God's Contract of Peace

[Laurie KRB]

When Adam took mankind into the way of sin, he literally chose sin over God. As you probably have heard many times, the wages of sin is death. Sin and death were choices made by Adam.

He chose death rather than Life. Satan was chosen over God. Pride was chosen rather than humilty. Fear rather than Love.

When Adam took on the appearance of sin, God was cast away from him, and could no longer fellowship with him. God was cut off from His beloved children. A great rift came between Him and His creation; a breach was made in the wall by the author of confusion: Satan.

Jesus said of Satan: He comes only in order to steal, to kill, and to destroy.

Jesus said of Himself: I came that you may have abundant life.

The choice is still yours.

But in God's eyes, the rift has been mended. Jesus stood in the breach and repaired the breaks in the wall. Jesus Himself took up our sicknesses and bore our sorrows. In Isaiah, we get lovely glimpses of Life as God planned it; we see Jesus coming and a peace restored between God and man.

God did the work at calvary, and salvation is a free choice, available for whoever will reach out and take hold of it. It's a done deal.

But you still have a choice to make. Will you accept His hand of friendship?Isaiah 54 ESV

The Eternal Covenant of Peace

7 For a brief moment I deserted you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.

8 In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD, your Redeemer.

9 "This is like the days of Noah[a] to me:
as I swore that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,
and will not rebuke you.

10 For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,"
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

14 In righteousness you shall be established;
you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;
and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

15 If anyone stirs up strife,
it is not from me;
whoever stirs up strife with you
shall fall because of you.

17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,
and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.
This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD
and their vindication[e] from me, declares the LORD."
In Isaiah's prophecy, He clearly told the story of the coming Messiah, the Savior of the earth. God pronounced through him that He had created a new covenant, a covenant of peace which would be fulfilled through His everlasting love toward us.

He loves us!
Luke 2:13-15 (KJV)

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
When the angels proclaimed the new-born Messiah, they pronounced God's will on earth:

PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MAN!

That is an amazing thing, isn't it? What Adam messed up, God righted! What Adam broke, God glued back together, and then polished it so that it was even more beautiful than before.

God will always go one step further, one notch higher, one game more than it takes for the victory.

Sometimes I hear Christians question the very basic love of God. They wonder how He can love them, how the Creator of all things, so perfect, so righteous, so pure, could love them.

Their questions are valid:

How is it possible for perfection to look upon imperfection?

How can purity look upon us in our sin?

How can righteousness fellowship with us in all our mistakes?

The answer is, and will always be the same. It is so simple and so lovely that many have tried to complicate it:

Through Christ.

As Noah's flood washed the earth in a type of baptism, so did Christ's blood cleanse the earth, allowing God's Spirit to flood the souls of men...

The very life of God resides within us, lives with us, and interacts with us every day, because we have become clean by the blood of Jesus.

He is not angry with us anymore, hasn't been since He had to turn from His only Son when He became sin for us, because now when He looks at us, He sees Jesus, and sees Him in His glory.

In us!

He loves us! :) And His everlasting Contract of Peace is the way in to His arms.

All you have to do is reach out and take His hand.

If you believe what you just read, you're ready to say out loud right now:

"God loves me! Father in heaven, I believe You love me, just like Your precious Word says, and I receive Your love for me. I believe You loved me and died for me, and I want You to become my Saviour right now. Thank You, Jesus."

Life IS!

God is greater than Satan.
Love is greater than fear.
Life is greater than death.
We can do all things through Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

[A Brother In Christ]

When Adam took mankind into the way of sin, he literally chose sin over God. As you probably have heard many times, the wages of sin is death. Sin and death were choices made by Adam.

He chose death rather than Life. Satan was chosen over God. Pride was chosen rather than humilty. Fear rather than Love.

When Adam took on the appearance of sin, God was cast away from him,gen 3:21 and could no longer fellowship with him. God was cut off from His beloved children. A great rift came between Him and His creation; a breach was made in the wall by the author of confusion: Satan.

Jesus said of Satan: He comes only in order to steal, to kill, and to destroy.

Jesus said of Himself: I came that you may have abundant life.

The choice is still yours.

But in God's eyes, the rift has been mended. Jesus stood in the breach and repaired the breaks in the wall. Jesus Himself took up our sicknesses and bore our sorrows. In Isaiah, we get lovely glimpses of Life as God planned it; we see Jesus coming and a peace restored between God and man.

God did the work at calvary, and salvation is a free choice, available for whoever will reach out and take hold of it. It's a done deal.

But you still have a choice to make. Will you accept His hand of friendship?
In Isaiah's prophecy, He clearly told the story of the coming Messiah, the Savior of the earth. God pronounced through him that He had created a new covenant, a covenant of peace which would be fulfilled through His everlasting love toward us.

He loves us!

When the angels proclaimed the new-born Messiah, they pronounced God's will on earth:

PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MAN!

That is an amazing thing, isn't it? What Adam messed up, God righted! What Adam broke, God glued back together, and then polished it so that it was even more beautiful than before.

God will always go one step further, one notch higher, one game more than it takes for the victory.

Sometimes I hear Christians question the very basic love of God. They wonder how He can love them, how the Creator of all things, so perfect, so righteous, so pure, could love them.

Their questions are valid:

How is it possible for perfection to look upon imperfection?

How can purity look upon us in our sin?

How can righteousness fellowship with us in all our mistakes?

The answer is, and will always be the same. It is so simple and so lovely that many have tried to complicate it:

Through Christ.

As Noah's flood washed the earth in a type of baptism, so did Christ's blood cleanse the earth, allowing God's Spirit to flood the souls of men...

The very life of God resides within us, lives with us, and interacts with us every day, because we have become clean by the blood of Jesus.

He is not angry with us anymore, hasn't been since He had to turn from His only Son when He became sin for us, because now when He looks at us, He sees Jesus, and sees Him in His glory.

In us!

He loves us! :) And His everlasting Contract of Peace is the way in to His arms.

All you have to do is reach out and take His hand.

If you believe what you just read, you're ready to say out loud right now:

"God loves me! Father in heaven, I believe You love me, just like Your precious Word says, and I receive Your love for me. I believe You loved me and died for me, and I want You to become my Saviour right now. Thank You, Jesus."

Life IS!

God is greater than Satan.
Love is greater than fear.
Life is greater than death.
We can do all things through Christ, Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

luke 12:51 suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division.


peace is the heavenlies

[Laurie KRB]

gen 3:21

luke 12:51 suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division.


peace is the heavenlies

The division is not for His children, though. Jesus plainly told us that we are to be in peace. Paul said that peace is our calling.John 14:27 (English Standard Version)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.Jesus bequeathed to us His peace.

Division will be between us and the evil one, through the separating or sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

Peace is clearly our inheritance, though, just as salvation was sent to us to receive, a gift!Isaiah 9:6?For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.I agree, there will be a separation or division but it will not be of the body of Christ. We will be in the unity of the faith (to quote Paul).

Peace is ours, a gift of the Father through the work of the Son.

[Laurie KRB]

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,to us a son is given;and the government shall be upon his shoulder,and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Matthew 5:9

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Romans 1:7

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 7:15

But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

Colossians 3:15

[b]And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Blessings, A Brother in Christ!

[Laurie KRB]

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,to us a son is given;and the government shall be upon his shoulder,and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Matthew 5:9

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Romans 1:7

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 7:15

But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

Colossians 3:15

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Blessings, A Brother in Christ!

[A Brother In Christ]

eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith.....

this is a future thing

[Laurie KRB]

eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith.....

this is a future thingActually, God's plan of salvation and peace is a NOW thing, and is included in the Great Commission that Jesus gave to His disciples. :)

As "disciple" means "taught", this includes all Believers, even today, and is manifested in our physical realm as we begin to walk by faith in God's plan for us, His kids.

We see the commission given to us in the Words of Jesus, especially regarding the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Kingdom of God was to be a matter of faith, of walking BY faith, of experiencing a change on the inside instead of the outside, of a change in heart, rather than by an immediate change they could see and touch in the physical realm.
Luke 17:20-21 ESV

The Coming of the Kingdom

Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, 21nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you."[a]

Footnotes:
1. Luke 17:21 Or within you, or within your grasp
As Jesus clearly explained to them, they would not see an outward kingdom. But they could see an expression of the inward kingdom as they brought the goodness of God into existence in the physical!'
Matt. 10:7-8 ESV

7And proclaim as you go, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers,[a] cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.

Footnotes:
1. Matthew 10:8 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13Though Paul wasn't one of the original disciples, he understood about the kingdom of heaven. He saw the kingdom as authority given to ordinary people, even women. He saw the power and wisdom of the kingdom in operation in the lives of the righteous, who lived by faith:
1 Cor 4:19-20

19But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

Romans 14:17 ESV

17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
It is an act of our FAITH which begins the work of the Holy Spirit within us.

This work is "sanctifying" or "separating".

It separates us from the kingdom of darkness (Satan's realm) and transfers us into the kingdom of light (Jesus' realm).

So yes, Brother, I agree that Jesus came to cause a division, but not a division among Believers. The separation is a division between Satan/Fear/Chaos and God/Love/Peace. The Holy Spirit works within us to bring us more and more into the realm of God's peace.

As Paul said, this is done from glory to glory. We GROW into the unity of faith, through yielding to the working of the Holy Spirit, separating and sifting us out of this world's system and into the spiritual system of God.

To God's Glory.

[A Brother In Christ]

eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith.....

this is a future thing

even though a christian can operate in peace[being spiritual] they can also operate in division[being fleshly]

even though christian are suppose to guard the unity of the spirit..eph 4:3

this does not happen all the time thus the conflicts among believers about little things

[Laurie KRB]

even though a christian can operate in peace[being spiritual] they can also operate in division[being fleshly]

even though christian are suppose to guard the unity of the spirit..eph 4:3

this does not happen all the time thus the conflicts among believers about little things
Oh, I agree completely! I also agree that there is much going on in the world that is not spiritual, but since have been given the tools and armor to work against the evil spirits, wickedness in high places, I believe that we can still overcome... in fact, I believe we are MEANT to overcome.

John said "whatever is born of God overcomes the world... what is it that overcomes the world? ... our faith... who overcomes the world, but they who believe that Jesus is the son of God."

I think that part of that "overcoming faith" is believing that Jesus did accomplish the work for us (Colossians says He defeated Satan and nailed the contract of debt to the tree through His work on the cross) and our faith in His work allows us to defeat Satan through our actions every day.

Paul said that "Good overcomes evil" and to not ALLOW ourselves to be overcome, but to overcome evil with Good.

So is it possible to win against Satan? Absolutely!

But it requires a "faith walk" and believing that the work we do is only a matter of continuing the work begun by Jesus on the cross.

To keep from getting confused about this war we are in (Paul says it is NOT against flesh and blood but a SPIRITUAL war), I remind myself of the royal law, as stated by Jesus.

How do we accomplish His work?

Love God, love others as yourself.

Simply putting others and their needs ahead of my own IS spiritual warfare. It sounds simplistic, but is actually VERY difficult.

Pride, which stems from selfishness, was the original root of Eve's sin, and ultimately became the flesh ruler: feelings of resentment, pride, anger, etc... all begin as fear.

Selfishness causes anxiety, and fear is Satan's perverted faith.

John said that "perfect love casts out fear" so we can make a leap and say that if we are afraid, or acting in selfishness, we are NOT overcoming evil with good.

Love, which does not put itself first, was the greatest work on the cross, and is our narrow path into the kingdom.

It all completes a circle, in my opinion, through loving others and putting God first. NOT demanding our own way IS the way to overcoming the rulership of darkness.

Do you agree?

[A Brother In Christ]

sometimes it not just putting on the armor which is for satanic attack

the other two enemies are the world... which we are to stop loving the world 1 john 2:15

and the OSN which resides in our flesh... which we are to count dead and alive to Christ romans 6, 1 cor 7:20-24

[Laurie KRB]

sometimes it not just putting on the armor which is for satanic attack

the other two enemies are the world... which we are to stop loving the world 1 john 2:15

and the OSN which resides in our flesh... which we are to count dead and alive to Christ romans 6, 1 cor 7:20-24
Satanic attack is almost constant, though, in this world. As you have said, the world is no longer a part of us, and we are not a part of it.

So every day, we are rowing upstream against a current that is the downstream flow of the world. Our way is narrow, and compressed, which is not the wide way which the world travels.

However, We have already overcome the world through Christ, so we may abide in His peace, no matter what tribulations we come against.

John 16:33 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=16&verse=33&version=31&context=verse)
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

2 Peter 2:20 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=68&chapter=2&verse=20&version=31&context=verse)
If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

1 John 4:4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=69&chapter=4&verse=4&version=31&context=verse)
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

1 John 5:4 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=69&chapter=5&verse=4&version=31&context=verse)
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

1 John 5:5 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=69&chapter=5&verse=5&version=31&context=verse)
Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.Peace, Brother! :)

[A Brother In Christ]

Satanic attack is almost constant, though, in this world. As you have said, the world is no longer a part of us, and we are not a part of it.

:)why would the satanic attack is almost constant

this is an outer pressure

OSN which resides in your flesh is an every moment war

[Laurie KRB]

why would the satanic attack is almost constant

this is an outer pressure

OSN which resides in your flesh is an every moment warYes, I agree the war is fleshly.

Satanic attack is, in its simplest form, an attack of what operates in our SOULS. That is, what our bodies want and need, and what our emotions and minds want and/or need.

The Spiritual realm is above what we see and feel.

Satan came against Eve with a temptation of what?

Food. A forbidden desire. Something off limits.

How did he get her to take what he dangled in front of her?

By tellling her she was missing something. That God was withholding both a beautiful tree, good food, and something that would make her wise.

The temptation was in the SOUL realm: what she could see and taste (physical) and mental increase (he tempted her emotionally, to think she was missing something).

THAT is the ongoing battle. Constant, because we live in a physical world, but we are NOT of this world. That causes a problem, until we learn to transcend what we see and desire and begin to trust God to provide.

It's walking by faith, not by sight. Paul explains the constant war this way:Galatians 5 (AMP)

16But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

17 For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.

18But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.

19Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,

20Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),

21Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,

23Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [[f]that can bring a charge].

24And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.

25If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit [g]we have our life in God, let us go forward [h]walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]

26Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.If we are truly walking in love, putting others' needs ahead of our own desires, then it hurts. We have to grow to the point where we know that God's way is ultimately THE way.

But it hurts us emotionally to let someone else have something we want, or to see someone getting what we thought we deserved. When we learn patience, faith, love, and grace, we begin to walk above the "sense" realm, in the spiritual realm.

But for most people, it is a constant learning, progressive, experience.