God. Nothing could be further from the truth!

The more directly that one is in the Will of God, just as Paul and Silas were when they were preaching the Gospel in Philippi, the more that Satan is going to do everything within his power to hinder. An absence of that hindrance tells us that we are not where we ought to be.

A demon-possessed girl was delivered; her masters, who made great sums of money from her fortunetelling, grew incensed and had Paul and Silas arrested (Acts 16:16-21). As a result, the Magistrates of the city commanded that Paul and Silas be beaten, which they were. Under Roman law, scourging was a most brutal and cruel punishment. Many died under this torture. Paul and Silas must have been given superhuman strength to have endured it.

Then they had to suffer the added torture of the stocks in the inner prison, which usually was a noisome and wet dungeon without any light. The stocks frequently were so placed that the unhappy prisoner’s shoulders lay on the wet stone floor, with his feet drawn as far apart as possible, fastened high up to the wall. After a short time, the muscles would begin to constrict, causing unbearable pain.

Satan, no doubt, took this opportunity to taunt the two Apostles, telling them that they were out of the Will of God, etc. If their coming to Philippi was the Will of God, why would the Lord allow them to be treated in this manner?

That question has plagued many throughout the centuries. Why did the Lord allow this terrible beating and imprisonment to come to Paul and Silas?

The reasons are known only to the Lord, but He most definitely had His reasons. Had He desired, He easily could have stopped the situation. Paul may have answered this question in the Epistle to the Church at Corinth. Paul said, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the Revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

“For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

“And He said unto me, My Grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the Power of Christ may rest upon me” (II Cor. 12:7-9).

The “flesh” is ever prominent in all of us, even in Paul. Certain problems are then allowed by the Lord in order to let us know that in the flesh there is no strength or power, and that we must depend solely upon the Lord. In fact, the greater the Operation of the Holy Spirit within our hearts and lives, the greater, I think, will be these difficulties.

In the midst of it all, the two Apostles began to pray and sing praises unto the Lord. The Greek Text suggests that bursts of song broke out as they prayed from time to time. This tells us that, especially during times of great testing, and whether we feel like it or not, we should simply “pray and sing praises unto the Lord.” This proclaims faith and trust!

It was midnight. “Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed” (Acts 16:26). Even though it was an earthquake, it was very unnatural in that it seems to only have affected the jail. Further, it caused every door to be opened and even their iron bands to be unloosed, but without destroying the building.

As a result, the jailer was saved and all of his household. Also, a Church was established in Philippi.

The ways of the Lord are not always easy; however, if they are minutely followed, they always are fruitful!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ Hill, and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you (Acts 17:22-23).

When Paul went to Athens, first of all he ministered in the Jewish Synagogue (17:17). Paul reasoned to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah and proved it from the Scriptures. In the marketplace where great crowds always gathered, he began daily to minister, with a platform, so to speak, for public speaking. Paul took the opportunity to minister the Gospel.

At a point in time, he was opposed by the “philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, who encountered him” (Acts 17:18). The Epicureans were those who claimed that pleasure and gratification of the appetites were the only ends in life. The Stoicks taught that man was not to be moved by either joy or grief. These groups challenged Paul’s statements about Christ.

However, Paul’s arguments were so convincing, so powerful, and so moving that he was invited to speak on Mars’ Hill, which was, at certain times, somewhat similar to our Supreme Court. Strangely enough, those who brought Paul to this place labeled what he said as mere babblings, but yet they thought it important enough to be taken to the highest court in Athens.

Even though the Message Paul preached that day at Mars’ Hill was phenomenal, to say the least, still, I’m not sure if the great Apostle was pleased with the direction he took. In other words, I wonder if he felt he had missed the Perfect Direction of the Holy Spirit. And what do I mean by that?

When Paul left Athens, even though he had had some small success, I’m sure he had not seen what he would have liked to have seen. He now departs for Corinth. A Church was established there, and many people were saved. After going on to other fields of endeavor, his first recorded Epistle to the Church at Corinth is given to us.

In that Epistle, he said, “For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

That your Faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the Power of God” (I Cor. 2:2, 4-5).

Does this tell us that, reaching back to when Paul left Athens and was on his way to Corinth, he no doubt sought the Lord earnestly about how he could make spiritual inroads into the city of Corinth, one of the most jaded cities in the world? I personally believe at that time the Holy Spirit spoke to the great Apostle’s heart and told him, “Preach the Cross!” Corinth was an excellent test case. It was simultaneously a city of unbridled vice and a city of philosophy — the two hardest nuts to crack, so to speak.

The Holy Spirit would show Paul that if the preaching of the Cross would work here, it would work anywhere. As stated, he did not preach the Cross at Athens, and the results were meager. He preached the Cross in jaded Corinth, and the results were phenomenal. That’s why he also said:

“But we preach Christ Crucified (this is the Foundation of the Word of God, and thereby, of Salvation), unto the Jews a stumblingblock (the Cross was the stumblingblock), and unto the Greeks foolishness (both found it difficult to accept as God a dead Man hanging on a Cross, for such Christ was to them [I Cor. 1:23]).

That is to be the Message of every God-called Preacher. We must preach the Cross, that is, if we are to see anything truly done for the Lord!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“and as he reasoned of Righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go your way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for you (Acts 24:25).

Felix was the Gentile Governor of Judaea; however, he was married to a Jewess named Drusilla; consequently, he may have had some scant knowledge of Judaism. Even though Felix knows that Paul is innocent of the charges leveled against him, still, he continues to hold him captive, thinking someone will pay a fat bribe to him for Paul’s release. That never happened, so he kept Paul a prisoner until another Governor, Festus, took his place, and Paul was eventually sent to Rome.

Not long after Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea, Felix asked to hear him. He was accompanied by his wife. More than likely there also were many others present.

When Paul ministered to this Gentile and all who were there, he dealt with “Righteousness,” stating, in essence, that this attribute could only come by and through Christ and what He did for us at the Cross. Then he dealt with “Temperance,” which addressed the bondages and vices which affect humanity. Last, he dealt with the “Judgment,” which refers to the fact that one day all must stand before God.

The message was telling! The Holy Spirit anointed it greatly and Felix came under great conviction and “trembled”!

Evidently, Paul knew nothing about the now so widely acclaimed modern method of preaching to the unsaved, which states that such unsettling subjects should not be approached. And the Holy Spirit also knew nothing about it! Telling some jokes and spreading some religious pablum would have had no spiritual effect on Felix, and neither will it have any spiritual effect on anyone else.

As a result of the new method, Churches today are being filled with people who have never really been Born- Again. Regrettably, under such preaching, they never will be Born-Again. To reach the lost, or even the Believer, for that matter, the Word of God must, in some manner, be proclaimed. The Holy Spirit will not work or function in any other capacity (Acts 2:16-21, 29-38, 42; 8:14).”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“i am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you who are at Rome also (Rom. 1:14-15).

Realizing the Grace of God which had been shown to him, Paul considered himself as a “debtor” to all men, regardless of who they might be, meaning that he must do his utmost best to take the Gospel to all concerned. Of course, Paul couldn’t reach all people; however, he felt responsible to all, whether he could reach them or not. He had to do his utmost to take this Gospel as far as he could, which he most definitely did.

Every Believer falls into the same category. By the very fact that we are saved, it means that we too are debtors to all of mankind, in that we must do our very best that they hear the good news of the Gospel. Regrettably, most Believers little feel this burden and this concern.

Every Believer can “pray,” and every Believer can “give.” If all Believers will set themselves to seek the Face of the Lord, through prayer, the Lord can work wonders. In fact, every great Move of God which has ever taken place has been first of all prayed into existence. I speak of intercessory prayer, which, regrettably, is engaged by only a few; however, the privilege is available to all.

Not only should every Believer give, they should also make double certain that what they are supporting is Scriptural. Sadly, the vast majority of money given to that which purports to be of God is anything but! As stewards of what the Lord has placed in our hands, we are responsible for making certain that we are good stewards. The Lord grandly and plainly exampled this by the Parables of the “Talents” and “Pounds” (Mat. 25:14-30; Lk. 19:12-26).

We have been saved to serve! When a person truly understands what his Salvation actually is, and actually means, when we truly know how privileged we are to be saved, and that the Gospel somehow came to us, then we gladly serve, and serve gladly.

I was born on March 15, 1935 into a home that had never heard the Gospel. My Dad, in fact, had never heard a Gospel Message, had never been in a Church, and had never heard a Gospel Song, until he was 25 years old. My Mother was in the same category. When I look back and think of that, it’s almost inconceivable to me that people could live that long and never even hear a Gospel Song. Of course, that was before Television, and even though Radio was the means of communication in those days, there was no Gospel Radio, none whatsoever, where my parents lived.

I know it was all because of God’s Grace that the Gospel came to our home, our hearts, and our lives, which changed everything. When my parents found the Lord, our world changed, and changed forever — and a million times for the better, I might quickly add. That’s one of the reasons that Paul said, “I am a debtor,” and that’s one of the reasons that I say, “I am a debtor”!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“therefore being justified by Faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1).

What did Paul mean when he said, “We are justified by Faith”?

First of all, we must look at Faith. The definition of Faith is to simply believe something. In this case, it refers to having Faith in Christ and what Christ has done for us at the Cross. The Faith of which Paul speaks always must be in this capacity. We must ever understand that Christ is the Source, and the Cross is the means. In no way is Christ to be separated from the Cross, or the Cross separated from Christ.

That’s the reason the Apostle said, “We preach Christ Crucified” (I Cor. 1:23).

Paul wasn’t meaning that Christ is still on a Cross; in fact, Christ is seated by the Right Hand of the Father, meaning that His task of Redemption is complete (Heb. 1:3). Instead, Paul is speaking of the benefits of the Cross, benefits, incidentally, which will never, never end. For this reason, the Holy Spirit through Paul referred to these benefits as “The Everlasting Covenant” (Heb. 13:20).

The Believer must understand that every single thing we receive from the Lord, and in every capacity, is made possible solely by the Cross. That is the Gospel. The story of the Bible is the story of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, and the story of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified is the story of the Bible.

Once Faith is properly understood and established, now we turn to Justification. The Greek word used by Paul is “dikaioo,” which means “to show or regard as innocent.” In layman’s terms, it means the following:

1. It means that every sin — past, present, and future— is forgiven.

2. It means that God looks at the one so forgiven as never having committed the sin or sins in question.

3. It means that one is declared innocent, not guilty, and free of all charges, all made possible by Faith in Christ and what He did for us at the Cross.Justification cannot be earned or purchased, at least not by the individual. It is given freely upon Faith in Christ and His Finished Work.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that Grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein? (Rom. 6:1-2).

Some seventeen times the word “sin” is mentioned in the Sixth Chapter of Romans. Fifteen of those times the original Text, in other words, as it was originally written by the Apostle Paul, contains what is referred to as the “definite article.” That is, in these fifteen times, the Text reads “the sin.” It refers to the sin nature.

Some claim that Believers no longer have a sin nature; however, considering that Paul is writing to Believers here, if that is the case, i.e., if Believers no longer have a sin nature, then the Holy Spirit went to a lot of trouble to explain something that doesn’t exist.

No! Every Believer has a sin nature; however, we are supposed to be dead to the sin nature, even though the sin nature is not dead (Rom. 6:11). In truth, the sin nature is supposed to be dormant in the heart and life of the Believer; at the time of Salvation, the sin nature is, in fact, rendered dormant. But if the Believer does not know how to maintain a victorious life, sin will be the result, which then brings the sin nature to life, and then such a Believer can find the sin nature ruling and reigning in his life, even as it did before he was saved.

That’s why Paul said, “Let not the sin therefore reign (rule) in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lust thereof” (Rom. 6:12). The sin nature will reside in us until the Resurrection, but it’s not supposed to reign. The manner and way that we can have victory over the sin nature, the only way, in fact, and on a perpetual basis, is that the Cross of Christ ever be the Object of our Faith. That being the case, the Holy Spirit, Who Alone can make us what we ought to be, can effectually work within our hearts and lives, bringing about the Fruit of the Spirit, which develops Christlikeness in our life and living (Rom. 8:1-2,11).

That is the way, and the only way, that the sin nature in the heart and life of the Believer can be subdued and remain subdued.

We find here, graphically so, that “sin” is the problem with the Christian. No matter how many claims are made to the contrary, sin is the problem. And there is only one way that victory over sin can be obtained, and that is through Faith in Christ and what Christ has done for us at the Cross.

Man may devise many ways and claim that victory will be the result, but God has only one way, and that is the Way of the Cross!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His Death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: but like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4).

In the First Chapter of Romans, Paul proclaims the entirety of the Gentile world, to a man, as being spiritually lost, despite all their religion. In the Second and Third Chapters of Romans, the Apostle places the Jews in the same category, i.e., all needing a Redeemer. In the Fourth and Fifth Chapters of Romans, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle proclaims the answer to this dilemma, which is “Justification by Faith.” Paul belabors the issue, telling us, in no uncertain terms, that works cannot attain to Salvation.

Now that Salvation has been established, in the Sixth Chapter of Romans, the Apostle tells the Believer how to live for God. In fact, if the Believer doesn’t understand the Sixth Chapter, he simply does not know how to properly live for the Lord, which makes for a miserable situation. The Seventh Chapter of Romans, in fact, tells us of the Believer who tries to live for God without understanding the principles of the Sixth Chapter of Romans.

In the Eighth Chapter of Romans, we are told “what” the Holy Spirit can do within our lives, once we understand “how” He works, which is found in the Sixth Chapter. The Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Chapters of Romans proclaim a dire warning to the Church. If we forsake God’s Way of the Cross and resort to works or Law, as did Israel of old, then the Church will be lost, exactly as was Israel.

Chapters 12 through 16 of Romans give us the practical aspects of Christianity, once the Believer knows and understands God’s Prescribed Order of Victory. As it regards victory over sin, as is here obvious, Paul takes the Believer directly to the Cross (Rom. 6:3-4).

Jesus Christ came as our Substitute, lived the life, obeyed the Law in every respect, and then went to the Cross in order to address the broken Law, doing so all for us. As stated, He was our Substitute.

When Paul uses the word “baptize,” he’s not speaking of Water Baptism, but rather our being baptized into the death of Christ. The moment the believing sinner expresses Faith in Christ and accepts Him as Saviour and Lord, in the Mind of God, that person is crucified with Christ, buried with Christ, and raised with Christ. That is the manner of Salvation, and that is also the manner of Sanctification, the latter being what this Sixth Chapter of Romans is all about. This is God’s Prescribed Order of Victory!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“for if we have been planted together in the likeness of His Death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection (Rom. 6:5).

This Passage is not speaking of the coming Resurrection of Life, but rather the Resurrection of Christ, and our being spiritually resurrected with Him “in newness of life,” which takes place at the New Birth. To believe in Christ implies association with Him in His Death and Resurrection.

Almost every Christian has heard the term, “Resurrection Life,” and has also no doubt used it. Of course, “Resurrection Life” speaks of a life of victory, and perpetual victory, at that, because it is based on the Resurrection of Christ, and solely on that Resurrection.

That is all correct; however, most who use the term fail to understand that having and enjoying Resurrection Life, which the Lord intends for all of us to have, is predicated solely on our understanding that “we have been planted together in the likeness of His Death.” In other words, Resurrection Life depends completely on the Cross of Christ and our Faith in that Finished Work. The trouble with most Christians is that the object of their faith is the “Resurrection Life,” which God can never accept. The Object of our Faith must ever be the Cross of Christ. That being the case, then “Resurrection Life” is ours, and is bountiful indeed!

If we abide by the Word of God, we will receive the results of the Word of God. But too many people have been incorrectly taught. While claiming much, they actually have little! The reason always goes back to an improper and incorrect object of faith. The Lord doesn’t require much of us, but He most definitely does require that the Object of our Faith ever be Christ and the Cross. That, in fact, is the key to all blessings, because that is the manner in which the Holy Spirit works.

That, in effect, was what Jesus was talking about when He said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink,

“He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of Living Water.

“This spoke He of the Spirit, which they who believe on Him should receive . . .” (Jn. 7:37-39).

Christ is the Source of Resurrection Life, while the Cross is the means. The Holy Spirit is the Bearer of that to us, for which Christ has paid such a price.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin (Rom. 6:6).

As Paul uses the word “sin” here, he is actually speaking of “the sin nature.” He tells us here that when we accepted Christ, “the body of sin (sin nature) might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve the sin nature.” The word “destroyed” in the Greek is “kataigeo,” which means “to make ineffective.” So, at conversion, the sin nature was not obliterated, but rather was made ineffective.

What is the sin nature?

At the Fall, man’s nature became that of sin. In other words, everything that the unredeemed person does is toward sin, and of every description.

The Gospel declares that man is absolutely ruined by sin and wholly unable to restore himself to God’s favor by his own ability and strength. A false gospel teaches that man is not wholly ruined, that by self-culture he can merit God’s favor and secure his own happiness.

There is only one way that the human being can properly address sin. Pure and simple, he must die. That’s why Paul said, “For he who is dead is freed from sin” (from domination by the sin nature [Rom. 6:7]). This “death” occurs at the Cross of Calvary, hence the Apostle saying, “our old man is crucified with Him.” The death of which we speak can occur no place else. This is the reason the Cross is so very, very important, actually the only means by which this horrible problem can be properly addressed.

This “death” is obtained by the Believer simply evidencing Faith in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. The “old man” then dies, which refers to what we were before Salvation, with a “new man” then rising with Christ in “newness of life.” Unfortunately, unredeemed man tries to address the sin problem in many and varied ways other than the Cross. He tries to address it with education, money, government, etc., all to no avail!

Worse yet, many Believers attempt to do the same thing. They try to address the sin nature, i.e., the problem of sin, by ways other than the Cross. It simply cannot be done. Some try to address the sin nature by denying its existence. Others try to address it by struggling with it on a day-by-day basis, all to no avail.

The sin nature was conquered at the Cross, and it remains conquered, but only as we maintain Faith in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. We were crucified with Christ, and, in that, the sin nature was made ineffective. We were raised with Christ in newness of life. That position is maintained by continued Faith in Christ and the Cross, and by no other means.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 6:11).

The words, “believe” (Rom. 6:8) and “reckon” (Rom. 6:11), signify Faith. In fact, the three words, “believe,” “reckon,” and “yield” (Rom. 6:13), express three energies of the Christian mind which secure and make real a life of Scriptural Sanctification. The entirety of the Sixth Chapter of Romans expresses God’s manner and way of Sanctification.

The word “reckon” in the Greek is “logizomai,” which means “to conclude, impute, number.” Considering all that Paul has thus far said, we are to conclude ourselves, because of what Christ did at the Cross, “to be dead indeed unto sin,” in effect, “dead unto the sin nature.”

As stated, this Verse does not say that the sin nature is dead, but it does say that we are dead unto the sin nature, that is, if we maintain our Faith in that which made us dead, so to speak, which is the Cross of Christ (Rom. 6:6); however, the Holy Spirit through Paul doesn’t leave us in this “dead position,” but brings us to a new life altogether, totally different than what we once had, which, in effect, was no life at all, and tells us that we are now “alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This means to be “alive” to all that God has, which we have through and by what Jesus did at the Cross, all on our behalf.

The Doctrine of Grace especially that which declares Justification and Sanctification to be by Faith apart from works, excites the enmity of the natural heart, and this enmity expresses itself today in various ways, but mostly by unbelief. So the following question must be asked:

Is the rejection of the Cross a moral problem or a theological problem?

If it was theological, it would mean that the Cross of Christ is too difficult of understanding for one to grasp; however, the very opposite of that is true. The Gospel of the Cross is a principle of such simplicity that even a child can understand it. So we know from that that the problem is not theological.

To be truthful, the problem is “moral.” That means that the enmity of the natural heart is at work against God’s Prescribed Order of Sanctification, and it registers itself, as stated, in the form of unbelief. In other words, it refuses to believe that what Jesus did at the Cross, and that alone, guarantees victory over every perversion, every type of sin, every work of the flesh, and, in fact, everything that is the opposite of the Lord. That’s exactly what the Cross does, but most people, even Believers, refuse to express Faith in that Finished Work.

So, as stated, the problem is a “moral” problem, rather than a “theological” problem.

As a Believer, understanding what Jesus has done for you at the Cross, all you have to do is to reckon yourself, according to that Finished Work, to be dead to the sin nature, and that you are! On the Cross, Jesus died to sin. He has done with it forever. The Believer died in Him, and this great fact, when believed, reckoned to be true, and practically obeyed, becomes a moral experience in the activities of the life of Holiness and Consecration.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

“let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of Righteousness unto God (Rom. 6:12-13).

Sin as a principle of evil dwells in the Christian’s mortal body in the sense of the sin nature; but it is not to reign there; it is, in fact, to be dormant. If Sanctification were based upon the principle of law-obedience, i.e., upon works, it would be impossible to escape from the lawful dominion of the sin nature, because a perfect obedience to Divine Law on the part of man is impossible. But being based upon the opposite principle of Grace, liberation from the power and dominion of sin as a Master is secured and may be enjoyed on a constant basis.

No! We are not teaching sinless perfection, because the Bible does not teach such. But we are teaching victory over sin, and in every capacity. Under Law, sin has a dominion, but it has no dominion under Grace. These are two totally independent realms.

The Believer actually has three natures. They are:
1. The Human Nature.
2. The Sin Nature.
3. The Divine Nature (II Pet. 1:4).

The human nature of the Believer is either controlled by the sin nature or by the Divine nature. Within itself, the human body is neutral. It is neither holy nor evil. If the Believer is totally trusting Christ and what Christ did at the Cross, doing so on an unending basis, this means the sin nature is dormant, and the Believer can then yield the members of his physical body as “instruments of Righteousness unto God.” It’s just that simple!

However, if the faith of the Believer is in something other than Christ and the Cross, then the sin nature is in control, and the Believer will be forced, despite all of his efforts otherwise, to yield his “members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin.” It comes as a shock to most Believers when they are told that Satan can override their will, that is, if their Faith is in anything except Christ and the Cross.

The reason is simple:

The Holy Spirit is God. As such, He can do anything; however, He will not go against His Own nature. In other words, the Holy Spirit will not force Satan out of the way if our Faith is in anything other than the Cross of Christ (Rom. 8:2).

In the Bible, we aren’t told to fight against sin. If we are struggling with sin, this means that our Faith is not properly placed in Christ and His Finished Work. While the Christian experience definitely entails a struggle, the struggle is to be in the arena of Faith. Paul told us to “fight the good fight of faith” (I Tim. 6:12).

The disobedience of the First Man, Adam, assured death for all men, and the obedience of the Second Man, the Lord Jesus Christ, secured life for all men, at least all who will believe. That is, all the sons of the First Adam, by reason of their relationship to him and because they possess his sinful nature, stand in death, and all the sons of the Last Adam, in virtue of their relationship to Him, because they possess His Spirit, stand in life.

In that “Life,” the Holy Spirit works. Faith alone on our part, which means Faith in Christ and the Cross, guarantees His participation. Only then will the sin nature no longer rule and reign in your mortal body. Without proper Faith in Christ and the Cross, the Believer is forced to “obey sin in the lusts thereof.” Proper faith guarantees obedience to Righteousness!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart