THE SACRIFICE IS GREATER THAN THE JUDGEMENT
For those struggling with addictions:
It pains my heart when people presume that the teaching of God's grace produces licentious living amongst believers. This is caused many times by two main reasons; the first is fear, which is caused by a lack of understanding of the subject. When you do not understand something so magnificent, you tend to fear it. The second reason is because of those who are not grounded in the teaching of grace yet make an attempt at teaching it. When the message has not yet taken root in them, it does not
produce fruit. And so what you have is a lifestyle that negates the message. But you remain to be blamed for your ignorance of it because like the Berean Christians in Acts 17:10-11, you ought to have gone back to study the subject for yourself.
In the Old Testament the high point of Moses ministry was the giving of the Law. That is why the Law is also referred to as Moses in 2Corinthians 3:14-15. The law was given and no one could keep it. Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16, 3:11.
The high point of Elijah's ministry in the Old Testament was in calling down fire to consume the sacrifice, during the faceoff with the prophets of Baal. There, the anger of God against Israel was appeased, the nation called back to repentance, and the prophets of Baal along with its worship were destroyed. God's blessings returned as the rains came back upon the land.
But something remarkable happened. When the fire of God came down upon the sacrifice, it burnt up the sacrifice, licked up the water and totally consumed the wood, dust and the twelve stones that built the altar of sacrifice. I Kings 18:38.This signified that the sacrifice was not sufficient to bear God's anger. The judgement was greater than the sacrifice. I believe this was why Elijah ordered that the prophets of Baal be killed rather than calling for their repentance. The judgement of God was still looming and needed to be channeled somewhere. This showed that the Old Testament, signified by the twelve stones, and it's sacrifices, signified by the sacrifice of Elijah, were never sufficient to bear the anger and judgement of God against the sins of man. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin. Hebrews 10:4.
The high point of Jesus' ministry on earth was his dying on the cross. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:2 "For I determined to not know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified" On the cross, Jesus bore the full weight of God's anger, and cried "it is finished" John 19:30. And committed his spirit into God's hands. The fact that Jesus was still alive for even one second after bearing all that judgement was testimony to the fact that for the first time ever, the sacrifice was greater than the judgement. The cross of Christ was not an adequate payment for sins, it was an overpayment for sins. This was why Moses, Elijah and Jesus, on the mount of transfiguration, did not talk about the law or the prophets. Rather they spoke about Jesus death. Luke 9:28-31
If you find yourself still struggling with addictions and bad habits, all you need is to remember that the sacrifice was greater than the judgement, and in essence greater than your sins, addictions and bad habits. Then declare with confidence and say; "Father I thank you because mercy has prevailed over judgement, Jesus sacrifice is greater than my addiction (name it: smoking, fornication, pornography etc) Therefore on the strength of that sacrifice, I am empowered to live above this addiction. I believe and confess that my sins are forgiven me forever, God is not angry with me because of this addiction, and therefore I am free from it (mention it) and I have victory over (mention it).
You must keep believing and declaring this even if you continue to fall for that addiction for a while. Understand that you are dealing with it from its roots. Don't struggle in your self efforts to stop the bad habits or break free from the addictions. You will only experience frustration, depression and defeat. Self effort is powerless against the flesh. Look to the cross of Christ and see that your addictions have been defeated and overpowered by Jesus sacrifice. Remember that Christ is the vine, you are the branch. John 15:4-5. As you continue to abide in him by focusing on his cross rather than on your self efforts, life from the vine will flow continually into you. Very soon all your old leaves (your bad habits) will fall off, and be replaced with new ones. You don't have to struggle to remove all your old leaves by yourself. Just leave them and focus on Christ, they will fall off on their own. It is just the same way you keep declaring that by his stripes you were healed, even in the face of sickness and disease. That's the way you deal with sin because it is the same sacrifice that dealt with both.
God bless you richly as you live in victory.
For those struggling with addictions:
It pains my heart when people presume that the teaching of God's grace produces licentious living amongst believers. This is caused many times by two main reasons; the first is fear, which is caused by a lack of understanding of the subject. When you do not understand something so magnificent, you tend to fear it. The second reason is because of those who are not grounded in the teaching of grace yet make an attempt at teaching it. When the message has not yet taken root in them, it does not
produce fruit. And so what you have is a lifestyle that negates the message. But you remain to be blamed for your ignorance of it because like the Berean Christians in Acts 17:10-11, you ought to have gone back to study the subject for yourself.
In the Old Testament the high point of Moses ministry was the giving of the Law. That is why the Law is also referred to as Moses in 2Corinthians 3:14-15. The law was given and no one could keep it. Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16, 3:11.
The high point of Elijah's ministry in the Old Testament was in calling down fire to consume the sacrifice, during the faceoff with the prophets of Baal. There, the anger of God against Israel was appeased, the nation called back to repentance, and the prophets of Baal along with its worship were destroyed. God's blessings returned as the rains came back upon the land.
But something remarkable happened. When the fire of God came down upon the sacrifice, it burnt up the sacrifice, licked up the water and totally consumed the wood, dust and the twelve stones that built the altar of sacrifice. I Kings 18:38.This signified that the sacrifice was not sufficient to bear God's anger. The judgement was greater than the sacrifice. I believe this was why Elijah ordered that the prophets of Baal be killed rather than calling for their repentance. The judgement of God was still looming and needed to be channeled somewhere. This showed that the Old Testament, signified by the twelve stones, and it's sacrifices, signified by the sacrifice of Elijah, were never sufficient to bear the anger and judgement of God against the sins of man. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sin. Hebrews 10:4.
The high point of Jesus' ministry on earth was his dying on the cross. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:2 "For I determined to not know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified" On the cross, Jesus bore the full weight of God's anger, and cried "it is finished" John 19:30. And committed his spirit into God's hands. The fact that Jesus was still alive for even one second after bearing all that judgement was testimony to the fact that for the first time ever, the sacrifice was greater than the judgement. The cross of Christ was not an adequate payment for sins, it was an overpayment for sins. This was why Moses, Elijah and Jesus, on the mount of transfiguration, did not talk about the law or the prophets. Rather they spoke about Jesus death. Luke 9:28-31
If you find yourself still struggling with addictions and bad habits, all you need is to remember that the sacrifice was greater than the judgement, and in essence greater than your sins, addictions and bad habits. Then declare with confidence and say; "Father I thank you because mercy has prevailed over judgement, Jesus sacrifice is greater than my addiction (name it: smoking, fornication, pornography etc) Therefore on the strength of that sacrifice, I am empowered to live above this addiction. I believe and confess that my sins are forgiven me forever, God is not angry with me because of this addiction, and therefore I am free from it (mention it) and I have victory over (mention it).
You must keep believing and declaring this even if you continue to fall for that addiction for a while. Understand that you are dealing with it from its roots. Don't struggle in your self efforts to stop the bad habits or break free from the addictions. You will only experience frustration, depression and defeat. Self effort is powerless against the flesh. Look to the cross of Christ and see that your addictions have been defeated and overpowered by Jesus sacrifice. Remember that Christ is the vine, you are the branch. John 15:4-5. As you continue to abide in him by focusing on his cross rather than on your self efforts, life from the vine will flow continually into you. Very soon all your old leaves (your bad habits) will fall off, and be replaced with new ones. You don't have to struggle to remove all your old leaves by yourself. Just leave them and focus on Christ, they will fall off on their own. It is just the same way you keep declaring that by his stripes you were healed, even in the face of sickness and disease. That's the way you deal with sin because it is the same sacrifice that dealt with both.
God bless you richly as you live in victory.
