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GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION

607. Forgiveness Complete! Now Empowered to Walk in Newness of Life

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The issue of the forgiveness of all sins has been fully dealt with once and for all by Christ at the cross. Does this mean we should use our freedom as an opportunity to seek after sin? Of course not! We’ve been baptized into Christ Jesus and into His death (not to be confused with water baptism). One who has died has been set free from sin and we are no longer spiritual slaves to it. We were also raised with Him in order that we can walk in newness of life - the life of God that has been gifted to us. God’s grace now empowers us to live in a way that reflects the righteousness of God. Living in the reality of this will become easier as you begin to understand the identity of who God has already made you to be. As a forgiven, holy, perfected, and sanctified child of the King, we should now consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.



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604. Why “Trying Harder” Doesn’t Work

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Those Christians who are seeking to improve right-standing with God through their efforts are guaranteed to fail. Many will often wonder where they stand with God as they work to improve their behavior in order to attain more of God’s forgiveness, righteousness, holiness, sanctification, and even His love and acceptance. Don’t be discouraged by the guarantee of failure and the inability to acquire these blessings through your works. As the Jewish people under the law could’ve told you, it only leads to self-righteousness, which profits nothing. What if you could discover a guarantee to experience the fullness of the life of God on a daily basis, without fear, and without it being dependent upon your ability? It’s already been gifted to you in something called the gospel.



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603. Believers ID’d as Righteous, Apart from Behavior

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How you are identified as a believer in Jesus Christ is entirely separate from your works and actions. Israelites under the law declared that the attempt to keep the law of works would be righteousness for them, but there was never an individual who could accomplish the demand of doing it to the point of perfection, as was required. In order to receive the perfection and righteousness that was needed, Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf and God placed us in Him. He became like us so we could become like him. Instead of pursuing works in order to establish ourselves (which leads to boasting), we abide in the faith of His finished work, where we have nothing to boast. Faith-based righteousness has brought us new life by God’s grace, which empowers us to live in the way of the Spirit, apart from the works of the law.



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602. God’s Love: Jesus Became Sin; We Became Righteous

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Experiencing God’s peace and joy will be connected to gaining the understanding that His love for you has no strings attached. People often go through life wondering where they are positioned with God or they live in fear that God is angry with them. They have been smothered with teaching which proclaims faith, hope and love are based upon working at attaining a higher level of morality, an area where they are constantly falling short. God loves you because He loves you! He demonstrated this unconditional love through Jesus Christ dying for us, when all humans were still identified as sinners. He took our place by becoming sin, so we could receive His righteousness through belief, apart from works.



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601. Clash of the Covenants: Kap Talks About His New Book

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Joel interviews Mike about his new book now available on Amazon Kindle. It's like a Growing in Grace podcast in written form! The target audience is for anyone who has had exposure to Christian churches or doctrines, but may struggle with wondering where they stand with God. It's for those who wonder if God can really forgive them and whether they have truly been accepted. It will help to bring a greater understanding of what the finished work of Jesus Christ provided for them, and the book will help remove some of the confusion associated with many common teachings that have mistakenly jumbled the old and new covenants together. The book addresses issues such as why the old commandments and rules will never work; the ministry of Jesus and why He taught things that weren't always meant for future believers; sin confession; repentance and other hot-button topics that have caused many to live in religious bondage.

The new book is available on Amazon.com (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0713ZSKY7) under the title of Clash of the Covenants: Escaping Religious Bondage Through the Grace Guarantee, by Michael C. Kapler.

If you do not have a Kindle device, no problem, simply download the Kindle app for free to your smart phone, tablet or computer and then purchase through Amazon.



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590. Good News About Sanctification

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Throughout Christianity, the word “gospel” can mean many different things to different people. Ultimately, it boils down to “good news” that was first meant for the nation of Israel. The news they needed to hear was that a replacement of the law and commandments was about to occur. What would it take its place? Faith, righteousness, forgiveness, holiness and sanctification would be gifted to people apart from our own works. Where are these things found? Not through our efforts of obedience, but in the Person of Jesus Christ. He is the replacement and our destination. We have arrived “in Him” through belief in what He has completely finished on our behalf.



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Right Standing with God Comes ONLY by Faith

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This week’s Forward Moment: The Spirit of the Living God is Active

 

 This week’s FREE message

If you’re going to take God seriously you have to take him at his word. You have to humble yourself and accept his truth as your foundation for your worldview. If we find in his Word information that is personal to you, you must allow it to redefine who YOU are in light of this truth.

You behave according to who you believe you are. I want to help you understand and naturally live from the new creation reality that you are righteous because you’re in Jesus. The best way to do that is continually remind you of your inheritance as a child of God promised in his new covenant that is upheld by the blood of Jesus.

Righteousness – as he ought to be
Righteous – innocent, faultless, guiltless, approved of God or acceptable to God

Is it a reality to you that Jesus became your sin so you could become his righteousness? This is important because if you’re serious about transformation and allowing his grace to teach you godliness then you must change who you think you are to the righteousness of God in Jesus to have any hope of outwardly living that way.

You live out of your identity. The believer under grace is delivered from the law of sin and death and the law was nailed to the cross of Christ, never to be held against you…from there we are to allow that finished work in our spirit become effectual in every aspect of our being for the sole purpose of glorifying God.

I gave you an exercise last week but I’d like for you to repeat it.

Say out loud: I am righteous

Go ahead, now is as good a time as any…

When you say it, pay attention to your inner thoughts and feelings. Do you start thinking about what you did last week? Do you start thinking of a doctrine you’ve learned along the way? Or do you take a deep breath of relief and become filled with thankfulness for what Jesus did for you?

You can take any truth or promise and apply the same exercise. Try it with provision, “God is my provider,” and persuade your heart of God’s will to be your provider.

All things are possible to those who believe!

 

CHECK OUT THIS SERIES FOR MORE ON RIGHTEOUSNESS

Message Titles

1. Why Covenants?
2. Why the New Covenant?
3. Eternal Life
4. Sons of Glory
5. God is Committed to Us

Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

The Law was never meant for righteousness so God offered a New Covenant in Jesus Christ through which we can receive eternal life. But have you ever wondered why God created covenants at all? You will be grounded in God’s purpose for making promises and you will have unshakable confidence in your salvation.

$5.00 – Add MP3s to Cart Loading

The post Right Standing with God Comes ONLY by Faith appeared first on Forward Ministries.

Right Standing with God Comes ONLY by Faith

by

This week’s Forward Moment: The Spirit of the Living God is Active

 

 This week’s FREE message

If you’re going to take God seriously you have to take him at his word. You have to humble yourself and accept his truth as your foundation for your worldview. If we find in his Word information that is personal to you, you must allow it to redefine who YOU are in light of this truth.

You behave according to who you believe you are. I want to help you understand and naturally live from the new creation reality that you are righteous because you’re in Jesus. The best way to do that is continually remind you of your inheritance as a child of God promised in his new covenant that is upheld by the blood of Jesus.

Righteousness – as he ought to be
Righteous – innocent, faultless, guiltless, approved of God or acceptable to God

Is it a reality to you that Jesus became your sin so you could become his righteousness? This is important because if you’re serious about transformation and allowing his grace to teach you godliness then you must change who you think you are to the righteousness of God in Jesus to have any hope of outwardly living that way.

You live out of your identity. The believer under grace is delivered from the law of sin and death and the law was nailed to the cross of Christ, never to be held against you…from there we are to allow that finished work in our spirit become effectual in every aspect of our being for the sole purpose of glorifying God.

I gave you an exercise last week but I’d like for you to repeat it.

Say out loud: I am righteous

Go ahead, now is as good a time as any…

When you say it, pay attention to your inner thoughts and feelings. Do you start thinking about what you did last week? Do you start thinking of a doctrine you’ve learned along the way? Or do you take a deep breath of relief and become filled with thankfulness for what Jesus did for you?

You can take any truth or promise and apply the same exercise. Try it with provision, “God is my provider,” and persuade your heart of God’s will to be your provider.

All things are possible to those who believe!

 

CHECK OUT THIS SERIES FOR MORE ON RIGHTEOUSNESS

Message Titles

1. Why Covenants?
2. Why the New Covenant?
3. Eternal Life
4. Sons of Glory
5. God is Committed to Us

Hebrews 9:15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

The Law was never meant for righteousness so God offered a New Covenant in Jesus Christ through which we can receive eternal life. But have you ever wondered why God created covenants at all? You will be grounded in God’s purpose for making promises and you will have unshakable confidence in your salvation.

$5.00 – Add MP3s to Cart Loading

The post Right Standing with God Comes ONLY by Faith appeared first on Forward Ministries.

587. Jesus Became Sin – You Became Righteous

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The Bible states in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that Jesus became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus had never sinned, yet He became sin. Likewise, we didn’t come to a place of acceptable behavior, yet we’ve been declared and identified as righteous. Jesus didn’t become sin progressively over a long period of time, neither is the gift of righteousness something that occurs progressively. We died with Him and rose to newness of life. As a believer in Jesus Christ, whatever struggles you continue to endure, it doesn’t spiritually define who you are as a holy child of the living God. Jesus put away sin once and for all by the sacrifice of Himself.



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We Are Changed by the Power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

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For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes Romans 1:16a

Information in and of itself is not effective. You might learn something from gaining information but unless it touches your heart or you apply it to your life, it’s just information.

The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ was prophesied by the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. They all shared the same points about a coming new covenant and God’s messiah.

1. I will sprinkle you clean with fresh water
2. I will give you a new heart
3. I will put my spirit within you
4. I will no longer hold your sin/trespasses against you OR I will remember your sins no more

Through faith in the effectual power of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, any person is washed clean from what separates them from God, forgiven, made into a new creature and engrafted into God himself in Christ.

Knowing that intellectually won’t help you much when you need to be free from guilt. Being able to quote the right scripture won’t liberate your soul from sin. But personalizing the cross and experiencing the exchange that too place on the cross in Jesus is power to your soul and empowering to your heart.

Learn to influence your heart with the truth. Learn to look at Jesus and what he did and assimilate that exchange into your heart, mind and soul for freedom from your past.

Try this exercise:

Say out loud, “I am righteous.”

Then notice how you feel.

Say again out loud, “I am righteous.”

Pay attention to what you think after saying that.

Say out loud, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.“

Do you hear a conflicting system of theology combating that statement? Do you have qualifying thoughts afterward? Like, “but I still sin.” If you think your righteousness depends at all on your behavior or ability to stay out of sin, then you are self-righteous. This doesn’t mean sin is OK, it just means Jesus alone is the reason I’m righteous.

You can walk yourself through many new creation identity truth’s just like this to see what you really believe. If your thoughts and feelings don’t agree with the truth statement you make, take some time to persuade your heart of truth just like I show you in the video on this page. The truth you experience in your heart will set you free!

For an additional meditative exercise to persuade your heart of the truth, go through Isaiah 53 and personalize every word…see yourself in the exchange and feel the freedom from guilt, shame and sin as you personalize the work of Christ.

 

Isaiah 53

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

The post We Are Changed by the Power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ appeared first on Forward Ministries.

586. How to Be Righteous

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If we went into the vast majority of Christian churches and asked for a show of hands on how many in attendance consider themselves to be righteous and holy, typically very few hands would go up. Why? They haven’t been taught about their new identity as a child of God. They are ignorant on the subject of God’s righteousness, and much like the Israelites, they may even be trying to establish their own right standing with God through their works. It’s a good thing to behave in a way that reflects godliness and be an example to others. But this is the result of coming to a revelation of how God has provided us with His total acceptance. We aren’t meant to dedicate “our lives” to Him, He has fully committed His life to us. The gospel is not about our doing, but rather it’s about what Christ did. For us, it’s about “being,” while resting in His gift and living out of response to that.



Download  GIGBite  YouTube

586. How to Be Righteous

by

If we went into the vast majority of Christian churches and asked for a show of hands on how many in attendance consider themselves to be righteous and holy, typically very few hands would go up. Why? They haven’t been taught about their new identity as a child of God. They are ignorant on the subject of God’s righteousness, and much like the Israelites, they may even be trying to establish their own right standing with God through their works. It’s a good thing to behave in a way that reflects godliness and be an example to others. But this is the result of coming to a revelation of how God has provided us with His total acceptance. We aren’t meant to dedicate “our lives” to Him, He has fully committed His life to us. The gospel is not about our doing, but rather it’s about what Christ did. For us, it’s about “being,” while resting in His gift and living out of response to that.



Download  GIGBite  YouTube

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