Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13: 38,39)      The message of the early church was a simple yet profound one: that through Jesus Christ your sins can be forgiven. While most Christians would agree to the truth of that statement we may fall short of fully comprehending the totality of the forgiveness that was won for us at the cross. Thanks to Jesus all of our sins have been forgiven once and for all. Every sin you have ever committed or will commit has already been paid for by the Son of God. Far too often, believers consider only the sins they committed before receiving Christ as having been forgiven. Any present or future sins were not included in the deal. They look at future sins as something they have to atone for by penance, restitution or some other good works. This negates the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf and minimizes the power of the finished work of the cross. When Jesus died for me all of my sins were in the future. When I turned my life over to Him and asked his forgiveness He covered me from the time of my birth to the day of my death. All of my sins were included in His forgiveness. That’s why the prophet Daniel could ...

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   The thought of being alive at the time when Jesus walked this earth has occurred to me before. How awesome it would have been to be able to follow the Lord each day, to hear His sermons in person and to see firsthand the endless miracles that He did. As great as that might have been, Jesus said there is something even better. He told the disciples it would be far more to their advantage if He went away. That didn’t seem logical to them at the time. However, by going to the Father He could then send the Comforter to them (John 16:7). Jesus knew that was exactly what they needed and what every follower of His down through the ages would also need. The coming of the Holy Spirit. The Comforter. The very Presence of Christ who would fill us with the power of God to live a victorious Christian life. Every believer has heard of the Holy Spirit but unfortunately, far too many are not really familiar with the work and person of the Holy Spirit. There seems to be much misunderstanding today concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is often portrayed as being very slow and almost reluctant to show up at meetings or gatherings of the saints but will depart instantly if something happens that is not to His liking. The record seems to indicate the exact opposite is true. After Jesus rose from the dead He instructed His disciples to “wait for the promise of the ...

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We always knew He could move mountains but this is different. He changed mountains. He relocated. Established a new address. Company headquarters have moved. After bringing the children of Israel out of Egypt, God met with them at Mt. Sinai. That’s the mountain Moses ascended to receive the Ten Commandments accompanied by thunder, lightening, fire, smoke, darkness, tempest, fear. When the people saw all of this the Scripture says “they removed and stood a far off’ (Exodus 120:18). Mt. Sinai has always demanded that God’s people stand afar off. It represents God’s holiness and righteousness and judgment against sin. Mt. Sinai was the mountain of choice under the Old Covenant. Then Jesus came on the scene. He died to take away our sins. He paid the price for sinful mankind’s failures. He endured God’s judgment against sin on behalf of every person for all ages. When Jesus died the veil of the temple was torn down the middle. That which had separated man from God was now removed and we were free to draw near. No longer would it be necessary to stand afar off. The Lord desired to have His children come to Him without fear or trepidation. That required a mountain change. Mt. Sinai was left behind as the Father moved operations to Mt. Zion. Hebrews 12 tells us this is the mountain we need to come to. It calls Mt. Zion the city of Go...

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The righteousness of faith is a powerful reality and one that comes with many benefits. Our righteousness (right standing with God) is a direct result of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf. He totally satisfied all the righteous demands of the law once and for all. Under the old covenant,  man attained righteousness by observing all the laws and commandments on a continual basis. Works of righteousness were required to make one righteous. You had to labor and strive all day every day to be in right standing with God. One sin, one failure would be cause to lose your righteousness under The Law as Moses discovered when he sinned once and was immediately denied access into the Promised Land. As the Law-giver and a representative of the Law, Moses was not allowed even one slipup. Thanks be to God that our Savior has perfectly kept the Law for us and now our faith in Him is all we need to be considered righteous in the sight of God. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth” (Romans 10:4). Jesus is the end or fulfillment or completion of the demands of the law for all who believe. Not for all who do good or obey. It is now simply a matter of believing. In the earlier verses of Romans chapter 10 it states that the Jews had a zeal and passion for the Lord but not according to knowledge. Being ignorant of G...

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“Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?” John 1:22     A new leader had burst on the scene and the Pharisees wanted to know more about him. Since he wasn’t one of them, they questioned the validity of his ministry. Although people were being attracted to John and were listening to his message, he lacked the credentials of the religious elite. So they demanded to know from him:  who are you and what do you say of yourself? Those are the questions that every believer has to answer to before they can produce any lasting fruit for the Kingdom of God. Who are you and what do you say of yourself? Because we are in Christ we can know exactly who we are. “As He is, so are we in this world” (I John 4:17). That means whatever is true of Jesus is also true of you.  If Jesus is righteous, then so are you. If He is victorious, strong, prosperous, all-conquering, then so are you. You are not who others say you are nor are you who the devil wants you to think you are. You are who God says you are. His testimony is that you are just like Jesus. Once you have that settled in your heart then the next step is to say it of yourself. You have to agree with God and your own lips have to confess what the Lord has decreed. Jesus knew who He was and He testified to it r...

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“What do you think about that?” Who hasn’t been asked that question before? While it may be more of an offer to state our opinion, preference or point of view, we usually can give an immediate answer as to what we “think? Why is that? Because we’re always doing it. Can’t really help ourselves. It’s what we do all day long. Our minds are constantly engaged in the thought process. Without even realizing it, many of us are doing some serious meditating. That is simply the practice of dwelling on certain thoughts continually. Unfortunately, most of the time these thoughts are of a negative, unbelieving nature. This is the condition of natural man. That’s why Jesus very first sermon had to address this. It was a fairly short message but well worth noting. “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14,15). A grand total of 18 words. But the point was clearly made. Since Jesus had come to bring the Kingdom of God to earth, if man was going to enter that Kingdom, access that Kingdom and operate that Kingdom, he would need to do two things: repent and believe. It all starts with repenting. Change your mind. That is all repenting is. Has nothing to do w...

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For many it’s hard to believe and yet there it is boldly stated for us in God’s Word. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as He is, so are we in this world” (I John 4:17). As Jesus is, present tense, so are we, present tense, in this world. I am so glad that last part was added. Otherwise, we might be content to write this off as a benefit for eternity. But there is no getting around this. It’s not for another day. It’s for the here and now. The Scripture does not say as Jesus is so we can be, or hope to be. As He is, so are we means we are just like Jesus Christ. Our salvation placed us in Christ so whatever is true of Him is also true of us. Has to be. We are in Him. As He is, is also how I am. So then, how is He? Is Jesus rejected of the Father? Is He condemned, depressed or confused? Of course not and neither am I because as He is, so am I in this world. Is Jesus poor, sick, afraid of the future? If He’s not, then I’m not either. Do you see Jesus as inferior or worthless? Then neither are you because as He is so are you in this world. What a powerful and liberating truth this is. You are in Him and you are just like Him and since Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, then so are we. It’s time to take your focus off of yourself and how you are. You&rs...

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Abraham and Lot. Two men with much in common. They are from the same family (uncle and nephew). Both appear at the beginning of the redemptive story. The law has not yet been given so each of them is under God’s grace. And the Lord calls both Abraham (Genesis 15:6) and Lot (II Peter 2:7,8) righteous men.  That, however, is where the similarities end. The very first place Abraham pitches his tent in Canaan is on a mountain. He is looking for an elevated position. He wants to go to the top. Abraham longs for the high places to dwell. He finds himself at this early stage of his journey between two significant places. From where he sets up his tent, the city of Beth-el, meaning house of God, is to the west. Ai, meaning ruin or destruction, is to the east. Abraham is now standing where all men have stood. Between the presence of God and utter ruin. Which direction will he go in? which way are you headed? We get a clue when we hear that Abraham built an altar to the Lord there. Altars speak of prayer and worship and a desire to seek the Lord. When we first catch up with Lot, we do not find him on a mountain. In fact, he is in a valley. While his uncle sought the high place, he has descended to the low lands. Not only that, but the Scripture tells us that Lot journeyed east. That’s right, he’s walking straight into ruin. Why would a righteous man do ...

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I understand what it means to be in love. I probably know way more than I should about being in trouble. I’ve had close friends that were in the army. It’s possible to be in confusion, in deception, in distress. All of this gives us a partial point of reference for what the Bible calls being “in Christ.” Need I say that this is the greatest in of all. Your salvation has placed you firmly in Christ Jesus. This is a most powerful reality. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away and behold all things have become new” (II Corinthians 5:17). We are now new creations with a totally new life not by anything we have done but by simply being in Christ. You have everything you will ever need or want as a result because “all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him” (Colossians2:9). The next verse goes on to say “And you are complete in Him.” You are not complete by learning more or attaining more as some might think. Completeness is not a by-product of adding something or someone to our lives. If it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell, and you are in Him, then all fullness is now yours. Being in Christ means that you are made one with Him. As far as the Father is concerned there is no difference between you and Christ. When He looks at you He sees Jesus because ...

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Everybody likes to get new things. New is always special and exciting. Whether it is a pair of shoes, a car, a baby, a friendship, a puppy, new anything usually charges our batteries.  We get that appreciation of all things new from our Father in heaven. He’s totally into new things. We see that in everything He does. When I gave my life to the Lord I immediately discovered His penchant for things new. The first thing He did for me was to give me a brand new heart. The old one could have been remodeled or restored but instead I received a new one. This is part of His intention to make every believer a new creature in Christ, where old things pass away and all things become new. Right now the Lord is in the process of making everything in your life totally new. Nothing refurbished or recycled for you. This is a new day and you are in line to receive all things new. Jesus didn’t come to this earth to remake or renegotiate the Old Covenant. He didn’t add some amendments to it like our government has to our constitution. Instead, He came to establish a New Covenant with man based on new and better promises. New and better is always the way of the Kingdom of God. It is time, once again, for us to flip the calendar on a New Year. Many people are simply expecting for the New Year to be a repeat performance of the old. We are not among that crowd. We li...

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I am a big fan of the entire Christmas scene. Even the extreme business of the season and the occasional (ok maybe numerous) rude and grumpy shopper is all enjoyable for me. There is literally nothing that I don’t enjoy regarding the day of our Savior’s birth. My only complaint would be that it comes and goes all too quickly. Of course, I could say that about all of life at this point. It all seems to be rushing by me at warp-speed. I have found that if I don’t slow down and savor the moment, I forfeit the potential benefit and the beauty that each day holds. The holidays serve as a great example of how that works. The best things in life need time to be enjoyed and appreciated. I can woof down a fast food burger in matter of minutes but when I take my wife to our favorite restaurant for a steak dinner, we may be there for hours. Time stands still for us. Being with the love of my life in a special place makes me in no hurry to go anywhere soon. My schedule is no less crowded nor do the demands of the day disappear. They just become irrelevant for the moment. My total focus is fixed on the present. The future, and everything else, can wait. My prayer for you this Christmas season is that you may be able to derive the greatest pleasure from the wonderful blessings the Lord has bestowed on you. In the form of relationships, opportunities, special giftings, mater...

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It’s in full swing now. Despite all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season it is still a wonderful time of year. A time honored tradition of Christmas is exchanging gifts with the people closest to us. Not that the gifts need to be expensive, just a reflection of our love for them. Love always motives us to want to give to the object of our love. We see this pattern demonstrated for us in the very nature of God Himself. The prophet foresaw the coming of the Lord and proclaimed: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). The Father went first and gave us the gift of His only begotten Son. And what a gift that was! The Son of God became the Son of man so that the sons of man could become the sons of God. Jesus walked this earth not as a gift to man but as a giver to man. He went to the cross and died in our place so that we could have the “gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17).  Our righteousness is not the result of any works or accomplishments on our part. We are righteous by receiving the gift that Jesus gave us by faith. We didn’t earn it and we don’t deserve it. That’s why it’s called a gift. Then when Jesus ascended into heaven the  Holy Spirit came to us. He is another gift to us and He came bearing gifts as well. All of these gifts are precious and reveal the heart of the ultima...

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The prophet Jeremiah spells it right out for us. What is the difference between a cursed man and a blessed one? Would you like to know? Jeremiah explains that clearly and then paints a portrait of each one. He addresses the cursed man first. This is the man who puts his trust in man. Whether that is himself, other people, or the experts, his confidence is in the strength and ability of mortal man. He looks to man for all his answers. He leans on his own understanding and his own abilities to get what he wants in life. The flesh is his arm. He is described as a shrub in the desert and he does not see when good comes. It’s not that good things don’t come to the cursed man the problem is he just can’t see it. The only good he can see is what his own efforts can produce since his trust is in himself. Blessings are all around him he’s just not aware of them. The blessed man also needs to learn how to trust only his trust is not in man but in the Lord. He rests knowing Jesus did it all for him on the cross and there is nothing he can add to that. He’s not out to convince God or anybody else that he deserves good things because he knows he doesn’t. He simply believes in his heart and receives God’s best by faith. And the blessed man is no shrub in the desert. He is a tree planted by the waters with deep roots. This is a picture of health, vita...

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Everything else pales in comparison to this. Most people dream about winning the lottery. Or wish they could strike oil in the backyard or that they had a rich relative to leave them a huge estate. If only they knew about this. I even love the sound of it rolling off my tongue. Heir of the world. That’s what I am as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Heir of the world. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. He created all things and they all belong to Him. When He died on the cross to atone for my sins, He did so much more for me. He also decided to leave all that He has to His family members. This promise was first given to Abraham and was to include all his seed. “And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). Because we belong to Christ, we are Abraham’s seed. That makes us an heir according to the promise. Since the Lord made many promises to Abraham, what is the promise spoke of here? We discover the answer in Romans 4: 13 “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.” THE promise was that Abraham and all his seed would be heir of the world. Please note that the inheritance would not be by any merit or works done on the part of the heir, but would inste...

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Abraham believed it. I also believe it. I’m hoping that you believe it too. Abraham was the first to believe it and by doing so he became the father of faith. The plan of redemption all began with the man who “believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” It would be hundreds’ of years before the Lord gave the Law to Moses. So Abraham had no law to obey, neither did he have a Bible to read or a church to attend. But when God spoke to him, Abraham acted on it which is what faith is all about. Hearing from God and then responding to what you heard. What exactly did Abraham believe that set him apart from every other person on planet earth? He believed that God Almighty, the holy God, justifies the ungodly by faith and not by works (Romans 4:5). That is a concept familiar to believers today because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross and yet many Christians still struggle to walk in the reality of a righteousness that is a gift from God (Romans 5:17). A righteousness that is freely given to us apart from our own efforts to attain it. A righteousness that keeps us in right standing with God even in our worst moments. Because it is by faith and not of works, we are never unrighteous anymore. Jesus has done for you what you could never do yourself. He kept the Law of God perfectly and is now “the end of the law for righteousness to ...

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11/10/11 Marriage is a covenantal relationship between a man and a woman. Because it is a covenant and not a contract it is unbreakable and voided only by death. Although our society allows divorce for almost any reason, God’s standard is still “until death do us part.” This basic and simple understanding is the backdrop for the teaching of Romans 7 concerning the Law and grace. Here we discover a powerful truth that can release you to enjoy an intimacy with the Lord that may be missing from your life right now. We are told that the Law has dominion over every single person on planet earth. God’s holy, righteous, pure law is the measuring stick for all of mankind. Although we are powerless to obey the Law, we cannot escape the demands it makes on us and the relationship we have had with it since birth. In this way the Law is our first husband. Even after we realize what Jesus did for us on the cross, experience His matchless grace and fall in love with Him, we are still bound to the Law. No matter how much we may long for intimacy with our Savior, as long as we are still legally married to the Law, we are not able to join ourselves to the real Lover of our soul. Being attracted to Jesus is easy. He loves us, protects us and provides for us. The Law does none of those things. Who would you rather be married to: someone who serves you and honors you or so...

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The Law of Moses was designed to tell us what to do and not to do: “thou shall love the Lord thy God…thou shall keep the Sabbath holy…thou shall not steal…thou shall not commit adultery…”. These are strong and definite demands made of those who would be followers of the Lord God of Israel. The Bible says the Law is holy and good. The problem is that it just has no ability to make us holy or good. It required total adherence to the commandments but offered no help whatsoever to accomplish that daunting task. If we intend to walk in true holiness before the Lord than we need much more than a desire to do it. We will need the strength and power that only comes to us through the grace of God. One of the things that grace does that the Law could never do is it has the ability to teach us (Titus 2:11,12). Grace will do far more than forbid us, it will instruct us in the very areas we need the most help in: how to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and how to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. Jesus Christ came to bring us abundance of grace, which is unmerited favor and blessing. Let that grace teach you what you need to overcome all ungodliness and worldly lusts in your life so that you can fulfill that deep longing in your heart to live soberly, righteously and godly in the here and now. Unlike the Law, grace will neve...

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When we think of the ministry Jesus did when He walked this earth, various images come to mind. Opening blind eyes, making the lame to walk, cleansing incurable lepers, raising the dead back to life again, casting demons out of people, commanding storms to cease and cursing unfruitful trees. All of it eye-catching, hard to miss type of stuff which was  necessary to validate His claim to be the Messiah. However, most of Jesus’ time was not spent on the sensational but rather on the practical. Every single day you could find Jesus in the same place doing the same thing. Teaching the people in the temple (Mark 14:49). Nor was it just confined to that one venue. From mountain sides, at the waterfront, in someone’s living room, Jesus used every opportunity available to Him to teach and preach. Teaching in the temple was nothing new but the people were attentive to hear Him because He taught differently than anyone they had ever heard before. First of all, He taught with an authority and anointing unlike those who they were accustomed to hearing. That set Him apart. So did His message. He came teaching and preaching the Kingdom of God. How it operated, how to access it, how to enjoy the benefits of it. If teaching was so important that it consumed the majority of Jesus’ time, I wonder where we get the idea in today’s church that we already know enough. If...

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We’re supposed to obey. We’ve been taught that since we were children. If we’re obedient and do the right thing, we’ll be rewarded. Disobey and there will be severe consequences. You know the story. We all like the benefits of obedience, that’s for sure. But let’s face it, this obedience thing can be a bit tricky. You can look like you’re being obedient when really you’re not. Or you can pretend to be so that others will give you credit for it. It’s also possible to fully intend to obey but not even come close. And don’t forget you can be obedient on the outside but totally defiant on the inside. Does that count for us or against us? Sometimes, it’s really hard to accurately gauge our level of obedience. Hard as we may try, no one can ever fully obey the commands of a holy God. We strike out every time at bat. So then how am I going to get the blessings He promises? Obedience truly is the way to the fullness of God’s blessings flowing in our daily lives. Only it’s not our obedience that does it. . I am referring to the obedience of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He totally and completely obeyed the Father in all things. He perfectly kept the Law of Moses and all the commandments. He did what you and I could not do: live a sinless life. Through Adam’s disobedience we all became sinners. By vi...

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10/5/11  She had no business being there. She certainly knew better. The Levitical law was very clear about this. Having an issue of blood made her unclean (Leviticus 15). Everyone and everything she touched were also now unclean. So why would she do it? How could this woman justify squeezing through a crowd of innocent, unsuspecting people, making contact with countless numbers of them as she went? And while those touches could be considered incidental, grabbing the garment of the man the crowd had come to see was purely intentional. That was, after all, why she was there. She wanted to touch the hem of Jesus garment, believing that was all it would take to end the twelve year nightmare with her issue of blood. As it turns out, the “gamble” paid off. Immediately upon touching Jesus clothes, her issue of blood dried up. Instead of receiving rebuke or chastisement for violating the law, she received the miracle she longed for. Jesus told her why it happened. Her faith had made her whole. Not a law or obedience to a law. It was not because of good works or acts of kindness. As this woman looked at Jesus, she didn’t see a law giver or a law enforcer, she saw Him as John had declared Him to be: full of grace and truth. Which brings us to a very important question: what do you see when you look at Jesus? Faith will also rise up in you for your miracle...

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9/30/11 According to JC    I left church very encouraged that day. I always enjoy being in the House of the Lord and it’s not unusual for me to go home from church feeling good. But this was different. I had been ministering in a neighboring church this day. Actually, it was the church that had sent me out to plant the church that I now pastor. Through the years we had not maintained an especially strong connection. Despite the mutual love and respect, there was not an exchange of ministry between the two churches. Then a few years ago things changed. A friend of mine who served with me as elders in that church became the senior pastor. He was going to be out of the country on a mission trip and invited me to fill the pulpit on one of the Sundays he would be gone. As my custom is I arrived early at church that day and was soon approached by one of the members I had known when I attended there. He was a deacon when I left 30 years ago and after our conversation I discovered he was still serving in that capacity. For 30 long years this brother has been faithfully serving his local church. Through all the ups and downs of church life, with so many opportunities to be offended and pull back, my long-time friend had let nothing move him from His God appointed position. That ministered to me more than my sermon ministered to the congregation. I was just there to pre...

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When it’s being handed to you, you really should accept it. For the most part anyway. While I wouldn’t accept a ticking bomb, most of the stuff I’m handed is something I need or asked for. A cold drink, the car keys, TV remote, newspaper, food, money, cards. You receive them because someone is offering it to you. Especially gifts. Who hasn’t been given a gift that was neither wanted nor needed and yet we accept it, smile and say thank you. After all, that is the polite thing to do. We wouldn’t want to offend the other party making the offer. Yet, for most people, that same response does not apply to our relationship to the Lord. His gifts are always good, free, and exactly what we need. Jesus died on the cross to hand you your salvation at no cost to you. All you have to do is receive it. Righteousness is also a gift that cannot be earned or worked for. All the blessings of God come to us by grace, which is unmerited favor. Our part is to accept them and be thankful for such a wonderful, giving heavenly Father. Whatever you need right now has already been purchased for you by the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He’s offering it at no cost to you. Stop trying to achieve it on your own and go ahead and accept it at His hand. It’s more than being polite, this is how you honor God. By taking what He has ma...

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Jesus came to set us free. Free from sin, free from death, free from hell. Oh, and one more, free from the Law of Moses.  Most of us would see sin, death and hell as an enemy while we firmly hold on to the law. After all, it was God who gave those 10 Commandments to Moses. So believers everywhere go to church and are we admonished to keep the Commandments. The very Commandments that no one can keep. The same Commandments that the Bible calls the ministry of death (II Corinthians 3:7). The very purpose of the Commandments was to reveal to man that he is a sinner. A sinner in need of a Savior. Jesus became that Savior with His death on the cross. Our salvation is not in our ability to observe laws, commandments, or ordinances. Our salvation is in faith in Christ alone. While you and I are sinners and have totally missed the mark, Jesus did what we never could do. He kept the law of God perfectly. He did it because we couldn’t. Because He did it we don’t have to. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4). Jesus fulfilled all the demands of the law on your behalf and now you are in right standing with God at all times. Not by what you have done or not done but by faith in the only begotten Son of God. Enjoy the freedom that the Lord has so wonderfully provided for you from sin, death, hell and the law. He did it all for y...

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I have to admit that I sometimes find myself reverting back to former ways. Although I have been studying and preaching on grace for months, I am still learning how to live in the realm of unmerited and undeserved favor. Under the Old Covenant, God’s people were required to live in strict obedience to the law of Moses. Full compliance with those laws released blessings but the slightest disobedience brought curses. If you did good, you got good. If you did bad, you got bad.   We’re all pretty much familiar with how that works. Jesus’ death on the cross changed all that. In fact, it changed everything. “The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Moses gave us the law, but Jesus brought us grace and truth. He hand delivered it.  The Bible is abundantly clear that we are no longer under law but under grace. I’ll take unearned favor over enforced laws and ordinances any day.   I am very grateful to be a New Covenant believer where the emphasis is not on achieving but receiving; learning to walk by faith and simply accepting all the benefits Jesus won for us on Calvary. He paid the price. He won the victory. And as He so aptly stated with His final breath, “It is finished,” we now have full access to all the benefits of the cross through no work or effort of our own. That, my dear fr...

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