God's righteousness is first said to be unto all. The emphasis here is that we, as Gentiles, were strangers and foreigners to the covenants of God. We have now been brought to the cross by the blood of Jesus and all that is required is our faith to receive the righteousness of God. This righteousness is first of all something we become, not something simply added to our life or something accounted us. We are not sinners just saved by grace. We used to be sinners, and now we have been saved by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. And, as surely as Jesus became sin for us on the cross, we have become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
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Our salvation is a free gift from God. We don’t deserve it; we can’t earn it. All we do to receive it is accept it by faith. In the same way, our spiritual life after salvation is by grace; we can never deserve or earn it by our own efforts. It, too, is a gift of God received by faith.
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It is important for those who were wronged to forgive the one who wronged them. This releases the victim from anger and thoughts of vengeance. Although the person can never totally forget the act of wrong inflicted on them, they can leave the problem in the hands of God, knowing God will repay. But restoration is totally in the hands of the one who committed the wrong. With a contrite heart toward God and the ones hurt, the person may one day in the future assume their position in life and ministry again and even rise to new heights of responsibility.
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Paul declares twice that he knows how to be at the bottom of circumstances and he knows how to be on top. He has been broke and rich. He has been hungry and full. Yet, he is not moved by his situation, financial condition or lack of food, only by what he knows from God's word. In other words, what does it matter what the situation is? "My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). God's promises do not change despite the circumstances. Yet, the circumstances will change when the Word of God is applied.
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Over the long run, our determination to remain free from bitterness or any other sin must come from the promises of God's Word. The Holy Spirit draws from our knowledge of the Scriptures to help us make daily decisions to forgive. Our spiritual vision becomes sharpened by each promise, and we are able to detect when Satan tempts us to fall into bitterness again.
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Worry is always future. Worry says, "I know God came through for me in the past, but it is all going to fail tomorrow or next week. I have had my rent payment before, but I will be evicted by this time next month." If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever, how could He possibly fail to provide for you today or tomorrow?
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Some of us have never got it down on the inside of us that it's the fondest desire of God's heart to meet every promise that He's given in His Word. Not only is he able to give all things he wants to give them to you. It is His fondest desire to give to you.
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Our problems will not last forever; we are going to make it through because our future is in eternity! It does not matter what people say, what the doctors say, what friends and relatives say. It does not matter what your mind is saying. The same God Who prophesied that Israel would be preserved and the enemy would be destroyed is the same God who will preserve you and destroy every enemy in your life.
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Unlike the Old Testament where many forms of ritual surrounded the believers of Israel, the Church has only three. Since the work of the cross is over, all of the rituals which pointed to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are now unnecessary. We have now passed the shadow and come to the substance, which is the Church Age, the Body of Christ.
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We may have the nature of the flesh, but we also have the Holy Spirit living in us. Paul lets us in on a revelation: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death (the nature of the flesh). The flesh is our enemy, but we have a greater ally or comrade in the Holy Spirit. By trusting in the guidance and leadership of the Holy Spirit, we are freed from the power and control of the flesh
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It is important to quote the promises of God. His words need to become our words, part of our daily vocabulary. When Jesus was pressured by the circumstances and temptations that Satan brought to Him, each time He responded, “It is written. It is written. It is written.”Jesus demonstrated the importance of speaking the promises of God.
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Five times in Philippians, the Greek word koinonia is used. Usually translated fellowship, it is better translated as partnership. There are five ways the Philippians partnered with Paul and you can partner with a ministry also:
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Today, the teaching that confession of sins only applies to sinners and is unnecessary for believers has become popular. Unfortunately, this teaching has become an open door for sin. Only the Word of God will reveal the truth. Confession of sins for the believer was never given as a license to sin against God but to serve Him. Christian growth is impossible without a way to rid ourselves of sins we knowingly or unknowingly commit.
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If you ask the average Christian, “What is the worst enemy of the Christian life?” the most common answer will be Satan. I do not want to diminish the fact that Satan is a strong adversary to the Church and the individual Christian, but he is not your greatest enemy. In these verses, Paul reveals your worst enemy. Your worst enemy is you!
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The good news about covenants is that believers have a covenant with God! We have a better covenant (shedding of blood) than they had in the Old Testament or under the old covenant because the blood that was shed for us is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. You and I, as believers, haven’t entered into a covenant with men, we have entered into a covenant with the Father God. On the day that Jesus shed His substitutionary blood for us, the blood from our hands mingled with His. In other words, we shook hands with God. At that time, God gained all our assets and our liabilities and we gained all of God’s assets, liabilities, debts, everything. Actually, we didn’t have any assets. God owns everything anyway.
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The perfect congregation stands before the throne of God and the perfect pastor is Jesus Himself. Only heaven has a spotless music department, youth director, and children’s minister. On earth, a church may look good at the time you walk in, but the longer you stay, the more flaws you find. That’s because God uses people, not angels. Even Jesus’ disciples had problems, fighting among themselves, and they had the perfect Pastor every day.
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Jesus was the first minister of reconciliation. He was an ambassador for God, calling men to be changed into God’s likeness in the spirit realm. This outward ministry of Jesus is one that we are familiar with.
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We have all had problems with our tongues getting us into trouble, but the tongue can also bring blessings into our lives. Just like a tree can produce fruit, you can produce fruit in your life by the power of your tongue. Life and death and blessing and cursing are in the power of the tongue. This verse is telling us we have the same creative abilities God has.
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Here’s how we need to look at the works of the enemy. The works of the enemy are trespassers in our life. If you opened up your front door, and homeless people found their way into your living room, had pitched a tent and were eating out of your refrigerator, what would you do? Would you go in and say, “Welcome. Stay. Help yourself to anything you want.” I don’t think that is what you would do. You would be upset they violated your property and broke into your house. How often do we do that when sickness comes into our life?
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The Corinthians came from a background of heathenism, Greek mythology, and idolatry. Their religion did not believe in a resurrection body, only that the present body was evil, the soul was beautiful, and it was waiting for death to be released from the body so it could float across the River Styx into the Elysian Fields and remain there forever.
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