Sin is dead

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. II Corintians 5:21

I have known that Jesus paid the price for my sin since I was eight years old and became a Christian. More recently I have been hearing that Jesus became our sin. My pastor has a great way of explaining this through scriptures, but I have never really let it sink in what that means.

As I read that verse tonight, I saw something. Jesus became our sin on the cross before He died. That is why He cried out "Father, why have you forsaken me?". He knew God hated sin. My sin, our sin - died there on that cross.

Daily I deal with people who have life controlling sin, they are blind to the great price that has been paid to free them from the bondage of that sin. But the Christian should not be controlled by sin. If I am a Christian, if I believe the Bible, and if I have asked for forgiveness - sin is dead. It has no hold on me. Jesus already took it to the grave. It was destroyed that day on Calvary. I was freed that day on the cross when he became my sin and overcame death and the grave. He overcame any power sin could have on me. He came to set the captives free. What can be more captivating than sin. Sin can only have the power we give because Jesus destroyed our sin there on the cross. It is dead. Christ lives in me and I should not take for granted what He did for me by continuing to live in sin. I must walk in His righteousness.

Prosperity and Success

(Joshua 1:8) This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.



I was doing my study for tonight and came across this familiar scripture. I love when I read something that I can quote, but don't really understand or get. Then God just, puts it out there to me. Its like an "Ah Ha moment" and I think "gosh that's simple."

There are so many books out there about success and prosperity. Several titles come to mind that I have personally looked at. This scripture gives God's key. That is the key that unlocks prosperity and success that the world can not duplicate.

The key is God's Word. He alone holds us in the palm of His hands. He wants to direct our path but we must do certain things in order to obtain all that He has for us.

We must speak His words - "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth." We speak so many idle words. We add our opinion and our views to just about everything. Yet we fail to quote the one and only absolute truth. We use negative words instead of speaking life that comes from His word. The world tries to duplicate with positive self talk - but we can still be telling ourselves lies. If we would speak God's word in every situation, and trust it 100% we would find a complete change in our lives.

We must meditate on it - "you shall meditate in it day and night." Again so many times we meditate on negative things. We worry and fret. We spend time in regret. God tells us to meditate on His word. It will change the way we think. It will change our outlook. Meditating on God's word will give us answers to our problems thru the examples provided to us.

And then as we think and speak on His word, we must do it - "you may observe to do according to all that is written in it." We can stimulate our minds and speak out the positive - just like the world. But it will do nothing if we don't act on it. We must do what it says. Faith without action is dead.

I teach in group the importance of speaking positive and getting around people that will build up instead of tear down. I teach the importance of thought and how we have to change our faulty thinking. But the last thing I say to people is that it is their choice. We can give them all the right tools to use - but only they can chose to apply it. As much as I want to see people succeed, I can't force them to act.

It is the same way with God. He has put all the tools we need in a nice little package - easily assessable, and available for quick reference. He tells us "Speak it, meditate on it, do it. If you do, you will find success and prosper. He can tell us how to do it, but only we can chose to put it into action!