Author: Living Hill Christian Church

God’s Grace in Romans — Delivered from The Law

We saw from our last discussion, that we are dead to the old man and consequently, The law, and are today married to Jesus. Hence, we live in newness of life.

Then the apostle continues;

“For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by The Law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.” Romans 7:5.

Observe carefully this statement, “For when we were in the flesh,” meaning that there was a time we were in the flesh but now are not.

There is a big difference between being in the flesh and walking after the flesh, as explained in Roman 8:9. Only the unsaved are in the flesh, the believer is in Spirit.

Then we hear “the motions of sins, which were by The Law,” they are not by the gospel of God’s Grace contrary to popular beliefs. What moves people to sin, is The Law, and not The Grace of God.

The Law actually strengthens sin and makes it come alive (1 Corinthians15:56, Romans 7:9), and the fruit of a life under The Law leads to death. The Law kills.

If a man is living under The Law, he needs Deliverance, this is what Jesus came to do for for us;

“But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.” Romans 7:6.

Observe carefully this outstanding statement, “But now we are delivered from The Law.”

The only good thing The Law did, was to lead us to Christ, and not to produce righteousness in us. How can God deliver us from a supposed blessing?

We are only delivered from things that keep us in bondage. Even so is the law. Its main aim was to kill. To kill every trace of faith in our goodness, hence “that being dead wherein we were held,” we were dead in guilt and waiting for salvation outside of ourselves.

Now that we are delivered from the law we serve God “in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

This is as clear as it can get. The Law was never made for a born-again person (1Timothy 1:9), we are not under The Law, but under Grace (Romans 6:14).

Serving in the newness of the spirit means walking like Jesus did, a life that is led by God’s Word. It means to be word minded. Even when we fall, we fall forward and God is never displeased with us, rather, His Grace reaches out and lifts us out of the dirt.

Christianity is not like other mere religions, having some set of rules that people live by to someday see a god. Christianity is a Life. It is the pulsating life of God, working and walking in a human body. It is God living in a man.

A truly saved person has a new heart in which there is no corruption (1 Peter 3:4), he does not love to sin, not because of the wrath of The Law, but because he does not want to. His nature is changed from the nature of sin to the nature of God (1Peter 1:4).

Confession

Thank you Father for delivering me from the bondage of the law; the curse of The Law is broken over my life, now I am alive in the new life of Christ.

I am in a living relationship with God, and here righteousness reigns supreme. I live victoriously in every area of my life. Glory to God!

Prophetic Insight

I heard, “This shoot, though a tender shoot, is an incorruptible growth.

My Word has begun to produce in your life. The natural seed had to die for the spiritual to shoot forth.

Entertain no fears in this dear Child, what I have done, no one can add to it, or quash what I have begun.

Expect a long lasting growth. Expect to see the prosperity that is far beyond what you have ever imagined. I have made you eternally prosperous!”

“I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” Ecclesiastes 3:14.

Blessings in Christ,
~ Pastor Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church

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.

God’s Grace in Romans | Slaves of Righteousness |

We saw from our last discussion the second reason we don’t yield to sin, being that when we yield to sin we yield to the author of that sin, because of this; we passionately refuse to let Satan eat our cake and pop the bag.

Then the apostle goes on;

But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Roman 6:17

God be thanked, we used to be servants of sin but now we are no more. Remember the word “servants” here means slave.

Since we have become slaves of God we cannot at the same time be slaves of sin for “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Mathew 6:24).

We are completely freed from sin and have become slaves of righteousness.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Romans 6:18

We cannot be labeled as sinners. When we obeyed from the heart the gospel of Christ, our heart and spirit was circumcised, thus, our nature changed (Roman 2:28-29).

We received the nature of righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24)..

By nature we are righteous so we cannot help but remain slaves to righteousness.

If you are a woman you are a slave to womankind even though at times you may act like a man: for by nature you are a woman, hence, you cannot help but remain a woman; so it is with the new creation, created according to God righteous and truly holy.

I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. Romans 6:19

With the fervor we used in serving the Devil while we were by nature children of wrath (Ephesians 2:4), the apostle now urges us as new creatures to use the same doggedness to yield our members to righteousness unto holiness.

For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. Romans 6:20

This is a profound statement. Observe carefully this part “ye were free from righteousness.”

When we were in the first Adam, when we were unregenerate, even though many a time we would do good things, for we were not absolutely evil for no matter what the light of nature was still at work in us.

Many of us would give alms to the poor, respect dignities, serve our nation etc.

However God’s shocking verdict is that we were “free from righteousness.” None of those works could meet the demands of God’s righteousness.

In fact nothing was even demanded from us for from the core of our being we were by nature sinners, so all our good works could not change our nature.

Since we were born sinners no amount of righteous works could change our nature, hence we were free from the demands of righteousness.

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Job 14:4

Whether good or bad there was no fruit recorded to what we did while we were yet in the flesh.

What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. Romans 6:21.

All what we did was for self-righteousness and it wasn’t enough to give us a new nature.

Our works could not change our sinful nature for we were free from righteousness.

Whether good or bad, in the same manner we hear;

But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Romans 6:22

Observe carefully this statement by the apostle “But now being made free from sin.”
O’ this is profound.

When we were free from righteousness no amount of works, whether good or bad could change our nature of slavery to sin, the same, now that we are free from sin, or rather free from the nature of sin no amount of sin can change our nature of righteousness.

If we agree with the first (Romans 6:20) then we also have to agree with the second (Romans 6:22). This why the word of God says the love of God passes knowledge.

If sin can change our natures, then by what the apostle says here what Adam did is greater than what Jesus did.

Actions cannot produce the new birth and actions cannot destroy the new birth.

Actions cannot change our born-again spirits. We believed to receive salvation.

This we did willfully, we were not coerced into faith, we did not lose our sinful natures, we willfully believed in Jesus and submitted to him and he exchanged our natures.

Same way, we don’t lose our salvation by our actions, until we willfully reject faith in Jesus and become reprobates.

Confession

Thank you good Lord for your perfect work of salvation for me. By nature I am born of God. Born-again righteous.

Created in righteousness, therefore, I cannot help but remain a slave to righteousness. I cannot lose my righteousness, I cannot be lost, I am eternally saved.

Today my prayers and actions are consistently received in heaven as precious sacrifices through the blood of Jesus.

I praise you for health, peace, wisdom, power and favour you have placed in my path as I live in your righteousness. Hallelujah!

Prophetic Insight

In an encounter with the Lord, I heard “Your miracle is under maturation. Mind not the voices and what you see. In your spiritual womb your miracle is daily forming to perfection.

Continue to fight the good fight of faith. As you steadfastly endure and patiently hold on, your promise is fully developed to stand the times without imperfection, lacking nothing.

Rejoice dear child, your miracle is under maturation.”

But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. James 1:4 (AMP)

Blessings in Christ,
Jahfas Victor Ahua
Living Hill Christian Church

God’s Grace in Romans | Our Authority Over Sin|

We saw from our last discussion that we have been delivered from the law and are under the grace of God, hence, sin shall no longer have dominion over us.

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Romans 6:15

After proper teaching on what happened to the believer at born again experience; that we don’t sin because we are already dead to sin, and after showing that his gospel of grace does not lead to sin for the law that stimulated sin is now yanked out: the apostle now establishes the second reason why we don’t live in sin.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Romans 6:16

The second reason we live in holiness is that, when we sin, we yield ourselves to the author of that sin which is Satan, thereby giving him access into our lives to release the consequence of that sin.

Observe carefully the personal pronoun used in the verse above “whom” which speaks of a person.

To yield to sin is to yield to the person of Satan. It is to give him authority over our lives to steal, kill and to destroy.

God has already forgiven us and removed the law that stood between us and him which produced wrath (Romans 4:15). The Lord is no longer imputing our sins against us (Romans 5:13).

The consequences of our sins are no longer coming from God but from the Devil.

Our actions release either God’s power or the power of Satan. This is why we cannot afford the luxury of sin, for though God is not imputing our sins to us (Romans 4:8) there is the author of that sin that is set to release death.

If we discover that we have yielded to Satan, the way to nullify his work in us is to say the same thing with God; we yield back to God by confessing the sin and the forgiveness already resident in our spirit is released to neutralize that power of the enemy.

Observe carefully again this word “servants” used twice in the verse above which is translated from the Greek word “DOULOS” which properly means a slave (Strong’s Concordance G1401).

The apostle was not speaking of irregular mistakes but a given of oneself wholly to sin to become a slave of that sin. A condition where you give yourself wholly to another‘s will.

This is clarified so that we don’t go about thinking every little mistake we make the Devil is already releasing death into our lives.

No, it is when we wholly yield ourselves to become slaves of sin, where we live in the captivity of the Devil that he releases death into our lives. But when we turn and yield back to God, righteousness is released which destroys every yoke.

This is the second reason the Christian hates sin. This is why we must not let the devil eat a free launch from our lives.

Confession

Thank you Father for the knowledge of who I am and what I have in Christ; I am joint-heir with Christ, his authority is mine and I cannot yield my God-given right to dominion over to the devil.

I refuse to submit to the yens of sin and live above sickness and diseases.

Where I have given away my dominion through negligence or willingness, I repent and declare that I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

In the way of righteousness is life and in its path there is no death, therefore I declare that there is no death in my path.

Prophetic Insight

In an encounter with the Lord, I heard “take the limits off me and I will do exceedingly abundantly above all you ask, or even think, according to the power at work in you.

Dear child, your faith must be energized beyond what you see. I am willing and doing but the manifestation of my power is limited to what you can conceive.

Pull down the blind and start walking in your promise. Your morning is here, walk by faith and despise not the dawning of this morning light, though dim, it will shine more and more unto the perfect day”

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Ephessians 3:20

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Proverbs 4:18

NB: The infrequent flow of this teaching series is because I have been occupied much with the Healing School which began February. As God is helping me to catch up with the pace these teachings will kick back as often as they used to be.

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