“¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under Grace.

¹⁵ What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under Grace? God forbid.” Romans 6:14-15

We either believe the Word of God to be true or we believe It to be a lie.  If we believe that by Grace through faith we are given dominion over sin, we believe the Word of God to be true.  Many are walking on the sidelines of Christiandom because sin, whatever that sin may be, has dominion over them.  In their hearts they feel inferior to the self righteous because whose sin they cannot see because it is, well…self righteousness.  Let me be clear, self righteousness and condemnation by a professing Christian will not lead the sinner or the bound to repentance.

Simply stated, if the Believer does not believe the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross (Grace) broke the power of sin in their hearts and lives, they believe the Word of God to be a lie.

“For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect.” 1 Corinthians 1:17

Man made laws from humanistic psychology are nothing more than wisdom of words that make the Cross of Christ of no effect.  12 steps of celebrating recovery, 40 days of purpose or 100 days of favor will not give the Believer dominion over sin. If we believe this, we believe the Word of God to be a lie and the Cross of Christ was in vain.

On Calvary’s Cross Jesus Christ redeemed man to God.  His redeeming work IS the power of God to Save the sinner and Sanctify the Saint.  Before our Salvation, when we were still a sinner, we did not have the power within ourselves to willingly yield ourselves unto God.  The lost are spiritually dead and not alive (spiritually) unto God.  They are not lost because they reject Jesus but reject Jesus because they are lost.

However, for the Child of God who remains in bondage, sin has dominion over them in some way, the condemnation from the religious and self righteous too often keep the bound from yielding themselves unto God as servants of obedience unto righteousness. They feel like they must perfect themselves before yielding unto God.  Friend, Brother, Sister – you can’t.  Sin will continue it’s dominion until we yield unto God.

“Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”  Romans 6:16

Please allow me to repeat this simple yet powerful Truth.  Before Salvation, we are not able to willingly yield unto God as servants of obedience unto righteousness.  If such were so, the Cross of Christ was in vain.  Through His Work on the Cross, Jesus Christ made a way for us to yield unto God…to partake in HIS Divine Nature and allow us to be His servants of obedience unto righteousness.

“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 1:4

It is time for many to jump into the River of Life.  The devil has tried his best to kill, steal and destroy you.  He has whispered lies of condemnation and death in your ear but God is calling you out.  The Lord has not left you there to die. He has made a way to follow Him…to follow Him as a servant of obedience unto righteousness and it is truly not by might, nor by power but by His Spirit alone that you will be delivered.

The Cross of Christ has not lost it’s power but we have made it of no effect through our unbelief.  The methods freely provided through the various and vain programs and groups at the modern church plainly shows our unbelief in the power of God.

“And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” 1 Kings 18:41

I hear a sound of abundance of rain raining down on the discontented, the disheartened and the bound.  The prodigals who have been discarded and dismissed by the self appointed “King Sauls” whose heart is truly set to destroy God’s Work.

Pray Church.  Pray for the harvest.  https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsonlifebroadcastingnetwork%2Fvideos%2F1727671560584843%2F&show_text=0&width=560“>Pray Now!

-Donna Clark Warren

“¹⁰ And the Commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

¹¹ For sin, taking occasion by the Commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

¹² Wherefore the Law is holy, and the Commandment holy, and just, and good.

¹³ Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the Commandment might become exceeding sinful.” Romans 7:10-13

It is much easier to discern evil when it appears evil.  It is the good things we do, even the Scriptural ordinances, that work death in us when our faith is placed in those ordinances, commandments and laws for our righteousness.  Our consecration becomes ambition to gain righteousness instead of our faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified maintaining our righteousness when our faith shifts from what Jesus has done to what we must do.

Religious man has written many books, taught many programs and given many methods and formulas to “gain” righteousness that are nothing more than laws.

“⁵ For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection: ⁶ Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:5-6

These methods (laws) are the poison in the pot.  They are satan’s methods to corrupt the Gospel of Jesus Christ and make the Cross of Christ of no effect. These laws, the methods and formulas that are often Scriptural ordinances, cause the old man…the unregenerate who was crucified with Christ to arise.  The unregenerate man who faith buried is now awakened with the giving of methods.  They are “good” so we don’t recognize their intent to corrupt our faith….but make no mistake, corrupting our faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ is the sole intent of these methods.

“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

Freedom from the law of sin and death is only found when we are planted together in the likeness of Jesus’ death through faith in His finished Work.  It is only then, when our faith is placed solely and exclusively in Jesus’ atoning work, that we are made free by the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus and shall also be in the likeness of His Resurrection.  This is the ministry of the Holy Spirit and He is more than capable to do that which He is commissioned to do in the Believer’s life.  These vain methods are an attempt to usurp His ministry and replace it with our willpower.

“³ For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: ⁴ That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:3-4

Walk not after the flesh…but after the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

“²⁰ I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.

²¹ I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Galatians 2:20-21

-Donna Clark Warren

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.” John 16:13

The entrance of the Holy Spirit into the hearts of the Believer is made possible by the Cross of Christ.  The is the “born again” experience (John 3:3).  When the repentant sinner chooses to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, the Spirit of God comes to dwell in their heart bearing witness to them that they are a Child of God (Romans 8:16).  This is not an intellectual occurrence but a spiritual birth.  We are spiritually alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:11).

The Spirit of Truth (the Holy Spirit) will not speak of Himself but of Whom He represents, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit dwelling in us declares the Work of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, which at the time John 16:13 was given the New Covenant was yet to come.

It is the atoning work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross that made the indwelling of the Holy Spirit possible for the Believer and it is exclusively within this framework that the Holy Spirit is commissioned to operate in the heart of the Believer.   Once we are born again, spiritually alive unto God through the Blood of Jesus, we need not look to worldly statutes, humanistic psychology or vain philosophies to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.  The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to give us victory through the multitudes of methods offered by the religious.  If such were so, the Cross of Christ was in vain.  God forbid no!

On Calvary’s Cross, Jesus Christ redeemed whosoever will believe and He has the POWER to possess that He has redeemed.  A 10 year old may have the money to buy a pick up truck but he does not have the power to possess that truck.  The power of God that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, is the same power of God that possesses the Child of God whose faith remains exclusively in Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

“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

It is through THIS power, the power of God…which IS the Cross of Christ (Who Jesus is and what He has done) that the Believer keeps God’s Statutes…not our willpower.  The entrance of the Holy Spirit in our hearts is made possible solely by Jesus Christ and His atoning work.  When our faith is placed elsewhere, we hinder the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives resulting in a defeated Christian life.  This is the devil’s purpose for corrupting the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  If satan can redirect our faith to “our part” and what “we” must do to overcome, he has successfully redirected our faith and made the Cross of Christ of no effect in our lives.  Make no mistake, satan’s greatest weapon is deceit and he uses the religious to spread his poisonous corruption.

“¹⁵ If you love Me, keep My Commandments. ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; ¹⁷ Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:15-17

Everything we receive from God, including the Spirit of God, is made possible by the Cross of Christ. Be determined to know nothing else among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified and see the Salvation of the Lord in your heart come to fruition…bearing fruit onto God for His Glory and His Honor.

-Donna Clark Warren