The Good Life–IN CHRIST

Amidst life's trials and tribulations, we are confronted with a profound choice: the choice between two paths, two ways of being. NO ONE ESCAPES MAKING A CHOICE. We must choose between embracing God's abundant Grace, or clinging to the frailty of self-help and religion, which is iniquity.

"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord .” Joshua 24:15

This is the same choice Adam and Eve made in the Garden of Eden: trust God’s Word and His commands and keep His will, or go our own way. There is no middle ground.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

This choice defines not only our present but also our eternal destiny. For me and my house, we choose to dwell in the LORD’S HOUSE forever by Grace.

“Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Jesus, the foundation and cornerstone of GOD’S HOUSE, commands us to choose wisely. He embodies God’s Grace, the full manifestation of God's love for humanity.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through HIM." Colossians 3:17

In His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus demonstrated the ultimate surrender to the will of the Father, paving the way for our Salvation. Jesus, the way of Grace is the only way to the Father.

"even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." John 10:15

The Way of Love

Jesus is the ONLY WAY to The Good Life, which is IN CHRIST, by Grace working through LOVE.

"All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the SHEEP from the goats. He will put the SHEEP on HIS RIGHT and the goats on his left." Matthew 25:32-33

There are only two choices before us: to follow Grace's path or succumb to the allure of self-confidence, self-reliance, and self-help.

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Matthew 7:13-14

Those who choose Grace and align themselves with the way of Christ become part of His flock, HIS SHEEP, His chosen ones.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;" John 10:27

His Sheep Hear His Voice

We are HIS SHEEP, and we follow the voice of our Shepherd, secure in God's FULL GRACE, Jesus our HIGH PRIEST, LORD, and SAVIOR.

"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2

Conversely, those who reject Grace, who opt for self-aggrandizement, self-ambition, and self-reliance, find themselves estranged from the flock. THEY BE GOATS. Reject Grace, and align with the GOATS.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." John 10:10

The self-ambitious are the GOATS, unwittingly ensnared by the deceit of the enemy, cut off from the abundant life offered by Christ through Grace, HIS FREE GIFT OF SALVATION.

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'" Matthew 16:24

The battle between Grace and “SELF” plays out in the depths of our souls, in the unseen realms of the SPIRIT. Yet its effects are tangible, shaping our lives and our eternal destinies. In every trial, setback, and decision moment, we face GRACE or SELF.

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2

IN CHRIST, or IN SELF?

But let us not be mistaken; the choice is not merely about this fleeting moment. It is about our eternal dwelling place, our eternal identity, IN CHRIST or IN SELF. Will we be counted among HIS SHEEP, basking in the glory of God's Grace, or will we be numbered among SATANS GOATS, forever separated from God’s presence?

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

The time is now to declare our allegiance and choose our path. Let us choose wisely, for the stakes could not be higher. Let us choose Grace; let us choose Christ, for in Him alone do we find true life, freedom, and rest–SALVATION.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

THIS LIFE IS THE CHOICE. In this LIFE, we get to make the choice–GOD’S ABUNDANT GRACE or our own wisdom, power, and might.

"I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live." Deuteronomy 30:19

We Are God’s House

RIGHT NOW, this very minute Jesus is constructing our eternal dwelling place with God, and we constitute His abode as followers of Christ. WE ARE HIS HOUSE. We are the selected living stones, each firmly founded upon Jesus, the cornerstone, and established upon His foundation of Grace.

"As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'" 1 Peter 2:4-6

Every person must confront two fundamental choices: the path of GRACE or the path of SELF.

"For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." 2 Peter 1:4

Embracing Grace enables us to love even our enemies, thereby embodying Jesus’ greater works and embracing His Good Life.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the SHEEP on HIS RIGHT, but the goats on the left." Matthew 25:31-33

The two distinct choices are becoming increasingly apparent. Through trials in this life, Jesus is actively distinguishing between HIS SHEEP and Satan's goats. HIS SHEEP are now under HIS Grace, embodying the NEW HUMANITY and following the path of the Spirit, which is rooted in God's heart.

""So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;" for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:12-13

CHOOSING GRACE, which is His REST, HONORS AND GLORIFIES OUR FATHER. Followers of Jesus, HIS SHEEP, listen solely to His voice filled with Grace, refusing to heed any other voice to THE PLEASURE AND DELIGHT OF GOD OUR FATHER. Let God do His work IN YOU.

"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name." Philippians 2:8-9

Goats, on the other hand, represent the SELF-LIFE, the OLD MAN of FLESH, and all goats are under the influence of satan whether they know it or not, acknowledge it or not. Reject God’s Grace, and by default, you choose the way of satan, and you are lost forever in his darkness.

"that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit," Ephesians 4:22

ONLY THE TRINITY IS FAITHFUL

Jesus is the author and finisher of ALL FAITH and THE representative of God’s FAITH. Jesus is THE WAY, the only way to the Father and HE COMMANDED US TO “FOLLOW HIM!” The Holy Spirit indwells the FOLLOWER of CHRIST to empower him or her to fulfill the purpose, destiny, and will of God, our Father.

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned." John 15:5-6

Jesus humbled Himself, trusted God absolutely, surrendered everything, and was obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. Jesus is the only way to the FATHER.

"that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Ephesians 4:22-24

Jesus had TWO CHOICES: to follow HIS OWN WILL or to submit HIMSELF COMPLETELY to Grace and fulfill the FATHER’S WILL ABSOLUTELY.

"and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—" Colossians 3:10

Jesus surrendered Himself and instead was absolutely obedient to the Father’s will. He completed the full reconciliation of all of creation and HIS complete restoration of ALL THINGS TO GOD.

"And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." Luke 9:23

Now we have a choice. All of us have the same choice: to follow ourselves or to follow Jesus. There is no in-between. To follow Jesus partly is to follow ourselves completely.

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6

God is Faithful to Build His House

Jesus is BUILDING THE FATHER’S HOUSE. We are individual members of His House, living stones. We can’t live half-way IN THE HOUSE and half-way OUT of the house. We are either ALL IN or ALL OUT. The RESURRECTED JESUS is made in the image of God our Father, and Jesus is transforming us, HIS SHEEP, into His image, the image and likeness of God.

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us." 1 John 2:19

Jesus is in His GLORIFIED BODY. Jesus has called HIS SHEEP, justified and sanctified HIS SHEEP, and now He has begun to GLORIFY HIS SHEEP. When we love our enemies by Grace, we become Jesus’ GREATER WORKS, shining forth His Good Life, reflecting His self-giving love and radical generosity.

"Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him." Revelation 12:7-9

FOLLOWERS of Jesus referred to as HIS SHEEP, make a decisive declaration of allegiance to GOD during our time on Earth. In the face of trials, tribulations, afflictions, betrayals, disappointments, and loss, we are presented with a crucial choice: either to embrace Jesus and receive His abundant life (Grace) or to depend on our own abilities, strength, and understanding (SELF). Each trial, setback, and defeat provides an opportunity to either choose to follow Jesus and pursue His righteousness or to reject Christ and navigate life independently.

"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.' Also he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'" Revelation 21:5

Our Decision

Our decision: Will we be HIS SHEEP or satans goats? This critical choice becomes unmistakeably clear as we journey through life's wilderness, undergoing tests and trials. Even in the most extreme circumstances, we must declare our allegiance: either to Jesus and His Kingdom or to self and the kingdom of bondage to satan.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'" Matthew 25:34-36

There was a WAR IN HEAVEN, in the unseen world. The battles and the war in HEAVEN are over, but the issues spilled over into the Earth. Satan was defeated, and he and his cohorts were banished from Heaven. Jesus' obedience to His Father’s will, His death, and subsequent resurrection completely destroyed satan–COMPLETE VICTORY OVER SATAN, SIN, and DEATH.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

King Jesus is reconciling ALL OF CREATION to the Father, including the universe, the whole earth, and everything in it. EVERYTHING WILL BE MADE NEW. God’s reconciliation, redemption, and restoration plan has begun and is coming to a quick completion. Jesus is coming soon!

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

Please continue reading this WORD by clicking on "Next Page" below. THE BEST IS YET TO COME!