By Emily Wooten
Anytime we learn something new, it might be necessary to take baby steps when we first start practicing what we learn.
Confessing Jesus has saved us from sin is a step one takes when they first acknowledge they need what is offered in Jesus’ plan to help us. Romans 10 is about as basic as it gets.
Verse 9 says: That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
We could talk all day about the exhaustive list of things from which we have been made free but let’s start with eternal death. The second death and all its evil (addiction, murder, hate, fear, and more) is destroyed by the redemption Jesus has provided.
Romans 8:1 says: …if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.
Again, God’s instruction is telling us to confess with our mouth what we believe in our heart. Verse 2 tells us what it does: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made (and continues to make) me free from the law of sin and death.
Here’s how those function in the person who has believed and confessed Jesus is Lord. Scripture says your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour. He is looking for someone who will take his lies into their mouth and confess them as truth. That opens the door for the law of sin and death to have its way in us. The enemy of our faith is an outlaw and will push to get by with as much as we let him.
That is not what God planned. Romans 10:10 is what God planned. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. God planned for us to constantly be agreeing with his plan for our life. Mark 16: 15-17 is the last thing Jesus said before he went to heaven. You go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved (The act of water baptism is public confession of your agreement with God); but he that believes not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Basic Christian Behavior!
No Place for Evil
By Emily Wooten
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
God wants us to understand who we are in Christ Jesus. He also wants us to understand the devil has no place in our lives. We can be adamant. Evil has no place with us.
Ephesians 4:22-27 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
James 4:6-8 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
One minute, one hour, one day, that is how we win the battle. One step in front of the other, repenting when we miss it and not allowing Satan to guilt us into a spirit of condemnation. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind. We should not let the devil remind us of things we did in the past. We should proclaim: I AM the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
We call the shots! We can constantly be saying no to Satan and yes to Holy Spirit.