Sunday, April 13, 2014

RESURRECTION SUNDAY: A SYMBOL OF OUR SALVATION BY GRACE, NOT BY WORKS!


As we look forward to another celebration of Yahshua's Resurrection from the dead on the Day of Firstfruits, which is on Resurrection Sunday every year, please remember that we are all called to be obedient, and we should do our best to follow God's Commandments, as well as to listen to the Holy Spirit's promptings to turn away from our wicked ways and change for the better. But also remember that our Salvation in Yahshua or Jesus is not based on works, but on our faith in Yahshua as the Son of God and Lamb of God - who was and is the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Without Yahshua's sacrifice on the Cross for us, and our baptism with Him unto His death that symbolically covers us in His Blood, we would all still be condemned to harsh judgment, no matter how hard we might try to keep God's Commandments. As the Apostle Paul taught in Ephesians 2:
        “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
        4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
        11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
        14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” ~ Ephesians 2:1-18
This Scripture stands as a clear testimony that Gentiles, who were originally without any knowledge of the Law, have become bond servants to Yahshua and desire to please only Him by following His Laws, and this is through the prompting of the Holy Spirit living in them. They therefore have become saved by Faith in the Blood of Christ, and have been made equal to their Jewish brethren - who are taught to keep the Law from birth until death by memorizing and applying the written Law in the Torah. Thus, the essence of the Grace message is that the Law is written on our hearts by God as He directs us, and not by the written Word alone. So the gift of Grace does not mean that we can ignore God's Moral Laws and sin with impunity, and then plead with the Blood of Christ to be forgiven like some criminals plead the 5th Amendment. As the Apostle Paul said:
“Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another - to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.” ~ Romans 7:4-6
This is why we all should find such joy in knowing that Yahshua is the Firstfruits of the Resurrection, who was raised from the dead on the Day of the Firstfruits Offering on the Sunday after Passover during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which falls on Resurrection Sunday. Without Yahshua's sacrifice, and our death to the Law through our baptism acknowledging His shed blood and death on the Cross for our sins, we would all still be dead in our trespasses against God's Moral Law.

So Rejoice, people of God who love Yahshua, that you are saved by faith in Yahshua and in baptism into His death, so that His Grace might abound in you, and you might be resurrected with Him!

Easter Song - Keith Green 
(With Re-enactment of Christ's Death and Resurrection) 

As the Apostle Paul said:
        “But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. 9 As it is written:
         “He has dispersed abroad,
         He has given to the poor;
         His righteousness endures forever.”
      10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, 13 while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”  ~ 2 Corinthians 9:10-15
This Scripture tells us that we are filled with God's Grace by the same measure that we give to others via the gifts of the Spirit of God working through us, and we are blessed spiritually and physically in proportion to the amount we give. Though many preachers twist this to mean that how much we give them in cash determines how much we receive in cash from God, this is not talking about money, but the giving of our ourselves through all manner of love, charity and good works as we are directed by God's Spirit to do to and for our brethren - from the moment of our salvation in Christ, until the time of our spiritual transformation into our heavenly abode at death.

Therefore, we should continually Praise our Father God Yahweh for Resurrection Sunday, which is our promise from our Heavenly Father in Yahshua that we are under His Grace now via our baptism unto death in Yahshua, and that we will one day be raised to everlasting life just as He was - when the completion of our earthly lives is over. Here is a lovely song that celebrates God's gift of Grace that abounds in those who believe:

Grace Abounds - Hillsong Live

Hallelu-Yah that Yahshua is Risen!
Happy Passover and Easter, and Happy Spring!

Your Sister in Yahshua,
Helena Lehman of the
Pillar of Enoch Ministry
http://pillar-of-enoch.com

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