I NEED A MIRACLE

One of the prayer request in our weekly prayer meeting is that the LORD increase our faith.  There are several within our church who are in need of a miracle.  When we pray, we feel our faith is not strong enough to even be classed as a mustard seed.  It is our hearts desire that we believe that the LORD will answer our prayers.  In the past few years, we have seen many who have survived cancer and their life extended by the LORD’s mercy.  We know the LORD can and does heal people when it looks like all hope is gone.

In the book of St. Mark, chapter 9 and verses 23 and 24 we read: "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief."

In this passage of scripture, we have an example of a faith that had been severely shaken before it was recognized and rewarded. The man spoken of in the text was desperately in need of the miracle working power of Jesus Christ.  How many times in our life have we gone to others before going to the LORD?

According to the narrative, his son was totally deprived of his natural powers by the demon forces of darkness. The scriptures describe him as an individual with a dumb spirit and a person who is constantly tormented of the devil. When evil spirits lay hold of him, they tear him and leave him foaming at the mouth and totally exhausted. The man of the text evidently had heard of the miracle-working power of Christ and had brought the boy in hopes of having him cured. No doubt his faith was about as strong as faith can be under such difficult circumstances.

No doubt he felt he had a difficult case to bring to the LORD and a cure would require something more than a human agency to effect. Matters were complicated even further when he brought the young man to the disciples and had to go away disappointed. The thing he thought could be accomplished by the disciples was not accomplished at all.

There are times that we go to the doctors to find healing and they are unable to meet our need.  The gift of healing does include the gift God has given doctors to heal the body.  However, there are times when the doctors cannot give us the results we need.  Just like the disciples they are unable to perform the "miracle" that is needed.

I understand the frustration of the disciples.  They no doubt made every effort to change the young man's condition. They may have laid hands upon him calling upon God for an answer to his condition, yet nothing happened. By the time they were through with the ritual of their own faith, the faith of the father must have been seriously shaken. He went away disappointed and disenchanted with the professed power of the disciples.

I have often wondered when asked to pray for someone who is faced with a crisis in their life if my faith is strong enough to find the answer to their problem? I have struggled with why some prayers are answered almost immediately, and others go unanswered?

It was at this point that something happened that would alter the situation entirely. The LORD appeared upon the scene, and the question of the child's deliverance was raised once more. The father took the time to explain the boy's condition to Christ just as he had explained it to his disciples. He told him how the spirits took the boy and cast him into the fire and into the water. It would appear that the father had reached a point of desperation as he appealed to the LORD for compassion and assistance.

In verse 22 he expresses his doubts by saying, "If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us." The "IF" of this statement is about as big an "IF" that you can find anywhere in the scriptures. It suggests to us that his faith had indeed been shaken. His heart was entertaining serious doubts about LORD's ability to perform the work that needed to be performed. He wanted the work done desperately, yet the ability of faith had received a shock from which it was not easy to recover.

How many times  in our Christian journey have we experienced the same feeble faith this father had?  Faith can be easily quenched or fanned into a glowing fire.  It all depends on how that faith is used.

The LORD turned the question of IF back to the father, "IF thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." The big "IF" of verse 22 is followed by a bigger "IF" of verse 23. The LORD lays the responsibility for the exercise of faith on the shoulders of this father. The LORD does not question the  power to perform the miracle, yet that power must be activated by the faith of the individual. If the tragic condition is to be changed, it must be changed by faith. If the forces of darkness are to be driven back, they must be driven back by the faith and confidence that is placed in LORD.

I can understand the father's struggle with his own faith.  There are many times when it seems my faith is shattered and shaken by the events that transpire. The things I thought would happen just never came to pass. The prayers I thought ought to be answered were not answered as I wanted them to be answered.

I have often wondered if the prosperity of the time has made us more reliant upon our own ability to meet our needs than allowing the LORD to be the all powerful God we profess to serve? There is no doubt in my mind that we have forsaken faith in God and placed our faith in the ability of man.  We do not allow God to be God.  Often God is the last resort in our desperation to find help.

As knowledge has increased, there is very little that man does not know. The secrets of nature have been unlocked and the technology of our times has brought those secrets into service. Questions are being raised today that tend to shatter the faith of individuals. There is much more taking place to inspire doubt than there is belief, yet we need to respond to the LORD's appeal in a positive manner just as this father responded. We need to take our weakened faith and put it into action.

The desperate father answered the LORD by saying, "Lord, I believe, Help thou mine unbelief." In other words, I am doing all I can to believe, yet there are doubts in the back of my mind. Lord, I want you to honor my small faith and help my unbelief in doing so.

IF we could see one miracle it would cure our unbelief and increase our faith.  Or, would it? In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 6 we read,

And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit and cried out: For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid. And he went up unto them into the ship, and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.

For they considered not the miracle of the loaves; for their heart was hardened—What a statement! The meaning seems to be that if they had but "considered  the “miracle of the loaves," just a few hours before, they would not be amazed at what the LORD might do within the whole circle of power and grace.  They had spent a whole day with the LORD performing one miracle after another ending with the feeding of the four thousand.  Yet, they were amazed when he walked on water and stilled the waves.

How many times has the LORD given us miracles and we fail to “consider not the miracle of the loaves” in our own life?  Our prayer should be the same as this father’s, “ Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief."

The LORD did what He said He would do in response to an open heart and operating faith. He will do the same today as we meet His conditions.

WHEN YOU CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE THEN. . .

I have often heard, there are no atheists in foxholes.  When people are faced with a crisis in their life, suddenly they become religious, praying, making deals with God, searching the scriptures for a promise they can hold the LORD to, some even start attending church.  It is almost like somewhere in our brain is this spot that tells us “go to the LORD.”  But as soon as the crisis has passed, so do their thoughts, promises to the LORD, and they even stop attending church.  They go on with their life like nothing happened without even a thanks or recognition that the LORD helped get them through their problems.

Ever wonder what would happen if the LORD allowed the crisis to continue and the circumstances don’t change? Individuals going through extended crisis in their life might not be filled with anger but wonder why this is happening to them. Why LORD are you doing this to me?  What have I done to deserve this treatment?

These are the aged old questions.  In the Book of Habakkuk, we read, O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!  Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.  Therefore, the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore, wrong judgment proceedeth.

Even the prophet was wondering why the LORD was not responding to his prayers.  When the crisis in your life continues, and it seems that the LORD no longer is hearing your prayers, you might find yourself in that paradox of being a “disbelieving believer.”  If asked you would say God exist, but you feel as if He has forgotten you.  The greater the crisis, the more intense is your feeling of being alone and forsaken.  Like Habakkuk, O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear?

The very foundation of life is about God.  Whether you are shaking you fist at God, or see Him so distant that His existence is of no relevance in your life, or you are trembling before Him because you feel this is judgment on your life, the fact is God is there and does care.  Life is about knowing Him or avoiding Him.  It is about spiritual allegiances.  Who will you trust when your life is falling apart?  Who will you worship?

As you attempt to answer these questions, expect to find some fallacies in your thinking about your relationship with God. In other words, you may think you know God or know all you want to know about Him, but you don’t!  If you find yourself filled with anger towards God that is more the reason to understand who He is.

In the book of II Kings, chapter 4 and verses 9-37, we find a story of a woman who had the desire of her heart met only to have it cruelly taken away from her.

In verses 20 and 37, we find these words: "And when he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he [the child] sat on her knees till noon, and then died. . .. then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out."

In this passage of scripture, we have a touching scene.  As you study the background of this passage, you discover that this woman had experienced an unexpected blessing and had suffered an unexpected tragedy.  The child that had been given to her came because of divine intervention. The prophet Elisha had told her that she would be rewarded for her hospitality by receiving the deepest desires of her heart.

Those desires were expressed and fulfilled in the birth of her first-born son.  The child had an accident that resulted in death. The child had been rushed to its mother, and it died on her knees at the noon hour.

Her questions would no doubt be the same you would be asking. "Why?" Why did God give her a son and then take him away so suddenly and unexpectedly? Why was she mourning the only enjoyment that life could afford?

Each step along our journey is an appointed step and each day of our journey is divinely planned. There are no accidents with God. He doeth all things well, and He is never mistaken in His actions or judgments. When the calamities of earth come upon us, we have the power to overcome that calamity by the exercise of our faith. If our confidence in God fails, then we have no recourse to take and no redress from the wounds we suffer. Certainly, the individual who abandons their reliance upon the Lord in such situations suffers a greater loss than the situation itself can produce. Abandon your faith, and you have parted company with your comfort and your condolence in times of calamity. Abandon your faith and the fabric of life begins to fall apart. The whole universe becomes a dreary chaos without faith in the LORD.

The one stabilizing force in your life during times of tremendous stress is your trust in the care and concern of the LORD. Certainly, God is not exposed to accident in any measure. He has every detail of your life planned, and He knows every turn that the road of life will take.

Doubtless, the severest crisis in life will come in our direction. Everyone will row in the boat of suffering.  We will face the sudden visitations of serious illness. Our happiness will be interrupted by the call that a loved one has died. The very foundation upon which our reasoning powers sit may be demolished by circumstances beyond our control.

The burdens, of life, will cartwheel in without warning and without relief, yet our faith will bridge the gap and hold us steady in such a situation. The thing we need to learn from the life of this woman is the fact that no calamity can touch the sacred relationship that exists between God and His children. The God of heaven exercises a continual and perpetual surveillance over His people. His infinite love and power is always taking notice of our struggles and our serious situations. The thing that injures you injures Him. The thing that brings grief into your own heart brings grief into His as well.

When we have surrendered our life to the LORD, we enjoy a relationship in the realm of faith that upholds us every moment of every hour. In the LORD there is an arm that never tires and an ear that is never heavy. There is a concern on the part of the LORD that never fades and never fails.

We are not victims of chance. God places people in our life for a reason.  This woman, because she was kind to the prophet, was given a son.  Because she knew the prophet’s relationship with the LORD, she could go to him for help. The things that come our way come only by divine permission. He knows how much we can take and He knows when we have reached the point of saturation. The things that He allows in our lives are designed to strengthen our faith and confirm our love to the Redeemer. When the woman of the text realized the tremendous loss, she was suffering; she did something about it immediately. She looked at her loss and put her faith into action. She did not know all that faith would accomplish, but she insisted on exercising it to the limitations of its own ability. She made faith take her as far as it could go. She put faith to work on a around-the-clock schedule with no time off for leisure or rest.

This account of the Shunamite woman’s loss seems to suggest unusual faith ought to be the usual, rather than the unusual. We ought to expect great things from God simply because He has promised us great things. He has pledged us His unremitting care and concern. He has told us that He would never leave us nor forsake us. He has promised to be present in every situation that we face in life. The calamity of all calamities would be our failure to trust Him in such situations.

The greatest loss you can suffer in this world is the loss of your faith. When faith is gone, everything else is gone as well. When faith in God goes, man, the thinker, loses his greatest thought; when faith in God goes, man, the dreamer, has lost his greatest dream; when faith in God goes, man, the sinner, loses his greatest source of redemption. When faith in God goes, man, the mortal, loses his hope of immortality.

We need to cling to our faith and allow it to reveal God's mighty power. We need to allow faith to solve the existing problems and create a climate of confidence for the future. The Shunamite woman never gave up in her venture for answers to her nagging questions. She stayed with it until heaven gave the answer. Your faith can be as valid and victorious as hers. You can believe God, and you can witness His mighty power in your own heart and life.

Most of us have been in a situation where we are instructed to do a task in a certain way that made no sense to us.  The reason it made no sense is we failed to see the greater picture.  The master plan was not revealed to us but required our cooperation for the plan to be successful.

The events that occur in our life may not make sense because we do not see the greater picture from the LORD’s perspective.  The LORD is not out of touch with our situation and the tasks, feelings, and desires that we face.  Our life on this earth regardless if it is the longest, the shortest, the richest, the poorest, the happiest or the saddest life you can image, does not even compare to eternity.  What really matters is where we will spend eternity and how many other people you can bring with you by following the LORD.

There is another story in the Bible about a man named Job.  Job was a follower of God and put his faith to practice by helping others.  Yet, despite all the good Job did the LORD allowed one crisis after another to reduce the life of Job to misery and pain.

By the end of the trials of Job, he had reached the depths of human suffering.  He had been robbed of his material possessions, death took all his children, his health was gone, and his wife wanted him to curse God and die.  Yet, Job’s faith remained intact.

The great loss you can suffer in this world is the loss of your faith.  When faith is gone, everything else is gone as well.  We need to cling to our faith and allow it to reveal the mighty power of God. The Shunamite woman never gave up in seeking the answers to her nagging questions.  She stayed with it until heaven gave her the answer.  Your faith can be as victorious as hers. You can believe God, and you can witness his mighty power in your own life.  You must learn to accept the will of the LORD and trust in Him.

In the third verse of the song, We Will Understand it Better By, and By sums, up the feeling, most of us have in this life.

Trials dark on every hand,

and we cannot understand

all the ways of God would lead us

to that blessed promised land;

but he guides us with his eye,

and we'll follow till we die,

for we'll understand it better by and by.

LEAVING CHURCH

Over the years, I have had to deal with several people who have left the church because of hurtful actions on the part of people within the church.  There have been those who have their own letter writing campaign to tell people they are not wanted.  Others, have used their position as teacher or church leader to embarrass and ridicule individuals so they never come back.  Then there are those who feel it is their God given duty to control everything that happens in the church at the expense of others.

This should not be the case after all, we would suppose the church to be a place where hurts are healed – right? However, unfortunately, the church has sometimes been a place where many have experienced wounds instead of healing. In fact, statistics show that a great percentage of persons who stop attending church, do so because of some type of offense or injury to their feelings that happened there. Sometimes these occur because of the insensitivity of the those who feel they have the authority to tell people what to do; other times, people are themselves at fault for being too touchy or sensitive to misunderstandings.

If you are looking for a perfect church, when you find it and you start attending the perfect church, it will no longer be perfect.  Whatever was the reason you left your church to find another, you will find something else that you will not like.  There is no perfect church.  The church is filled with, sheep and goats, tares and wheat, wolves, and hireling shepherds along with false teachers, and godly ministers. 

Many times, individuals have taken upon themselves to be the self-appointed “prophets” telling people what they can and cannot do, who is welcome and who is not welcome.  There are individuals who feel they have the right to dictate to others how they are to conduct themselves, what they are not permitted to do in the church, and expect others to follow the rules they themselves refuse to follow.  This makes church a bad experience.

It is sad that such experiences ever occur, because the church is an essential part of the believer's life. Not only does it provide a place to worship, serve and learn about God, but it is also a community where believers can practice love toward their brethren as the Bible requires; "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

In dealing with those who have left the church, I have tried to encourage them not to leave, but equip themselves with the protection of God’s Word.  As a pastor, I have learned one thing never develop unreasonable expectations of people in the church.  Regardless, most people within the church have never truly committed their lives to the LORD.  They continue to allow the carnal nature to rule their life.  People fail to realize that they can be used by the devil to hurt others by their attitude and words.  They make material things more important than spiritual needs of people.

Keep this in mind, “Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD” (Jer. 17:5).

Come to terms with the fact that everyone is human and will fail you at sometimes or another. Even the pastor will make mistakes. The only one you can trust entirely without fail is the LORD.

Realizing that any human can fall short, the degree of trust we place in people must be limited and will depend on their track record. The more we get to know a person’s character and the history of their behavior, we’ll be able to determine how trustworthy they are. This is one of the reasons why the scriptures tell us to get to know our pastors and spiritual leaders — so from their godly lifestyle, we’ll be able to trust their leadership. “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you.” (1 Thes. 5:12).

Just remember, there are sheep and goats, wheat and tares, false teachers and wolves, the question you must ask yourself is which one am I?

Encounters with Pharaoh The Seven Steps of Leaving Egypt.

1.            Worship God but stay in Egypt- 8:24

Religion does not turn a lot of people on.  Doesn't this seem strange?  Even though many accept that there is a God of creation, but they are not convinced that there is a hell; that people who do not make a commitment to Jesus Christ are destined to suffer some punishment as the worst of sinners; that God expects and demands loyalty; that good works accompany true faith is not part of their belief system.  I call these people Constitutional Christians.  They are in the pursuit of happiness.  These people take pursuit of happiness very seriously.  It is an inalienable right.  Most people spend a lifetime pursuing happiness.  Unfortunately, many  fail in their quest because they do not know and understand God.  They have never left Egypt.

Apathy monopolizes Christians as well as the non-Christian dimensions of our society.  Why is it so difficult to interest people in spiritual matters?  First, they are caught up in a condemned association.  Many people have experienced painful failures trying to find fulfillment and security in material possessions and physical pleasures.  Spiritual concepts and words do not easily capture the attention of these souls.  They have never experienced the joy of really knowing God.  They are still in Egypt.

One of the major reasons given by the disillusioned and "turned off to religion"  is that people who claim to be spirit-filled, born again, Bible-believing people, are just as unfulfilled as they are, and they are right.  Many are bound by guilt and going to church is just a walk through the performance, they never experience the exciting, joyful relationship God intended for His children.

The root of apathy among Christians stems from their initial relationship with God.  Did this relationship come about by some spiritual evolution?  Did it come from being born a Christian?  Or did it come from conviction of sin, confession of sin, and a full commitment to God?

The Bible from Genesis to Revelation teaches a substitution and vicarious atonement for the sin of man.  This is the only sane, logical, and scriptural doctrine of all those that are taught to man to help him in his fallen state.  The atonement of Jesus Christ should be understood as both legal and practical.   The reason and necessity for the atonement is clear when we understand the love of God, His relationship to the human race, the fall of man, and his need of redemption.  The atonement is a necessity in view of these truths.  We should understand the atonement as being not only necessary if man is to be restored to original fellowship with the Creator, but that it was not an afterthought on the part of God because man fell.  It is the most wonderful pre-planned, necessary, just, authoritative, and legal work of God in all history.  The entire subject is a judicial one, and all the terms used in Scripture to express it are legalistic, such as an advocate, an intercessor, a mediator, a judge, a judgment, condemnation, pardon, justification, redemption, adoption, intercession, restitution, conciliation, law, sin, penalty, justice, and etc.

In the fall of man, Satan appears as more than a kidnaper or slaver-master holding his slaves for ransom or redemption, but he has assumed pseudo-sovereignty over man on the principle of the consent of a responsible agent.  He governs men only by the consent of man.  His government is only by consent of the governed.  This kind of government is the only kind that God Himself recognizes or could reasonably establish with laws of rewards and penalties.  This is the only kind that could possibly be carried on with a free moral agent.  Satan became the usurper of man's dominion and assumed the position of "prince of this world" and "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, Jn. 12:31; 1Jn. 3:8-9; Matt 13:38  The natural fallen man is bound to sin, and Satan by consent of the will is clear from the fact that when man becomes old enough to be accountable for their personal acts they can continue in sin or freely choose to renounce sin and Satan and turn to God.  Jn 3:15; Rom 6:16-23; 2Cor 4:2-6.   They are willing subjects of sin and Satan and are free to become subjects of God and can willfully abandon the devil at any time.  But they do not because these individuals have never been freed from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh.

If men could once and for all learn that they can of their own consent be made free from sin, and the works of the devil, that they can by their own consent refuse to be subjects of Satan and his governed; that they can turn form sin and become righteous through Christ; that they can reject and refuse defeat in their lives in any endeavor, they would reject all demon powers and doctrines; they would accept God and the truth and be made free and kept free by the power of God through faith in Christ Jesus. All sinners can be transformed by faith in the atonement.  The divine life with all its love, nature, and ideals give them victory over, and freedom form the old sinful traits that are contrary to the will of God.  This is not salvation by self-effort or human works, birth, or education.  It is a newborn divine life imparted by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning work.  It is a supernatural life imparted to the inner man by the Spirit.  Mere natural cultured virtues are never Christian graces and powers, for that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Jn 3:1-8; Rom 8:1-16; Gal 5:16-26.  No human development, education, or human effort will ever transform the human life from a life after the flesh to life after the Spirit.  Conversion is never evolutionary but the making of a new creature by divine supernatural act.  

If all Christians could come to see this simple and biblical truth, it would solve many problems and answer many questions concerning God's dealing with the saved and unsaved.  It would settle many differences between those who accept Scriptural authority and those who fail to see its importance.

From Salvation, an individual knows the joys and fulfillment of life.  The Christian's pursuit of happiness is finding and doing the will of God.  The Christian is not caught up in being a prisoner of hope, with lost dreams, an unfulfilled life, defeated, despondent, and discouraged.  But rather there is victory in knowing that our sins have been forgiven, we have been washed in the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ God's only son.  We know in whom we have believed and are persuaded that he is able to keep that which we have commit unto Him against that day.  We know and understand that God loves us and that He gave His only Son for our salvation.

2.            You can go, you don't have to stay--just don't go to far.  8:28

Maintaining positive beliefs is essential to your effectiveness as a Christian.  That's why it's crucial to hold on to these beliefs in the face of challenges.  And make no mistake about:  Your beliefs will be challenged.

Yet while we are trying to interpret our Christian faith into the language of today, we need to remember that there is one thing worse than failure to practice what we profess, and that is to water down our professions to match our practice.  This watering down comes only when we perceive that what God has asked us to live cannot be lived because we are looking only at our human abilities and not as what God has promised to do for us.  We feel if we maintain a certain respectability then we are doing our best.  We know that we can leave Egypt, but we can also stay.  It is our choice.

If we are to take our rightly place in God's greater work, then we must realize that there is more required of us than just respectability.  The foundation of Christianity is laid deeper than in just maintaining a certain minimum morality.  The old law of "thou shalt not" is superseded by the command of Jesus to "be ye perfect."

No one who endeavors to live this life in sincerity, integrity, and purity will find it easy.  But you will find it morally stable.  Your personal loyalty to Christ will always be stronger when you are anchored to Him.  It is through this allegiance that power for life is received.

This power for life enables us to make the right choices.  The ordinary individual does not understand the meaning of moral stability.  The ordinary individual is far more likely to think greatness and power, and the ability to control the lives of others more important than the power of a moral stable life.

These individuals are discontent with life because they see no chance to realize this dream of power and wealth.   On a global scale when these individuals are seeking wealth and power, what do they get?  They get war, followed by economic failure.  I would think that a quick review of history would explain this cycle.  But on a personal scale, the same takes place there are small personality wars followed by failure of friendships.  Belief of how things should be, and the belief of how things are, creates frustration in our lives.

Whenever you believe what should be is in conflict with what is, you're going to end up feeling frustrated.  That's what frustration is: a gap between expectation and reality.

When you are in line at the super market, in a hurry to get home, there always seems to be someone who must argue about coupons or some other silly thing, and you feel frustrate. 

Any time you believe that things have to be different for you to reach your goals, your going to feel frustrated,  trapped,  disempowered.

The truth is, all your "shoulds' probably are 100 percent correct.  The reality is that many aspects of the church aren't the way they should be.  No one can fault you for feeling frustrated.  The question is what are you going to do about it.  Remain frustrated and accept dissatisfaction?  Or choose to be different?  Are you going to make the choice to stay in Egypt or are you getting out?

The choices we make about the challenges we face shape our spiritual lives.  You may stay with the shoulds and remain frustrated.  Or you may look at things the way they really are and seek solutions that move you toward fulfillment of your spiritual growth.  You can look at your spiritual life and see the hopelessness you are in and remain in the confines of Egypt and die.  Or you can choose to pack you bags and get out.  You must take responsibility for your spiritual life.

Think of responsibility as a response-ability.  You have the ability to choose your response to the challenges.  If you take a position that you should not have to deal with the issues hindering your spiritual growth, you become a victim.  You choose to make yourself a victim.  You end up frustrated, bitter, burned out.  You give up.  You choose to remain in Egypt.

But if you choose to respond realistically to the challenges you can find a way to have victory over them and preserve you spiritual life and keep you focused on the mission of helping get other out of Egypt this is  winning souls for Christ.

When you believe that the church is here to help meet the needs of this community,  you will want to find ways to rise above the challenges.  The hardest problem you will face is in recognizing that you do indeed have a choice.  It is your choice.  It is your challenge.  It is your spiritual life that you must deal with.

If you choose to change the direction this church has been going in for several years of never resolving issues; you can revitalize your spiritual life as well as help our church become the spiritual center that it should be.

You have made a conscious choice, which is a start in making a difference.  Don't allow your life to be made up of shoulds.  Don't have the regrets of having not ever left Egypt.

3.            You can leave, but your families must stay.         10:10

There is nothing sadder than seeing a family divided in their spiritual life.  Too many people have listened to Pharaoh and left their families behind.  First, this is not scriptural.  God did not plan to separate the family.  In the Book of Act, we find that when salvation came to an individual, it came to the entire family. 

Satan knows that as long as he has the family back in Egypt, there will never be a strong commitment to God.  The spirit and emotions are divided between God and family.  It is all a matter of who you belong to.

There are many people today who would say, "It is important to find out what belongs to you and make sure as you can that there's plenty of it."  Wiser souls would say, "It is more important to find out what you belong to.  What claims you, commands you, fulfills you and masters you."

One of the most devastating disease is loneliness.  It is basically a problem of belonging.  There is a major difference between being alone and lonely.  An individual can be in a crowd and be lonely.  It has to do with being unrelated.  There is no meaningful connection with other people or with God.  Here stands an individual who is as lonely as a graveyard.

Paul states, "Brothers you are called to belong to Jesus Christ..."  Belonging to Jesus Christ is an aspect of relatedness, belonging to God's highest and the world's best---Jesus Christ.   What does it mean to belong to Jesus Christ?

In the sixth chapter of Romans, Paul writes about our spiritual freedom in Jesus Christ.  This is not a freedom to do as I please it is a freedom from the control of sin. "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.  Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness."    I become a servant of God through Jesus Christ.  "But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruits unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."   There is no individual who is a masterless person.  "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servant ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death or of obedience unto righteousness."

The question is who is my master?  If it is not Jesus, then it is Satan.  Satan enslaves us to the bondage of sin while Christ emancipates us.  "Who the Son sets free is free indeed."  I have noticed that the farther a man get from Christ, the less of a man he becomes.  Sin entangles us.  It is an active entity that does not stop until we are dead physically.  Yet, the closer a man gets to Christ the more of a man he becomes.  His convictions are based on the fundamental principles of God's Word.  His character is molded in the fashion after Jesus Christ.  His life is dedicated to completing the will of God.  There is a spiritual oneness and not a self-awareness-- he becomes a whole man.

The life of Jesus exemplifies mastery and liberty.  He was the Master of the tempest.  When flattered that the people want him to become king he remained humble.  When his popularity was high and his followers many, he did not forget his purpose in coming, he remained loyal to his Father.  When his life could have been filled with bitterness, he extended forgiveness.

The life of Jesus shows Him as the Master of circumstances.  He did not despise material values and physical comforts; he did not allow them to become his master.  Regardless of the circumstances whether it was paying taxes, fishing all night, feeding the multitude, healing the sick, raising the dead, or finding a place to sleep, Jesus was the Master of the circumstance.  Most men will struggle to make themselves independent with wealth.  Jesus Christ made himself independent of wealth.

Was the life of Christ without challenge and difficulty?  Listen as he say, " Father if it is possible let this cup pass..." This took courage and confidence to face "...nevertheless not my will, but thine be done."  He says to us in the world you will have tribulation be of good cheer I have overcome the world.  James Stewart, the Scottish preacher, said, "Why linger amid the shadows of the prison house when Christ has opened wide the door?"

To belong to Jesus Christ, we must be more than believers in the forgiveness of sin we must accept it as a gift from God.  When I accept the gift, I become part of a community in whose membership we find true fellowship.  We now are in the company of saints.  Saints are not people who have been dead for a long time, they are not old and feeble, quite and unbothersome people.  Saints are people who belong to God.

We must be part of a community bound together in a fellowship that allows for our: spiritual gifts to develop, for spiritual growth, for spiritual fulfilling, for a sense of accomplishment.  Being apart from people is important, but accomplishment is needed to remain whole.

All to often though, we want to start where we should be ending.  The Wright Brother's did not start at Kitty Hawk.  They started by studying sea gulls.  Einstien didn't start with the theory of relativity.  He started with multiplication tables.  Henry Ford didn't start with the Model T.  He started by repairing bicycles.  And Wendell Phillips. . . who is Wendell Phillips?

He was called the Prophet of Liberty.  Twenty-five years before the Emancipation Proclamation this Boston aristocrat broke with tradition and friends to oppose slavery.  He became known as  the golden trumpet.  Did he start when challenged by a speech of Lincoln?  No.  He started by speaking up for one Boston mulatto who was about to be hanged for saying, Slavery was an insult to God and human dignity."  In 1884 Phillips died not hated but honored.

Why such a change?  Phillips heard Lyman Beecher preach on the Lordship of Christ.  He was so moved that he went home and prayed.  O God, I belong to Thee; take what is Thine own, I ask this that whatever a thing be wrong it may have no power or temptation over me.  Whenever a thing be right, it make take no courage to do it.  O God I belong to thee.

We are not called to be happy.  We are called to belong---happiness follows.  We are not called to service.  We are called to belong---service will follow.  We are not called to be.  We are called to belong---being follows.  Belonging to Christ, we belong to His people.  We belong to the family.  We can open our hearts, let our hair down, share our problems, feed our faith, and encourage one another.  We now belong to a cause whose mission gives fulfillment in life.

 Young people, our tempted to be excited, energetic, enthusiastic about fads, superficial interest, and small loyalties.  I challenge you today to be excited, energetic, and enthusiastic in the greatest cause in the universe and show your willingness to start by belonging to Jesus Christ.  Do you belong if not you can?  Keep your family together.

Dad, have you let your wife walk a lonely road because you would rather stay in Egypt where is take no courage to live.  Are you afraid to head towards the Wilderness where you will find a new life, an exciting journey, and challenges?  Are you content to take you family to church while you stay at home?  Keep your family together.

4.            You and your families can go, but your possessions must stay.   10:24

More than anything else living a Christian life means surrender---a giving up of ourselves and an accepting of Christ.  As we see how Jesus surrendered and gave Himself up for us, we cry out, What can I do for You?

Then, just when we think we have made a full commitment, a full surrender, something happens that demonstrates how shallow our commitment is.  As we discover new areas of our lives to turn over to God, our commitment grows.  We find that we have left our possessions back in Egypt.  We have not brought them with us where God can use them.

When we give all that we are and have to God, to whom it belongs anyway, He accepts it, but then puts us back in charge of it, making us stewards or caretakers of everything that we possess.  Then our tendency to live comfortable, selfish lives is broken by our realization that our Lord was naked, imprisoned, and a stranger.  And His enduring Go ye, therefore and teach all nations” makes the church's activities---sharing, teaching, preaching---more precious to us.  Because we seek to be faithful stewards.

What is Stewardship? A steward is a person "entrusted with the management of the household or estate of another.  Stewardship is the position, duties, or service of a steward.  To the Christian, stewardship means "mans" responsibility for, and use of, everything entrusted to him by God---life, physical being, time, talents, and abilities, material possessions, opportunities to be of service to others, and his knowledge of truth.  Christians serve as managers over God's possessions and view life as a divine opportunity "to learn to be faithful stewards, thereby qualifying for the higher stewardship of eternal things in the future life.

Ways to Acknowledge God's Ownership

Stewardship of the Body

God's people are stewards of themselves.  We are to love God with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our strength, and with all our mind.

"Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. .and you are not your own?  For you are bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." ICor. 6:19,20)  At a high cost you were purchased, redeemed.  We belong to God.  But such was mere reclaiming, for He made us.

Stewardship of Abilities

Each person has special abilities and aptitudes.  One may in music, another in manual trades, another in teaching, and some in showing mercy.  Every talent can be used to glorify either the one who possesses it or its original Bestower.  A person can diligently perfect a talent for God's glory, or for personal selfishness.  We ought to cultivate the gifts of the Holy Spirit to bring glory to God our Father.

Stewardship of Time

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Col 3:23,24)

The Bible admonishes us not to behave  "as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Eph, 5:15,16)  Like Jesus we must be about the Father's business.  Because time is God's gift, each moment is precious.  It is given to form character for eternal life.  Faithful stewardship of our time means using it to get to know the Lord, to help our fellowmen, and to share the gospel.

Stewardship of Material Possessions

God gave to Adam the responsibility of subduing the earth, governing the animal kingdom, and caring for the Garden.  All this was theirs not only to enjoy but to manage.

One restriction was placed upon them.  They were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  This tree provided a constant reminder that God was the owner and final authority over the earth.  Respecting this restriction, the first pair demonstrated their faith in and loyalty to God.

After the Fall, God could no longer test through the tree of knowledge.  But man still needed a constant reminder that God is the source of every good and perfect gift and that it is He who provides us with the power to get wealth.  To remind us that He is the source of every blessing, God instituted a system of tithes and offerings.

Abraham gave Melchizedek, the priest of God Most High, "a tithe of all" Gen 14:20.  By doing so, he acknowledged Melchizedek's divine priesthood and showed that he was well acquainted with the sacred institution.

Tithes are sacred and are to be used for sacred purposes only.  The Lord commanded, "A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the tree, belongs to the Lord, it is holy to the Lord. The entire tithe of the herds and flock. .will be holy to the Lord. (Lev. 27:30-32)

In Israel the tithe was used exclusively for the Levites, who having received no tribal allotment, were to use all their time in fostering Israel's worship, ministering at the sanctuary, and instructing the people in the law of the Lord.

In the New Testament, we read in Cor. 9-11-14

Church members, then, willingly bring their tithes to the "storehouse, that there may be food in My house" (Mal. 3:10)  In other words, so that there is enough funds in God's church to provide a living for it ministries and carry forward the outreach of the gospel.

Grateful Christians cannot limit their contributions to the church tithe.  The daily operation of the church comes form the "free will offerings" Ex 36-12-16; Neh, 10:32,33)

In the New Testament Christ laid down the principle of true stewardship---that our gifts to God should be in proportion to the light and privileges we have enjoyed.  He said, For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him, they will ask the more." Luke 12:48 Freely you have received, freely give.

Generally speaking, people are ignorant of and neglect the divine principles of stewardship.  Even among Christians, few acknowledge their role as stewards.  God's response to the Christian when they use tithes and offerings for their own benefit is that it amounts to theft. (Mal 3:8)

The adoption of the Biblical plan of stewardship is indispensable for the church.  The continual participation of its members in giving is like exercise---it results in a strong church body, involved in sharing the blessings Christ has bestowed on it, and ready to respond to whatever needs there are in the cause of Christ.

5.            Get out and stay out!  Come back, and you're dead.  12:31

The most basic question of every religion has been, "What must I do to be saved?" In our lesson, it would be to get out of Egypt.  Egypt is a type of the bondage of sin.

 There has been a general agreement among Christians as to where religion ends, and salvation begins--in a union with Jesus Christ--and most agree on the position that man was damned, that in himself he is utterly worthless.  There were disagreements as to when man became a sinner and if he could be saved.  Some saw a man born corrupt and conforming to the depravity of his nature by sinning.  Others saw children born innocent and remained so until they committed an act of willful sin with knowledge and understanding of its consequence.

Men like Jonathan Edwards believed in unconditional election, which taught God chooses out of His mere good pleasure, for reasons not revealed to us, those who would be saved or damned.  Today, most Christians believe that we have the freedom of choice as to whom we will serve.  We can be as free as we desire, but the choice that we make will control our lives--for good or bad.

Coming into this world was not our choice.  Once we arrived, we did not find a manual, which described to us the events which would take place in our lives.  No one told us about choices which had been made before our coming into the world that would affect our lives. We found that we were free to do as we pleased.  But it was not long after we arrived that we soon discovered that there were consequences to the choices we made.  When we reached the age of understanding right from wrong we became accountable for our actions, and could no longer do as we pleased without facing the consequences.  The difference was between freedom of choice and freedom of action is moral action, concerning right and wrong, and our responsibility to God for our every act.

"Because of the universally recognized fact of sin, there is a need for repentance and salvation which brings deliverance from sin and the possession of spiritual life.  This comes through a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour, who through His love and sacrifice draws men to Him.  Conviction of sin is awakened by the operation of the Holy Spirit causing the soul to feel its need for reconciliation with God.  Men then come into newness of life and are saved from the power of sin to righteousness as they yield their lives to Him in loving and loyal obedience.  Their son-ship to God becomes an actual reality, a transformation that may be wrought without any human agency or ceremony since their entire spiritual life springs from the direct relationship of their soul with a living and present God and cooperation with Him.

In order for justification to be understood the divine creation of man in the image of God must be a major doctrinal belief.  It is the loss of this image that brought about the need for reconciliation between God and man.  It is the restoration of this image that requires the need for man to be justified in the sight of God.

Adam was made from the dust of the ground and formed in the image of God.  He was created two-thirds spiritual and one-third physical--making man soul, spirit, and body.  He was placed in the garden designed and furnished by God.  He was clothed in righteousness and holiness with dignity and excellency in his humanity, his knowledge and faculties of reason and speech were perfect.  Adam was created with free will to choose as he wished.  Genesis states that Adam was created in a special way in which the rest of creation was not.  Genesis also states that Adam lost this special image.  In doing so, he became an entirely unique creature, whose uniqueness lay in a inclination for wickedness exactly equal with the original capacity for the opposite.  Bearing the image of God, he had a capacity for goodness which, when the image was lost, became a capacity of equal magnitude for wickedness.

It is important to understand the creation of Adam in order to understand the need for justification.  Adam was given a physical body, which gave him world -consciousness, through the soul he had self-consciousness, and through the spirit he had God-consciousness.  Created within Adam was a free will to allow him to become the instrument of either sin or righteousness.

When Adam choose to sin the image of God was lost, and he became an entirely different creature--alive yet dead.  The original nature of Adam died when he disobeyed God.  "Wherefore, as by one man, sin entered into the world.  For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners." (Romans 5:12, 19)  The spiritual life and communion enjoyed by Adam with God ended in the death of Adam's spirit, and the blessings of God became curses.   "For in the day thou eateth thereof, thou shalt surely die."  (Genesis 2:17)  "By one man's offence death reigned." (Romans 5:1)  "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sin, which were by law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." (Romans 7:5)  "For sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it slew men." (Romans 7:11)

The consequence of Adam's choice did not affect Adam’s alone but brought about a universal fall of all men.  "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that, all have sinned; therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners." (Romans 5:12,18,19)

As long as man abides in the natural and corrupt state, he will be subject to the powers and influences of the nature and seed of sin.  "For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not."  (Romans 7:18)  "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." (Romans 8:5-7)

The seed of sin is transmitted to all men from Adam.  Although it is not charged against one until by sinning one actually joins with sin.  This seed is called death, the body of death, the old man, the old Adam, the sin nature, or carnality.

Man lost his connection with God as a "loved child" to become a fallen perverse rebel against God.  The very nature of sin has been transmitted to all succeeding generations.  Since it was Adam who was created in the image of God, and who lost that image rather than Eve, the promise was given to redeem man through the seed of the woman.  This makes it possible for the Son of God, the Second Adam, to bring the plan of salvation to mankind, by coming through a virgin woman.

The way in which we are justified and accepted in the sight of God is by the revelation of Jesus Christ in the soul, changing, altering, and renewing the mind.  This is brought about when we are purged by the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, poured into our soul by the Holy Spirit cleansing us from sin and clothing us in righteousness with His life.  This is the sequence and the method of salvation of which the apostle spoke in Romans 5:10, "For it, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."

Paul also states that there is an inward transformation, which takes place in the soul.  By the nature of things the soul has been dead since the fall of Adam, but by this inward transformation the soul is brought from death and quickened and made alive to God.  Paul states in Eph. 2:5, "Even when we were dead in sins, (God) hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace or ye saved)."  It is by this inward life in Jesus that we are saved, redeemed, justified, bought back, or brought into fellowship with God.

                Our sins are remitted by the love of God manifested in the appearance of Jesus Christ in the flesh.  He made a way for our reconciliation by the life, death, suffering, and obedience.  Our new birth image of God arises from the seed of grace, which he purchased for us.  In that new birth and creation, Jesus Christ is received inwardly, and he is formed and brought forth in us.  We are clothed in him as Paul states to the Ephesians, "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."  As often as we turn to Christ with true genuine repentance, we are made partakers of His salvation.

6.            Go worship-take everything, but ask your God to bless. 12:31

The world is under the impression that all they need from God is to be blessed.  There are some individuals in the church who seem to think along the same lines.  There are two classes of people in the church.  First, there are those who are attaining and have attained a significant degree of Christian maturity and victory.  These Christians are healthy, strong, spiritually effective, and victorious.  One the other hand, there are many who have made little progress toward maturity even after many years of professing salvation.  They have remained spiritually weak, ineffective, and defeated.

The spiritually weak have displayed great earnestness in the spiritual life.  Some of them have sought and professed great victories throughout their lives.  After a series of failure, disappointment, difficult times, spiritual apathy, some have abandoned all personal hope of living a victorious Christian life.  Being spiritual confused and frustrated, they wonder why the experience of victory is not for them.  They cannot see where they have failed either in the commitment or in their efforts in faith.  Others have professed victory in doubt, fearing that their professions were higher than the real victory they experienced.

When tragic events or disappointing circumstances occurs, the normal tendency for the immature Christian is to react in anger or frustration and to look for people to blame.  It is certainly not abnormal for a person to ask the question, "Why did God let this happen?"  There is usually the need for someone else to come alongside that person and redirect his or her thinking in order to see the event from God's perspective.  This is the mark of a mature Christian, one who has surrendered their life to Jesus Christ.

The need in the defeated one's life is for them to open their spiritual eyes to the possibilities of victory that God has for them.  One must remember that nothing happens in the life of the believer except that which God allows for our benefit.

A spiritual examination must occur in our life if we are to find victory.  Most examinations are answering a series of questions.

·         How will this situation allow me to humble myself?

·         What character qualities could this build in me if I respond correctly?

·        Is this God's way of disciplining me?

·         What can I learn from this that will help me encourage someone else?

·         Is God allowing me to suffer in order to show His love to someone else?

·         How will this help me understand and appreciate Christ more?

For any situation, which we face in life, we can find a parallel example in the Bible of one who triumphed over difficulty.  Find one that matches your circumstance, and learn from it.

There are certain prerequisites, which we must have in order to see a difficult situation from God's point of view; these are:

Meekness-- If we fail to give our rights or expectations to God, we will never understand the higher judgments or ways of God.  The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his ways. Ps. 25:9  By knowing the judgments and ways of God we will understand why things happen to us and others.

Purity of heart-- A pure heart is one that is not contaminated by evil, selfish motives.  God promises that one that has a pure heart will be able to see life from the perspective of God.  Matt 5:8

Spiritual discernment--Knowing why God lets things happen is a matter of spiritual understanding rather than intellectual reasoning.  These things a re spiritually discerned ICor. 2:14  The Holy Spirit is the one who gives discernment in spiritual matters.  It is, therefore, essential that we do nothing to grieve Him or quench His power.

Loving the Lord-- Perhaps is the most important prerequisite of all.  Loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.  It is to those who love the Lord that God promises that all things work together for good. Rom 8:28

Obedience-- Is accepting "No" as the final answer.  No questions, no appeals, no discussion, no nothing!!  When you make a request and are told no it would be an act of disobedience to discuss the matter any further.  Simply thank God for considering your request and trust God for the outcome.  "Not my will but thine be done."

If you want victory in your life, there must be a full surrender of self.  This is not the end but a beginning of a victorious life.  In seeking the fullness of the Holy Spirit, our eyes must be upon the Giver Himself, and not on the victory we wish to gain.   We receive the fullness of the Christian life by faith in Jesus Christ.  There will come times when we all must pass through the trial by fire, but we can see the victory ahead by remaining faithful to Jesus Christ.

Suppose one day the weather is bad; everything seems to go wrong, and, on top of it all, I an afflicted with a severe cold, fever, running nose, watery eyes, and a hacking cough, I say to myself, I don't feel very good today.  I don't think I'm married anymore.  Ridiculous, you say.  What does having a cold have to do with your marriage status?  But this is no more foolish than saying when I have a spiritual cold that I can no longer have a victorious life.  I am doomed.  You can take all the cold remedies you want, but we all know we just tough it out and go on doing what we know we must do.  Our colds don't change the status of our lives; we still are who and what we were before we had the cold.  It is an accepted fact we all get colds.  And it should be an accepted fact that adversity comes into all of our lives.  How we face that adversity has to do with the level of spiritual maturity, we have reached.  Where are you in your spiritual life?  Are you sitting back watching others leave Egypt in victory, and all you can ask is to be blessed?

7.            The Passover- Salvation brings life and freedom. 13:17-20

The Bible from Genesis to Revelation teaches a substitution and vicarious atonement for the sin of man.  This is the only sane, logical, and scriptural doctrine of all those that are taught to man to help him in his fallen state.  The atonement of Jesus Christ should be understood as both legal and practical.   The reason and necessity for the atonement is clear when we understand the love of God, His relationship to the human race, the fall of man, and his need of redemption.  The atonement is a necessity in view of these truths.  We should understand the atonement as being not only necessary if man is to be restored to original fellowship with the Creator, but that it was not an afterthought on the part of God because man fell.  It is the most wonderful pre-planned, necessary, just, authoritative, and legal work of God in all history.  The entire subjective is a judicial one, and all the terms used in Scripture to express it are legalistic, such as an advocate, an intercessor, a mediator, a judge, a judgment, condemnation, pardon, justification, redemption, adoption, intercession, restitution, conciliation, law, sin, penalty, justice, and etc.

Once again, if men could once and for all learn that they can of their own consent be made free from sin, and the works of the devil, that they can by their own consent refuse to be subjects of Satan and his governed; that they can turn form sin and become righteous through Christ; that they can reject and refuse defeat in their lives in any endeavor, they would reject all demon powers and doctrines; they would accept God and the truth and be made free and kept free by the power of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

All sinners can be transformed by faith in the atonement.  The divine life with all its affections, dispositions, and ideals give them victory over, and freedom form the old sinful traits that are contrary to the will of God.  This is not salvation by self-effort or human works or education.  It is a newborn divine life imparted by the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning work.  It is a supernatural life imparted to the inner man by the Spirit.  Mere natural cultured virtues are never Christian graces and powers, for that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Jn 3:1-8; Rom 8:1-16; Gal 5:16-26.  No human development, education, or human effort will ever transform the human life from a life after the flesh to life after the Spirit.  Conversion is never evolutionary but the making of a new creature by divine supernatural act.  

If man does sin, he has an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Sacrificial Lamb 1Jn 2:1-4.  No man is forced to use the services of the heavenly Advocate, and if he does not; if the blood was not applied the Death Angel brought death.   If you have not had the Blood applied to your heart, you will be cut off and will be lost forever.

Come to Jesus, and he will save you.