Luke 18:13 But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’   (NIV)

Read Parable: Lk 18:9-14

Continuing with our series of breaking free from the law; let’s look at the subject of being worthy. There is an inbuilt default psyche in many Christians of being unworthy, hence when we sin or make mistakes we see ourselves as unworthy before God. This is to misunderstand the position and relationship we now hold with God.

We’ve used the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to teach Christians not to become proud or arrogant about our status in life but to remain humble and to remind ourselves we are but sinners saved by grace.

I would like to challenge this view. The Pharisee was proud and arrogant because he was a religious hypocrite who had a knowledge of God but didn’t know the power of God; whereas we as Christians have been created anew in God’s image. We are no longer sinners but are righteous beings. Christ has made us Kings and Priests to God and we co-rule and reign with Him in His now Kingdom. God has lifted us out of the rubbish heap of sin and death and He’s seated us among Princes. We are now seated with Christ on His throne at the right hand of God.

Therefore we are not unworthy sinners who daren’t lift our heads in the presence of God. No a thousand times NO. We’ve been made worthy by the Father who has clothed us in the royal robes of righteousness, robes of glory and honour. Robes of distinction, esteem, authority and power.

So let us behave in life as befits our station as sons of God; and if there is found any pride or arrogance, God has His ways of revealing such and how we can rid ourselves of it. We must hold our heads up high, throw back our shoulders and walk with confidence and speak with boldness.

We come before God’s presence and use such phrases as: we are so unworthy, without you we can do nothing, I am but a weak man/woman etc etc. Friends, all those things may be true in the natural but you and I are now in Christ and are to approach God’s throne with boldness and confidence.Prov 28:1 The righteous are as bold as a lion.  (NIV)

It’s knowing who we are in Christ that sets us free to be worthy, sets us free to walk and talk as a King. It’s this revelation that breaks the power of low self esteem, insecurity, shame, fear and rejection. John the Apostle encapsulates this truth in 1 John 3:2  Now are we the sons of God  (KJV).

Meditation point: God has imparted His righteousness to me as His son and made me completely worthy.

Rom 5:19 corrects the error of believing that we are only positionally righteous; If we were literally sinners then, we are literally righteous now.  (Steve Mcvey)

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I would like to take this opportunity as we move into the New Year of 2011 to once again thank everyone who has posted comments about my Blog. Your affirmation emboldens, inspires and encourages me to continue to post God’s Word.

We all need affirmation; it builds our character and establishes us in who we are and the gifts and abilities we possess. Affirmation is the word God has given me for the New Year of 2011. I want to encourage you to continue to affirm others; you took the time to affirm me by tapping out your comments and sending them to me and there is a world out there that needs, craves and invites your affirmation.

Your family, friends and work colleagues who live lives of pressure and challenge need your words of affirmation. When Jesus was baptized and rose up out of the waters of the River Jordan His Father’s voice boomed out across the heavens, Mt 3:17 “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”. Even though Jesus was 30 yrs of age and was a mature and successful adult, He still needed to hear words of affirmation from His Father.

Words that told Him He was accepted, words that encouraged Him, words that established Him as His Father’s Son. Many of us (I include myself) have been raised in homes starved of affirmation, so let’s determine that what we didn’t get we will give to others; and we’ll find that when we affirm others we will receive it back in kind. Gal 6:7 Whatsoever we sow we will also reap…….

Gal 6:9 Let us not lose heart in acting nobly and doing right., for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Let’s continue to affirm others even when we are desperate for affirmation ourselves because eventually, at the right time, in due season, others will affirm us.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME !!!!!!

‘The good news is not preached to show you what is wrong with you. It is preached to show you what is right with you because of Jesus’ work at Calvary, in spite of what is wrong with you’.              (Joseph Prince)

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I’ve had a number of requests to copy my blogs; I also have spoken messages on my website (www.peterwilsonministries.org). I gladly give permission for anyone to copy and distribute them. I choose to trust your integrity that you will not use them to make financial gain from their use. Thank You.

To discuss further please email me at: info@peterwilsonministries.org

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Rom 6:23 The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.   (KJV)

At this time of year we all look forward to giving and receiving gifts;  We would all agree that the greatest gift ever given was when God gave His only Son as a sacrifice for us on the cross at Calvary. God always wants us to imitate Him so I would like to suggest 3 principles to govern our gift giving at this time:

1) God gave His gift with no strings attached. Let us not give with an ulterior motive such as: because we feel we should, to control a person, to curry favour or to show our gift trumps everyone else’s. These kind of motives are all dead works and count for nothing in God’s eyes.

2) God gave His gift to His enemies (you and I) in order to demonstrate His love for us. Is there someone like that in your life that you can demonstrate God’s love to  and reach out with a gift to bridge the divide.

Rom 5:7-8 Finding someone who would die for a godly person is rare. Maybe someone would have the courage to die for a good person. Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us. (GWB)

3) God gave His gift to people who were barren and in lack (you and I). Is there someone you know who is in need, who is lacking the essentials of life (food, clothing etc) at this time of year. May I suggest that you pray and ask God for Jesus sake what and who you can give to.

2 Sam 9:1  David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

‘THE LORD BLESS YOU’

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Phil 3:13-14  But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.

OK – we are looking at those areas of life where we are living under the law which is bondage instead of living under grace which sets us free.

Today I want to look at the past. Everybody has a past of making mistakes, failures, broken relationships, under achievement and sin. When Jesus died on the cross He took the punishment of the judgement of God for all our sin – past, present and future; thus His blood washes away all our sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Jesus exchanged His righteousness for our righteousness so we are now the righteousness of God in Christ: 2 Cor 5:21.

As far as God is concerned all our sinful past no longer exists, not because He’s forgotten it but because He chooses not to remember it, yet many Christians still harbour thoughts of guilt, condemnation, fear and shame over past behaviour. Why is this? It’s because although we have asked God to forgive us for those things, we are still allowing them to remain on our conscience, and instead of looking towards the cross where Christ set us free which is to be righteous conscious and  releases peace and joy, we constantly look inward at the things we have done wrong making us sin conscious and stirring up guilt and condemnation etc.

Under the Old Covenant on the Day of Atonement which took place once a year, the nation of Israel would gather at the door of the tabernacle. The high priest then performed the ceremony that assured the nation there sins would be forgiven for one more year. This took place in 2 stages:

First: a goat was brought for a sin offering; The priest would lay his hands on the goats head and confess over it the nations sins for that year, thus transferring their sins onto the goat. The goat was offered as a sacrifice for death and when God saw the blood it was a reminder to him that the punishment for their sins had been taken out on the goat. God was now able to release His mercy upon the nation in forgiveness.

Second: another goat was brought and the priest laid hands on the goats head and confessed the sins of the nation again, transferring their sins onto the goat; but this goat wasn’t sacrificed, it was set free to escape into the wilderness never to return. It was named,’ The Escape Goat’, or as we would call it, ‘The scapegoat’. In this , God was saying that not only had He forgiven their sin but He had also taken it away never to recall it again. Here we see the 2 fold stage of God’s forgiveness. First He forgave their sin and second He took it away never to recall it again.

When we come to understand this 2 fold stage of forgiveness we see that Jesus not only forgave our past sin; as our scapegoat He has carried our sin away never to recall it again. It’s not that God forgets our sin it’s that He chooses not to recall it. It’s the same for us. We must receive God’s forgiveness for our past sin and allow Christ to take it away to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Then if perchance these past sins come to remembrance, we to must forget them, we must choose not to remember them by putting them back on Christ again and as our scapegoat allow Him to carry them away. We can do this as many times as is needed until such time we find release from them and at long last experience a clean conscience leading to freedom from  guilt, condemnation, shame and fear. It was for freedom that Christ has set us free.

Meditation point: My sins past, present and future have not only been cleansed by the blood of Jesus; Jesus as my scapegoat has also carried them away never to recall them for all eternity.

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Even Ben.E.King & The Drifters will appreciate This version of, ‘Stand by Me’. TURN IT UP & ENJOY.

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