“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth:” 2 Thessalonians 2:13.

We are saved through trusting in Jesus Christ as the Sacrifice for our sins.  We are baptized into His death where our sins are washed away.  The realization of our guilt as a sinner results in our forgiveness as a Saint once we accept Jesus into our heart.  Our Saint hood is declared by God the day we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, not when the pope declares our saint hood.

“Sanctify them through Your Truth: Your Word is Truth.”  John 17:17.  Our sanctification does not come through 40 days, 21 days or 100 ways; it does not come through feasts, festivals or rituals…our sanctification comes through the Truth of the Word of God.  We don’t have to go else where.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1.  The Holy Spirit, Who resides in every Believer, will point us to the Cross of Jesus for our sanctification and never to methods of man.  It goes against our flesh not to “work” for our sanctification but that is exactly what the Word of God requires…faith in Jesus and His finished work, belief in the Truth of the Word of God and He, the Holy Spirit, will remove the things which are unpleasing to God – He sanctifies us.  Too many attempt to sanctify or deliver themselves from their bondages through works of the flesh which always results in failure.  If we could sanctify ourselves, there would be no need for the Cross of Jesus.

“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” James 4:4.  The Lord has given us a sanctifying Salvation.  Jesus’ work on the Cross gave us victory over our sin nature.  We don’t have to live under the dominion of the devil any longer.  So why do so many Christians remain under satan’s power? Are they friends with the world?  Spiritual adultery occurs when we believe in Jesus Christ for our Salvation but turn to methods of man for our sanctification.  Is it possible you unknowingly, unwittingly, albeit with all sincerity, left your first love – your love of the Truth of the Word of God and sought methods of man for spiritual growth and sanctification?  Have you lost your faith in Him to deliver you from the bondage you may be in?

Only you and the Lord know the answer to these questions.  I’m just here to tell you the answer you seek is in the Cross of Jesus.  Your faith in Jesus’ work, your belief in His power to deliver you from satan’s bondage is not a matter of His sufficiency but your belief?  In Whom do you believe?  Settle this in your heart and reckon it to be so…reckon your victory is in the Cross of Jesus Christ and BELIEVE!!  – Donna Clark Warren

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6.

I have had a problem with this quote, “Love comes naturally / Hate is learned”,  since I ran across it the other day.  I’m trying to reconcile love coming naturally to mankind with the Word of God and I just can’t.  Love comes through God.  We don’t even know love until we know God.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:34-35. 

Furthermore, doesn’t the Bible also say that the carnal mind is at enmity with God (Romans 8:7)?  If love is “natural” to man kind, why so much hate?  Those sweet little children they have pictured will probably get angry real quick if their toy is taken, regardless of the color their skin.  Is that learned or natural?

What about hate?  Hate is a sin, right?  Do we “learn” sin or are we tempted by satan to sin?  The temptation is not the sin but submitting to the temptation is the sin.  If we are all born sinners due to the fall of Adam, we are born with a sin nature…not a Divine nature but a sin nature.  In other words, love is not natural but hate is natural.  It is satan’s job to kill, steal and destroy – that is what he does.  We can blame it on society or each other all we want but when we do, we are doing satan’s job for him and destroying one another.

We are all born with our God given free will.  An unbeliever can only overcome satan’s temptation for so long before they are overpowered.  The devil has the ability to move on the unbeliever’s will and overcome, it is only by the grace of God that he is not allowed.  If we, in our flesh, could overcome the will of satan in our life, there would have been no need for the Cross of Jesus.  The only way we can have victory over our sin nature is by submitting our will to God’s will.  “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Matthew 6:24.  We are not alive unto God until we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.  At which point, the Holy Spirit comes to abide in us and takes dominion over our sin nature.  It is then and only then that we know love and have the ability not to sin…not to hate. 

The point I’m trying to make, albeit poorly, is this…hate is not society’s fault, just like love is not “natural”.  Psychological gospels love to proclaim the problem as being from the outside while the Gospel of Jesus Christ points directly to the problem as being on the inside.  The world points to society as the problem and treats the symptoms, the Cross of Jesus points to the sinner as the problem and changes the heart.  Until the church addresses the problem for what it is, sin, and directs the sinner to the only cure for sin, the Cross of Jesus, we have a bunch of people walking around with their sin nature having complete control over them.  Sin is not static, it gets worse and worse until the person is utterly destroyed.  Flesh cannot deliver flesh from the power of the sin nature, only Jesus Christ can deliver one from the bondage of sin and He is standing at the door knocking.

As all of the winds of doctrine are coming down the pipe and the church is being tossed to and fro, their is a generation of young ones who are being taught they are sinners because society made them sinners, not because they were born sinners and the only solution to their “learned” sin is their natural ability.  This is not victory over our sin nature but deceit from the devil.  Until the hearts of people are changed by the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter the sin and no matter the skin, sin will have dominion over them.  The Lord only sees two types of people – saved and unsaved

We are not naturally “good”, we are naturally evil until we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  He is the only One Who overcame sin and He is the only One Who can deliver us from sin…not nature.  – Donna Clark Warren

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.   Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,  And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?   Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.” Colossians 2: 16-23. 

The Mosaic Law, with all of its ceremonies, represented a type and shadow of Jesus Christ.  The Body of Christ,  Jesus in the flesh, is the actual substance…not a shadow.  It was His flesh that was our Sacrifice, the only Sacrifice God could accept for our sin.  The wages of sin is death and Jesus paid our wage to give us life freely and life more abundantly.

So, if we “be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,..”?  Friends, play time is over.  While it is important to understand how God dealt with Israel, many need to come out from the shadow of the rituals and ceremonies and into the Body of Christ.  Unless we have a firm grip on how God dealt with the sin of the physical Israel in the Old Testament, we don’t understand how He  deals with spiritual Israel.  We, as New Testament Believers, are part of the seed of Abraham through the Everlasting Covenant, Jesus Christ.  “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant,” Hebrews 13:20.  New Testament Believers are spiritual Israel…we do not replace physical Israel as some teach.  The Jewish people are God’s chosen people and Jerusalem will be Jesus’ capital, regardless of what anyone thinks.

Playing in the shadows and worshipping angels are doctrines and traditions of men that are a form of worship to a powerless religion.  “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:  Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” Romans 1:21-25.  Religions of man are powerless to deal with sin and feed self righteousness and pride. 

Friends, I do not mean to be unkind when I say such things but I do want you to know the power of God is in the Cross of Jesus, not in man made traditions and rituals.  “For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God” 1 Cor. 1:18.  If we believe God and have faith in Jesus, Who He is and what He has done, we will witness for ourselves the power of God.  Once we witness for ourselves God’s power through faith in Jesus, we won’t need a ceremony or a ritual to worship God because we won’t be able to help but worship Him.  We worship Him when we’re driving, when we’re working, when we’re playing.  We begin testifying of all the Lord has done for us through the power of God and our faith in Jesus then suddenly, we are glorifying the Lord…we are worshipping the Creator – Hallelujah!

We don’t have time to play church.  These religions have no power over sin.  It is sin that is overtaking our children, our marriages, our families and our country.  There is One Who has defeated sin and His name is Jesus Christ.  Place your faith squarely in Him.  Spiritual maturity, spiritual growth or spiritual power is not found anywhere but  through the power of God…HE gives the increase, we cannot obtain this on our own.  God requires our faith in His plan for our Salvation and sanctification and His plan is through the Cross of Jesus Christ.  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6.

“The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel.” Philippians 1:16-17.

In the perilous times we are in today, we must always be set for the defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Sadly, instead of defending the Gospel of Jesus, many have been set not to offend the world.  They have attempted to protect the world from the offense of the Gospel and opted to present It their way…so as not to offend.  These social and psychological gospels appeal to the flesh because they are about the flesh.  There is a class and questionnaire for any problem one may have.  The ones preaching and teaching these gospels never realize their own problem.  They don’t understand what they are preaching is not the antidote to the Believer’s “problem”.  Furthermore, they cannot see they are in fact part of the reason the Believer’s remain in bondage.  These preachers and teachers call the dominion of sin in a Believer’s life a “problem” and give them a program to defeat such.  If this was possible, the Cross of Jesus Christ would not have been necessary.  The ONLY antidote to the dominion of the sin nature in a Christians life is the Cross of Jesus and our faith placed THERE, on Jesus and what He has done…not 40 days or 12 steps.  When our faith is placed in the programs of man to treat the problems of man, we cannot, will not and do not have dominion over our sin nature, or our “problem” if you apply a little lipstick.  It is simply not possible.  The only way a Believer can have victory over our sin nature is through faith in Jesus and His finished work on the Cross.  “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2.  The Holy Spirit can only do what He is commissioned to do in the Believer’s life when our faith is placed on Jesus and what He has done…not schemes of man or self efforts.

When the camp assignments were given to the tribes of Israel in Numbers chapter 2, each tribe was assigned a specific area around the Tabernacle.  At the center, directly around the Tabernacle, were the Levites, the Priestly Tribe, whose name means “joined” or “communion”.    The Tribe of Judah, whose name means praise, was assigned the east side and were told “…These shall first set forth.” Numbers 2:9.  The Tribe of Dan brought up the rear, whose name means judgment.   Praise (Judah) led the way and were joined to the Tabernacle by the Levites with the judgment of God (Dan) bringing up the rear.

I mention all of this to say…has praise led our way?  Are we joined to God through the Blood of Jesus?  Are we standing face to face with the Tribe of Dan, judgment?  Judgment begins in the House of God.  Have we, the church, been too busy minding all of the other tribes business that we have not been consecrated to our own commission, the Great Commission?  God has assigned each of us a camp.  At the same time, man will attempt to appoint us to a camp designed by the flesh and not by the Lord.  If man appoints us to a camp that the Lord did not designate us to and we follow man and not the Lord, it is not the Lord’s fault.

We, as the Body of Christ, can no longer allow schemes of man to assign Children of God to their camps.  The perilous times we live in today leave no room for those who are afraid to offend the world.  There is no time for the feeding of the flesh with the leaven in the lumps.  Understand, if you are not set for the defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you will be swallowed up by the world.  Look to God to assign you your camp, be consecrated to your position in your camp and stand…stand in the full Armor of God.  – Donna Clark Warren

“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;” 2 Thess. 2:3.

The headline this morning in a popular Christian news magazine read “Did the Great Falling Away Just Suck Up Another Christian Institution? ”  Please understand, I did not have time to read the entire article but just the first few sentences.  The subject of the story was the University of Arizona, a “Christian” university, who is now acknowledging gay marriage and extending benefits to same sex partners.

My first thought was the great falling away began to happen when Christians believed, condoned or compromised the Gospel of Jesus Christ and actually thought such worldly institutions and churches were indeed “Christian” or of God to begin with.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1.

Sadly, it has taken the same abominations as Sodom and Gomorrah for many in the “Christian” world to awaken.  While others remain on the fence trying to be the “good guy” and not offend anyone.  Those will be the ones in hell being asked “why, why didn’t you tell me?” Was that too harsh?  Well, if you were about to walk out in front of a train, you would want someone to tell you wouldn’t you?  Friend, if you are condoning or compromising the Gospel of Jesus Christ, if you are not set for the defense of the Gospel of Jesus…you are about to get mowed down by a long, black train.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15.

The fact of the matter is it doesn’t matter what I think, what you think or what anyone else thinks.  All that matters is the reality of guilt or innocence according to the Word of God.  I know we want to make every excuse in the world.  We are good at rationalizing, psycho analyzing and not taking responsibility of our own guilt.  Instead of denouncing ourselves and announcing the Lord, it seems better to the flesh to announce ourselves…who WE are and what WE have done.  That is not how the Gospel of Jesus works my friends.  The fact is, as an unbeliever in Jesus Christ, we ARE guilty.  Our guilt is not a feeling but a fact; just as our forgiveness as a Believer in Jesus Christ is a fact and not a feeling.

There is only one way to be declared “innocent”, no matter our thoughts or intellectual observations, and that is through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ.  God wants to be our God and He has made a way through Jesus Christ to be our God but we must accept HIS way, not ours.  I was at a sales seminar not too long ago and we were told about our “intuition given to us by nature” and to read a book to learn more about different personality types.  My first thought was, we can read the Word of God and the Holy Ghost gives us discernment and the only mind I care to know about is the Mind of Christ.  These same things are being taught in the churches and Christian universities today and if it has taken the abomination of same sex marriages to make one see such, I’m greatly afraid you too are part of the great falling away.  – Donna Clark Warren.

“But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.  Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:5-12. 

Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, many would rather believe the lies of satan than trust in the Lord.  Inevitably,  unbelief in God results in complaining (murmuring).    We hear the devil is a lie but we inevitably believe his lie.  This is one of those struggles the Apostle Paul spoke of in Romans chapter 7.  We don’t WANT to believe that lie but we can’t help believing  that lie.  It is a spirit of fear which the Lord Jesus Christ did not give us and it has convinced us our only options are sin or death.

Instead of trying so hard NOT to believe the lie of the devil, choose to believe the TRUTH of the Word of God.  We have to turn from unbelief to belief…it is up to us to decide which one we are turning from and which one we are turning to.  Unless we turn from believing the lies of the devil TO believing the Word of God, we are simply relying on self efforts and not the power of God.  We have to make a 180 degree turn, not a 90 degree turn.

“For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Romans 6:10-12.

Once we reckon ourselves to be dead unto our sin nature because of what Jesus did on the Cross, we are able to believe God.  If we truly believe that Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross gave us victory over our sin nature, than it is impossible to believe the devil will be the victor….we cannot believe both.   It is that simple.  I realize man wants to make a method or a scheme out of this simple Truth but all that is required is believing in Jesus Christ and His finished work which reconciled us to God and that God is fully able to deliver us from our bondage.

Many of the Israelites lost their faith in God while in the wilderness and began to murmur and complain.  Some perished while others remained there 40 years.  Discern whether what you are saying and what you are doing are the same?  Do you say you trust God but as soon as satan whispers that lie in your ear, you turn around and trust him (satan)…do you believe that lie?  Once we decide to believe the lie of satan, we no longer believe the Truth of God.  Is our unbelief God’s fault or ours?  Do we go by our feeling or by what we know to be the Truth of the Word of God?

Sometimes we are faced with seemingly unbearable situations.  Take heed of the example given to us by the murmuring Israelites and do not test the Lord with unbelief.  Believe in the Lord thy God, dip your feet in the brim of the water and walk across the Jordan on dry land for all of your enemies to see (Joshua 3:15)…the sea will part and you will make it to the other end.  God wants to be our God and He has given us His plan for Salvation, Jesus Christ.  Do you believe in Who Jesus is and What He has done?  Then settle it in your mind and be determined to know nothing else except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2), He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Understand Jesus is alive and active in His church but we first must believe in Him.  I ask you again, do you believe? -Donna Clark Warren

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” Ephesians 4:13-14.

We see, hear and claim to believe this Scripture without ever realizing it is not the Scripture we believe but the winds of doctrine coming down the pipe.  It is like a wave sweeping through keeping all the busy bodies busy, the spirituals spiritual and the enthusiastic enthused.  The false teachers lie in wait for both the new converts and the old converts who remain as children.  The counterfeit Truth has all the “qualities” the flesh desires but is only detected by those who have experienced the Truth.

The unity of the faith is not compromising nor condoning every wind of doctrine.  I have had some get upset with me because we both believe in Jesus Christ and Him crucified for Salvation but we did not agree on Jesus Christ and Him crucified for sanctification…or spiritual growth.  Their idea of being “no more children” was learning the schemes of man instead of the Gospel of Jesus.  We have to do “our” part.  The false teachers snatched the “children”, tossed them to and fro by twisting the Scripture and the vail was no longer removed from their eyes.  They began worshipping the creation more than the Creator.  Someone patted them on the back and told them their sin nature having victory over their life was okay and their conscience became seared.  Other false teachers called the demon by name, performed a deliverance session, gave explicit instructions on how to overcome their sin nature (that “demon”) and sent them on their merry way.  Just to be sure, of course there are demons and they can oppress a Christian but they cannot possess a Christian and when those “deliverance ministers” are casting out those demons, they are in fact trying to take authority over the sin nature.  There is only ONE way we have power, victory and dominion over our sin nature and that is through FAITH in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.  The Holy Spirit can only isolate our sin nature when our faith is placed in Jesus, not our own self efforts.  Do we have authority over demon spirits? Absolutely!  However, to maintain that authority we must maintain our faith in Jesus…not in some ritual, ceremony, 12 steps, 40 days, 21 days or whatever wind of doctrine is coming down the pipe.

There is freedom and liberty in coming to the realization that we can’t but He can and He will.  Jesus has already given us the victory over our sin nature, we just have to maintain it by maintaining our faith in Him and not schemes of man.  I see people in bondage everyday.  I spoke with a sweet girl just this weekend who was 51 days sober.  Her story touched my heart because I know there are so many others with similar stories.  I also know there are false teachers lying in wait for her.  So many never receive their deliverance  because deliverance (Jesus-Who He is and what He has done for them) is not preached but “imitated” by man.  Many would rather receive the glory than allow God to receive the glory.  Oh yes, they may give lip service to Jesus but they won’t step out of the way and allow Jesus to reveal Himself and the new convert or the “old” convert who remains ignorant to the Gospel of Jesus, doesn’t recognize the difference.  Don’t get offended that I used the term “ignorant”.  There are those who are aware but do not seek God’s Truths because it may interfere with their religion or sin of choice…those are the willfully ignorant and if that offends you, discern the offense.

“But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you.   My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me:” John 10:26-27.  God knows the heart of each and every Believer.  He knows if we are truly seeking Him, His power and/or His promises.  Praise the Lord, He is patient and faithful with each of us.  The Lord will guide and direct our every step.  When a Brother and Sister in Christ fails, we pick them back up and turn them back to the faith in Jesus Christ.  Let us now define “fail”.  We know failure as falling off of the wagon, backsliding, lying, cheating, adultery – all of those tangible, physical sins that we can see.  As a “good” Christian, we are the first to pray for them, tell them of their sin, exhort them and do our best to keep them from the fire.  Their sin nature has regained dominion over them and they are on a slippery slope if their faith is not restored in what Jesus has done.  They do know God’s voice but satan is tempting them…that’s his job, that’s what he does; he is the counterfeit.

So tell me Brothers and Sisters in Christ, WHY do we not tell them when we see them falling into the clutches of the false teacher?  WHY is that sin not one we try to warn them of?  Those false teachers are NOT God’s anointed.  WHY is it okay to allow our Brothers and Sisters to be swept to and fro by false doctrine?  WHY do we condone this sin and condemn others?  Why? What if that young girl, 51 days sober was your child…would it be okay then?   – Donna Clark Warren

“Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.  ²¹ I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  ²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:  ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.  ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  ²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Romans 7:20-25.

There are three laws mentioned in these verses.

• “law of God” vs. 22
• “law of my mind” vs. 23
• “law of sin” vs. 23

To all who believe in sinless perfection this side of glory I ask you, was the Apostle Paul not born again?  Furthermore, please allow me to be clear, Jesus Christ did not die to give us a sinning Salvation but He came to give us victory over sin.  I’m simply attempting to point those who are under the yoke of sin back to the Cross of Jesus for deliverance of their bondage.  There are no 12 steps, 40 days, shemitahs and such that have ever overcome sin.  There is only One Way and He is not a method but a Man, the Man Jesus Christ.  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6.

The methods of man and psychology gospels such as the 40 days of this, 100 days of that, 12 steps and every other scheme man has invented, engages the law of the mind. The law of the mind involves our self efforts and will which wars against our members where the law of sin is carried out (our hands, mouth, eyes, etc.).

Here is the important thing to remember, the law of sin and death is stronger than the law of our mind, which the Apostle Paul was expressing in verse 23. “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”  Although Paul was wanting to do what was right but evidently was not always able, was bringing him into captivity to the law of sin…because the law of his mind was being overtaken by the law of sin.

So the Apostle Paul was a saved, Blood bought born again Christian who struggled with the law of sin overtaking the law of his mind…just as many do but pride and self righteousness keeps them from admitting their own frailty.  God did not leave Paul to suffer this battle but revealed to him the “Law of God” in Romans 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

The law of the “Spirit of life”, the Holy Spirit, is the ONLY One who can make us free from the law of sin and death, not the law of our mind…no matter how sweet, loving and “good” one may be; if it is not the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus”, you too will be overtaken by the law of sin and death.

“For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18.  I am completely aware that many believe the Cross of Jesus is Christianity 101 but understand this…if you get the Cross of Christ wrong, you have it ALL wrong.  The power of God is found in the Cross of His Son, Jesus Christ.  It is our faith in what Jesus did that allows the Holy Spirit to make us free from the law of sin and death, not faith in our self will (law of the mind).

Many understand the Law of God (faith in Jesus Christ and Him Crucified) for Salvation but resort to the law of the mind for victory over their sin nature.  At Salvation we are dead to our sin nature, we have been baptized into Jesus’ death but as soon as we resort to the law of the mind (faith in our self efforts, 40 days, etc.) to “gain” victory over our sin nature we have in fact “lost” our victory over our sin nature because our faith is no longer in Jesus Christ.  It is not a matter of “gaining” our victory but maintaining our victory over our sin nature.  The Law of God is the only law that can defeat the law of sin and death which will always defeat the law of our mind, therefore our faith must ALWAYS remain in what Jesus Christ has done for us on Calvary’s Cross.  – Donna Clark Warren

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” Romans 6:3

The Mosaic Law required man to act to obtain righteousness with the action always resulting in failure.  It revealed to man our inability to obtain righteousness.  The Sacrificial system was and is God’s only answer to man’s failed righteousness.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.  While the Mosaic Law required action, Grace requires man to “believeth in Him”…to have confidence in Jesus Christ and what He did on the altar of the Cross to give us everlasting life.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty where with Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1.  It is hard for man to “stand fast”.  The law, any law, that requires action on our behalf will always engage the flesh and not our faith.  Giving someone 12 steps, 40 days  or a lesson on deliverance does not deliver them but in fact engages their flesh…NOT their faith in Jesus.  If we would in fact stop teaching deliverance of man but preaching deliverance of God through faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified, our faith would then be engaged and liberty would be delivered through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:2).

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” Galatians 5:17-18.  Discern the doctrines of man for victory over sin by discerning what it engages, our flesh or our faith.  What does it require of us?  I can give you a hint…it requires 1 step, 365 days a year, from now until we see Jesus face to face ,and that is the step of faith, faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified – be determined to know nothing else!  – Donna Clark Warren

“Even as Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.  ⁷ Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.  ⁸ And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the Gospel unto Abraham, saying, IN THEE SHALL ALL NATIONS BE BLESSED.  ⁹ So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.  ¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, CURSED IS EVERY ONE THAT CONTINUETH NOT IN ALL THINGS WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW TO DO THEM.   ¹¹ But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:6-11

The Sacrificial system was the only answer to our failure of the Mosaic Law.  “For whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. ” James 2:10.  So if we don’t keep the whole law but only partake in the ceremonial law, are we not guilty of all?  Does the Bible not say we are “cursed” if we don’t continue in all things which are written in the Law?  Once failure is then met of the Mosaic Law, what Sacrifice is offered to God for reconciliation? Jesus, you say?

So to make sure I understand this Hebraic Movement train of thought, one practices a portion of the Mosaic Law, fails it and then uses Jesus as their Sacrifice to reconcile them to God?   Please don’t misunderstand, I know I fail the Mosaic Law and I guess I could have a ceremonial “feast” but tell me again what it profits me?  Would you not prefer to praise the Lord for fulfilling the Law and being the Sacrifice that reconciled us to God?  After all, Jesus IS the ONLY Sacrifice God will accept for our sins.

I certainly don’t mean to hurt or offend my friends who observe these feasts, it just saddens me.  There is so much more the Lord has for us to do in this day and time than study on traditions of man.  At one time they were the Law of God but now they are the traditions of the Jewish people who do not believe their Messiah has yet to come.  Don’t we really need to be studying the actual Word of God?  I mean, like literally open the Bible and study what it says. God’s great plan of Salvation through Jesus Christ is not about the feast but about the Man the feast symbolized – Jesus.

“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Galatians 2:21.  Jesus did not die in vain.  He fulfilled the Law that sentenced us to death.  It is our faith in Him, Jesus Christ, who He is and what He did, that grafts us into the Abrahamic Covenant – that justifies us by our faith.  Abraham wasn’t Jewish, he was just a gentile who trusted in God.  I may not be faithful Abraham but I do just simply trust in my God, no matter what the world tries to say – He always makes a way.   – Donna Clark Warren