When we speak of the cross, we often think of salvation, grace, and love. And rightly so. The cross is the ultimate symbol of God's mercy, where Jesus bore the weight of our sins and opened the gates of eternal life. John 3:16 tells us, “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.” Then again, the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 5:8, “But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” But to embrace the cross only as a token of comfort is to miss its full weight. The cross cost.

It cost Jesus everything. His dignity, His body, His blood. It cost him betrayal by friends, humiliation by enemies, and abandonment in his darkest hour as explained to us by the prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 53:3-5. He says,

“ He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

 In the gospel of Matthew 27:46, he reports that, “ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me.” We are all fully aware that God the Father did not actually forsook Jesus, His son, but the weight of the world’s sin caused Jesus to feel separated from His Father. The cross was not a polished emblem on a necklace. It was rugged, cruel, and soaked with the agony of obedience. Jesus didn’t carry it for appearances; he carried it because it was the only path to our redemption as is written in Hebrews 12:2,  where we are told, “ Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The cross also costs us. When Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matthew 16:24), he is not offering a suggestion. He is revealing the cost of discipleship. The cross we carry is not decorative. It may mean surrendering our pride (Philippians 2:3), forgiving the unforgivable (Ephesians 4:32), letting go of comfort zones, or standing for truth when it's unpopular (2 Timothy 3:12). It may mean daily dying to self so that Christ can live more fully in us as stated by the Apostle Paul to the Galatians, “ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

The modern world prizes convenience, comfort, and personal gain. The cross calls us to the opposite: surrender, sacrifice, and service. The apostle implores us to “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”

 (Romans 12:1-2). The Cross Costs. Following Jesus will cost us our illusion of control, and in return, it will give us something far greater—true freedom, as the Apostle John declares in John 8:36, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

The cost of the cross is not meant to discourage but to deepen our love and commitment to Jesus Christ. It reminds us that love is not cheap. Grace is free, but it is not without cost. Someone paid for it, and now we are invited into that same journey, to lose our lives so we might truly find them. Jesus tells us clearly, “… If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23-24). The Cross Cost.

So today, let us not flinch from the cross. Let us take it up, not as a burden, but as a holy calling. For though it costs much, it leads to life everlasting, which is clearly explained in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, where Paul tells the church at Corinth, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. He surely shines a clearer and brighter picture of this walk of the Cross.

Finally, as we examine the cost of the Cross, we are compelled to remember that there is a hefty reward for bearing the cost of the Cross. John tells us unequivocally in Revelation 2:10, to “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He admonishes to be ‘faithful unto death.’ In other words, irrespective of the test, trial, or challenge, we must stay true just as Jesus Christ stayed through to the Cross. We must be prepared to suffer with Christ if we must reign with Him (Romans 8:17). Presently, Christians in the northern part of India, which is predominantly Muslim, are being persecuted, beaten, stoned, and killed for proclaiming Jesus. Even as we pray for them, they must be faithful unto death, to inherit the crown of life. Like the Apostle Paul we must all declare, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

 Beloved, The Cross Cost.

WAKE UP & GET 2 WORK

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it (GENESIS 2:15 KJV).

This week’s message is so thought-provoking that I had to stop for a few minutes and gather my thoughts together to see which way to go with this. The main text of the sermon, although powerful, is very often neglected or forgotten in the body of Christ. In the King James Version, it says, “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). We are definitely reading about our Creator’s intent for each and every one of us.

This text speaks about God, our Heavenly Father, creating us with a plan to put us to work in His garden, which was the world at that time. It says he placed man there to dress it and keep it.  God created this garden not for himself but for mankind and gave mankind the responsibility of its upkeep. According to Pastor Exzabia, to dress it means to serve, to guard, and protect in every aspect of your life, whether in the house of God, the marketplace, as a wife, husband, or child.

This all tells me that with God, placement comes with responsibility, and responsibility is work. God never intended for us to sit idly by and watch others work. There has to be something in that placement that requires my contribution, and pastor Exzabia said it best when he said, “Man was never created or placed somewhere or placed into a position to do nothing.”

Ever so often in the body of Christ, we notice so many among the masses who are anointed but idle, not realizing that they are anointed with purpose to do, to work.  Throughout my life, I have discovered that a person never really knows for sure what they can do until they actually do something. It is in the doing that we discover the call upon our lives. While we sit idly by waiting for someone to tell us what to do, we must recognize even in the uncertainty, we have been chosen, gifted, called and sent. When you are called to start a business, go back to school, write a book or lead a ministry but you keep postponing, you are not lacking in talent, but rather you are lacking in movement.

We must understand that there is no unrighteousness in God when He placed us here. He will not place us here empty of the ability to take care of our world, life, and ourselves. He says in Jeremiah 28:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thought of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Does that sound like a God who is not intentional about you? Too often we treat the anointing as the destination when it is actually the invitation to work. The anointing is the starting point to get to work not the finish line. We need to Wake Up & Get 2 Work, because there is no one coming to do our work for us and saying we are waiting on God when He has already placed and assigned us is being asleep.

James 2:17 (KJV) tells us clearly that “faith without works is dead.” Idleness is disobedience when you know you’ve been called. We often cover fear, perfectionism, procrastination, and ‘waiting on the right time’ behind spiritual patience, but are we really waiting on God, or is He waiting on us?

I firmly believe that God blesses movement and work. Let us look at a few in the bible: Abraham “went,” Peter stepped out of the boat, the woman with the issue of blood pushed through, Peter cast out his net, Moses stretched out his hand, etc., etc. The miraculous always meets us in motion. They didn’t wait for perfect clarity before doing what they did. Proverbs 14:23 tells us, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” Small steps in obedience will always create massive waves in purpose.

Remember, you are not stuck, you are merely stationary. Wake up and start moving and it doesn’t require perfection, just participation. Start your day with prayer, prioritize, and proceed with it. God can’t steer a parked car. Start moving in faith. God guides those who step out in faith, even if it is messy or uncertain in the beginning. Apply for the job you are not sure you will get, start the ministry with what you do know, enroll in school even if you don’t know how it will be funded, write the first page of the book you are afraid to start. According to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”

Wake Up & Get 2 Work!

Life has a way of reminding us that success, growth, and fulfillment don’t come by chance; they come by work. Whether it’s in your spiritual walk, personal development, career, or relationships, one thing remains true: you’ve got work to do, and no one can do it for you. Everyone must take the Responsibility of their Own Journey.

We often look for shortcuts or hope that someone will step in and handle the hard parts of life for us, but the reality is, no one can:

• Pray for you like you can pray for yourself.
• Work toward your dreams like you can.
• Heal from past wounds on your behalf.
• Build your faith, discipline, or character for you.

People can support you, but they can’t replace you in the work that needs to be done in your life. According to Philippians 2:12, we must “Continue to work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling.” Your spiritual journey is your responsibility. You must do the work of growing in faith and obedience.

The Bible also tells us that “Faith Without Works Is Dead.” James 2:17 says, "Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." Praying for a breakthrough is important, but prayer must be matched with action. If you want a deeper relationship with God, you must spend time with Him; if you want financial freedom, you must discipline your spending; if you want better health, you must take care of your body.

God gives grace and strength, but He expects us to do our part. Proverbs 14:23 also tells us, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” In other words, just talking about change is not enough; action is required.

Nehemiah is a typical example of a man of God recognizing a job to be done and not waiting to see if someone else will do it. The wall of Jerusalem needed rebuilding, and he went about doing all it took to rebuild it. This is one of the greatest examples of taking responsibility and doing the work.

Nehemiah was living in Persia when he heard that Jerusalem’s walls were broken down and the city was vulnerable. No one else was stepping up to fix it, but Nehemiah knew that if the work was going to get done, he had to take action (Nehemiah 1-6). The lessons we can learn from Nehemiah’s story are that:

• He Prayed and Took Action
  Nehemiah prayed first (Nehemiah 1:4), but he didn’t stop there, he made a plan and went to work.

Nehemiah 2:18 – “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. Praying is essential, but faith must be followed by action.

• He Faced Opposition but Kept Working
  People mocked Nehemiah, saying the wall would never be rebuilt. But Nehemiah didn’t argue, he kept working.

Nehemiah 4:6 – “So we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.” When you stay committed to your work, progress happens, even when others doubt you.

• He Refused Distractions
  At one point, Nehemiah’s enemies tried to stop the work by calling him away for a meeting. His response?

Nehemiah 6:3 – “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down.” When you are focused on your purpose, don’t let distractions pull you away.

Because Nehemiah was on purpose and did not sit idly by looking at the broken walls, the people stayed committed with him and they rebuilt the wall in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15). The lesson? When we commit to the work, God will bless our efforts.

Oprah Winfrey’s Journey is a modern example of perseverance and doing the work. Born into poverty and facing multiple hardships, Oprah didn’t wait for someone to make life easier for her. She worked tirelessly, pursued her dreams, and overcame obstacles, becoming one of the most influential women in the world.

She once said, "The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but on significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning."

• She didn’t wait for a perfect opportunity, she created one.
• She faced rejection but kept going.
• She put in the work, and her impact is now worldwide.

Just like Oprah and Nehemiah, if we stay committed, keep working, and refuse to quit, God will take our efforts and multiply them. It is all about taking ownership today, right now. We are encouraged to work out our own salvation, our own destiny with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

If you know you have work to do, start today:

• Set a plan and commit to it.
• Stop looking for outside validation because God has already equipped you.
• Put in the effort even when you don’t feel like it.
• Trust that God will bless your obedience and hard work.

The Apostle Paul, writing to the church in Colosse, advises them, “Whatever you do, work at

it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23).” Our work is an act of worship, let us do it with excellence.

As God’s people, we must understand that when God said, “I know the thoughts I think towards you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end (Jeremiah 28:11),” He didn’t intend to do all the work of His thoughts for us. God has work for each of us to do, work that will enrich our lives. What He promised is that as we engage in those assignments given to us, He will strengthen and empower us to do them efficiently and effectively. He promised to give us the power to get wealth and to overcome. Failure and quitting are not options in the thoughts of God for His people.

No one can pray your prayers, do your healing, or step into your calling but you. It’s time to rise up and take responsibility for the work God has assigned to you. Galatians 6:9 tells us,  “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Let us stay committed to our work, and the results will come.

• We’ve got work to do.
• No one can do it for us.
• Now is the time to get started.

A Prayer for God’s Help!

Heavenly Father,

I thank You for the purpose You have placed in my life. Help me to take full responsibility for the work You have called me to do. When I feel tired, give me strength. When I face obstacles, remind me that You are with me. Let me not be discouraged, distracted, or delayed by fear, doubt, or waiting on others.

I declare today that I will rise up and do the work! I trust that as I step forward in faith, You will guide my steps, bless my efforts, and bring forth a harvest in due time.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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!