“³ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

⁴ For if he that comes preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit, which you have not received, or another gospel, which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.” 2 Corinthians 11:3-4

Sadly, there are so many false apostles and deceitful workers on television that have passed for preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that much of the Body of Christ no longer recognizes the difference.  Those who at one time knew the difference, they knew the voice of the Lord, chose to bear with these preachers preaching another Jesus and they themselves have been deceived…the serpent has indeed beguiled them.

“¹⁴ Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

¹⁵ And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is Salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you;

¹⁶ As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

¹⁸ But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:14-18

Beware of being led away with error by the twisting of Scriptures which are not easily understood and molded to mean something the Holy Spirit never intended. Grow in Grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The Word of God is ALIVE…it is a discerner of our thoughts and intents of our heart (Hebrews 4:12) and can therefore never be exhausted.  Do not bear with those preaching another Jesus.  Jesus plus anything is another Jesus and is accursed.

“But though we, or an angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8

Search the Scriptures daily.  Work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling. We will all give an account of how we rightly divided the Word of God.  Bearing with those who use Scripture as bait to seduce those who are unlearned has caused/allowed many to stumble.  A “Purpose Driven Life” is another gospel. Blood Moons, Shemitahs and Harbingers…another gospel. Humanistic psychology is another gospel.  None of these direct our faith to the Author and Finisher of our faith…Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done for whosoever will believe, but distract and destroy our faith in their vain attempt to author and finish it themselves.

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

-Donna Clark Warren

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

² For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2-4

The means by which satan holds the Believer captive is sin.  Yes, Believers are held captive by satan because of sin because their faith is placed in methods of man for victory over the world, the flesh and the devil and they are bound by the law of sin and death.

There is no law stronger than the law of sin and death.  Self effort cannot break this law. Sit ups will not overcome this law.  Religious ceremonies, even Scriptural ordinances of the church (water baptism, fasting, communion, etc.), will not and cannot loose us from the law of sin and death.

God has given us His answer to sin and that is Jesus Christ Who came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin for sinners (John 3:16) AND to break the power of sin for Saints (Romans 6:14).  Our faith in the redeeming work of Jesus gives the Holy Spirit latitude to do what He is commissioned to do…free us from the law of sin and death.

The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus requires faith in Jesus, Who He is and what He has done to give us (Believers) dominion over sin…not our self efforts or self will.  The fruit of the Spirit is temperance but if we our bound by the law of sin and death, we’re not going to have that fruit.

“And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

We cannot follow Jesus until we deny ourselves.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

We cannot resist the devil unless we are submitted to God.

The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is the only way to be free from the law of sin and death.  As long as well-intentioned Believers look to and point to humanistic psychology, superstition and any and all other methods of man from the vanities of their own mind, they will remain bound – captives of satan because of sin having dominion in their hearts and lives.  I did not say they were lost and condemned to hell, no…they are bound by the law of sin and death.  Many of God’s Children are bound and in need of deliverance.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: That whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14-15

When the enemy comes, in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him (Isaiah 59:19).  The Lord is bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified back to the church to free the captives from the law of sin and death.  The picture of the end time church is one of Jesus on the outside knocking.  They have left their first love…not lost Him.  Do you hear Him knocking?

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁹ Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, ¹⁰ Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

There are Believers out there that know this Scripture all too well.  They truly love the Lord but they are bound by sin (alcohol, pornography, homosexuality, SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS).  They hate their sin just as much as others hate their sin but they cannot stop.  We will often find them in various programs at the church seeking counsel to overcome this “addiction” and because of this they are accepted into the fold.

On the other hand, there are those who struggle with the same problems alone.  We often sit by them weekly at church, having no idea of the spiritual battles they face on a daily basis.

These Believers I speak of, our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, are held captive by satan and being told by well meaning church folk to “just say no”.  “Repent” from their wicked ways.  Hear me when I say this, amen – we MUST repent. Without repentance, there is no forgiveness. However, forgiveness is not deliverance and what these people need is deliverance. I’m not speaking of those who claim Christianity merely as a title, creed or dogma and don’t want to forsake their sin as in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, those people are not saved irrespective of their claims.  I’m speaking of those who truly love the Lord, have repented but are still bound.

“¹⁹ For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

²⁰ Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells 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?” Romans 7:19-24

When we all come to that O wretched man moment, it is not a matter of just saying no – if that were so, the Cross of Christ was in vain.  It is not a matter of repentance – we repent often, we stumble often…WHO shall deliver me from the body of this death?

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He did on Calvary’s Cross to BREAK the power of sin in the Believer’s life will set the captives free.  Sin does not have dominion over us, we are under Grace not law (Romans 6:14).  The same Gospel of Jesus Christ and that paid the penalty of sin for sinners, also broke the power of sin for the Saints.  It is the Gospel that the church needs, not 12 steps, 40 days of purpose, religious ceremonies, traditions, feasts, festivals and every other wind of doctrine that comes down the pike.

They, those who are bound, need to know the power of God to deliver them.  They need to look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of their faith, and SEE the Salvation of the Lord in their life…not some humanistic philosophy from the vanities of man’s mind with a twist of Scripture as the bait to deceive the very elect.

“For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

When the well meaning Christians direct God’s Children who are being held captive by sin to other methods for deliverance from sin the captives will remain bound by the law of sin and death.  The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to free us, no matter our “good intentions”, from the law of sin and death when we are looking to man made methods to overcome sin.  When the Gospel is preached to the captives and their faith is directed to the Person and the work of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit isolates our sin nature enabling us to submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7). This IS the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus…denying our self efforts and submitting ourselves to the Lord.

Friends, it is not a matter of “just saying no” to sin…it is a matter of submitting to God. We are unable to willingly submit to God unless our faith is in Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He did to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life. When our sin nature is on the throne in our heart, we do not have the power to submit to God. It is stronger than our free will and can ONLY be isolated by the power of the Holy Spirit when our faith is in Jesus Christ and His finished work…not philosophies or humanistic psychology.

Have you preached to them deliverance?  It is the Power of God to us who are saved.

“But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:23-24

-Donna Clark Warren

There are three separate baptisms mentioned in the New Testament.

1.  Baptism into Death: ^“Know you not, that so many of us as were Baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4
2.  Water Baptism that witnesses to all that the Believer has accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and dedicated his or her heart and life to Him as seen in Matthew 28:19, “Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:“
3. Baptism in the Holy Spirit: “And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the Promise of the Father, which, said He, you have heard of Me. For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” Acts 1:4-5

There is a difference in being born of the Spirit (John 3:5) and being Baptized with the Spirit.  At Salvation, the Holy Spirit comes into our heart and Baptizes us into the death of Jesus, into the Body of Christ, and we are “born of the Spirit”.

After our Salvation…and ONLY after our Salvation, can one be Baptized in water or Baptized in the Holy Spirit.

“⁴ But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

⁵ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

⁶ Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

⁷ That being justified by His Grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7

The washing and regeneration of our heart begins at Salvation, when we are born again…born of the Spirit, baptized into Jesus’ death.  This is the ONLY baptism required for Salvation, the Baptism into the Body of Christ when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

The human heart is made up of the soul and the spirit.  Our soul feels and our spirit knows. When the Holy Spirit enters our heart and begins His mighty work and we are “born of the Spirit” through our faith in Jesus Christ,  He isolates our sin nature and places in our soul the desire to know God and bears witness with our spirit that we are a Child of God (Romans 8:16).

“¹¹ In Whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

¹² Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also you are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, Who has raised Him from the dead.” Colossians 2:11-12.

We are justified by faith through Grace, not works.  The Baptism into the Body of Christ is the only baptism necessary to be born again.  That is not a matter of interpretation…that is a matter of fact.  The minute we add to what Jesus Christ did on Calvary’s Cross to justify fallen man, we are adding to His finished work and have fallen from Grace.

“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; you are fallen from Grace.” Galatians 5:4

-Donna Clark Warren

The Word of God is the only revealed Truth in the World.  It speaks of the creation of man (Genesis 1 and 2), the fall of man (Genesis 3) and the redemption of man (Genesis 4 – Revelation 22:21).  The Blood of Jesus has always been God’s Plan for redeeming mankind.

At the Cross, the righteousness of the Law was fulfilled in its entirety by Jesus’ perfect life (Matthew 5:17).  It is to HIM that the porter (the Law) opens the door to righteousness, not climbing up another way.   The porter does not open the door to our feasts and our festivals that are mere symbols.

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

² But he who enters in by the door is the Shepherd of the Sheep.

³ To Him the porter opens; and the sheep hear His Voice: and He calls His own sheep by name, and leads them out.

⁴ And when He puts forth His own sheep, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His Voice.

⁵ And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.” John 10:1-5.

Jesus as well satisfied the demands of the Law at Calvary’s Cross for whosoever will believe.  The penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and sin is the means by which satan holds us captive.

Furthermore, at the Cross, Jesus gave the Believer dominion over sin for daily living (Romans 6:14).  The Cross was a place of great suffering for Jesus, but for us it is a place of great blessing.

“And He (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

We cannot follow Jesus Christ until we take up our cross…our blessings, and we cannot take up our blessings until we deny ourselves.  Such is why self efforts and self will cannot suffice.  Self control (temperance) is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and can only be obtained by denying ourselves, picking up our cross and following Jesus, not by merely changing one’s mind.

Now let us talk about what Jesus DID NOT do at the Cross that is rampant in the word of faith doctrine.

1. Jesus DID NOT die spiritually on the Cross.

“For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death IN THE FLESH, but quickened by the Spirit:” 1 Peter 3:18 (emphasis added).  To be spiritually dead is to be separated from God, just as all are before Salvation.

2. Jesus DID NOT become a sinner on the Cross.

“For such an High Priest became us, Who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;” Hebrews 7:26

3. Most importantly, Jesus WAS NOT defeated at the Cross.  It was His Blood shed at the Cross that washed our sins away (Revelation 1:5).  We are washed because we are loved…not loved because we are washed.  The word of faith’s claim of defeat at the Cross is blasphemy.

  “¹⁴ Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His Cross;

¹⁵ And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Colossians 2:14-15

This is the problem with the word of faith doctrine.  One cannot be saved believing in this doctrine.  When we get the Atonement wrong, we get God’s entire redemption plan wrong.  Knowing Who Jesus is and what He did on Calvary’s Cross to redeem fallen man to God, there is no doubt as to His Resurrection.  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof that every sin, past, present and future was paid in full…it is finished.

“Beloved, when I (Jude) gave all diligence to write unto you of the common Salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints.” Jude 1:3

Contend for the faith.  Defend the doctrines of Christianity according to the Word of God…not man made doctrines. Study to show thyself approved. Try the spirits…search the Scriptures daily.

In Him,

-Donna Clark Warren

“²⁷ And He Who searches the hearts knows what is the Mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the Saints according to the Will of God.

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His Purpose.”  Romans 8:27-28

The Word of God gives us two conditions for all things to work together for good. The first condition is we must love the Lord.  The second condition for all things to work together for good is it must be according to HIS Purpose…not ours.

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

² You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.

³ You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.” James 4:1-3

The Holy Spirit is not a glorified bellhop to work all things together for good according to our will…but God’s Will.  God does not have a presumptive will meaning that whatsoever we will, He blesses.  The word of faith doctrine is steeped in superstition and the casting of spells while presuming their will upon God, yet they receive not because they ask amiss that they may consume it upon their own lusts.

“¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

¹³ Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

¹⁴ But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:12-14.

We have received the Spirit of God that we may know all things that are freely given unto us and they will always line up with the Word of God.  The Child of God is led by the Spirit of God…not by emotions.  There are many who love the Lord but have presumed His Will and now struggle in their spirit with whose purpose they have willed…God’s Will or their own will.

It is satan’s job to tempt us away from God’s Will.  That’s his job…that is who he is and what he does.  Satan deceives, lies, kills, steals and destroys.  Our job as a Child of God is not to fight the devil, he has been defeated.  Our job is to resist the devil and he will flee but we cannot resist the devil unless we are submitted to God (James 4:7).

“⁷ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

⁸ For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

Ask, seek, knock and you shall find God’s Will.  No matter how far we have gone down the road of self will, God’s Arm is not shortened.  Seek His Will and He will snatch you from satan’s deception and sit you in heavenly places…according to HIS Will and His Purposes.

Be blessed,

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁹ But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him.

¹⁰ But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

The Word of God is not learned through worldly wisdom or intellectual philosophies. This is precisely why it is of no use to debate the Bible with unbelievers or those with an intellectual knowledge who have a fabricated religion from their own mind…those who are walking after the flesh.

The Lord reveals His Word by His Spirit.  Without a true Revelation from the Lord, one cannot understand the Lord or His Word.  When the rightly divided Word of God is declared from the pulpit, the Holy Spirit quickens the heart of the people.  He will convict, bear witness and lead us into all Truths according to the Word of God.

“¹⁰ And the disciples came, and said unto Him (Jesus), Why speak you unto them in parables?

¹¹ He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given.

¹² For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has.

¹³ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.” Matthew 13:10-13

Whosoever has the desire to grow in Grace and knowledge of the Lord, to them it shall be given and they shall have an abundance.  However, hear this friends, whosoever has not the desire to grow in Grace, to seek Him for Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross…those who are merely curious, not only will they lose what they could have had but also what they have will be taken away.

This is their knowledge of the Lord, their Light given to them by the Lord that is spoken of here and it is happening as we speak.  Seeing they see not.  For many, their heart has waxed cold to the ways of the Lord.  Intellectual philosophies and humanistic psychology has seduced them…they are led by the flesh to things of the flesh.

Jesus said if “I” be lifted up, HE will draw all man unto Him (John 12:32)….not blood moons, shemitahs, harbingers and whatever that is happening with the stars in September (Deuteronomy 4:15-20).  Pool parties, games and movies will not draw the lost to Christ…the Holy Spirit will draw the lost to Jesus when HE is lifted up to the people.

The Light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit works within the parameters of Jesus Christ and His redeeming work on Calvary’s Cross.  This is the Law of the Spirit of Life IN Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2) that we enter into at Salvation because of our faith in Jesus, Who He is and what He has done to pay the penalty of sin for whosoever will believe.

When philosophies begin to temp our intellect, our light begins to fade.  Our knowledge is no longer revealed to us by the Spirit of God through the Word of God but by man made philosophies…seeing we see not.

“But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

Don’t argue the Word of God with those who are not seeking the Lord but contend for the faith of those who are…there is a difference.  Let us all consider what we see not.

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁴⁴ And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

⁴⁵ And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Your Hands I commend My Spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost.” Luke 23:44-46

No man took the life of Jesus; He gave His life freely through the power of the Holy Spirit.

“How much more shall the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14

Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the sin penalty of the human race which was physical death.  Let me be perfectly clear, Jesus did not die spiritually as some teach and He DID NOT become a sinner…that is heresy from the pits of hell.  Jesus Christ offered Himself WITHOUT SPOT to God as the perfect, Sacrificial Lamb of God.  The blood of bulls and goats could not take away sin and purge our conscience from dead works to serve the Living God but they restored fellowship with God as the Saints of the Old Testament looked forward through faith to their coming Redeemer.

“³ Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?

⁴ Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:3-4

When we are born again, born of the Spirit, we are baptized into Jesus death.  In Him, the penalty for our sin is paid and the power of sin is broken.

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.

² And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.

³ And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

⁴ And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:

⁵ And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek you the living among the dead?

⁶ He is not here, but is risen: remember how He spoke unto you when He was yet in Galilee,

⁷ Saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” Luke 24:1-7

Knowing this, Who Jesus is and what He accomplished on Calvary’s Cross for whosoever will believe, there is no question as to our Lord’s Resurrection. Jesus came to die on Calvary’s Cross.  He is sitting at the Right Hand of God searching to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9).

“¹⁰ For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He lives, He lives unto God.

¹¹ Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Romans 6:10-12

The power of sin was broken at Calvary’s Cross.  When Jesus Christ gave up the ghost the penalty was paid and the power of sin was broken.  His Resurrection is our proof that every sin…not some, EVERY sin was paid for whosoever will believe…likewise reckon you also to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto the Living God, our God – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The choice is not saying yes or no to sin, we cannot resist sin unless we are submitted to God (James 4:7).  The choice is saying yes or no to Jesus and HIS finished work on Calvary’s Cross to break the dominion of sin in the Believer’s life.

The problem in the life of many Believers is unbelief.  They believe the finished work of Jesus for Salvation but do not believe, they do not reckon themselves, to be dead to sin.  Their fight is a fight to GAIN the victory we have already been freely given.

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto you are also called, and have professed a good profession before many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12.

Our fight is not with flesh but with principalities and powers of darkness where we stand in the power of God by faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Fight the good fight of faith…faith in Jesus Christ and His redeeming work.  It is finished.

-Donna Clark Warren

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”  Galatians 5:1

Satan’s greatest weapon is deception.  The devil will use Truth to elevate his lie.  Much will sound correct except for the lie.  His purpose is to get us out of the Will of God and it is there that we are afflicted.  Once we are afflicted, whatever our affliction may be…and make no mistake, our affliction could very well be self righteousness, we are then given various methods, mostly religious, fabricated to appeal to our flesh.

It is here, as our heart turns from our first love, that the powers of darkness begin their work to once again gain dominion in our lives.  They are not stagnant and we cannot overcome them within our own self effort or self will.  We cannot simply “change our mind” and not do what satan is causing us to do. If this were so, the Cross of Christ was in vain (Romans 6:14).  God will never override our free will but satan will do so at every opportunity given.

Sadly, this is the state of many Christians.  They are sincere with good intentions but are living a defeated Christian life.  There is no joy unspeakable.  There is no peace beyond all understanding.  All that is remaining is fear, worry, anger and depression.  They go through the religious motions but are empty, numb and desensitized.  I know this, I’ve seen this…I’ve been this.  I’ve chased the blood moons.  I’ve looked for the harbingers. I’ve been among the spiritually dead. They are indeed spiritual but it’s not of the Holy Spirit.  Emotions ran high.

Then there came that morning that I asked the Lord to show me if we were sitting under any false doctrine and my eyes were suddenly opened.  I had heard warnings of false doctrines and methods of man but everything seem to line up with the Bible.  I would read the Scripture and it did pertain to the message being preached…the error was indeed riding in on the coat-tail of Truth, so I couldn’t discern the Truth until I asked the Lord to show me. I was deceived. As my husband and I started searching the Scriptures, whether those things were so (Acts 17:11), we were stunned that “we” were so deceived. Don’t EVER think yourself smarter than the devil, SUBMIT to God, resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7).  The devil won’t flee unless we are submitted to God.

“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

Because of being swept to and fro by every wind of doctrine, many are entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  They are under law not Grace to overcome this bondage and they are broken.  The Lord is raising up a standard in these last days.  He is raising up a people who will declare unto the Church, unto God’s Children, the Gospel of Jesus Christ…He is bringing the Gospel BACK to the Church.  Many have left their first love, Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He did on Calvary’s Cross for WHOSOEVER will believe but they have not lost Him.  He is standing at the door knocking. Do you hear Him?

“My sheep hear My Voice, and I know them, and they follow Me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My Hand.” John 10:17-18

Are you following Him?

-Donna Clark Warren

“³ Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common Salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints.

⁴ For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the Grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵ I will therefore put you in remembrance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

⁶ And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the Great Day.

⁷ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

⁸ Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.”  Jude 3-8

Contending for the faith, fighting the good fight of faith…the faith which was once delivered unto us at Salvation, is the SAME faith that gives the Holy Spirit latitude to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life; the faith that frees us from the law of sin and death.  This faith in which we speak is faith in Jesus Christ and HIS redeeming work on Calvary’s Cross.  The Cross of Christ is the Power of God unto us which are saved (1 Corinthians 1:18).  Faith placed solely and exclusively in Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done on Cavlary’s Cross for whosoever will believe, gives us dominion over sin…precept upon precept, line upon line – old things pass away and all things become new.  We are a new creature in Christ Jesus.

There are certain men (and women) who have crept in unawares.  They stand behind many a pulpit turning the Grace of God into a license to sin.  These do not exhort us to contend for the faith in order to have dominion over sin but they make one comfortable in their sin and call it “loving thy brother”.

“¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

¹⁶ You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” Matthew 7:15-16

The fruit of these who have crept in unaware are filthy dreamers, they defile the flesh, despise dominion and speak evil of diginities.  The Lord has set forth two examples for us in His Word of what happens when sin has dominion. He has given us Sodom and Gomorrha as an example and the angels which kept not their first estate and fornicated with women (Genesis 6:4).

Sin is not stagnant and sadly the majority of Christians are…they are lukewarm. Living a life fabricated by their own religion and another Jesus.  They have not contended for the faith and allowed false prophets to creep in unaware.  Please understand, I am not speaking about everyone but I am speaking about many.

I want to exhort everyone this morning to contend for the faith…defend the doctrines of Christianity.  Do not allow your Brother or Sister in Christ to be swept to and fro by every wind of doctrine…pull them out of the fire of destruction; hating the very garment spotted by the flesh (Jude 1:23).  This is love my friend…not condoning that which God has called sin.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2

-Donna Clark Warren