The Meaning of Sin

HE WHO SINS IS OF THE DEVIL, FOR THE DEVIL HAS SINNED FROM THE BEGINNING
(1 John 3:8).

For the longest time of my life, I never knew the meaning of sin.  Sin seemed to be something mysterious…something unexplainable…SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED TO ME.  I was aware that I felt wrong inside and did wrong deeds, but I never really understood WHY.

Then, I came to understand that sin is explainable—THAT SINFUL DEEDS SERVE A PURPOSE.  Sin is the father-of-lies’ solutions to escape heartache. It is what we do when we hurt inside, so we might feel better.

You see, sin does not stand alone.  It does not happen by itself.  It sits on a pillar of beliefs suggested by the father-of-lies.  These beliefs hurt.  They suggest that you have been abandoned by certain people and by God.  They propose that you are unacceptable to certain people and to God.  They offer the belief that you are nothing but a being of shame to certain people and to God.

However, the father-of-lies is craftier than that.  Not only does he suggest the beliefs of abandonment, condemnation, rejection, and shame to you, but also the solutions to the heartache these cause—SIN.  After he introduces the hurtful beliefs to your mind, he offers solutions of distraction and destruction—SIN.  After the father-of-lies plants his painful beliefs in your heart, he entices you to do what is wrong to dull the pain—SIN.

FOR THIS PURPOSE THE SON OF GOD WAS MANIFESTED, THAT HE MIGHT DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL
(1 John 3:8).

I bless you to know that Jesus, the Son of God, was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the father-of-lies.  Jesus came to offer a different solution to escape the heartache of the father-of-lies’ painful belief—HIS SELF.  Instead of turning to solutions of distraction and destruction to ease your heartache, you can turn to Jesus and ask Him to take away the pain in your heart.  Instead of turning to SIN as a solution to the father-of-lies’ beliefs, you can accept Jesus’ solutions of Truth, Hope, and Love for your beliefs of abandonment, condemnation, rejection, and shame.

Which sinful habits and patterns have you adopted through-out your life, in order to escape the pain in your heart? Take a moment and find out why you have adopted these sinful patterns in your life. To which negative, destructive beliefs from the father-of-lies are you reacting? What are you going to do about this?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I invite You to be manifested in my heart, so You may destroy the works of the father-of-lies—the beliefs of abandonment, condemnation, rejection, and shame that are causing me to sin.

Maintain an Awareness

And here lies the root to all our problems: not the FACTS we experienced during our childhood circumstances…but the CONCLUSIONS we made in response to these facts.

The Two Counsels

The Meaning of Suffering

A quote from Victor E. Frankl, a psychiatrist, writing from a Nazi concentration camp, explains:

A LIFE WHOSE MEANING DEPENDS UPON SUCH A HAPPENSTANCE—
AS WHETHER ONE ESCAPES OR NOT—
ULTIMATELY WOULD NOT BE WORTH LIVING AT ALL.

I once led a life of wanting to escape at all cost: to escape from feeling abandoned…to hide when I felt condemned…to run away when I felt ashamed.  At some point, I was doing so much escaping that there was not much time left for living.

We are always looking for a way out of heartache and have come up with many solutions.  Some of them are destruction, distraction, and divorce.  Did you know that God has His own escape route out of shame, abandonment, and condemnation…if you would only stop trying to escape?  He calls it DISCIPLINE—the training that causes wholeness and holiness.

ENDURE HARDSHIP AS DISCIPLINE; GOD IS TREATING YOU AS SONS
(Hebrews 12:7).

Beautiful Child, stop living your life as a means to escape.  Instead, choose MY DISCIPLINE.  You will find that a life of escaping becomes very tiresome.  The same issues from which you need to escape today, you will need to escape again tomorrow, and then again the day after that, if you choose to ignore My Discipline.

THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE RECEIVING A KINGDOM THAT CANNOT BE SHAKEN, LET US BE THANKFUL, AND SO WORSHIP GOD ACCEPTABLY WITH REVERENCE AND AWE
(Hebrews 12:28).

Understand that you see hardship as something that needs to be avoided.  I, on the other hand, see hardship as something that needs to be endured, so I may remove what can be shaken from your life and replace it with My Kingdom that is unshakable— something permanent, from which you do not have to escape.

I KNOW THAT EVERYTHING GOD DOES WILL ENDURE FOREVER; NOTHING CAN BE ADDED TO IT AND NOTHING TAKEN FROM IT. GOD DOES IT SO THAT MEN WILL REVERE HIM
(Ecclesiastes 3:14).

What do you do during bouts of suffering? Do you only look for the escape route, or do you endure suffering as discipline—the training from God that causes wholeness and holiness?

PRAYER: Lord God, Perfect Father, have Your way with me. Teach me, during suffering, to stop trying to escape, but to trust You—that You are holding me in the palm of Your hand, and that You will not drop me. Thank you, my Lord, that, through patient suffering and endurance, I am receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken—a Kingdom that lasts forever.

Maintain an Awareness

When your heart hurts, both the Lord Jesus and the father-of-lies stand ready to lead you out of that pain to a solution.

The Two Counsels

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Ye Must Be Born Again

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
(Romans 6:6).

I bless you to realize that there is an OLD MAN living his life inside you—an agglomeration of negative, destructive beliefs, instilled in your mind by the father-of-lies.  This collection of OLD MAN beliefs carries corruptible seed of unrighteousness, unworthiness, and non-acceptance: “You are dirty.  You are doomed.  You are deserted.”

MARVEL NOT THAT I SAID UNTO THEE, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN
(John 3:7).

 Rejoice! The Lord Jesus came to nail your OLD MAN, with its corruptible seed, to the cross, so you may be born again as a NEW MAN of incorruptible seed, by the Word of God.

BEING BORN AGAIN, NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED, BUT OF INCORRUPTIBLE, BY THE WORD OF GOD, WHICH LIVETH AND ABIDETH FOR EVER
(1 Peter 1:23).

Are you ready to receive the NEW MAN? Then, you need to EMBRACE and EXPOSE the negative, destructive OLD MAN beliefs, and surrender them to God, to be EXCHANGED for a NEW MAN, filled with incorruptible seed, by the Word of God.

Envision a life-size drawing of your OLD MAN, covered with black sticky notes. On each sticky note is written a negative, destructive belief from the father-of-lies. Thus, the whole OLD MAN is labeled in terms of the corruptible seed of unworthiness, unrighteousness, and non-acceptance.

Get to know your OLD MAN character. Observe what is written on its black labels. Then, peel each label off and hand it to the Lord Jesus Christ. He will destroy the old black labels of unworthiness, unrighteousness, and non-acceptance, and write new white labels of Righteousness, Acceptance, and Worth in their place. Then, you will be born again of the incorruptible seed of the NEW MAN, by the Word of God.

AND BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND; AND THAT YE PUT ON THE NEW MAN, WHICH AFTER GOD IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUE HOLINESS
(Ephesians 4:23-24).

If you could draw your OLD MAN on your wall and fill it in with sticky note labels, what would you write on the labels: “I am unworthy…I am unacceptable…I am unloved”? What else?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I bring my OLD MAN to You with all its labels of corruptible seed. Replace each label with Your incorruptible seed, O Lord, by Your Word that lives forever.

Maintain an Awareness

So, yes, the deepest urge in human nature seems to be the desire to be important–to matter. But, it is not the PRINCIPLE of wanting to be important that is wrong; instead, it is the way we adapt or the means we adopt to meet this most urgent desire of our hearts.

The Two Counsels

Do Not Slander Anyone

THEY MUST NOT SLANDER ANYONE AND MUST AVOID QUARRELING.  INSTEAD, THEY SHOULD BE GENTLE AND SHOW TRUE HUMILITY TO EVERYONE
(Titus 3:2).

Do you like to slander others? Do you know what you are doing? You are delighting in another’s iniquity. You are taking advantage of another person’s sinful actions and reactions. You are rejoicing with the father-of-lies over the negative, destructive beliefs he has built into this person’s mind and heart, since childhood. But God wants you to rejoice in the Truth!

LOVE SUFFERS LONG AND IS KIND; LOVE DOES NOT ENVY; LOVE DOES NOT PARADE ITSELF, IS NOT PUFFED UP; DOES NOT BEHAVE RUDELY, DOES NOT SEEK ITS OWN, IS NOT PROVOKED, THINKS NO EVIL; DOES NOT REJOICE IN INIQUITY, BUT REJOICES IN THE TRUTH
(1 Corinthians 13:4-6).

Beloved, you need to know that if you fall into the sinful behavior pattern of always slandering someone, you are siding with the father-of-lies. Instead of being gentle and showing true humility to everyone, you are puffed up. Instead of using your tongue to praise Me, you are using it to curse people, who have been created in My Image. Instead of helping a person find Truth for the iniquity in his heart, you are helping him accept and believe the accusatory beliefs the father-of-lies instilled in him, since childhood.

WITH THE TONGUE WE PRAISE OUR LORD AND FATHER, AND WITH IT WE CURSE MEN, WHO HAVE BEEN MADE IN GOD’S LIKENESS
(James 3:9).

Beautiful One, I want you to greatly rejoice in Me. I want you to rejoice in the Truth. Instead of slandering someone, help her seek Me, so she may rejoice in the Truth, as well. I will clothe her with the garments of Salvation and cover her with the robe of Righteousness. Then, there will be no need for anyone to be puffed up and rejoice in the iniquity the father-of-lies caused in her mind and heart, but only reason to rejoice in My Truth.

I WILL GREATLY REJOICE IN THE LORD, MY SOUL WILL EXULT IN MY GOD; FOR HE HAS CLOTHED ME WITH THE GARMENTS OF SALVATION, HE HAS COVERED ME WITH THE ROBE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, AS A BRIDEGROOM DECKS HIMSELF WITH A GARLAND, AND AS A BRIDE ADORNS HERSELF WITH HER JEWELS
(Isaiah 61:10).

Why do you slander people? Is it simply to rejoice in someone else’s iniquity, because it thrills you?

How might your life change if you would stop rejoicing in the iniquity the father-of-lies placed in others’ hearts, and start rejoicing in the Truth?

PRAYER: I desire to do Your Will, O Lord God. Create in me a pure heart and a renewed mind, filled with Your Truth. Wash out my eyes, so I may see the sinful pattern of slandering, in my own heart and mind. Redeem my tongue that it may praise You, and serve those who have been made in Your likeness.

Maintain an Awareness

God wants you to desire His Love, because He wants to pour His Love directly into YOUR heart, right there where it hurts so much.

The Two Counsels

You Will Trample the Serpent

FOR I RECKON THAT THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED WITH THE GLORY WHICH SHALL BE REVEALED IN US
(Romans 8:18)

THE SERPENT YOU SHALL TRAMPLE UNDERFOOT
(Psalm 91:13).

Have you learned how to trample the serpent in your circumstances? I have, after I learned to stop focusing on the troubles my natural eyes could see and started focusing on the things only the spiritual eyes of my heart were able to see—the Glory of God.

FOR OUR PRESENT TROUBLES ARE SMALL AND WON’T LAST VERY LONG. YET THEY PRODUCE FOR US A GLORY THAT VASTLY OUTWEIGHS THEM AND WILL LAST FOREVER! SO WE DON’T LOOK AT THE TROUBLES WE CAN SEE NOW; RATHER, WE FIX OUR GAZE ON THINGS THAT CANNOT BE SEEN. FOR THE THINGS WE SEE NOW WILL SOON BE GONE, BUT THE THINGS WE CANNOT SEE WILL LAST FOREVER
(2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

Precious One, be encouraged. You will trample the serpent, if you learn to look at things with the spiritual eyes of your heart, instead of your natural eyes. If you stop focusing on the troubles you can see, but rather, fix your eyes on things only your spiritual eyes can see, you will see the Light. You will see My Answers. You will witness the Glory of the New Jerusalem, which comes out of Heaven, from Me. I will show you the open doors, which nobody will be able to shut. I will clothe you with the Robe of Righteousness, which no-one will be able to remove. When you behold My Glory that vastly outweighs the troubles you see with your naturel eyes, you will know how to trample the serpent.

HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I MAKE A PILLAR IN THE TEMPLE OF MY GOD, AND HE SHALL GO NO MORE OUT: AND I WILL WRITE UPON HIM THE NAME OF MY GOD, AND THE NAME OF THE CITY OF MY GOD, WHICH IS NEW JERUSALEM, WHICH COMETH DOWN OUT OF HEAVEN FROM MY GOD: AND I WILL WRITE UPON HIM MY NEW NAME
(Revelation 3:12).

 Are you suffering right now? Have you learned to trample the serpent?

Develop the spiritual eyes of your heart, so you may see God’s Glory in the midst of your suffering. You do this by focusing inward, on your heart, and on what God wants to show you, through your heart. You learn to overcome when you stop running away from the serpent, but confront him, through your own suffering, in your own heart. There, when God shows you His Glory, you find the strength to trample the serpent in your circumstances.

PRAYER: Lord God, show me Your Glory, so I may see Your Answers, in my heart, and trample the serpent in my circumstances.

Maintain an Awareness

There is someone who came to bring Heaven to earth, into your troubled heart, into your dark mind, into your dead spirit, into your disease-ridden body, and into your broken life. His name is Jesus Christ, the Perfect Father’s Son.

The Two Counsels

A Hardened Heart Causes Ignorance

SO I TELL YOU THIS, AND INSIST ON IT IN THE LORD, THAT YOU MUST NO LONGER LIVE AS THE GENTILES DO, IN THE FUTILITY OF THEIR THINKING. THEY ARE DARKENED IN THEIR UNDERSTANDING AND SEPARATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD BECAUSE OF THE IGNORANCE THAT IS IN THEM DUE TO THE HARDENING OF THEIR HEARTS
(Ephesians 4:17-18).

Notice that a hardened heart causes a vicious circle. A hardened heart causes ignorance—the lack of understanding. This darkened understanding causes one to be separated from the Life of God, leaving a person to his own futile thoughts, which eventually lead to evil desires.

AS OBEDIENT CHILDREN, DO NOT CONFORM TO THE EVIL DESIRES YOU HAD WHEN YOU LIVED IN IGNORANCE
(1 Peter 1:14).

Understand that a hardened heart causes a lack of knowing God’s Truth, a lack of experiencing God’s Hope, and a lack of perceiving God’s Love—SEPARATION FROM THE LIFE OF GOD. Once you feel separated from God’s Truth, Hope, and Love, the lies from the father-of-lies seem like the truth. At this point, you are unable to separate right from wrong, evil from good, and God from the father-of-lies. Since your understanding is darkened, you start thinking futile thoughts: thoughts that serve the father-of-lies…thoughts that kill, steal, and destroy…thoughts that disobey God. And if you conform to these futile thoughts, they lead to sin and death.

IN THE PAST GOD OVERLOOKED SUCH IGNORANCE, BUT NOW HE COMMANDS ALL PEOPLE EVERYWHERE TO REPENT
(Acts 17:30).

NOTICE THAT GOD DOES NOT OVERLOOK IGNORANCE!

Repent from your hardened heart—living in the ignorance of your own understanding and the futility of your own thinking.

Then, you will no longer be separated from the Life of God.  The lies of the father-of-lies will be exposed.  Your hopelessness and despair will be exchanged for God’s Hope.  Your animosity will be exchanged for God’s Love. And you will LIVE!

What has hardened your heart? Why are you holding onto your hardened heart? What will it take for you to surrender the oppressing beliefs from the father-of-lies that are causing your hardened heart, to God, and be changed…or rather, exchanged?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I repent of my hardened heart, because I want to stop conforming to the evil desires that this hardened heart of mine is causing.

Maintain an Awareness

Be certain that your Father DOES answer your prayers, but His Answer might be different from the one you are expecting.  It might be radical… revolutionary…extreme.  His Answer might not fit your purpose, but it will fit God’s Purpose for you.

The Two Counsels

The Reason for Immaturity

THEY CLAIM TO KNOW GOD, BUT BY THEIR ACTIONS THEY DENY HIM. THEY ARE DETESTABLE, DISOBEDIENT AND UNFIT FOR DOING ANYTHING GOOD
(Titus 1:16).

Do you claim to know God, yet, deny Him by your actions?  Do you often behave in childish ways, being detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good?

Understand that an adult could still display the character of a child and be disrespectful and immature if his or her childhood misinterpretations of abandonment, condemnation, rejection, and shame have not been addressed and replaced, yet.

WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I TALKED LIKE A CHILD, I THOUGHT LIKE A CHILD, I REASONED LIKE A CHILD. WHEN I BECAME A MAN, I PUT CHILDISH WAYS BEHIND ME
(1 Corinthians 13:11).

Recognize that when an adult acts like a six-year-old, he feels again like the little six-year-old he used to be when the misinterpretations of abandonment, condemnation, rejection, and shame formed in his mind, the first time.  He becomes the little six-year-old again, experiencing the same childhood fear, loneliness, and guilt.

AND I WILL ASK THE FATHER, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COUNSELOR TO BE WITH YOU FOREVER— THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. THE WORLD CANNOT ACCEPT HIM, BECAUSE IT NEITHER SEES HIM NOR KNOWS HIM.  BUT YOU KNOW HIM, FOR HE LIVES WITH YOU AND WILL BE IN YOU
(John 14:16-17).

Precious One, I, your Everlasting Father, have brought you a Solution for your immature behavior.  His name is the Counselor—the Spirit of Truth.

When the little six-year-old in you relives the memory that is bringing her so much pain and confusion, prompt her to offer the memory, with its painful feelings and interpretations, to the Counselor, the Spirit of Truth.

 When the Counselor, the Spirit of Truth, sets you free from the negative, destructive interpretations of shame, condemnation, rejection, and abandonment that live in that memory, you will experience relief. Then, you will put childish ways behind you and start acting your age.  You will know Me and honor Me with your actions and reactions.  You will become fit for doing good.  You will become an adult.

What childhood misinterpretations of abandonment, shame, rejection, and condemnation still cause you to act like a six-year-old? What are you going to do about your immaturity?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I long to be an adult and act like an adult. Help me to put childish ways behind me, so I may stop denying You by my actions.

Maintain an Awareness

It is very important that you understand that it is not so much what happened to you during your childhood that affected you the most, BUT WHAT YOU CAME TO BELIEVE ABOUT YOUR SELF, OTHERS, AND GOD, IN RESPONSE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES (facts) of your childhood life.

The Two Counsels

To Die to Sin

HE HIMSELF BORE OUR SINS IN HIS BODY ON THE TREE, SO THAT WE MIGHT DIE TO SINS AND LIVE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS; BY HIS WOUNDS YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED. FOR YOU WERE LIKE SHEEP GOING ASTRAY, BUT NOW YOU HAVE RETURNED TO THE SHEPHERD AND OVERSEER OF YOUR SOULS
(1 Peter 2:24-25).

Take note that Jesus bore our sins in His body on the tree, so WE might die to our sins. The Lord Jesus nailed the body of sin—the cause of our sinful actions and reactions—to the cross to remove the origin of sin, so we might have the opportunity to live for Righteousness.

WHAT SHALL WE SAY, THEN? SHALL WE GO ON SINNING SO THAT GRACE MAY INCREASE? BY NO MEANS! WE DIED TO SIN; HOW CAN WE LIVE IN IT ANY LONGER?
(Romans 6:1-2).

I have died to many sins.  I have died to willfulness, withdrawal, and pushing people away.  I have died to blaming, hating, and condemning others.  I have died to gossiping.  I have died to boasting.

FOR WE KNOW THAT OUR OLD SELF WAS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM SO THAT THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DONE AWAY WITH, THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE SLAVES TO SIN
(Romans 6:6).

I have died to these sinful actions and reactions, because I have had no need to live in them any longer.  You see, my old Self—the abandoned Orphan Me, the shameful Despicable Me, the condemned Bad Me, and the rejected Victim Me—was crucified with Jesus, so that it might lose its power over me.

Therefore, since my condemnation turned to acceptance, I did not have to hate anymore in order to take revenge. Since my shame turned to worthiness, I did not have to gossip and boast anymore in order to gain respect from others.  Since my abandonment turned to belonging, I did not have to withdraw anymore in order to protect myself. Because the Lord Jesus took care of the old Self—the body of sin—I did not have to serve it anymore through sinful actions and reactions.

IN THE SAME WAY, COUNT YOURSELVES DEAD TO SIN BUT ALIVE TO GOD IN CHRIST JESUS
(Romans 6:11).

Let your old Self, the body of sin, be crucified with Jesus. Then you, too will have the opportunity to live your life for Righteousness, since sinful actions and reactions will serve no purpose to you anymore.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I long to live my life for Righteousness. Therefore, I invite You to nail my old Self to the cross, so I would stop serving the body of sin through sinful actions and reactions.

Maintain an Awareness

Accompanying the original childhood conclusions were the original childhood emotions. These emotions were inextricably locked together with the childhood conclusions, so that one could not be evoked without the other.

The Two Counsels

Saved to Be Holy

WHO HAS SAVED US AND CALLED US TO A HOLY LIFE—NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE HAVE DONE BUT BECAUSE OF HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE.  THIS GRACE WAS GIVEN US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF TIME
(2 Timothy 1:9).

One of the things that turned my life inside-out was the realization that God did not just barely save me, in a meager manner. He saved me enough to be holy.

Throughout my life, I had the idea that God saved me just enough to go to Heaven. I believed Holiness was something extra…and holiness was up to me.  I believed that if I wanted to be holy, I had to muster together all my strength to better my own Self—to rid my Self of condemnation, shame, rejection, and abandonment, which caused me to complain, control, and criticize.

However, big was my surprise when God showed me, one day, that my holiness did not depend on me, but on His Grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus. This has always been part of the package of Salvation, even before the beginning of time—to stop sinful actions and reactions from controlling our behavior, through His Grace.

THIS IS HOW GOD SHOWED HIS LOVE AMONG US: HE SENT HIS ONE AND ONLY SON INTO THE WORLD THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM
(1 John 4:9).

Beloved Child, do you know what to do with My Grace? Understand that I, your Savior, want you to come UNDER My Grace, moment-by-moment, whenever you feel rejected, ashamed, condemned, or abandoned. Instead of submitting to the beliefs of shame that cause you to complain, come and live UNDER My Grace, which will release you from disgrace. Instead of surrendering to beliefs of rejection that cause you to criticize, come and hide UNDER My Grace, which will deliver you from feeling unwanted and unworthy. Instead of bowing down to the beliefs of abandonment that cause you to control, step UNDER My Grace, which will discharge you from loneliness and dismay. Then, sinful actions and reactions will no longer control your behavior.

“FOR SIN SHALL NO LONGER BE YOUR MASTER, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE LAW, BUT UNDER GRACE”
(Romans 6:14).

How might your life change if you stopped striving to better your Self, but allowed God to bring you under His Grace?

PRAYER: Thank you, Perfect Father, for Your Gift of Grace, through Jesus Christ. Call me, daily, to come under Your Grace, instead of living from my own strength. Help me to remember to live under Your Grace whenever I feel rejected, condemned, ashamed, or abandoned. Then, sinful actions and reactions will no longer control my behavior.

Maintain an Awareness

The Bible calls it the OLD MAN. It makes us feel like a powerless CHILD. It is the reason we believe we are abandoned, bad, rejected, and shamed. It is the reason we feel mad, bad, and sad. It is the reason neither life, nor death, makes sense.

The Two Counsels

To Be Exchanged

I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST: NEVERTHELESS I LIVE; YET NOT I, BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME: AND THE LIFE WHICH I NOW LIVE IN THE FLESH I LIVE BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME
(Galatians 2:20).

I bless you to know that there is a part of you that needs to be crucified with Christ.  There is a part of you that needs to be exchanged for the Lord Jesus Christ. He gave His Self for you to live His Life inside you, by His Faith.

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
(Romans 6:6).

Understand that there is an OLD MAN living his life inside you: an agglomeration of negative, destructive beliefs, instilled in your mind by the father-of-lies.  This collection of OLD MAN beliefs carries a painful, negative message of failure, defilement, and unworthiness.

Realize that this set of OLD MAN beliefs functions as the root or source of bad behavior in you.  This set of accusatory beliefs “You are bad…You do not count…You are a disgrace” causes painful emotions of unworthiness, hopelessness, and shame.  When you feel unworthy, you envy…you strife…you fail.  When you feel ashamed, you become angry…you become unkind…you become selfish.  When you feel hopeless, you argue…you give up…you become depressed.  Thus, the body of OLD MAN beliefs in you is the father-of-lies’ ally to control your mind, your emotions, and your behavior from the inside out.

AND BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND; AND THAT YE PUT ON THE NEW MAN, WHICH AFTER GOD IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUE HOLINESS
(Ephesians 4:23-24).

The Lord Jesus Christ came to crucify the body of OLD MAN beliefs in you, so that the source or the root of sin in you might be destroyed.  And in the OLD MAN’s place, He gave His Self to come and live in you, by His Faith.

May you allow the body of OLD MAN beliefs in you to be eliminated, so that the Lord Jesus Christ might live His Life in you, instead, by His Faith.

How do you think your life will change if you lived your life by the Faith of the Lord Jesus, instead of living from the negative, destructive OLD MAN beliefs of the father-of-lies?

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord Jesus, that You nailed the OLD MAN to the cross, so that this body of sin might be destroyed and You might live Your Life in me, by Your Faith.

Maintain an Awareness

If the desire to matter is not satisfied through the solid Framework of God’s Presence, from the inside-out, our hearts become a black hole that sucks everyone in, for the sole and soul purpose to receive accolades…praise…glory.

The Two Counsels