Your Word for Today

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Your Word for Today

“for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the Law, but under Grace (Rom. 6:14).

As we have stated, the Bible does not teach sinless perfection, but it most definitely does teach that the “sin nature shall not have dominion over you,” that is, if the Believer properly abides by God’s Prescribed Order of Victory, as given in this Sixth Chapter of Romans. Otherwise, the sin nature most definitely will exercise dominion over you. Regrettably and sadly, that is the condition of most modern Christians, i.e., the sin nature rules and reigns in their lives.

A short time ago, I read a tract written by the great Preacher, Charles Finney. The title of the tract was “How to have Victory over Sin.” He correctly stated that victory could not be obtained by works or law, and that it must be done by faith; however, he never mentioned the Cross nor the Holy Spirit. In fact, when most of the modern Church attempts to address the problem of sin, they basically do so in the same fashion as Finney.

But to tell a person that the solution is not by Law, but rather by Faith, and to leave it there, is to fail to say enough. It’s like a staircase that only goes halfway to the next floor. As would be obvious, halfway is not enough.

If the question is asked, “Faith in what?” most presently would answer, “Faith in God” or “Faith in the Word.” However, that which says too much concludes by saying nothing. These are nebulous answers which really do not answer anything. The only way to have victory over sin is what the Holy Spirit taught us through Paul in this Sixth Chapter of Romans. The first place that the great Apostle took us was straight to the Cross, as outlined in Verses 3 through 5. The Believer is to understand that every single thing he receives comes to him by virtue of what Christ did at the Cross, all on our behalf.

As we have stated innumerable times, Christ is the Source, while the Cross is the means.

With faith properly placed and properly maintained, which means it neither varies nor moves, the Holy Spirit, Who Alone can make us what we ought to be, will then work mightily in our lives, bringing about the desired result (Rom. 8:1-2, 11). This is God’s Prescribed Order of Victory over sin. If faithfully followed, which any child can do, “the sin nature shall not have dominion over you.”

Paul made the statement, “For you are not under the Law,” for a specific purpose. Even though Calvary satisfied the demands of the Law in totality, still, most Christians have placed themselves under Law.

Please understand the following:

There are only two places to be, “Law” or “Grace.” If one exhibits faith in anything except Christ and the Cross, then one has put himself under Law, with all of its negative results, whether he understands such or not. If his Faith is in Christ and the Cross, then he’s functioning under “Grace.” Such Faith guarantees an uninterrupted flow, i.e., “Victory.”

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

 

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Your Word for Today

“but God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you (Rom. 6:17).

The formula, “form of doctrine,” is very important. It declares the Christian Faith to have been once for all delivered to Believers as fixed and complete, therefore, neither needing nor accepting additions.

Into that form, as into a mold, the Believers are poured or “delivered.” The two sides of that mold being Justification and Sanctification, it was manifest that anyone leading a sinful life had not been poured into the mold. In other words, such a Believer was not subscribing to God’s Prescribed Order.

This “form of doctrine” is the oldest Doctrine, one might say, in the world today, and ever has been. It was formulated in the Mind of the Godhead even before the foundation of the world (I Pet. 1:18-20). Through foreknowledge, God knew that He would make man and that man would fall. The Godhead then decided that man would be redeemed by God becoming Man, going to the Cross, shedding His Life’s Blood, and thereby purchasing man’s Redemption.

This means that every single doctrine in the Bible, irrespective as to what it might be, must be built on the foundation of the Cross of Christ; otherwise, it is spurious. All false doctrine, in fact, has its beginning because of either an improper interpretation of the Cross or else outright rebellion against the Cross.

Not only is the Cross the first Doctrine, formulated before the foundation of the world, it was also the first Doctrine proclaimed after the Fall of man. The Lord said to Satan through the serpent, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15).

The only “Seed” that woman has ever had is the Lord Jesus Christ. At Calvary’s Cross, He bruised Satan’s head, and Satan bruised His heel, referring to the sufferings of the Cross. This is the only “form of doctrine” that’s been delivered by the Lord regarding victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. It is the only one because no other is needed; consequently, if this “form of doctrine” is rejected, there is no other, and wreckage is the result. To reject it is to accept the way of Cain. To accept it is to accept the way of Abel.”

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

 

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Your Word for Today

"Wherefore, my Brethren, you also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to Him Who was raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God (Rom. 7:4).

While the Sixth Chapter of Romans reveals the Divine method of Sanctification, the Seventh Chapter sets out its impossibility under the bondage of Law.

The argument here is:

Just as death is the only force that can liberate from the claims of sin, so is it the only force that can liberate from the claims of Law.

Paul pictures a woman being married to a man and then, without Scriptural foundation divorcing him and marrying another. He said, “She shall be called an adulteress.” The Apostle is not teaching here on the law of divorce and remarriage. He is making a point regarding Victory in Christ.

The Believer is married to Christ. This means that Christ is our husband. If we are unfaithful to Christ, and we go to Law, which is the only place to go if our faith is not solidly anchored in Christ and the Cross, we are then committing “spiritual adultery.” We should also realize that if the Believer is living in spiritual adultery, the Holy Spirit simply will not help such a Believer. If He did, He would be condoning this act of rebellion, which He cannot do.

To trust anything other than Christ and the Cross is the highest insult directed at Christ, whether the Believer understands such or not. Sadly, because of not understanding the Cross, almost all modern Believers are living in a state of spiritual adultery. Actually, most Christians have never even heard the term, “spiritual adultery.”

Paul deals greatly with “Law” in this Seventh Chapter.

What does Paul mean by “Law”?

He is speaking of the Law of Moses, or any type of Law that we devise ourselves, or which is devised by a religious Denomination, etc. In other words, anything in which we place our faith, other than the Cross of Christ, becomes Law. In fact, many of the things in which we place our faith are good things, and, because they are good things, they deceive us.

Look closely at this example:

If a Believer tries to overcome sin by praying an hour each day, while he will definitely be blessed, he will not be delivered from sin.

The reason?

He has just turned prayer into “Law,” and the Holy Spirit will not work in that capacity, because such a Believer is committing spiritual adultery. I realize that comes as a shock, especially considering that there is nothing which is greater than a consecrated prayer life, other than our Faith. But it is very easy to turn such into Law; in fact, that’s exactly what will happen if the Believer doesn’t have his faith anchored solidly in the Cross of Christ. But when a Believer does have his Faith anchored squarely in the Cross of Christ, prayer then becomes the powerful force it is meant to be, because it is engaged in the proper manner.

Spiritual adultery is a position in which no Believer can afford to be. Simple Faith in Christ and the Cross will solve the problem."

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

 

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Your Word for Today

"What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? God forbid. No, I had not known sin, but by the Law: for I had not known lust, except the Law had said, You shall not covet (Rom. 7:7).

When Paul first came to Christ, not understanding the Message of the Cross, because that word had not yet been given, Paul tried to live for the Lord the only way he knew, which was by the means of trying to keep the Law. Since he had come to Christ, was now Born-Again, even baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17), he thought surely he could now keep the Law. But he found that he could not! And neither can you, nor I, nor anyone else, for that matter!

The Law was, and is, God’s Standard of Righteousness. It tells us what man ought to do and what man ought to be. Furthermore, as with all Law, the penalty for breaking it is dire indeed! It is death, i.e., “spiritual death,” which is separation from God.

The Law was like a mirror into which man looks, and it shows him what he is, which is total depravity, but giving him no power to change what he sees. The Law, in other words can tell one where one should go, but it doesn’t tell him how to get there.

When Jesus came to this world, He was born “under the Law” (Gal. 4:4). He came as the “Last Adam” and the “Second Man” (I Cor. 15:45, 47). As such, He came to address the Law in every respect. In His Life, He kept the Law perfectly, never failing in even one point. He did it all for you and me. But there remained the problem of the broken law, which was the case with every human being. To address that, He had to go to the Cross, and there give His Perfect Body in Sacrifice by the pouring out of His Life’s Blood, which satisfied every demand of the broken Law, also satisfying the demands of a thrice-Holy God, which means that God accepted the Sacrifice. This means that the Law of God was now satisfied in every respect.

So, when a person accepts Christ, thereby placing their Faith in Him and what He did at the Cross, that person, in the Eyes of God, becomes a perfect Law-keeper because the Law has no more claim on Him. Every Believer has died in Christ, and the Law can no longer have a claim on a dead man. The “old man” is now dead and a “new man” is now risen, all in Christ.

That is the only manner in which one can be free of the demands of the Law; otherwise, every person not availing himself of the Salvation afforded by Christ will one day stand at the Great White Throne Judgment and will answer to the Law. To be sure, there will be no Redemption there, because there is no Redemption in the Law because all had broken the Law. All Redemption is solely in Christ and Christ Alone!"

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

 

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Your Word for Today

"For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I (Rom. 7:15).

Most Preachers, not understanding the Sixth Chapter of Romans, totally misunderstand this Seventh Chapter, thinking that it is speaking of Paul before his conversion. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Seventh Chapter of Romans proclaims Paul’s efforts at trying to live a victorious life for the Lord after he was saved, baptized with the Holy Spirit, and called to be an Apostle. At that time, he did not understand God’s Prescribed Order of Victory, because that particular Truth had not yet been given. In fact, it was given to the Apostle Paul, which he gave to us in these Chapters.

If the great Paul could not live for God outside of Faith in Christ and the Cross, how do you think you can do so?

He tried to live for the Lord, as stated, by trying to keep the Law, because that’s all he knew to do. He made the statement, “For I was alive without the Law once,” which refers to when he was saved on the road to Damascus. The Law actually had nothing to do with his Salvation, and that’s what he means by being “alive without the Law.”

But after getting saved, he then tried to live for the Lord by Commandments. When he did that, “sin revived.” This means that the sin nature was now ruling him. Then he said, “I died,” not meaning that he physically died, but rather that he failed the Lord (7:9). To be sure, there was nothing wrong with the Commandment, but there was something wrong with Paul. Even though he was Spirit-filled, he still couldn’t keep these Commandments, and neither can we!

If we are Spirit-filled, why can’t we keep them?

The Holy Spirit will not give power to the flesh. Many people think that when they are baptized with the Spirit, this means that the Lord will give them greater willpower, a greater spiritual, and emotional strength, etc., but He won’t! That’s not how He works! He works strictly on the order of Faith, and no other way. And when we say “faith,” we mean Faith in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. That being done, the Holy Spirit then works mightily within our lives. Otherwise, He won’t!

Christ has already kept the Law and has done so in every respect; He thereby did what we could not do for ourselves.

You see, keeping all of the Law some of the time is not good enough. Likewise, keeping some of the Law all of the time is not good enough. One has to keep all of the Law all of the time, which, of course, is impossible. It is impossible because man, due to the Fall, is born into sin. This makes it impossible for him to do what he needs to do, at least in that fashion.

Paul was trying so hard and yet failing. And he did not understand why. That’s what the word “allow” in Verse 15 means; it should have been translated accordingly:

“For that which I do I understand not” (Rom. 7:15).

There are millions of Christians presently who are trying with all of their strength and might to live the life they ought to live, but nevertheless failing, and they simply don’t understand why. The very thing they want to do, which is to live a righteous life, they find they cannot do. And that which they don’t want to do, which is to fail the Lord by the means of sin, that’s what they find themselves doing.

This situation is the result of the Believer attempting to live for the Lord in all the wrong ways. He tries to live for the Lord by keeping Commandments, whatever those Commandments might be. The end result will be a failure. In fact, the failure, despite all the efforts otherwise, will become worse and worse.

Once again, the Cross is the only answer!"

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

 

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Your Word for Today

"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwells no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not (Rom. 7:18).

Most Christians think that when a person comes to Christ, the Lord gives them an extra-strong willpower. Consequently, they now have, they think, the power to say “No!” to sin.

None of that is correct!

It may come as a shock and a surprise to most Christians, but the Devil can easily override the willpower of a person. The only “willpower” that the Lord gives a person is the will to say “Yes!” to Christ, which is, in fact, very important. This means that the worst sinner in the world, for example, one totally bound by alcohol or drugs, who cannot say “No!” to those vices, can, if he so desires, say “Yes!” to Christ. It is the same principle with the Believer.

The Lord doesn’t really give the Believer the capacity to say “No!” to sin, because we are “dead to sin.” A dead man doesn’t say anything. In this “newness of life,” however, we are given the capacity to say “Yes!” to Christ and His Way, which is the Way of the Cross. That is where the will of man begins and ends.

The Believer does not overcome by willpower; he overcomes by Faith. This means, as we have repeatedly stated, Faith in Christ and the Cross (Gal. 6:14).

If one studies the life of the Apostle Paul, one must come to the conclusion that he was a man with a strong constitution. I personally believe Paul had extremely strong willpower; however, he very clearly states in Romans 7:18 that he had the will to live the life he knew he ought to live, but “how to perform that which is good he found not.” His willpower, in other words, simply was not good enough. And neither is yours!

Law, as a barrier to the will, excites it; and the consciousness of sin thereby awakened produces in the Presence of God a conscience under sentence of death. Thus, the Commandment ordained unto life becomes, in fact, the instrument of death. “This do and you shall live” became death to man because his sinful nature refused to obey; and in so refusing his own conscience, it condemned him to death.

Thus, the Law was holy and each of its Commandments just and good, but it condemned to death all who failed to render to it a perfect obedience, as condemn it must! Such is the effect of Divine Law upon man’s carnal nature; the rest of this Seventh Chapter illustrates the doctrine by showing how fruitless is the effort of the “old man” to live as the “new man.” There is simply no such thing as moral evolution, i.e., self cannot control self; the flesh cannot control the flesh.

If the Believer is trying to live for God by any means other than Faith in Christ and the Cross, no matter how hard he tries, he will find himself sinking deeper and deeper into the morass of sin. That means the situation will become worse and worse.

There is no victory in “trying harder.” There is victory only in Christ and the Cross!"

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

 

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Your Word for Today

"For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the Law of my mind, bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members (Rom. 7:22-23).

There are several “laws” listed here, all designed by God, which will definitely work as they were designed to work. Those laws are:

1. “The Law of God”: This is the moral part of the Mosaic Law, in which the inner man delighted, but which, within himself, he was unable to keep. This is, in effect, The Ten Commandments (Ex., Chpt. 20).

2. “The Law of the mind”: This is the mind of the redeemed man, which wants to walk in victory. It has the desire and the will; but, within itself, it is insufficient.

3. “The Law of sin”: This is the sin nature, which is stronger than the “Law of the mind,” and which brings a person into spiritual captivity — captivity, in some way, to sin. The “Law of the mind” wants to serve the “Law of God,” but not being strong enough within itself, instead finds the flesh serving “the Law of sin” (Rom. 7:25). This is the same as the “Law of sin and death” of Romans 8:2. That’s the reason the Apostle said, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (7:24). Regrettably, this is exactly where most Christians are, at least those who sincerely want to live for God.

4. “The Law of Faith” (Rom. 3:27): This is the “law” designed by God which opens up the next law, which we will momentarily discuss. The “Law of Faith” refers strictly to Faith in Christ and His Finished Work.

5. “The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus”: This is the most powerful law in the universe; it is the only law which is more powerful than the “Law of sin and death,” which is the same as the “Law of sin” of 7:23.

If the Believer doesn’t function according to “the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus,” he cannot walk in victory, cannot enjoy more abundant life, and he is, in fact, in danger of losing his way with God, even as millions already have.

These are laws which were designed by God; to be sure, these laws will always have the intended effect.

“The Law of sin and death” is the second most powerful law in the universe. It has filled the Earth with graves and has caused untold pain, sickness, suffering, and catastrophe. The unconverted man keeps trying to overcome this law by all type of means, but he cannot. Unfortunately, the redeemed man tries to do the same thing. Either through ignorance or unbelief, with the results being the same in either case, far too many Believers attempt to overcome this terrible “Law of sin and death” by means other than “The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus” (8:2). It cannot be done, and it is not meant to be done.

We learn just how powerful “the Law of sin and death” actually is by understanding the price that had to be paid in order for this law to be overcome. That price was the Cross of Christ! That’s the reason that Paul preached the Cross. That’s the reason we preach the Cross. There is no other way."

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

 

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https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=484886008779990

Evangelist Torrance Nash Ministries

 

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https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=646664335822856

Evangelist Torrance Nash Ministries

 

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Your Word for Today

“And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the Firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the Adoption, to wit, the Redemption of our body (Rom. 8:23).

Several things are said in this Passage, all of extreme significance to the Believer.

First of all, we are told here that we only have the “Firstfruits of the Spirit,” which refer to the fact that all that Jesus did at the Cross is not yet available to us. As stated, we only have the “firstfruits.”

Everything that man lost in the Fall, and everything that Satan did in his revolution against God, which continues unto this hour, all, and without exception, were addressed at the Cross (Eph. 1:10). And, to be sure, what we now have is more than enough to live as we ought to live and be as we ought to be. Of that, one can be doubly certain!

Second, this Passage tells us that the struggle of faith is ever with us while we wait for the Redemption of the body, i.e., “the Glorified Body.”

Upon reading the information that Paul gives us regarding victory in Christ and the Cross, many Believers immediately sense in their spirit that this is right. They set out to anchor their Faith exactly as it ought to be anchored, i.e., in Christ and the Cross, and then immediately run into Satan, which oftentimes results in failure. Many then think that the Cross doesn’t work.

They have been led to believe that, from the moment they correctly register their Faith, there will never again be another problem. That’s not the case at all.

While we may fail, the Cross never fails. This means that if we, in fact, do fail, and, to be sure, every one of us will, at least in one way or the other, this shows that our faith is deficient. It’s never really as strong as we think it is. And even when our faith is strong, we may misunderstand the struggle of this conflict.

Let me give you an Old Testament example:

The Lord told Moses that he was to inform Pharaoh that the Children of Israel must be released from Egyptian bondage. Moses obeyed the Lord; however, Pharaoh didn’t budge. It didn’t matter what the Lord had said. Moses had to appear before Pharaoh seven times demanding the release of the Children of Israel (Ex. 5:1-2).

Just because your Faith is properly anchored doesn’t mean the Evil One is going to fold and buckle. Satan will try your Faith, just as Pharaoh tried the Faith of Moses and Aaron.

Second, instead of letting the Children of Israel go, Pharaoh doubled their burden. Heretofore, he supplied the straw, and they made the brick. Now they must supply their own straw and continue to make just as many bricks as always (Ex. 5:4-13).

Once your Faith is properly anchored, Satan may very well double the temptation against you; however, the Lord will only allow that to last for a period of time. Faith must be tested, and great Faith must be tested greatly! If you, dear Reader, fail, as most do, you should ask the Lord to forgive you, get back up, and start back on your course. The difference in now and before is that you are now on the right road. Victory will ultimately be yours. Before, that definitely was not the case!

Because of the extra work load, some Israelites began to turn against Moses and Aaron (Ex. 5:19-23). To be sure, the possibility definitely exists that some of your Christian friends, even your Christian relatives, will turn against you.

Why?

The Message of the Cross exposes the flesh, false doctrine, even everything that opposes Christ; therefore, it arouses the hostility in the natural man — Christian or no! This will be the unkindest cut of all. But, if you stay the course, the course of the Cross, Victory most definitely will be yours — a Victory unparalleled. Moreover, Romans 8:23 also points to the time that is coming, when the struggle will be completely over, and we will be with Christ, with a Glorified Body. That time is closer now than ever!”

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

 

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https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=490711715102655

 

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https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10211767923071851

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries

 

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Your Word for Today

“Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself (Himself) makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He Who searches the hearts knows what is the Mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God (Rom. 8:26-27).

The “intercession” the Holy Spirit makes for us is not the same as the intercession made by Christ for us. The intercession made by Christ concerns sin (Heb. 7:25). As someone has well said, “Were it not for the constant, never-ceasing intercession by Christ, all on our behalf, we wouldn’t last out the day.” How true that is!

The type of intercession made for us by the Holy Spirit concerns the help that we need in order to live a holy life, i.e., that which we have been discussing in previous devotions. This involves the manner in which the Holy Spirit works on our behalf. If we go wrong and fail, Christ then serves as our Intercessor, but, at the same time, the Holy Spirit desires to show us why we failed, which always involves faith improperly placed, which, of course, has to do with the Cross.

The phrase, “With groanings which cannot be uttered,” does not refer to the Holy Spirit groaning, but rather to Believers, which pertains to that which comes from the heart and cannot properly be put into words. The overriding goal of the Spirit is to carry out the Will of God in our lives, not our personal will; in other words, the Spirit is not a glorified bellhop, as some have been led to believe.

To have the help of the Holy Spirit is to have the help of God, for the Holy Spirit is God. This means the help we receive is perfect and more than enough. He knows exactly what we need, why we need it, how much of it we need, etc.

The word “infirmities” in the Greek is “astheneia,” which means “feebleness of body or mind, frailty, disease, sickness, weakness.” These are things that Believers face constantly. When we try to pray about them, oftentimes we don’t really know how to pray. However, if our Faith is properly placed, and we continue to speak of Christ and the Cross, this will give the Holy Spirit latitude to work. To be sure, He will make things right.

As we keep saying, the reason we have so little help from the Holy Spirit is because our faith is improperly placed. That is the sole reason. He will not penalize us for any other situation. If we properly place our Faith in Christ and the Cross, then we will have His full help and His full intercession, and our entire life will function 100 percent better.”

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

 

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Your Word for Today

“And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

This Scripture is, without a doubt, one of the most quoted found in the entirety of the Word of God. It is an astounding Promise! There are, however, some conditions in this Promise, conditions which many Christians overlook. The Promise made here is not a blanket guarantee, as many think; but, if the conditions are met, then most definitely it is a guarantee.

What are those conditions?

First of all, to have all things working together for our good, we have to “love God.” As Believers, we might automatically think this is a simple requirement. But it’s not quite as simple as we would think. That is why Jesus, after His Resurrection and immediately before His Ascension, questioned Peter closely. The questions concerned Peter’s love for Christ (Jn. 21:15-17). It is very easy to loudly acclaim how much we love the Lord, but words oftentimes are hollow.

To make a lengthy subject brief, if we really love the Lord as we say we do, we will place our Faith exclusively in Him and what He did for us at the Cross. In a greater manner than anything else, that will show our love and will open the door for the consecration we need to make.

The second requirement is that we function in His Calling for our lives “according to His Purpose.” So many times, it is “our purpose” instead of “His Purpose”! Moreover, we cannot know that for which He truly has called us, or what His Purpose is for our lives, unless our Faith is properly anchored in the Cross.

The reason?

When our faith is anchored elsewhere, this means that we are functioning according to the flesh, which harks back to our own personal desires, and not at all what the Lord wants. In fact, faith anchored outside of the Cross can hardly achieve His Purpose at all. Accordingly, we have all kind of things, which are very obvious, not working for the good of Christians.

To have our Faith properly placed doesn’t mean that Satan will cease his operation against us; however, it does mean that whatever he tries to do, the Lord will ultimately turn it to our good. We here have His Promise to that effect, and the Lord most definitely keeps His Promises, that is, if we meet His Conditions, which, in fact, can easily be met, if we get “self” out of the way.

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

 

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Your Word for Today

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us (Rom. 8:37).

If we follow what the Holy Spirit gave to the Apostle Paul, thereby ordering our lives accordingly, which refers to Faith being properly placed in Christ and the Cross (I Cor. 1:17-18, 23; 2:2; Gal. 6:14), then we are assured of the fact that we are not only “conquerors,” but also “more than conquerors.” We must, however, always remember that it is “through Him Who loved us.” We cannot be conquerors any other way.

“Through Him” refers exclusively to His atoning Work at the Cross, which totally and completely defeated the Evil One, and did so by atoning for all sin (Col. 2:14-15). “More than conquerors” is what the Lord wants His People to be. But this modern generation of Christians represents, I’m afraid, the most defeated generation since the Reformation.

Why?

Although more books have been written on faith in the past several decades than possibly the balance of the Church Age put together, virtually all of these books and tapes are worthless, because they direct the faith of the Believer to something other than Christ and Cross. As a result, “more than conquerors” is not what is happening, but rather “more than conquered.” Satan has not only “conquered” this generation of Christians, but even “more than conquered” them, making abject slaves of them, which means that the sin nature runs wild.

Let me say it this way:

It is absolutely impossible for the Believer, be he the Pastor of the largest Church in the land or the Evangelist drawing the biggest crowds, to maintain victory over the world, the flesh, and the Devil, if such a Believer doesn’t know God’s Prescribed Order of Victory.

That Prescribed Order is:

1. The Cross of Christ: Everything we receive from the Lord, irrespective as to what it is, comes to us strictly from Christ as the Source and the Cross as the means.

2. Our Faith: Every single Believer is to place his Faith exclusively in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross, never separating the two. And when we speak of the Cross, we are speaking of the benefits which come from that Finished Work, and which will never cease.

3. The Holy Spirit: Once our Faith is properly placed, the Holy Spirit, Who works exclusively within the parameters of the Finished Work of Christ, will then make of us “more than conquerors.”

This is God’s Way. This is God’s only Way, because no other way is needed (Gen. 3:15; Lk. 9:23; Rom. 6:1-14; Gal. 6:14; I Cor. 1:17-18; 2:2)."

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

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

"Who are Israelites; to whom pertain the Adoption, and the glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the service of God, and the Promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, Who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen (Rom. 9:4-5).

The Apostle Paul was accused of being disloyal to Israel and to the Promises made to it through the fathers. The Doctrine of Justification by Faith, apart from works, common to all men, whether Hebrews or not, seemed to set aside those Promises. The problem, therefore, was to reconcile the Grace of God in Justification with the special privileges granted to Israel. The resolution of the problem is found in the Doctrine of the Cross, and the Cross alone!

The Apostle begins by affirming his deep love for Israel. Far from despising them, he loved them as much as Moses did. He points out that all the privileges belong to them, and argues that the sovereignty of God admits the Gentiles to these privileges, thereby enriching Israel’s glories instead of nullifying them.

This section, Chapters 9 through 11 of Romans, begins with Paul’s sorrow over Israel’s failure (9:1-5), and it closes with Paul’s joy over Israel’s future (11:33-36). The main reason, however, for these three Chapters is not to prophetically analyze Israel, although a prophetical analysis is readily given. The reason is something else altogether, which we will deal with in the next devotion.

Dealing first of all with the Prophetical analysis given in Chapters 9 through 11, the Apostle, by the Holy Spirit, reiterates the Prophecies of old by predicting Israel’s Restoration. He said, “For I would not, Brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery (what has happened to Israel), lest you should be wise in your own conceits (the Gentiles were not pulled in because of any merit or righteousness on their part, but strictly because of the Grace of God); that blindness in part is happened to Israel (Israel is the “mystery” of which Paul speaks), until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in (refers to the Church; in fact, the Church Age is even now coming to a close).

“And so all Israel shall be saved (when the Church Age ends and the Second Coming commences, then Israel will accept Christ and be saved): as it is written (Isa. 27:9; 59:20-21), There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer (Jesus Christ will be the Deliverer), and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (Christ will deliver Israel from the Antichrist, and, more importantly, will deliver them from their sins):

“For this is My Covenant unto them (a Promise), when I shall take away their sins” (as stated, it will be done at the Second Coming [Zech. 13:1]) Rom. 11:25-27."

Since 1948, when Israel once again became a nation, all the events up until now, have to do with the fulfillment of these things here discussed by Paul, which will continue until the Second Coming, when Israel will accept Christ. We are, therefore, coming down to the end of the Age.”’

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

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

"Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s Righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the Righteousness of God (Rom. 10:1-3).

The main purpose of the Holy Spirit giving us, through Paul, Chapters 9 through 11 of Romans was not, as stated, for Prophetical analysis, even though that, in measure, was given, but rather to warn the Church. If the Church follows in Israel’s footsteps by being ignorant of God’s Righteousness or by refusing God’s Righteousness, attempting, as Israel, to establish its own righteousness, the Church will be cut off just as Israel was cut off.

Concerning this, Paul said, “For if God spared not the natural branches (Israel), take heed lest He also spare not you (refers to the Church, as is obvious). Behold, therefore the goodness and severity of God (don’t mistake the Goodness of God for license): on them which fell, severity (speaks of Judgment which came on Israel, God’s chosen People); but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His Goodness (proclaims the conditions; the continuing of that “Goodness” pertains to continued Faith in Christ and the Cross): otherwise you also shall be cut off” (Rom. 11:21-22).

“God’s Righteousness” is that which is afforded by Jesus Christ, gained by and through the Cross. The only way that God’s Righteousness can be given to anyone is by virtue of the Cross, which demands Faith on the part of the recipient. If one attempts to gain righteousness by any other manner, the Lord refers to it as “self-righteousness,” and it is unacceptable — totally unacceptable!

I ask the following question:

How much is the modern Church preaching the Cross? The answer screams back at us, “Precious little!”

The Church has already apostatized. The Church Age opened with Christ standing in the midst of the candlesticks, in which the candlesticks represent the Church (Rev. 1:12-13). At the close of the Church Age, which pertains to the present time, we no longer find Christ in the midst of the Church, but rather outside, knocking on the door, trying to get it (Rev. 3:17-20). The Lord is, in fact, no longer dealing with the institutionalized Church as a whole, but rather with individuals only.

To be sure, the Lord has always dealt with individuals, but now it is only individuals.

“If any man hear My Voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). So, who presently is saved?

It is the same now as it was with Israel of old.

Paul said, “Even so then at this present time (Paul’s day) also there is a Remnant according to the election of Grace (definitely speaks of Predestination, but not as many think; it is the “Remnant” that is elected or predestined, not who will be in the Remnant).

“And if by Grace (the Goodness of God, all made possible by the Cross), then is it no more of works (no one can point to their works as grounds for Salvation): otherwise Grace is no more Grace (if works are mixed with Grace, they nullify Grace). But if it be of works, then is it no more Grace (works can never produce Grace): otherwise work is no more work” (for example, Water Baptism, if acted upon wrongly, nullifies its true meaning; this also holds true for all other great Ordinances of the Lord) (Rom. 11:5-6).

As there was a “Remnant” in Israel who were saved, meaning that most were lost, likewise, there also is a “Remnant” in the modern Church who are saved, but only a Remnant. Israel had rejected much of that which was of the Lord, but when they rejected the Cross, there was nothing left. They were cut off. The modern Church has done the same thing. It has rejected much which is of the Lord, but now it is rejecting the Cross. As with Israel, if the Cross is rejected, that means the Righteousness of God is rejected, and that means the Church is also cut off — except for the “Remnant.”

Are you in the Remnant?

The only way that anyone can be in the Remnant is by accepting Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. There is no other way!"’

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

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

"I beseech you therefore, Brethren, by the Mercies of God, that you present your bodies a Living Sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, Will of God (Rom. 12:1-2).

The first evidence of real Christian life is consecration to God and transformation from the world. This is not an outside mechanical action, but an inward perpetual renewing of the mind, a seeking for, the doing of, the Will of God.

In this consecration, the Holy Spirit through Paul demands of the Believer that we “present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” Then he tells us that this is our “reasonable service.”

How is this to be done?

Whenever the word “sacrifice” is mentioned in the Bible, as it refers to the Lord, always, and without exception, it goes back to the Cross. The only way that one can present one’s physical body as a “living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” which, incidentally, is the only thing acceptable to God, is, as we have repeatedly stated, by the Believer placing his Faith exclusively in Christ and His Finished Work. The Holy Spirit will then do that which is necessary in the heart and life of such a Believer, which will make the Believer what he ought to be.

If anything else is presented to God, and I speak of any manner or way other than the Cross, it is totally unacceptable to God.

“So then they who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8).

When the Believer attempts to function outside of the Cross, the situation becomes impossible. Sin and failure are the constant results, no matter how hard one may try otherwise. However, when the Believer places his Faith exclusively in Christ and His Finished Work, i.e., “the Cross,” the Holy Spirit then does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, and the situation then becomes easy. In other words, that which the Lord requires becomes a “reasonable service.”

That’s what Jesus was talking about when He said, “Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take My yoke upon you (the “yoke” of the “Cross” [Lk. 9:23]), and learn of Me (learn of His Sacrifice [Rom. 6:35]); for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls (the soul can find rest only in the Cross).

“For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (what He requires of us is very little, just to have Faith in Him, and His Sacrificial Atoning Work [Mat. 11:28-30]).

Then, and only then, can such a Believer present his physical body as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” He will then find that what God demands is a “reasonable service."’

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

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

"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 (I Cor. 1:17).

Several things are said in this very informative Passage. They are as follows:

1. “For Christ sent me not to baptize”: We learn here that Water Baptism is not to have the emphasis regarding the Gospel, and neither should any other Church Ordinance. The Cross of Christ is to have the emphasis.

Paul is not demeaning Water Baptism, but only requiring that it be placed in its proper perspective. It should be obvious to all that Water Baptism, as important as it is in its own way, is not essential to Salvation. If it is essential, then the Apostle thanked God that he saw so few saved. Nor is it essential to obedience, even as others claim, for, in that case, the Apostle thanked God that he had made so few obedient (I Cor. 1:14-16).

2. “But to Preach the Gospel”: In this particular Verse, we are emphatically told what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is. In brief, the Gospel is “the Cross of Christ.” In other words, the Cross must be the foundation of all we believe, teach, and practice. If it is not, then whatever it is we are proclaiming, is, pure and simple, not the Gospel. This is extremely important, as should be overly obvious.

If our Message is right, we will get the results that a correct Message brings forth. If the Message is incorrect, there will be no favorable results, because there can be no favorable results. The entirety of the Christian Faith rests on the correct Message. If that Message is corrupted, diluted, or perverted in any way, this means that it is no longer the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but something else entirely.

The Message must be “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.” This is where the emphasis must be, and in every capacity.

3. “Not with wisdom of words”: Paul here plainly says that intellectualism is not the Gospel. This means that humanistic psychology is not the Gospel. Once again, the Gospel is, and must be, the Cross of Christ. Preachers of the Gospel must “preach the Cross.”

4. “Lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect”: This tells us, in no uncertain terms, that the Cross of Christ must always be the emphasis of the Message. If it isn’t, all that Christ did will be to no avail.

This coming Sunday morning, how many Preachers are making the Cross of Christ of none effect, because they are preaching a false message?

Of course, only the Lord knows the answer to that; sadly, however, most fall into that category. This means that few people are truly being saved. Few are baptized with the Holy Spirit. Few are delivered, if any. As should be obvious, we should be very, very careful that we do nothing that makes “the Cross of Christ of none effect.”’

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

 

[iLOVE]

Your Word for Today

"For the Preaching of the Cross is to them who perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the Power of God (I Cor. 1:18).

How is the Cross the Power of God? That is the great question of this Text.

First of all, the statement in this Bible Text tells us that outside the “preaching of the Cross” there is no “Power of God.”

Sin is a frightful business! Its bondage is so severe that man, with his ability, even religious man, holds no answer. In other words, there is no remedy for sin as it regards the intellectualism of man, the ability of man, or anything that man has. Sin is so powerful, so destructive, and so perverted that God had to become Man and had to go to the Cross in order that this most horrifying malady could be properly addressed. Otherwise, the human race was doomed!

Therefore, at the very beginning, we have to learn just how bad the problem actually is. That, within itself, is a problem. Mankind doesn’t admit how bad sin is, and the Church, by its actions, shows that it little understands the potency of sin. If it did, it would hardly try to adopt the bankrupt ways of the world in order to address this malady of darkness.

As it regards “power,” which is an absolute must if people are to be delivered, we must come to the conclusion that there is no power in a wooden cross. Likewise, there was really not any power in the death of Christ. Paul said that Jesus was “Crucified through weakness” (II Cor. 13:4). However, it must be understood that this “weakness” was contrived. In other words, He purposely did not use His Power to extricate Himself from the Cross. Had He done so, man could not have been redeemed. Furthermore, there certainly is no power in death itself, as would be overly obvious.

So, how does the preaching of the Cross bring about “the Power of God”?

It is not so much what happened at the Cross which brings about power, but rather what the death of Christ on the Cross made possible.

When Jesus died, He atoned for all sin — past, present, and future — at least for all who will believe (Jn. 3:16). Satan’s power over humanity is sin; with all sin atoned, however, Satan loses his legal right to hold man in bondage. And yet, Satan continues to hold untold millions in bondage. So, how do we reconcile this?

Those who are unconverted have not availed themselves of what Jesus did at the Cross, so Satan has a legal right to keep them in bondage. Millions of Christians also fall into the same category. They also have not availed themselves of what Jesus did at the Cross. So, in some way, Satan also holds these also in bondage.

That’s why Paul said, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). I remind the Reader that Paul here is speaking to Believers.

When Jesus atoned for all sin, this means that the sin debt was paid, at least for those who will believe, which then gives the Holy Spirit the latitude to work powerfully within our lives. The power is in the Holy Spirit, Who manifests such on our behalf, at least if our Faith is correctly placed in Christ and the Cross. The Cross is what afforded this.

Whenever we preach the Cross, and when individuals believe what we preach, the Holy Spirit can then exercise His Almighty Power on their behalf, for He is God; then sin, in all of its forms, can be overcome; then every bondage can be broken.

That’s what the “preaching of the Cross” will do!"’

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