THE PROMISE OR THE LAW: TO WHICH ARE YOU SUBMITTED?

May 9, 2008
The promises of God are yes and amen. What happens when you don’t see the promises come to pass in near future? Do we just give up or do we by faith hold on to the promises of God like there is no tomorrow?

We will look at one who took hold of this concept and prevailed with God. Abraham is the father of faith because he believed God and stood his ground no matter what it looked like. His faith was accredited to him as righteousness. He received the promises of God and walked in them. Even though he did not see all of them happen in the natural, he saw them in the spiritual and that was good enough for him.

This brings up a point. There are two different realms that co-exist: “the natural and the spiritual.” When people talk about déjà-vu, they have seen into the spiritual realm and were carried into the future and saw what was about to happen. Some people have this experience on a small scale and some on a much greater scale. You know when you go somewhere and you think to yourself: “I have been here before,” or “I have seen this before” and you can’t explain it so you pass it off as a fluke. A lot more people have had spiritual encounters than they realize. This is the Lord trying to show us greater things and giving us insight into His ways. Nevertheless, we just dismiss those experiences and forget about them. God communicates with each of us in a particular way. We need to lay down our traditional ways of thinking and open ourselves up to how the Lord speaks to us.

David was a man after God’s own heart. He saw our day and rejoiced in it. He saw the day when the Lord would pour out His Spirit on His people and receive a special anointing to carry out the plans of God. He saw that there would be a great awakening in the kingdom of God. There have been and are now saints of God just waiting for the presence and power of the resurrected Lord. This resurrection power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and it manifests itself in men and women who belong to the Most High God (Jesus Christ), the great I Am. This is the promise of God to those whom he has called and whom he predestined and set a part for such a time as this. Rejoice for the time is at hand.

The law, however, came after the promise to Abraham. The Lord gave the law to Moses to give the people a guideline on how to live until the promise came forth. No one can live by the whole law. If you break one law, you have broken them all. God gave the law to show how much we needed a savior because no matter how hard we tried we could not obey all the laws. The law points out sin and makes us feel condemned because no matter how hard we try we cannot follow and keep all the laws. That is where grace comes in. Jesus comes on the scene and says, "I have a better way. Though you are yet sinners, I will die for you and pay for your sins." He paid for the past, present, and future sins for all. He said, "I know your struggles to keep all the law and I will take that upon myself." One of my foundational scriptures is Romans 8:1, “for there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” What does this mean?

This means we are free from condemnation. We are free from the law because of the Blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ). Yes, we mess up; we do and say things we know we should not do. All we have to do is repent (meaning turning from these ways). Yes we might fall every once in a while but we get up, dust ourselves off and try again. Because of the blood we do not accept defeat. Let me tell you, you will fall and mess up but don’t let that stop you. Condemnation is nothing but bondage that will hinder your walk with the Lord.

Fear is another great bondage that hinders men and women of God. God wants us to receive his vision for our lives and pray them into existence. You know which ones I am talking about – the ones you know you cannot do. You say if I know I cannot do them, why would I entertain them and waste my time. You might not be able to do them but God can if you will submit all your ways to Him and let Him lead you with the Holy Spirit. Too many of us will let God lead us only so long as we are comfortable. Once we reach the precipice we say enough and we walk in our own understanding. We need to be reminded of Abraham, David and Moses. We need to remember what they did and how they positioned themselves before God. One big thing that I have noticed is that God sought them out. Let us go back further – to Adam in the garden after the fall when God was walking through the garden looking for Adam. Adam hid from God. Are you hiding from God? Are you running from God? Let me encourage you. God will not hurt you. He only wants you to do something you will not be comfortable with so His glory will be seen throughout all the earth.

Blessings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ