“⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Truth is not in us.

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10

Some will say this Scripture was not written to Believers.  Please don’t be deceived, the Word of God is written for Believers.   Why would the lost care about confessing their sin?  The better question is, why would the Believer NOT want to confess their sins to God and be forgiven?

“⁶ And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

⁷ And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

⁸ And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.”  Genesis 3:6-8

Too many of the grace revolution sect claim that 1 John 1:8-10 was written to unbelievers.  Let me tell you friend, they are using that Scripture as a fig leaf to hide from God in their sin.  Jesus Christ came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the penalty of sin (death) and break the power of sin in the Believer’s life (Romans 6:14). When we stumble, we repent and the Lord is faithful to forgive us.

However, don’t mistake God’s forgiveness for His deliverance.  Once we are forgiven, we don’t have to fast 21 days to overcome; we don’t seek 40 days of purpose for our victory and we don’t simply change our mind to overcome sin…we stand, submitted to God and HE commands our victory.  The Scripture says SUBMIT to God and the devil will flee (James 4:7).

Once Adam and Eve ate of the tree of good and evil, they were no more God conscience and were made self conscience.  All are now born with the sin nature because of Adam’s fall.  We are born conscience of self.  It is not until we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior that we are alive unto God and have the power to submit to God (Romans 6:13) if we so choose…and choose we must. Precept upon precept, line upon line, we must choose daily to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

“⁹ And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where are you?

¹⁰ And he said, I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

¹¹ And He (God) said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded you that you should not eat?”  Genesis 3:9-11.

Adam was ashamed of the effect of sin.  He was sorry of the result of sin but was not repentant of turning his heart from God in unbelief.  Adam did not believe that eating from the tree of good and evil would cause him to die…spiritually die unto God.  God took any excuse of ignorance away when He asked Adam “…Have you eaten of the tree, where of I commanded you that you should not eat?”

Have you been taught a Believer does not have to repent of their sins?  Are you wearing 1 John 1:8-10 as your fig leaf in order to live in sin?  Have you been told conviction of the Holy Spirit of sin is condemnation from the devil?  Calling the conviction of the Holy Spirit a work of satan is blasphemy.  Repent.

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”  2 Corinthians 6:17

If we are looking for an excuse to sin, we need to consider the condition of our heart.  All sin leads to death but life is in the power of the Cross of Jesus Christ.

“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

-Donna Clark Warren

“²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:” Job 19:25

Job, perfect in his efforts to serve the Lord, feared God and hated evil.  The Book of Job is the oldest book in the Bible.  It was written before the Mosaic Law was written.  Job knew that His Redeemer lives.

“For for this cause was the Gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit.” 1 Peter 4:6

The Gospel was preached to the Old Testament Saints while they were alive and accepted it. Dear old Job knew His Redeemer lived.  Faithful Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness (Romans 4:3).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind, was declared long before the Mosaic Law was ever given.  The Mosaic Law did not save anyone but was given to indict man of unrighteousness and reveal their need for a Redeemer.

We are saved and mankind has always been saved by Grace through Faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross; the Old Testament Saints soon coming Redeemer and the New Testament Saints Redeemer.  Today He is our Savior.  However, one day soon and very soon, Jesus Christ will be the Judge of all earth.  The sacrifice of bulls and goats could not take away sin from our account but restored fellowship with God.  The were types and shadows of the coming Redeemer, Jesus.

“¹⁰ Hear the Word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah.

¹¹ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? says the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

¹² When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand, to tread My courts?

¹³ Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto Me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts My Soul hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them.”  Isaiah 1:10-14

God had grown weary of Israel’s vain oblations. Their appointed feasts His Soul hated.  The sacrifices of bulls and goats of the Mosaic and our Sacrifice now, Jesus Christ, was given to atone for sin and restore fellowship with God, yet there was no more fellowship with Him. When the Israelites came to appear before God, He asked “who has required this at your hand to tread My courts?”.  God knew in their hearts they were not there to fellowship with Him.  God wants our heart. He wants to be our God and we His Children, yet so many refuse to follow.  They go about their worldly ways, methods of man and religious traditions all to “honor” Him.  This is the “good” of the tree of “good and evil”.  Good intentions do not take the place of God’s Way.

God has sent us a Redeemer.  Jesus not only atoned for our sin on the Cross but wiped away sin from the Believer’s account.  Through His Resurrection, we know that every sin was paid in full.  By Grace through Faith we are given dominion over sin.  The Holy Spirit isolates our sin nature when our faith is placed in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

“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

The only Law that is greater than the law of sin and death, which we are all under before we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, is the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus.  Changing our thought process, 40 days of purpose or 50 sit ups will not overcome the law of sin and death. Faith – faith in Jesus Christ and His redeeming work on Calvary’s Cross is how we give the Holy Spirit latitude to do what He is commissioned to do…free us from the Law of sin and death.

Fight the good fight of faith – faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  Job knew His Redeemer lives.  Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him as righteousness.  Do you Believe?  Do you KNOW in Whom you have Believed?

“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the Salvation of the Lord, which He will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom you have seen to day, you shall see them again no more for ever.”  Exodus 14:13

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁶ I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

⁷ Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.

⁸ 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.

⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed.

¹⁰ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”  Galatians 1:6-10

Let us not forget that satan knows the Word of God better than most Christians.  He will twist Truth and use it as a snare to seduce the unlearned and babes in Christ to make his lie bigger.  The watered down translations of the Word of God that are thought for thought and not word for word, present God as bait for the Believers and thoughts from the vanities of man’s mind lure the lost to another Jesus.  A Jesus that compromises with sin and joins the world to overcome the world.  To be sure, the Word of God says to come out from among them and be ye separate (2 Corinthians 6:17).  Yes, Jesus ate with sinners but he came to call them unto repentance…not be their companion (Mark 2:15-17).  The Jesus Christ of the Word of God is the Great Physician of sinners.

“¹³ For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.

¹⁴ And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

¹⁵ Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”  1 Corinthians 11:13-15

We must recognize who is being proclaimed from the pulpit, NOT who they say they are proclaiming but who is being lifted up among the congregation.  Do we leave motivated about what we must do or rejoicing in what Jesus Christ did for whosoever will believe?

When hearts are changed by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the poor, broken hearts are healed and the captives are delivered from their bondages (Luke 4:18); they will go about declaring “Come, see a Man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” John 4:29  The religious centers will no longer need methods of man to fill the pews because the Holy Spirit will draw the sinner; the lost and undone to Jesus…the Jesus of the Word of God; the Son of the Living God when HE is lifted up.

“¹⁵ He (Jesus) said unto them, But whom say you that I am?

¹⁶ And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it unto you, but My Father which is in Heaven.” Matthew 16:15-17

Who do you say He is; the Jesus Christ of the Word of God?  The One Who came to die on Calvary’s Cross as the Sacrifice for our sin, broke the power of sin in the Believer’s life and now sits at the Right Hand of God; Who is He?  Do you know Him?  He is Holy.  He is Righteous.  Jesus came to save us from sin, not in sin. Who is He in your life? Is He Lord or is another Jesus from the vanities of man’s mind your lord?

The answers are between you and God, not you and me.  Prayerfully consider.

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁹ Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death has no more dominion over Him.

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.”  Romans 6:9-11

Upon our conversion into the Body of Christ, the Believer is baptized into Jesus’ death (Romans 6:3-4).  Because of our faith in the redeeming work of Jesus, we are now dead to our sin nature (which we are all born with due to Adam’s fall) and alive unto God.  The Holy Spirit is able to discharge what God the Father has commissioned Him to do, free us from the law of sin and death, when our faith is properly placed solely and exclusively on the finished work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross.

“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

It is here, at this point of decision, that our faith touches the hem of Jesus’ garment and His virtue flows from the throne room of God.  We remain free from the dominion of our sin nature when we maintain our faith in Jesus and HIS finished work, not ours.

However, be not deceived, religion will present various methods to seduce the Believer with worldly methods to draw others to the church…not God.  The Word of God says if Jesus be lifted up, He will draw all men unto Him (John 12:32).  The Gospel of Jesus Christ can and will do exactly what it says when the name of Jesus is lifted up to the masses and they will WANT to come to church.

As for me, when I accepted the Lord as Savior, I was sitting on the sofa one Sunday morning, a sinner who was lost and undone, when the Holy Spirit pricked my heart. I began attending a small Pentecostal church regularly and the Holy Spirit began convicting me.  Soon and very soon, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  They did not change my oil, work in my yard or attend to any of my worldly needs. They attended to my spiritual needs and presented the Gospel of Jesus Christ to me and the Holy Spirit did His work in my heart.  Mind you, the Word of God says

“³ Honor widows that are widows indeed.

⁴ But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.” 1 Timothy 5:3-4

Most don’t recognize the difference in these good “civic” works offered by many seeker sensitive churches to fill the pews and the spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to fill the empty vessels with the Spirit of the Living God.  The church is to take care of their own widows who do not have someone to take care of them.  Those who are “widows indeed”.

“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

The sad fact is most of the modern church does not believe the Scripture.  In reality they do not believe that God will supply all of our needs when we are obedient to His Word. They instead try to perform the work and duties of the Holy Spirit themselves.  None of this requires faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning work but faith in the church.  The hook is set and the seduction complete.  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is completely disregarded and they are no longer dead to sin.  Self righteousness and a religious spirit has dominion in their lives.  Make no mistake, this is the same religious spirit that rests upon the world and their moral authority according to the vanities of their own minds.

As the Believer maintains their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, not their church or their good works, the Holy Spirit isolates our sin nature.  Sin no longer has dominion over us.  We are dead to sin and alive unto God.  Until we are born again, we are spiritually dead and unable to willingly yield unto God.

“¹⁶ Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

¹⁷ But God be thanked, that you were the servants of sin, but you have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” Romans 6:16-17.

Until we, God’s Children, believe that Jesus Christ broke the power of sin in our lives on Calvary’s Cross and reckon ourselves dead unto sin and submit our will to His Will, sin will continue to reign in our hearts.

“³ According as His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue:

⁴ Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:3-4.

We partake in God’s Divine Nature by stepping out in faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, Who broke the power of sin in the Believer’s life and enabling us to live…live unto God through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

-Donna Clark Warren

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

² 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 12:1-2

Faith is not conjured up.  We either believe Jesus Christ broke the power of sin on Calvary’s Cross and is now set down at the Right Hand of the Throne of God searching to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him (2 Chronicles 16:9) or we don’t believe.

Meditating and/or memorizing Scripture does not author our faith but is used by many in an attempt to conjure up faith.  In reality those who attempt to conjure up faith are placing their faith in their abilities and self efforts and not in the finished work of the Lord.  Please don’t misunderstand, we all should study and try to memorize Scripture.  If we don’t know the Scripture for ourselves, how will the Holy Spirit bring those things into remembrance and teach us according to God’s Word (John 14:26).  God has given us His Word and the Holy Spirit to lead us into all Truths.

Our fight is the good fight of faith…faith in Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life (Romans 6:14).  As our faith is maintained in Jesus’ finished work, the Holy Spirit is able to discharge His responsibility to the One Who sent Him, God the Father, and deliver us from the sin that so easily besets us.  Through our faith in the redeeming work of Jesus, the captives are set free, the sick are healed by the power of God and all things are turned to good for those who love the Lord.

Looking unto Jesus, our faith is authored and finished because the Holy Spirit is able to do what He is commissioned to do…keep us by the Power of God.

“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

Fight the good fight of faith…faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

-Donna Clark Warren

“⁴ You adulterers and adulteresses, know you 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.

⁵ Do you think that the Scripture says in vain, The Spirit Who dwells in us lusts to envy?”  James 4:4-5

Adulterers and adulteresses are not those of the world who claim the title “Christian” but are no more born again than the devil himself.  Adulterers and adulteresses are Believers who are faithless toward God, reject the ministry of the Holy Spirit to break the power of sin in the Believer’s life when their faith is placed upon Jesus and His redeeming work on Calvary’s Cross, and follow the ways of the world for victory over the world, the flesh and the devil.  They are a “friend of the world” and an enemy of God.

“Know you not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives?

² For the woman which has an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he lives; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

³ So then if, while her husband lives, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

⁴ Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the Body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to Him Who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”  Romans 7:1-4

Through the Body of Christ, the Believer is dead to the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).  We are buried with Christ by baptism into His death, HIS finished work…not our own or our part (Romans 6:4) once we are born again.  Sin no longer has dominion over us (Romans 6:14).

An adulterer or adulteress no longer lives by faith in the Son of God to “maintain” they’re victory but will follow the ways of the world to “gain” their victory…they are “friends of the world”.  Many of these ways seem religious, good and sometimes Scriptural but none are God’s way for victory over our fallen nature.  God’s answer to sin is the finished work of Christ and our faith placed solely and exclusively in HIS finished work gives the Holy Spirit latitude to do that which He desires to do…free us from the law of sin and death.

“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

The Holy Spirit is envious over any control our fallen nature may have over our lives. He is desirous to have the Believer depend upon Him for daily living.  However, the Holy Spirit cannot discharge His responsibility when we are friends of the world and look to other methods for dominion over sin. We must repent of our spiritual adultery.  Even the “good” works that we once depended on for victory are evil in the eyes of God.

“¹⁷ Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

¹⁸ And will be a Father unto you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  2 Corinthians 6:17-18.

Don’t mistake the Believer being called out from among the unbelievers and being separate, as all Believers are called to do, with Believers who are adulterers and adulteresses.  Often times the adulterers and adulteresses will indeed be separated from the world yet fail to seek the Lord for anything.  They depend upon other sources for victory over the world, the flesh and the devil.  Once again…they are a friend of the world.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”  Matthew 6:33

This is not a “slogan” for Christians, it is a fact.  Spiritual adultery is rampant in the modern church as methods of man are lifted up for deliverance.  Sadly, many are faithless toward God and don’t even realize…the church is full of adulterers and adulteresses who truly love God but are friends of the world.

-Donna Clark Warren

Sinners will sometimes clothe themselves in morality according to political correctness.  Political correctness is often the religion of the unbeliever and they are some of the most religious we will encounter.  However, the Bible says Believers are not to judge sinners (1 Corinthians 5:11-13), they are doing what sinners do – sin.

Don’t mistake calling sin sinful as judging sin.  Declaring the Word of God is not judging sin.  God has already judged sin and the penalty is death.  We can either accept the sacrifice Jesus made on Calvary’s Cross to pay our sin debt and declare Him as our Lord and Savior or we can pay the debt ourselves and continue with satan as our lord.  Make no mistake, satan is the lord of the unbeliever no matter how good their works.  Eve ate of the tree of good and evil…not just evil.

“In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4

The lost are not lost because they reject Jesus.  They reject Jesus because they are lost.  Until they willfully choose to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Who came to die on Calvary’s Cross to pay the sin debt for whosoever will believe and He now sits at the Right Hand of the Throne of God, the lost will remain lost and their good works, just as others evil works, will condemn them to an eternal hell.

“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the House of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17

While the sinners clothe themselves in morality based on political correctness, most (not all) of the modern church clothes themselves in sacraments, religious ceremonies combined with political correctness in order to seduce the world into their “good works”. DO NOT mistake this as declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost and dying world.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He did on Calvary’s Cross, is the only answer to deliver the brokenhearted.  The finished work of Jesus Christ will heal the sick and draw the prodigal children home…good works will not and cannot redeem the sinner to God.

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Romans 10:17

Declare the Word of God; full counsel, rightly divided…do not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“And they overcame him by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” Revelation 12:11

-Donna Clark Warren