Month: June 2022

God’s Grace in Romans – Free from the Law, Married to Grace 

We saw from our last discussion that the wages of sin is death, hence, we died with Christ, our old nature crucified, and now we have received the eternal life of God as a free gift.

Then the apostle continues;

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? Romans 7:1

After establishing very well from the previous chapter that the only way into the new life is through the death of the old man, and that now that we have the new man, we should walk in the newness of life (Rom 6:4 ‘the grace life’); he now begins to give a natural analogy using marriage.  

The marriage covenant was established by God to be binding until a partner dies. The vow is intended by God to last until death, as long as the covenant party is alive; the law of marriage is binding.

As long as we were alive in the flesh, the sinful nature had dominion over us, and we were in bondage to it and the law; for the law was made for the sinful nature and not for the new man “Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man…” (1Timothy 1:9)

And so we hear;

For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. Romans 7:2

The only way for us to come out was for the old man to be crucified with Christ, where we would be set free from the bondage of the law.

So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Romans 7:3

The above verse explains it clearly, a woman is not supposed to have two husbands; even so, it is impossible for the Christian to have dual natures. To be born again means that the old nature is dead and the tyranny of the law also broken.

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. Romans 7:4

Through our crucifixion with Christ, or death by the body of Christ, we are today joined unto the Lord and have become one spirit (1Cor. 6:17). And right from our new spirits life flows in service to God; we are no longer governed by a set of rules but we are led by the Spirit.

To be born again and going back to serve God through the law, or going back to earn a husband we are already married to is called spiritual adultery. If we are saved, then we are free from the old man and the bondage of the law.

Without this knowledge the believer is bound to be schizophrenic; meaning that even though saved, we would still be acting as slaves of sin, for ‘as a man thinks, so is he.’(Prov. 23:7).

Confession

Blessed father, by your finished work I am today married to Jesus. Free from the nature of sin to the nature of righteousness. Free from the bondage of the law to the liberty of the sons of God.

I live the life of grace, walking boldly in my inheritance in Christ; walking boldly in the righteousness of God, manifesting divine health, wealth and absolute peace. Hallelujah!

Prophetic Insight

 In an encounter with the Lord, I heard “In the same place where you have been forsaken, in this same place where things looked like they were all against you, I have caused all grace to abound unto you here.

I have made you an eternal excellency, I have opened doors of favour over you and there is a divine wealth transfer coming upon you in this season.

Keep the seed dear child, hold on to the word, and do not worry about how the promise is going to come, only keep the word; for my word is by himself producing the harvest.”

Whereas thou has been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Isaiah 60:15

Blessings in Christ;

Jahfas Victor Ahua

Living Hill Christian Church.

God’s Grace in Romans – Eternal Life a Free Gift

We saw from our last discussion that by means of our new nature which is created righteous, we are forever slaves to righteousness.

Then we hear the apostle continue;

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23

The word used above for wages is from the Greek word opsonion and it means stipend or pay (Strong’s Concordance G3800).

Sin has a salary or reward and that reward is death and not good works. The payment for sin is not even confession; where we hold this notion that after each sin I confess.

Confession is good, righteous works are good but the payment for sin is not any of those. The only reward sin accepts is the reward of death.

Many of us have lived with this thought that sin is paid for by self-imposed punishments, or a verbal admission of the offence. If these things were the wages then Jesus wouldn’t have come. The word of God says:

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. Hebrews 9:22

Observe carefully this last part of the verse “without shedding of blood is no remission”
Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

This is not talking of crawling or piercing oneself with objects so blood could come out. In context it speaks of a sacrificial blood.

The only payment sin accepts is death. This is why Jesus had to die for our sins. One time he prayed to the father asking if there was any other way the sacrificial cup would pass away, but the father answered not.

Then finally we heard;

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Mathew 26:28

Acknowledging sins is good but we must look beyond that to the payment. If we say we have sinned and do not receive the payment for that sin which is the death of Jesus then our sins cannot be forgiven.

But when we receive the payment for our sins which is to die with Jesus then our forgiveness becomes eternal.

Since only death pays for sins, Jesus doesn’t die daily, hence; his onetime death has paid for our sins forever.

There remains no more offering for sin but a giving of thanks for the wage paid by Jesus;

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;… Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Hebrews 10:12, 18

When we put our trust in Jesus we receive the free gift of eternal life. Observe that eternal life is a gift and not a reward.

Death is a reward for sin, but eternal life is a free gift for trusting in Jesus. He paid for sin with his life and we receive eternal life as a free gift. Hallelujah!

Confession

Gracious father be blessed for taking my place in death. I owed a wage I could never pay, but through Jesus I am set free.

My debts are paid, my sins forgiven and eternal life is now my experience.

I have exchanged my life of sin, sickness, and poverty for the glorious life of Christ.

By faith I walk in divine health, divine wealth and divine righteousness. Glory to God!

Prophetic Insight

In an encounter with the Lord, I heard “There can be no mixture of light and darkness; I have set the boundaries of old. I have said to you ‘the dark season is gone, the true light now shines.’

A divine bloom is upon you dear child. Don’t look at the muck, I have placed an irreversible blessing on you and no curse can stand in your flourishing.

I have loved and blessed you. I have placed you in my light and have set a boundary between you and the darkness. Rest in this light and enjoy my goodness.”

And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:4

because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.1John 2:8

Blessings in Christ;
Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church.