Are you Being Decieved???

Written when I was 18...

Deception=Satan's strongest tactic.

I am so upset with the church today because we as a whole have misinterpreted the Bible. We don't have a true revelation of God's truth. How many sermons have you been in where they give you steps as to becoming a "better" Christian. We get a list of Do's and Don'ts. What's wrong with that. We hear we can't do this, we can't do that, we have to do this, we have to do that. I'm sorry but if that's what it means to be a Christian, I want no part in it. There's no joy, and with Christ, He gives us joy.
It all balls down to Our Identity. Christians today don't know who they really are, and pastors and leaders are also included in this. In the mornings my mom usually has the TV on with some pastor preaching in the mornings, but some of the things they are saying/teaching doesn't line up with my spirit, and I can go to the Bible and point out where it says otherwise.
Pastors, Leaders, Teachers, just Christians in general have taught me to live a life of always asking for forgiveness, I had a sin conscience, always scared I was going to mess up. Now think about it for a minute, "Does God want us to live a life of always living on the edge, scared we might mess up?" I was always taught ask for forgiveness always when you mess up, so I was constantly messing up and asking for forgiveness over every BIG and little thing, and asking God to forgive me of my sins I didn't even know I committed. It was bad, and me living the life of rules, I can't do this, I have to do this, just gave me fuel to sin more. Because there is no way that we can keep all those standards...NO WAY possible. And guess who's teaching us this, the church, not saying that it's your church, it's churches in general. It's sad, but it's true, it's happening, and it's a chain reaction.
So didn't Jesus die for our sins. Was it just our past sins? No, past, present, and future. Think about it this way were we physically alive when Jesus was crucified, no so that day when Jesus died wouldn't that place our sins in the future since we weren't even born yet?
When we are constantly asking for forgiveness we're putting Christ back on the cross. Jesus died once and for all. He was our ultimate sacrifice. We've been forgiven for all our sins. But that's where repentance comes in, we have to live in a constant renewal of our mind.
The church's mindset is still in legalism. Jesus came and fulfilled the law. All the law brought was the knowledge of sin, showing us that we can't live without Christ. It's not on our own performances but Christ performing through us. When we try to do the right things we find that we often fail because we find that we can't do things out of our own strength but the strength of God.
Also we find in this scripture:

Galatians 2:19-20 (New King James Version)

19 For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

When we were first born, we were born in Adam, sinners, but when we are born again, we are born in Christ. Therefore are we still "sinners saved by grace." Because it says "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."
Our old man has died, so if Christ lives in me what does that make me? Well I am no longer a sinner. Christ lives His life through me so think of it like this, "I am a saint, who sometimes sin." that sounds a lot better, now doesn't it.

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (New King James Version)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

Since Christ is righteous what does that make us since Christ lives His life through us, it is "no longer I who live but Christ lives in me." So does that make me righteous since He is righteous?

2 Corinthians 5:21 (New King James Version)

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The book of Ephesians list the blessings we have in Christ.

Christ is our deliverer, healer, redeemer, etc. So why tell Christians it'd be a process to being delivered or you have to do this or that to be healed all we have to do is trust and believe what God's word says. He gives life not death. We blame God for a lot of things such as deaths, sicknesses, tragedies, etc, but it's not God. Satan came to steal, kill, and destroy. Yes that's a well known scripture but it seems people aren't still getting the simple truth of this scripture.

God has given us life, not death.

Oh and so many thinks that things has to be a process as for deliverence for example of things were struggling with. Well the only deliverer there is is Jesus. He's the only one who can deliver us. It's not a process just receive what Christ has given us. Receive what we have in Christ. Trust and believe and know who you are in Christ. Because when we get the revelation our old sin nature has died and then we're made alive in Christ, our whole mindset changes. It's not the matter that I "can't" do this, it's the fact I "don't want" to do this and it's not the fact I "have" to do this, it's the fact I "want" to do this. Because we now have the mind of Christ.
When we have a list of things to do and not to do and processes to do this to be blessed or steps to anything else, that's law. What did Jesus come to fulfill so we would no longer be bound to it?

Matthew 5:17 (New King James Version)

Christ Fulfills the Law
  
17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

There's only one thing the law produces...

Romans 3:20 (New King James Version)

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Romans 5:20-21 (New King James Version)

20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, 21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So when we are born again we are no longer under the law. All unbelievers are condemned because all they have is the law, but when we're born again, the law; we're no longer bound to. We're freed from the law.

Romans 6:14 (New King James Version)

14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

We have authority now over everything. We are alive and Christ is living through us and we're righteous because he is righteous. How awesome is that!?!

1 John 3:7 (New International Version)

7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.

Now does that mean we may mess up sometimes? Yes, it does, but don't beat yourselves up about it, trust in what God has done and move on. We have to live a life of repentance, it's a life of constantly renewing your mind. It's a change of mind...

Remember we have been forgiven once and for all.
We are righteous because He is righteous and He lives His life through us.
We are no longer under law but under grace.
We have authority.
We are healed and delivered from anything that has kept us bound.
We just have to trust and believe what Christ has given us.

Now if this isn't a message for someone to give their life to Christ, to want what we believers have, I don't know what will.

God is such a gracious God. The law was only there to show us we can't live this life alone, we need Him, and He was so gracious and merciful to send His son to fulfill the law...When was it fulfilled? At the cross, "It is finished." We have been forgiven once and for all there is nothing we do to be forgiven, we just accept, trust, and believe. WOW!!! God is a gracious God!