In the USA, tomorrow is the day that each year all of us stop and give thanks to the Lord for all of our blessings! Please pray that our people would really understand in our hearts that all good things come from our Father in Heaven that loved us so much that He gave His only Son so that we could have life! Salvation through Jesus Christ is by far the biggest blessing of all!
Please also pray for strength and inspiration of the Holy Spirit as myself and 3 others go to Africa on a trip to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! We depart in just a few days. Please pray!
Very recently, a dear Pastor friend of mine and so many others here in the USA passed away. I decided to use and article written by him for our article for this week! Pastor Alvin now has his reward, and I know that it was his desire that people would come to know Jesus as their Saviour!
LIFE AND LIBERTY
Jesus said that He had come so that we might have life, and
Jesus said that He had come so that we might have life, and
that we might have it more abundantly (John 10:10). He gave
the promise to His disciples that if they would continue in His
Word, they would know the truth and the truth would make
them free (John 8:31-32).
The blessings of true life and Christian liberty are unknown
to the world. Yet the unbeliever thinks that he is leading an
enjoyable life and is a free person. He is satisfied with his life
when it fulfills purely human desires, whether those desires are
the evil lusts of our lower nature or the attainment of certain
exalted goals which are held in esteem in the world. He thinks
he is free and capable of directing his daily affairs. The quality
of his life is based on his own personal success or failure.
Generally the unbeliever considers the believer as being
under some peculiar sort of bondage which deprives him
of life’s enjoyments. Little does he realize that it is he who is not free but is under
such confining bondage that he has not even begun to experience
the true pleasures of life. He is not aware that his very
attitude is evidence of the fact that he is a bond-servant of
Satan, sold under the power of sin (Romans 7:14).
He disregards the teachings of Scripture which show that by the offense
He disregards the teachings of Scripture which show that by the offense
of one—Adam—judgment has come upon all men unto condemnation
(Romans 5:18). This does not mean that all men are
totally indifferent to the will of God and openly, by overt deeds,
or even secretly, transgress His Law without concern. Still, we
all carry the seed of original or inherited sin; this is the source
of all actual sin.
Under the Bible light, which shows that the
Under the Bible light, which shows that the
Law of God is spiritual and requires absolute obedience, all
men must forfeit any form of self-defense and stand silent and
guilty before God (Matthew 5:21-22, 31-32, Romans 3:19).
The true and abundant life spoken of by Jesus begins only
when we have become new creatures in Christ (2 Corinthians5:17). In this experience we are led to despair of all our own
efforts to please God; we cease laboring to obtain righteousness
by the fulfillment of the Law (Romans 7:4). We die to the Law
(or to our own works) and become united with Christ so that
His life is formed in us (Galatians 2:20). We have become
partakers of His resurrection, and thereby obtain the life that
our Lord calls abundant (Romans 6:5).
In this new life, we enjoy a freedom of heart and conscience that enables us to have
In this new life, we enjoy a freedom of heart and conscience that enables us to have
fellowship with God as His children (Romans 8:15, 1 John 1:3).
In this exalted fellowship we live in Christ (Acts 17:28),
having already been made partakers here in this world of the
gift of eternal life (Colossians 1:27). God's love has taken
possession of our hearts (1 John 4:19).
We can come freely to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and we may also have
We can come freely to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) and we may also have
boldness in the day of judgment (1 John 4:17). Fear has been
cast out (1 John 4:18) and we rejoice because there is no
condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1).
Our ties to Christ are not bonds against our will as supposed
by the unsaved, but the strong cords of Christ's love
which are stronger than death, for many waters cannot quench
it, neither can the floods drown it (Song of Solomon 8:7).
This glorious liberty which we have in Christ enables us to say with
This glorious liberty which we have in Christ enables us to say with
Simon Peter, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words
of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that
Christ, the Son of the living God. (John 6:68-69)
As free children of God, we exclaim with St. Paul, For to me
to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)
Pastor Alvin Holmgren
