GROW INTO YOUR SALVATION (PT 1)

1 PETER 2:2 (AMP)

^“Like newborn babies [you should] long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may be nurtured and grow in respect to salvation [its ultimate fulfillment],”

            This week our discussion is about Growing Into Your Salvation and the Apostle Peter likens it to newborn babies desiring milk. What an interesting and thought provoking analogy! Everyone associated with a newborn baby, especially mothers knows that the first and only type of food given to a newborn is milk. No solids or heavy foods like porridge, however nutritious, are given to the newborn until the stomach, and lungs are developed and the baby understands how to move the inner parts of the mouth to send food from the lips to the throat and stomach. To do otherwise would either suffocate or cause damage to the baby’s trachea canal, and possibly create long-term health issues.

            Most newborn babies spend a lot of time sleeping, but they’ll wake up every few hours to feed during the day and night, possibly every 2-3 hours. Doctors use milestones to tell if a baby is developing as expected. There is a wide range of what is considered normal, so some babies may gain skills earlier or later than others.

            The apostle Peter is saying that likewise should the newborn in Christ desire and be fed the sincere milk of the Word of God for nourishment in the things of God. Having received salvation, it is important to live on the word of God daily and as often as possible. This is not the time to be feeding on other inspirational books, however beneficial they may be. As solid food, however appetizing and nutritious, the baby cannot and should not partake of it, likewise the newborn believer.

            To grow in our salvation we need to feed on the mind of God and the inspiration of God and not that of man, however inspirational they are. We need to constantly feed on the actual unadulterated Word of God so that we are instructed in the right way; so that we are corrected from all of our misguided beliefs and misunderstanding of what a believer’s life should be, who God is and His expectation of us as recipients of His Salvation and work of the Cross.

            As a newborn baby becomes malnourished and loses its ability to develop as it should, due to lack of nourishing milk from its mother’s breast, likewise the believer’s development would be impeded by watered down and diluted teachings outside of the Word of God. There are many types and kinds of milk out there, but none guarantees positive development in a baby like the mother’s milk, whether it is a human baby or an animal’s. Likewise, there are many good spiritual books out there but none can feed and develop and newborn in Christ like the Holy Bible.

            The sincere milk of the word of God ensures development and growth in your salvation which eventually leads you to maturity. The apostle Paul was faced with this problem in the church at Corinth where he said, “And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able” (1 Corinthian 3:1-2 KJV). Even as they believed and he fed them with the word of God they had not developed enough to be renewed in their minds of the things of God. He said they were still carnal fighting over who Paul was as if it was he who gave them salvation, who died on the Cross for them. There was still engaged in envying, strife, and divisions among them.

            Like a newborn baby, they need time to assimilate and digest the milk they are fed for development and maturity to take place and manifest. So very often we see newborn babies in Christ are thrown into offices of service that they have not matured and mentored into, and they do things that hurt believers and the body of Christ. Paul told the church that he fed them with milk not with meat, which meant he gave them the right food but they had not yet matured and therefore were not able to receive more. The baby must be given time to develop, be evaluated and assessed in the stages of progress.

            The author of Hebrews, who in times like these I tend to believe is the Apostle Paul, arguably so, says strongly, “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For everyone that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

            My sentiments exactly. He orated it beautifully. The milk stage of the new believer is essential and once in this stage of development, is not ready to teach others. All babies do not develop at the same pace and time. Therefore, we do not put a time frame on a new believer’s development and maturity, but we work with them at their pace. The author is saying that because of slow development, someone who is teaching may need more teaching themselves. A teacher is one who has developed and graduated to strong meat because they understand the rudiments of a life in Jesus Christ. They understand what salvation is all about and are walking in their salvation and growing from grace to grace and strength to strength. They can now turn around and teach others the journey of salvation. They understand and are able to discern both good and evil with no blurred lines.

            Once we are saved, it is vitally important that we pursue growth in our salvation by sitting down and developing a desire for the Word of God so that we grow and mature in the things of God. Let us pursue the word of God for it is the sincere milk and develop a love and hunger for it so that we may grow in our salvation and become mature in the things that pertain to righteousness.

                              The question at hand is really of great importance not to some but to all. It is a personal question that we must all ponder with all honesty. In this Part 2 series, the resounding question is, why do we still walk in the flesh given all the benefits we inherit as being saved? We know that being saved we must walk in the Spirit of God, but why do we deviate and walk in the flesh which is contrary to our Savior Jesus Christ?

                              In his sermon on this topic, pastor Exzabia pointed out that not knowing the benefits inherent in our salvation could be the cause for believers in Jesus Christ not walking in their purpose as saved individuals. When we each get saved, when we each surrender our hearts and lives to Jesus Christ, we become recipients of the work of the Cross of Jesus which is charged with a plethora of benefits.

                              To better understand these benefits of being saved, we must first understand what we are saved from, and as he very rightly said, the answers are all in the sixty-six books of the bible. There is no need to consult an encyclopedia, commentary, or Google because all the answers are in the Word of God given to us for our total benefit as outlined to us by the Apostle Paul to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16 (AMP). He said, “All scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately, behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage].”

The Bible is our living manual as to how God has designed our walk of faith and righteousness. Benefits of Salvation

1. What Are We Saved From?

• “…we should be saved from our enemies(the works of Satan), and from the hand of all that hate us” (Luke 17:1; Psalm 18:3; Psalm 44:7).
• “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:8-9)
• “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)
• “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15)
• “And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).
• “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The list of what we are saved from goes on and on, but clearly from these few passages, we can see that we are saved from perishing. For there will be a perishing, a weeping, and gnashing of teeth in the end for those who reject Jesus Christ. We are promised eternal life as opposed to eternal damnation and separation from God the Father.

                        John the Baptist sounds as if he was angry or disappointed that the sinful crowd was flocking to be baptized when he angrily asked those who believed, “Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3:7). They were so wicked that even though he was preaching Jesus, the irony of it all is that he really didn’t want them to believe and escape the wrath that is to come. That’s how much he believed in it.

                        So, we are saved from the wrath to come unto eternal life with Jesus Christ and the Father.  Ever so often as believers, we tend to forget that Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us who believe so that wherever He is we will be there also (John 14: 2-3). “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

                        Isn’t this beautiful? Isn’t this enough reason for us to live right before God daily? Saved to inherit eternal life with Christ and saved from the wrath of God in hell? Especially “as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27 KJV).

2. We are saved from condemnation. Romans 8:1 tells us clearly, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

We have been delivered from the power of sin. We have been given abundant life. We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us to enrich our walk with and in Christ.

The benefits are too many to mention here, but to answer if we are really saved, “if we are risen with Christ we must seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For we are dead, and our life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:1-3).

                    Believers let us strive daily to walk in the Spirit as truly saved believers. We measure our walk with the Scriptures and not each other. Following Jesus Christ ensures our walk in the light of God and our salvation.

Blessings

      This week, the profound question under discussion is, “Are You Really Saved?” It’s a question everyone should ask themselves at one point or another, but more so now. It’s a question that should underscore all others because it determines our status in eternity at the end of our lives. As important as being successful and accomplished in life is, it means nothing if one cannot answer this question in the affirmative.

Over the past few weeks, we have been discussing the works that follow Salvation, but today, in his message, pastor Exabia Dukes took a historical and creative look at the work that developed as a result of sin and what it will take to obtain salvation. I encourage everyone to revisit the sermon of 03/02/25 for this extraordinary sermon.

      I was particularly intrigued when he said, “The only way back to our Spiritual work, we must divorce the 1^st Adam and remarry the 2^nd Adam (Jesus) to obtain Salvation.” This reminds us of our once sinful state that was caused by the first Adam, who brought sin into the world. We are born in sin and shaped in iniquity because of the first Adam, and it will take a rebirthing or born-again experience for us to be saved. The Apostle Paul tells us, “The first man Adam was made a living soul; and the last Adam was made a quickening spirit,” 1 Corinthians 15:45 KJV.

      The first Adam’s birth was human, whereas the second was spiritual. After the fall of man, the first Adam could not live holy and righteous in his natural and human state. He fell all the time. But when God added the holy spirit to the human man, humans can now live in the spirit and conquer the forces of the flesh.

However, to be able to live holy unto the Lord as He asks us to in 1 Peter 1:16, “Be ye holy as I am holy”, one must divorce oneself from the first Adam, which is the works of the flesh. There has to be a divorce, which is a painful separation. There must be a complete divide between the first and the last Adam, which is Jesus. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 8:1 (KJV), “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.” Here again is that great divide between the flesh and the spirit, the first Adam and the second Adam.

      How, therefore, is your walk? Is it in the flesh or the spirit? Are you led by the spirit or by the flesh? In other words, Are You Really Saved? This is where the word ‘divorce’ becomes a positive verb in everyone’s spiritual walk. When speaking of divorce, legally dissolve, separate, end, disunion of a marriage by a court or other competent body, comes to mind.

Salvation is a spiritual encounter that severs, ends, dissolves, disunion a prior relationship with the flesh, our sinful nature and connects us or binds us into a new relationship with Christ by the competent body of the Kingdom of God. There has to be that divorce of the first Adam which is our sinful nature, and a connection to the second Adam, who is Jesus Christ, the lamb of God who paid the price as the sacrificial lamb to remove our sinful nature and impute His spirit in us, the Spirit of Christ.

       If we are truly saved, without knowing how, we find ourselves with a new mindset. There is an internal transformation that takes place where you find yourself no longer wanting to pursue the pleasures of the flesh. What once brought you joy and pleasure now brings you shame and disdain. Your place of interest changes, your personality changes, and your behavior as a whole changes without any effort of yours. You simply finds yourself not wanting to do the things you once did, particularly if they caused you trouble. There is a shift in your impulses.

      The Apostle Paul explains it beautifully when he said, “therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corin. 5:17 KJV). To the Roman believers, he said, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9 KJV). It is the Spirit of Christ in us that creates the changes in us and makes us new individuals.

EXERCISE

      Every individual should and must be able to answer the question of the week, ‘Are You Really Saved?’ No one, not your spouse, your parent, or close friend should have to answer for you, even though they would have a ready answer because our lives are the living fruit or testimony of our salvation.

Go ahead and do a self-check.

1. Lifestyle: What am I still doing that I used to do? Do I feel the Holy Spirit within me convicting me?
2. State of Mind: Has my thought life really changed? Can I make it an open book?
3. Places of visitation: Am I comfortable with the Spirit of Christ within me wherever I go?
4. My Presentation: Do I present myself differently since I began my new walk in the Spirit? Etc.

      There are so many other self-checks we can use to determine if we are truly saved and we must engage in this practice for ourselves as often as possible, that we be not judged by others, for the Apostle Peter tells us clearly, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17 KJV).

      This is very important because we must protect our Salvation; it is not a case of once we become saved we are saved for life. We must continuously and vigilantly work to stay saved, otherwise, we will not only lose our souls but bring Christ to open shame by the things we resort to and crucify Him afresh (Hebrews 6:6 KJV).

      The ultimate work of the Cross was that Jesus not only reconciles us to God the Father now, but at the end of our days. Salvation at the end of our days is what will finally reconcile us to the Father and secure a place for us in the place Christ has gone to prepare for us so that we can be with Him. Salvation is not for this life only but for the life to come. Jesus said, “because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But, he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved, (Matthew 24:12-13 KJV). This is coming from Jesus Christ Himself, the giver of Salvation. We have to care for our salvation to the end and not allow ourselves to lose it along the way.

      It is our responsibility to take the power, wisdom, and anointing Christ has given to us and imputed in us to stay saved in our corrupt world.

Again, Are You Really Saved?

Blessings!

¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2: 10 ESV).

     This week we are discussing the second good work that every believer must do even as they work to keep and protect their salvation. The text tells us that we are created for good works. What a revelation. Salvation emancipates the believer from the power and control of sin to a life of righteousness and truth which elevates us into a life of good works.

      So, what are the good works of the believer? There are several that comes to mind. The fruit of the Spirit is the new way of living you walk into when you abandon the living of the fruit of the flesh. This new living of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV),” is the testimony that salvation is evident. It is the evidence that in receiving salvation you have “crucified the flesh (and its works which are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy,  drunkenness, orgies, and things like these Gal. 5:19-21 ESV), to a life of good works.

      Have you noticed that it all requires work, regardless of which side we are on? Believing in Jesus and accepting His Salvation changes the trajectory of one's work life. It is changed from evil works to good works. The Apostle Paul says the believer has become the workmanship of Jesus Christ. In other words, specifically designed and fashioned to be like Him. Jesus went about sharing the gospel He brought to the world, calling men and women to follow Him and when He departed He commissioned every believer to go out into the world and teach men everywhere about Him of what they have seen and heard (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV). He actually said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

      So, as a believer working to keep and maintain our Salvation, we are commissioned to go tell others of our Salvation and bring them into the fold of Jesus Christ. What we are understanding here is that this commission is not an assignment only for the spiritual leaders, like the pastors, bishops, etc., but rather for every believer of Jesus Christ. Every believer of Jesus Christ must go and make disciples of all nations and people. So when Paul speaks of ‘Workmanship,’ he is saying that when someone puts their faith in Jesus Christ and believes and accepts Him as their savior, He saves them and rebirths them into disciples and ambassadors of Him.

      This second work is that of Kingdom Ambassadorship, representing Christ in the world and speaking on His behalf. Discipling for Jesus Christ. If we so believe and enjoy the life in Christ, it behooves us to share it with others so that they too may enter in and enjoy that very life and the rewards of such a life. In this second work the believer is a disciple making disciples. The disciple is teaching others how to walk away from the works of the flesh and into a works of the Spirit of God. Having worked the works to keep their salvation, they are now equipped to teach others how to so walk. This is the second work of the believer.

A True Story

      Someone was sharing how she had known this young lady all her life since she was a little girl and what a sweet young lady she was. However, she died suddenly and in sharing of the loss of this special friend or acquaintance, she said it suddenly dawned on her that she didn’t know if the young lady knew Jesus Christ, or if she had salvation. Tearfully she shared how she failed her friend for knowing her and being in her life for such a long time and never once shared her faith in Jesus Christ to make sure that she too got to know Him. She was sorrowful that although her friend was a good person she probably died not knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Time For Reflection

      As believers of Jesus Christ, we are His disciples commissioned to make disciples in our world and we do not have to go far to find candidates. We do not have to travel to another state or nation but right around us are potential disciples. Start your discipleship from right where you are sitting, standing, or lying. It is your family member, friend, coworker, business partner, fiancé, spouse, child, and the list goes on. Potential disciples of Jesus Christ are everywhere, but we must be so minded or vigilant that we don’t see them only in the capacity of our acquaintance but also as potential disciples of Jesus Christ.

Deterrents To The Work of Discipleship

There are a few factors that can deter a disciple from his or her work and they are:

• Afraid to let others know of their commitment to Jesus Christ
• Not wanting to offend anyone
• Ashamed of their faith (possibly because they are not living the first works of Salvation)
• Lack of self-confidence, etc.

      But these are issues that can be overcome. Be bold about your faith and love for Jesus Christ. There is nothing about our salvation to be ashamed and timid of. Salvation has transformed our lives for the better in this life in preparation to meet our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when we die. The Bible tells us that it is appointed unto man once to die…”  We all must and will die and that alone should be the impetus to motivate and push us into the work of discipleship, that no one in our proximity dies without knowing Christ and is ready to meet Him. Crying after their death cannot change their status of death. They must be saved before death. Believe in Jesus, believe in your faith in Him and what He has done for you in your life and how He has transformed it. That is what you teach them, your first-hand personal experience with Jesus.

As living examples of Jesus the Christ, let us work the works of Him who has commissioned us while it is yet day, for the night cometh when no man can work (John 9:4).”

Blessings!

As we continue to ponder and meditate on the fact that as a believer in Jesus Christ, having received the gift of Salvation, I must work to keep my salvation, I am reminded of the instructions of the Apostle Paul to the church at Philippi where he said in no uncertain terms, to “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12b). The text speaks volume, especially in that one word ‘own.’ Clearly, our Salvation is a personal experience we must each cherish and care for to retain. The Apostle Paul was advising the believers to work out their own salvation while he was away from them. He intimated to them that he recognized how they walked circumspectly in his presence, but it was just as important that they so walk in his absence.

            The responsibility is on the recipient of salvation to own it and keep it not only under the supervision of their spiritual leader but also in their absence. Our pastor reiterated the Apostle when he said, “We must protect our salvation… which requires work.” I like the word, protect,’ for it speaks of guarding, shielding, embracing, and cherishing. They all speak of work and of putting forth effort on our behalf.

            In his reference to Ephesians 2:8-9, which tells us, “for by grace are we saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,” we see three works at play. The first is the work of Jesus Christ to give us salvation. Salvation is a gift from God through the work of the Cross by Jesus Christ and He completed His work on the Cross when He said “It is finished” (John 19:30).

However, for us to receive and take hold of that gift of Salvation, we must exercise our belief in Him. Having taken hold of salvation, our work or effort is not over because we have an enemy, an adversary, the devil, whose purpose is to snatch it from us the minute we receive it. We must now work daily to keep it. We must protect it from the cunning and crafty attacks of Satan. If we recall who we were before we received Salvation, we will understand why we must work to protect and keep our salvation. Satan wants us back and so he comes “To steal, to kill, and to destroy’ (John 10:10a) everything that Salvation brings to us as believers in Christ Jesus (10b).

In that very text of Ephesians 2, the Apostle Paul reminds us, “ That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” We were slaves to Satan and now that Jesus not only defeated him at the Cross, but now that work of the Cross caused him us when we turn from him to Christ, it became an open war that he is not and will not let up on until Christ returns and bring an end to this struggle and war.

We are in a spiritual warfare where Satan is unrelentingly fighting to regain us under his control and rip us from the shelter and protection of Jesus. Jesus has already done the work for us to be saved, we must desire to stay saved so badly that we are willing to use every resource given to us by Jesus to combat the enemy and stay on the victory side. His Grace is sufficient.

Soldiers in combat stay vigilant at all times. They train in the protocol of engaging with any enemy on any level. They are always in ready mode not wanting to be caught unawares. They stay vigilant with their weapons within range of access, within range of their fellow soldiers, and in close contact with their superiors for help in any area they may need assistance. So should we be as soldiers of the Cross, soldiers of our faith. We have to be ever vigilant watching out for our souls, our peace, our joy, our purity, our righteousness, and our inheritance in Christ Jesus.

The ultimate goal of Jesus is to present us all (the recipients of Salvation) to His Heavenly Father as Paul explains in Ephesians 2:7 when he says, “that in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” It is irresponsible and utter laziness for us to say and believe that ‘once saved always saved.’ We must work at all times, not sometimes to stay saved (Ezekiel 3:20-21). We are told to ‘be holy, be strong in the Lord, be kind one toward another, follow peace with all men, stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and the list goes on and on. Doing requires work and deliberate and purposeful effort on our part as believers. Clearly, we must work to keep our salvation and walk in favor with God.

Believers of Jesus Christ we have a responsibility to not only receive our Salvation but to protect it and keep it. When we lose it, we not only grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), but we bring Christ to open shame (Hebrews 6:6) for all the work and pain He endured to make it available to us to and upon the Cross.

Blessings

Listening to this sermon, I couldn’t help but think about the absence of such critical teaching that is absent in the body of Christ today. So very often new believers in Christ would ask that burning question after extending their faith to Jesus Christ and receiving Him into their hearts, ‘I am saved, now what?’ Believe it or not, there is rarely a concise answer for that baby in Christ. This is what makes the transition to a walk of faith in Christ so much of a struggle for the new believer.

The more I listened to the sermon about how faith without works is dead and that it is not only important, or the journey of belief doesn’t end at believing, but there must be a work to showcase the faith in what you believe. After believing in John 3: 16 of how “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life,” the believer must now embark on living a life commensurate to their belief system.

This is where the work comes in. The scriptures tell us that any man in Christ is a new creature, so now the things you once did are washed away and you are no longer motivated or propelled by the desires or impulses of your flesh or natural appetites but you are led by the spirit of God. It’s a new walk that will always require work and studying of the Word of God which is the guide to a walk of Salvation. It tells us that it was given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God (the believer) may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

As I listened to the word being taught this Sunday, my mind went way back to when churches held a ‘New Believer’s’ class mostly on Sunday mornings during the Sunday School hour or in the evening before the evangelistic service. The new believer was taught what it meant to receive the Salvation of the Lord and 95% of them stayed in their new faith and grew and matured into disciples of Jesus Christ. To some mature Christians, this message would seem simplistic and irrelevant for a Sunday morning worship service, but I found it so refreshing and pleasantly welcoming to the body of Christ.

Putting in the work that salvation requires is a necessary teaching today where we witness the blatant disregard for righteousness and holiness. A few years ago, I shared with one of my fellow ministers of the gospel, who was a fellow teacher of the Kingdom Academy at our church, that I was thinking of starting a young girls' group to teach them how to walk holy and chaste before God and her response was, ‘nobody wants to hear that.’ As difficult as it may seem to believe, many believers do not understand that they have to work at staying saved after they receive the gift of Salvation. With this misunderstanding, they believe that they are saved but continue to live the life of their past in a more dignified and sophisticated manner. It has really bothered me for a very long time and I’ve seen the disregard for holiness in the body of Christ and it is simply because our new believers are not taught the works of righteousness and righteous living.

Romans 10: 9-10 (KJV) tells us clearly “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus (faith) and shall believe in thine heart (faith) that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Therefore, if there is no work, our salvation is dead. The Disciple James dealt extensively with this when he said in the second book of James, “…faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone (vs 17), but wilt thou know O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (vs 20), and for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also (vs 26).” Our salvation requires work not to attain or acquire it, but to keep it and walk a life that is pleasing to the one who has called us into His righteousness.

Jesus Himself said, “Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven,” which tells us clearly that God is not so much impressed with our words as he is with our hearts and what comes out of it in words and deeds. Such teaching delivered this Sunday morning is desperately needed in the body of Christ. It is important that all believers know that having received salvation from the Lord, they must now work the works of righteousness to be found pleasing and acceptable to Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.

I encourage every believer to revisit this message and hold fast to its truth and walk in faith bearing the fruits of righteousness. It takes work to evolve from a natural being to a spiritual being. As believers, we are no more carnal but spiritual and we must work the works of the spirit and not sit idly in the fruits of the flesh. Salvation truly requires work.

Blessings!

When I think about the Grace of Empowerment, Gideon (Judges 6 & 7) comes to mind. Here is a young man in his own words, “Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house” (6:15).  This young man counted himself the least among his family who were facing extremely grave attacks from large enemies. But the Lord appeared to Gideon one day and addressed him how He saw him.

Great forces came against the Israelites, the Amalekites, the Midianites, and the children of the East and we don’t know how many they were but they all came to destroy the children of Israel. It was a formidable situation, and this young man Gideon did not think in any way possible he could be of any help to his leaders in this situation. Yet God chose him. God saw who he was even though he himself didn’t think much of himself. The surrounding enemy nations had destroyed all of their crops and left them impoverished, and there he was all by himself practically hiding threshing wheat to hide it from the enemies..

          When the forces of darkness come against us what do we do? We call upon the Lord, the God of Heaven and this is what the Israelites did. They cried unto God and He raised up the least from among them, Gideon. Gideon was doing the least he thought he could do and that was to thresh the wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites who kept destroying it, instead of destroying the enemies. That did not even enter his mind that he could possibly eliminate the enemy, the threat altogether. Sometimes we have to stop and ask ourselves if we are simply doing things within our own strength to hide from the enemy or keep the threat at bay instead of pulling on the strength and power of God to go beyond our natural abilities and eliminate the enemy completely. When we just try to hide ourselves or try to keep the threat at bay, the fight is always there, but when we eliminate that threat that battle is over and we can move on in victory to greater things in our lives.

God had greater plans for Gideon. God addressed him through his angel “thou mighty man of valor.” Gideon’s response was, “Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites” (6:13). How many times have we looked around at our circumstances and wondered if God is for us why then is everything against us. If my Heavenly Father loves me and everything belongs to Him, why don’t I look like the child of a King? Our present situation causes us to forget all the many great things He has done for us so far.

So God instructed him to look within himself for the answers. The Lord said to him, “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee? Within him was the strength and might he needed to defeat this humongous enemy before his family, the House of Israel. What humongous battle are you confronted with at this moment? What enemy is threatening your peace at this time of your life? Within us is the grace of empowerment, the might, the strength, the know-how, and the strategy to conquer our enemies and threats.

As we read about Gideon’s encounter with the angel of God that day, we are able to see he not only changed his opinion of himself, but he received the divine help he needed to conquer his enemies. God will equip us with the divine help we need to not only fight our battles of life but to also win them. With the grace of empowerment through the Holy Spirit we are able to do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us. Jesus promises us that nothing shall be impossible with Him because according to John 1:16 (AMP) ^“For out of His fullness [the superabundance of His grace and truth] we have all received grace upon grace [spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift].”

We have been doubly empowered through the Holy Spirit to be victorious in the world but we must stay connected to the source of the grace of empowerment. Once disconnected we are no longer able to find the help and strength within us to do what we are called to do and have to do. As the people of God, we do need that power from God to be victorious and conquer the forces that come against us every day of our lives. Of our own strength, we will look like grasshoppers in our own eyes, we will see ourselves as inadequate and insufficient, but we must see ourselves through the eyes of Christ. He sees us as mighty warriors, royal priests, and peculiar people (not ordinary), and it behooves us to stay connected to the source of our strength, our anointing, our unction and we will be able to do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Blessings

2025 THE SEASON OF GRACE

A SEASON OF DOUBLE GRACE

(GRACE UPON GRACE) IN 2025

“For out of His fullness (superabundance) we have all

received [all had a share of and we were all supplied with ]

one grace after another [grace] and spiritual blessing upon

 spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped]

upon gift.” 1 John 1:16 (AMP)

It is 2025 and those of us who have been graced to enter this new year, those of us who remain can safely say GLORY HALLELUJAH, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, I AM ALIVE. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE MERCY OF GOD I WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSUMED ALREADY. So many didn’t make it. Right up to the very last day and minute of 2024, many exited and didn’t see this year. I feel privileged. So should you. We have been given another great opportunity to clean up our lives, correct those things and areas that need correcting, and complete the unfinished tasks we are encumbered with.

            So the question we should all ask ourselves even as we rejoice and thank God for sparing our lives, is “Why Me?” When I ask myself that question all I can fathom is that God is not finished with me yet and He is gracing me to complete the assignments He has entrusted to me. Are you thinking the same thing? Is this your answer to your question? This is a great time to reflect, ponder and meditate on our lives going forward.

            This new year of 2025 is where we must each live a purpose driven life, that is designed and orchestrated by Jesus Christ Himself. We are not a people who have no hope but are led by the Holy Spirit of God who guides, instructs and leads us in the way we should go.

The Lord has given the shepherd of the house, Family of Faith Ministries, Pastor Exzabia Dukes, the mandate for 2025:

STRIVE 2 THRIVE

This mandate is founded and established on John 1:16 (AMP) as cited above. When I heard that word I just knew everything was going to be alright in 2025 because the God we service has reminded us that He has equipped and empowered us to THRIVE in 2025. This is a purpose-driven effort. So we pursue this new year with purpose, confidence, boldness, and the assurance that we are ready and able to complete the unfinished tasks of 2024 while embarking on new ventures of 2025.

            The text tells us that Jesus out of His fulness [superabundance] has imputed in us a share of His fulness, grace after another grace which speaks of multiple graces of Christ to do, to accomplish, and dominate in our lives. Then we are endowed with spiritual blessings upon spiritual blessings, the favor of God and man doubly, and most of all gifts heaped upon gifts. Do you realize that we are multifaceted, multi-gifted, multi-talented?

            Everyone needs to read that text over and over again and assimilate it into their hearts, minds, and spirits. So often we are inspired by the Holy Spirit to do so many things but we question our intuitions, we listen to others question our multiple gifts, but here it is, Jesus Christ has given us gifts heaped upon gifts which explains our passion for so many different things. Many times we allow loved ones, friends, and well-meaning people in our lives to restrict us and confine us to a box of one thing (stay in your lane, when you may have many lanes), for God has given us gifts heaped upon gifts to enrich our lives and shine for His Glory. God has endowed us well.

            This is why Jesus said, “…I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” John 10:10 KJV). Better said, “… I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows” AMP. It is the will, wish, and plan of God for us to live full accomplished lives. To STRIVE to accomplish and succeed. Even for those of us who have passed our prime years, God has a word for us when He said:

¹² The righteous will flourish like the date palm [long-lived, upright and useful];
They will grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic and stable].
¹³ Planted in the house of the Lord,
They will flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ [Growing in grace] they will still thrive and bear fruit and prosper in old age;
They will flourish and be ^[a]vital and fresh [rich in trust and love and contentment]; (Psalm 92 AMP).

            Surely, we are not a people who do not know what to do or where to go in 2025. Abba our Father has spoken and the house of Family of Faith Ministries is guided by this Word which is our mandate into all of this new year. Let us rejoice for Jesus Christ our Helper is here, and we can do all things through his superabundant grace.

            You may have slipped, fallen, or even slept in 2024, but we are reminded to

¹⁸ Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43 KJV).

let us STRIVE 2 THRIVE IN 2025 for the table has already been set before us.

Blessings!

Philippians 4:19

Having an encounter with God through Jesus Christ will transform our lives. Whatever the basis for the encounter, whether it be salvation, healing, deliverance, confusion, or a breakthrough, it will be transformative. It is a personal experience with God that completely alters our situation or condition joyfully or painfully.

These personal experiences of encounter occur in numerous forms, such as:

• A sudden vision: Saul who was later renamed Paul had a sudden encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus bent on imprisoning, killing, and terrorizing the believers of Jesus Christ (Acts 9:3). He was a very religious man who held fast to the laws of Moses and the forefathers, and although the Old Testament prophesied about the coming of the Messiah, he did not understand it and therefore didn’t seem to have received the memo that the Massiah had actually come. He was sincerely wrong in his belief, but he had an encounter with Jesus and he was transformed.

Transformed from a hater of the name of Jesus, a threat to the body of Christ, a cruel and vicious man to a man who not only came to love Jesus Christ but all those who love Christ, so much so that he spent his entire life teaching about the love and mystery of Jesus Christ. He was so transformed that his name had to be changed from Saul to Paul. The Hebrew name Saul means “desired” and its Greek meaning for the word Saulos means “prancing.” Prancing has an arrogant, egotistical, self-opinionated tone to it. Likewise desired, signaling confidence and self-importance.  The name Paul, which is Roman means “little.” In assuming the name Paul, he humbled himself to present Jesus as greater, seeing himself as smaller. It could also be that recognizing his inner transformation with this divine encounter with his Lord, he didn’t want to be associated with the ugliness the name Saul represented. The church which once feared him, now revered him.

• A Quiet Moment of Connection: The woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:2534) had been suffering for twelve years when in her extremities where she had spent all that she had and just didn’t know where to turn came upon a gathering with Jesus. Like so many of us I can imagine her saying to herself, ‘What do I have to lose? I have already lost everything. So she said to herself, “If I would but touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole.” She then pressed through the crowd until she touched Him and she was healed immediately. Jesus recognized that touch amidst all the other touches he was getting from the crowd that was trying to be as close to Him as possible. He recognized that intentional and purposeful touch that demanded something from Him. It was a touch of need for healing that only He could give and she received it and was made whole in a quiet moment of connection.

• During Ordinary Moments: During ordinary moments like doing the dishes or jogging. I can recall one of those ordinary moments one evening while sweeping when suddenly the Lord told me to call one of my sons and tell him to “stop doing what he was about to do.” So I leaned the broom against the wall and I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed him and I told him what the Lord had told me. I didn’t tell him that the Lord had told me, but I gave him the instruction to stop doing whatever he was into and about to do. He responded with a burst of loud laughter and asked me if I was psychic. I told him no I am not psychic but the Holy Spirit had just told me to tell him to stop. Years later he told me that he did cancel what he was about to do but wouldn’t tell me what it was and I didn’t ask. LOL.

Encounters with Jesus can lead to repentance and conversion, deliverance as in the many cases of demon-possessed persons being delivered in the bible; boldness and a desire to share God’s love; joy and happiness from a life of sadness and depression; secure and confidence in the place of once being insecure and self-incriminating; filled with empathy and humane whereas you were once brash and cruel.

Tanika Marie writes, that having an encounter with God is much deeper than a tangible feeling or emotion. To encounter God is to have your inner Spirit refined and redirected in such a way that completely changes your life. To encounter God is to be welcomed into His all-consuming presence. To encounter God is to discover who you were made to be and who He has always seen you as. Your identity begins to mirror that of Jesus and all He provides for you through His sacrifice, resurrection, and love. Hence one’s encounter with Jesus Christ can be both tangible and/or intangible depending on the purpose of the visitation from God in the moment.

Tamika shares 7 Things That Can Happen After An Encounter With God.

1. Encountering God repositions you on the straight path. The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you” Psalm 32:8 NLT.
2. Encountering God heals the inner parts of your heart. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28 NLT.
3. Encountering God changes the trajectory of your family and those close to you. “But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15 NLT.
4. Encountering God makes you to be a great Ambassador for Christ. “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the scriptures say, how beautiful and the feet of messengers who bring good news” Romans 16:14-15 NLT.
5. Encountering God strengthens and affirms the power in you to no longer struggle with sin. “Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know Him or understand who He is. Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this; when people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous” 1 John 3:6-7.
6. Encountering God ushers in a great desire to build the Kingdom of God. “Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the frit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, and acceptable sacrifice, will pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:17-19.
7. Encountering God establishes a deep hunger for His presence and glory to exist, in every area of your life. “O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you” Psalms 63:1

As we exit 2024 and welcome 2025 let us seek to have encounters with Jesus that will enrich our lives and make us more of who and what God wants us to be. It is all in the process of perfecting His creation that God seeks to visit our lives in such tangible and intangible ways. Let us become seekers of God. May we find ourselves in such pursuit of God that our transformation will not only please God but those with whom we come into contact with and associate with. Remember, an encounter with God will change us and our situations forever. Blessings!

“For God is not the author of confusion,

but of peace, as in all churches of the

saints” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Christian unity is designed to be a state of love, harmony, and oneness among Christians that is based on shared beliefs, values, and purpose. Christian Unity evolves from the only foundation Jesus Christ. It is a deep spiritual connection that reflects the relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And so, with this understanding, every believer of the Christian faith, irrespective of denomination (which was never created by God), must be able to see the oneness in and among us.

Let us take a short journey through the writings of the Apostle Paul who actually grasped this concept of Christian Unity and went to much pains to explain it to the church. We must understand that the Apostle Paul, unlike the other disciples, was not present during the three years Jesus was in ministry, but he found it necessary to get to know Jesus in a very personal way. His pursuit of the mystery of Jesus Christ coined the new faith He brought to the world giving us an understanding of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. For here we see a spiritual growth unmatched as he sets out on a spiritual journey to enlighten everyone who believes, that we are all one and must therefore live in Unity.

It would appear that the church at Corinth struggled with walking in unity among the diversity of believers who were beginning to follow Christ, for we see he dealt extensively with this in Corinthians more than any other church. Here are some of Paul’s writings: “We being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread 1 Corinthians 10:17KJV, (that bread being Jesus who tells us that He is the Bread of Life (John 6:33, 35 AMP). For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ 1 Corinthians 12:12. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit (vs. 13). [For] God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him (vs. 18). That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another (vs. 25). There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of our calling Ephesians 4:4. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful Colossians 3:15. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone, members one of another Romans 12:4-5. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

As believers, we are encouraged to be mindful that we are one and there is only one overarching commission that propels us all and it is found in Matthew 28:19-20 which tells us all, not a sector, not the Jews, not the Gentiles but openly to all believers, ¹⁹ Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: ²⁰ Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

The Importance of Christian Unity

Christian Unity is much deeper than simply getting along and matters immensely so that the world will see and know that we are all followers of Christ, one Lord and Redeemer. It is important because it glorifies God, it shows what God is like and it participates in God’s divine life as three-in-one, and it will require believers to be humble, gentle, patient, forbearing, walking in the fruits of the Spirit of God. The apostle Paul commands us in Philippians 2:2 to “be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord.”

Looking into John Chapter 17, we can see the depth of Jesus’ care for there to be unity among us. Jesus demonstrated His deep passion and desire for His followers to be one that is even more powerful than the church being at unity as a witness to the world. Jesus wants us to get along with each other, but to a greater measure that we get along in God. Isn’t that something? He wants us to get along in truth. So the lies and misconceptions that separate us have to go.

This Powerful Prayer of Jesus For Unity among God and The Church:

²¹ That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

²² And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

²³ I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

As the body of Christ, we have been adopted into the family, united to Christ, and therefore united to God the Father. Why then is it so difficult for the believers in Christ to walk in unity? Why is it so difficult for us to rise above our denominations, culture, race, and ideology in the body of Christ? Clearly, any schism in the body of Christ does not bring glory to God. According to Jon Bloom in Why Is Christian Unity So Hard?, “this lack of unity is often derived from countless factors such as “heavy spiritual assault (Ephesians 6:12), infiltrated by wolves in sheep’s clothing (Acts 20:29), plagued by rivalries, dissensions, divisions” stirred up by unbelievers who think they’re Christians (Galatians 5:19–21), trying to tempt immature believers to engage in partisan quarrels (1 Corinthians 3:1–4),”  and very often the lack of commitment to the body, etc.

It is only as the believer; the church intentionally pursues spiritual unity that they begin to grow and vice versa. It is in their Spiritual Growth that they are able to lay all encumbrances aside, the fleshly demands, and are able to embrace and enjoy Spiritual Unity.

Jon Bloom claims that achieving Christian Unity is hard and hasn’t been promised to be easy in the Bible. In his point of view, he sees that since the New Testament records so many Christians struggling and failing to be unified, it should signal to us that unity is anything but easy. To justify his position, he cited a few incidents from Paul’s writings where he,

• He reproves the Corinthians for their “quarreling” and “divisions” (1 Corinthians 1:10–11).
• He warns the Galatians against the dangers of “rivalries, dissensions, divisions” (Galatians 5:20).
• He entreats “Euodia and . . . Syntyche [in Philippi] to agree in the Lord” and pleads with others to intervene (Philippians 4:2).
• He instructs the Colossians, “Forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven you” (Colossians 3:13).
• And he exhorts the Ephesians not to indulge in “corrupting talk” so as to “not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,” and to put away “all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander . . . along with all malice” (Ephesians 4:29–31).

It is difficult and will be an ongoing pursuit as the church matures in its oneness of Christ and understands the connectivity between Christ and the Church. Understand that the church is one wherever it is, accountable to one Jesus, and that Unity among us is His will Jesus the Christ, who is its Head. In all of our distinctiveness as members of the body of Christ, we must reflect and portray something of the oneness in the nature of God among each other and in the world.

Blessings.